01-30-26

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
January 30, 2026
Have you ever felt like you were not going to make it to your destination? Yesterday, I visited someone at the Medical Center downtown, and the trip home left me feeling like a pinball in a pinball machine. My map rerouted me five times to save time, yet what was to be a one-hour and nine-minute drive back to the church ended up taking one hour and 55 minutes. It always feels strange when you have traveled for ten minutes, yet the mapping program indicates that you are twelve minutes further away from your destination. That experience is applicable to all kinds of situations in life, including our pursuit of a deeper and more faithful relationship with God. Speaking from my own experience, there have been moments when my intentional work has opened a door into a greater understanding of God, yet as I explored that new opening, I ended up feeling further away from God. I must confess that in such moments, when I thought it was a step toward greater intimacy with God, I was left feeling as if there was a bigger gulf. It’s not because God was any more distant, but on the other side of that discovery, I felt less faithful and less Christ-like. Of course, God is forever gracious, and so in spite of my feeling distant, God continued to remind me that I was on a journey. And sometimes the path is not straight, and when climbing, there is something called switchbacks (zigzag climb) that helps us move upward even when we may not feel as if we are making progress. And the good news is that God continues to beckon us, along with walking alongside us in the journey. 

We say, "Thanks be to God!" We shout these words to you, O Gracious God, for you continue to be the One who yearns for us to find life and wholeness through a deeper and more abiding relationship with you. Yet sometimes we are confronted by something that does not feel righteous in our own life. Encourage a spirit of boldness so as not to shrink from what is right and good and just. It's a journey, but we trust your presence along the way. Amen.