Weekly Update from Pastor Adam - September 5, 2025

Rabbi Michael Zedek is Rabbi Emeritus of Temple B’nai Jehudah, where he served as senior rabbi for 26 years. He is a dedicated community activist, scholar, and teacher. He currently serves as Rabbi-in-Residence at Saint Paul School of Theology, the United Methodist seminary located at Resurrection Leawood. He is also a regular presenter at Rancho La Puerta (the oldest and, perhaps, best known spirituality retreat center in North America). He has received numerous awards, including a Fulbright-Hays Grant and a Danforth Graduate Fellowship for outstanding teaching.

An accomplished storyteller with a refreshing, humorous voice, Rabbi Zedek will be sharing from his recent book Taking Miracles Seriously: A Journey to Everyday Spirituality. The book, which takes readers on a search for spiritual sustenance in everyday life, has been described as a master course on how to craft an enriched and enriching spiritual life. You won’t want to miss this opportunity to worship this weekend and learn from Rabbi Zedek. I am looking forward to welcoming Rabbi Zedek to Resurrection this weekend.

On September 14, I’ll kick off a two-part sermon series on the First Letter of John. The ancient words of John’s first epistle describe God’s love and speak powerfully into our lives today.

I know I’ve shared this several times, but I really hope you will attend Affirmations: A  Night of Worship tomorrow, Sept. 6, at 6:30 pm in the Leawood Sanctuary. Seldom can you experience a program like this, with so many talented musicians. I know you will be inspired. Led by Isaac Cates, part of our worship staff, known across the world for his work in gospel music, featuring Grammy-nominated special guest Oleta Adams and award-winning vocalist Callie Day, along with an amazing group of gospel musicians and singers, this will be an amazing free, family-friendly event. Bring your friends and join us. Here’s a link to what you will experience. Below are flyers that you can download and share with a friend.

Two of the most meaningful events in our student ministry each year are our fall student retreats. Middle School “Meta” happens November 7-8, and High School “Activate” runs November 21-23. Registration is now open for both amazing retreats. These weekends give students a break from the usual school grind and everything that comes with it, to develop friendships, have fun and to explore faith as they grow closer to God. You can learn more and sign up for Meta here and Activate here.

In our Kids Ministry, we have identified spiritual milestones for children as they grow in faith. For first graders, this is prayer and learning and practicing the Lord’s Prayer. Our first graders have been learning it in Kids’ Ministry each week. On September 21, at all our locations in worship, we’ll celebrate our first graders as they lead us in the Lord’s Prayer, and, later that day, first graders and their grown-ups (at least one grown-up is required) can enjoy a retreat where they’ll learn about prayer while making a fun prayer craft to use at home. This is going to be a wonderful chance for our first graders to remind us all about the power of prayer in our faith journey. If you have a first grader in your life, check out this opportunity and register them here.

My podcast this week includes some topics I’ve previously shared regarding heaven. There are two questions that I’m frequently asked about heaven: What is heaven like? and What happens to non-Christians? These are challenging, and I don’t have simple, easy answers, but in this podcast, I offer a biblically grounded exploration that respects both Scripture and human dignity. You can listen to or watch and share it with friends by clicking here.