ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSDecember 13, 2024Each Sunday in Advent, we are exploring a slightly different take on the idea of: For God so loved the world… In my study, I’ve come to realize that there’s no single, universal way to interpret those words. Sometimes, people perceive “the world” as an abstract, with little or no direct relation to their daily experiences. It is beautiful that God so loves this world,
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSDecember 12, 2024On this day in 1866, a tragic explosion in an English coal mine claimed the lives of 361 individuals. While I had dreams of becoming the next Indiana Jones, embarking on thrilling adventures into deep and spooky caves, coal mines have always created within me a profound sense of dread and apprehension. I visited an old abandoned mine when I was a child, and we
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSDecember 11, 2024Don’t you love the classic claymation version of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964)? I feel pretty confident that I watched it every year on NBC as a kid. The evening it was scheduled to air felt like a holiday in itself. Of course, one of the major segments of the show was the Island of Misfit Toys, which included some other classic characters, including a
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSDecember 10, 2024I am old enough to remember sitting with the Sears catalogue, turning down corners, and circling specific items in the toy section. It was our version of conducting a search on Amazon and then emailing certain products to individuals seeking gift ideas. Things change, and those of us who remember the old way might grumble over the newfangled way of doing Christmas shopping. Of course,
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSDecember 9, 2024Prayer for the Week:May the anxiousness manifesting itself as anger,May the misinformation that leads to mean-spiritedness, May the insecurities that give rise to intolerance, Be turned over to you, Magnificent and Merciful God.Only where we make room for your transformative power will there be hope of healing.This is our prayer our request our sacred appeal.Amen.
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSDecember 8, 2024Are you ready for Christmas? Today marks the Second Sunday of Advent, and if my calculations are accurate, we only have 16 shopping days left before Christmas. I’m curious to know if you’ve ever experienced a sense of complete readiness for Christmas when you actually got up on Christmas morning. Some of you might be able to answer affirmatively to that question without hesitation, even
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSDecember 7, 2024Tomorrow marks the second Sunday of Advent, and we will explore the notion of righteousness. However, like many concepts within the Christian faith, it becomes challenging to fully explore the profound significance of such a crucial term in a single sermon. In fact, books have been written on the subject, and so my sermon will only be touching on a segment of a rather complex
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS December 6, 2024There are some exceptionally beautiful passages found in Isaiah that are highlighted during the Advent season. Throughout the centuries, many preachers have offered insightful commentary on these passages, and I have tried to emulate their work. However, there is a complication that is often ignored during Advent, especially when it comes to Isaiah. One moment, Isaiah is full of hope, and just a few
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSDecember 5, 2024In Bruce Reyes-Chow’s book, “In Defense of Kindness,” he writes about how kindness is not weakness and it should not be misconstrued as simply being nice. He goes on to write, “While being nice is not a bad thing in general, often being nice is an outward action that is more about not rocking the boat than about acknowledging the human dignity of others. Being
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSDecember 4, 2024To be honest, I feel a bit apprehensive about sharing what I’m about to share, but I’m going to do it anyway. A week ago Sunday, I had finished putting together the worship material for this past Sunday. I had two pages of notes, thoughts, quotes, and other random stuff for the sermon, but it didn’t even remotely resemble a sermon. I didn’t look at