Weekly Update from Pastor Adam - April 4, 2025

April 4, 2025

Dear Resurrection Family,

If you follow the stock market, this has been an unnerving few days. And no one knows if this is just a short-term response to tariffs, or if we’re in for a long and bumpy ride. Having lived through enough recessions and market gyrations, I know we survived them all. And I appreciate Jesus’ words, “Do not worry about tomorrow, tomorrow has enough worries of its own.” This is not a bury your head in the sands approach, but more like Reinhold Niebuhr’s famous Serenity Prayer, “God give me the courage to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”

Which leads me to say, that regardless of what is happening in the market, it is going to be an exciting weekend at Resurrection. And for those of you at Leawood, tonight is our children’s musical, Sunday we’re breaking ground on the new Wesley Chapel, and we’ll have the new Mobile Dental Clinic Resurrection purchased and had built for the Swope Health System to provide dental care for low-income children! So cool!

THIS WEEKEND: SELFISH OR SELFLESS?

This weekend we continue our series of sermons examining the meaning of Christ’s crucifixion by considering how Christ’s death on the cross was meant not merely to provide forgiveness, but it was meant to change our hearts, minds and lives. Jesus’ death both moves us to live differently, and models for us what that looks like – a life no longer driven by selfishness but lived in selfless service. This is sometimes called the Moral Influence, or Moral Exemplar theory of the atonement.

To illustrate our fundamental struggle with selfishness, we’ll look at Ayn Rand’s Objectivism, Richard Dawkins’ book The Selfish Gene, and a fun clip from Pixar’s Finding Nemo. We’ll then turn to the life Jesus models for us, a life of selfless service that ultimately leads him to the cross, and which he hopes will shape our lives. As part of the sermon, I’ll take you to Swope Health Center where, on Thursday of this week, we cut the ribbon on, and dedicated the mobile dental clinic. And we’ll consider the witness of Dr. King, Pope Francis, and an 8th grader named Bryce and a remarkable wrestling match he lost last year.

Bring a notepad and pen to take notes during the sermon. These are deep and complex ideas, I think taking notes will help you remember them and be better able to discuss them later. Invite a friend to join you for worship this weekend. Here’s the sermon series promo for you to share on social media.

AWESOME CHILDREN’S MUSICAL TONIGHT!

If you are looking for something fun, free and inspiring to do tonight, join us in Resurrection Leawood’s sanctuary as our children’s choir puts on their Spring Musical, The Bumble BEEattitudes! I was at the dress rehearsal last night and it is awesome! I’m excited to be there tonight as our granddaughter is a part of the Kids’ Choir. We’ve got about 150 children in the musical. What I’ve loved about Stella being a part of the Kids’ Choir is that she has memorized scripture as she has memorized her songs. This musical is about Jesus’ beatitudes, and as I watched her sing at the dress rehearsal last night, I was even more grateful for the role Kids’ Choir plays in shaping the faith and values of our kids.

Starting at 6:15 pm, before the show at 7 pm, we’ll also have face painting, balloon animals by Kevo, and a special visit from a local beekeeper who will provide fascinating bee education and hands-on activities, including seed planting, just outside at our activity tables. Don’t miss this sweet opportunity to support our young performers and learn about the wonders of God’s creation!

GROUNDBREAKING AT RESURRECTION LEAWOOD!

This Sunday is groundbreaking at our Leawood location for our new Wesley Chapel. Each service will end about ten to fifteen minutes early, and we’ll head outside to the location of the new chapel, where we’ll have a dedicatory prayer and then we’ll officially break ground! If you are a part of our Leawood location and are able to join us, you won’t want to miss it! This weekend you’ll also see four panels of glass, studies for the new stained glass to be installed inside the chapel.

This weekend will also mark the beginning of work in renovating our Student Center and creating an awesome outdoor space for our youth as well as children and adults. The playground and student center renovations will be completed before the end of the year. And the chapel will be completed in the fall of next year!

Bring a shovel, and a jacket, and join us for groundbreaking!

STAINED GLASS WINDOW GIFTS IN HONOR OR MEMORY OF LOVED ONES

The new Leawood Chapel will be a sacred space used by our congregation and community for prayer, worship, weddings, funerals and baptisms for generations to come. The focal point of the chapel will be a 684 square-foot stained-glass window being created by the Tim Carey and Judson Studios team that created the window in the Resurrection sanctuary. Here’s the image of the window:

This sacred art features Jesus walking on the water and calming the wind and waves, symbolically offering us peace and hope in the storms of our lives. The window is being funded by individual gifts separate from the capital campaign that can be given in honor or memory of a loved one. Gifts of all amounts, from $14 for a square inch, $2,000 for a square foot, or $30,000 for a panel will be important to make this window a reality. If you would like to be a part of making this window possible, and honoring a loved one with a gift, you can do so by clicking here.

I’m excited to share in worship with those of you at Leawood four beautiful pieces of glass that are studies that have been done as Tim Carey has begun preparing to create the window.

GENERATION TO GENERATION COMMITMENTS

I want to again thank all of you who made a commitment to the Generation to Generation capital campaigns at each of our locations. You’ve made possible these important additions and renovations that will serve as tools for ministry for generations to come. We are 50% through the campaign pledge period and you’ve already donated 65% of the amount pledged! Thank you!

As we begin the projects at Leawood, I hope those of you who are new to the church or were not able to make an initial commitment will consider being part of this campaign. We’ll have commitment cards in worship this weekend, and you can also learn more and make a commitment online here.

SEE THE MOBILE DENTAL CLINIC AT LEAWOOD THIS WEEKEND

The Swope Health Mobile Dental Clinic that was purchased and outfitted by your generous gifts to our 2023 Candlelight Christmas Eve offering will be at Resurrection Leawood this Sunday between 8 am and 2 pm. You’ll have the opportunity to walk through the clinic and meet some of the amazing staff who will use this tool to help meet the overwhelming need for children’s dental care in our community. I was able to participate in the ribbon cutting this week at Swope Health, and I can’t wait for you to see it! I’m so grateful for your generosity and for the amazing team from Resurrection and Swope who made this dream a reality!

EASTER IS COMING! CHECK OUT WAYS TO EXPERIENCE THIS SPECIAL TIME 

• Easter Worship Services, times, locations and details on April 19 and 20
• Palm Sunday, April 13 with special children’s palm parades
• Easter Egg-Ventures, April 12 and 13, a free family celebration featuring and egg hunt, crafts, and activities.
• Christ’s Passion: His Final Hours, a powerful service that brings together the Last Supper and the journey to the cross, April 17 and 18
• Good Friday Prayer Vigil at Resurrection Leawood, April 18
• Good Friday Men’s Breakfast April 18 at the Liberty Memorial
• United Women of Faith Lenten Luncheon April 10 at Resurrection Leawood

RESURRECTION RECOVERY PANEL DISCUSSION 

Resurrection Recovery Ministry has a special panel on Thursday, April 10, featuring Michael Mackie, the host of the show “Get Lost” on PBS. He’ll be leading a candid conversation about relapse and harm reduction as part of recovery. The panel discussion features individuals in recovery, family members, treatment professionals, and crisis intervention officers sharing their experiences. The discussion is live in the Leawood Foundry and also live-streamed. To learn more, go to cor.org/recovery.

Speaking of Recovery, I’m excited to share with you that Resurrection Recovery Ministry recently received a $20,000 grant from Advent Health Shawnee Mission to support our work in the community. I’m so proud of and grateful for our staff, congregational care ministers and volunteers who help lead this life-saving ministry.

THIS WEEK’S PODCAST: REDEEMED! 

On my podcast, Making Sense of Faith, I shared the interview I did with my uncle, Glenn Miller, who speaks about his life story – the loss of his mother to suicide when he was 14, his nine years in prison for selling narcotics, and his conversion to Christ here at Resurrection. This is a powerful story of how Christ’s redemption completely changes our lives. To listen or watch click here.

With love,

Adam