Ankeny UCC

A Welcoming Church Family Exploring Progressive Christian Theology

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A Welcoming Church Family Exploring Progressive Christian Theology
Plague Year, Women's Lectionary for the Whole Church

Caring For All

June 19, 2022
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…
Preacher : Nathan Willard
Service Type: Sunday Worship
A Women's Lectionary for the Whole Church, Plague Year

Transformed and Transforming

June 5, 2022
Jesus may be gone, but the Holy Spirit continues to push us toward changing ourselves, our church, and our world.
Preacher : Nathan Willard
Passage: Acts 2:1-18
Service Type: Sunday Worship
A Women's Lectionary for the Whole Church, Church Identity 2022

Serving in This Place

May 29, 2022
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…
Preacher : Nathan Willard
Passage: Acts 1:1-11
Service Type: Sunday Worship
Church Identity 2022

Caring in the Unknown

May 22, 2022
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?
Preacher : Nathan Willard
Passage: Acts 7:22-34
Service Type: Sunday Worship
Plague Year, Women's Lectionary for the Whole Church

The Committee on Un-Roman Activities

February 6, 2022
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?
Preacher : Nathan Willard
Passage: Acts 16:16-23
Service Type: Sunday Worship
Plague Year, The Stories of Acts

The End of One Story

June 27, 2021
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…
Preacher : Nathan Willard
Passage: Acts 28:23-31
Service Type: Sunday Worship
Plague Year, The Stories of Acts

Affirmations of Baptisms

June 20, 2021
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…
Preacher : Nathan Willard
Passage: Acts 19:1-7
Service Type: Sunday Worship
Plague Year, Start Here, The Stories of Acts

The Blessings of Single-Story Construction

June 13, 2021
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.
Preacher : Nathan Willard
Passage: Acts 20:7-12
Service Type: Sunday Worship
Plague Year, The Stories of Acts

Into the Unknown

June 6, 2021
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.
Preacher : Nathan Willard
Passage: Acts 17:18-31
Service Type: Sunday Worship
Plague Year, Shine Curriculum

It’s Always the People

May 16, 2021
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…
Preacher : Nathan Willard
Passage: Acts 10
Service Type: Sunday Worship
Plague Year, Shine Curriculum

Indulging in Power

May 9, 2021
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…
Passage: Acts 8:1-3, 9:1-9
Service Type: Sunday Worship
Plague Year, Shine Curriculum

Unexpected Acts in Ethiopia

May 2, 2021
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…
Preacher : Nathan Willard
Passage: Acts 8:26-40
Service Type: Sunday Worship
Plague Year, Shine Curriculum

Foundations of Love

April 25, 2021
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…
Preacher : Nathan Willard
Passage: Acts 8:4-5, 26-40
Service Type: Sunday Worship
Plague Year, Shine Curriculum

The Birth of the Church

April 18, 2021
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.
Preacher : Nathan Willard
Passage: Acts 2:1-12
Service Type: Sunday Worship
Plague Year, Shine Curriculum

Being Witnesses

April 11, 2021
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…
Preacher : Nathan Willard
Passage: Acts 1:1-11
Service Type: Sunday Worship
Narrative Lectionary Year 2 (2019-20), Plague Year

Gifts of Holy Fire

May 31, 2020
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…
Preacher : Nathan Willard
Passage: 1 Corinthians 12:1-11
Service Type: Sunday Worship
Narrative Lectionary Year 2 (2019-20), Plague Year

Caring in the Name of Christ

May 10, 2020
Paul complaining about division in Christianity is a little funny to careful readers, but his warning to avoid tribalism in our thinking is sound.
Preacher : Nathan Willard
Passage: 1 Corinthians 1:10-18
Service Type: Sunday Worship
Narrative Lectionary Year 2 (2019-20), Plague Year

Exploring the Meaning of Christ

May 3, 2020
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…
Preacher : Nathan Willard
Passage: 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10
Service Type: Sunday Worship

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