ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGOctober 9, 2021As I was working on my sermon for this coming Sunday, I came across a quote from George Bernard Shaw. He wrote, “People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it.” How often have people who are doing good work, offering small acts of kindness on a daily basis, how often are they interrupted to explain or even justify
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGOctober 8, 2021Have you ever been forced to pause? You really didn’t plan to slow down or come to a complete stop, but something halted your forward movement… and it was good. In that moment, all the busyness and that frenzied feeling were lost as you found yourself fully in the moment. In Habakkuk 2:20, we read: “..the LORD is in his holy temple. Let all the
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGOctober 7, 2021Have you ever felt as if Jesus simply went too far? Or maybe he went beyond where you felt comfortable? Continuing in Luke 14, Jesus says to his followers, “In the same way, none of you who are unwilling to give up all of your possessions can be my disciple.” Like many people, I am struck by the words “all of your possessions.” Later in
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGOctober 6, 2021As I was preparing for last week’s sermon, I was reading further in Luke’s Gospel and came across the words of Jesus, “Whoever comes to me and doesn’t hate father and mother, spouse and children, and brothers and sisters—yes, even one’s own life—cannot be my disciple. Whoever doesn’t carry their own cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.” As a kid, there were plenty
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGOctober 5, 2021You probably read the news that William Shatner, otherwise known as Captain Kirk of the USS Enterprise, is actually going to space. He will fly on Blue Origin’s New Shepard launch vehicle in one week. Shatner is a young 90 years old. For this Star Trek fan, it’s pretty cool! We’ve seen a few actors do commercials and say, “I’m not a real doctor, but
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGOctober 4, 2021Prayer for the Week:It was St. Julian of Norwich who wrote the simple prayer:All shall be well,and all shall be well,and all manner of things shall be well. Holy God, we seek to echo this ancient prayer, but things will not be well if we lose sight of the Source of wellness. Draw us to one another, and in doing so, bind us as one
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGOctober 3, 2021People often read a verse of scripture, smile and nod, and then move onto the next one. For instance, in Proverbs 16:32, we read: “Better to be patient than a warrior, and better to have self-control than to capture a city.” The focus for many is on the words, “…be patient…,” and that’s an excellent suggestion; no one will argue with that. Yet notice how
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGOctober 2, 2021There is the old story of a woman who approached the famous violinist Fritz Kreisler immediately after a concert. She said to him, “I would give my life to play as beautifully as you just did.” Kreisler replied, “I did.” How many of us truly give our lives to something? It is a challenging question for people who claim to follow Jesus. What would it
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGOctober 1, 2021On Saturday, we are hosting a Blessing of the Animals. Though we had to take a year off because of COVID, we are back… and with many wonderful activities. We are hoping for good weather. The Blessing of the Animals usually is scheduled in early October, as close to the Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi. He was one of the great voices of
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSeptember 30, 2021Do you know someone who is exceptional at welcoming? Do you know someone who has that special capacity to make a moment feel wide and inclusive, warm and hospitable? There are those who have that Spiritual Gift, an innate ability to create space where concerns of rejection or exclusion are not present. We think of Jesus as the one who welcomed, and he did, but