ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
July 31, 2026
Today, July 31, is National Mutt Day, a day to celebrate and consider adopting a mixed-breed dog. Among those reading this, there are certainly many who have done that at numerous moments in life. In fact, I know a handful of people that always head to a shelter in search of the most diverse dog possible… often looking for the one that even causes veterinarians to scratch their heads and say, “I can only guess.” In a world that prizes the purebred, willing to spend astronomical amounts of money, there is something about finding beauty and joy in what the world defines as a mutt. I don’t know about you, but I have been known to feel like a mutt. As a kid, I was always the second or third shortest in my class. I knew what it was like to get toward the end of choosing teams during gym class, and one of the captains would say, “I don’t care. Why don’t we flip a coin?” There are others who have been betrayed by a lover or spouse and made to feel like they are worthless. You can probably name another situation where a child or an adult was left feeling as if s/he was perceived as having little or no value. Now I’m not suggesting that any human being is a mutt, but we definitely live in a world where people clearly determine who has value and who does not. And these determinations have absolutely no basis in anything. Love is what helps one find that value, and in many cases, it is the adopted mutt who reminds its human parent how valuable s/he is. 

For everyone who has served as your affirming voice, Lord God, I am thankful. And for those furry four-legged gifts whose unconditional love provides joy and laughter, we all say, “Thank you!” Amen.

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
July 30, 2026
The new roof has finally started! Yippee! Of course, this means there are a lot of challenges in getting around the campus. It should be open for Sunday, but just know that there might be a path or two closed off. Early in my ministry, I never thought I’d be excited about getting a new roof, but today, I am rather ecstatic about the thought of not having stained ceiling tiles in the Activity Room. We all know the church is not the building, but the people. Yet as a church that owns a number of buildings and opens those buildings to the community, we want to be as hospitable as possible. And part of being hospitable is making sure things look and feel welcoming. Last Friday, we had more than 550 community people on our campus, including 350 who were here to experience the Bush Library Children’s Program. In 1 Peter 4:10, we read, “Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received.” The word Steward in the Greek is two words: house and rule, often translated as manager of the household. But here, it is one who serves as an administrator of sacred matters/things. It is not necessarily about protecting, but making sure such things are utilized for the sake of God and God’s Kin(g)dom. As a faith community, we have been entrusted with these sacred buildings, which are gifts that we are to steward for the sake of others. We don’t own them, only utilize them for the glory of God. And something as simple as providing families with 90 minutes of enjoyment and education during the summer months is a wonderful gift. On more than one occasion, I have had a parent come to me and say, “Thank you so much for providing this program.” I quickly correct them as the program was a partnership with the Bush Library, and we only provide the space. Yet without the space, there is no program. We might incur some costs, like utilities, paper products, and a little extra cleaning. However, I think most people at Cypress Creek Christian Church would say that it is money well spent. That’s what it means to be a good steward of God’s manifold grace.

You have gifted us beyond measure, O God who is the Source of all good gifts, and we offer our praise and gratitude for the abundance you pour forth. We also recognize that with great gifts comes great responsibility, and in the case of these buildings, the responsibility we have is to serve you by serving our neighbors. Help us to be aware of all the ways we can bless the larger community with the gifts entrusted to us. Amen.

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
July 29, 2026
In a couple of recent Etchings, along with my sermon on Sunday, I talked about predestination and free will. As you might have guessed, I am not a person who believes in the traditional predestination, specifically Calvin’s Double Predestination. There are others who see predestination a little differently. They suggest that God sees our future, and because of our faith and deeds, God predestines us based on what God sees in our future. That sort of seems strange for us to create a theological concept for something that only God can see. At the end of the day, does it really matter?

If I were to use the word predestined, it would be to suggest that God has predestined all to be saved and to find wholeness within God. In Ephesians 1:9-10, we read:

God has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

In Colossians, Paul writes about reconciling “all things” to God through Jesus Christ. Building on this language of “all things,” predestination becomes shorthand for, “God wins!” In the end, God brings all things into the fullness of God, and this choice of God does not undermine human free will. On a personal level, I sort of like the idea that God’s redemptive and saving love is not only unconditional, but unrelenting. God’s love will not lose what God loves.

Thank you, O Lord of Heaven and Earth and all other places, for a love that is beyond anything I could imagine. It heals brokenness, reconciles separation, and finds a way of bringing all things unto you. I am in awe! Amen.

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
July 28, 2026
Amaka Imani Nkosazana is a poet and author, and I came across a quote from her. She wrote, “When God takes the trash out, don’t go digging back through it.” I don’t know about you, but I sort of need to hear that on a regular basis as I have been known to relitigate matters that should be left in the past. A few days ago, I was on a walk through the neighborhood, and the turkey vultures were out in force. In a couple of driveways, they had really gone to town on some people’s garbage. It was yucky. Thinking about that, I have no desire to be going through some of the garbage of my past. Some of it’s yucky, and in God’s grace, I have found mercy and peace… most of the time. Instead of digging back through the trash, maybe I need to spend time with God asking why I am so drawn to that past event? Maybe it has less to do with what could be found in the trash and more to do with why I am having a hard time showing myself a little love and kindness. 

​Sometimes we need to do some hard work with the past, yet more often, we need to work on ourselves right here in the present. In your immeasurable mercy and love, O Giver of all good gifts, I pray for the ability to work on those things that will truly bring health and well-being. Amen.

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
July 27, 2026
Prayer for the Week:
When something comes out of nothing
When hope appears in a barren desert
When healing shows up unexpectedly
When a friend arrives without a call
When joy surprises us
When love embraces us without warning
We know who is behind it
O God who has never been limited
By our expectations
Thank you!
Amen
​

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
July 26, 2026
I’ve noticed many people sharing images on social media of various billboards displayed by Christian groups. This has reminded me of a time early in my marriage when Donna and I would visit her parents in Arkansas. During our trip, there was a place where we approached a rather steep incline on the highway, and we couldn’t see what lay beyond the ridge. Right at the top was a billboard that read, “If you die, are you going to heaven or hell?” The placement was really good as it made you a little nervous to drive over that hilltop. Yet I don’t believe those sorts of signs change very many minds. In the case of the billboard in Arkansas, there was a phone number you could call, and all I could think about was some poor person who tried to write down the number, crashed the car, and died. Morbid humor aside, Christianity has spent unimaginable amounts of money on fear-based signage, including Christian artwork from the latter part of the Middle Ages that was gruesome and terrifying. All though it might have kept people following the rules, I don’t believe much of it truly changed hearts. At the end of the day, Jesus told us to love one another, offer mercy and kindness, walk alongside the marginalized, and to do so with a servant’s heart. A life seeking to resemble the life of Jesus is what changes hearts, and it usually doesn’t cost that much money… maybe a little bit of time.

Holy Gift and Sacred One of the Universe, we continue to look for ways of representing the life, teachings, and self-giving love of Jesus. Putting all things aside, show us how the greatest impact often comes from a simple act of kindness, compassion, and grace. Continue to encourage and guide us. Amen.

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
July 25, 2026
Have you ever heard someone say, “Remember, God is in control.” Maybe you’ve said those words yourself. The question I ask is what does someone mean when they speak of God being in control? Does that mean there is no such thing as free will? If you say God is in control of all things, then it is hard to argue for free will. And if God is in control of all things, then sin, evil, injustice, and similar things are of God. When I meet people who have experienced great suffering, whether physical or emotional, to imply that God was and is in control of all things is not very comforting. It’s like being told that you are to seek comfort from the one who is causing the pain. That’s not helpful or healthy. And equally troubling for me, if God is in control of all things and there is no free will, then what exactly is love? In my mind, love requires someone to freely choose. Now some people will try to nuance their way around these conundrums, and there might be a way of doing so with some rhetorical gymnastics, but at the end of the day, I would much rather think of God as the One who chooses to be incarnational, being present in every moment and alongside us amidst our free will. God calls, inspires, encourages, teaches, beckons, counsels, and so many other things, but does it all as One who respects our free will. I find that helpful…

God who loves us and is always inviting us into a deeper and more transformative relationship, I pray this day for a faith that helps me appreciate the freedom I have, including the capacity to follow in the ways of Jesus. Amen.

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
July 24, 2026
Building on yesterday’s Etching, forgiveness — genuine and intentional forgiveness — seeks to reveal an alternative world; a world driven, not by revenge, but by a hope that reconciliation and transformation are possible. Again, there is nothing naive about this alternative view of reality. Forgiveness doesn’t happen with a snap of the fingers. It requires many steps, including realization, a contrite heart, repentance, apology, receiving, offering, and acceptance of the forgiveness. And I’m sure I missed numerous steps in there. As I mentioned in a sermon a few weeks back, Peter asked Jesus how many times he should forgive. Is seven times enough? Jesus responded by suggesting that it should be 70x7. Yet Jesus wasn’t upping the number, but stepping outside the games we play where we want rules and limits and ways of making sure we can explain to others, “I did what the law required.” It’s not about fulfilling a law, but about becoming a healthy person and assisting others in that work. It is acknowledging how unresolved pain and unspoken woundedness hinders us from becoming the people God desires for us to be. And the world that currently exists is a collection of our individual lives, and if we are not healthy, then the world is not healthy. I am not suggesting we overlook injustice or whitewash systemic exploitation, but a mindset that wants revenge and for others to suffer only gives fuel to the fire that will burn this whole thing down.

Continue to help us envision a very different world. In Jesus, you offered us a vision of what is possible—healing, hope, transformed hearts, and a path forward that acknowledges the past without being defined by that past moving forward. Teach us how to step into that world with you, as we desire to be a part of your Kin(g)dom manifesting itself in the here and now. Amen.

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
July 23, 2026
What does it mean to be fully forgiven? We’ve all known the experience when a person says that we have been forgiven, yet there is an underlying concern that at any given moment, our past actions will be brought up as a weapon of sorts. In such cases, that is not forgiveness. Forgiveness does not mean that a person forgets, yet it usually means the past no longer controls the future. Sure, certain boundaries may need to be set to simply protect the injured party moving forward. But if folks say they have forgiven us, yet the past is held over us, then it is not forgiveness. It is okay for someone to say, “I’m not ready to forgive” or “I will need some time to learn that I can trust you.” Those are very fair responses, especially when we have wounded or betrayed someone. At the end of the day, even as the one who might have been at fault, I want the injured party to be honest and not simply act as if forgiveness is something that must be done. If it feels like a requirement, then the necessary process will be skipped. As much as I may want to hear the words, “I forgive you,” at the end of the day, the hope is for both parties to find whatever healing is possible and for the relationship to be restored to its greatest potential. When we apologize, despite what we were taught as children, you may not find immediate forgiveness. It can’t be forced and no real timeline can be set by the one who caused the injury. It is sometimes hard to wait, but we need to trust the Holy Spirit to do what the Holy Spirit can do… but this might take months, years, or even more than a single lifetime. 

Forgiveness is hard! It’s important for me to name that before you, Lord God. Walk alongside me during those times when I am working on offering forgiveness, while always making me aware of what steps are necessary. But also provide me with respectful patience for those who are trying to find the capacity to forgive me. At the end of the day, I want it to be truly restorative for all involved, even if the outcome is not what I had hoped for. Amen.

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
July 22, 2026
I learned something this past Sunday about my preaching. As many of you know, Paula was to preach this past Sunday, but because of her son’s death, I stepped back in to preach. This gave me 2 1/2 days to prepare the sermon, though I was not feeling well for part of those 60 hours. That’s all to say that I have a routine. It is not chiseled in stone; however, it starts a few weeks out. I have the text and general idea of where I might go, but I am constantly adding notes, thoughts, a potential story, and other useful ideas. Now when it comes to the actual sermon, 70-90% of all those ideas I jotted down make the cutting room floor. There is a constant process of refining and refocusing, trying not to bite off more than I can handle in a 18-20 minute sermon. I usually have some time away from the sermon, even if it is just a day or so, but it allows me to return to it with some fresh eyes that often see a lack of connection, a point that is not helpful, or an illustration that is more of a distraction. I did not have this time last week. I’m not trying to make an excuse for the lack of clarity and focus (which was very true about this sermon), but one of those good realizations about myself. I have certain habits that have served me well for the most part, yet I am reminded of the old saying, “A rut is nothing more than a grave with the ends kicked out,” and ruts can be unhelpful at times. However, in a lot of situations, routine helps with efficiency, focus, and the capacity to measure steps in the process. This is all to say that when our routines are interrupted, it might throw us for a moment, but it is not necessarily a bad thing. Interruption invites us to ask some questions that would not otherwise be asked, such as: Am I really being efficient, is this routine providing me the kind of focus I need, and is there another approach that would provide a better way of measuring the progress I am making? I can’t say that I have answered those questions fully, but an interruption to a routine is not necessarily a bad thing. The Apostle Paul wrote, “Be careful, then, how you live, not as unwise people but as wise, making the most of the time…” (Ephesians 5:15). Wisdom is rarely acquired when your routine remains your routine. 

Provide for me both peace and awareness in those moments when my assumptions for the week are suddenly interrupted. May your Spirit, Holy One, furnish the courage to look at those things that might have become way too comfortable. Amen.