Weekly Update from Pastor Adam - February 28, 2025

Dear Resurrection Family,

We’re all going to “walk through the valley of the shadow of death” multiple times in our lives. We’ll lose people we love. And, in the end, we’ll face our own death. The Bible has a lot to teach us about this. So, too, do those who have walked this journey before us.

The sermon begins with the question of God and suffering. We’ll then look at how we face critical illness and our own mortality. We’ll hear from Emmy Award winning Fox 4 anchor Matt Stewart. Matt and his wife Chrissy were each diagnosed with cancer, Chrissy in 2021 and Matt last year, and how they have faced these diagnosis with hope. Finally, we’ll look at how we navigate grief when we lose someone we love and the role others, and God, play in helping us survive, then find healing and hope.

Invite a friend and join us – this is one sermon that all of us need, and it will be filled with practical guidance, inspiration and hope.

Next Wednesday we begin the season of Lent, the six weeks of spiritual preparation leading up to Good Friday and Easter (more on that below). On Ash Wednesday Christians mark their forehead with ashes as a sign of both our mortality and our repentance, and we begin the journey towards Easter. We’ll have services at 7 pm at all locations and online. At Leawood, we’ll also have a noon service in the sanctuary and a special kids’ and student’s interactive service at 6:15 pm in the Foundry before our 7 pm service. You can learn more about our Ash Wednesday services at cor.org/next.

All four gospels focus on Jesus’ death and resurrection. His death was for the sins of the world, his resurrection reflected his triumph over evil, hate, sin and death. Together they were sometimes referred to as the Paschal Triduum. From early in the history of Christianity, Christians began to fast in spiritual preparation for these holy days – Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Easter. At first people may have fasted only on Friday, the day Christ was crucified. But over time the fast was extended to a season of prayer, repentance, fasting and spiritual focus. By AD 325, this period was forty days, where Christians would fast from various things for forty days just as Jesus fasted for forty days at the beginning of his ministry (this also tied into a number of other 40-day periods in scripture). By 601 the season was extended to 46 days, allowing the six Sundays of Lent to be “feast days” in the midst of the fast where Christians would break their fasts on those days, recalling that each Sunday is a celebration of the resurrection.

I want to encourage you to do three things as you approach Lent: 1. Make a commitment to be in worship every weekend of Lent – if you can, attend in person and if you live in Kansas City, I’d like to encourage you to do that. 2. Give up something meaningful to you during Lent, as a way of identifying with Christ’s sacrifice and expressing your love for him each time you consider what you gave up. It could be a particular food, or a drink, or a habit or practice (television, social media, etc.). 3. Take on some additional spiritual practices – see the next article below.

For Lent my sermons will focus on the question, Why Did Jesus Have to Die?,aimed at preparing us for Good Friday and Easter.

• Developing spiritual strength by resisting temptation.
• Demonstrating humility before God.
• Enhancing your prayer life and gaining clarity by focusing on God.
• Growing closer to Jesus, who also fasted.
• Identifying with Christ’s sacrifice on the cross.

1. Worship every week during Lent.
2. Study by reading scripture and discussing it with a small group.
3. Serve in the community.
4. Practice generosity by giving.
5. Share your faith with someone.

OPPORTUNITIES DURING LENT

A Morning with John Ortberg – March 8, 9 am in person at Resurrection Leawood Foundry or 9:30 am Online, celebrated author and speaker John Ortberg will share powerful insights from his new book Steps: A Guide to Transforming Your Life when Willpower Isn’t Enough. You’ll have a chance to receive a copy of his latest book (and have it signed), enjoy community, and begin the season of Lent by growing in the steps that lead us toward Resurrection. Here’s the registration link. In person registration includes breakfast and a copy of the book.

Churchwide Lenten Study – Beginning the week of March 12 at all of our locations and online we’ll study John Ortberg’s book Steps. Resurrection staff members will guide discussions on developing lasting spiritual practices and authentic life change. As a part of the study, you can also sign up to receive weekly videos that explore and complement each week’s topic. Here’s the link where you can register for this study at any of our Resurrection locations and online.

Local Missions Serve Saturday – Join us on March 15 to experience the powerful impact of helping others by becoming God’s hands and feet in our community and love our neighbors in tangible ways. Select where you are interested in serving and sign up here.

Lenten Concert Series – Resurrection Leawood Sanctuary, Wednesdays, March 12 – April 9, 12:15-12:45 pm, details here; Resurrection Brookside, Tuesdays, March 11, 18 and April 1, 6 pm, details here.

CONGRATULATIONS TO CONGREGANTS WITH 2024 HIGH ATTENDANCE

Each year, we recognize those of you who had perfect or near-perfect worship attendance in the previous year! This weekend you can pick up a 2024 sticker that you can wear on your nametag. Your faithful presence has been a blessing, and we feel honored that you continue to grow, serve, and worship at Resurrection. Here is a list of those who have had attendance of 90% and above at all of our locations or online. We base this off the records of those who register their attendance each weekend. If you think you had perfect or near perfect attendance, but you’re not on the list, please reach out to becca.andersen@cor.org and let us know.

LOOKING AHEAD TO LENT AND GUEST SPEAKER JOHN ORTBERG

Over the past two weeks, seven Resurrection locations hosted Blood Drives and a total of 628 units of blood was collected. This was the inaugural drives for both Spring Hill and Downtown.  Thank you to everyone who came out to donate and to the volunteers who helped make the Blood Drives happen!

STATE OF IMMIGRATION AND ITS IMPACT ON KC PANEL DISCUSSION

Resurrection Downtown is hosting a program on Monday, March 10, from 6:30 to 8 pm exploring “The State of Immigration and Its Impact on KC.” Hilary Cohen Singer, Executive Director of Jewish Vocational Services (JVS) will discuss recent changes in immigration processes and their effects on our Kansas City community, followed by an engaging panel discussion with local immigration professionals. This informative evening will provide insights into the current immigration landscape and offer opportunities for you to get involved with Resurrection’s immigration initiatives. You can register here.

JOB OPENING: MATTHEW’S MINISTRY BAKERY PROGRAM DIRECTOR

Are you a baker who would like to use your creativity and talents as a meaningful ministry? If so, there is a special career opportunity that’s a perfect fit for you! Matthew’s Ministry, our special needs ministry, is hiring a Bakery Program Director. This role is a key leader in the ministry, managing bakery orders while helping individuals with disabilities use their strengths and talents in the kitchen to the best of their abilities. For more information or to apply, click on this link.

THIS WEEK’S PODCAST: JESUS’ CENTRAL MESSAGE IN 15 MINUTES!

This week on my podcast, Making Sense of Faith, I aimed to unpack the central focus of Jesus’ preaching and teaching in 15 minutes. Jesus spoke of the Kingdom of God more than anything else. His parables were parables of the kingdom, his Sermon on the Mount captured the ethics and spirituality of the kingdom. If you’d like to know more about the Kingdom of God and what Jesus meant by it take a listen to this week’s podcast in which we unpack the Kingdom of God in just 15 minutes! click here.

THE IMPORTANCE OF MISHPAT AND TZEDAKAH IN AMERICA TODAY

Daily I am hearing of people and organizations being impacted by changes in federal policy and efforts at reducing federal budgets. Some funding cuts seem appropriate in addressing government waste and I laud them. Others seem like taking a chainsaw to a problem where a scalpel is required. Some of these decisions harm vulnerable people and organizations that help them.

I understand and appreciate the enthusiasm some feel about weeding out waste and possible corruption in federal spending. I love that idea too. From a biblical perspective, this must be done while maintaining a concern not to harm the poor and the vulnerable.

The Hebrew Bible our Old Testament, speaks powerfully of this concern, addressing both king and country in ancient Israel and Judah. Again and again the Hebrew prophets call the nation and God’s people to justice (Hebrew – mishpat) and righteousness (Hebrew – tzedakah). These words appear hundreds of times in the Old Testament. Mishpat, justice, has to do with fairness with a particular focus on ensuring that the poor and powerless were treated fairly in the courts and in society. Tzedakah is often translated as righteousness – doing what is right – and is commonly used of acts of mercy and kindness that ensured that widows, orphans and the poor were cared for. In scripture this is the role of both individuals and the nation.

I love you, Resurrection.

Adam