ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS October 15, 2026 Guest Writer – Roger Elliott, Church Member I have it on very good authority that the Hebrew phrase which sounds like mayim chayim, and is prominently featured in Leviticus, Jeremiah, Zachariah, and Ezekiel, means “living waters”. It was required for purification ceremonies. It designates water that moves and flows. The kind you can drink, which refreshes you and sustains you. Think of a
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS October 14, 2026 You have probably heard someone say, “Well, that wasn’t very Christ-like.” Sometimes it is said with sarcasm when someone’s choices are so far off the mark that no one is asking, “Would Jesus do that?” But there are going to be other situations where there could be disagreement, a disagreement connected to how someone prioritizes the Jesus life and the lens through which
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS October 13, 2026 Last week, I was returning to the church in the early afternoon, and sitting on a bench across from the playground was a mother and daughter. I greeted them, and I started to walk up the steps toward the Forum Building, but the mother got my attention and asked if I would give them permission to use the playground. I immediately turned around
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS October 12, 2026 From Sunday’s Handout If you were to make a wish for Cypress Creek Christian Church, what might that wish be? If we were to listen to one another’s wishes, there would probably be some pretty wonderful or even wonderfully outlandish ideas. It is one thing to wish for something and another to have hope. Hope is allowing ourselves to connect with God’s dream
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS October 17, 2026 In Matthew 25, we find one of the more stunning and profound sections of scripture, where Jesus spoke about as clearly as he ever did about what it means to align oneself with the ways of God. Some call it the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats, but unlike most parables, there is no absurd comparison or unexpected twist, unless you count
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS October 11, 2026 Howard Zinn was a historian and professor, and he wrote the following: “To be hopeful in bad times is not just foolishly romantic. It is based on the fact that human history is a history not only of cruelty, but also of compassion, sacrifice, courage, and kindness. What we choose to emphasize in this complex history will determine our lives.” I am thankful
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS October 10, 2026 Tomorrow in worship, I will be inviting the congregation to drink from the waters of hope. As I was doing some reading this past week, I stumbled across an interview with the Rev. Dr. Cynthia Hale, the Sr. Minister of Ray of Hope Christian Church in Decatur, Georgia. Since Rev. Hale started the church, it has been one of the strongest congregations in
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS October 9, 2026 I can still remember my grandmother giving me a quarter before leaving my grandparents’ home on the way to church one summer. It was for the offering, but there was something new. I had been given money in the past to put in the offering tray, but this time, my grandmother knew I had some money with me. And her expectation this time
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS October 8, 2026 Guest Writers: Phil and Pattie Chapman Writing about Cypress Creek An Oasis in the Desert Isaiah 35:6-7: “For waters shall gush forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert. The parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water.” These verses speak of God’s promise of restoration, renewal, and joyful healing. They also remind us that even in
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS October 7, 2026 In Sunday’s sermon, I spoke of drinking from the waters of inclusion. As we become a more fractured society, where more and more people are driven into silos that become echo chambers of a single idea, there is an opportunity for those who follow Jesus to offer a very different way of thinking. Interestingly, Jesus welcomed just about everyone, yet he did seem