Breakfast is Ready
Mag Richer Smith
This past week my friend played a song for me that she and her husband would sing together, especially after his Alzheimer’s diagnoses and throughout his illness. I did not know this song, but maybe you do. Lyrics were something like this: We are going. Heaven knows where we are going. It will be hard […]
Joy and Resistance in a Time of Fear
Joanne Gallardo
Given the world we live in today, we often find ourselves in a constant state of fear. Regardless of political affiliation, or non-affiliation, things are happening that make one question their safety, mental well being, and physical well being. Not only one’s own safety, but the safety of children and loved ones. Supreme court decisions, […]
Meditation for Alex Miller’s Baptism
Dan Schrock
It’s hard to imagine being a prophet. Most of us don’t think of ourselves as prophets. Instead we think of ourselves as teachers, students, administrators, health care workers, social workers, or something else. Not prophets. In order to be a prophet, you have to be a special, extraordinary, even holy person, and most of us […]
The Joy of Sabbath
Mag Richer Smith
Plan your escape to the Emerald Isle today! That message came through my email the other day. And it’s tantalizing, because much of life has become a rhythm between BUSYNESS and ESCAPE! How different that mindset is from a rhythm of Ministry and Sabbath… and it makes all the difference in how we view the […]
Struggle and Joy
Joanne Gallardo
I have now stated in a sermon 3 times that I am a pessimist. This puts me at a particular disadvantage when tasked with coming up with a sermon about joy. To defend my fellow pessimists, we are not devoid of joy. I laugh a lot, I’m at a good place in life with a […]
Love, Actually
Joanne Gallardo
I’m a part of this online community for people who used to be members of the IFB church, or Independent Fundamental Baptist Church. If you’re unfamiliar with this denomination, there are many resources out there to look them up. There’s a 20/20 special, there’s a documentary called “Born Again,” and there are plenty of articles […]
Stretching, Propelling Spirit-Wind
Mag Richer Smith
“Build the Wall! “ Build the wall! Keep the segregating lines clear. Know who is IN and who is OUT. Know who is welcome and who is not. But “something there is that doesn’t love a wall”… I think it’s called the Holy Spirit… THE Spirit of our WALL-WRECKING MESSIAH… The one who breaks down […]
Finding Jesus in the Stranger
Richard R. Aguirre
As Christians, we’re called to welcome immigrants and treat them as we would other citizens – with fairness, charity and love. In short, we’re expected to treat “the least of these” as we would Jesus. But what should we do in these turbulent times when some government leaders are treating immigrants unjustly and seeking their […]
Finding Home in the Sojourn
Mag Richer Smith
In July of 2015, Bob and I put our belongings into a storage unit and left Iowa City, anticipating that we would be homeless for a maximum of 5 months. Well, we were wrong. It has been almost 3 years of living out of a suitcase and being very dependent on the next generous offer […]
What is Sin?
Dan Schrock
The Psalm in front of us is one of the main penitential psalms in the Bible. Jews and Christians throughout history have often turned to Psalm 51 whenever we want to express our own personal sinfulness to God. “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love. According to your abundant mercy, blot […]
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