Weekly Update from Pastor Adam - April 18, 2025
April 18, 2025
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April 18, 2025
Dear Resurrection Family,
Today is Good Friday, when we mark Christ’s crucifixion. Every year on this day, I pray through the seven last statements of Jesus from the cross (I’ll post them at the end of this note) and pause throughout the day to remember the events of the day of his crucifixion. Jesus was crucified at 9 am, at Noon darkness covered the land, the temple curtain was torn in two, and at 3 pm he died. He was buried before sunset in a borrowed tomb. We have special opportunities for you to mark this holy day – I’ll tell you about them below, but for now, pause, wherever you are, and pray, giving thanks for Christ’s death for you.While feeling the weight of the crucifixion, I am so excited about Easter. It is going to be moving, joyful and magnificent. We recorded the music, both modern and traditional, for TV over the last couple of days – some of the most moving and beautiful Easter music I’ve ever heard. This will be true at all of our locations. Don’t let the rain keep you away, it will be really beautiful!
THIS WEEKEND – MINECRAFT, MUHAMMAD ALI, ONE LAST CIGAR AND EASTER
Over the last six weeks, we’ve focused on the significance of Jesus’ death, studying a variety of “atonement theories” – how Christ’s death reconciles, forgives, redeems, heals and restores us. This weekend we’ll study one final theory called Christus Victor – Christ the Victor. It focuses on both the crucifixion and resurrection and how Christ defeated the forces of darkness.
By way of illustrating this theory of the atonement, I’ll share a clip from A Minecraft Movie, a photo I’ve shared before Muhammed Ali’s triumph over Sonny Liston, a story of a young refugee from the Democratic Republic of Congo and a visit I made a week ago today with one of our members who wanted one last cigar before he died. We’ll explore both the battle between good and evil and Christ’s triumph over death and how all of this speaks to our lives today.
By the way, our sanctuaries across all locations are absolutely beautiful. We have 28 worship times at our nine locations, including the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts downtown, and we’ll be on local television on multiple channels and locations, including Cincinnati, Ohio!
INVITE SOMEONE WHO NEEDS HOPE FOR EASTER
Everyone needs hope. You have friends, family, neighbors and co-workers who don’t have a church family. Your invitation to Easter could be the one that helps them find hope and Christ this Easter. We have 28 in-person services Saturday and Sunday at our 9 area locations (remember, Resurrection Downtown is meeting at the Kauffman Center at 9 and 11 am). Both modern and traditional services are available online at their regular times and on our YouTube channel on demand all weekend.
All the services will have inspiring music and worship, and I’ll share the same Easter sermon. We anticipate larger-than-usual crowds for Easter worship, and we have added some additional services at some of our locations. If you have flexibility in your schedule and could attend one of the earlier services, you can help make room for someone who might be worshiping for the first time and seeking the Easter message of hope.
Services that will be less crowded include:
- Special kids’ interactive services at 10 am on Saturday at Leawood, West, Overland Park, Spring Hill, and Brookside
- 7 am services on Sunday at Leawood, West, Blue Springs and Brookside.
- 9:10 and 11:10 am services in the Foundry at Leawood.
You can find all the service times and locations on the website (cor.org/Easter), and I do want to share the places we will be broadcasting on television on Sunday so that you can share this with your friends: KMCI at 8 and 11 am; KSMO at 9 am; Fox at 10:30 am, NBC at Noon; and CBS at 11:35 pm; in the Kansas City area. We will also be on the NBC network at 1 pm in Cincinnati, Ohio, where we will be launching a location in the fall.
GOOD FRIDAY WORSHIP AND PRAYER OPPORTUNITIES
Beginning at 11 am today in Wesley Chapel at Resurrection Leawood, we have a drop-in Prayer Vigil. Come whenever you can between 11 am and 3 pm. At the top of every hour, we’ll have a 10-minute pastoral reflection, concluding with a special Good Friday liturgy at 3 pm, remembering Christ’s death on the cross. If you can’t attend in person, you can join the vigil online throughout the day. Take 5-10 minutes today to pray through an interactive video you can find here. We also have a prayer guide you can download here and use at any time today.
I spent part of my morning walking the Leawood Prayer Walk, and at each station reflecting not only on the theme of that station (they each are tied to a moment in Jesus’ life), but also on the seven last statements of Jesus from the cross (see below). If you want to visit the prayer walk today or anytime, here’s a link for more information.
Last night we had very powerful Christ’s Passion: His Final Hours services at our locations that brought together Jesus’ last night with his disciples, his arrest in Gethsemane, his trial and his crucifixion through scripture, song and prayer. This service will be offered again tonight at our Leawood location and online here at 7 pm CDT. This is a special opportunity to walk with Jesus through these decisive hours that changed the world and experience the depth of Christ’s love shown in both the blessing of communion and the sacrifice of the cross.
725 ATTEND GRAND OPENING WORSHIP AT RESURRECTION LEE’S SUMMIT
It was exciting to worship with more than 700 people at our first official worship service at Resurrection Lee’s Summit. This included nearly 100 people who joined Resurrection from Aldersgate UMC in Lee’s Summit. It was a terrific weekend! If you have friends or family who live in the Lee’s Summit area and don’t have a church family, encourage them to join our new Lee’s Summit location meeting at The Pavilion at John Knox Village (520 NW Murray Rd., Lee’s Summit, MO 64081). Here are a couple of pictures of the opening worship service.
LEAWOOD CONSTRUCTION BEGINS AFTER EASTER
Construction at the Leawood location on the new chapel, student center and outdoor space will begin after Easter. During this time, some areas will be closed to vehicle and pedestrian traffic. These areas may change as the construction progresses, and throughout the project, we will be providing updates through my eNote, our Tuesday Leawood location newsletter and the website: resurrection.church/generation/leawood. Here is a site plan of what you will begin to see at Leawood next week.
CHURCH OFFICES CLOSED MONDAY AND PASTORAL CARE
Church offices and buildings will be closed on Monday, April 21 following Easter Sunday. If you have a pastoral care emergency, you can call the after-hours care pager at 913-544-0799.
THIS WEEK’S PODCAST: AN EPIDEMIC OF LONELINESS
On my podcast, Making Sense of Faith, this week I talked about the epidemic of loneliness, how Jesus himself needed friends, and three things all of us need related to friendship with Christ, with others and in the workplace. Listen or watch click here.
THE SEVEN LAST STATEMENTS OF JESUS
I mentioned up front the seven last statements of Jesus. I wanted to remind you of them here. Matthew and Mark include only one, Luke another three and John a different three. We can’t be certain of the order, but this is the order I address them in my book, Final Words:
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
“Behold your mother…Behold your son.”
“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
“Today you will be with me in Paradise.”
“I thirst.”
“Into your hands I commit my spirit.”
“It is finished.”
As we remember Christ’s suffering and final words, I long for the chance to shout to the heavens, “Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!”
In Christ’s love,
Adam
Adam Hamilton
Resurrection Senior Pastor
Reverend Adam Hamilton is the senior pastor of Church of the Resurrection and the author of 22 books. He has been married to LaVon since 1982, and she has been a critical partner in every dimension of Adam’s work. They have two daughters and one granddaughter.
Adam’s writings are known for helping readers make sense of challenging theological questions, exploring the significance of the biblical stories, and equipping Christian leaders to be more effective in their work. He earned his MDiv from Perkins School of Theology and graduated with honors from Oral Roberts University with a degree in Pastoral Ministry.
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