ENTER LIFE: SEPT. 29, 2024
Holy Trinity Ankeny
In today’s gospel, Jesus speaks of plucking out eyes and cutting off hands—but what if we’ve misunderstood? What if true wholeness comes from letting go? Numbers 11:4-6, 10-16, 24-29 | James 5:13-20 | Mark 9:38-50
info_outline
K IS FOR CONFUSION: SEPT. 22, 2024
Holy Trinity Ankeny
Ever felt lost in confusion, even when you're right in the middle of faith? You're not alone. Sometimes the greatest lessons come when we’re the most uncertain. In our confusion, Jesus reassures us that he will always be with us. Jeremiah 11:18-20 | James 3:13—4:3, 7-8a | Mark 9:30-37
info_outline
INCONCEIVABLE: SEPT. 15, 2024
Holy Trinity Ankeny
Peter thought he had it all figured out. He had the right title, but completely missed the meaning. What happens when we try to make Jesus fit our expectations? Isaiah 50:4-9a | James 3:1-12 | Mark 8:27-38
info_outline
A TALE OF HEALING: SEPT. 8, 2024
Holy Trinity Ankeny
Deacon Jodi Schuman visits Holy Trinity and preaches on Mark 7 this week.
info_outline
DIRT, BLOOD, AND ANGUISH: SEPT. 1, 2024
Holy Trinity Ankeny
Jesus and the Pharisees clash again—this time over handwashing traditions. Ever wonder if the rituals you follow are drawing you closer to God—or pulling you away? Sometimes, it’s time to uncover the dirt in our spiritual lives. Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-9 | James 1:17-27 | Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23
info_outline
LORD BE WITH YOU: AUGUST 25, 2024
Holy Trinity Ankeny
There are words and phrases that everyone needs to hear in their life. Sometimes it is simply “I love you” or “I am proud of you.” Other times, when life is really hard and we cry out “God where are you,” someone in our life brings us the good news that God is with us and God is with you. It is the good news of Advent, the good news of Easter, and the good news of Pentecost. The Lord be with you. Joshua 24:1-2a, 14-18 | Ephesians 6:10-20 | John 6:56-69
info_outline
INCARNATION AND INTIMACY: AUGUST 18, 2024
Holy Trinity Ankeny
Imagine standing in a crowd of thousands, hungry for more than just bread. What if the bread you sought wasn’t just food, but a radical invitation? Proverbs 9:1-6 | Ephesians 5:15-20 | John 6:51-58
info_outline
MOUNTAINS AND VALLEYS: AUGUST 11, 2024
Holy Trinity Ankeny
Have you ever felt like life is more valley than mountaintop? Elijah did too. He stood against kings, called down fire from heaven, and yet, he found himself alone, exhausted, and ready to give up. But it was in that dark valley, not on the mountaintop, where God met him with the most tender, sustaining grace. 1 Kings 19:4-8 | Ephesians 4:25—5:2 | John 6:35, 41-51
info_outline
WHEN DID YOU GET HERE? AUGUST 4, 2024
Holy Trinity Ankeny
Have you ever felt the anxiety of not knowing where someone important is, especially after midnight? The crowd in John’s Gospel experienced a similar fear when they couldn’t find Jesus. But it just wasn’t that they couldn't find Jesus, it was that they had expectations that were not being met. Exodus 16:2-4, 9-15 | Ephesians 4:1-16 | John 6:24-35
info_outline
LEFTOVERS: JULY 28, 2024
Holy Trinity Ankeny
We all have that bucket of leftover parts sitting on a workbench. They are those extra bolts and screws that we just can't bring ourselves to toss in the garbage. In our Gospel lesson for today, Jesus tells the disciples to gather up the leftovers from the feeding of the multitude. There is good news for those of us who are left out and leftover. 2 Kings 4:42-44 | Ephesians 3:14-21 | John 6:1-21
info_outlineThe back wall of our chancel (the place of the altar) is made of limestone. Each stone is unique, stacked into a wall. If those stones could talk, what would they say? But they can’t talk – they are “dead” stones. First Peter says that we, the people of God, are “living stones” built into a temple that lives and breathes. What does that mean?