ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGNovember 26, 2021Spoiler Alert!! This Sunday (just a couple days away) is the first Sunday of Advent. Advent, for those asking, is the four week period before Christmas. It is a recognition of how the story of Christmas is more than just Bethlehem and a baby whose birth is celebrated on December 25. There is a backstory, a sort of necessary backstory. It also pushes the point
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGNovember 25, 2021During the first half of the 18th century, a Jesuit Priest by the name of Jean-Pierre de Caussde wrote, “There is no peace more wonderful than the peace we enjoy when faith shows us God in all created things.” I love the idea of faith showing us God. We too often think of it in reverse. We think of faith as a response to a
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGNovember 24, 2021It is Thanksgiving Eve. That doesn’t carry with it the same excitement as Christmas Eve, at least for most folks. In recent years, I have tried to take time during this Thanksgiving week to educate myself about the Indigenous people who lived where I now live and work. I remain only a novice, but it is a fascinating and painfully troubling exploration. And like so
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGNovember 23, 2021For most pastors, we pause momentarily for Thanksgiving with most of our energy focused on Advent. I sort of like Thanksgiving, and it’s not just because I am granted permission to make a lot of sweet potatoes and a real good dessert I can eat. Thanksgiving has looked different almost every year in the last twenty years, but there has always been good food and
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGNovember 22, 2021Prayer for the Week:Faithful God calling us to faithfulness a faithfulness of… spirit generosity kindness inclusion gentleness mercy welcome patience peaceFaithful God modeling faithfulness in Jesus inviting us to imitate his life encourage us inspire us uplift us animate us embolden usIn faith we believe all of this is already at work Thank youAmen
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGNovember 21, 2021Today you will hear in worship a hint of the Great Commission, specifically on the word, “Go!” I wrote about this a few days ago in one of my Etchings. The question we face every single day is a question of faithfulness, whether to choose the direction of faithfulness or not. Doing nothing is a choice about direction. Apathy and indifference are statements of faith,
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGNovember 20, 2021Some folks have an impression that the Bible says many will be vanquished to damnation. Now there are some scriptures suggesting it, but they are fewer than people might think. Even more so, some of those scriptures are taken out of context. I am always drawn to the words found in Philippians 2 where we find Pauls’ understanding of God’s ultimate vision. He writes: “Therefore
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGNovember 19, 2021I preached a sermon a few years back from the 28th chapter of Matthew’s Gospel where the Resurrected Jesus says, “Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…” As I said then and want to reiterate here, a lot of energy is spent discussing “all nations” and the
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGNovember 18, 2021A week and a half ago, I participated in an online event for clergy called Pro-Reconciling Anti-Racism Training. To maintain one’s standing as either an Ordained or Commissioned Minister, our denomination requires participation in this training every few years. I have always been drawn to the title of the training as it is not simply focused on what we are against. Too often, no matter
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGNovember 17, 2021In my devotional reading recently, I came across words from the third chapter of Zephaniah. I know not very many people spend time in Zephaniah, and it is not a place I visit often. With that said, I was taken by the words: “The Lord will create calm with his love; he will rejoice over you with singing.” I think every parent can remember a