ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS May 22, 2026 Today is National Vanilla Pudding Day, and if that isn’t enough to excite you, it is also the day Orville and Wilbur Wright were granted a patent for their new “flying machine.” I wonder if any of the airlines will offer vanilla pudding instead of pretzels? I get a little tickled with all the “special” days or months on the calendar. I occasionally
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS May 21, 2026 I had just typed a handful of words, and though my fingers were not on the correct keys and what I typed was nonsense, my computer attempted to show how smart it was and correct my mistake. The only problem is that what it believed to be the correct sentence was not close and sort of inappropriate even for my Etchings. Is anyone
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS May 20, 2026 Though we’ll learn more about the shooting at the San Diego mosque in the coming weeks, I’m heartbroken for the faith community and everyone else who genuinely feels threatened. While law enforcement has only given us some basic information, they’ve confirmed that “hate rhetoric was involved.” In the last year, Islamophobia and religious bigotry toward other minority faith communities have been on the
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS May 19, 2026 So when I have some free time, I’ve been watching an episode of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters on AppleTV. Trust me, you won’t see it winning any awards, but I have always been a fan of the old giant monster movies, and this show includes Godzilla and King Kong. The writing has been a bit clunky and predictable, but I still enjoy it.
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS May 18, 2026 Prayer for the Week: Living and Life-giving Spirit, we seek to center ourselves in your loving presence. As we hear voices seeking to play on our anxiousness, we breathe in your grace and release that part of us that can so easily be drawn into the manipulative games that are played. Grant us wisdom to know when those games are being played and
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS May 17, 2026 There was a sticker that one of our youth read out loud, and it included the word ‘stigma.’ She wanted to know what it meant. The sticker was referencing the stigma associated with mental health, and how we approach our conversations on the topic as if it were bad or a taboo. There is no question that our culture has made some improvements
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS May 16, 2026 So, you go to the gym or enjoy riding your bike around the neighborhood for some exercise. Excellent! So, you are reading food labels a bit more closely, trying to reduce your intake of sugar and sodium. Another excellent thing to do! But what are you doing for your mental health? In Ephesians 5, Paul was probably speaking more generally, but I appreciate
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS May 14, 2026 In the Men’s Group yesterday, after sharing the Joys & Concerns of the congregation, and then praying together, I turned on a TedTalk by a counselor specifically for men named Dustin Hogan. As it is Mental Health Awareness Month, and this Sunday we are having a specific worship experience on the topic, I thought it would be a good video to watch. At
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS May 13, 2026 The English songwriter, singer, and Grammy-winning composer, Jacob Collier, offered the commencement address at Berklee School of Music in Boston. You can find it on YouTube, and in it, he said, “You are only as powerful as you make the people around you feel.” Those words have been resonating with me for a little more than 24 hours. Empowerment can often be the
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS May 12, 2026 Have you ever had one of those really productive days? Now I won’t claim that yesterday was a “really” productive day, but it felt productive. And I even got to spend a little time with my wife. Productive is a good thing! Usually, your employer appreciates and might even reward productivity. In a world where things need to get done, products need to