ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSFebruary 5, 2025A while back, I made a passing comment about a Kumbaya moment. The idea is usually said with a hint of sarcasm, as if people in a tense moment will suddenly join hands and sing together the old camp song, “Kumbaya, My Lord.” The underlying assertion is that somehow church camp is an impractical setting where people have escaped the real challenges of life. But
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSFebruary 4, 2025After ten days of feeling sort of bad (and 48 hours of feeling really, really bad), I am feeling a bit closer to normal. Still a little cough, but not bad. Of course, as I type the word “normal,” it makes me wonder what constitutes normalcy. This has me pondering Abby Normal from the movie Young Frankenstein. Dr. Frankenstein has the classic line, “Are you
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSFebruary 3, 2025Prayer for the Week:Wherever there is true empathy, there is kindness that will change lives. Through your Spirit, Holy God, continue to stretch our hearts and expand our capacity to listen to the needs of other human beings, regardless of whether we know them or can relate to their situations. No matter who they are, they deserve grace and compassion. Remind us of how our
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSFebruary 2, 2025Albert Schweitzer – “Constant kindness can accomplish much. As the sun makes ice melt, kindness cause misunderstanding, mistrust, and hostility to evaporate.” As we have spoken a lot about hope as of late, I sort of want to believe in what Schweitzer wrote, and in fact, my faith confirms what Schweitzer wrote. Yet I will confess that I do not always see the results as
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSFebruary 1, 2025In the Fruit of the Spirit, we find listed: Kindness. In ancient Greek, it is: χρηστότης (chréstotés). The word probably has some root in the Hebrew, chesed, which is usually translated as lovingkindness or steadfast love. As one person wrote, it is that place where love becomes visible and tangible. For someone to be described as kind usually means something. If we are trying to
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSJanuary 31, 2025I was listening to John Lennon’s iconic song, “Imagine,” while driving to the office the other day. It has so many wonderful lines and images, but the words that caught my attention this time were: “You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one. I hope someday you’ll join us. And the world will live as one.” How many times have you
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSJanuary 30, 2025Hope is a powerful source of strength that often appears, from an outside perspective, to be nothing but baseless wishful thinking at best. However, when someone presents a compelling vision of hope, it can be exhilarating, inspiring, and transformative. It can bring people together around a common vision for change. In the movie, Rogue One, part of the Star Wars series, an argument is being
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSJanuary 29, 2025Among the many honors I have as a minister, offering a eulogy at a memorial service stands among the greatest. At the same time, it can also be one of the more challenging and even painful parts of ministry. I have been at Cypress Creek Christian Church for 5,000 days (if my calculations are correct). In those 5,000 days, I’ve had the incredible privilege of
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSJanuary 28, 2025Donna and I were watching a short documentary on the making of the Jungle Cruise ride at the original Disneyland Park in California. There is the classic line where the boat skipper takes the boat behind Schweitzer Falls, named after the famous explorer, Dr. Albert Falls, and the skipper says (from the backside of the waterfall), “The Eighth Wonder of the World, the Backside of
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSJanuary 27, 2025Prayer for the Week:Nourish us, Holy One, as we seek to remain strong and persevere in a time of waiting. Help us to also remain open to the nudge of your Spirit, a little gentle prompt to be mindful of opportunities, no matter how small, to act faithfully. Often, we react with disgust when we can’t stick to our schedules. But perhaps there’s something valuable