The seal of the confessional has protected pastoral confidences for centuries. Today’s digital ministry requires translating these ancient principles into new contexts. When AI tools process prayer requests, sermon illustrations involve personal stories, and digital platforms store sensitive information, maintaining confidentiality becomes both more complex and more critical. Here’s how to steward information faithfully in […]
Next month, we’ll experience the annual ritual of “falling back.” Daylight Saving Time ends, and many of us will wake up feeling like we’ve been gifted an extra hour. Some of you may already be planning how to spend this bonus time—extra sleep, catching up on projects, maybe just enjoying a longer Sunday morning coffee. […]
September in Kansas brings its annual comedy show—watching neighbors simultaneously run their air conditioners and heaters on the same day. Maybe you’ve overheard someone say, “I wore shorts this morning and needed a jacket by lunch!” This weather whiplash mirrors something deeper in our lives. We constantly adjust, trying to control our comfort and security. […]
Sermon – Short September always feels like January’s overachieving sibling, doesn’t it? New school supplies smell better than any candle, and we convince ourselves that color-coding our schedules will somehow create more hours in the day. Is that just me? Here in McPherson, as harvest season approaches and school activities ramp up, we pack our […]
Picture this: You’re at a family reunion, catching up with relatives you haven’t seen in years. As you share stories, you realize how many of you ended up somewhere completely different than you planned. Maybe you’re living in a town you never meant to stay in. Maybe you’re in a job that was supposed to […]
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 felt like singing was the last thing you wanted to do? You may have faced a challenge so daunting that praise seemed impossible. As we lift our voices in “Lift Every Voice and Sing” today, we’re reminded of times when raising one’s voice is an act of defiance against despair. The Israelites […]
Imagine the buzz in Jerusalem the week after that first Easter. The crucifixion, the empty tomb, the appearances of the risen Jesus – the city must have been electric with wonder, confusion, and anticipation. Can you imagine the roller coaster of emotions experienced by the disciples? And now, we find yet another twist: Jesus’ ascension […]
Rev. Andrew Conard 