ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSOctober 10, 2024As I write this Etching, it is Wednesday night, and I am sitting outside watching the sunset. It is quiet and peaceful. And as I sit here, I am completely aware of the experience of those on the west coast of Florida—everything that is not quiet and far from peaceful. The contrast from what I saw on the TV a short time ago to what
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSOctober 9, 2024Not only is today my birthday, but it also would have been the 84th birthday of John Lennon. Today is also the 44th anniversary of a meeting between the Dalai Lama and Pope John Paul II. It was a controversial meeting, at least from the perspective of China, which had occupied and annexed Tibet starting in the early 50’s. Though the world did not fully
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSOctober 8, 2024Growing up, October 8 was always a challenging day for me. It’s my sister Stephanie’s birthday, and my birthday is tomorrow. I had to pretend I was excited for her on her special day, but honestly, it was hard to focus my attention or enthusiasm on October 8. I was just hours away from my day, yet I was supposed to look as if I
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSOctober 7, 2024Holy and Magnificent God, you are forever inviting us into a more faithful walk with you, hoping that we will be able to live a life that both reflects and honors the life of Jesus. What we do today does not simply impact today. No matter how insignificant a decision might be, it has repercussions well beyond this day. Keep us mindful of how we
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSOctober 6, 2024In today’s sermon, I will be looking at a story about Jesus that includes a parable found in Luke 12. In verse 15, Jesus says to some folks that have approached him, “Watch out! Guard yourself against all kinds of greed. After all, one’s life isn’t determined by one’s possessions, even when someone is very wealthy.” I never want to disagree with Jesus, but in
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSOctober 5, 2024The other day, I heard a minister give the old joke about never seeing a u-haul behind a hearse. The point is that we cannot take it with us, and at the end of most people’s lives is a lot of stuff that doesn’t go to heaven but to Good Will, an estate sale, or the trashcan. It’s the stuff that we have purchased and
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSOctober 4, 2024We did it! Yes, we did it! Last night, we officially opened the new playground. It is beautiful, and I am beyond excited. And when I say “we did it,” I am emphasizing the word “we.” This was a community effort. We had an initial gift from an anonymous angel, and though it was 35% of the total cost, there was still a lot more.
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSOctober 3, 2024Jesus gave the world more than the world can fully understand, but part of what was given was a legacy of love. We have many examples of people who gave witness to love with extraordinary acts of love. Humanity is better off because of their breath-taking example. Yet the life and witness of Jesus seem to have a life of their own and within them
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSOctober 2, 2024Though ten years old, there is an interesting study that looks at income and happiness/contentment. In 2010, two Nobel Prize winning economists looked at how happiness is affected by money. Of course, we must acknowledge that happiness is very subjective, as those interviewed were not given any sort of parameters beyond the question: Would you describe yourself as happy or unhappy? The study followed 450,000
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSOctober 1, 2024On this day in 2017, a man opened fire at a country music festival in Las Vegas. 58 people were killed and more than 800 injured. To this day, the shooters motivations are unknown. Seven years have past, but for all the individuals and families impacted by that event, I doubt seven years have provided little to no comfort. Senseless violence, which is almost all