ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS August 20, 2026 The Shakespearean play, Othello, was based on some historical events, but Othello was a fictional character. My mother used to enjoy reading a lot of historical fiction, especially stories of families moving west in covered wagons. But what if I were to take Othello or one of the paperbacks my mother often had on her bedside table, and suggest that the real meaning
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS August 19, 2026 I had an online note expressing concern (it might have been anger) in regard to what appeared, in this person’s mind, my acceptance of those in the LGBTQ+ community. Acceptance, yes, but I take it a step further with what I call affirmation. “Do you not believe in the Bible?” was the question posed to me. While my sarcastic side has numerous responses
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS August 18, 2026 Yesterday, in the early evening, I got my lawn mowed. There are parts of it that are brown and haven’t really grown, but other sections that get a bit more shade that were getting pretty tall. I waited until the temperature was 94 before heading out. Yes, it was hot, but I was amazed at how wonderful it felt when I stepped into
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS August 17, 2026 Prayer for the Week: Spirit of life and love, we pause this day seeking a holy hiatus from the noise around us and the noise within us. Calm us; provide us space for even a momentary respite; remind us of just how loved we are. Continue, Holy God, in the work of connecting us to people who are filled with affirming and life-giving
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS August 16, 2026 It’s Sunday again. As clergy often say, “It’s amazing how it seems to come around every single week.” Now I know that I am sort of nerdy when it comes to church, and if someone were to ask, I’d have to admit that I really love Sundays… even the ones that can run from early morning until late at night. I love Sundays
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS August 15, 2026 In the translation known as the Message, Amos 8:4-7 speaks powerfully… Listen to this, you who walk all over the weak, you who treat poor people as less than nothing, Who say, “When’s my next paycheck comingg so I can go out and live it up? How long till the weekend when I can go out and have a good time? “ Who give
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS August 14, 2026 In his 1962 commencement address at Yale University, John F. Kennedy offered these words: “The great enemy of the truth is very often not the lie—deliberate, contrived, and dishonest, but the myth, persistent, persuasive, and unrealistic. Belief in myths allows the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought.” Almost 65 years have passed since those words were offered, but they remain just
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS August 13, 2026 A colleague in ministry, Rebecca, for whom I have great respect, wrote the following on social media more than a decade ago, yet I continue to find it inspiring. She wrote, “A new day dawns, and I am once again practicing my purpose.” I love the attitude expressed in those words. Of course, before we can practice our purpose, we need to know
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS August 12, 2026 Jesus is Lord might be the oldest Christian confession we have. When the Apostle Paul wrote those words, he was not offering an original declaration, but echoing what he had heard. In an essay by Dr. Joerg Rieger entitled: Why Paul Was Never a Conservative, he suggests that the word kyrios (Greek word for Lord) was “not a vague religious honorific in the
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS August 11, 2026 A funny thing happened on Sunday, or maybe I should call it embarrassing. I have been known to be a bit of a control freak when it comes to worship. I have my opinions, and those opinions can carry some weight. Well, Sunday, I was not participating in worship. Joel was preaching, Jimmy Jacobson was directing the choir, Paula was the worship leader,