ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
January 31, 2025
I was listening to John Lennon’s iconic song, “Imagine,” while driving to the office the other day. It has so many wonderful lines and images, but the words that caught my attention this time were: “You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one. I hope someday you'll join us. And the world will live as one.” How many times have you had your idea or vision for a better future dismissed by someone? The typical response to such negativity is either a complete deflation of your spirits or a defensive anger directed at the person who was dismissive. But Lennon “hopes” that someday that person will join in the fulfilling of the dream. There will always be the naysayers and the curmudgeons, but what would it be like if in spite of their negative energy, we held strongly to our dream, while at the same time picturing within our minds that person eventually joining in the good work? 

You have great power, Holy God, in inviting and bringing along even those who might have originally dissented. Thank you for your patience and your persistence. Amen.

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
January 30, 2025
Hope is a powerful source of strength that often appears, from an outside perspective, to be nothing but baseless wishful thinking at best. However, when someone presents a compelling vision of hope, it can be exhilarating, inspiring, and transformative. It can bring people together around a common vision for change. In the movie, Rogue One, part of the Star Wars series, an argument is being had among the rebel leaders in regard to the Empire and its new weapon called the Death Star. One of the leaders of the rebellion says, “You are asking us to do this based on nothing but hope.” To which one of the main characters, Jyn Erso, says, “Rebellions are built on hope.” In Dr. King’s book, “Where Do We Go From Here,” he talked about movements based in hope, but then he wrote, “Unfortunately, when hope diminishes, the hate is often turned most bitterly toward those who originally built up the hope.” Hope is both powerful and fragile, capable of electrifying large groups toward a vision of a more peaceful and just world, but when it fails to deliver on its promises in a timely manner, the group can redirect its energy toward the one who envisioned it. This is where I must remind myself again and again that hope is not magic, it does not have a specific timetable, and it never creates an obstacle-free path forward. I think about Anne Frank, who wrote in her diary, “It’s really a wonder that I haven’t dropped all my ideals, because they seem so absurd and impossible to carry out. Yet I keep them, because in spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart.” Some individuals might interpret those words from the perspective of knowing Anne Frank’s fate, finding them naïve and ultimately powerless. Conversely, I find them incredibly compelling because they have offered hope to countless others throughout the years.

Continue to provide me with your Holy Spirit-infused hope, Good and Gracious God. And keep me from putting my own expectations ahead of what your Spirit is seeking to do, even when it is much slower than I’d like. Amen.

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
January 29, 2025
Among the many honors I have as a minister, offering a eulogy at a memorial service stands among the greatest. At the same time, it can also be one of the more challenging and even painful parts of ministry. I have been at Cypress Creek Christian Church for 5,000 days (if my calculations are correct). In those 5,000 days, I’ve had the incredible privilege of listening to countless individuals share their life stories, encompassing both breath-taking highs and rock-bottom lows. So many people pull back a corner of the veil that conceals certain aspects of life for the purpose of speaking their story more fully. Some of what I learned, I was given permission to share in the eulogy. Other times, it has existed only in my memory. In the end, I have come to respect and love so many people who have served alongside me in those 5,000 days, even a handful who have left the church claiming that I was a whacko hellbent on widening the circle of acceptance too far or too fast. To the surprise of some, I still deeply care about those people as well. I can’t be invited into people’s lives, especially during times of significant turmoil or vulnerability, without being mindful of my own mess of a life. Suddenly there is some holy parity. This is all to say that I am having another week where I am experiencing the “honor” of offering a eulogy that will be hard, and as I offer the one this week, I am also beginning to make notes for the next one. Sometimes I need to pause, set aside the honor that I feel, and just name the grief that absolutely sucks!

For all the people who I journey alongside, whether for a short time or a very long time, I am thankful, O Lord whose love and life are eternal. Amen.

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
January 28, 2025
Donna and I were watching a short documentary on the making of the Jungle Cruise ride at the original Disneyland Park in California. There is the classic line where the boat skipper takes the boat behind Schweitzer Falls, named after the famous explorer, Dr. Albert Falls, and the skipper says (from the backside of the waterfall), “The Eighth Wonder of the World, the Backside of Water.” When the Jungle Cruise first opened, there was only one joke, and calling it a joke was probably a stretch. For the most part, it was a serious ride. As the years passed, Walt himself recognized the need for a refreshing change, and so he assigned one of his talented animators to revamp the story. This involved incorporating a variety of puns, groaners, and a few jokes that were so bad that you had to laugh. Since then, there have been those that have stuck and new ones that have made the list. Legend has it that the “backside of water” joke was a nod to Walt—for you see, when they were creating some of the stained glass windows for one of the attractions, an artist suggested they use less expensive material than actual stained glass because it really wouldn’t be seen by the guests. Walt immediately responded, “But I can see it.” The idea was that every angle, every component, every piece had to be just right. Integrity included what wasn’t seen by the public. Whether that is Disney folklore or not, that will preach!

I want to be the best version of me that is possible, and I believe it will begin with the integrity of my convictions, even those parts of my life the world does not see. May it be so, O Lord! Amen.

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
January 27, 2025
Prayer for the Week:
Nourish us, Holy One, as we seek to remain strong and persevere in a time of waiting. Help us to also remain open to the nudge of your Spirit, a little gentle prompt to be mindful of opportunities, no matter how small, to act faithfully. Often, we react with disgust when we can’t stick to our schedules. But perhaps there’s something valuable to be learned or even a new, previously unknown purpose waiting to be discovered with faith. Amen.

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
January 26, 2025
When meeting with couples in advance of their weddings, I have often spoken of the Apostle Paul’s words on love found in 1st Corinthians 13. Paul begins by putting the words patience and kindness with love, in part, because when trying to explain or talk about love, we most often talk about it in the specific ways we express love. And as I have been known to say, “Patience is who you are and kindness is what you do,” yet we all know that most of us can work on these two expressions of love… and there are other ways beyond those two. 

It’s quite common for one or both of the individuals seeking marriage to crack a joke about their lack of patience. Someone might say, “Patience is something I have been wanting for, and I’m beginning to lose my patience.” But what exactly is patience? Some people define it as the coping mechanism they use when unexpected circumstances cause them to wait. However, I believe it’s more complex than that. 

This is what we will be discussing in worship today—the belief that patience is more than just waiting without grumbling. Contrary to popular belief, patience is not a passive virtue, implying a lack of control in situations. While it’s true that we often lack control or power in certain circumstances, patience prompts us to reflect on what productive things we can do during those moments. When we are waiting, and the situation leaves us feeling sort of powerless, finding even just a hint of purpose can be empowering. I took my computer to the courthouse when I had jury duty, and I was able to do a lot of writing as I sat there. Being able to see that I accomplished a few things helped give meaning to the waiting.

As I pray for patience, O God who I believe transcends time yet has chosen to exist within time, my heart also seeks purpose alongside the patience. As I watch the clock on the wall telling me how many minutes pass, I seek to know moments where the fullness of time touches my soul and points me in the direction of your sacred purpose. Amen.

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
January 25, 2025
I am not a fan of jury duty, though I feel bad in saying that out loud (or in this case, writing it). For me, it has to do with the drive, which seems strange as I drive down to the medical center early in the morning a lot more often than I do for jury duty. I am also a bit of a control freak, and there is the waiting, followed by announcements as if we are waiting to win the lottery, and then more waiting. Will I get called or not? Will I sit here for hours only to be told that they are waiting on one more case to see if it is settled out of court? I reread what I just wrote, and it sure feels as if I am whining, which I am. 

Do you ever find yourself lamenting what, if you were to be completely honest with yourself, falls under the category of rather insignificant in the grand scheme of things? We do not like our schedules to be interrupted. Yet how many people are coming into court waiting for justice after their lives were interrupted by some significant happening? There are others who have been accused of something and they are desperately wanting to prove their innocence. The Prophet Isaiah says, “The Lord is a God of justice; happy are all who wait for him” (30:18). There are those who are waiting for justice in their own lives, and others of us who are waiting to participate in God’s ongoing work to bring justice in our world… work that often takes time.

I appreciate the trust you put in us, O God of the Prophets and Sages, as we walk alongside you in the important, but often slow, work of seeing justice roll down like waters (Amos 5:24). Amen.

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
January 24, 2025
I’d like to briefly discuss patience, which will be the topic of Sunday’s message. In 2011, the late author, Rachel Held Evans, referenced a poem by the 16th-century mystic, St. Teresa of Ávila. Here’s the poem:

Let nothing upset you,
Let nothing startle you.
All things pass;
God does not change.
Patience wins all it seeks.
Whoever has God lacks nothing:
God alone is enough.

When referencing this poem, Rachel was talking about the criticism she was receiving, and I’m certain she received a lot as she was deconstructing her evangelical faith in public. What do you need to hear from the poem when you are on the receiving end of unjust and unkind criticism?

Holy and Unchanging God, I reach out to you in those tough moments when negativity appears at my doorstep unexpectedly. While it may sting a little, I pray that it never causes me to doubt my value and purpose. Amen.

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
January 23, 2025
From what I understand, today is National Pie Day—not to be confused with National Pi Day, which is March 14th. Since pies are not really on my list of foods I can eat, I am not a strong advocate for National Pie Day. I am not opposed to it, but there might be just a hint of underlying bitterness over my inability to enjoy a good piece of apple pie or cheesecake. There are many good replacements for those requiring gluten-free and dairy-free, but trust me when I say, in the arena of pie-making, I have yet to find a success. Brownies, cookies, and even cupcakes are quite good, but not pies… yet.  

I have been thinking about this pie dilemma as compared to other happenings in our world. What if I suddenly went on a campaign to keep others from enjoying pies simply because I could not enjoy a good piece of pecan pie? Is that fair? Probably not. And even though I referenced being bitter earlier, that was only in jest. I might be a tad envious, but not bitter. But what about situations when we have the right to do something, but doing so would bring harm to someone else? I’m not talking about coveting a good piece of strawberry cheesecake, but doing something that brings spiritual, emotional, or even physical injury to another person. The Apostle Paul struggled with these questions when writing about eating meat that had been sacrificed to idols. Paul was quick to dismiss any sort of religious wrongdoing because there are no other gods. Yet for Paul, there was an expectation of empathy and compassion toward others because following Christ seeks to meet people where they are. Oh sure, you might be able to save a little on a pound of ground goat meat because it came from a goat sacrificed at the Temple of Apollo, but what about those in the community who will find this difficult? Do we just tell them to get over it? 

This is the place where individual freedom and responsibility intersect, particularly when that responsibility transcends what we have determined as our best interests. We’ve frequently turned the Christian life into a marketplace, picking one that suits our interests or personal likes. But that’s backwards, because Jesus always seemed to be challenging his disciples with the underlying question, ‘What are your personal likes that keep you from doing what God needs you to do?’ I doubt it’s goat meat for any of us, but if I genuinely care about my neighbor’s health, spiritual well-being, and emotional security, then things that seemed important suddenly don’t hold the same weight. Why? Because I love my neighbor and I love the idea of God’s Kin(g)dom, which includes all humanity as God’s cherished children. 

Sometimes I convince myself that what I want is exactly what you want, God. Sorry for those moments when I have made the Gospel into a message about embracing what I want above what the world needs. Amen.

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
January 22, 2025
The work of the church is extraordinarily serious, and throughout Christianity’s history, the church has been at its best when it has served on the frontlines of real change, brought justice to broken systems, and helped people find real and lasting healing. Nothing has changed, and that is exactly what and who the church is… or at least should be. With that said, the church has also been a place of play and humor, because at the core of what it means to be human is to find joy and laughter because us human beings are funny and we need to laugh at ourselves a little more often.

A few weeks ago, I dressed up in a camel suit for worship because we had to cancel the camel walk the week before. I was pleased to see people laugh, though a ministry colleague wrote me after seeing some pictures and said, “If I had done that in my church, there would have been a meeting called before worship ended for the purpose of firing me.” He was serious, and though I know that everything I attempt to do won’t achieve its intended goal, I appreciate Cypress Creek Christian Church for having a sense of humor, while also providing me space to try things without fear. A few times I’ve walked away saying to myself, “Well, that was a complete failure,” but there wasn’t any anxiety about my future employment. There is a lot of freedom there.

And then yesterday, one of our church members asked about combining a little fundraiser with some fun-raising. He suggested we get at least 25 people to post on the church’s Facebook page images of them playing in the snow. I thought it was a great idea, though I was not absolutely sure if people were going to do it. I should have known better. The CCCC community was immediately all in, and at last count, I think we had close to 75 images (we will show some of them in worship on Sunday). And the fundraising part was that we fun challenged that $200 would be given as seed money for our Week of Compassion Special Day Offering (coming in mid-February) if we got the 25 images. Well done!!

The Apostle Paul spoke of singing and rejoicing. In fact, he said, “Again, I say, ‘Rejoice.’” It’s hard to do much joyful singing if you are a stuck-in-the-mud curmudgeon. Thanks for being a church that is full of life and willing to laugh along the way to doing some really good and life-changing work.

Often the really hard and challenging work is best done with a little humor. It can’t always be that way, but as we look to you, O Amazing and Grace-filled God, we continue to find a reason to rejoice and celebrate the fullness of life. Thank you! Amen.