ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
October 11, 2023 My friend Michelle Beech posted the following quote yesterday, and it really resonated with me. "We are not what we know but what we are willing to learn." ~Mary Catherine Bateson I did not know the name Mary Catherine Bateson, but like so often happens, once I started reading about her, I was intrigued and realized she was probably a person I should have had on my radar. Bateson was an author, cultural anthropologist, and activist. Her words probably struck me, in part, because of my recent sermon on keys. Too often, the leadership and structural powers within Christianity have withheld key knowledge, insight, historical realities, etc. from laypeople, in part as a way of making sure no one has the tools to question the system. Even in more recent years, the idea of fear-based fundamentalism has left the interpretation of the scripture to the ministers as the sole access point for truth and insight. Lay folks (non-clergy) are, in some settings, given space to provide opinions on the irrelevant and inconsequential aspects of the faith but are required to tow the line on all the “important” issues (defined by the leadership). Now I do believe ministers have been called to provide leadership to the education and discipleship process, but this is not usually some declaration from on high of what is right, true, and beyond question. If anything, the tools a pastor should be providing a congregation with are the capacity to ask good questions about the Bible and theology. To know where to find good resources and to see the sermon and other teaching moments as a starting point for discussion is essential. I can’t tell you how many times someone has been provided the freedom to ask questions (maybe coming from a tradition where that was never allowed) and then given tools through which scripture is unlocked and opened in ways not previously seen. Boom! Something amazing happens. Some of the most insightful thoughts on scripture and theology have come from someone who has just been given a key, and suddenly a door is unlocked and an idea jumps from the page that no one else, including me, had ever noticed before. Truly a God moment. God of inspiration and insight, revelation, and open doors, we give you thanks for every aha moment through which the larger community of faith is blessed by the uniqueness of an individual’s experience bringing light to a portion of scripture. You continue to enlighten us through the broadness and richness of the church. Amen.
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ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
October 10, 2023 I’ve been thinking a lot about my Etching from yesterday, a prayer about the holy affirmation we find, among other places, in the poetry, songs, and stories of scripture. Sadly, in the prayer, I had a slight spelling mishap. As I was preparing to open all four of the social media platforms that I use, I erased a section of the prayer. It was gone, and so I quickly retyped it and got it ready to post. The line that I am sure some of you noticed read: “Holy Mystery, Scared Voice, give us strength…” Of all the adjectives to use in a description of the Divine, I’m sort of thinking that ‘scared” is not a good one. God is a lot of things, but I tend to believe God leans more on the side of strength, courage, resolve, and even gritty. I do not find a Psalm that says, “In my fear, I turned and found God cowering behind a large rock.” Instead, God IS the Rock, and our “refuge and strength” (Psalm 46:1). When the mistakes we make really undermine our intent, we are immensely thankful for your love that claims us and redeems the moment. Help us in our faith as we seek to trust the strength and power of your unconditional love. Amen. ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
October 9, 2023 Prayer for the Week: Your witness and purpose are disclosed in the poetry and songs and stories of scripture. Holy Mystery, Sacred Voice, give us strength so your loving affirmation of us is something we can embrace and affix within us. Whether it is the daily grind of life or a soul-devouring sadness that can appear so unexpectedly, we need to know you, trust you, and make space for you to dwell with permanence at the core of who we are. There is much seeking to decouple us, yet it is the poetry, songs, and stories of the faithful that remind and reconnect us to the Good News of who we are and whose we are. Amen. ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
October 8, 2023 God is good! That is a very old and common statement made by people of faith, yet what does it mean for God, in Genesis 1, to declare human beings to be good? The word in ancient Hebrew is towb, and it is used in many different ways in different passages of the Old Testament. But what makes it sort of interesting is the word associated with good, which is the Hebrew word translated as ‘very.’ But in other places, it is translated as greatly, abundantly, or exceedingly. It is interesting how all the other declarations of goodness in Genesis 1 do not have the additional adverb. Only after the creation of certain animals and human beings does the poet of Genesis 1 describe the product of that day of creation as exceedingly good. Next time, some folks will respond to the question, How are you? By saying, “Good,” you correct them and say, “Oh no! You are exceedingly good!” And then say it back to yourself. Generous Spirit, Holy Source of Life and Love, thank you for the transformative affirmation you provide us in the words of scripture. As some use the Bible as a weapon to tear down and destroy, send me forth with the Good News of your belief that we are exceedingly good. Amen. ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS October 7, 2023 The Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi (not something most Protestants recognize in the same way our Catholic siblings do) was Wednesday, October 4. There are many exceptional quotes from St. Francis, including these: Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible. If you have people who will exclude any of God’s creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity, you will have people who will deal likewise with other people. Lord, grant I might not so much seek to be loved as to love. As I said in yesterday’s Etching, St. Francis inspired the idea of offering gratitude for and blessing of animals. For Francis, it was all about viewing creation wholistically, everything was from God and needed to be encountered through the lens of love. That’s easy when I think about a fluffy puppy, but what about a slug, vulture or monkfish? Like a lot of things in the life of faith, there are moments when it appears to be a breeze to live into some high ideal, and then the next moment you find yourself looking into the eyes of a monkfish and feeling God’s voice wanting you to affirm the sacred beauty and preciousness of the creature. But the cute puppy and that monkfish are both members of creation, the creation God declared to be good. Every creature, great and small, is precious in your sight, Magnificent God! And I am so thankful, especially for those days when I sort of feel like the monkfish in a sea of cute puppies. Amen. MONKFISH
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
October 6, 2023 Tomorrow is a big day around Cypress Creek Christian Church. I believe it was nine years ago when I made a request for some folks who might help with a crazy idea that was brewing in my head. I wanted to do a Blessing of the Animals, and two of the very first people to step forward were Paul and Mary Hupman. They and others jumped in with both feet, and since then, others have come alongside in the planning and implementing of this event. I give thanks to Mariah, along with Matthew and Joanna Anderson, who have done a lot of work behind the scenes to make this year’s event wonderful. There is also a long list of other volunteers who will be there tomorrow, welcoming and engaging all of our community friends who will bring an animal (or stuffed animal) for blessing, or maybe just drive by and want to meet some of the animals at the petting zoo. We do this event in early October, around the time when the Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi is celebrated. Of course, St. Francis lived a life of awe and respect for all creation, and as the stories of his life tell us, he loved the animals. Tomorrow, my hope is that we communicate a belief that all living things are precious in the sight of God and that for many people, their four-legged creature (maybe with no legs and slithers) is a true member of the family. We give thanks for the unconditional love often displayed by animals, along with the real gift of support and encouragement that many people feel. We do not have any living pets in the Frogge home because of serious allergies, but this remains one of the more exciting days for us. I hope to see all of you there, even if you simply come to say to a community person, “Welcome to Cypress Creek Christian Church. We’re glad you are here!” For all the amazing ways love and beauty enter our lives, O God, we are thankful. We ask your blessing upon this special event tomorrow, and may all who participate come to a new appreciation of this magnificent world we live in, including all the creatures of this planet. Amen. ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
October 5, 2023 In Psalm 55:22, we read: Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved. A few weeks ago, I reflected on the notion of casting our burdens and what that exactly looks like. I don’t believe most of my burdens are something I can really grab with my hands and then toss as far as I can. Don’t get me wrong, there are days when I desperately want to reach inside my head or heart and grab hold of the thing that is sucking the life out of me. And if it was actually a solid of some sort, I would then toss it and then kick it and put it on a train leaving town. Sadly, that’s not the case. Yet I am drawn to the language of how God will sustain me in that moment. I sort of wonder if the burdens we are carrying are a little parasite-like, sucking life from us. And even if we are not able to grab hold of that leaching liability, I believe God is seeking to pry it far enough away that it no longer is drawing life from us. There are times when I believe the Holy Spirit wedges herself just enough between us and the burden that it is no longer drawing anything from us. It might be close, but in the end, the Spirit is able to provide us with a reprieve to breathe and reclaim some of the strength lost due to that free-loading burden. I call upon you, Holy Spirit, to find that little space where you can gain some leverage on that unhealthy cargo that is intending on dragging me down. Separate us just enough so that I am able to find renewal in you. Amen. ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
October 4, 2023 The other day, a fellow pastor said, “I hate stewardship! I hate trying to raise money for the church budget.” Well, first, the word ‘hate’ is pretty harsh. Second, stewardship has never really been about raising money. I know it can feel that way as there is a budget at the church, and there are bills to pay, monetary outreach to be sent, and paychecks to be written. But stewardship is really a way of living that acknowledges God as the Source of all that is good, love-inspiring, and life-giving. And our gratitude is expressed by seeking tangible ways to make that message come alive for other folks. I know a lot of people raise money for organizations/nonprofits, yet its only a job not a passion. I can’t imagine doing that. And though I should put all my cards on the table and name how part of the money the church brings in pays my salary, I still believe in this place! I believe in what is happening at Cypress Creek Christian Church. I have no problem talking about why I think what we are doing is incredibly important in this moment of time. There are other churches doing some really wonderful ministry, and they are helping to bring Good News to our community and beyond. Yet I have what I might call a sacred conviction that what we are currently doing and what we will be stretching ourselves to do are part of what God is doing and wanting us to do. In Psalm 16:11, we read: You teach me the way of life. In your presence is total celebration. Beautiful things are always in your right hand. I believe God is always beckoning us to join in the work of fulfilling the divine dream for creation, and when you feel as if you have found your place in that work, there is celebration. I know some people are still rather new to Cypress Creek Christian Church, but I am ready to have a conversation with anyone who would like to know more about who we are, what we are doing, and why I believe it is a God-inspired happening for this moment of time. For the love you have bestowed upon this world and upon me, O Lord, I am beyond grateful. May this gift inspire within me a passion for what you are seeking to do in this moment of time. Too many people are acting as if love is a very scarce resource, and they are allowing too many people to be considered expendable in the grab for what is thought to be in short supply. Forgive us, Lord God, and sweep us into an experience of your limitless and relentless love that has not and will not ever be lacking in quantity or expansiveness. Thank you for such a gift. Amen. ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
October 3, 2023 Yesterday was my day off, but it was one of those days off when there were projects to do. We did some major housecleaning, and one of the projects was to pull out the washer and dryer to clean underneath them. And of course, since the dryer was pulled out of the wall, I might as well do some cleaning of the dryer vent. And then I realized that the bracket holding the vent duct was broken. A quick trip to Lowes made me remember that I needed to pick up some good potting soil for some herbs that someone gave me. Once I was outside looking at the herbs, I realized that both the bird feeder and the humming bird feeder needed to be refilled. And once that was done, I noticed a rash of weeds in the corner of the backyard. While I was pulling them, I took note of a plank in the back fence that was loose, and so I found a couple of nails and got it secured. Suddenly, I paused and wondered how I got from housecleaning to fence fixing over a five-hour period. I’m sure you’ve all had days like that, and maybe your starting place and finishing place were even further apart than mine. Last night, as I pondered my day, I reflected on the Gospel of Mark, specifically the first chapter. Four times in that first chapter, Mark describes Jesus doing something “immediately.” Jesus was doing one thing, and then immediately he was doing something else. And a short time later, he immediately moved on to something else. Mark liked the word “immediately” as he used it often, but I sort of wonder if there was a bit more of a flow to the life of Jesus that was not always communicated in Mark’s Gospel. As I talked about my day yesterday, it sort of sounded unpredictable, bouncing from one thing to an unrelated thing. Yet, as strange as each transition might have sounded, it sort of made sense. It had a rather good flow, and a number of needed things were accomplished. I have a pretty strong feeling that Jesus, in spite of Mark’s abrupt movement of one Jesus story to the next, had a rather good and purposeful flow to it all. Give me guidance, Gracious God, in my daily life. And even as random and disorganized as it might be, I pray for purpose and opportunities to make a difference in my life, the lives of others, and in your creation. Amen. ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
October 2, 2023 Prayer shared by Angela Whyde in worship yesterday at Cypress Creek's Contemporary Service God, on this World Communion Sunday, we pray that we may gain the knowledge to use the keys that we have to unlock the doors that previously seemed unbreachable. Allow us to gain the opportunities to unlock and open these well-guarded doors, not just for ourselves, but for others, as well. We ask that what we find behind these doors lets us explore our own faith, our own beliefs, and allows us to make new revelations about the world and ourselves. Revelations that we may need to make in order to spread Your Word and Your Love. We pray that these doors may grant us access to the knowledge we need to help those who wish to obtain that which has been kept from them for too long, but are afraid to ask questions for fear of knocking down the fragile house of cards that they are so used to. Help us to spread to these people the message that they are wonderfully made by you, that they are loved by you no matter what. It is with this prayer that we offer the words that your Son taught us to pray (the Lord’s Prayer)… Amen. |
AuthorRev. Bruce Frogge Archives
May 2024
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