03-20-26

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
March 20, 2026
Yesterday, after eight previous NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournaments, Nebraska finally secured a victory. It’s remarkable that despite numerous appearances and even predictions of a first-round win, they have lost each time. This time, however, they were victorious. While I won’t try to make some grand theological statement using sports analogies, I must acknowledge the profound disappointment that accompanies all those previous losses. The players on each of those teams had to feel the hurt that comes from working so hard, yet coming up short. I found it interesting that two previous coaches, both of them taking a team to the NCAA Tournament and both of them losing in the first round, responded with great excitement for yesterday’s big win. I’m certain that a hint of disappointment lingers even after years have passed, but when we reflect on our past, including the disappointments that contributed to our journey toward a larger goal, the hurt diminishes. I’ve spoken to numerous clergy who have guided their congregations through the difficult decision to close their local church, yet many of them have successfully created a legacy that will continue to build and celebrate God’s kin(g)dom. There are feelings of loss and the necessary work of grief, but no one church has been given the task of building the kin(g)dom of God alone. In fact, that silo mentality might be part of our problem. Maybe local congregations should see themselves as stepping stones, and not speak of it in terms of “being nothing but a stepping stone.” Instead, assuming we brought all we could to the task, we can trust God to use our best efforts, alongside the best efforts of countless others, in seeing God’s dream realized. Disappointment is real, but I also wonder if our mistaken expectations create unnecessary disappointment. Though my ego might think so, I don’t believe God ever said, “Bruce, build my glorious reign by yourself, and do so within your lifetime.” Instead, I believe I have been called to be part of Christ’s Body here on earth, and to live as faithfully as I know how. Faithfulness, even with a few setbacks, is all God asks of us. 

O Great God, even when my soul feels the weight of disappointment, I look to you and the long and glorious arc of the universe that is bending, ever-so-slowly, toward justice, kindness, and your reign of love. Let the weight of my faithful living, not the weight of my disappointment, bring a bit more pressure on that bend. Amen.