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ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHING Thought for the day: As we go through each day with the fear of this pandemic nagging in our minds, I am reminded by the above scripture that we honestly don’t need to live our days in fear. God is here beside each of us on this chaotic journey we find ourselves in the midst of. Once when my father was ill, my family and I were all very worried about him. Daddy was not one to worry over anything. He once made the comment, “what is the worst thing that could happen? If I should die, I get to go be with Jesus and my family that are in heaven waiting on me.” I loved his vision and often think about those words he shared with us at that time. My father always used to call my mother a worry wart, saying she could make a mountain out of a mole hill! I believe he had that pegged just about right as she worried about EVERYTHING. I share this to say I share a little of these traits from both parents, I do sometimes worry, however I often remember my fathers words and can overcome that sense of dread and panic. I believe our Father in Heaven would be saying something like my father did during a time such as this. It is easy to fall into feelings of anxiety and worry. We need to remember God’s promise to be with us. After all, he gave us his only son for the salvation of the world. He would not leave his children in times of need. Let’s join together and pray daily for those suffering from Covid 19, those who are caring for the sick, and those that are seeking to get the vaccine. Let us pray for those that experience anxiety and worry, that they may be reminded of God’s unconditional love for his children. Prayer: Watchful and caring God, together we seek you for comfort and direction. As we do our part by wearing our masks and social distancing, help us to remember you are with us throughout our lives, for You will never leave or forsake us. Let us find ourselves useful by praying for others, together. This we pray in the beloved name of your son, Jesus Christ. Amen. TODAY’S WORSHIP SERVICE via WordPress https://ift.tt/3oWSo0E ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHING Thought for the Day: During this time of the pandemic that seems to be never-ending, it is easy to lose motivation, joy, gratitude, and worry. When I go out with my mask on, there is no reason to smile–no one can SEE my smile, nor can I see theirs. It seems as if our expressions are silent behind the mask. Joy and kindness not showing on our face and maybe not in our actions as we try to maintain six feet social distancing. I can’t hold the door open for someone or vice versa. There’s danger there. Many of us order groceries, etc. to be delivered to limit outings. It is frustrating and seems relentless especially when we go through holiday seasons like Advent, Christmas, New Years, and the holidays coming up; Lent to Easter. My mother with dementia tested positive for COVID, so I could not visit her even through the plexiglass, six feet away, with a mask. So we waited for a weekly Zoom call. What Mom really needed was a hug from her daughter. I was able to see her in full PPE and hold her hand shortly before she died. What most of us need is human interaction and lots of hugs. Since that is not possible, it brings us to the question, WHAT CAN WE DO? For most of us, the answer is found in our scripture above. PRAY! PRAY for all things, situations, people, for our own spirits, for others, and all God’s people. When someone can’t see our smile, say a breath prayer for that person. Let’s pray all day-for everyone we see, know or don’t know-for ourselves, neighbors, strangers, the lost, and down-hearted, the worried, and the broken. Let’s PRAY for JOY and FAITH to spread in this pandemic until PRAISE for GOD is HEARD above the silence of the masks. Prayer: LOVING, ALMIGHTY GOD, HEAR OUR PRAYERS! AMEN. via WordPress https://ift.tt/2MVJVxv ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHING Thought for the Day: The Rt. Rev. Barbara C. Harris was the first woman consecrated a bishop in the Anglican Communion, and not only was she the first woman, but the first woman of color. I just learned she died last March. Rev. Harris was a giant even though she was barely 5ft tall. Recently, I reread a sermon she delivered in 2004 entitled, “A Circle of Concern,” and in the sermon she talked about different children’s games that are all about who is in the circle and who is not. Depending on the mood of the child who has the power that day, some unlucky ones would be left outside the circle. She said in the sermon: The games children play often reflect deeper things about a culture or a community and its prevailing trends and values. What are the children teaching us about what we are teaching them? From the games they play to the way they treat each other, I’m guessing we can learn a lot about who the adults are. Though children are creative, they are usually mimicking what they see in the world. In many ways they are trying to be adult-like, even though we as adults would much rather they do as we say and not as we do. The rhetoric of Jesus used in the above scripture was pretty strong when it came to causing the young ones among us to stumble. In that challenge, I believe he was inviting us to look seriously at what kind of life we are modeling. Is it one of inclusion and grace or exclusion and cruelty? Prayer: Let the children and anyone else who might be watching see within me something that resembles you, Merciful God. Amen. via WordPress https://ift.tt/3ttELcT ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHING Thought for the Day: In his book, Disciplines of the Spirit (based upon some lectures he gave), Howard Thurman explored five human experiences that he believed were Universal. In the chapter on Suffering, Thurman wrote: To be confirmed in life is to make even death a little thing. It is to be robbed of the fear of living and consequently to be robbed of the fear of dying… Last summer in a town just outside of Edinburgh, a seventy-year old man was standing on a bridge when he saw a three-year-old child fall into the water. He dove from the bridge, saved the child, but lost his own life. The problem comes home to each of us when we ask ourselves: Under what circumstances and for whom would you give up your life? It is a challenging question, yet can we ever truly live if we have not confronted the darkness of death and pondered what it is we would die for. Prayer: May my living and my dying bring value to this world in which I live. I request your assistance as I strive for an existence that brings meaning to others. Amen. via WordPress https://ift.tt/3rfqjDk ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHING LISTEN TO THE DEVOTIONAL via WordPress https://ift.tt/3tgFu0S ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHING Thought for the Day: In an article from about six years ago entitled, “World Peace Begins With You and Me,” Dr. Hyderabad Zahead presented some rather basic, but helpful ideas for what each of us can do to actually move from a place of wanting peace to realizing peace. One of the suggestions has always stuck with me, and I have recommitted myself to it five or six different times (I’ve not always been consistent). He writes, “Enlarge your capacity to embrace differences and appreciate the value of all people.” I have once again committed myself to learning something new each day about someone or some culture. There have been days when it has been more statistical or historic information about a culture or group of people. Other times, I have dug a little deeper to read more autobiographical information. Each time I have learned something new, I have asked myself a simple question, “And so what?” That’s not intended to be dismissive or sarcastic, but a genuine search for how this helps me gain understanding and appreciation. What do I do with that information and how does it make me a better person in this very diverse world? When I think about the peace our faith calls us to know and live, I believe it must move from an abstract desire to a daily task that is deliberate and practical. Prayer: Bring me peace, O Gracious God, and then push me to do the necessary work so the peace I know is the peace I live and share. Amen. DON’T FORGET via WordPress https://ift.tt/36zuBxH ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHING via WordPress https://ift.tt/3th4KnS |
AuthorRev. Bruce Frogge Archives
April 2024
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