ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS Thought for the Day: In this passage, Jesus was referring to a Roman Centurion who had come asking for healing for a servant who was sick. Jesus opened the door wide to all those who would come from strange places, from the east and west, like the Centurion. But then he made it sound as if the door was being slammed shut on others. It might seem a little unfair, yet do you talk differently to one group as compared to another group when their experiences are very different? Does the language have a different tone when spoken to those who should know better as compared to those who simply do not? Do parents have different words for their children when they are at different ages? Does a pastor preach the same sermon if preaching to someone who has followed Jesus for 75 years as compared to someone who has just started the journey? I think Jesus shared grace equally with all, but there were moments when he spoke a harsh word out of grace to those who were needing a wake-up call. When I’ve gotten one of those, my first reaction was to get defensive and then a little whiny as it didn’t feel fair. But once I got over myself, I was reminded that more will always be required of those who are at a place where more can be expected of them. Prayer: Wherever I am in this journey of life, speak your word as I need to hear it, Merciful God. We are all different, and we are grateful for that truth. And for that reason, meet us where we are and then guide us to where we need to be. In the name of your generous gift of love, Jesus Christ. Amen. via WordPress https://ift.tt/3o1Azgt
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ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHING via WordPress https://ift.tt/3p38AhH ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS Thought for the Day: One of our church members posted a letter Dr. King sent to Billy Graham in 1957 during Graham’s New York City Crusade. In the letter, King wrote: We are gradually emerging from the bleak and desolate midnight of injustice into the bright and glittering daybreak of freedom of justice. I love the imagery and can imagine those words being offered by King with his powerful pastoral voice and cadence. Yet does it feel to you as if the word gradually was a bit of an overstatement? Does it feel like those words could be written today, yet met with great skepticism by most? I can so easily be sucked into the realm of cynicism and pessimism in so many areas of life. It is understandable why some do. For me, it’s not that I have some strong faith that holds such feelings a bay. It is only by the grace of God, and maybe the ignorance of my own position in life. Maybe tomorrow cynicism will win out, but for today I will echo the words of Desmond Tutu who said, “I am a prisoner of hope.” Prayer: Could it be that cynicism has kept us from embracing and living your message, O Lord? Could it be that your new day is about to dawn, yet we are staring in the wrong direction, vacantly looking into the darkness of the past? Allow for your light of hope to beckon us. Let us always be those who rejoice in hope, not naively, but with a passion for the new day. Amen. via WordPress https://ift.tt/2N7WLbZ ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS via WordPress https://ift.tt/3nWRMYt ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS Thought for the Day: There is something about that Spirit-infused energy, the energy that comes to us from God. Even the most youthful, those we expect to have energy in abundance, are going to fall flat at one time or another. Yet for those who wait upon the Lord, who pause long enough to actually receive what God is wanting to give, shall find an inexhaustible quantity of spiritual energy. It may not be the same energy needed to run a marathon, but it does provide a life-energy capable of facing the day when hopelessness appears all consuming; enough fortitude to overcome the negativity so prevalent in some parts of life; a sufficient amount of holy vitality to take another step forward when everyone else believes it is impossible. Prayer: O Blessed One of Heaven, we pause long enough to obtain the life-energy your Spirit shares with the world. Too often we find ourselves a bit too busy to actually receive the gift you are giving, and then we act surprised when we hit the spiritual wall. Let us take a few moments right now to accept and make use of what you provide. Amen. WATCH TODAY’S via WordPress https://ift.tt/3oUUZch ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS Thought for the Day: I am a really bad speller, and when typing fast, I can make a multitude of mistakes of which I can only blame a few on autocorrect. I’m also horrible when it comes to proofreading, especially my own stuff. Years ago, when I used an old manual typewriter for my newsletter articles, I believe it was this passage that I wrote how Jesus went to a dessert place. I think a lot of us offer prayer around dessert, but it’s usually, “Lord, help my temptation.” When the life of faith demands a lot of us, it is necessary to get away and catch our breath. So many people have tried to tell me that Jesus did not really need to rest, he was only providing permission for us to do so. I really need a Jesus who found it necessary to rest his body and spirit, especially after giving so much of self. Jesus knew what it meant to sweat, to feel exhaustion and a depletion of his capacity to give. When you give so much, you’ve got to replenish if you’re going to give more. Prayer: Let me make sure I’ve got enough within me when much is demanded of me. Lord God, I will need your help to know when to act and when to rest. Amen. via WordPress https://ift.tt/3ihcVeP ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS Thought for the Day: Do you sense a little passive-aggressive behavior from the Gospel writer? Those last words, “not as the scribes,” sound a little like an unnecessary dig. Instead of just being clear about the differences, the author offers a passing jab at some of the religious leaders. I understand it very well. We’ve all been there, at one time or another, with our snarky comment that is left unpacked. Sadly, I see a lot of that these days. There are code words tossed around, and you almost expect to hear the music associated with the villain from a melodrama. Yet often these so-called bad words are really heard negatively only because people do not understand them. And the people using them in a mocking tone do not want others to educate themselves and understand the complexity behind the words. We’ve got to move to a place where we can have intelligent conversations that rise above the uncritical emotional nonsense. Jesus probably did teach differently than the scribes, but let’s have a conversation where we are better able to understand the subtle, yet important differences. Prayer: Holy God, I always need your assistance when it comes to my fears or my insecurities. They can so easily steer my language away from the grace that should guide all my words. Amen. via WordPress https://ift.tt/3oMph11 ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS Thought for the Day: I don’t know why, but in reading this passage just now, I pictured something I’d never noticed before. Maybe I am reading too much into the story, but it almost sounds as if Jesus was just walking alongside the Sea of Galilee with no intention of calling disciples. He came across these two guys and, on a whim, asked if they’d like to follow. Previously, it always read very staged, very non-spontaneous. Yet Jesus was driven by the Spirit. It makes me wonder if he got up every morning unsure of what that day would bring, simply going with whatever the day presented. There is something very refreshing about that idea. In my own mind, I often make Jesus a bit robotic and stiff. Yet as I read through Mark’s Gospel, people were brought to him, he stumbled across a strange happening, and he paused long enough for a group to gather with their questions. I’m not suggesting his life lacked purpose, but it appears as if he was very present to the moment and the impact the Gospel of love could have upon that moment. It makes me wonder how present I am to the moment. Prayer: Provide me purpose, O Lord of Life, yet allow for me to be available to the unexpected situations that might present themselves. Amen. via WordPress https://ift.tt/3bCvj0n ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS Thought for the Day: I think most of us would describe Jesus as a pretty put together individual, even some Christian Leadership Books portray him as the stellar CEO type. Yet reread this verse from Mark, and notice that Jesus does absolutely nothing in this part of the story. He is passive or neutral through it all, or at least that’s how the four movements of this verse describe it. Of course, this will soon change as Jesus will begin preaching and acting in the world in the next few verses. It almost appears as if Mark wanted the reader to know how Jesus still needed to be made ready for what was to come. You do not step into the world unprepared, or the world will chew you up and spit you out. Many have suggest this is true in regard to the business world, but it sounds as if Mark wants his readers to understand how it is true when it comes to the life of faith. Too often Christianity is characterized as simple and easy, just believe and the good life will be handed to you on a silver platter. This is why, at least in my opinion, many Christian folks have found themselves sucked into some pretty dark places in the last few years, down some pretty strange paths that do not align with the life of Jesus. For even Jesus, according to Mark, needed some prep time. And if Jesus needed such work, we all probably need it and some refresher courses on a regular basis. Prayer: May I never be naive, O Spirit of the Wilderness, when it comes to the life of faith and its many challenges. Provide me with opportunities where you make me ready for what might come my way. Above all things, I want to honor you with my life witness. Amen. via WordPress https://ift.tt/3skPIg9 ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS Thought for the Day: Immediately after the baptism and divine affirmation of Jesus, the Spirit drove him into the wilderness. The word “drove” in the Greek is the combination of two words – Ek (out) and Ballo (throw). Driven is a pretty strong word, but it may not communicate just how dramatic it was. The Spirit threw Jesus into the wilderness. For Mark, things happen quickly, and they are often extraordinary – one over the top event followed by another. I have a feeling there was some downtime unrecorded by Mark, but for whatever reason, it really wasn’t important to Mark’s telling of the Jesus story. Most biographies, especially those limited by length (by papyrus) don’t include the tedious everyday kind of stuff. This quick movement also creates an intensity as you read it, an energy and movement toward something. And if you know the story of Jesus, you can probably guess where Mark was going. Prayer: Holy God, my life has plenty of events unworthy of a headline, yet I pray for an intensity when it comes to how I live and embody the Gospel, the Good News of your unconditional love. Amen. via WordPress https://ift.tt/39EvTbt |
AuthorRev. Bruce Frogge Archives
April 2024
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