"Do not be afraid!” - Just about every time Jesus talked to his disciples. The Corona Virus has certainly revealed a number of things about our world these days. It has shown us how interconnected our global community is to the extent a virus that appears in one part of the world can travel to … Continue reading Ravin Rev, 03/13/20
Category: Ravin Rev
“Love, Justice, and All that Jazz.” -Heartland 25th Anniversary Theme “I was hungry and you gave me food to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger and you welcomed me. I was naked and you gave me clothes to wear. I was sick and you took care of … Continue reading Ravin Rev, 03/01/20
37 “Then those who are righteous will reply to him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you a drink? 38 When did we see you as a stranger and welcome you, or naked and give you clothes to wear? 39 When did we see you sick or … Continue reading Ravin Rev, 02/18/20
The session of Heartland Church at our January retreat has approved sending to the Presbytery of Des Moines two overtures for the General Assembly. For those of you who are new to being Presbyterian, the national church gathers in a General Assembly every two years to consider the direction and mission of the Presbyterian Church … Continue reading Ravin Rev, 02/01/20
6 With what should I approach the Lord and bow down before God on high? Should I come before him with entirely burned offerings, with year-old calves? 7 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with many torrents of oil? Should I give my oldest child for my crime; the fruit of my … Continue reading Ravin Rev, 01/01/20
Within addiction recovery circles the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. In many ways this is the very definition of the insanity of mass shootings in our society these days. A tragic shooting occurs, and the rhetoric focuses on gun control, mental illness, video … Continue reading We are the Thoughts and Prayers
Our call is to connect to God, to connect to each other, and to connect to the “Other." --Heartland Presbyterian Church Mission Statement “What if depression is, in fact, a form of grief—for our own lives not being as they should? What if it is a form of grief for the connections we have lost, … Continue reading Ravin Rev, 02/16/19
“Because of the dog's joyfulness, our own is increased. It is no small gift. It is not the least reason why we should honor as love the dog of our own life, and the dog down the street, and all the dogs not yet born. What would the world be like without music or rivers … Continue reading Ravin Rev, 02/01/2019
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” - Galatians 5:22 I always love the New Year. There is a sense of possibility and change that permeates the turning of the old year into the beginning of the new one. Most of us mark such a … Continue reading Ravin Rev, 01/04/2019
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 In the midst of the turmoil and tragedies that surround us these days, it seems a meager thing to lift up gratitude and thanksgiving as a spiritual practice. Amidst the … Continue reading Ravin Rev, 11/15/2018