ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSSeptember 21, 2024Good morning! On this Saturday morning, I find myself at Lake Brownwood Christian Retreat Center for the 2024 Regional Men’s Retreat. I’ll be cutting out early so I can be back in Spring for worship tomorrow. Ten hours (five each way) seems like a long drive for less than 24 hours at the actual retreat, and there would be times when I’d agree. But the
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSSeptember 20, 2024I grew up in a fairly traditional church setting, and worship was an experience that happened above the neck. We stood and sat on cue, and most of the praise was done inside our heads and through our voices. To even put our hands together was a rare occasion, and in those rare moments, there was some discomfort. In Psalm 149:3, we read, “Let them
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSSeptember 19, 2024So… we raised a lot of money for a new playground at Cypress Creek Christian Church. I was in awe of people’s generosity. Together, we made it happen. Of course, that was a couple of months ago. Where is the new playground? Well, yesterday, they were out marking underground electrical and other stuff we don’t want them hitting during installation. Another team will be out
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSSeptember 18, 2024You may have heard the question, “How many angels can sit (dance) on the head of a needle?” You may be interested to know that this was a question debated by some of the great theological minds in the life of the church. The 13th-century philosopher and theologian Thomas Aquinas argued that an infinite number could, but that two angels cannot be in the same
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSSeptember 17, 2024There was a little frog trying to get through the grass as I approached with the mower. Actually, there seems to have been a lot of frogs in our yard the last few weeks when I’ve been mowing. But this one was having a hard time getting out of the thick grass and out of the mower’s path. I paused to cheer on the little
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSSeptember 16, 2024Prayer for the Week:GiftsGifts that healGifts that blessGifts that inspireGifts that provide hopeGifts that bring needed changeGifts that liberate the oppressedGifts from you, O Spirit of LifeGifts that bring reconciliationGifts that build the KingdomGifts that do good workGifts that display JesusGifts that reveal loveGifts that give lifeGiftsThank you, God, for all Spirit-infused giftsAmen
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSSeptember 15, 2024President Harry Truman is known to have said, “I sit here all day trying to persuade people to do the things they ought to have sense enough to do without my persuading them.” He went on to suggest that this work of persuasion is about the extent of the president’s real power. Yet if these are things people ought to have sense enough to do,
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSSeptember 14, 2024My lip would not stop bleeding! So I’m sitting in the hospital parking lot, ready to go and visit one of our church folk. I get out of the car, but then reach back to grab something, and I hit the right side of my mouth pretty hard. My lip starts bleeding, which is not exactly how you want to greet someone in the hospital.
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSSeptember 13, 2024In Romans 9, the Apostle Paul wrote:“What then are we to say? Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means! For he says to Moses,‘I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.’ So it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God who shows mercy” (vs.14-16). Paul wrestles with the tension
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSSeptember 12, 2024Was anyone else genuinely bummed to hear about the death of James Earl Jones? It’s not like I ever met the guy or even enjoyed some friendly correspondence, yet there was something about him that made it feel as if he had been a part of my life. Of course, some of it was his voice, specifically offering the iconic voice of Darth Vader. He