ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSNovember 15, 2024“God wants to bless you, and your genuine gratitude is the key that releases those blessings from heaven.” Those are the words of a minister who will remain unnamed, but I believe he offers an insight into two very different ways of thinking about gratitude. Maybe you were not as selfish and self-centered as I was in childhood, but I was expected to sit down
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSNovember 14, 2024Where does forgiveness begin? When we’ve been hurt, betrayed, or left to suffer, it is important to claim that we are of value. Too often, when we have been injured by another, we are left feeling devalued or even wondering whether we deserved it. The one who was the source of the injury (physical, emotional, or spiritual) is often given additional power through what might
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSNovember 13, 2024I’m always a little anxious when people are overly confident when it comes to knowing the will of God, or at least some of the specificity of certain aspects of life. I tend to speak of God’s dream for this world, and at least from our vantage point, I believe this dream is best summarized as love. And if love is the dream, then love
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSNovember 12, 2024Someone asked me about Veteran’s Day, and the person was correct that I did not make mention of it in worship. In this case, last Sunday came at the end of a 100+ hour work week, and it, along with a few other things, slipped off the radar. It was also the final Sunday to encourage commitments toward our 2025 Campaign and a Sunday where
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSNovember 11, 2024Prayer for the Week: When we feel as if we are fighting the head winds of discontent and despair, and our spirits are exhausted and our bodies are waning, we trust that you will not leave us alone in our emotional unease. Come, Holy Spirit, and remind us of the promise that we shall never be alone. Come, Holy Spirit, and pour your loving affirmation
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSNovember 10, 2024I recently heard someone say that chaos drives people deeper into individualism. When I think about it, I believe it is accurate. My concern is that both the story of Israel found in the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) and the Jesus story found in the Christian Scriptures (New Testament) seem to always invite people, when chaos occurs, to step more fully into community. Paul wrote
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSNovember 9, 2024Last night, I joined some folks to celebrate a friend’s 50th birthday. We gathered at a dueling piano bar, and I will confess to having a really good time. So many of the songs they sang were from the 70’s and 80’s, so I knew most of the words. There were people of all ages, and because the alcohol was flowing (I did not partake),
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSNovember 8, 2024Last week, someone asked me the question, “Since the church is declining at such a rapid rate in the United States, what do you think the church will look like in 15 years?” First, I am, as Desmond Tutu put it, “A prisoner of hope,” so I might not be the best person to ask. Even on my worst days, I am a perpetual glass
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSNovember 7, 2024In recent months, I have found myself quoting and quoting again the words from the 13th chapter of John’s Gospel, where Jesus says to his disciples after washing their feet, “I give you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, so you also must love each other. This is how everyone will know that you are my disciples, when you
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSNovember 6, 2024The Day After! Some of you will remember the made-for TV movie from 1983 about a nuclear war. For its time, it was graphic and very realistic. It was mostly set in the Midwest, where I was living at the time. Of course, from its title, it did not focus only on the nuclear attack but the aftermath as well. Often, when we use the