Colonial Church in Prairie Village

Worship Series Fairy Tale Mashup Names have power. Ask Rumplestiltskin. Ask Esau and Jacob. A name – a label – has the power to demean or discourage. They can also build people up. How we name people matters, and sometimes we carelessly hurt those we love. We're going to reflect on the power of naming as we turn to God for guidance this weekend.

Worship Series Fairy Tale Mashup Hansel and Gretel's Dad...nice guy...who goes along with a plan to kill his kids. Twice. It's not clear how they get to "happily ever after." In our mashup of Hansel and Gretel and Psalm 1, we're going to take a good look at wood-cutter. God may have a lesson for us there. So, be ready to have some fun with fairy tales!

Worship Series Fairy Tale Mashup Both stories in our mashup this week are about the invasion of a heavenly realm. Both the fairy tale and the Tower of Babel story have this desire to be rid of god and claim the power for ourselves. We're going to consider who may encounter there and what the nature of true power really is.

Worship Series Fairy Tale Mashup So much in life depends on putting what we learn into practice. On Sunday we are doing a mashup of the fairy tale "The Three Little Pigs" and Jesus' parable of the Wise and Foolish Builders. As the Colonial Church community move into a capital campaign in the months ahead, we're going to consider how it may help put into practice our mission to be a blessing.

Rev. Janet Weiblen, guest preacher

Worship Series These Are the Voyages What do you do when you have a condition or a diagnosis that you can't beat? How do you live when you know that you are dying? This is of course the truth for every single person ever. We are mortal. Yet, when that truth becomes undeniable, it changes things. Jesus, in the years he taught, knew that his life would be short. This Sunday we are going to meet Capt...

Worship Series These Are the Voyages - How is a church community like a starship? It's actually an ancient idea (not the starship part, but sailing ships). On a ship, everyone has a post - a role. COVID hits in waves and threatens to swamp us. It's not the first time Jesus' followers have seen that happen. This Sunday, it is time to take our post on our continuing mission to reach out in Christ's...

Finding a mentor on your journey. Guest preacher Rev. Janet Weiblen

“Academy Days” in the series These Are the Voyages. Horace Mann had a vision for public education - for the American Academy. Following an astoundingly difficult year, educators head back into the classroom needing spiritual renewal. This Sunday, we are going to support and bless educators as they prepare to do their sacred work.

Got questions? People have sent Pastor Aaron a number of questions, and this Sunday he's going to respond to them in our worship service. From religious underwear to God's command to "smite" the Canaanites, we'll get into it.

Due to the pandemic, the Colonial Church community was not able to celebrate the lives of three special women who died this past year – Johnnie Haines, Susie Stroud, and Esther Sunderland. This Sunday we call ourselves together to remember and celebrate them, and also to hold fast to God's promise of healing for all of us. It is important to honor the legacy that we all inherit.

Jesus invited Simon Peter, James and John to drop their nets and come follow him. As modern-day disciples we also have a calling. However, we are reluctant to claim our callings. Our culture reveres choice. We are taught that our lives are what we make of them. People scoff at the idea of being led by God. Can we push back on society’s cynicism, and boldly claim our callings? Can we celebrate that...

Jesus' followers perceived the Presence of God's Spirit in him. Jesus had a powerful connection with God's Spirit. Even so, even Jesus called out, "My God, why have you left me?" Everyone experiences this at some time, especially with the isolation and hurt of this past year. We're going to talk in truth about this experience and how we can address it in a healthy way.

Your Personal Jesus Worship Series Jesus once said that he is "the Way." His Way of living allows people to live this life fully and abundantly. However, through the lens of fear, this label has been used to attempt to scare people into orthodoxy. Our nation faces similar fears. This is Independence Day weekend, and with the hope of freedom and a better future, we will celebrate fearless worship!

Jesus is Lord. It’s part of almost every baptismal promise. It’s one of the basic ideas of unity of Christ’s church. Many people have died because of those words uttered in languages throughout the centuries. The meaning of that phrase isn’t always clear though. We’re in a summer series considering these names - these labels - that people have applied to Jesus. The hope is for each of us to consid...

Our gospel lesson tells the story of the disciples being out in a boat with Jesus when a storm arises. Jesus is asleep in the boat. Alarmed, the disciples awake him. To the storm Jesus speaks, “Peace be still.” Our guest preacher, Peter Luckey, will share experiences he had as a child with his own Dad, one who taught him about courage in the face of fears, point to the Presence of Jesus who contin...

Jesus is called Rabbi - Teacher - more often than anything else in the Gospel accounts of his life. Yet no less than C.S. Lewis, the Christian author of the Narnia stories, once said: "But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about Jesus being a great human teacher." Huh. The best teachers don't just provide answers, but they help guide us to explore questions. We're going to look into Je...

Sigmund Freud thought that thinking about God as an invisible friend was, in his words, an “infantile projection” and a neurosis. Yet, friendship with God and with one another was absolutely what people experience in Jesus. This Sunday we are going to explore the idea of Jesus as our friend. That simple concept has the power to change the world, and we certainly need more of it!

It is Memorial Day weekend. It’s a transition of seasons, and it’s also a moment to reflect and remember. From the beginning of history, the trauma of war has been with us. How we deal with trauma - individually and as a people - matters a great lot. Today, we are turning to the lessons of people returning from war to help us all deal with the trauma we’ve faced. Because right now we all need some...

It is time to dance! This Sunday we celebrate Pentecost and the Baptism of Cecilia Cochran. It's going to be a day of joy! We will also be recording our Jerusalema Dance immediately after the in-person worship service. Have fun with it! Rev. Kayla Bonewell, guest preacher

The world is emerging from a dark year. There have been losses...and there has been learning. Now is a moment in the dance when we pause to consider our next steps. God has given us this special moment to reassess our "why" – our reason for being. In worship this week, we will focus on that question in order to decide what comes next.

Summer is right on the heels of this Mother's Day! Summer camps are special. You leave behind your normal grind and spend time with people. You have deep conversations. You may even fall in love. There was a certain "summer camp" vibe in the early church, but it didn't last. We may be on the cusp of God's Spirit calling us into new experiences for love and hope in our world!

Relaunching in person worship is an opportunity to rediscover the meaning and purpose of what we do. In our first live, in-person worship at 10:15 a.m., we're going to celebrate a Baptism! Even more though, we're going to consider how what this means may be exactly what this world needs right now.

Baptism is a sign of solidarity that is greater than our differences. As we observe the power of water on this Earth Day week, we will hear from the Rev. David Wheeler.

Growing as a disciple is a goal. Stephen began to follow Jesus' Way, not because of some deeply theological decision, but because the church community actually cared about people and made sure everyone had food and a safe place to live. Along the Way though, his religion matured. He grew beyond ego. The power and purpose he found can be yours too. You are being called.