Many of us spent the last week of 2025 making resolutions. We promised ourselves we’d finally organize that closet, start that exercise routine, or learn to cook something beyond frozen pizza. By now, four days into 2026, some of those resolutions are already feeling… optimistic. There’s something both hopeful and humbling about fresh starts—we genuinely […]
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. […]
Have you ever found yourself scrolling through your phone late at night, searching for something—anything—that might fill that restless feeling inside? Maybe you add items to your online cart, scroll through social media, or binge another episode of that show you’re not even enjoying anymore. We keep consuming, keep searching, keep spending time and money […]
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 […]
Many of us have mastered the art of the uncomfortable church nap. You know the one – where you’re trying to stay respectfully upright while your eyelids wage war against consciousness. Maybe it happens during the pastoral prayer, or when someone is explaining a financial report. Your head starts that telltale bob, and you jerk […]
When John Wesley began preaching in fields because churches wouldn’t welcome his message of grace, he wasn’t just breaking social conventions—he was pioneering the use of innovative methods to spread the Gospel. Today, as artificial intelligence transforms how we communicate, learn, and connect, Wesleyan theology offers profound wisdom for embracing these tools while maintaining our […]
Anyone else ever watch the “Public Right to Know” Facebook group? Someone posts about a pothole, a question about the city, or some other random thing and within hours it just might turn into a digital mob scene. One person makes a snarky comment, then another piles on, and suddenly everyone’s competing to be the […]
Last week at Walmart, I watched what looked like a grandmother navigate the back-to-school aisles with what I assumed were three grandchildren. Each child gravitated toward different supplies—one wanted sparkly notebooks, another chose plain black, the third picked folders covered in dinosaurs. She smiled and said, “You each know exactly what you need.” That simple […]
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 […]
Rev. Andrew Conard 