ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGOctober 13, 2021Knowing who you are and what you believe is sort of essential if one wishes to live a full and joy-filled life. I’m sure it has been true for every generation, at least to some degree, but today I find a lot of folks claim to know who they are and what they believe based upon who they are not and what they do not
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGOctober 12, 2021No one likes to be judged, yet most of us know what it is like to be judged. Does God judge us? This is a tough question, especially when we speak of God’s unconditional love and ceaseless mercy. If that’s true, how does God judge? In Romans 2, Paul wrote some interesting words to a community he had never met before, yet he clearly understood
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGOctober 11, 2021Prayer for the Week:Where there are deep hurts Let us drink from your reservoir of loveWhere there is loneliness Let us fall into your receptive spiritWhere there is grief Let us be enveloped in your hopeWhere there is betrayal Let us learn of your amazing fidelityWhere there is hate Let us see your image in all peopleWhere there is deceit Let us discern your merciful
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGOctober 10, 2021I was reading an article entitled “The disciplines of disruption” (by Ken Gosnell). In the article, the author writes about how Jesus was a great disruptor, comparing him to those in the business world who are disrupters of the old ways of doing things. Gosnell writes, “There is always a better way if we are bold enough to question the status quo to find a
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGOctober 9, 2021As I was working on my sermon for this coming Sunday, I came across a quote from George Bernard Shaw. He wrote, “People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it.” How often have people who are doing good work, offering small acts of kindness on a daily basis, how often are they interrupted to explain or even justify
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGOctober 8, 2021Have you ever been forced to pause? You really didn’t plan to slow down or come to a complete stop, but something halted your forward movement… and it was good. In that moment, all the busyness and that frenzied feeling were lost as you found yourself fully in the moment. In Habakkuk 2:20, we read: “..the LORD is in his holy temple. Let all the
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGOctober 7, 2021Have you ever felt as if Jesus simply went too far? Or maybe he went beyond where you felt comfortable? Continuing in Luke 14, Jesus says to his followers, “In the same way, none of you who are unwilling to give up all of your possessions can be my disciple.” Like many people, I am struck by the words “all of your possessions.” Later in
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGOctober 6, 2021As I was preparing for last week’s sermon, I was reading further in Luke’s Gospel and came across the words of Jesus, “Whoever comes to me and doesn’t hate father and mother, spouse and children, and brothers and sisters—yes, even one’s own life—cannot be my disciple. Whoever doesn’t carry their own cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.” As a kid, there were plenty
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGOctober 5, 2021You probably read the news that William Shatner, otherwise known as Captain Kirk of the USS Enterprise, is actually going to space. He will fly on Blue Origin’s New Shepard launch vehicle in one week. Shatner is a young 90 years old. For this Star Trek fan, it’s pretty cool! We’ve seen a few actors do commercials and say, “I’m not a real doctor, but
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGOctober 4, 2021Prayer for the Week:It was St. Julian of Norwich who wrote the simple prayer:All shall be well,and all shall be well,and all manner of things shall be well. Holy God, we seek to echo this ancient prayer, but things will not be well if we lose sight of the Source of wellness. Draw us to one another, and in doing so, bind us as one