WATER AND A TOWEL: MAUNDY THURSDAY, APRIL 2, 2026
Holy Trinity Ankeny
Jesus commands us to love as he loved us. But words sometimes get bent and even a word like "love" can become vague or disputed. So, instead of just words, Jesus washes feet. That action shows us love instead of telling us about it.
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GLITTERING SADNESS: MARCH 29, 2026
Holy Trinity Ankeny
Palm Sunday is supposed to feel like triumph. Palms waving. Hosannas shouting. But Matthew says the whole city was troubled. Shaking. And nobody could quite answer the question. Who is this? That tension, the beauty and the ache mingled together, that is glittering sadness. And there is a king who rides straight into the middle of it. Matthew 21:1-11 | Philippians 2:5-11
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CAN THESE BONES LIVE? - MARCH 22, 2026
Holy Trinity Ankeny
Emilie Bouvier from ELCA World Hunger shares stories and reflections on ELCA ministries and today's readings of breath, bones, and resurrection.
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BLIND: MARCH 15, 2026
Holy Trinity Ankeny
Jesus encounters a man born blind. He gives him his sight. That should be enough of a story to tell, enough to convince us Jesus is who he says he is – the light of the world. It is not. As the story unfolds, we find ourselves realizing that the blind can see and the sighted are blind. We see how our lack of compassion, fear, and insistence that we are right keep us from seeing the grace of God before our eyes, so the light never captures the heart.
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STILL THIRSTY: MARCH 8, 2026
Holy Trinity Ankeny
She came to the well with a jar. She left without it. Not because it was filled, it never was. Because somewhere in that conversation she understood something that changed everything. Water in a jar is not living water. Readings: John 4:5-42 | Romans 5:1-11 | Exodus 17:1-7
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GRACE FOR SALE: MARCH 1, 2026
Holy Trinity Ankeny
In a world dominated by markets, winners and losers, earning our keep, it seems like earning God’s love would be our chief spiritual pursuit. This is true for many, if not the majority. That makes God’s grace a product to be bought, bargained for, or earned. It means grace is for sale. But it's not. To think this way is to live by the law, which, as Paul says, can only bring wrath. So, how do we stand before God? Grace upon grace.
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We Know Who You Are: February 22, 2026
Holy Trinity Ankeny
The Grand Inquisitor looks at Jesus and says: I know exactly who you are. And we are going to have to kill you anyway. Not because he is confused. Not because he lacks evidence. Because he understands Jesus perfectly — and finds him unmanageable. This Lent, we are confronted with a question. Do we actually want the kind of Savior Jesus is? Matthew 4:1-11
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LOVE'S PURE LIGHT: FEBRUARY 15, 2025
Holy Trinity Ankeny
The story of the Transfiguration of Jesus is a challenge. On the mountain, three disciples witness Jesus shing with the light of heaven. It is a deeply spiritual moment, full of mystery. Maybe that is why it is a challenge. We tend to be materialistic people. If something can’t be touched, measured or possessed it is not real. Spiritual things are just wishful thinking. This story, however, declares that Jesus Christ is both spiritual and material, both divine and human. Heaven and earth are united in Christ. That is the core of the gospel. In Christ, God united all things including our...
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LIGHT, SHINE: FEBRUARY 8, 2026
Holy Trinity Ankeny
We're exhausted. We pray, we give, we show up, and the world is still on fire. What if God isn't asking us to try harder? What if the light we're struggling to shine is already in us? Matthew 5:13-20 | 1 Corinthians 2:1-12 | Isaiah 58:1-9a
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FOR WHOM IS THE GOOD NEWS GOOD? FEBRUARY 1, 2026
Holy Trinity Ankeny
The Beatitudes are among the most familiar teachings of Jesus. These verses proclaim blessedness - good news - to people we may not think are very blessed. That is good news for us.
info_outlineThe doctor tells me I have cancer. That can make one stop and think. To walk the path ahead, I find myself thinking about what kind of God I need. A god who planned my cancer? Maybe one who will supply a miracle when all hope is lost? No, I am convinced that the God I need is the one who created a world where radiation and radiologists, scalpels and surgeons bring to bear the grace of creation. More important, I need a God who is not aloof and far off, inscrutable and impassive, but one who knows my sufferings and shares them. That is the God revealed in Christ and his cross.