Earlier this week at my clergy text study and New Joy’s Wednesday Bible Study I had my First Look at Sunday’s Scripture. After some study, prayer, reflection and conversation, here’s my Second Take.   Our readings for Sunday are: Daniel 12:1-3 The deliverance of God’s people at the end Psalm 16 My heart is glad and my […] The post Sermon in Progress: my Second Take appeared first on New Joy Lutheran Church & Preschool ..read more

The Gospels and their Authority In Sunday’s sermon I said a few provocative things – more than usual, it seems. I don’t think what I said was provocative because it stood outside the teachings of our church, or that I was being insanely controversial. No. But some of what I said clearly provoked questions among many of you following worship, particularly about how we interpret Scripture. Thanks for asking! Here’s a follow-up to some of those questions and comments. Early in my sermon I got into issues of Scriptural authority. “The gospels are authoritative in what they te ..read more

Worshipping with our Bodies Among Western Christians there can be a tendency to disassociate faith from our bodies and from the material world in which we live. Popular Christianity envisions souls shooting up into heaven (or down into hell), and ancient Grecco-Roman pagan beliefs persist in widespread cultural notions that our bodies and souls are altogether different natures. Similarly, so much of our faith in God and understanding of Christian living resides in our heads, in our commitments, in our ideas. Indeed, for centuries the church was much more concerned with orthodoxy – that is, ri ..read more

From Love to Love: God's Passion for all People Lent, the church’s 40-day season of spiritual discipline and repentance, begins on Ash Wednesday. During this season we will read stories of Jesus’ journey to the cross, the cost of discipleship, and how our Lord was simultaneously embraced and betrayed by those he loved. Ash Wednesday falls on February 14th this year – Valentines Day. It’s a day of romance and of love, of sweet candies and flowers, hearts and Cupids. Ash Wednesday is marked by the imposition of ashes on our foreheads – a traditional sign of repentance and a reminder of our mor ..read more

Job Opening at New Joy Lutheran The New Joy Personnel Team is actively looking for a person to fill the role of Parish Administrator.  Please consider sharing this opportunity within your networks, or consider your own call to serve the church in this way. All interested applicants: Please submit a resume and letter/email stating interest in the Parish Administrator position. All inquiries should be sent to Pastor Chris Duckworth, pastor@newjoy.org, or sent to the address at the top of the job description.   Download the Job Description   Parish Administrator Job Description N ..read more

SESSION 3 LGBTQ+ Welcome and the Bible The Clobber Verses But the Bible Says ...! On Sunday, February 12, we began a four-week Bible Study series on LGBTQ+ Welcome and the Bible. The third session – held on Sunday, February 26 – examined what are commonly called “The Clobber Verses.” Each week we will publish Pastor Chris’ notes from these Bible Studies. These notes are edited and updated following the class. Still, these notes are not fully fleshed out essays, and they are certainly not everything that can be said about these important topics.   Today we are looking at the “clobber ver ..read more

SESSION 2 LGBTQ+ Welcome and the Bible Hospitality in the Bible and at New Joy On Sunday, February 12, we began a four-week Bible Study series on LGBTQ+ Welcome and the Bible. The second session of this series looked hospitality in both the Bible and also in New Joy’s history. Each week we will publish Pastor Chris’ notes from these Bible Studies. These notes are edited and updated following the class. Still, these notes are not fully fleshed out essays, and they are certainly not everything that can be said about these important topics.   Kick-off questions For discussion in groups ..read more

SESSION 1 We're Talking About THAT? Overview of Christianity and Human Sexuality On Sunday, February 12, we began a four-week Bible Study series on LGBTQ+ Welcome and the Bible, as part of New Joy's Exploring our Radical Welcome initiative. The first session offered an initial overview of Christianity and human sexuality. Each week we will publish Pastor Chris’ notes from these Bible Studies. These notes are not fully fleshed out essays, and they are certainly not everything that can be said about these important topics.   POETRY The Bible opens with beautiful poetry about the crea ..read more

Radical Welcome Next Steps Last Fall New Joy hosted two conversations with local LGBTQ+ advocates and educators (GLSEN of Central Indiana and Indiana Youth Group), providing members of our congregation with important opportunities to learn. This Spring we are planning a four-week Bible Study and a few experiences to learn from members of the LGBTQ+ community and from members of LGBTQ+ affirming congregations. This is all part of our Exploring our Radical Welcome initiative.   Sunday Morning Bible Study: LGBTQ+ Welcome and the Bible All Sessions are following worship at approximately 10 ..read more

"God does not discriminate and neither do we" Twenty years ago the Holy Spirit gathered dozens of people to charter a new Lutheran congregation in Westfield. New Joy’s vision was to be a congregation that “welcomes, accepts, values, and nurtures all people wherever they are in their relationship with God.” Welcome has always been a cornerstone of our life together. “God does not discriminate, and neither do we. New Joy happily welcomes all, without regard to race, income, or sexual orientation.”   This vision, these values were the starting line of our faithful walk as people of God ..read more