Daily Devotionals

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSJune 2, 2024The author and teacher, Margaret Wheatley, wrote: Without reflection, we go blindly on our way, creating more unintended consequences, and failing to achieve anything useful. How often have unintended consequences or unforeseen implications undermined what initially appeared to be a good thing? Have you ever said something within one context only to realize later how the implications were hurtful, bigoted, disrespectful, or incredibly insensitive simply

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSJune 1, 2024How do you balance some of the incredibly challenging expectations of Jesus with the realities of daily life? First, I would suggest that we name it out loud (or, in this case, in a written document). So often, the church quotes Jesus with great fanfare but doesn’t really ask about the implications of the teaching in regard to daily life, societal structure, or even national

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSMay 31, 2024This Sunday, we continue with our series on the Totality of the Jesus Story, specifically looking at how we might talk about and struggle with some of the passages of scripture that appear to undermine (eclipse) the central ideas associated with Jesus. As I said in the sermon last Sunday, I am not encouraging people to ignore certain passages or take scissors to the Bible,

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSMay 30, 2024So yesterday, after a funeral, I noticed a screw in one of my tires. I needed to get back to the church, but later in the afternoon, I was able to take it to the tire store for repair. When they brought my car around, I thanked the guy, opened the door, and sat down. The guy was really tall, but that did not hit

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSMay 29, 2024Another storm! I hope this Etching finds you doing well, hopefully with power. Yesterday, as the storm came through, we lost power at the church. It was off for about an hour, so as I checked to see if we had any leaks and kept an eye on one of the trees on the church property, what I had planned for that hour was pushed

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSMay 28, 2024A friend and colleague, Rev. Rebecca Littlejohn, recently posted a quote from Walter Wink: “The dominant Religion on the planet is not Christianity, Islam, Hinduism or Judaism but the pervasive faith in violence.” Dr. Wink was a Biblical scholar and theologian, often challenging commonly held beliefs about Jesus, faith, and the social order in which we live. He died more than a decade ago, though

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSMay 27, 2024Prayer for the Week: (thinking about the five young people baptized yesterday at CCCC)Young people cocooned in the waters of baptism.There is joy—unspeakable joy.The beginning of a journey by which they embrace their unique goodness.There is joy—unspeakable joy.A church that welcomes those who have risen from the waters.A church that seeks to celebrate the unique gifts of every child.There is joy—unspeakable joy.O God of water

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSMay 26, 2024Forgiveness is something that most all of us, on some level, struggle with. It is complicated with passages like the one we find in the Sermon on the Mount—Matthew 6, where we find Jesus saying to the crowd: If you forgive others their sins, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you don’t forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your sins. I

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSMay 25, 2024On this day in 1925, John Scopes was indicted for teaching evolution in a public school. Most of us remember from history some of what occurred during the Scopes Trial and the names of the major players. A fault line between Christian fundamentalism and a more progressive approach to scripture had been intensifying for nearly fifty years. The breaking point was the Butler Act, a

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSMay 24, 2024I am hoping that most of you, if not all of you, received the news about Rev. Mariah Newell accepting a call to serve as Minister to Children and Families at University Christian Church in Fort Worth. It is the church on the campus of TCU and one of the great churches in our denomination. We all know that they will be immensely blessed to