A while back, I took a year long course called “Organic Ministry” offered through what was then the Des Moines Pastoral Counseling Center. Once a month, nearly a dozen of us gathered at Taproot Garden south of the Des Moines area. We would spend our mornings getting centered and discussing one of our resources. Then…
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On Trial for Christ
Text: Acts 26:1-7, 20-23 “When the people of Jesus follow the way of Jesus, their stories begin to look like his story.” – The Bible Project As we have followed along through the book of Acts throughout this summer, we have seen that happen in the life of the disciples and the apostles. God’s Spirit…
You Have (Are) a Gift
Text: Romans 12:3-8 As we start off this morning, I want you to find a blank piece of paper… or if you are on Zoom or Facebook, type in the comments or chat window. I want you to think of one thing that you are personally good at. What is one thing that you know…
This Is Love: Friends of God
Text: John 15:9-17 On the last day of school in seventh or eighth grade, six friends walked home from school together. Some of us had known each other since kindergarten. Others came into our lives along the way. But our friendship was forged in those awkward and complicated years of middle school. The drama of…
This is Love: For Future Generations
Text: Leviticus 26 and Matthew 6: 25-33 It isn’t often that we turn to the book of Leviticus for the primary reading for our reflection. And even more rare that we would turn to such a difficult passage. This section of Leviticus is known as the Blessings and Curses of the Covenant. In the verses…
Summary of 2019 General Conference Decisions – modified after Judicial Council Ruling
Decisions of the 2019 General Conference Timeline for Implementation in Central Conferences In general, when legislation before a GC is approved, it goes into effect on January 1 of the following year. Central Conferences (outside the U.S.) have additional time because they are allowed to adapt and change the Book of Discipline to fit their…
The Wilderness: Trust and Manna
Text: Exodus 16:1-8, Matthew 4:2-4, Deuteronomy 8:1-8 This week, as we continue our journey in the wilderness, we come to the first of three temptation stories. Three trials. Three decision points. Three opportunities to be shaped by God. The first is about a basic necessity for life: food. Jesus has been fasting for forty days…
Bible 101: Art, Science, History of Interpretation
Text: Luke 11: 27-28 Over these last few weeks in Bible 101, we have explored how our scriptures were put together, translated, and some of the creative tension that was baked into the text itself. Today, our focus is on interpretation. Once we understand what a scripture meant in the time and place it was…