ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
March 11, 2024 Prayer for the Week: Teach me, encourage me, and train me in the ways of self-restraint wherever I need a bit more discipline. Lord God, I do not wish to step off the path of faithfulness, though I know I will on more than one occasion. When I do, I trust your grace to be a gentle guide, your mercy to take me by the hand. Beckon me with the light of love. It is my hope in moments of both faithfulness and failure. Thank you for being the God you are. Amen.
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ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
March 10, 2024 In Psalm 27 (the Message), we read: When besieged, I'm calm as a baby. When all hell breaks loose, I'm collected and cool. I'm asking God for one thing, only one thing: To live with him in his house my whole life long. I'll contemplate his beauty; I'll study at his feet. That's the only quiet, secure place in a noisy world, The perfect getaway, far from the buzz of traffic. Too often, we approach a certain word with a preconceived idea of its meaning, yet Jesus spun old ideas back on themselves for the purpose of reinvigorating or reinventing them. Maybe it was because a spiritual practice had become too rote or empty, or maybe it had been co-opted by someone who had an agenda contrary to that of God. Whatever the case, it appears that Jesus wanted ancient spiritual ideas and practices to be understood as life-giving, not life-draining. I sort of wonder what ideas and practices we have allowed to become life-draining. Call to us, O Holy One of the Silence. Engage us and reveal to us your healing presence—a gift made available as we quiet ourselves. Amen. ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
March 9, 2024 In James 1:22, we read: “…be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves.” I believe the church has experienced many moments of self-deception, talking itself into a belief that what it thinks or what it says is the doing of the Gospel, when in fact it is not. Today, I am thankful for all the good “DOING” of the word at Cypress Creek Christian Church. Some people are serving specifically through a ministry at the church, while so many others have their own way of being a doer of the word. I just heard someone talking about helping a neighbor after surgery, not only with food but with some other small tasks around the house. Those are the kinds of things that may not appear to be a big deal, but they are. And a lot of those "DOINGS" woven together can have a dramatic impact on a neighborhood, a community, and even have positive implications for the world. O God of the faithful, I pray this day for the capacity to model my life after the many who knew what it meant to be doers of the word and not merely hearers. This is my hope-filled request. Amen. ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
March 8, 2024 Yesterday’s Etching inspired a lot of comments, a lot of good thoughts and questions. I know I have mentioned this before, but if someone is a traditional Trinitarian and holds to the idea that Jesus is the image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15), then how do we make sense of the unconditional love we see in Jesus and a God who is full of uncontrollable anger and wrath? If they are expressions of the same divine being, and if Jesus is the incarnation of the divine and is to provide us with a clear picture of God, then why don’t we read in the Gospels about Jesus punching people who sinned, kicking others for being greedy, and threatening to throw others into an eternal fire for not carrying their crosses properly? There are some who do a pretty interesting dance, trying to mend the two ideas, but I find all of those attempts to fall flat. It’s interesting how often people begin with the wrath and then try to make the love piece fit. Why don’t we start with love and see the idea of wrath through the lens of love. It was Rob Bell who I first heard say that what we as humans describe as wrath might just be the harsh personal judgment whenever divine light illuminates our failures, shortcomings, or outright acts of injustice. Sometimes that light has revealed the things we’ve not wanted to see, and shame and guilt, self-anger and defensiveness all rise up against what feels like an intrusion. But in time, the light of love continues to wash over us, and we move from embracement to confession, and confession to repentance, and repentance to healing. If Jesus is the closest thing to God that I will know, then I simply cannot fathom that God is full of wrath and ready to unleash a can of divine whoop-ass on the very ones that God calls the beloved. If you start with a God of wrath and try to back your way into love, I think you’ll always end up somewhere other than the Gospel of Jesus. If you start with love, I think your path will be filled with love, along with loving challenges to those places in life where you are falling short when it comes to reflecting the love of Jesus. Generous and Grace-filled God, I don’t have all the answers and never will, but I do not believe you are full of wrath with a candy-coating of love on the outside. So continue to give me the capacity to see, first, your unconditional and relentless love that meets me and loves me wherever I am. And a love that continues to nudge me toward greater health within myself, my connection with others, my choices in society, and my relationship with you. I believe this is possible as I begin this day fully embraced by your love. Amen. ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
March 6, 2024 What does it mean to trust love? What does it mean for those who follow the ways of Jesus, the one who painted for us a picture of God’s love with his life? Love is one of those funny things, as it is a word that interacts with a plethora of possibilities. And it is defined on a personal level through the lens of our distinctive experience. It is hard to trust love when there are those who claim to love you but constantly hurt you. Whether it was a person who experienced abuse as a child from the very people who were supposed to show love, even using that word amidst the abuse. Or the person whose spouse or significant other used physical or emotional abuse in the context of the relationship while somehow explaining it as a necessity of love. Or the person who attended a church where the love of God was spoken of with beautiful and extravagant language, yet God was also depicted as angry, always ready to unleash wrath at even the slightest wrongdoing, or the church leadership held people's sense of self-worth in a constant state of uncertainty as a way of manipulation. I must always keep this in mind when I, as a pastor, speak of love, for though there may be many who yearn for a new and life-giving definition of love, their experiences have left them cynical at best. The way we see the world around us, especially something as important as love, is entirely shaped by our experiences, and the church must constantly acknowledge the injury brought upon people who have encountered control, violence, belittling, or exploitation all in the name of love. Each Sunday, I must remember that my joyful and hope-filled declaration of a God whose love is unconditional and healing is going to be met with uncertain or outright disbelief by some. For that reason, we must always be mindful of making sure what we say matches what we are doing… at least to the best of our ability. Jesus spoke powerfully about love and then matched his words with his actions, yet he seemed to be both patient and trusting of its power to bring a life toward wholeness. Continue to grow in me an understanding of your love, Amazing God, while also understanding the context in which I live and the painful experiences of many who I encounter. Amen. ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
March 5, 2024 A couple of studies I recently read looked at Religious Trauma, what I have often called spiritual malpractice or even called spiritual violence by some. High doses of guilt, fear, and intimidation in the context of a religious body have dramatically impacted more than 1/3 of people living in the United States. More than 15% of people are continuing to suffer and live with the consequences of trauma perpetrated by the church or its leadership. Sunday, as we continue our journey on Pressing the Reset Button, I will be focusing on a specific theological idea that has been weaponized by the church throughout the centuries. I’m talking about the cross, specifically what is called atonement theory. Or, to summarize it, what happened when Jesus died on the cross? I understand why the church was consumed with making sense of this absurdity—that the one they claimed to be the incarnation of God was executed by the state for being an agitator or rebel. Resurrection is central to who we are, but WHY did Jesus die? Was it some great master plan? Did God require it? What was accomplished on the cross? How you answer those questions implies a great deal about how you understand God, creation, sin, and yourself. How the church has attempted to answer those questions (and there are a lot of very different opinions) has led to a lot of strange, unhealthy, or even damaging practices in the church. If the God you worship and the one that is trying to teach you how best to live your life is full of wrath, and requires a substitutionary sacrifice (Jesus, who is killed in our place), what does that teach us about anger, forgiveness, and something called redemptive violence? If we are to live in peace, how does a violent act carried out by God on Godself (Jesus) bring peace? I’m not expecting answers from you, but I'm hoping these thoughts raise questions about what the church has taught about the cross and how specific teachings have benefited, enriched, and even empowered the church. Bring me teachers, O Word of Life, that follow in the ways of Jesus and ask a good question in response to my questions. I’m not looking for answers or well-structured systems of explanation. I’m looking for what is truly life-giving for me and for the world. Amen. ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
March 4, 2024 Prayer for the Week: Holy God, whenever a change is needed—whenever the reset button is put before us—whenever a reshaping of life would honor you and the ways of Jesus, we pray for the capacity to hold your sacred purpose above all fear and to strive for your calling, whether it be something small or something significant. We do not pretend such decisions are easy, but whether it is to improve a relationship, to work toward justice and healing, or to be a little more like Jesus, we seek the necessary encouragement so that the first and necessary reach toward the reset button does not fall short. And of course, remind us that we are never alone. Amen. ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
March 3, 2024 Today will be a good day! I say that not because I know about anything special that will make it a good day, but because I sort of wonder if there is a better chance of it being a good day if my attitude and expectation are suggesting it might be. I have always believed that if I am open to the possibility, I am more likely to notice good things coming my way. And if I wake up grumpy, burn my breakfast, and hit my head on the doorframe of the car as I am getting in, I don’t care how many good things come my way; I will probably miss every single one of them. I have been thinking a lot about Reset this Lent, and just recently, I have been pondering the possibility of a quick mid-day reset in my attitude… especially on those days that started off in the negative. As I referenced a few days ago the Psalm that announces, “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it,” I realize those words don’t necessarily need to be said first thing in the morning. I might even need to say, “This is the day the Lord has made, and though I sort of missed the opportunity to embrace that first thing this morning and then pretty much ignored it over lunch, I pray that I am able to pause, punch a reset, and then find some gratitude for the gift I have been given this day.” Whatever time of day I pause and open myself to your grace, O Giver of All Good Things, I pray for the capacity to acknowledge you and all the blessings you have bestowed upon me this day. Amen. ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
March 2, 2024 Change is hard! And though some people might suggest that they are fine with change, I tend to believe that group of people is much smaller than we might think, and the change that doesn’t bother them is change that does not really impact them. At the Men’s Retreat a few weeks back, Rev. Paul Koch, who served as our keynoter, talked a lot about the Hero’s Journey—this model of human transformation that begins with someone leaving home and eventually returning home a different person because of what occurred along the way (that is an oversimplification, missing many important details). Recently, Richard Rohr, the wonderful and thought-provoking Franciscan Monk, wrote the following: By denying their pain and avoiding the necessary falling, many have kept themselves from their own spiritual journeys and depths—and therefore have been kept from their own spiritual heights. In the Hero’s Journey, there is a call to the unknown adventure that is often initially met with a big NO! There is a refusal, often based on fear or some feeling of responsibility toward home. Eventually, there is the crossing of the threshold, the first step on the journey. But for those who are honest, they take that first step into the unknown knowing one thing—there are going to be some stumbles/falls along the way. Yet, if we are honest with ourselves, our greatest successes in life come after a fall—a fall and rising that only occurred because of the risk and a willingness to face our fears and uncertainties. I am mindful of the Prophet Isaiah, who wrote, “I am the Lord your God, who grasps your strong hand, who says to you, Don’t fear; I will help you.” When we hit the reset button in life and find ourselves at the threshold of something new, it is important for us to draw upon the resource of our faith. Whatever we might face, no matter how challenging or anxiety-producing, the reoccurring message of scripture is that we are not alone, and even when our falls are hard and painful, God is there to affirm us in love and help us to move forward. You are gracious and generous, Eternal and Ever-Present God. No matter where we are in life and no matter what difficulties we might be facing, help us to lean upon your grace and take hold of your love. In doing so, even our greatest failures do not need to control our future. Amen. |
AuthorRev. Bruce Frogge Archives
May 2024
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