When we head back home to Cedar Rapids, one of the things that I like to do, as long as the weather is warm, is play disc golf at Jones Park. We always start at tee 15 – in part because the parking is better there on the hilltop pavilion, and there are bathrooms handy…
Sermon on the Mount: Blessed
This morning, friends, you and I find ourselves in a season called “Ordinary Time” That is the actual liturgical name for this time in the church year: Ordinary Time. And so, last fall, we decided to spend this Ordinary Time – this season between Christmas and Epiphany on the one side and Lent on the…
We Have Found the Messiah
“I am not the Messiah” That’s probably pretty obvious to all of you. Of course, I’m not the Messiah. But I wasn’t talking about me. These were the words of John the Baptist as he started his ministry. He was out there, talking to people about the coming Kingdom of God, preaching, inviting people to…
Follow the Star
Today, we come to the end of our journey through Narnia and the Christmas season with the celebration of Epiphany. The word Epiphany means “an appearance or manifestation” and on the twelfth day after Christmas, it is a celebration of the manifestation of God’s love in human form… and of all of those people to…
God Prepares a Feast
How many of you ate too much this holiday season? How many of you ate just enough? You know, the thing about family gatherings, celebrations, and joyous events is that they are feast times in our lives. We gather around tables. We break bread. We share stories. And we experience life to its fullest. …
Can’t Keep Silent!
While the Advent journey takes us through an emotional rollercoaster of joy, fear, humility, and anticipation, there is no other emotion to guide the days after Christmas than pure celebration. Each of the readings for this time of Christmas call us to take a deep breath of relief, to look around at the beauty of…
Winter is Over!
Before our Christmas traditions took hold, there were other festivals in the northern hemisphere among folks who were tucked in for winter. The crops had been harvested and stored, the work was done, and they celebrated… But in one of the pieces I read this advent from a writer named Gayle Boss, I was a…
Sons of Adam and Daughters of Eve
In the beginning… Most years when we get to the season of Advent, we dive deep into the gospel texts. We want to hear about the shepherds and angels, about Mary and Joseph, Elizabeth and Zechariah, the magi and the star. Yet, as Heidi Haverkamp will share with us in this week’s reflections in…