ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS May 19, 2026 So when I have some free time, I’ve been watching an episode of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters on AppleTV. Trust me, you won’t see it winning any awards, but I have always been a fan of the old giant monster movies, and this show includes Godzilla and King Kong. The writing has been a bit clunky and predictable, but I still enjoy it.
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS May 18, 2026 Prayer for the Week: Living and Life-giving Spirit, we seek to center ourselves in your loving presence. As we hear voices seeking to play on our anxiousness, we breathe in your grace and release that part of us that can so easily be drawn into the manipulative games that are played. Grant us wisdom to know when those games are being played and
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS May 17, 2026 There was a sticker that one of our youth read out loud, and it included the word ‘stigma.’ She wanted to know what it meant. The sticker was referencing the stigma associated with mental health, and how we approach our conversations on the topic as if it were bad or a taboo. There is no question that our culture has made some improvements
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS May 16, 2026 So, you go to the gym or enjoy riding your bike around the neighborhood for some exercise. Excellent! So, you are reading food labels a bit more closely, trying to reduce your intake of sugar and sodium. Another excellent thing to do! But what are you doing for your mental health? In Ephesians 5, Paul was probably speaking more generally, but I appreciate
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS May 14, 2026 In the Men’s Group yesterday, after sharing the Joys & Concerns of the congregation, and then praying together, I turned on a TedTalk by a counselor specifically for men named Dustin Hogan. As it is Mental Health Awareness Month, and this Sunday we are having a specific worship experience on the topic, I thought it would be a good video to watch. At
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS May 13, 2026 The English songwriter, singer, and Grammy-winning composer, Jacob Collier, offered the commencement address at Berklee School of Music in Boston. You can find it on YouTube, and in it, he said, “You are only as powerful as you make the people around you feel.” Those words have been resonating with me for a little more than 24 hours. Empowerment can often be the
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS May 12, 2026 Have you ever had one of those really productive days? Now I won’t claim that yesterday was a “really” productive day, but it felt productive. And I even got to spend a little time with my wife. Productive is a good thing! Usually, your employer appreciates and might even reward productivity. In a world where things need to get done, products need to
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS May 11, 2026 Prayer for the Week: We come before you with hearts full of gratitude for all those who have loved and nurtured us. Holy God, Mother of Life, Parent to the whole human family, you are the God who is forever present to us, and there is no place where we can go where you are not already there, abounding in kindness and grace.
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS May 10, 2026 In the 16th chapter of Acts, beyond the portion that we will focus on in worship this morning, we find Paul and Silas being arrested in the city of Philippi. This was not unusual for Paul, though it did come with an apology after the whole earthquake thing and then the city magistrate learning that Paul was a Roman citizen. In the 40th
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS May 9, 2026 When I was 11 years old, the song, “Hot Child in the City,” hit the charts. I had heard it on the radio, but I wanted my own copy. So I rode my bike to a music store and purchased the 45 to play on the record player. After listening to it a few dozen times, I was a bit confused. The singer,