ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSDecember 26, 2024Today marks the Feast Day of St. Stephen, remembered as the first deacon of the church and the first martyr. As a deacon, he served those who were poor, including the widows and the orphans. In various cultures, today is celebrated as Boxing Day, a day dedicated to honoring Stephen’s remarkable acts of compassion. The tradition of Boxing Day involves families packing up some of their Christmas presents, food,
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSDecember 25, 2024Christmas DayOh, the best-made plans… It’s not uncommon to read stories about babies being born alongside the road, in a cab, or even on an airplane. However, in today’s world, medical assistance is readily available. In first-century Palestine, being away from one’s family and community was already a daunting prospect, but the thought of giving birth in such a setting would have been terrifying. In
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSDecember 24, 2024Christmas EveWhen the church celebrates Christmas, it’s essentially celebrating an absurdity. Some people are quite thrilled about how our culture has “embraced” Christmas. However, I suggest that instead of amplifying the absurdity, we’ve tried to make it sweet and conventional. With great intentionality, we have extracted absurdity from the narrative. Nevertheless, if we were to allow the story to speak its truth, it would still
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSDecember 23, 2024Prayer for the Week:There is hope within us, a peace that is changing us, a joy that is bringing life to us, and a love that is liberating us. O Gracious God, we have learned a great deal in this Advent Season, but most importantly, we have intentionally prepared ourselves by making space for your presence to dwell more deeply. We are different because Christmas
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSDecember 22, 2024Everything is coming to completion. I’m not talking about Christmas, but football. Yesterday, we saw multiple college division playoffs take another step toward their Championship Games. The NFL’s playoff slots are dwindling, and the path to the championship is becoming clearer with each game. Similarly, the Advent season is leading us on a journey toward the fullness of the Christmas experience, with Bethlehem’s destination coming
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSDecember 21, 2024I am really excited about Sunday and the sermon I will be preaching. A number of years ago, I said something similar, and it ended up being a really bad sermon—mostly in the delivery. For that reason, I am hesitant to “jinx” this Sunday’s sermon. Also, there is a part of me that doesn’t want to set expectations too high. Of course, it would be
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSDecember 20, 2024In Luke 2:3-4, we read: Everyone went to their own cities to be enrolled. Since Joseph belonged to David’s house and family line, he went up from the city of Nazareth in Galilee to David’s city, called Bethlehem, in Judea. Mary and Joseph followed the laws of Rome, in spite of facing an arduous journey. Even in ideal circumstances, such a trek would have been
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSDecember 19, 2024Willa Cather, the famous Nebraska author, said, “Where there is great love, there are always miracles.” Willa Cather understood the power of love to not only produce miraculous happenings but to be a miracle itself. As we read in 1 John, the act of loving one another is the means by which we pass from death to life—a miracle! At the same time, the act of
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSDecember 18, 2024In my Etching yesterday, I asked the question: What part of your world needs to know that it is loved? Today, I wish to pose another question: Where do you need to show yourself a little mercy and kindness? In this Advent season, as we eagerly await the arrival of God’s manifestation of mercy and kindness, where do you need to create space for those
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSDecember 17, 2024What part of your world needs to know that it is loved? For most people, answering this question is a bit complicated. Or maybe the answer feels as if it is constantly in flux. I might have responded differently yesterday morning, but now, in light of another school shooting, I am changing my answer. In a country where, contrary to what politicians would like us