Many of us started January with ambitious plans. We were going to organize that garage, finally tackle the closet stuffed with clothes we haven’t worn in years, or create a filing system for all those papers scattered across the kitchen counter. Maybe we even bought storage containers and labels, feeling virtuous about our commitment to […]
Many of us start the new year with grand expectations. We imagine dramatic transformations—losing fifty pounds, landing the dream job, finally getting organized. But here’s what actually happens: We make it three days into our new exercise routine before the alarm goes off at 5:30 AM and we decide sleep is also a form of […]
Many of us experience a strange phenomenon this time of year. We spend December rushing toward Christmas—shopping, decorating, baking, attending parties, coordinating schedules. The to-do lists multiply. The calendar fills. We move faster and faster, trying to get everything done before the big day arrives. Then suddenly, it’s Christmas Eve. We sit down in church, […]
Sermon – Version 1 Today is the winter solstice—the longest night of the year. Here in McPherson, the sun didn’t rise until 7:44 AM, and it will set by 5:14 PM. Nine hours and thirty minutes of daylight. For those of us who struggle through the dark of Kansas winters, this is the hardest day. […]
Anyone who’s driven Kansas roads at night knows the feeling. You’re cruising along, and suddenly the road drops into a valley. The darkness seems to swallow your headlights. No streetlights, no house lights, just you and the black road ahead. Even familiar roads feel foreign in those valleys. You grip the wheel tighter, slow down, […]
Anyone else already putting up Christmas lights? I’ve seen several houses with full displays already. It’s not even Thanksgiving yet! We may shake our heads at neighbors who string lights in November, but honestly, I get it. I’m actually thinking about doing the same while the weather’s still decent – better now than wrestling with […]
Anyone else wake up this morning confused about what time it actually was? Between the Halloween sugar crash and this morning’s time change, many of us are probably feeling a bit disoriented. There’s something oddly fitting about feeling off-balance on All Saints Sunday—a day when we straddle the line between remembering those who’ve gone before […]
Many of us experience moments when life feels like it’s shifting around us. Maybe you’re helping kids prepare for school starting in a few weeks, wondering where this summer went. Perhaps you’re dealing with changes at work, health challenges in your family, or simply trying to figure out what comes next in some area of […]
Stories change how we see the world. A good movie can shift our perspective, revealing possibilities we never imagined. In “How to Train Your Dragon,” a young Viking named Hiccup discovers everything his village believed about dragons was wrong. These weren’t mindless monsters but intelligent creatures capable of friendship and loyalty. The film resonates because […]
Spring break has wrapped up, and many of us are settling back into our routines. You might have just returned from a family trip, catching up on accumulated emails, or simply enjoyed a quieter week at home. Regardless, there’s something about returning—the familiarity of your own bed, the comfort of regular routines, the sense of […]
Rev. Andrew Conard 