ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGJanuary 20, 2022A month ago, we talked about Mary’s Song or what is called the Magnificat. If it was a song, I’ve always wondered what the tune sounded like as it has some pretty harsh stuff. Mary sings about the Lord scattering the arrogant and pulling down the powerful from their thrones. This all happens while the lowly are lifted up. The hungry are filled with good
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGJanuary 19, 2022I have spent a lot of time lately thinking about and praying for our teachers and school staff. A couple of things – I come from a family of educators, and so I have always had a deep respect for those who feel called to this important work. I have also witnessed firsthand my mother sitting at the dining room table late at night as
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGJanuary 18, 2022For a couple of weeks now, I have been playing around with a verse of scripture – Psalm 25:1. It reads: I offer my life to you, LORD. The author of the Psalm continues, acknowledging the vulnerability present whenever a person offers oneself to someone else. When I am meeting with a couple in advance of a marriage ceremony, I spend time talking about vulnerability.
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGJanuary 17, 2022Prayer for the WeekTheodore Parker wrote, “I do not pretend to understand the moral universe; the arc is a long one, my eye reaches but little ways; I cannot calculate the curve and complete the figure by the experience of sight; I can divine it by conscience. And from what I see I am sure it bends towards justice.” Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. would
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGJanuary 16, 2022In his Letter from Birmingham Jail, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote, “I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be, and you can never be what you ought to be until I am what I ought to be…” How many people are far from who they were created to be because of circumstances beyond their control.
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGJanuary 15, 2022Last Sunday, we had two baptisms in our new baptistery. It was pretty nifty I must confess. Mariah, who facilitated the baptisms, did a great job. It may not be something most folks spend much time pondering, but for clergy, a new baptistry brings all sorts of unknowns. We ask a lot of questions, including: How long is the baptistry and how tall is the
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGJanuary 14, 2022In Matthew 28:19, Jesus offered some insight in regard to baptism when he said, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Over the years, in churches I was serving, we received phone calls from other churches were a former member of our church (often a person who
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGJanuary 13, 2022I went to preach at my home church in Lincoln, Nebraska, a number of years ago. It was a great experience, but what I felt to be a strongly worded sermon was greeted with comments like, “Oh Bruce, it is so nice to have you here. I always thought you’d become a minister. Your mom must be so proud.” Maybe I’m overestimating what I said
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGJanuary 12, 2022How often have you lost something you really didn’t lose? After searching for your glasses, you found them on your face. After checking your pockets for your car keys, you realized they were in your hand all along. Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t believe so. In scripture, Jesus tells a handful of parables about individuals or things lost, and the celebration upon finding
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGJanuary 11, 2022Today is Human Trafficking Awareness Day. Human Trafficking is often defined as: The exploitation of another person for labor, domestic servitude or commercial sexual activity by force, fraud or coercion. Though Sex Trafficking has received the most attention in recent years, the exploitation of workers in food processing, restaurants and farming is some of the most significant. With that said, any modern day slavery in