ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSSeptember 21, 2023I am guessing that most of us are drawn to stories about amazing rescues. Someone jumps into the water, runs into a burning building, or steps into some other dangerous situation to save an individual in need. And probably like many of you, I also enjoy watching the animal rescues—a dog is trapped on a shed as waters rise, a cat has fallen into a
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSSeptember 20, 2023As I shared yesterday, we will begin a new series on the importance of the “one.” This Sunday, I will focus on Luke’s Gospel, and the three parables about the lost — the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son (15:1-32). Many people read the first of the three parables and throw the sheep under the bus for getting lost. “Thank goodness,” people
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSSeptember 19, 2023This coming Sunday, we will begin a new series where we will talk about the importance of the “one.” In our culture, we have a strange game we play based on where we believe someone falls on our “worthiness” scale. A lot of folks pretend they don’t have such a scale, but a whole host of things play into our opinions on someone’s worth, and
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSSeptember 18, 2023Prayer for the Week:I seek to make this a week that honors you, Gracious God. May the words I choose honor you. May the decisions I make honor you. May the use of my physical energy honor you. May the quiet and prayerful moments honor you. Despite my best efforts, I know there will be moments this week when something will not honor you. In
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSSeptember 17, 2023In Jonah 2, we read the words: “Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the belly of the fish, saying, ‘I called to the Lord out of my distress, and he answered me; out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and you heard my voice.’” I don’t know about you, but I sure have never found myself in the belly of a
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSSeptember 16, 2023Have you ever come across an idea that initially catches your attention and then, as time passes, it gnaws on your soul like a dog gnaws on a bone? This happened to me recently when I read some words belonging to George Bernard Shaw. He wrote, “We are made wise not by the recollection of our past but by the responsibility for our future.” I
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSSeptember 15, 2023This weekend, I will be keynoting at the Regional Men’s Retreat, and the topic is based on the well-known Ecclesiastes passage: “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven…,” and the question being put before us this weekend will be: “How does one live in a season of change?” A lot of people, at least from my limited experience,
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSSeptember 14, 2023I’ve had a couple of folks share some thoughts on their 53rd Stretching, and though none of them have agreed to write anything for me, I remain hopeful that someone might feel comfortable. I understand that in a faith rooted in humility, it feels strange to tell a story of a time when we allowed ourselves to be stretched in faith. It can almost feel
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSSeptember 13, 2023Each Tuesday, Rev. Paula Gembala puts together and sends out the Joys and Concerns associated with Cypress Creek Christian Church. There is a lot involved, and often it is just keeping track of who is where and whether someone moved. And since there are privacy laws, we always need permission before including a name or situation in the email. But there is something special about
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSSeptember 12, 2023I have written about this before, but September 11 is a strange day for me. Like many of you, I have vivid memories of that day 22 years ago. There were so many emotions from that Tuesday and the days that followed. The church I was serving at the time had a community worship service that night that we had to put together quickly, and