ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGOctober 27, 2024At the Regional Assembly in Amarillo, which concluded last night, I heard two exceptional sermons. Our General Minister and President, Rev. Dr. Terri Hord Owens, preached Friday night, and her sermon set the tone for our theme: Faithful Steps Forward. Yesterday afternoon, Rev. Dr. Stephen Cady, the new President of Brite Divinity School, offered one of the better sermons I have heard in quite some
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGOctober 26, 2024Yesterday, I wrote about grief and the need for us to hold a very expansive understanding of grief—the necessary and healthy God-given tool for us to use as we move from loss to wholeness. In a recent conversation, I was reminded that the pathway is neither straight nor smooth. And one person’s journey is not going to look like the next person’s. Yesterday, I flew
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGOctober 25, 2024What does it mean when someone says, “It is important to grieve in a healthy way?” When we go through a time of loss, whether that is the death of someone we love, the death of a beloved pet, a dramatic change in a relationship, or even a change in our life circumstances, it is important to know that we need to grieve. So often,
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGOctober 24, 2024Back in the mid-80’s, I was taking my first religion classes, and among the diverse writers I was encountering was a group often referred to as Liberation Theologians. I read Rosemary Ruether and James Cone, and then we learned that Gustavo Gutiérrez was going to be visiting our small university in Enid, Oklahoma. I had not yet read anything he had written, but he was
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGOctober 23, 2024Peter Drucker is a name you probably know. He was an author and consultant in all things business, but a lot of his writings extended well beyond how corporations should work. In fact, he gave a lot of good advice for life. One of the quotes I like is: “Unless commitment is made, there are only promises and hopes… but no plans.” We’ve all known
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGOctober 22, 2024I am leaving for the Regional Assembly in a couple of days, and Donna said to me, “I’ll miss you. Please don’t runaway and join the circus.” There was a pause, and we both said basically the same thing: “Oh, why trade one circus for another?” As a kid, I loved the circus. It was a wonderful, crazy, surprise-filled, funny, joyful, and, at times, awe-inspiring
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGOctober 21, 2024Prayer for the Week: From the World Council of Churches, Vancouver Assembly, 1983 Eternal God, whose image lies in the hearts of all people,We live among peoples whose ways are different from ours,Whose faiths are foreign to us,Whose tongues are unintelligible to us.Help us to remember that you love all people with your great love,That all religion is an attempt to respond to you,That the yearnings
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGOctober 20, 2024We had the blessing of the new Playground last night, and it was a delightful evening. The weather could not have been any better, and there was a lot of good energy. Yesterday morning, with the help of a very gracious gift from a church member, we had a team come in and build an accessibility ramp for the south side entrance to the playground.
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGOctober 19, 2024There is no hard data for the last two years, but four years ago, 6,000 churches closed their doors in the United States. Some people believe the number will be more than double that in 2024. The National Council of Churches says that as many as 100,000+ churches will close in the United States in the coming years. There are, of course, new churches being
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGOctober 18, 2024It might sound silly, but the other morning I made my breakfast smoothie. Like I do often, I added some organic kale to the other ingredients and turned on the blender. It nearly pulverizes the kale, along with everything else. After finishing my smoothie, I went in to take a shower and get ready for work. Some of the usual get-ready steps included using my