ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS April 22, 2026 Outside of a couple of breaks during the year, a group of men gathers every Wednesday at noon to review the list of Joys & Concerns, to pray, and often do a short study. As I continue to remind people, Men’s Ministries tend to have a lifecycle, usually less than ten years. That’s not to say that something new won’t emerge, but in
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS April 21, 2026 I am always intrigued when I meet people who attend churches where their ministers are understood as being a direct and faultless mouthpiece of God, and they often assume I am such a pastor. Trust me when I say that I have no more of a direct line to God than anyone else, and my understanding of scripture or God is far from
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS April 20, 2026 Prayer for the Week: Holy God, we ask for peace in a troubled land; for life in a barren land; for humility in a vain land; for healing in a violent land. Whether we speak of the soul found in a nation or that of an individual, there is a sacred imperative calling for revival and restoration. Let all those in need of
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS April 19, 2026 There is a lot of talk these days about justice, and though some are quick to dismiss it as if it were unbiblical, it is in fact one of the most central concepts within scripture. Now there is the justice that is done in the courtrooms of our country, but the justice spoken by the Prophets and Jesus himself is something far more
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS April 18, 2026 Albert Schweitzer said, “The purpose of human life is to serve and to show compassion…” He not only said it, but pretty much demonstrated it each day of his life. It is one thing to announce one’s purpose or mission in life. It is something very different when one begins to integrate the ideas into daily practice. I believe an individual’s purpose or
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS April 17, 2026 Wednesday night, Donna and I saw Spamalot at the Hobby Center. We really enjoyed it, though we grew up in the days of Monty Python. As I was taking in the experience, especially what I can only describe as some of the more outlandish moments (and there were plenty), I had this strange thought: what would an alien race think of this performance,
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS April 16, 2026 Despite what many say, much of the Bible speaks rather clearly against monotheism. The 10 Commandments begin with the words, “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; you shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:2-3). It begins by being very clear who this God is, just in case
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS April 15, 2026 Just in case you hadn’t realized, today is tax day. If you’re reading this early enough, you might still have time to file your taxes… maybe. Early in life, after I started my first real job (I apologize for not paying taxes on my snow shoveling gigs between the ages of 10 and 12), filling out tax forms was incredibly stressful. Despite being
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS April 14, 2026 In Sunday’s Sermon, I mentioned Rob Bell’s book, “Everything is Spiritual.” In the book, Rob gives a description of his first time giving a sermon. He wrote, “I had heard people give messages and teachings and sermons over the years. I usually didn’t find them that compelling. But this, this SPIRITUAL TALK THING I had stumbled into—this was part guerrilla theater and part
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS April 13, 2026 Prayer for the Week: Paul called us Fools for Christ Fools in the ways of Christ Fools because of Christ. Holy God, you call us to be foolish not idiots not to purposely make poor choices but to stand in the world while representing you and the very counter-cultural life of Jesus. We look foolish as servants