ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSApril 5, 2020Scripture: 1 Samuel 25:25-26Please, my master, pay no attention to this despicable man Nabal. He’s exactly what his name says he is! His name means fool, and he is foolish! But I myself, your servant, didn’t see the young men that you, my master, sent. I pledge, my master, as surely as the LORD lives and as you live, that the LORD has held you
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSApril 4, 2020Scripture: Judges 4:4-5Now Deborah, a prophet, the wife of Lappidoth, was a leader of Israel at that time. She would sit under Deborah’s palm tree between Ramah and Bethel in the Ephraim highlands, and the Israelites would come to her to settle disputes. Thought for the Day: Deborah is one of the 12 Judges in the Book of Judges, though she is the only woman
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSApril 3, 2020Scripture: Joshua 2:3-6Then the king of Jericho sent orders to Rahab, “Bring out the men who have come to you, who entered your house, for they have come only to search out the whole land.” But the woman took the two men and hid them. Then she said, “True, the men came to me, but I did not know where they came from. And when
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSApril 2, 2020Scripture: Genesis 20:10-11And Abimelech said to Abraham, “What were you thinking of, that you did this thing?” Abraham said, “I did it because I thought, There is no fear of God at all in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife. Thought for the Day: For the next few days, I want to look at some strong and grace-filled women in
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSApril 1, 2020Scripture: Genesis 37:28When some Midianite traders passed by, they pulled Joseph up out of the cistern. They sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver, and they brought Joseph to Egypt. Thought for the Day: So I was chatting with Hannah on the phone yesterday, discussing some music for Palm Sunday. As I flipped through the Hymnal, I turned to a page with
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSMarch 30, 2020Prayer for the Week: You hear our voices; you know our concerns; you feel our anxiousness. There is nothing we can hide from you, Merciful God, yet too often we try to disregard what is happening with in us. We attempt to ignore the very emotions that are swirling around inside of us, those tormenting whispers that enjoy the darkness of night. Come and announce
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSMarch 29, 2020Scripture: Psalm 23:4Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff— they comfort me Thought for the Day: In my sermon this morning from Esther 4, there is a section when I talk about being sucked into other people’s anxiety. It has been said that most of us have enough anxiety for
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSMarch 28, 2020Scripture: John 20:26After eight days his disciples were again in a house and Thomas was with them. Even though the doors were locked, Jesus entered and stood among them. He said, “Peace be with you.” Thought for the Day: This was one of the recommended passages during our 24-Hour Prayer Vigil (concluding this morning), and for some reason, it caught my attention during my time
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSMarch 27, 2020Scripture: Esther 1:1This happened in the days of Ahasuerus, the same Ahasuerus who ruled over one hundred twenty-seven provinces from India to Ethiopia. Thought for the Day: Is that not a really good start to a story? In just a few words, we are made to feel as if we know this character (even if we don’t) and to sense his power. It connects to