Jonathan Martin, in his book How to Survive a Shipwreck, writes about the work of the Spirit, “The trademark of the Spirit is to first bewilder, not clarify. The fog that comes doesn’t always obscure the Spirit—sometimes it is the Spirit. To welcome Pentecost is to open ourselves to the possibility that God may be working in that Read More...
When I returned in August after being away from the building for almost three weeks (to Christian Community Camp in Colorado and then a few days of vacation) I had over 1,200 emails. Granted, lots of those were junk email but there were lots that weren’t. It took me a couple of Read More...
The day was warm, but the front door had been left open for an appliance delivery for the family who would soon be inhabiting this small home. A team from our church was there, through our partnership with Della Lamb Community Services, cleaning the kitchen and bathroom, setting up beds and putting Read More...
Early on Wednesday of this week I was on my way to the church when I ran into heavy traffic on Ward Parkway. I made a lane change to move past a long line of slow moving cars. I noticed a car coming up behind me at a very high rate of Read More...
By Chuck Pickrel, Director of Student Ministries As a child of the 80s, a Sci-Fi fan, and self-proclaimed “Nerd,” I see a lot of movies. Some of my favorites involve time travel, space travel, and supernatural phenomena like ghosts or super powers. This summer has offered some great reboots like the Read More...
By Rev. Joe Walker, Minister of Congregational Care “It’s hard to put into words how much those visits helped my mother. You know how the time can drag. My mother would count the hours until the next pain medication. Jacqueline helped distract her from the pain. Jacqueline was a real gift Read More...
On a recent flight, I lucked out and got an exit row seat with extra leg room. I’d had a busy couple of days. I was worn out, looking forward to a nap. No such luck. The man next to me wanted to talk. I tried to politely signal that I wanted Read More...
[cs_content][cs_section parallax="false" style="margin: 0px;padding: 45px 0px;"][cs_row inner_container="true" marginless_columns="false" style="margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;"][cs_column fade="false" fade_animation="in" fade_animation_offset="45px" fade_duration="750" type="1/1" style="padding: 0px;"][cs_text]by Dr. Dina Pannabecker Evans, Co-Director of Music While I’m trained to think of summer as “down time,” we are also taking this time to look ahead as we plan for the direction of Read More...
[cs_content][cs_section parallax="false" style="margin: 0px;padding: 45px 0px;"][cs_row inner_container="true" marginless_columns="false" style="margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;"][cs_column fade="false" fade_animation="in" fade_animation_offset="45px" fade_duration="750" type="1/1" style="padding: 0px;"][cs_text]By Elizabeth Pfalzgraf, Assistant Director of Children and Student Ministries My husband and I recently became Deacons. We are so excited to start this leadership role and be active during worship. Being church members, Read More...
Helping folks move beyond the cloud of guilt is one of the most important works of the church. Guilt is not a bad thing if it helps you examine mistakes and failures. Guilt can be a bridge from sin and sorrow to new life and a new way of living but if Read More...
Recently I was driving my 12-year-old daughter and three of her friends to a babysitting certification class. I don’t know if you’ve ever been in close quarters with four preteen girls, but I can assure you that it is loud and squealy. The topic of conversation this day was Pokemon GO.
I like to say, especially when facing a tough task or serious issue that needs resolution, “I am ordained to be hopeful.” As a minister in the church of Jesus Christ I see the world and the people I serve through the lens of the resurrection story. Easter tells us death is Read More...
by Rev. Joe Walker, Minister of Congregational Care I was McKenna’s age when the Golden Age of the Kansas City Streetcars coasted to a halt. So, last Saturday’s ride on the new streetcar with her provided an illustrative historic vantage point. Last Saturday we were delighted to host some much-beloved extended family Read More...
Paul ends his letter to the church in Corinth with a blessing: “The amazing grace of Jesus Christ, the extravagant love of God and the intimate friendship of the Holy Spirit, be with all of you.” The first word on Paul’s list, grace, implies that God loves all people. To make sure we get it he adds a word about God’s extravagant love. Paul is painting with a broad brush here, so it is up to you and me to fill in the details.
By Paul Tucker, Co-Director of Music Recently I have found myself contemplating the idea of talents, and abilities. This topic has been on my mind especially since the recent passing of Muhammad Ali. I have heard several people surmise that if Ali had not found boxing he may have never amounted to Read More...
