ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSMarch 13, 2025Have you ever come across a passage in the Bible and thought, “Well, that seems strange?” I suppose it happens quite frequently; at least, that’s my experience. Sometimes, the strangeness arises from a translation issue or the need to understand a not-so-obvious backstory. Whatever the case, my hope is for people to be curious and ask questions, even if the answer is not easy to
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSMarch 12, 2025Occasionally, I will read the translation of the Bible called the Message. Definitely not one of the more accurate translations, but it has some really interesting ways of looking at a passage. A few days ago, I read Psalm 9:9-10 in the Message, and it says: God’s a safe-house for the battered, a sanctuary during bad times. The moment you arrive, you relax; you’re never sorry you knocked. I
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSMarch 11, 2025How challenging is it for you to utter the words, “I’m sorry”? I’m not referring to instances where you genuinely didn’t do anything wrong, nor am I talking about situations where someone attempts to manipulate you into feeling responsible for something you didn’t do. I’m referring to the moments when you made a mistake, certain words spewed from your lips before you had time to
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSMarch 10, 2025Prayer for the Week:God of All Creation, we bear the divine image, and we are driven to unravel the profound implications of this belief. Not only does it shape our understanding of ourselves, but equally significant is how it influences our comprehension of every facet of your creation. You have declared it all to be good, and in Jesus, we have glimpsed the depth of
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSMarch 9, 2025Wow! Today is the first Sunday of Lent! And though it is Lent, Cypress Creek Christian Church will be doing things a little differently. Don’t get me wrong, there will be the usual forty days, plus Sundays. It will be a bit more reflective, with an invitation to think a bit more deeply. But our theme is awaken, and though it isn’t entirely bright-eyed and
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSMarch 8, 2025In the fifth chapter of Deuteronomy, we have another version of the Ten Commandments. It begins 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. You shall not make for yourself an idol…” (5:6-8a). The Ten Commandments are frequently invoked as a
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSMarch 7, 2025With Ash Wednesday, we not only entered the Season of Lent, but for those of us at Cypress Creek Christian Church, we entered into a period of intentional awakening. The hope is to extend an invitation to awaken, though not simply in a stretch and get the kinks out of your back kind of awakening. We are talking about an awakening within us. After the
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSMarch 6, 2025Last night at the Ash Wednesday Service, I spoke about ashes, dust, and dirt. Each of these represents something that has come to an end in some way or another. However, in each case, they are also essential for bringing forth life or providing the necessary components to see life flourish. Whether we are playing in the dirt, looking at dust blowing in the wind,
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSMarch 5, 2025On this Ash Wednesday, I offer a reworking of a prayer written by St Ephrem the Syrian, a fourth-century writer. O Lord and Source of Life! Remove from me the attitudes and actions of apathy, timidity, the unquenchable desire for power, and any talk that is void of purpose. Instead, provide me with a spirit capable of focusing on what is truly important: humility, patience,
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSMarch 4, 2025Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday. Tomorrow is the entry point for the season we refer to as Lent. It is the threshold from where we begin the forty-day journey with Jesus. There is so much to learn along the way, yet it is always difficult to keep fully present in the moment as the shadow of the cross hangs heavy over the entire experience. The journey