ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGMarch 26, 2022In the story made famous by the musical, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, I always forget the character of Reuben. When the brothers’ jealousy turned to violence, they made a plan to kill Joseph, the favorite son of Jacob. Reuben is the one who said, “Let’s not shed his blood. Just throw him in the pit.” Scripture then provides us some insight into Reuben’s
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGMarch 25, 2022On the BBC’s website, there are these short videos under the heading: Reel. I love watching them. They are 5-10 minutes long, but very informative on a range of topics. Recently, I was watching one entitled, “The Extraordinary Power of Kindness,” where the narrator spoke about the science of kindness. “There are patterns of activation in the brain which correspond to a boost of wellbeing.
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGMarch 24, 2022Imagine yourself a person who has lived in desert land. You’ve traveled long distances, across barren landscape, requiring a knowledge of where water can be found. Your journey is a zigzag from well to stream, never wanting to push yourself or the animals beyond what is safe. Then suddenly the Prophet Isaiah offers a vision. In chapter 43, we read the words, “I have put
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGMarch 23, 2022What is good news? In your own thinking, what attributes are essential for you to claim something to be good news? In the Gospel of Mark 13, Jesus was speaking about turbulent times. He goes on to say, “First, the good news must be proclaimed to all the nations. When they haul you in and hand you over, don’t worry ahead of time about what
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGMarch 22, 2022Jesus traversed many boundaries and borders, on both the geographic map and sociological map. In John 4, Jesus travels through Samaria. In his interaction with a woman near a well, he traverses a pretty significant boundary when he requests the woman to draw some water from the well and give him a drink. Men rarely spoke to women in public. Her follow-up question makes clear
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGMarch 21, 2022Prayer for the Week: O Merciful God, allow for your life-giving sustenance to flow into our hearts anew this day. Be for us a fountain from which we can drink your blessings of love and mercy. Many of us are thirsty; many of us are parched; many of us are longing for the living water you provide. Take us to where we can drink from
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGMarch 20, 2022From her book, Christianity After Religion, Diana Butler Bass wrote the following: “All Christian practices work in this way. The practice of hospitality opens our hearts to those who are strangers; it anticipates that, in God’s kingdom, there will one day be no strangers. The practice of forgiveness cleanses our souls from guilt and shame; it anticipates that, in God’s kingdom, all will be forgiven.
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGMarch 19, 2022I was really struck two days ago by some words from Barbara Brown Taylor, one of the great Christian preachers and authors. She wrote, “Whatever Judas’s degree of guilt and whatever his motive, it is extremely important to note that Jesus identifies his betrayer by feeding him… dipping a morsel into his own cup and giving it to Judas, whose feet he has just washed.
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGMarch 18, 2022I brought this apple to work yesterday. I knew it was going to be a long day with my 6:30pm class. I had bought two of these apples, and I ate the other one a few days ago. It was one of the better apples I’ve had in ages. I had been longing to eat the second apple, and so last night about 45 minutes
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGMarch 17, 2022Hydration is important for any runner, but some drink from the wrong “well.” That might sound strange, but too much water, especially for a distance runner, can dilute the sodium level in one’s blood. Hyponatremia is dangerously low sodium in the body, and it has been known to cause death in runners. This is not intended to be a science lesson or a word of