ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSMay 9, 2025In Matthew 5:5, we have one of the Beatitudes that Jesus shared during the Sermon on the Mount: Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. My friend and colleague, Rev. Bob Hill, reminded me of some words from the great William Sloane Coffin: “…unless we become meek, there will be no one left to inherit the earth…” In Greek, the word for
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSMay 8, 2025A visionary corporation typically focuses on the next 8 to 10 years. While they may discuss longer-term goals as far out as 20 or 25 years, they must prioritize meeting the expectations of their investors in the upcoming quarter. Consequently, they often make sacrifices in regard to the long term to achieve immediate gains. In Proverbs 13:22, we read: Good people leave their grandchildren an
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSMay 7, 2025Yesterday, I wrote about knowing context. A few months back, I was teaching the Youth Sunday School Class, and I had offered an off-the-cuff illustration, only to realize that none of them had been born even a decade after what I had referenced. In a worship setting with a rather diverse group of folks in regard to age, I shared the first line of a
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSMay 6, 2025Two weeks ago, right around Easter, I received an email from someone who had read one of my Etchings. A question was asked: “In twenty-five words or less, tell me why church is important.” I used twenty-three words, but I want you to ponder how you might have responded. I knew only a little bit about the person asking, and more information would have been
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSMay 5, 2025As I sit down to write on this Sunday evening, I wish to give thanks for the gift of music. The concert this evening was extraordinary, and for that reason, I offer a prayer of thanksgiving. God, we give you thanks for the human instrument known as the voice. We give you thanks for those who add their voice to the collective, and in doing
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSMay 4, 2025I remember one of the youth at a church camp years ago saying, “How long do you think God has been trying to teach us to love one another?” This young man was implying that God had a lot of patience. I thought his comments were quite insightful. The development of faith has been an interesting journey throughout the centuries, but amidst all the rituals
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSMay 3, 2025So I’m driving down Cypresswood Drive, and I changed lanes so I could be in the left lane because, in less than a quarter mile, I needed to make a lefthand turn. Suddenly an older model Honda Civic came up very quickly behind me. The owner of the vehicle had done a muffler modification so the Civic sounded like a very loud race car. He
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSMay 2, 2025Last night, CCCC hosted the Interfaith Prayer Walk on the National Day of Prayer. I had two fascinating conversations that were sort of outside of what was really planned, but aren’t those usually the best conversations? One was with a longtime friend from the Jewish faith, and another with a new friend from the Quaker tradition. Both of them talked, from different perspectives, about an
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSMay 1, 2025How many of you have your May Baskets ready for delivery today? Growing up, this was a big deal. We spent a couple of days prepping the baskets, making sure each one looked great. Since we were in Nebraska, there were not a lot of flowers in the garden on May 1, so we often cut them from construction paper. Then, if it was a
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS April 30, 2025I was in Indianapolis for about 36 hours for the Board Meeting of the Christian Church Foundation. This was my first Board Meeting, and if you’ve ever served on a national Board, you probably remember your first meeting. To begin with, you’re just trying to remember all the names of the folks sitting around the table (thank goodness I already knew a handful of them),