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…
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.
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…
In the culmination of three weeks where we asked, "What Next?" we see that, empowered by the holy spirit, disciples like we can step outside our comfort zones and heal…
Matthew's recounting of Jesus's teachings about discipleship continue with a troubling example of welcome and rejection at a wedding feast. Once we are part of a Christian community, how do…
Jesus's Baptism by John reminds us of the sign of hope Noah received after the flood, and prepares us for Jesus's servant leadership at the time of death. But it…
We often mistake silence and quiet for peace. True peace comes only with reconciliation. Silence and quiet often hide violence being done to those without power, allowing those with power…
God sets about creation methodically, creating the frame and then filling it in. So to do we set about the work of building the church by setting the frame for…
We spend so much time creating "thems" to protect "us" that we miss the centrality of Jesus's gospel: that there are no Thems. There are only Us's, and only by…
We continue our exploration of worship with music--who knew there was an age-old debate between sedate and enthusiastic singing. What music brings you joy and feeling?
In the first of our Worship 101 series on Holy Trinity Sunday, we tackle a big fancy word: Invocation. Why do we call upon the names of God in our…
Sometimes, we need to look with fresh eyes at the people and stories all around us. The graphs about dialogue in films can be found at polygraph.cool/films
In the 8th century, bad futures were on the horizon for the Northern kingdom of Israel. But even as geopolitics were about to turn against Israel, the prophets cried out…
Painting:Â Saint Sophia the Almighty Wisdom by Nicholas Roerich There is a reason movements have anthems. In Ephesians, we are told that, because we live in evil times, we should open…
The Holy Trinity is a great mystery. Maybe we can help understand it in relation to ourselves with three questions: What is your name? What is your quest? What is…
Our Pentecost, like the Pentecost of Judaism, is a celebration of God's actions in the world. In our case, it's a reminder that, when we are confused and think that…
