The church described early in the Book of Acts exemplified caring for all. For them, it meant the sacrifice by those who had much to create equality among the whole…
Jesus may be gone, but the Holy Spirit continues to push us toward changing ourselves, our church, and our world.
We're a church that serves beyond. What does that mean? It means doing the work of Jesus outside the doors of the church, and being bold to try and change…
Paul writes about the tomb dedicated to an unknown (really an unnamed) god in Athens. How often do we treat those around us in church as unnamed and unknown?
Paul and Silas went to help a woman and free her from (some) exploitation. Then they got thrown in the stocks. What happens when we challenge systems that exploit people?
Acts concludes with Paul's implicit charge to future followers: go forth among the Gentiles. In our world, we are the ones to heed his call to examine our own hearts…
As we welcome new members into Ankeny UCC, we look to Paul's outreach to followers of John the Baptist and understand how the diversity of our faith journeys changes us…
Sometimes, the stories are just a little bit funny, and we have to lean into the reality that we present our whole lives to God and one another.
Paul's message to Athens is not only that God has always been with them, but also that we are called to do more than just talk.
Peter's vision completes the work God is doing with the early church in the wake of Jesus's resurrection. This time, God reminds us that no matter what direction the church…
We often talk about Saul's "Damascus Road" conversion. But of course, his mind, heart, and actions don't change on the Damascus Road. For that, he needs to be subject to…
The story of the early church is one of unlearning assumptions and learning the power of the Holy Spirit. When Philip ran into the Ethiopian eunuch on the road, the…
In this somewhat idealized vision of the early church, we see what the Holy Spirit can do when the church is trying to build something together. In the midst of…
On the birthday of the church, the Holy Spirit gave the disciples a gift that helped them overcome their fear, build relationships, and leave a place of familiarity.
The first chapter of Acts reminds us that Jesus's time on earth ended, but that the church went on. In the wake of Easter, what will we do to bring…
We always must remember how many gifts of the spirit are dedicated to listening and communicating. In the midst of an oppression that is the legacy of a country founded…
Paul complaining about division in Christianity is a little funny to careful readers, but his warning to avoid tribalism in our thinking is sound.
Sometimes in Christianity, the only meaning of Jesus that is said to be important is his death. But Jesus lived and embodied life, and rose again, and meaning may be…
