ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSAugust 18, 2025On this day in 1920, Tennessee became the 36th state to ratify what would become the 19th Amendment, giving women the right to vote. Though I am proud we have the amendment, I sort of wonder why it took so long. Today, let us not only give thanks for the rights that we have to participate in our democracy, but let us also be mindful
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSAugust 17, 2025What does the world need the church to be in this moment? I tend to believe that is a question each local congregation needs to be asking itself, as no two contexts are going to be the same. Oh, sure, there are some generalizations that can be made about purpose and mission, but in my opinion, too many churches maintain a generalized understanding of their
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSAugust 16, 2025Jesus asked a lot of uncomfortable questions that we have too easily drained of the discomfort. In Matthew 7:3, Jesus asked the question, “Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye but do not notice the log in your own eye?” Jesus was frustrated with the hypocrisy of some folks, including the religious leaders, but many people who read these words do so
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSAugust 15, 2025James A. Garfield was the 20th President of the United States, though before he became President, he was a preacher in our tradition, the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). In fact, he was the only president to also be a minister. One of the best quotes attributed to Garfield, at least in my opinion, is: “The truth will set you free, but first it will make
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSAugust 14, 2025I was reading a portion of the book, “Deconstructing Your Faith Without Losing Yourself,” by Angela J. Herrington. Deconstructing is the process by which a person of faith, shaped by a very damaging form of faith, begins to unravel the mess of emotional trauma that has been woven into the fabric of one’s life. Though I have not read the entire book, I appreciate her
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSAugust 13, 2025In Chapter one of Isaiah, the Prophet is brutal when it comes to his description of Judah and Israel’s future. What were once faithful people committed to justice are now murders (1:21). The author leaves the impression that there is no hope. The future isn’t simply bleak, but irredeemable. We turn the page, and in Chapter two, we find: In days to come the mountain
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSAugust 12, 2025The Rev. Dr. William Barber preached this past Sunday, August 10, 2025, at First Baptist West in Charlotte, NC. He was basing his sermon on Jesus’ sermon that we call The Sermon on the Mount. Rev. Barber focused on the words, “You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid” (Matthew 5:14), and he reminded his listeners that
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSAugust 11, 2025Prayer for the Week: With this new day comes an opportunity to meet you anew, O Divine Light—to experience the warmth of your generosity; to learn something I have never noticed about the intensity of your kindness; to glimpse the far-reaching capacity of your love? Let the possibilities of this day be met by the curiosity of my mind and the imagination of my soul.
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSAugust 10, 2025Have you ever noticed that grief is complicated? And it is made more complicated when people approach grief as if it were similar to getting over a cold. Frustration emerges when it appears to be taking too long, as if two days’ rest and some Vitamin C should kick it. Now we are all wired a little differently, and the journey of grief will look
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSAugust 9, 2025My friend, the Rev. Dr. Kory Wilcoxson (pastor at Crestwood Christian Church in Lexington, KY), is the coauthor of a book entitled, “Thriving Church,” based on a five-year study of 20 diverse churches. The word “thriving” is not necessarily defined by the number of people in worship on Sunday, though for some of the churches, they have strong worship attendance. The book looks at ten