ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSJuly 14, 2022Last night, we had a prayer service in the chapel. There is something special about that space. My mind often goes to the prayers, scriptures, and good thoughts written just behind the drywall. They were revealed shortly after the flood, when the space had to be gutted. There is also the intimacy of the space. And of course, the prayer service itself was meaningful and
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSJuly 13, 2022Psalm 33 tells us how the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord. There is a clear scriptural claim of the earth being full of God’s steadfast love. Not half full or even a pretty decent amount. Full! It is a beautiful and powerful image of love splashing over the top, but then you stand back and ask the question, “Where exactly
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSJuly 12, 2022Anyone else absolutely blown away by the first images from the James Webb Space Telescope? I have vague recollections of being this giddy and nerdy when I was 14 years old and the Space Shuttle was being launched for the first time. When they first started talking about the capacity of this new telescope, they used language like “looking into the past.” What does it
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSJuly 11, 2022Prayer for the Week:We breathe in your grace, O God.It fills our lungs;it saturates our senses;it permeates our being.We breathe in your graceas we exhale our insecurities,our apprehension,and all that stifles life with you.We breathe in your grace,and in that breath,we are reminded of your presence,forever with us,forever for us.We breathe in your grace, O God,and we are truly thankful.Amen.
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSJuly 10, 2022In today’s sermon, I am referencing Fr. Thomas Keating, an amazing monk who provided great thoughts on prayer and meditation. His best known quote is probably, Silence is God’s first language; everything else is a poor translation. Those words are wonderfully thought-provoking, but perhaps my favorite quote is: St. Teresa of Avila wrote: “All difficulties in prayer can be traced to one cause: praying as
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSJuly 9, 2022Tomorrow, I will be preaching on prayer. Now let’s be honest — that’s sort of a go-to topic for ministers when they don’t know what to say. In this case, I will be preaching on prayer tomorrow and again the following Sunday. This is to surround a Prayer Service being held in the chapel this Wednesday at 6:30pm. It will be guided by Pat Cooksey,
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSJuly 8, 2022Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote, “Prayer does not mean simply to pour out one’s heart. It means rather to find the way to God and to speak with God, whether the heart is full or empty.” I don’t believe Bonhoeffer was suggesting God is uninterested in what is on our hearts, but the ultimate goal is to align ourselves with the ways of God. As Christians, we
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSJuly 7, 2022Have you ever been tickled with what autocorrect gave you as its interpretation? Now it is important to know that my fingers were a bit off on the keyboard when I tried to type “thankfulness,” but it autocorrected to “the gout.” I’ve never had gout, but I’m pretty sure no one has ever felt a sense of thankfulness, except when it subsides. I remember being
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSJuly 6, 2022The Russian novelist, Vladimir Nabokov, wrote: “Solitude is the playfield of Satan.” This statement might appear a bit strange after yesterday’s Etching where I referenced the importance of finding time to pause and get away with God. Is solitude a good thing or not? Should we try to find a little prayer time in some quiet and deserted place? I think the answer is still
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSJuly 5, 2022I’m going to date myself, but how many of you remember the “Calgon, take me away” commercial? When work was crazy and the kids were screaming and the dishes were piling up, you screamed, “Calgon, take me away.” And of course, the individual in the commercial was swept away to a luxurious spa-like bathroom with a bathtub that could seat twelve. And of course, this