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…
WOW!
Text: Isaiah 6:1-8; Psalm 29 A few weeks ago, I was able to make a trip to Hawaii with my family. Twenty three of us… aunts, uncles, cousins, grandkids, siblings, parents, nieces, and nephews… in paradise. One of the things that I am always on the lookout for in Hawaii are rainbows. The mountains in…
Thanks!
Text: Isaiah 12:1-6, Philippians 4:4-9 Holy God, speak into our midst this morning. Fill us with hope, grace, and peace. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of all our hearts and minds honor You this morning. May they be worthy of your calling and accomplish your faithful work in our midst. Amen. I thank God…
Help!
Text: Psalm 40:11-17; Matthew 26:36-39; Good morning friends! We find ourselves in the season of Pentecost. The season of the Holy Spirit. Those first disciples of Jesus were transformed into apostles… leaders of a community of people that tapped into the power of God for good in the world. You know, as much as we…
Nehemiah: Everyone Is Included
Text: Nehemiah 11:1-2, 12:27-43 Nehemiah and company finished rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem in fifty-two days. But when the work was complete, what they were left with was basically a shell of a city. It had walls and gates. It had a temple and temple staff and priests. But what it didn’t have was people.…
Nehemiah: Renewing Our Commitment
Text: Nehemiah 8:5-10; 9:1-3, 38; 10:28-29 Last week, we talked about some of the opposition that the builders and Nehemiah faced while building the wall. He had to deal with scandal and oppression perpetrated by his own officials… but he also had to create plans to protect the people from enemies who wanted to attack…
Nehemiah: Having Each Other’s Backs
Text: Nehemiah 4: 1-3, 6-9, 16-18; 5:1-7 Here at Immanuel, we have team of folks who have working together on a safety and emergency response plan. One of the things that this group has discussed is that there are different kinds of potential threats to a community. Those that are external, like a tornado… and…
Nehemiah: Side by Side
Text: Nehemiah 2:11-18, 3:1-4 (5-32) Last week, we laid out some of the context for the Book of Nehemiah… A people who found themselves in the in a transitional time… a time of rebuilding and resettling and restoring after the Babylonian Exile. Nehemiah is granted authority from the Persian King Artaxerxes to return to Judah…