ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSJanuary 17, 2024If a church is an idea (what was discussed on Sunday and in yesterday’s Etching), and we believe it is an idea inspired by God, then don’t you imagine that God is already at work in bringing together the necessary components to see this idea grow into into greater expression? If we say the church is an idea that has found a body, it begins
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSJanuary 16, 2024 In my sermon on Sunday, I suggested that Cypress Creek Christian Church is an idea whose time has come (borrowing language from Victor Hugo). Now some might think it a bit arrogant to claim that a church and its mission are a match for the moment, but I find it almost humorous how a lot of the big box churches are modifying their language to
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSJanuary 15, 2024 Prayer for the Week:Lord of Life and Liberty, on this day in which we remember and pay tribute to the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., we are mindful of the multitude of names we do not know, yet they too gave the last full measure of devotion to you and to the dream of human equality. Dr. King was a true and faithful
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSJanuary 14, 2024 Have you ever felt like something occurred at the absolute right time? I’m pretty sure we can all name a time or two when something happened at the absolute worst time. In those good moments, we often say things like, “It’s like the stars aligned” or “God was guiding every step.” There are a lot of theological questions that come to mind in those moments,
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSJanuary 13, 2024What does it mean to honor a legacy like that of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.? He was not a perfect man, yet he sought to embody the perfect love of God. I cannot fathom the hateful rhetoric, threats against family, and physical violence that he endured. I would hope that I’d stay true to my convictions, but I cannot guarantee it. King, along with
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSJanuary 12, 2024Today is the 14th anniversary of the earthquake in Haiti that killed as many as 300,000. I was rereading some statistical information about the event and the days following, and it suddenly hit me that statistics are really the only way I can even begin to fathom that kind of horror and suffering. I don’t know exactly where the line is, and it probably depends
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSJanuary 11, 2024This Sunday, we will look at the scripture from Matthew’s Gospel called the Massacre of the Innocents (Matthew 2:13ff), when Herod, who was the King of Judea, gave orders to execute every child two years old and under living around Bethlehem. Now such an order would have been recorded in Roman history, and since it was not, there is some question about its historical validity.
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSJanuary 10, 2024Over the weekend, I heard an interesting (troubling) conversation about who was deserving of an act of compassion and who was not. I won’t get into the specifics, though you might be able to guess if I gave you three chances. The determination of deservability has been a discussion point since our ancestors began to walk upright. Whether or not someone deserves something often has
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSJanuary 9, 2024Last week, Donna and I saw The Tina Turner Musical. It wasn’t my favorite, but the lead was amazing. There was important truth-telling in the musical, specifically the naming of the physical abuse Tina Turner experienced in her marriage to Ike Turner. They did not try to hide it or leave it to the imagination. Toward the end, when Tina decided to fight back, the
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSJanuary 8, 2024Prayer for the Week: I seek an epiphany of your life-changing grace, O Lord. As I enter this new year, I desire to be transformed by the renewal of my mind, spirit, and body. All that I am, I wish to be aligned with you and the ways of Jesus. May this prayer be a confirmation of my commitment to this sacred task. Amen.