ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSJanuary 9, 2025Setting aside the current political climate we find ourselves in, I want to offer a few words about President Jimmy Carter. In 1980, in advance of the election, I wrote a paper on President Jimmy Carter. Though I did not include it in the paper I wrote, the last article I read in my research talked about his faith. It caught my attention and stuck
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSJanuary 8, 2025The Franciscan Monk, Richard Rohr, wrote: “In the New Testament, and particularly for Jesus, the most common image for what God is offering us is a banquet. It’s not a trophy, not a prize, not a reward reserved for later, but a participative and joyous party now. A banquet has everything to do with invitation and acceptance; it is never a command performance.” I recently
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSJanuary 7, 2025Have you ever experienced a quiet moment in your life when all the good things in daily existence seemed to come together, filling you with an overwhelming sense of blessing? I’ve had a few of those moments recently, and while the list of blessings is far too extensive to fit into an Etching, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to the Cypress Creek Christian
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSJanuary 6, 2025The Magi have made the journey They’ve made their appearanceThey’ve offered their homageThey’ve shared their giftsThey return by a different route Returned as different people Forever changed Unreservedly awe-struckHoly One of celestial signs and wonders Continue to invite us onto the journey Provide partners Fellow travelers Companions EncouragersBring us into your presence Born to a simple family With a doting father With a faithful motherBring us
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSJanuary 5, 2025Though tomorrow is technically Epiphany, the 12th Day of Christmas, we will be celebrating it today at Cypress Creek Christian Church. As I hope all of you are aware, we have decided to cancel this year’s Camel Walk. To be honest, I’m the absolute worst at making the decision to cancel anything. I tend to be the optimist, thinking all storms will skirt around us.
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSJanuary 4, 2025Tomorrow, we will be celebrating Epiphany. This is a magnificent moment as travelers from the East enter a young family’s home, kneel down before this young child, and worship him. They knew very little of this child or even these people’s customs, yet they believed there was something so sacred and beautiful that their only response was to humble themselves in his presence. We’ve seen
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSJanuary 3, 2025When tragedy and immense grief surround us, we can also laugh. This doesn’t mean we’re insensitive to what people are going through. Yes, the people of New Orleans are experiencing a wide range of emotions, from fear to despair. We acknowledge what they are facing this night, and for the families directly impacted, we pray for the work of healing. Yet while families were grieving,
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSJanuary 2, 2025Donna and I had been traveling to visit family, and unfortunately, I wasn’t feeling well on December 31st. Consequently, we didn’t ring in the new year. Or we did, but from a wonderful deep sleep. I woke up about 4:00 a.m., and though I know it is a bad habit, I grabbed my phone to look at the news. The tragic events unfolding in New
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSJanuary 1, 2025Does anyone else feel like the date should be somewhere in mid-November? I can’t help but wonder how many times I’ll mistakenly write down 2024 in the coming weeks. I have a peculiar habit of complaining about how quickly time passes; it feels like something just started, and before I know it, it’s already over. In Colossians 4, Paul tells his readers to “make the
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSDecember 31, 2024We don’t have as much of the birth story in Matthew’s Gospel, but it’s where we find the Epiphany story. Without Matthew, we wouldn’t know anything about the star that led the wise men from the east. Yet before we delve into the significance of Epiphany, let us pause to acknowledge that we are currently immersed in the season of Christmas. In fact, we are