ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSJune 4, 2025There are times when I read the Gospels and realize that Jesus had more confidence in his followers than we do in ourselves. Throughout his ministry, Jesus shared many positive and optimistic teachings about his disciples and the future of God’s kingdom being realized on Earth. The Apostle Paul reinforced this idea when he declared the community of followers to be the body of Christ.
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSJune 3, 2025While on Sabbatical, I am hoping to attend as many churches as I can, simply because it’s not something I get to do very often. This past Sunday, I attended a church where I know the pastor, and I was really impressed and blessed by the sermon. In the service, we sang the song: Give Thanks With A Grateful Heart, a song I’ve sung many
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSJune 2, 2025Prayer for the Week: It is Pride Month. It is Caribbean American Heritage Month. It is Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month. It is Men’s Health Month and National Safety Month. Holy God, allow this month to be a month of education, of expanding our knowledge and appreciation of those around us. May new insights and experiences create within us greater empathy in a world that
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSMay 31, 2025In the final episode of the Handmaid’s Tale, Mark Tuello, a commander (one of the good guys) in the series, says, “When I close my eyes, I see my son, so then I get up and go back to work. I will bring down Gilead so he doesn’t have to do it.” Of course, Gilead is the antagonist in the series, the name given to
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSMay 30, 2025In John 14, right after the wonderful words where Jesus describes the many rooms in his father’s house, he says, “Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the father.” The preposition “ because” appears to be an important word
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSMay 29, 2025I was rereading Rob Bell’s book, What We Talk About When We Talk About God, for the third or fourth time. Toward the end, he offers a very earthy yet accurate description of confession. He writes, “Confession is like really, really healthy vomit. It may smell and get all over the front of your shirt, but you feel better—you feel cleansed—when you’re done.” Though a
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSMay 28, 2025Since Christmas, I have started and restarted reading the book, “Dinners With Ruth” by Nina Totenberg. It wasn’t that I found the book boring. Just the opposite! I was enjoying it, but there were always more pressing things to read in preparation for a sermon or a study. Much of the book is about this amazing friendship between the NPR reporter, Nina Totenberg (who I
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSMay 27, 2025You may have read something about this, but if not, there is an Orthodox Church here in Texas that is gaining a lot of interest among younger men. It’s not because they are seeking a deeper spiritual connection with God or wanting to better understand self-giving love or humility. I only wish! Instead, it is promoting a hypermasculinity as it denounces all kinds of things
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSMay 26, 2025Prayer for the Week: As we seek love, O Source of Love, it is often difficult to trust the power of love in light of our experiences of betrayal, hypocrisy, and self-serving acts purporting to be love. Provide for us living and transformative examples of life-giving and life-sustaining love, not simply from Scripture, but from the Body of Christ at work in this moment. Bolster
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSMay 25, 2025Julian of Norwich (1342-1416) wrote, “Pray, even if you feel nothing, see nothing. For when you are dry, empty, sick or weak, at such a time is your prayer most pleasing to God, even though you may find little joy in it.” When she suggests that such prayer is “pleasing to God,” I don’t believe she is suggesting that it triggers God to act as if