Holy Trinity Ankeny

The journey begins with “Create in me a clean heart, O God” and with Jesus as our traveling companion, all of our journeys end in the heart of God.

A fruit tree, a talking snake, and forty days in the wilderness: essential source of truth about our humanity and struggles. When we aren’t sure who we are or for what purpose we live, we are restless. The brokenness of our world and daily lives results from listening to the tempting, deceptive voices that convince us to judge others and ourselves, make us strive for a purpose that does not belong to us. Learn from Jesus how we face the hissing of temptation.

From cluttered desktops, to constantly changing calendars; from tragedies of violence and disease to dysfunctional government, life is an unholy mess. Wouldn’t it be great if God would show up with a little dazzling light from heaven and a booming voice of encouragement once in a while to assure us the unholy mess was not a hopeless reality? Maybe God does precisely that – on a regular basis. What if Holy encounters are how God guides us through the unholy mess that is life?

Jesus teaches in the Sermon on the Mount about loving all people; neighbors and enemies. This seems like an impossibility since we place limits on the love we offer to others. Listen and hear why Jesus says what he does, and how God’s love works in our lives and the world. Imagine the possibility of what the reign of God’s Kingdom will be like.

The commands of God are often seen as prescriptive divine demands that lay out a “minimum moral requirement” for steering clear of God’s wrath. The “little sins” don’t matter as long as we avoid the “big sins.” Jesus teaches us that the commands of God are mere beginnings that point to a much deeper, and perhaps demanding code. Jesus also reveals in his sermon from the mount in Matthew, a descriptive vision of the kingdom of God and invites us to choose between living in a minimalist world defined by death, or a kingdom of abundance and joy because we follow his path of embracing God’s reign for all its worth.

Jesus doesn't invite us to be disciples, he calls us into discipleship. Stay on point and remember your purpose, to be salt and light to the world.

Paul tells the Corinthians that “The message of the cross is foolishness…” (1 Cor. 18). That makes it tough to “sell” Jesus or the church that nears his witness. Conventional wisdom has always shaped our view of the world to believe that the blessed in this world are rich, powerful winners and those who have their lives “together.” In his central teaching to his disciples, Jesus defines who is blessed in very different, very foolish terms that turn our vision of right and wrong, in and out, holy and unholy on their head. In so doing, he creates a community that will bear light into the darkness of the world.

We have just inaugurated President Trump after a divisive campaign. The Women’s March was held in every state and the nation’s capital, plus at least sixty other countries to lift up women’s issues. And racism continues to permeate all of life.  We are a country divided on many issues. Listen to find out where we find our unity through Christ.

As Jesus gives Simon a new name, Peter The Rock, we too have a new name in Christ; Beloved. In our baptism God calls us Beloved child of God, and that empowers our calling to be witness of Jesus. We can see this in the life and work of Martin Luther King Jr. who also was renamed and claimed his destiny.

We live in a world of perpetual rewards and punishments. A "carrot and stick" reality makes sure that anything of value is earned, not just given away. The spiritual problem with this is God does not seem to buy it. In his baptism, the heavens declare, "You are my beloved. With you I am well pleased." The odd thing is, Jesus hasn’t done anything before he is baptized. He has not earned the title or the affirmation spoken by the Divine Voice. What is up with that?