ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS January 4, 2020 Scripture: Jeremiah 31:8-9 See, I will bring them from the land of the north and gather them from the ends of the earth. Among them will be the blind and the lame, expectant mothers and women in labor; a great throng will return. They will come with weeping; they will pray as I bring them back. I will lead them beside streams of water on a level path where they will not stumble, because I am Israel’s father, and Ephraim is my firstborn son. Thought for the Day: So many people desire to be a participant in God’s party, yet they are not pleased with the invitation list. They have offered, without God requesting their help, to whittle down the list to a more respectable and limited number. It feels like the parents of the couple who are looking at the budget and the potential invitation list for the wedding. Of course, in the case of the wedding, choosing to be financially prudent is probably a wise decision when it comes to a new life together. But with God’s party, there is unlimited resources of welcome, mercy and love. It tends to be our fear of scarcity that drives the limiting of access to the party. As we begin a new year, let us be driven by the multitude of images from both the Old Testament and the New Testament that expand the roll of who is invited so that our list might begin to reflect God’s list. Included among such stories is the one told of the Wise Men from the East who wouldn’t have been on anyone list. Prayer: I love your invite list, O Lord, for it includes my name. No matter what others might suggest or the attempt by some to scratch it off the list, you have already circled and starred it alongside the names of every single human being. What a beautiful party! Amen. – via WordPress https://ift.tt/39HHvts
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ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS January 3, 2020 Scripture: Matthew 2:11 They entered the house and saw the child with Mary his mother. Falling to their knees, they honored him. Then they opened their treasure chests and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Thought for the Day: And Mary looked up and saw these foreigners with a different religion and she said, “Get out of my house you heathens!” Christians have too often rejected those in search of the Holy who did not fit the category of religious correctness or the proper skin color. Sadly, Christianity is currently in a crisis – in part – because we have made it clear to many that they do not meet our standards. Incredible human beings longing to be in community are made to feel unwelcome. As followers of God’s expression of love, we should never be threatened by someone whose history, language or look doesn’t match what is found in the existing community. Maybe these “different” individuals are God’s gift coming to lead the community into the future God sees coming. It is good that Mary was pleased to see the Magi and welcomed them into her home. Prayer: Make me your witness of grace, O Lord, especially to those who might be your gift for the future of the kingdom witness. Amen. -- via WordPress https://ift.tt/2MSeKjF ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS January 2, 2020 Scripture: Matthew 2:3 When King Herod heard this, he was troubled, and everyone in Jerusalem was troubled with him. Thought for the Day: Herod was troubled, or as the original Greek reads: Tarasso. The word describes an inward collision, often between values, ideals or priorities. Herod was threatened, feeling an internal clash that most definitely included his desire for security that was protected by the power of his military. He enjoyed his lifestyle. So often from the calm of our safety, we are able to dismiss the collision of values. We assume God must be the giver of our easy and anxiety-free life, and so the conflict is pooh-poohed as something other than a moral or ethical challenge from God. This is what allowed King Herod to feel justified in later killing all the children under two years of age. One of the great sins of humanity is scoffing at the internal tension that is felt instead of asking the tough question of WHY? Why am I feeling so uncomfortable? How might God be calling me to reclaim an ethical conviction over a self-serving desire? Prayer: Creator God, where I am off base and not living in your ways of love and justice, challenge me with a strong enough collision that I cannot dismiss it. Allow me to know it is you and your calling to live a life that resembles the Love First Life. Amen. -()- via WordPress https://ift.tt/2u9EHVr ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS January 1, 2020 Prayer for the New Year: Your Holy Name is honored and hallowed, for in you we find life and value and purpose. Today, as a new year greets us, we acknowledge our past that has not always served your prime mission of love. Forgive us when we excuse or conceal certain aspects of the past. Too often we paint a picture of history from the vantage point of the victor, including covering up the sins perpetrated to gain the victory. A healthy future cannot be realized without an honest conversation about misguided choices that promoted brokenness, oppression and suffering. Even when those choices belonged to another generation, without acknowledgement and repentance, there is no real healing and transformation. Be our guide and our encourager in this necessary work. Creator of New Beginnings, in our serious examination of the past, we must also look to the future with hope and joyous expectation. We know that many events will transpire over the course of this year, many that will surprise us with delight and shock us with disbelief. Keep us focused on the Good News of your unconditional love, for even in the emotional upheaval of life, there is need for those who can provide a calm and consistent expression of your grace. Allow us to be those who can give witness to your presence in all circumstances. We never do so to dismiss people’s pain, but to announce your faithfulness in every moment of life. You are not the source or instigator of human suffering, but the hope by which life can and will find fulfillment. In you, there is always a new beginning waiting to emerge. Give us eyes to see and spirits willing to embrace those moments when your possibilities are becoming. This is one prayer, among many, offered on this first day of the new year. Amen. -0- via WordPress https://ift.tt/36f4slf |
AuthorRev. Bruce Frogge Archives
May 2024
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