ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSApril 20, 2023Toward the end of Paul’s First Letter to the Church in Corinth, he writes: “Keep alert, stand firm in your faith, be courageous, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love” (16:13-14). I find it interesting how Paul connects standing firm, being courageous, and being strong to doing all things in love. You would think that doing everything in love would only
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSApril 19, 2023We are a little more than a week past Easter, and I sort of wonder if there is anything different in our attitude, outlook, or way of living because of Easter. No matter how you might understand the Good News of Easter, it is pretty clear that something pretty significant happened (that might be a bit of an understatement). For me, it is a message
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSApril 18, 2023On Sunday morning, before most folks had arrived, I noticed outside the west entrance to the Forum Building a dead squirrel. Let’s be honest: a dead squirrel doesn’t quite express the welcome we are wishing to portray. I have disposed of a few dead animals from the property in the past, but not on Sunday morning. God bless Ron Munday, who took on the task
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSApril 17, 2023Prayer for the Week: The power drops, and the light begins to dim. Give us strength, O God. Create within us resilience for the challenges that come our way. Provide for us a steadfastness, even when it feels as if our failures are causing us to fall back. Exhaustion, on top of sadness, mixed with some negative voices, can drain every ounce of our life
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSApril 16, 2023Let us remember these words from 1 John 4:20: “Those who say, ‘I love God,’ and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen.” On April 13, 1919, Brigadier-General Dyer of the British military had his soldiers open fire on a peaceful gathering in
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSApril 15, 2023Donna and I got away for a couple of nights, and yesterday morning, as I was on an elliptical machine in the workout center of the hotel, I watched a little girl run around the outdoor pool while her mother sat close by. It might have been one of those moments where the mother was thinking, “I’ll let her burn off some energy before we
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSApril 14, 2023In Hebrews 13:6, we read, “So we can say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid…’” It reminds me of a quote I have used a few too many times, but I like it. Helen Keller said, “I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSApril 13, 2023The authors of Recovering the Scandal of the Cross referenced a work by David Batstone, who explained that when “the Spanish arrived on Latin American shores, two images of the adult Christ were introduced; the suffering Jesus who remained passive in the midst of his passion as an expression of his submission to his destiny before God; and the royal, conquering Christ who reigns over
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSApril 12, 2023Today is the 60th Anniversary of a group of clergy in Birmingham, Alabama, writing an Editorial directed toward Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and those who were organizing demonstrations in their city. This Editorial prompted Dr. King to write his own letter less than a week after his arrest. Of course, that letter is known as Letter From Birmingham Jail. Over the years, I have
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSApril 11, 2023Malala Yousafzai won the Nobel Peace Prize when she was just 17 years old. In an interview she did with David Letterman for a Netflix show, the topic of her attackers was raised (the Pakistani Taliban tried to kill her when she was just 15 years old because of her outspoken support of education for girls). Malala said, “I forgive them because that’s the best