ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
May 31, 2025
In the final episode of the Handmaid’s Tale, Mark Tuello, a commander (one of the good guys) in the series, says, “When I close my eyes, I see my son, so then I get up and go back to work. I will bring down Gilead so he doesn’t have to do it.” Of course, Gilead is the antagonist in the series, the name given to the patriarchal, totalitarian theocratic government that has taken over what was the United States. It is a powerful story about Christian fundamentalism/nationalism instituting a strict and very narrow reading of the Bible upon people, specifically women. But the line from the character Mark Tuello is so true for every moment in human history.  “Gilead” embodies the demonic force that aims to eliminate freedom, replacing it with some form of religious extremism that believes it possesses a deeper understanding of God than even God has. So what actions are we taking to ensure that our children are not burdened by the consequences of our silence? What steps can we take in this very moment?

Paul wrote to the Galatians, “So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up. So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all…” (vs.9-10).

I know many people have come to believe that doing what is “right” means seeking some sort of return to good old-fashioned Biblical ideas, and though I would not disagree with them in theory, I strongly disagree with so many who seem to suggest that love, mercy, kindness, and justice are not included in those “good old-fashioned Biblical ideas.” Offering a clear and dramatic alternative to the Jesus message, starting with the Sermon on the Mount and not the Ten Commandments, is one place the church can give its energy. Helping people deal with their insecurities that play into fear-based violence is another place for good work. And maybe trusting in the power of prayer will help, finding it a place to tap into the energy that is the Holy Spirit at work in the world today. So what actions are we taking so our children don’t have to deal with Gilead?

Holy and Visionary God, help me as I do not wish to allow feelings of powerlessness and hopelessness to consume me. Give me courage to act as Jesus did, always serving the most vulnerable and refusing to allow unholy and unhealthy power to restrict freedom. The voice of Christ continues to speak, declaring a mission of bringing good news to the world and seeking to set the oppressed free. May this be my mission today and each day to follow. Amen.

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
May 30, 2025
In John 14, right after the wonderful words where Jesus describes the many rooms in his father’s house, he says, 

“Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the father.”

The preposition “ because” appears to be an important word in the passage as it directs us to the phrase that follows. The first half of the passage makes what some might determine to be a rather outrageous claim—that you and I will do the same works as Jesus. In fact, we will do even greater works than those works seen in the life of Jesus. I’m sure those words have brought many readers to an abrupt stop as they have for me on more than one occasion. I look at my life, and even though I try to do good things, my life falls far short of the life modeled in Jesus. Of course, like most passages of Scripture, these words are not directed toward an individual. The Greek words we translate as “ I tell you” (lego hymin) include the plural pronoun: you all. This is not going to be an individual effort, though it requires the effort of individuals. But like so often, Jesus is speaking to the community (the body) as the transformative power in the world. And when the author adds the prepositional phrase, “because I am going to the Father,” we find the link to our power in this great endeavor. Jesus returns to God, but sends the Spirit upon us fully empowered to create the Body of Christ known as the church.

Come again, Holy Spirit, and make us into the community that will help to reveal Jesus and his love to this world. Amen.

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
May 29, 2025
I was rereading Rob Bell’s book, What We Talk About When We Talk About God, for the third or fourth time. Toward the end, he offers a very earthy yet accurate description of confession. He writes, “Confession is like really, really healthy vomit. It may smell and get all over the front of your shirt, but you feel better—you feel cleansed—when you’re done.” Though a bit disgusting, I believe Rob offers a helpful metaphor as confession is not easy or clean. We often toss around the idea of confession, but we don’t take it outside the theoretical. 

In the Book of James, we read: 

Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective.

The author wants people to move toward healing (wholeness), and though he does not offer a description of what confession looks like or feels like, James leaves no question in regard to the necessity of confession. And I appreciate how confession is not something a person does alone. It can get messy and ugly, but it is nice to have someone who is there with you.

Thank you, O Lord, for those who can hear the honest confessions of others without judgement or haughty opinions. We need these friends along our journey toward healing. Amen.

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
May 28, 2025
Since Christmas, I have started and restarted reading the book, “Dinners With Ruth” by Nina Totenberg. It wasn’t that I found the book boring. Just the opposite! I was enjoying it, but there were always more pressing things to read in preparation for a sermon or a study. Much of the book is about this amazing friendship between the NPR reporter, Nina Totenberg (who I have always admired), and the Supreme Court Justice, Ruth Bader Ginsburg (who I also admired). When you know someone simply by their professional persona, you sort of tell yourself that there is probably much more to the person’s personality, but most of us won’t see those parts. The two of them met before Nina worked for NPR and while Ruth was still a professor. Their friendship had many wonderful and funny moments, but they also walked together through some incredibly painful experiences, including the death of both of their spouses. Nina’s first husband died when she was still relatively young, and so a few years later, she started dating. She had not told anyone, including her good friend, Ruth. One evening, the two of them were walking together, and Nina decided to share the news. It was described this way in the book…

[Ruth] “and I were walking side by side down a hallway, and I said, ‘Ruth, I am dating somebody.’ She stopped, and it was as if her head swiveled around. She looked at me very intently and said, ‘Details. I want details.’”

I don’t know about you, but Ruth’s request sounds like something from a giddy teenager, not a Supreme Court Justice. Yet like I have learned in reading numerous biographies, there is another side to historical figures, especially those we sort of see as one-dimensional. I apply that same thinking to the characters I come across in the Bible. For so many of them, the details that would provide insight into their personalities are limited or even nonexistent. We have often made them caricatures, based on their most heroic or deplorable moments. Yet if they are more than just a character on a page, then I imagine they had moments like all of us, even moments when they acted out of the narrow character we might have assumed, even acting like a giddy teenager when hanging out with a good friend and sharing special news.

​Though the stories of Scripture are beautiful and powerful, help me to imagine more complexity and depth to each one of the characters. You created us all, Holy One, and there is no single person that can be summarized in a few verses or chapters. Help us to always see that even the unnamed characters who receive nothing but a passing comment are, in fact, full of life, emotions, and experiences. Amen.

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
May 27, 2025
You may have read something about this, but if not, there is an Orthodox Church here in Texas that is gaining a lot of interest among younger men. It’s not because they are seeking a deeper spiritual connection with God or wanting to better understand self-giving love or humility. I only wish! Instead, it is promoting a hypermasculinity as it denounces all kinds of things as too feminine, and of course, telling men that they are to bring home the paycheck because women’s place is in the home making babies. There have always been movements within Christianity that seek to play to the insecurities of certain groups, forgetting that the purpose of Christianity is to take up the cross, a symbol of self-giving, even self-sacrificing love. This is not done in pursuit of worldly power or bolstering an impotent ego. There will always be those who are so painfully insecure that they will be drawn to anyone who will profess a form of Christianity that falsely builds them up using the empty and pietistic sounding tools Jesus came to dismantle. It’s really impossible to teach Jesus by rejecting the core principles of his life. Of course, people have done so, in part, because it works—it works in attracting a crowd, but it never achieves the goal of forming people as disciples of Jesus Christ. We are not in the business of making crowds but making disciples. 

It may be countercultural and go against the grain, but I trust you to guide me in the ways of Jesus, O Holy God. Arrogance, born from an empty sense of self-worth, will never have the courage to act with true humility for the most vulnerable, to live as Jesus lived. Amen.

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
May 26, 2025
Prayer for the Week: As we seek love, O Source of Love, it is often difficult to trust the power of love in light of our experiences of betrayal, hypocrisy, and self-serving acts purporting to be love. Provide for us living and transformative examples of life-giving and life-sustaining love, not simply from Scripture, but from the Body of Christ at work in this moment. Bolster a conviction of hope within us, despite what some have done to impair the idea of love. Allow for those sacred encounters, even if they remain brief and infrequent, to form a more vivid picture of the love made real in Jesus. There is sustaining sustenance found in such moments. Amen.

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
May 25, 2025
Julian of Norwich (1342-1416) wrote, 

​“Pray, even if you feel nothing, see nothing. For when you are dry, empty, sick or weak, at such a time is your prayer most pleasing to God, even though you may find little joy in it.”

When she suggests that such prayer is “pleasing to God,” I don’t believe she is suggesting that it triggers God to act as if God only acts when we provide the correct offering. Yet I do believe it is pleasing to God as God knows that within those times when we are feeling dry, empty, sick, or weak, we are creating an openness within us to receive the gifts we are needing—the gifts of God’s love, mercy, and grace. I can’t help but wonder if the stream is pleased when the thirsty dip their cup into water, knowing that the thirst cannot be quenched without that initial movement.

Continue to beckon me, God, for there are days when I feel void of life, joy, and purpose. Bring me into an awareness of your immeasurable reservoir of gifts that are being offered to me in every moment of life. Amen.

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
May 24, 2025
As many of you know, I have several food allergies. Recently, I visited a city that had a fantastic bakery dedicated to Bruce. Actually, they need more than just me to stay open, although I probably bought more items than I should have. But they were so good! The first item I had was a gluten-free, dairy-free cinnamon crunch cupcake. Double Yum! I probably snarfed it down a bit more quickly than I should have, but I enjoyed each bite, and even my wife said that she could not believe they were missing gluten and dairy. Though we had wandered through some stores and interacted with a number of people after enjoying our first round of treats, when I got to the car and glanced in the mirror, I had the face of a two-year-old who had enjoyed a piece of birthday cake. I had frosting on my face, and not just a little hint. It was just a bit embarrassing, yet the embarrassment was eclipsed by just how good the cupcake was. The only disappointment was that I had wasted some of it on my face. 

In Romans 1:16, the Apostle Paul speaks of preaching the Gospel and not feeling ashamed. Although he doesn’t explicitly use the word “embarrassed,” the message conveys a similar sentiment. The Gospel of love, when it drips from our lips, will be ridiculed by many who will suggest that it is weak and ineffective. It would be easy to understand how someone might feel embarrassed or ashamed in such a moment, yet the life of Jesus encourages us to stay the course and not only feast on the Gospel but to invite others to enjoy it as well. 

Thank you, Jesus! Thank you for reminding us to remain strong and bold, in spite of those who will seek to silence us with accusations that might leave some reeling and ashamed. Amen.

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
May 23, 2025
Guest Writer: Rev. Becky Winders
As an RN, I have had the privilege of caring for patients in different life cycles, from birth to death.  Although most people would not consider sitting with patients as they draw their last breath as a blessing, I do.  I have had some remarkable experiences as patients travel their last moments of life. Some have a smile or actually have a look of contentment as they take that last breath. Sometimes they reach out.  I had one patient who, as he stared at a blank wall, smiled and waved.  Sounds a little weird, doesn’t it?  Trust me, it was beautiful.

On April 29th, 2025, I ran across a YouTube episode: Oprah and Dr. Bruce Greyson M.D.  discussing Near Death Experiences (NDE). It was based on his book After: A Doctor Explores What Near-Death Experiences Reveal about Life and Beyond.  This book and podcast brought up memories of similar events I had experienced with patients as well as personally.  As a Christian and a nurse I know there is something more than just “lack of life” at death. It is bigger than that and you don’t have to be dying to have a similar event!

In the podcast, Dr. Greyson spoke of his investigative interviews with many who had experienced NDEs.  There are striking similarities with descriptions of being surrounded by beautiful energy, suspended in an indescribable place without a sense of space or time.  They described seeing nothing while seeing everything, like time-lapse photography.  Over and over, these patients described an overwhelming, indescribable sense of tranquility, peace, calmness, comfort like no other comfort. But most of all, they felt LOVE.

So why am I writing this? No, I did not have a Near Death Experiences (or at least I don’t think I did), but I have experienced something similar.  About a year ago I was awakened in the middle of the night.  As a widow I am always frightened when I wake up at night for no apparent reason.  The darkness and loneliness are overwhelming.  Lights must come on as I sit in bed listening for noises.  There are times when I get up and look in closets and behind shower curtains.

One night a year ago I found myself awake.  There was no waking experience I just became aware of being awake.  I felt immense indescribable comfort, and overwhelming well-being.  The feeling was of unbelievable peace and tranquility. It was like lying on a beach with a soft breeze and warm sun and at the same time watching it snow while sitting by a huge roaring fire but with no sense of temperature. The darkness was beautiful, I could see nothing, but I saw everything. There was no one in my room but I felt surrounded by a gentle hug that was like no security I have ever felt. I was also having a conversation in my head with some being. I “heard” that I was loved, worthy, and I had more to do with my life. I also realized I had no idea if this had occurred for 3 seconds or hours. There was no concept of time.

I had described this episode to three pastors long before I saw this podcast or read Dr. Greyson’s book. Nothing influenced me to use the words indescribable, tranquility, peace, and LOVE. I was shocked when interviewees used the same words and descriptions I had described. I appreciated that one person said at the end the only thing that mattered was LOVE.  BTW, this was not a one time event.  Similar episodes have occurred since then.  

Being a scientific person, I wondered if I was experiencing a “Psychotic Break” since I was hearing voices! As a Christian, I knew it was not insanity but a true blessing. I no longer dislike the darkness or the quiet of night.  I welcome it as a gift from God. I agree that in the end the only thing that matters is LOVE.

Dear God,
Thank you for your love and your gift of love.  Help me find your love that is all around me. Walk with me, so that I can show your love to those I cherish but also to those in need of love.  Guide me to put love first in all that I do. Amen.

Information taken from 
Podcast: Oprah and a Doctor Explore Near Death Experiences Reveal About Life and Beyond. Oprah Winfrey and Dr. Bruce Greyson M.D. April 29, 2025 
Book
After: A Doctor Explores What Near-Death Experiences Reveal about Life and Beyond.  Bruce Greyson, M.D.  March 15, 2022

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
May 22, 2025
What do you do when a child is screaming in the hotel room next door at 1am? I was never sure what someone meant when they described someone as screaming bloody murder, but I think I now know the definition. It was ear-piercing for well over an hour, though as I lay in bed pondering the situation, I remembered traveling in my early 20s with a group of friends, and we stayed a few nights in a hotel—four of us to a room. And I’m pretty sure our late-night laughing got a call to the front desk from a neighboring room. Then there is the experience of being a parent and realizing that all the complaining one might have made about other children before becoming a parent suddenly went out the window once you’re seeing things from the other side. In those moments when I was absolutely certain my child would not ever do something, five minutes would pass, and my child would do it with even more volume or rudeness or both. So in spite of wanting to sleep, there was also a sense of compassion and concern for the parents of that screaming child. They had to be exhausted, along with feeling embarrassed. How do life experiences change our sense of empathy for others? It would be nice to feel empathy without having the personal experiences, and I think Jesus invites us to continue to stretch ourselves toward that place where empathy is our go-to emotion in a world that definitely needs a whole lot more empathy. 

Holy God, continue to grow my capacity for empathy. Provide me with the capacity to ache for people who are hurting, even when their hurt is way outside my experiences. Amen.