ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSJanuary 18, 2021Prayer for the Week: There is so much we do not understand; so much we cannot comprehend; so many mysteries that remain beyond our reach. O Holy One of the Universe, you are shrouded in that mystery. We look to Jesus, and within him we are to see you. Yet there are questions that continue to confound us. We see death and suffering among those
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSJanuary 17, 2021Scripture: Isaiah 40:29-31The Lord gives power to the faint, and strengthens the powerless. Even youth will faint and be weary, and the young will fall exhausted; but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. Thought for the Day: There is something
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSJanuary 16, 2021Scripture: Mark 1:35In the morning, while it was still very dark, Jesus got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed. Thought for the Day: I am a really bad speller, and when typing fast, I can make a multitude of mistakes of which I can only blame a few on autocorrect. I’m also horrible when it comes to proofreading, especially
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSJanuary 15, 2021Scripture: Mark 1:21-22They went to Capernaum; and when the sabbath came, Jesus entered the synagogue and taught. They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. Thought for the Day: Do you sense a little passive-aggressive behavior from the Gospel writer? Those last words, “not as the scribes,” sound a little like an unnecessary dig.
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSJanuary 14, 2021Scripture: Mark 1:16-18As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea—for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, “Follow me and I will make you fish for people.” And immediately they left their nets and followed him. Thought for the Day: I don’t know why, but in reading this passage just now,
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSJanuary 13, 2021Scripture: Mark 1:13Jesus was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him. Thought for the Day: I think most of us would describe Jesus as a pretty put together individual, even some Christian Leadership Books portray him as the stellar CEO type. Yet reread this verse from Mark, and notice that Jesus
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSJanuary 12, 2021Scripture: Mark 1:12And the Spirit immediately drove Jesus out into the wilderness. Thought for the Day: Immediately after the baptism and divine affirmation of Jesus, the Spirit drove him into the wilderness. The word “drove” in the Greek is the combination of two words – Ek (out) and Ballo (throw). Driven is a pretty strong word, but it may not communicate just how dramatic it
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSJanuary 11, 2021Prayer for the Week:What do we pray for? For whom should we pray? O God, your love-filled vision is needed more than ever, yet it almost feels too little, too late. So many are lost in the echo chamber of their own lostness, listening to their fears reverberate back a permission to believe their anxieties, to glorify their insecurities. We need your love, and not
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSJanuary 10, 2021Scripture: 2 John 1:8Be on your guard, so that you do not lose what we have worked for, but may receive a full reward. Thought for the Day: I have a Senior in High School, and though we are not quite there yet, I am concerned about the dreaded senioritis, that affliction that seems to leave many looking past the present moment. The first time
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSJanuary 9, 2021Scripture: Proverbs 11:3The integrity of the upright guides them, but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them. Thought for the Day: On this day in the year 1349, approximately 70 Jewish residents of the city of Basel (modern day Switzerland) were rounded up, locked inside a shed and burned to death. The plague known as Black Death was sweeping across Europe, and fearful people looked