ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSJuly 8, 2020Scripture: Acts 16:14-15A certain woman named Lydia, a worshiper of God, was listening to us; she was from the city of Thyatira and a dealer in purple cloth. The Lord opened her heart to listen eagerly to what was said by Paul. When she and her household were baptized, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSJuly 7, 2020Scripture: Acts 16:9-10During the night Paul had a vision: there stood a man of Macedonia pleading with him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” When he had seen the vision, we immediately tried to cross over to Macedonia, being convinced that God had called us to proclaim the good news to them. Thought for the Day: It was about this time last
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSJuly 6, 2020Prayer for the Week: News reports, statistics, graphs and charts — they can so easily be dismissed as nothing more than a bunch of irrelevant numbers. Forgive us, God of All Creation, when we choose to live with a narrow vision of how sisters and brothers are being impacted this day. Though we may not know the stories behind every number, let us respect every
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSJuly 5, 2020Scripture: Galatians 6:1My friends, if anyone is detected in a transgression, you who have received the Spirit should restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness. Take care that you yourselves are not tempted. Thought for the Day: Paul placed a lot of responsibility on the community. There is a tendency to suggest it isn’t our place or it’s not polite to involve ourselves
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSJuly 4, 2020Scripture: Galatians 5:25If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit. Thought for the Day: As we read this verse, let us place the emphasis on the most important word in the passage. It is not the word SPIRIT, but the word IF. If we live by the Spirit, we should also be guided by the Spirit. But is it
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSJuly 3, 2020Scripture: Galatians 5:14For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Thought for the Day: If you were to sit in and listen to Board Meetings from a dozen different churches, how do you think you’d summarize what you heard? Would it be entirely focused on love? Or would the energy and passions give the appearance
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSJuly 2, 2020Scripture: Galatians 5:6For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything; the only thing that counts is faith working through love. Thought for the Day: Do you ever want to scream at the top of your lungs, “You’re missing the point!” I have… often. In fact, I have felt those words forming in my mouth a lot lately. For Paul, the folks in
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSJuly 1, 2020Scripture: Galatians 5:2Listen! I, Paul, am telling you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no benefit to you. Thought for the Day: Paul was always harsh on the whole circumcision thing which seems a bit odd since he was circumcised. Paul appears to be a slippery slope kind of person, fearful that if someone takes that one step in the
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSJune 30, 2020Scripture: Galatians 5:1For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. Thought for the Day: In reading this passage recently, I was struck by the word “again,” a word I had not really noticed before. You can read the passage without the word “again,” and it makes sense. Yet the assumption, or at least
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSJune 29, 2020Prayer for the Week: Provide me a glimpse of the simple things, O Gracious and Compassionate Spirit. Remind me of what kindness looks like – not some: “what do I get out of it” type of kindness that really is not kindness. Remind me what understanding looks like – not some: “I will seek to understand as long as it does not conflict with my