ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGJuly 21, 2021Scripture: Proverbs 16:24Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body. Thought for the Day: When I lived in Florida, there was a group of pastors I met with every Wednesday morning for breakfast. I was the small fish among some of the big pastoral fishes in town, and I appreciated that time. On more than one occasion, one
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGJuly 20, 2021Scripture: Zechariah 7:8-11The word of the Lord came to Zechariah, saying: Thus says the Lord of hosts: Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another; do not oppress the widow, the orphan, the alien, or the poor; and do not devise evil in your hearts against one another. But they refused to listen, and turned a stubborn shoulder, and stopped their ears in
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGJuly 19, 2021Prayer for the Week: O Living Christ, you enter our communities, our homes and our lives. You enter, but are you received with joy? Your presence reminds us of all that is expected of us as followers of your enfleshed presence, all that was taught and revealed. Let us make room for you in the center of our communities, our homes and our lives. Let
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGJuly 18, 2021Scripture: John 6:66-67At this, many of Jesus’ disciples turned away and no longer accompanied him. Jesus asked the Twelve, “Do you also want to leave?” Thought for the Day: That is a very uncomfortable question to be asked. When nothing is on the line, and we are reading these words casually, it is easy to say out loud, “I’m with you, Jesus. All the way,
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGJuly 17, 2021Scripture: John 6:63The Spirit is the one who gives life and the flesh doesn’t help at all. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and life. Thought for the Day: In tomorrow’s sermon, I will focus on how God speaks to us. For most people, it is not an audible voice. It is more like a tug, a feeling, a hunch, a nudge.
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGJuly 16, 2021Scripture: Matthew 7:24Everybody who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise builder who built a house on bedrock. Thought for the Day: For Matthew, the words of Jesus are the words of God. I don’t know if Matthew would say they are word for word what God would say, but I believe Matthew would say they can be
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGJuly 15, 2021Scripture: Jeremiah 33:3Call to me and I will answer and reveal to you wondrous secrets that you haven’t known. Thought for the Day: How exactly does God call? There is a scene in the movie Dead Poets Society when a student, Charlie Dalton, answers a pretend phone call during a rather tense all school assembly at the private boys school. He says, “Welton Academy, hello.
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGJuly 14, 2021Scripture: Psalm 34:34 (the Message)God met me more than halfway, and freed me from my anxious fears. Thought for the Day: I remember a cartoon strip depicting a mother holding a plunger in her hand, standing in ankle deep water, as she is gazing at an overflowing toilet. Her son sticks his head into the bathroom and says two words, “They’re here!” The memory of
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGJuly 13, 2021Scripture: Galatians 5:14For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Thought for the Day: The Apostle Paul echoed the words of Jesus, while also embodying Jesus’ definition of neighbor that extended well beyond the person next door. Paul was looked upon with suspicion because he showed the love of Jesus to the Gentiles, and to
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGJuly 12, 2021Prayer for the Week: How often have you forgiven me, O Eternal God? How often have you shown me mercy? I pause to count, only to realize my capacity to tally such a number falls short. How often have you forgiven me? Strangely, it is always one more time than my current requirement. How often have you shown me mercy? Enough for today, with plenty