03-02-26

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
March 3, 2026
An embarrassing video of me might just show up on social media. Yesterday, I was driving home after a funeral. I was still wearing my suit jacket, and even with the AC running in the car, it was hot. So when I stopped at a stoplight, I attempted to take off my jacket. A suit jacket does not stretch, and this one was a little tighter in the shoulders than others. And I didn’t unbuckle my seat belt, which was suddenly wrapped around one of the sleeves. There were cars on both sides of me as we sat there waiting for the light to turn green. For a few seconds, I was fearful that I was going to have to just sit there until the cops came and cut me out of my suit jacket. And though I didn’t notice anyone filming my embarrassing wardrobe entanglement, in today’s world, who knows.

I share that story because there was a time in my life when my insecurities and my fear of what others might think would have consumed me. The thought of someone noticing my embarrassing driver’s seat antics would have bothered me for weeks. Today, I just laugh at myself… and learn the wisdom of pulling into the gas station, getting out of the car, and then taking the jacket off. The Bible talks about “perfection,” and after that experience, I shake my head and think, “No one is going to accuse me of perfection today.” But the Greek word we translate as perfection is teleio, which could also be understood as mature, in the sense of growing up spiritually and emotionally. When we think of perfection as compared to our daily lives, we are left feeling overwhelmed and incapacitated. So defeated by the notion of perfection, that we end up doing nothing. But if we think of it in terms of maturing, we are always growing in wisdom and spiritual responsibility; growth that often occurs out of life experiences, both successes and failures. And today, I give thanks for a God who allows us to gain maturity as human beings, using even our shockingly foolish choices.

Lead me, Spirit of Grace and Wisdom, and guide me in all aspects of life, even when I make a splendid blunder. I yearn to grow wiser each day, learning from my mistakes and embracing the lessons they impart. Amen.