ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSSeptember 6, 2024You have seen on the news a story of the Pope visiting Indonesia, a predominately Muslim country. There is a great deal of symbolism in this visit, including the Pope meeting with the Grand Imam of the Istqlal Mosque in Jakarta. This mosque stands across the street from the Catholic cathedral. What I did not know until this visit was that a tunnel was dug
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSSeptember 5, 2024At the conferences I am attending in Washington, D.C., a speaker used the phrase: Empathy fatigue. Come to find out, there are those who feel the deep hurt around us, but they do not know how or where to begin helping. They often feel overwhelmed and powerless by the suffering. I think we’ve all been there in one time or another, and there are plenty
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSSeptember 4, 2024In Sunday’s sermon, I talked about empathy, and specifically the need to truly listen if there is going to be empathy. I received a number of notes in the last couple of days about the sermon, and in one of them, this individual suggested that we see a lot of so-called compassion that has a specific end in mind. Or, to say it another way,
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSSeptember 3, 2024On September 19, we will begin a new Tuesday daytime study based on Max Lucado’s book, “You Are Never Alone.” The opening statement on a description of the study is, “Each of us longs for Someone who will meet us in the midst of life’s messes.” For all of you who have never experienced a life mess, you are exempt and freed from reading another
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSSeptember 2, 2024Prayer for the Week: We give you thanks, Good and Gracious God, for all those who do the good and important work in this world. And on this Labor Day, we are mindful of the work that occurred and continues to occur behind the work. There are many good employers, but justice and safety have not always been a priority for some. You are the
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSSeptember 1, 2024An individual can communicate certain ideas adequately without any personal involvement in the actual idea. I can explain a basic math problem or how to turn on a vacuum without having any deep emotional connection to it. In fact, it is probably good that I do not have a strong emotional connection to the vacuum. The sharing of the Gospel is different. It requires the
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSAugust 31, 2024You’ve probably heard it just as many times as I have. “The church is a business.” Those who know me might remember my answer. “No! The church is not a business. The church is the church, the body called forth by Jesus and empowered through the Holy Spirit to share the Gospel of love. With the said, the church can gain important insight from the
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSAugust 30, 2024Recently, I saw someone post on social media the following: Christianity isn’t just a set of beliefs, a list of dos and don’ts, and a group of rituals. Christianity is a relationship with God in Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit. At first glance, I do not find anything wrong with that statement about Christianity, but then as I read it a second and third
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSAugust 29, 2024Tuesday night, I attended an interfaith event at the Baitus Samee Mosque on Spears Road. They experienced hateful vandalism a couple of weeks back, and Tuesday’s gathering was an opportunity to demonstrate support and engage in dialogue. The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community has as its mission statement: “Love for all, hatred for none.” Sadly, not everyone agrees, even within the Islamic community. Like Christianity, there can
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSAugust 28, 2024In Luke 7, we have a story of compassion. We read: As Jesus approached the city gate, a dead man was being carried out. He was his mother’s only son, and she was a widow. A large crowd from the city was with her. When he saw her, the Lord had compassion for her and said, “Don’t cry.” He stepped forward and touched the stretcher