THE WORLD IS ABOUT TO TURN: DEC. 22, 2024
Holy Trinity Ankeny
Mary’s Magnificat isn’t a lullaby—it’s a revolution. The world is about to turn, and everything is changing. A humble girl sings of God’s justice, lifting the lowly and scattering the proud. This isn’t just ancient history—it’s the hope we hold onto today.
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BROOD OF VIPERS: DEC. 15, 2024
Holy Trinity Ankeny
When John the Baptist addresses his congregation as a “Brood of vipers,” it hardly seems like good news. Rather than an insult, however, John is calling out the misguided notion that we can avoid judgment because we’re the right kind of people. We shall all be shaped for life in the reign of God through judgment or repentance. Repentance invites us to live in the presence of Christ now as people dedicated to justice, love, and compassion. It is very good news, indeed.
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LESSONS & CAROLS: DEC. 8, 2024
Holy Trinity Ankeny
Worship features readings of the season and music by the Adult Choir and a small chamber ensemble.
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STEWARDING HOPE: DEC. 1, 2024
Holy Trinity Ankeny
Advent is more than waiting—it’s stewarding hope. In a world weighed down by uncertainty and injustice, how do we rise up and see signs of God's kingdom breaking in today?
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CHRIST, THE KING: NOV. 24, 2024
Holy Trinity Ankeny
To whom will we give our lives to? That is the question on the Festival of Christ the King. Will it be the kings, presidents, rulers, and powers of this world? Wall Street or Madison Avenue? Or will we serve the only one “who was, who is, and the one coming?” as the Book of Revelation names him? Will we trust the powers and people who will pass away or the one who is eternal?
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BIRTH PANGS: NOV. 17, 2024
Holy Trinity Ankeny
Whenever the Bible speaks of suffering, war, or cataclysm of any kind we tend to assume it is speaking of God’s punishment. Jesus does not do that. Referring to the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, “war and rumors of war,” he calls them “birth pangs.” This does not minimize the suffering and pain. It reminds us, however, that the birth pangs are not the baby. In these days of uncertainty and chaos, it is easy to fear the world is ending. It is in way. But these are the birth pangs, not the reign of God that will make all things new.
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MORE THAN JUST TWO COINS: NOV. 10, 2024
Holy Trinity Ankeny
What does it mean to give everything when you don’t have enough to begin with? A widow’s offering of two small coins challenges everything we know about generosity, trust, and faith. In a world that devours us, how can we respond with faith that holds nothing back? What does it truly mean to offer our all?
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“ALREADY” PEOPLE IN A “NOT YET” WORLD: NOV 3, 2024
Holy Trinity Ankeny
If you don’t know where you are headed, you’re probably lost. This world seems lost, unsure of where we are going or who will lead us. As followers of Jesus Christ, we know where the world is headed and what the end looks like. It is what he revealed in his life, death, and resurrection. The reign of God is not yet here, but it is already dawning, all around us. On All Saints Day we remember all the saints who have lived into God’s future by being “already” people in a “not yet” world.
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EXPERIENCE GRACE: OCT. 27, 2024
Holy Trinity Ankeny
You are a beloved child of God. Know that you are accepted; you are loved by the one who made the universe.
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WHY DOESN’T GOD DO SOMETHING?
Holy Trinity Ankeny
It is common to look at the trouble of the world and ask why God does not do something about it all. But what if God has done something, and that something is you? Luke, the masterful storyteller, and evangelist offers some of the most beloved and memorable teachings of Jesus we know. In many of them, Jesus is not the miracle worker. Instead, after an encounter with the overwhelming love of God in Christ, miraculous things are done by people like you and me.
info_outlinePeter asks if forgiving someone seven times is sufficient. Since many of us find forgiving someone once a stretch, Peter was generous. Jesus, however, called for more. He says, “Seventy-seven times” or “Seven times seventy.” Given the symbolic nature of the number seven, the point is to forgive endlessly. Perhaps forgiveness is more than a duty or obligation. Just maybe forgiveness is the power of the resurrection raising dead relationships to new life.