02-07-26

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
February 7, 2026
One of the most beautiful things in the life of the church, at least for me, is the amazing people I get to know on a level that I would have never experienced had I worked somewhere other than the church. And it’s not just my employment as a pastor. Many of you have commented on how you met someone, and what started as a casual conversation opened a door by which you gained insight about an individual that would have never been revealed had you worked together at the same company or been training partners at the gym. There’s something unique about church, partly because we discuss life and death and life everlasting. We feel a call to become better human beings for the sake of this generation and the next, yet choosing that path toward betterment requires community. A corporation’s purpose can be incredibly important and your commitment to good health is also important, but the church is a place where, when done right, there is vulnerability and honesty on a level rarely seen in our culture. People feel more comfortable sharing their failures and profound sorrows. They not only talk about where their journey is going, but where it started… which at times can be a bit embarrassing. Yet where else can you receive grace when the world has no interest in doling out anything that resembles grace? Of course, with deep friendships and profound love comes deep and profound loss when there is a death. To quote Queen Elizabeth, “Grief is the price we pay for love.” And though there are times when the alternative might appear more tolerable, in the end, I would not exchange any of the amazing connecting points I have experienced with a life that knows a bit less pain. That whole becoming a better person thing I talked about has made small but real progress in my own life because of the people who have loved me.

For the people who have gifted our existence and made us better and more Christ-like human beings, we offer our gratitude to you, Gracious and Inspiring God. Amen.