ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
August 11, 2023 I want to ask you a couple of questions. First, what part of the Jesus story speaks to your current life experience? What in that story is truly good news? Now I ask that second question recognizing that what is good news doesn’t always feel like good news. There are plenty of folks who have gone through a struggle with addiction, including the addiction of greed or hate, and the process of naming the addiction and facing the addiction did not feel like good news. In fact, making critical changes in our lives can feel like bad news… at least until we find ourselves on the other side. In Psalm 139, we read: “I thank you because I am awesomely made, wonderfully; your works are wonders — I know this very well. My bones were not hidden from you when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth.” I think part of the good news is knowing and embracing, even when we are struggling to deal with needed change in our lives, how special and beloved we are. In fact, God’s love for us is in no way tied to any sort of success in making those changes, yet that kind of love is both an inspiration and a source of strength as we seek to make the change. By faith, I believe I am wonderfully made and wonderfully loved. Thank you, O God of the Universe, for speaking goodness and kindness into my life as I seek to be the best I can be—for myself, for the world, and for you. Amen.
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ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
August 10, 2023 Among the many things we discussed at the General Assembly was Christian Nationalism, sometimes referred to as White Christian Nationalism. Now, none of those words are necessarily bad by themselves, but Christian Nationalism is a very specific ideology that really has nothing to do with religion in general or Christianity specifically. It is a fear-based response to change. We’ve seen this same storyline play itself out many many times throughout human history, and because the underlying hatefulness is so pronounced, religious rhetoric is used in hopes of providing cover and making those who feel insecure a bit more comfortable joining a bigoted movement. Sadly, Christian Nationalism has filtered into a high percentage of churches in the United States. This is why we, inside the church, need to be very clear about who we are and what we are not. Some people are dismissing Christian Nationalism, suggesting that only a few fringe people buy into the nonsense. I wish it were so, but it is not. I would suggest the capacity of such an outlandish ideology to filter into the church happens because a majority of Christians do not have the necessary tools to speak against it. They know the basics of Christianity, but when someone takes the Bible completely out of context while making it sound very holy and high-minded, I hear quite often, "I didn’t know how to respond. I don’t know the Bible well enough." I’m not suggesting we all need to be PhD Bible Scholars, but we should all be striving to have a sound Christian theology (not all needing to agree) rooted in scripture, tradition, and our own experiences of the faith. Wherever I can better equip myself with the Good News of your unconditional and limitless love, O God, I pray for diligence in this endeavor. There will always be more to learn and discover, yet we need to be able to offer a strong witness to our most core convictions. Amen. ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
August 9, 2023 Approximately 3,000 people gathered for our denomination’s General Assembly in Louisville, Kentucky, that began on July 29. Though I had to leave early, it was a magnificent event. Once again, I witnessed a community of diverse people trying to find commonality in purpose while also attempting to learn from those with whom we had differing opinions. This is important because we live in a world where disagreements lead to the severing of relationships based upon the assumption that “I can’t like you if we disagree on something.” Sadly, we are finding ourselves dividing into smaller and smaller camps with more narrow beliefs that are never challenged. We tend to listen for certain words or ways of speaking, and if someone utilizes such ideas, that person is deemed a heretic, idiot, enemy, or all of the above. One afternoon at General Assembly, I heard someone use theological language that I found a bit troubling, but this individual also told a story of an amazing ministry that is helping to make God’s love very real to a certain group of people. If I had immediately written this person off because of some language I found to be archaic and exclusive, I would never have heard the story. How many of us, if defined by a single sentence we once uttered, might be tossed out of most every group? Our theological language is shaped by our experiences, and when one person’s experiences are outside of our own, we can’t automatically assume we will see things the same. The important piece is pausing long enough to say, "So tell me why your description of God (or whatever it might have been) is important to you." Sometimes people will say, "I don’t know. In fact, I don’t even know I believe that," or you might hear a breathtaking story that formed that theological idea. We may still disagree with how God, worship, or ethics are described, but often the story helps place them in context. And with that story-shaped context in place, it is hard to see that person as anything other than a beloved member of God’s family. Give me ears to hear and lips prepared to ask open-ended questions. There are days, O Lord, when I will most definitely need your help, yet my hope is to make enough space for your Spirit to work in the moment. Amen. ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
August 8, 2023 Guest Writer: Kay Smith, Church Board Member At the recent General Assembly, our denomination’s national gathering, I heard a speaker, Dr. David Anderson Hooker, speak about the important of coming to the table. We have heard the words about communion over and over, “On the night Jesus was betrayed, he met with his disciples and took bread and broke it, and said, “This is my body broken for you, and later, he took the cup, blessed it, and said, “This represents the new covenant, for the forgiveness of sins. Do this in remembrance of me”. Dr. Hooker reminded us this was a Seder dinner. What happened between the bread and the cup? In the Jewish tradition, the attendees sing a song about Dayenu (pronounced, Dah-yeah-new). It literally means, it would have been enough. It would have been enough that God helped the Jewish people escape Egypt. We might expand this thought to our current problems we have overcome. It would have been enough that my son survived a bad car wreck. It would have been enough that our church had a space to worship after the Harvey flood. It would have been enough if a sponsor had donated money for the organ in the Centrum. It would have been enough if experts were able to exclude the colony of bats who decided to take up residence in the Centrum Narthex. The point of Dayenu is to express gratitude to God for our many blessings. It also serves as a vehicle to share our stories with each other. As polarized and divided as we have become, we need to share our stories to help us understand each other. As numerous issues, such as gun violence, racial inequality, immigration, LBGTQ+ rights, reproductive rights, all divide us, we need to share our stories to find common ground in our humanity. We are all children of God, made in God’s image. Gracious God, by your Spirit you inspire our efforts to feed the hungry, house the homeless, comfort the oppressed, preach the good news and share your love. Your people, all your children, are hungry for food, for shelter, for friends, for peace and for the Good News. As you have blessed us, bless our efforts to love each other. Dayenu. Amen. ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
August 7, 2023 Prayer for the Week: Everyone take a deep breath And then release it ever-so-slowly. Breathe in the spirit of peace and serenity, And breathe out all anxiousness and insecurity. O God of Hope, O Giver of Wisdom and Judiciousness, As summer comes to end And another school year begins, We pray for both young and old Who will find themselves in a classroom- Those seeking to unleash their curiosity In a pursuit of knowledge and insight, Alongside those new questions not yet explored. Be their guide and strength; Be their friend and encourager. And may all students Be given the opportunity to become The best version of themselves possible. Amen. ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
August 6, 2023 Today in worship, we are going to reflect on those things in life that are uncomplimentary, unhelpful, and even unhealthy to us, yet we are often so close to the decision-making that we are unable to perceive the negative implications. Jesus talked about seeing the speck in our neighbor’s eye but being unable to see the log in our own eye. I’m pretty sure if I had a log in my eye and I didn’t know, I’d be the only one. It would be pretty obvious, yet so often we become focused on the wrong stuff and look right past the stuff in our own lives that needs some attention. I’m not suggesting we beat ourselves up, but listening to the observations of those we trust, even when those observations hurt a bit, can be transformative. And if you are that trusted friend, make sure you approach the conversation with a lot of kindness, humility, and grace. Provide me with good friends and counselors, Loving God, who will help me become the best version of myself that is possible. Amen. ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
August 5, 2023 I believe forgiveness and gratitude are inherently tied together, though the connection is not always visible at first glance. In the middle of his preeminent sermon, The Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said to his audience, "If you forgive others their sins, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you don’t forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your sins" (Matthew 6:14-15). A lot of people picture God using forgiveness like a carrot, dangling it in front of humanity as something conditional. But if God’s mercy is everlasting and love limitless, then I can’t imagine God making forgiveness conditional. When people find the strength to forgive others, it is often a response of gratitude for what God has already done. Gratitude is the recognition of what we have received, and I believe it is a means by which we tap even more deeply into the reservoir that is God’s everlasting mercy and limitless love. When we forgive others, we glimpse what God has given us and are better able to understand the depth and beauty of the forgiveness we have been given. It’s one thing to be given a gift, and something very different to truly appreciate it as the gift it is. Continue to increase my capacity, Gracious God, to see and receive the gifts you are giving to me. Amen. ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
August 4, 2023 Someone posted a picture of a sign outside a church that read: "The most influential person in your life is the one you refuse to forgive." That might be one of the most truthful statements that too few people understand. In Galatians 5:1, Paul writes: "Christ has set us free! This means we are really free. Now hold on to your freedom and don’t submit to the bondage of slavery again." From the story of the Exodus to the story of the resurrection, we are a people who proclaim the Good News of liberation and deliverance, yet sadly, we have too often allowed bitterness or resentment to have the final say on what will have the greatest authority in our lives. In the end, we chain ourselves to what is unhealthy and oppressive. It is time to begin the hard work of forgiving, if for no other reason than that we are too precious to be defined and weighed down by what is not life-giving. Give me the strength and courage to do whatever it takes to forgive, O Strong and Merciful Creator, for I have no desire to be under the oppressive authority of someone who brought hurt into my life. Amen. ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
August 3, 2023 Donna and I have stayed at a lot of different hotels (and a cabin in Hot Springs on our way to General Assembly) in the last ten days. Funny how often I have walked outside of the hotel room early in the morning to go to the workout center, only to pause and ask myself, "Which way is the elevator?" Maybe that doesn’t happen to you, but I have been known to have a moment of directional confusion after staying at multiple hotels in a short period of time. I believe the same thing occurs in times of change when we suddenly find ourselves in a new experience or time of life. We look around, and the usual markers we have used to navigate are not there. In such moments, give yourself plenty of grace. I believe God is. Allow yourself some time to reorient your life in the new context, whether that new context is physical, emotional, or spiritual. Today, as I walked out of my hotel room only to look one way and then the other and then back, someone working housekeeping smiled and asked, "Are you looking for the elevators?" I nodded, and she pointed me in the right direction. It was as if she recognized my confusion, and I sort of believe that God helps by bringing alongside us those who can kindly and gently point us in the correct direction. As Prophet Isaiah reminds us, "The Lord will guide you always" (58:11). Wherever I might wake up this morning, I trust that you, O Lord, will be there to love me and to use your limitless love to walk with me as I orient myself in this new day. Amen. ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
August 2, 2023 Guest Writer: Rev. Paula Gembala Many years ago, I was a two pack a day smoker. I tried time after time to quit, but failed each and every time. One day I was reading my bible and came across this scripture found in Philippians 4:6-7 which says, Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. I started praying this scripture to God each day. I told God he was strong and I knew I was weak after failing so many times. I thanked him for giving me faith to know he was going to take this from me and make me a non-smoker. I set a date of August 11th which was 2 weeks away, and shared that with God. When my target date rolled around, I threw away my last pack of cigarettes and my lighter. I was astounded at what happened. I actually never had any withdrawals or cravings. When I was around someone who was smoking, I felt sick by the smell of the smoke. It would literally make me gag. To this day, almost 16 years later, I still feel ill when I get near the smell of smoke! I share all this to say, if you are facing a difficult challenge, look to the scriptures to find a verse that works for you. Pray it daily and have faith it will work for your situation as well. Wonderful God, thank you for giving us scriptures to turn to when we are going through difficult circumstances. Teach us to pray those scriptures in our times of need and to have faith in your power to take these difficulties away from us. You are an amazing God, with the power to overcome any challenge. Thank you for walking beside us each step of the way. Amen. |
AuthorRev. Bruce Frogge Archives
May 2024
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