As the calendar turns to a new year, many of us find ourselves reflecting on growth and potential. Maybe you’ve written down resolutions, hoping to transform areas of your life. Or perhaps you’re simply pausing to consider what wisdom the past year has offered and what understanding you hope to gain in the months ahead. […]
Tonight all across McPherson, people are singing “Silent Night.” We’re all celebrating Christmas Eve, but each of us is doing it a little differently. Some of us are sitting in the same pews where our parents and grandparents once sat. Others are starting new traditions. Some of us see empty places where loved ones used […]
If you are anything like me you may have started this December with carefully crafted plans – lists of gifts to buy, cookies to bake, events to attend. Maybe like last year, we created task lists and calendar items to manage it all. But life has a way of disrupting even our most detailed plans. […]
Have you ever tried to delete your past? Maybe you’ve purged old social media posts, shredded embarrassing photos, or desperately wished you could unsend that angry email. As we gather just days before Thanksgiving, maybe you are dreading certain conversations around the holiday table, wishing we could erase past hurts or start fresh. An ancient […]
Have you ever watched someone carefully assemble a quilt? Each piece of fabric, worn with love or vibrantly new, tells its own story. Carefully chosen and positioned, they form a beautiful whole. In the aftermath of our recent elections, amidst the beautiful quilts and sewing projects we see today, perhaps you feel like scattered pieces […]
Today, as we come together on Mother’s Day, everyone here may feel different things. For some, it’s a happy day to celebrate the love of a mother. But for others, it might bring up feelings of sadness or hurt. No matter what, we can all find hope and comfort in the incredible power of Jesus’ […]
Friends, it’s good to be back with you after an intense and transformative couple of weeks at the General Conference in Charlotte, NC. Our United Methodist Church has made significant decisions that will shape our future. Amid these changes, I remember Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 13. In a world that often feels driven by […]
Last night, Nicole, our kids John and Anne, and I had the incredible opportunity to see the transformative power of storytelling and music at the opening night of Godspell at Music Theater Heritage in Kansas City. Godspell is a beloved musical that brings the gospel to life through a series of parables and lessons from […]
Imagine being one of the women who discovered Jesus’ empty tomb on that first Easter morning. Whether you’re here out of habit or curiosity, the message of the resurrection is just as powerful today as it was back then. The empty tomb reminds us that hope wins over fear and doubt. It promises that new […]
Picture this: the streets of Jerusalem, filled with palpable excitement as Jesus enters the city on a donkey. The crowds wave palm branches, their voices echoing with shouts of “Hosanna!” It’s a scene of celebration and worship that we remember and reenact each Palm Sunday. But a more profound message speaks to our lives today […]
Picture a moment in your life when everything seemed uncertain, and you longed for a sense of direction. Perhaps you’ve faced challenges that overwhelmed you or doubts that shook your faith. In times like these, we all need a source of guidance and hope. Today, as we explore the words of Jesus in Mark 13, […]
As we gather for worship today, most of us probably have one less hour of sleep than we’re used to, thanks to Daylight Saving Time. It’s a little curious. We change our clocks, hoping to capture more daylight to maximize our time. This act of shifting time forward is a powerful metaphor for our journey […]
Rev. Andrew Conard 