I change my mind all the time. I like variety. I learn. I grow. I experience new things. I’m in a different mood. And my understanding and beliefs change as a result. All. The. Time. Most recently, we have been doing some work on our backyard. Early this spring, we removed a few trees. And…
Listening to the Earth
Our entire world is greening up this time of year, isn’t it. The trees are leafing out. The grass is vibrant. Shoots of green spring out of mulched patches of wood and earth. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. And as we walk through the springtime here in Iowa, our hearts do…
Knowing the End of the Story
Welcome, friends, to Holy Humor Sunday. This day is part of a tradition (a very old tradition) of laughing on the Sunday after Easter as we celebrate the cosmic joke that God plays on sin and death when Jesus Christ is raised from the dead. It is a day to laugh, to lift up…
Corporate Prayer for the Desperate
Holy and Forsaken God, We come into your presence knowing that you felt utter desperation and loneliness. You felt isolated and forgotten. You felt unimaginable pain. So you are not unfamiliar with our struggles. And that brings us comfort. That brings us hope. For those in our congregation who have been wrestling in the long…
What's Your Story?
Living, Risen God, May the words of my mouth be your words, and may I be blessed with the courage to say them. May the thoughts of all of our hearts and our minds, be your thoughts, and may we be blessed with the courage to live them. Amen. This morning, I invite you to…
Save Us!
Some of you sometimes ask what I like to do in my spare time and one of my favorite things to do is binge watching television. I like all sorts of things, from Grey’s Anatomy to Breaking Bad, but I also have a healthy obsession with British television and sci-fi. Both of which are perfectly…
Outside – In
Over the past eight months, I have learned a lot about the people of Immanuel UMC. I had heard you were friendly and welcoming, hospitable and that this was a caring church, but those are really just words until you see them lived out in people’s lives. And having a fresh set of eyes –…
Trust, not Unquestioning Belief
In 2012, I took my youth group on a mission trip to Minneapolis. We worked in a number of different sites and one of them was the Emergency Foodshelf Network. This organization helps distribute food items to 70 area food shelves by channeling donations for organizations and large corporations. Most of these are bulk items. …