We find ourselves smack dab in the middle of Ordinary Time in the Christian Church calendar. What does this mean?

Do you long to know love? Do you seek joy? Jesus promises both in the Gospel reading for Sunday, May 5.

We resonate with people just going about their ordinary business. But we long for something more. We long for the extraordinary. We want to be carried away (if even for just a moment) to another world. Transcendence!

This is what God did for the shepherds. They beheld with their very eyes earth filled with God’s glory for just a moment.

Time marks life. Think about it. We celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, and each new year. Your watch and calendar remind you of each new moment you live and how you intend to use it. You live based on the “tyranny of the urgent.” But what really is urgent? Who decides? In reality this means that you live for yourself, your job, your school, or whoever orders your calendar.

What is the local church church? It is a gathering, it is life-giving, and it is in the presence of God! This is the vision of Emmanuel Lutheran Church plant in Ankeny, Iowa.

Beginning in 2020, trace the story of Emmanuel as a church plant in Ankeny, IA.

Welcome to our blog! We are glad that you are here.