ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
May 19, 2024
This has been a tough week for many people—the storm, power-outages, a family member having an unexpected surgery, busyness around graduations, a pending move, saying goodbye to a beloved furry and four-legged family member, having a dishwasher go on the fritz, battling the health insurance company, or watching the news with disbelief and heartache. Your list might not have included any of these, but life happens as life is happening, and there are times when it can feel overwhelming. On this Pentecost Sunday, I give thanks for the gift of the Spirit that tries, in spite of my regular pushback, to help me focus on what is really important. Oh sure, some of the less important stuff still needs attention, but I wonder how often I give the little stuff too much power and control. Do I feed it with my anxious energy, allowing it to grow right before my eyes? It doesn’t happen without practice, but if I have been mindful of my spiritual practices, making space daily for the Spirit to dwell more deeply within me, and I am having regular conversations with God that feel like the conversations I have with a close friend, then I am in a better place to pause, take a deep breath, and see what truly needs my attention and what can wait (or maybe even be ignored). When I have not been mindful of my spiritual health, the chaos of life can become an insurmountable obstacle to which I feel powerless. Jesus spoke about having faith the size of a mustard seed, and such faith could move mountains. Sometimes I think even a little bit of well-grounded faith allows us to realize that the mountain before us is not even the mountain God wants us to climb, and definitely not the mountain we are being asked to die on. When I am a bit more spiritually centered, I can often turn away from that immeasurable obstacle that has been set before me, only to then realize what God is inviting me to tackle is something entirely different, something that might be challenging, but it aligns with my gifts and the spiritual support system I have around me.
May the grace-filled power of your Spirit pour over me in a new and fresh way on this Pentecost Sunday. Come, Holy Spirit, and I will make space for you. Amen.
05-18-24
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
May 18, 2024
I returned from Nebraska late Thursday night, and though we had a very good experience in Alliance, Nebraska, with my siblings as we did the interment of my mother’s ashes, I returned with The Crud. I got some rest yesterday, and I am looking forward to moving to the other side of this head fog. So yesterday, as I rested on the couch, I turned to a series I had been watching. I was a number of episodes behind, but I was ready for number six. In both movies and TV series, I have been surprised by a sudden turn in the storyline, or maybe a character who I thought was evil was in fact good. But in this series (I’m not going to mention it in case you are watching it), I was absolutely blown away by a dramatic piece of information that changed everything. So often, we have an inkling, or at least the possibility has gone through our minds, but not in this case. Bruce was left flabbergasted, or, as some say, gobsmacked. That little piece of information has, in fact, changed the genre of the series.
So I am thinking about how we read the scriptures. For most of us, there is not a lot of surprise. We do not get to the end of the Gospel and find ourselves flabbergasted by the resurrection. Most of us are not stunned by the words of the messengers at the tomb: “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again.” On Easter, we tend to offer a sort of lackluster, “Hallelujah!” I know we can’t erase what we already know, but I believe it is important for us to imagine what it was like for those who first heard this story shared, with very little expectation of where the storyline was going. Equally important were the people from whom they were hearing the story. I imagine those ancient storytellers had lives that suggested how the unexpected has profoundly changed them.
So I guess my question is a simple one: How do we create a wow-factor for a story we know a little too well? Maybe a follow-up question might be: Are we ever caught off guard, not by the story but by the people we meet who have chosen to live their lives differently? In response to that second question, I see it all the time.
Loving God, where I have become a bit complacent with the story entrusted to me, I pray for a little unexpected shock to my soul. Awaken me to the way your love is inspiring and changing lives all around me. Amen.
05-17-24
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
May 17, 2024
Maybe you have done it enough to have absolutely no jitters, but I really dislike returning a rental car on my way to catch a flight. Traffic around Denver Airport was pretty crazy, and of course, finding a gas station to fill the rental before returning was challenging. It actually turned out very well, and Donna and I arrived at our gate with plenty of time. A few times along the way, I said a prayer like, “Spirit, I need your calming presence to be poured over me.”
Though Pentecost is usually described as an event where the Spirit created energy, excitement, and people infused with purpose, I believe the Spirit is also a gift by which we find rest, calm, and periods of focus that we can prayerfully discern. How is it that the Spirit can be the source of both, and if so, are there times when we might be in conflict with the Spirit? Are there times when our emotional or spiritual need in the moment is not what the Spirit is seeking to do? Could it be that God meets us wherever we are and provides the gifts that will place us in the right mood or spiritual frame of mind so that we can take the next step? Just because I am needing some time to breathe doesn’t mean the Spirit isn’t capable of pushing you ahead. When I am rested, then I will be in a better place to join you in the good work you are doing. Though it sometimes goes against our nature, there are times when the work we need to be doing is finding rest with the Spirit, a time to breathe in the grace of God so that we are in the best place to take hold of the purpose God is putting before us. I think the Spirit does both.
Your love meets us where we are, Lord God, and then you work with each person just as you find them. Thank you for that beautiful expression of grace. Amen.
05-16-24
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
May 16, 2024
This Sunday is Pentecost Sunday, and as we ponder the power of the Holy Spirit, I think about the promise of Jesus that we read about in John’s Gospel, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever” (vs.14:15-16). Jesus spoke of “another Advocate.” The Greek word we translate as Advocate is paraklēton, which is a word that has challenged scholars, even leaving some of them to coin a word, Paraclete, that resembled the original Greek word. Other translations are: intercessor, counselor, comforter, teacher, or helper. The other word that causes some intrigue is the word “another,” because it assumes that a Paraclete has already existed. Was Jesus the first Paraclete? When we think about the life and ministry of Jesus, words like advocate, intercessor, counselor, comforter, teacher, or helper sort of fit. Or does it even go deeper, connecting us to the One True God that we speak of as the Trinity? And maybe the Paraclete is the essence of God that we can experience. It is how we meet the Sacred that is best known as love, and advocate, intercessor, counselor, comforter, teacher, or helper are ways we encounter love. And though the embodied version of this love, Jesus, would no longer be with the disciples, the promised Paraclete was John’s way of communicating God’s everlasting presence—letting the early church know that it would never be alone, and in every act of advocacy, intercession, counsel, comfort, teaching, and helping, the God of love was present.
For all the ways your love is known, O God, we pray for the capacity to bring your presence to life through the church’s advocacy, intercession, counsel, comfort, teaching, and helping. Amen.
05-15-24
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
May 15, 2024
As a young kid, I remember hearing the song, Turn! Turn! Turn! The song is based upon the well-known words from the Book of Ecclesiastes: To every thing there is a season… The song actually hit Number One on the Billboard Charts before I was born, but one Sunday evening, after an earlier Sunday School lesson from Ecclesiastes, there was this aha moment as I heard the song on the radio. Come to find out, there has never been another number one pop song that had more scripture in it—nothing even close. I share that background because Jesus seemed to talk about certain things occurring in the proper season at the right time. Once you move away from God as the great puppeteer, controlling every move of every human being, to an understanding of God who respects free will, you begin to realize how involved we need to be in the realization of the vision presented by Jesus. God not only needs us, but God expects us to be a part of the process. And there are moments in human history when seismic shifts have occurred, and those moments were not magic or brought about by a really good speech. The moment was right and ripe, in part, because there was a tipping point in the collective consciousness of humanity—a tipping point that had been building long before the tip ever occurred. Some are always a little dumbfounded by what appeared to be an unexpected and dramatic change, but for many others, the generational hope had been consistently building and gaining strength. Jesus recognized how important the season was—a time to laugh, a time to cry, a time to dance, a time to mourn, a time to enjoy a meal, a time to fast. Often, fasting would come just ahead of the tipping point.
Holy God, create within me a holy awareness so that I am not blindsided by the movement of your Spirit. I do not wish to be caught off guard by the new thing you are doing. Instead, I want to feel as if I somehow participated in seeing some small part of your vision actualized. Amen.
05-14-24
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
May 14, 2024
In the 9th chapter of Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus was approached by a leader of the synagogue, fell to his knees, and begged Jesus to come and resurrect his daughter, who had died. In reading scripture, we tend to stereotype the religious leaders, viewing them as hypocritical and out to get Jesus, but that wasn’t necessarily true of everyone. Our tendency as human beings is to view the world in categories, but people rarely fit the categories we create. This religious leader, even if it was for selfish reasons, came and knelt before Jesus. He was convinced, or at least desperately hoping, that Jesus could bring his daughter back to life. Could it be that this religious leader had been, at one time, in complete agreement with other religious leaders in regard to Jesus? They did not like Jesus and wanted him out of the picture. And then, without notice, illness and death came to this man’s home. Suddenly, that event had the grieving man seeing Jesus in a completely different light. Even if it was only a slim possibility that Jesus could revive his daughter, it was worth a shift in how he viewed Jesus. It is strange how deep grief can have us looking where we never imagined we’d look and, even more surprisingly, discovering what we never imagined we’d find.
Create within me, Holy God, a capacity to see beyond the many categories that have been imposed upon our world. Surprise me, as you so often have, for I desire to see Jesus in a way that I have never seen him before. Amen.
05-13-24
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
May 13, 2024
A Prayer For The Week
Written by Carolina Fuentes, Cypress Creek Elder)
Loving God who cares for us as a loving parent.
We acknowledge that we all have had different life experiences and bring different feelings and expectations today. But we give you thanks for the opportunity to gather to be with one another and worship. We thank you for the gift of letting us show up just how we are and just where we are.
We pray for mothers today. Those who are joyful, those who are overwhelmed and struggling. We pray for those who have experienced loss and are grieving. We pray for those who miss their mothers or don’t have a relationship with them, those who have been hurt. We pray for encouragement, for guidance, for loving and practical support from those around us. We pray for the people who are mentors, helpers, spiritual parents, teachers and friends and for their important role in our lives and in our communities. We pray for Mother Earth and for its beauty and gifts; help us to be more connected to her and to be better caretakers.
Please give us today what we need, speak to our hearts, encourage us, and bring us closer to you and one another. Amen.
05-11-24
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
May 11, 2024
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, “I am many things to many people: civil rights leader, agitator, trouble-maker and orator, but in the quiet recesses of my heart, I am fundamentally a clergyman, a Baptist preacher… The church is my life and I have given my life to the church.”
When Dr. King wrote those words, I do not believe he was suggesting that he gave his life to an organization, institution, or bureaucracy. When he referenced giving his life to the church, I hear the voice of one who gave his life to an idea that sought enfleshing within a community that had its origin and power through the Holy Spirit.
Have we given our lives to such an idea? That kind of commitment was the pretext for Dr. King’s assassination. There are moments when I wonder just how much of my life I have really given to this magnificent idea that we call the church.
I arise every morning seeking to serve you, O Holy God, but that desire can so easily find distractions and interruptions that have my life-energy and resources supporting ideas that do not reflect the love and mercy of Jesus. Reignite that desire within me as your grace remains patient with me. Amen.
05-12-24
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
May 12, 2024
Yesterday, Cypress Creek Christian Church had the funeral service for one of our longtime members, Lewis Crossley. He and his family joined the church back in the 70’s when it was meeting at Bammel Middle School. I had a couple of strange incidents, one during the funeral and the other at the graveside. When I stood up to speak, something in the flower arrangement close by set off my allergies. I won’t go into detail, but most of you know what it feels like to try and speak as phlegm is flowing down the back of your throat. I don’t usually struggle with allergies too much, so it caught me off guard. Ninety minutes later, I am with the family at the graveside. Lew served in the Navy, and so they had an Honor Guard, and though I have witnessed it numerous times, I am still moved by the folding and presentation of the flag. After they were done, I stepped forward to offer the Committal, some thoughts for the family as their loved one was buried. As I am speaking, I see a bug fly past my face. If I hadn’t been speaking in such a formal setting, I would have swatted the bug away. Instead, I let it fly back and forth. Somewhere around the fourth or fifth pass, I sucked it in. For a few moments, as I continued to speak, I believe the family thought I was getting emotional. I was choking, but not choking back tears. I was choking on a bug. There are times in life when the best-made plans are interrupted by what would usually be of little consequence—some flowers and a bug. But isn’t that a lot of life? It is often what might appear to be trivial, of little importance that catches us completely off guard. I’m not suggesting it is always bad. Sometimes, that unexpected interruption might have guided us to something positive, something we’d never imagined before. In the case of the flowers and the bug, I don’t know if it really guided me too much; except maybe a good story to tell. And since I am in the storytelling business, maybe that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
Life happens! That little, almost unnoticed thing can turn the moment upside down. I trust you, O God of immeasurable possibilities, and maybe something positive can come from it, even if it is nothing more than a good story to tell about choking down a bug. Amen.
05-10-24
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
May 10, 2024
Mercy Amba Oduyoy is a theologian from Ghana. According to Christian Century, Oduyoy “consistently raises her voice to insist on men and women’s equality in a culture that endorses values of communal care and wholeness but fails to demonstrate them toward its own women. At the same time, her theological voice asserts the full value of all people in the church.” Christianity was not born in America, though it has been influenced by some very western thinking. Oduyoy sees the scriptures through her cultural eyes, and her perspective and some of what she receives from the scriptures are quite fascinating.
One of her well-known quotes is,
“It is hard for women to be the healers when they are also wounded.”
Whenever a culture diminishes someone for their gender or anything so critical to who they are as a human being, it is very difficult to give of oneself. Women, in most every culture, have taken on so many essential responsibilities that have been devalued and spoken of in disparaging ways. Yet even in this undercutting of their value, women have found themselves doing the work of healing and caregiving and so many other indispensable tasks for the wellbeing of the family and community.
God, who gifts every human being with gifts for the purpose of healing creation, we acknowledge how we do not honor certain gifts as we should, and we do not honor every human being as we should. As we celebrate your image upon every human being and your Spirit within every life-giving gift, the world in which we live will move closer to your dream put forth in the prophets, the sages, and Jesus. Amen.
pastorfrogge 