In a world beset by unstable institutions and changing bedrocks and assumptions, we need a faith that teaches us how to adapt and change to meet the challenges of different…
The story of Thomas's encounter with the risen Christ shows us not only what our own reactions to good news can often look like, but the hope that there is…
Christ is Risen! In a new body that reminds us resurrection is not restoration, but the beginning of something new.
Christ enters Jerusalem in community. He exists with God and the Holy Spirit in the community of the Trinity. And we exist in community with them and with one another.…
Christians believe a lot of things. That's part of the deal with having free will. Central among them all is that something miraculous happened on the cross. We may not…
C.S. Lewis starts Mere Christianity by laying the groundwork for all religion: is there some morality outside ourselves? How might this question be illustrated in this story of Jesus feeding…
As we embark on our Lenten practice and Study of C.S. Lewis's Mere Christianity, we ask ourselves, "what is the center of our faith?" In a world where faith is…
We like to think that the world around us changes based on who we think is helped by the reality we choose to inhabit. War, violence against bodies, and acts…
We often fool ourselves into thinking messengers who challenge us are flawed and should be dismissed. But Jesus tells us that being only human is an opportunity for hope.
Song of Songs reminds us that editors of the Bible throughout the ages have found it important to acknowledge the whole truths of our existence, and not to give into…
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?
It's easy, when reading the healing stories of Jesus, to miss the stories of the people being healed. It's important to listen to the details, so that we can hear…
In 2022, what actions can we take that take you back to the moment you were first called to the church universal or to Ankeny UCC in particular?
We choose the stories we tell ourselves about who we are and where we came from. As we look at America today, let's look at our past and recognize truths…
In a Christian world, we sometimes miss the wonder and the challenge of a Christ born into his own world. How can we experience and feel the transforming love Christ…
The event is over, but Christmas continues. In the wake of our gatherings, find hope.
It is another in the increasingly misnamed Plague Year. We are gathered again at Christmas, and yet we are not. Is the night half-bright or half-dark (much like our Christmas…
Some prophet, long ago, noticed the implications of God being the God of all people--that God's promise was equally for all people.
