ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
July 26, 2024 As those who have been forgiven, we are called upon to forgive. I would guess that most followers of Jesus would agree with those words, yet I hear people adding exemptions to that premise. For them, there are certain limitations to forgiveness, though Jesus seemed to challenge some of those exceptions, even the ones we find really challenging. Using a parable, Jesus responded to a question from Peter about how often a person should forgive. Peter felt pretty generous when he said, “Should I forgive as many as seven times?” The parable is about a Master who demonstrates mercy by forgiving a servant who owed the Master a great deal. Of course, the parable goes on to suggest that the same forgiven servant shows absolutely no mercy to another servant who owed just a little. It sounds like an excellent teaching parable, though I will confess some discomfort with how the parable closes. Right after Jesus had told Peter and the other disciples about the expansive nature of God’s forgiveness, the master in the story forgives once, but not twice. Again, I don’t necessarily believe that was the purpose of the parable. Like any fable or analogy, there is always a point at which it begins to break down. Nonetheless, it is probably important to recognize that we might have greater appreciation of the gift of forgiveness given to us if we are able to forgive someone else for something less significant. May I treasure the depth of you merciful kindness and forgiveness, O God, and not simply in some sort of theoretical way. When I choose to forgive others, understanding the difficulties and complications of doing so, it is more likely that I will appreciate what you have done for me. Amen.
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ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
July 25, 2024 In his book, “Just Mercy,” Bryan Stevenson writes, “We are all implicated when we allow other people to be mistreated. An absence of compassion can corrupt the decency of a community, a state, a nation.” Like yesterday, those words can cause one to feel uncomfortable, as it sure feels as if those words are spoken with judgment in our direction. Guilt can create defensiveness, but realization and repentance can stretch us toward becoming the people God has called us to be in Jesus. While I see some amazing acts of compassion, including among the people of Cypress Creek Christian Church, there has definitely been a pushback against compassion in our culture. In place of compassion, we blame, shame, and scapegoat. Every expression of community has a soul, that is, an essence that speaks to its true identity. I’m not talking about the one that can be fabricated with flowery language and pithy declarations. That’s not the soul of a community. If you want to understand the soul, look for those acts of compassion that have the community stretching itself beyond itself. May the compassion I have received take root within me, O God of Expansive Grace, for I cannot place the call for empathy and kindness as someone else’s responsibility. Amen. ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
July 24, 2024 From the book, “A Black Theology of Liberation,” James Cone wrote, “Jesus is not a human being for all persons; he is a human being for oppressed persons, whose identity is made known in and through their liberation.” Those words have already caused some of you to prickle just a bit because the late Dr. Cone suggested that Jesus was not a human being for all people. I think Cone would want those of us feeling uncomfortable to sit with the discomfort for a while. Christianity today has too often become a religion for the comfortable, and when people are made to feel uncomfortable, they get someone fired at the church or they leave. I try to read something each week that challenges me, and though my opinion is not always changed, I am often forced to ask myself some pointed questions. Am I uncomfortable because some complacency or sinfulness has found its way into the light of judgment, and it is no longer easy to ignore it. I can’t say for sure if I know what Dr. Cone intended with those words, but I think he was suggesting that Jesus is not for those who are on the side of oppression and injustice. In his ministry, Jesus was clearly for those who were oppressed and recipients of injustice. Of course, Jesus also invited one of those on the side of oppression to share a meal with him, and though Jesus was not for him in the sense of being in favor of what he was doing, I believe Jesus still loved him. And it was that love that cast a light upon the sinful and unjust actions of Zacchaeus, and in that experience of love, Zacchaeus began to live for the liberation of others. At that moment, I believe Jesus was for Zacchaeus. Thank you for loving me even through the discomfort and the pushback I give when I am challenged in a way I do not wish to be challenged. Holy God, where there are things hidden in the shadows of my life, I pray for your glory to bring them forth where I must acknowledge them and deal with them. It is only by your grace that such a thing is possible. Amen. ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
July 23, 2024 It happens on a pretty regular basis. I receive an email from someone in the world who wants to school me on the Bible, often in regard to what they believe the Bible says about homosexuality. I received another one of those emails just yesterday. For a number of years, I responded to every single one of them, which often was the spark for many more emails. I am not the brightest tool in the shed (my grandfather mixed his analogues, so I do it for fun), as it took me some 200 exchanges that went nowhere before I decided it might not be the best use of my time. What has fascinated me with all these emails is how no one has ever said, “I know you went to school for this, but I disagree with you and would like to discuss this further.” Everyone of them has said something like, “You are allowing the devil into your church, and he is going to take you and everyone in your congregation to hell.” Again, I am not asking everyone to agree with me. That would not be a good Disciples of Christ approach, but I think it is fair to expect that most people should know how Christianity has never been monolithic. In fact, what has been considered orthodox Christianity throughout history has most often been determined by those with the biggest army… which ain’t very Christ-like. In all those email exchanges, I never called anyone a name or insinuated that they did not know what they were talking about. I have offered alternative ways of thinking about scripture, often presenting different historical opinions. And in almost every case, people have doubled down on expressing how I am clearly possessed by a demon. I share this as a way of encouraging you to be cautious when you disagree with someone. Name-calling, or suggesting one’s soul is owned by Beelzebub, is not a helpful tactic. In fact, those and other approaches tend to communicate that the one who is name-calling or implying demon possession does not have the capacity to engage in a civil conversation. I understand that for some of these people, they are concerned about saving souls, and if they don’t try to save my soul at whatever cost, their souls are in jeopardy… or at least that’s what they’ve been taught. If those of us who claim to follow Jesus cannot disagree with some semblance of civility, then how do we think that we will ever introduce the world to Jesus, the one who said, “They will know you are my disciples when you love one another” (John 13:35)? The current approach ain’t getting us anywhere, O God of Grace and Goodness. Being ugly, shaming those who disagree with us, and name-calling are not very Jesus-like. Help us, Merciful One, as we seek another way, as we seek the way of Jesus. Amen. ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
July 22, 2024 Prayer for the Week: Show us your mercy, O Lord, when we are tired. Show us your mercy when we are tired of being tired. Show us your mercy when our exhaustion turns to frustration and complacency. Show us your mercy when our faith has fallen flat and we are left with doubt, confusion, and feelings of failure. Show us your mercy, O Lord, yet even this lackadaisical and easily dissuaded faith believes that you will always be merciful. So as you show us mercy, we say, “Thank you, O Lord.” Amen. ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
July 21, 2024 Like many of you, I can remember when we only received three channels at home (for some reason, we were not able to get ABC early in my childhood). Friends started getting cable, and I can remember my first evening of watching MTV at Chris’ house. For the longest time, except when renting a movie from Blockbuster or watching PBS, everything had commercials. Today, I stream so much of what I watch, streaming on services without commercials, that I am sometimes caught off guard when watching TV with commercials. It appears as if I am becoming more impatient with the interruptions. Maybe it’s because I’m getting old and a bit cantankerous, but there are certain interruptions that seem to get under my skin more and more. And though I used TV as an example, it really isn’t TV. Where I feel interrupted these days is by the nonsense that is presented as good Christian ideals. People are allowed to have diverse opinions, and I am not opposed to that. But there are those who are using religion for purposes not only unrelated to most faith traditions, but in fact, undermine them. For that reason, I am spending more and more time trying to explain why hatred, misogyny, racism, xenophobia, homophobia, and ageism are not Christian values. We have some really important work to do, yet it feels like I am being interrupted on a daily basis by the ridiculous wrapped in religiosity. And more importantly, there appear to be more and more people accepting the nonsense as God-given and God-blessed truth. I may not like the interruptions, but maybe we have deal with what’s really behind these interruptions. Have mercy on us, Gracious God, and then allow our words, and even more importantly, our actions, to present a clear picture of Jesus, who was full of mercy, demonstrated compassion, and loved those society and religion had classified as unworthy of love. Hear our prayer! Amen ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
July 20, 2024 I have been allowing the words from Proverbs 19:2 to be a conversation partner the last few days. It says: Desire without knowledge is not good, and one who moves too hurriedly misses the way. For a number of things in my life right now, there is a need for discernment, and rarely is discernment done in a vacuum of ignorance or with rapid movement toward some predetermined goal. What does it mean to gather as much information without allowing speed to be the controlling factor? So often, people view prayer or meditative silence as the quick fix by which one attains God’s revelation. Maybe it does occur that way on occasion, but for most of us, seeking God’s desired way forward will be found with as much information as one can garner and the patience to play the long game of faithful discernment. I seek to know you and how to move more faithfully in your ways of love, mercy, and justice. Help me to move thoughtfully and diligently, O Holy One. Amen. ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
July 19, 2024 In the book, On Purpose: Finding God’s Voice in Your Passion, there are a couple of sentences that caught my attention. It says, “Listening requires surrendering. It means courage, asking that we put aside our preconceived expectations and abandon our present stations.” In the last 48 hours, I have heard a lot of people use the word courage, but it has most often been in very aggressive ways, even suggesting abusive power over other people. In the book, you will find different words around courage, such as surrender, risk, vulnerability, and humility. Jesus was very much in the business of choosing the alternative way; the path rarely even noticed by the culture of Jesus’ day and our current culture. Of course, some people might be laughing at the quote from the book, as surrendering and courage are associated with listening, but choosing to listen with openness and empathy is courageous, even dangerous. Give me the strength and courage, O Gracious God, so I can honor the person before me with ears willing to truly listen. Amen. ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
July 18, 2024 This Sunday, I will finally begin the new Worship Series entitled: Jesus & His Ancestors. I delayed the start as last Sunday sort of felt like it needed to go in a slightly different direction. My intention with this series is to look at some of the characters found in the Old Testament (Hebrew Scriptures) that offer us some insight into who Jesus was and what he was seeking to do. So much of the Christian story (New Testament) is rooted in the ancient stories of Israel, and remembering that Jesus was a good Jew, he understood himself as part of that great tradition. I do not believe he intended to start a new religion, but that’s what we’ve got. And too often, Christianity has been disrespectful and entirely misunderstood the story of ancient Israel, attempting to read it as if it were all pointing to Jesus. It is, in my opinion, a bit more complex than that. At the same time, there are these amazing characters found among Jesus’ ancestral family (thinking broadly), and in exploring their experiences of God, we might gain some insight into the person of Jesus along with his purpose in this world. For instance, Jesus was referred to as the Son of David by two men who were blind. As Jesus was passing by, they shouted, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” Jesus was not the son of David, but the son of Joseph (and Son of God). There was something important in thinking of Jesus as one like King David. Of course, David was a great warrior who killed lots of people, so is that the connection? I don’t believe so, yet these are the types of questions we will be exploring in the next few weeks. Encourage my questions, Merciful God, even when answers are not immediately found. Encourage me to explore and allow my curiosity to expand my understanding of Jesus and his life of love. Amen. ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
July 17, 2024 The last two weeks have known general craziness for most everyone, yet amidst the craziness of the hurricane and the power outage, we had both VBS and a Youth Mission Trip planned. Without power at the church, VBS could not happen. We were so disappointed, but we have all the material for next year’s VBS ready to go. The Youth Mission Trip had a few participants cancel because of everything happening, but we had a wonderful and hardworking group head to Texas City. Today, I want to acknowledge the three adult leaders who went on the trip. They were Jennifer Warman, Ashley Warman, and Mara Doyle. These three left for the Mission Trip from homes that were still without power and AC, but also facing the challenge of finding clothes to take with them on the trip as they had not been able to do laundry. I know the adults and the youth all returned exhausted, but it was another successful Mission Trip. For those who have not done Youth Ministry, it is hard to understand the bonding that occurs among the youth during such an experience. Watching the exhausted group giving hugs to each other last night as they said goodbye to one another communicated a lot about what had occurred. As one who gave leadership to a lot of Mission Trips over the years, I know both the physical and emotional impact it has upon the adults. Not only are you working alongside the youth, but you have the adult responsibility which can be taxing. Today, I invite you to offer a prayer of thanksgiving for all the good work and relationship building that occurred on the Mission Trip, and along with that, offer some gratitude for the adults who made it happen. Holy and Compassionate God, we celebrate this day all the good work happening among and through our youth here at Cypress Creek Christian Church. May they continue to feel good about all that was accomplished in their recent experience, and we pray a special blessing of gratitude upon the adults who gave of their time and energy for this good work. Amen. |
AuthorRev. Bruce Frogge Archives
July 2024
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