ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGFebruary 3, 2022The world will throw a lot at us. We will make many mistakes, and some of them will bring about some trouble. Suffering will happen no matter how careful we might be. A lot of bad stuff will occur in life, but it is good to know that God will protect and guard us. Of course, that doesn’t mean we are going to be protected
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGFebruary 2, 2022A few years back, I was attending a General Assembly of our denomination. On the agenda of the meeting was a prayerful discernment process in regard to issues around gay and lesbian people. As you can imagine, there was a great diversity of opinion and much discussion. And though there was no plan to make some dramatic statement, two groups (not associated with our denomination)
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGFebruary 1, 2022In 1st Thessalonians 4:18, Paul wrote: Therefore encourage one another with these words. Paul had just finished sharing some very hopeful ideas about the life of faith, yet he suggested his words were intended to be shared again and again and again. Paul wanted his audience to encourage one another, and to do so using what they had learned about Jesus. When life is not
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGJanuary 31, 2022I got lost in a book the other day. It was a theology book, and though it is not the type of book many folks would choose to get lost in, I did. I’m guessing you have found yourself lost in book or a movie. You might have been swept up in the storyline or awed by the way the author put a new twist
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGJanuary 30, 2022Do you like surprises? A friend of mine responded to that question by saying, “Only if they don’t surprise me.” I’m not the brightest light in the chandelier, but I’m pretty certain that if a surprise doesn’t surprise you then it is not a surprise. In Isaiah 43:19, we read: “I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGJanuary 29, 2022Does God take sides? I was recently reading a short article in Sojourners Magazine, and a few words caught my attention and got me to thinking. God sided with the enslaved Israelites and against the Egyptians. Does that mean God hated the Egyptians or did God stand against their choice to enslave other human beings? Could God love the Egyptians and still say, “I am
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGJanuary 28, 2022Have you ever had one of those runarounds with your insurance company? We had to switch insurance providers this year, and what should have been simple has been far from simple. It is one of those situations where you’re pretty certain it will all get figured out in the end, but the frustration is real as you wait and wonder. It was John Lennon who
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGJanuary 27, 2022Many of your homes have been impacted by COVID. Many of you know the fears and grief brought about by this virus. Some of you know firsthand the stress and anxiety caused by this virus. There are some families and some parts of our society affected more than others. A question asked by some people and implied by others is the question humans have been
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGJanuary 26, 2022I’m sitting here looking at my office desk. On it, there is a tie that I wore on Sunday, but took off immediately after worship. There are three masks, including the one I wore into the church this morning. Beside me is a small microphone that I use when I do videos. There is also a small toy basketball, a pile of rocks, a broken
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGJanuary 25, 2022You can’t serve both God and wealth according to Jesus. In Luke 16, in a rather disjointed section of scripture (Bruce’s opinion), Jesus appears to summarize with the words, “No household servant can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be loyal to the one and have contempt for the other. You cannot serve God and