ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS May 7, 2026 Abraham Joshua Heschel was the Rabbi with whom most folks would like to have dinner. He died in 1972, though he was the Rabbi that was often pictured alongside Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. His books on the Hebrew Prophets were required reading in graduate school, while his book entitled, “In This Hour,” gave me insight into the heart of the man who
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS April 21, 2026 I am always intrigued when I meet people who attend churches where their ministers are understood as being a direct and faultless mouthpiece of God, and they often assume I am such a pastor. Trust me when I say that I have no more of a direct line to God than anyone else, and my understanding of scripture or God is far from
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS April 18, 2026 Albert Schweitzer said, “The purpose of human life is to serve and to show compassion…” He not only said it, but pretty much demonstrated it each day of his life. It is one thing to announce one’s purpose or mission in life. It is something very different when one begins to integrate the ideas into daily practice. I believe an individual’s purpose or
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS April 17, 2026 Wednesday night, Donna and I saw Spamalot at the Hobby Center. We really enjoyed it, though we grew up in the days of Monty Python. As I was taking in the experience, especially what I can only describe as some of the more outlandish moments (and there were plenty), I had this strange thought: what would an alien race think of this performance,
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS March 9, 2026 Prayer for the Week: You call us to great things You guide us by faith You captivate us through love Holy One, Mother, and Father to all Your teaching informs us Your stories shape us Your life-witness sets a standard When called to love our neighbor We sometimes push back As there are neighbors we do not like When faith guides us to
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS March 5, 2026 Could you ever imagine a king who declared his authority as a divinely given blessing, and then used his so-called special status to justify a war as holy? I’m sure such a thing is hard to imagine. For those of you wondering, that is sarcasm. Kings and rulers have throughout human history used divine sanction and consent to squelch any sort of dissension,
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS January 22, 2026 I received a letter last week. Someone spent $12 to make sure I received his letter. There was something to appreciate about someone’s willingness to take the extra step and spend the money to share his opinion that I am a horrible minister and sinful human being. And equally important, I am taking the congregation to hell with me. I won’t go into
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS December 26, 2025 How many of you remember shopping at a Ben Franklin store? I purchased many comic books at one located at a shopping center in Lincoln, NE. I was recently thinking about it when singing along with Bing Crosby on the song, “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas.” The opening of the song is, “It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS November 22, 2025 This Sunday is Thanksgiving Sunday because the Sunday immediately after Thanksgiving is the first Sunday of Advent. The second part of that statement was sort of difficult to type as I don’t feel quite ready for the Advent Season to be here. The funny thing is, no matter how much I feel ‘not ready’ for Advent, it still shows up. Yet I can’t
In her book, Preaching God’s Grand Drama, Ahmi Lee writes, “It is not enough for the church to merely see the world in light of the gospel… [Instead,] God’s people must live as though the claims of the gospel are true.” I think she is absolutely correct in her assessment.