ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSJanuary 12, 2021Scripture: Mark 1:12And the Spirit immediately drove Jesus out into the wilderness. Thought for the Day: Immediately after the baptism and divine affirmation of Jesus, the Spirit drove him into the wilderness. The word “drove” in the Greek is the combination of two words – Ek (out) and Ballo (throw). Driven is a pretty strong word, but it may not communicate just how dramatic it
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSJanuary 11, 2021Prayer for the Week:What do we pray for? For whom should we pray? O God, your love-filled vision is needed more than ever, yet it almost feels too little, too late. So many are lost in the echo chamber of their own lostness, listening to their fears reverberate back a permission to believe their anxieties, to glorify their insecurities. We need your love, and not
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSJanuary 10, 2021Scripture: 2 John 1:8Be on your guard, so that you do not lose what we have worked for, but may receive a full reward. Thought for the Day: I have a Senior in High School, and though we are not quite there yet, I am concerned about the dreaded senioritis, that affliction that seems to leave many looking past the present moment. The first time
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSJanuary 9, 2021Scripture: Proverbs 11:3The integrity of the upright guides them, but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them. Thought for the Day: On this day in the year 1349, approximately 70 Jewish residents of the city of Basel (modern day Switzerland) were rounded up, locked inside a shed and burned to death. The plague known as Black Death was sweeping across Europe, and fearful people looked
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSJanuary 8, 2021Scripture: Psalm 22:24 (the Message)The Lord has never let you down, never looked the other way when you were being kicked around. He has never wandered off to do his own thing; God has been right there, listening. Thought for the Day: With everything that happened at the Capitol in D.C. on Wednesday, I was yanked in another direction a short time ago by the
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSJanuary 7, 2021Like many of you (I hope most of you, if not all of you), I was deeply troubled and spiritually broken by what I witnessed on the news yesterday. I understand the feeling of being on the losing side of a lot of things, including elections. I understand the disbelief when you invested a lot of energy and time in a campaign. Been there, done
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSJanuary 6, 2021Scripture: Matthew 2:11On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Thought for the Day: I wish I could remember the exact details of the story as I am sure I’ll get a piece of it wrong, but a number
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSJanuary 5, 2021Scripture: Matthew 2:13-15Now after they had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSJanuary 4, 2021Based on Sunday’s Sermon: Staying Off the 2021 Naughty ListPrayer for the Week: What would it mean, Gracious God, if we decided to not use your forgiveness as our easy way out? Instead, what would it look like to demonstrate your grace through acts of kindness and goodness with every breath? What would it mean for us to make a commitment to be about the
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSJanuary 3, 2021Scripture: Matthew 2:10-11When the Magi saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Thought for the Day: For centuries, people have tried to determine what these gifts represented.