ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS Thought for the Day: Those words impart a calm and peaceful image. There is a sense of simplicity and serenity as Jesus makes his way into the predawn morning, wandering beyond the neighborhood and the familiar. Some might have felt a bit nervous, yet such space and moments allow for people to disengage. The yoke of everyday life, with all of its weight and complexity, is easier to release. I find those moments (too infrequent) to be fertile ground for time spent with central passages – the two great commandments, the washing of the disciples’ feet, Jesus’ cry from the cross, his final commission, John 3:16, 1 John 4 and Romans 8:38-39 just to name a few. When I can, I have tried to memorize a few verses so that as I walk into the new morning, the words become a mantra of sorts. And as the words are spoken without distractions, unnoticed and unnamed goodness appears. Prayer: Wherever and whenever time is available, O Spirit who beckons us on the journey, let us take full advantage of the moment. And even when we do not believe such time is available, help us make the time. Amen. TODAY’S SERVICE via WordPress https://ift.tt/36UhJTu
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ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS Thought for the Day: Have you ever had someone deliver an unexpected meal? Maybe it was a special occasion or maybe you had not been feeling well. I don’t remember who said it to me, but somewhere along the line someone said, “A meal prepared by loving hands as a gift always tastes a little better.” It is as if you can taste the kindness kneaded and stirred into the dish. Though they grumbled a little too often in the desert, I think the Israelites tasted the key ingredient in the Manna – the generosity of God. Prayer: Thank you, Loving Lord, for every good gift that finds its way into my life, including the good food that nourishes my body. Amen. TOMORROW’S SERVICE via WordPress https://ift.tt/2SKnJWF ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS Thought for the Day: When was the last time people were amazed? We too often are expecting to be amazed by the wrong stuff. Jesus, in his acts of healing, was not only bringing these people into wholeness, but returning them to community. At a time when so many people not only were left out because of illness, disease or loss of ability, there was a common belief that the struggles of these people were a sign of God’s displeasure with them. For that reason, they were often dismissed and marginalized by society. But when Jesus restored the lame, the blind, the mute and the many others, he was demonstrating how they were never outside of God’s grace. In response to this, the people were amazed, and I imagine that part of the amazement was spurred by relief. If you believe God can so easily reject human beings, then there will be a constant uneasiness in regard to whether or not God will soon reject you. So when grace, true grace, is put on display, there is joy-filled amazement. Let’s make sure that we are doing our best to not only put grace on display, but to bring amazement to those who were a bit uneasy in regard to whether or not God would spur and abandon them. God’s grace would never do such a thing. Prayer: Because the world around us too often suggests that we are not quite good enough, there is a feeling of uneasiness and uncertainty that can take hold. Grace-filled God, bring me into an experience of true amazement as I glimpse your grace so generously extended to me and all the world. Amen. via WordPress https://ift.tt/36OJ61d ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS Thought for the Day: There are times in life when we step from the fog that has dramatically limited our vision, and we find ourselves becoming aware of what had not previously been visible. Suddenly, we are much more aware of our place as recipients of other people’s generosity. One day you’re going along, thinking that all you have and all that comes your way is deserved. In fact, there might even be a hint of resentment that a few things have yet to show up. And then the fog clears, and you begin to see how little you really deserved. It was the grace, benevolence and kindness of others. My prayer today is for the fog of my own self-aggrandizing to be lifted that I might see how truly blessed I am. Prayer: So much of my life is a collection of gifts given by others. Whether I ever know to whom my gratitude should be expressed, O Lord, I pray that a spirit of thankfulness is always within me. Amen. via WordPress https://ift.tt/30Jk3Jj ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS Thought for the Day: Have you ever had one of those days where you just kept on banging into things? Yesterday was one of those days for me. Nothing overly debilitating, but caught the little toe twice, hit my elbow really good, smacked the side of my knee hard while getting up from the table, and punched myself in the nose trying to pull a stake from the ground…and that’s just to name a few. It was a rough day on the old body, yet even with a few aches, it is doing ok. The Body of Christ, the church, has been knocked around some in its history. More recently, the injuries – at least many of them – have been caused from our own foolishness or spiritual clumsiness. We’ve given ourselves too many black eyes, and that came after knocking out a couple of teeth when we put our foot in our mouth. When the one whose body we are to represent had the single mission of love, and then we spend an inordinate amount of time dissecting and parsing, diluting and dismissing this love, we injure the body and weaken our central purpose. The Body of Christ is limping around, and it’s mostly self-inflicted. Prayer: We do so many foolish things that do not help your purpose, Lord. It’s a bit surprising how this body is still standing. Our good moments have your Spirit to thank. May there be a few more such moments. Amen. via WordPress https://ift.tt/34uw1Yf ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS via WordPress https://ift.tt/2Ssxqcd ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS Thought for the Day: These are familiar words to most, though they are often the portion of Psalm 23 that people prefer to ignore. We like the Lord as our shepherd and the still waters and getting our souls restored. The whole enemy thing leaves us scratching our head. Why? Unless, by chance, it is a very very long table and they can go sit out of sight. Of course, those enemies might not be thrilled to be sitting with us. This beautiful image is discomforting because the Great Banquet, the Heavenly Feast of Welcome prepared for us by God will have an invitation list defined by the grace of God. None of us have a say in regard to who will be on the invitation list, though that includes those enemies seated at the table with us. They can’t disinvite us. This is good news, and a great vision of God’s great work of redemption. Prayer: If your grace is truly grace, O God, then I guess it might require that such grace is extended to those who I might have defined as unworthy. Though if honest, my name is probably on someone’s list of unworthy. Thank you for not taking their word. Amen. TODAY via WordPress https://ift.tt/3ld47a8 ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS Thought for the Day: In Exodus 24, God invited Moses and a group of other leaders to the mountain for worship, sacrifice and celebration. In Matthew 17, Jesus takes a few select disciples to what we will be known as the Mountain of Transfiguration. There are a lot of stories of small groups ascending mountains and encountering God. In Isaiah, we hear another story of a gathering on a mountain where the wine and food are plentiful. The big difference is found in who is there partaking of this amazing feast. Unlike so many other passages, this vision describes the Lord of hosts making a feast “for all peoples.” This same vision is echoed in Paul’s Letter to the Philippians where he writes, “…so that at the name of Jesus everyone in heaven, on earth, and under the earth might bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord…” Every and All are not carrying within them some concealed meaning that signifies something other than Every and All. Throughout scripture we find these stunning revelations of grace, exceptionally remarkable when you think of their context. Whether we are talking ancient Israel struggling for identity or the early church under Roman rule, the only All and Every being discussed were conquering, and if need be, destroying All people Every-where. I can’t take my eyes off these words and their simple, yet far reaching message that could only have its origin in something other than the narrow and self-serving vision of humanity. It must be God. Prayer: Take me to the mountain, Gracious God of the Feast, and let me see your banquet table with seating for all people. Amen. via WordPress https://ift.tt/3irWafk ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS Thought for the Day: I did not choose this passage because we are in the month of October and Halloween is on its way. Though in the Haunted Mansion at Disney, there is a ballroom with a big table and ghostly goons dancing around it. That’s probably not what Paul was talking about. And I would even suggest he was not referencing teenagers telling scary stories around a campfire, or even playing with a Ouija Board. When Paul spoke of demons, he placed them alongside the powers and principalities… the stuff of this world that just doesn’t align with God. These forces could best be described as the things that are the opposite of the Fruit of the Spirit. What is the opposite of: Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self control? A lot of folks are drinking the cup and partaking at the table where the opposite of these central values (fruit) are manifest and enjoyed. We’ve all sat, one time or another, at the table where people were drinking from the cup of hate, despair, violence, short-temperedness, callousness, greed, inauthenticity, brutality and rage. I hear Paul telling us: You can’t drink from both the cup of love and hate, generosity and greed, gentleness and brutality (and the others as well). It is about making a choice, and making that choice every single day. Prayer: I may think I am always feasting with you, Gracious God, but how often am I brought to the table where the demonic powers are enjoying themselves? How often have I allowed a spirit of inauthenticity to drag me to the table, where hate pours me a drink and callousness cuts my meat? Today, I’d much rather feast with you where I can enjoy the Fruit of the Spirit. Amen. via WordPress https://ift.tt/36oXBIX |
AuthorRev. Bruce Frogge Archives
April 2024
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