ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSJanuary 12, 2023I opened my copy of Christianity Today (magazine) that arrived a couple of days ago. The first article I read was entitled: Honoring God’s Multiethnic Plan. And the article’s first sentence read: According to a 2018 survey by the Public Religion Research Institute, ‘A majority (54%) of white evangelical Protestants say that becoming a majority-nonwhite nation in the future will be mostly negative.’ It seems
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSJanuary 11, 2023Have you ever been over-the-top excited for something until you realized what it required? On the surface, it appeared fabulous and exhilarating. You couldn’t wait to throw yourself into it 100%. And then you were confronted with more of the details, including what would be demanded of you. A friend of mine has a daughter who saw ice skating on TV and desperately wanted to
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSJanuary 10, 2023This Saturday, Cypress Creek Christian Church will host Ebony’s 38th Annual Celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday. The event will be held in the Centrum at 5pm. I have participated in this event most every year since arriving in Spring. In preparation for the event, along with another speaking opportunity the following week, I have been rereading some of Dr. King’s lesser-known speeches,
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSJanuary 9, 2023Prayer For This Day: O God, you are holy and good, and for those reasons you seek righteousness on the field of play this night. By your grace, the Horned Frogs will vanquish their enemy and take home a long overdue championship. You love the underdog, and tonight will be another David and Goliath moment… Years ago, I knew a college chaplain who would pray
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSJanuary 8, 2023In today’s sermon, I am quoting Albert Einstein, who said, “Those who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, are as good as dead…” As we have conquered more and more of the mysteries of the universe, it appears as if we have numbed our capacity to be impressed. Images from the new James Webb telescope are becoming routine, even though
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSJanuary 7, 2023Tomorrow, we will have our annual Camel Parade (10am from Meyer Park) as it is Epiphany Sunday. The experience is based on the story from Matthew 2, where we read how the magi came from the east on their way to Jerusalem. Upon arriving, they asked, “Where…” Let’s state upfront all the jokes about men not asking for directions, and then let us move on
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSJanuary 6, 2023Today is Epiphany, which means the Christmas decorations will start coming down around my house. It will probably be a two or three day process, but all the Christmas stuff will soon be well organized and placed in its proper storage area. Let me be clear: It will come down and be well organized because of my spouse. Though Cypress Creek won’t celebrate Epiphany until
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSJanuary 5, 2023In Philippians 4, Paul wrote some beautiful words about focusing our thoughts on certain ideals: “From now on, brothers and sisters, if anything is excellent and if anything is admirable, focus your thoughts on these things: all that is true, all that is holy, all that is just, all that is pure, all that is lovely, and all that is worthy of praise” (4:8). For
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSJanuary 4, 2023Whether you are a football person or not, you probably know of Damar Hamlin, the defensive safety for the Buffalo Bills. He collapsed after a rather routine tackle during Monday Night Football. Though I had been watching the game, I flipped away to watch something else for about 30 minutes. I returned to the game about the time the ambulance was leaving the field. At
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSJanuary 3, 2023A Prayer: I breathe in you, Generous God. I breathe in new possibilities. I breathe in a vision of life not constrained by the cacophony of voices that are quick to honor old and life-diminishing ways. I breathe in the reality that any change will be hard and discomforting, but I breathe in you, Generous God. More than 360 days remain in this new year—that’s