Colonial Church in Prairie Village

This is the Sunday that we honor those who have gone to the LORD. We remember those who made us who we are, who gave us strength and love. We will light candles and speak their names. We will unite ourselves with those in every time and place in Communion, and rededicate our organ in the honor and memory of three generations of Drayers. There is a strength that comes to us when we honor the love t...

Worship Series: Ghostly Spirituality “Life After Death with Tyler Henry” is a series on Netflix about a young man who claims to be able to communicate with the spirits of dead people. Lest you think that there isn’t much interest in this, USA Today reports that Tyler has a waiting list of many hundreds of thousands of people seeking a connection with the spirit of someone who has died. The scriptu...

Worship Series: Ghostly Spirituality This world is full of spirits, but how do you know which ones are benevolent or true? There’s a lot of room for fraud. This Sunday we’re going to consider this with Jesus’ advice to be “as wise as serpents and as innocent as doves.” We’ll hear stories of fraud and of faith as we do. Join online or in person with discerning and even skeptical minds as we explore...

Worship Series: Ghostly Spirituality For millennia, people have sought ways to channel spiritual energy. There are various techniques, crystals, and people who claim this ability. Is it effective? Is it dangerous? This Sunday, we're going to begin our new series on Ghostly Spirituality considering these things for ourselves in the light of our scriptures and history.

Worship Series: What is Sacred? Being human comes with the hard truth that every one of us has and will hurt, disappoint, or anger others. You can’t avoid it. And people are remarkably good at self-justifying their actions. It’s part of our being. This week of Yom Kippur is a sacred time to confess and accept grace – forgiveness. God sees us all as the sacred beings that we are and offers us uncon...

Worship Series: What is Sacred? There's a children's rhyme that goes, "here is the church, here is the steeple, open the doors, and see all the people!" Last week, we looked at sacred places, including our very own church building, and the potential it has to be a blessing in the community. This week, we move from sacred places to sacred people. We'll remind ourselves that we, too, are sacred, and...

Worship Series: What is Sacred? What makes any place sacred? Is it more about the accumulated spiritual experiences that have been felt in a place, or is it more about the living Spirit of God in right now? We’re going back to the original sacred place claimed in our faith story. A place whose location has been lost to history, yet never forgotten. This church community is going through the proces...

Worship Series: What is Sacred? Kaleidoscopes have the amazing ability to transform what is ordinary into something beautiful – even sacred. Time is something we all experience. It’s very ordinary. But when we choose to use the time given to us in a sacred way, our lives can be transformed in a beautiful way. Jesus’ teachings help guide us to this sacred Way of living, and we’re going to consider...

People of every generation are reassessing life. It's changing how people view their work, families – all the relationships in their lives. This Gathering Sunday, we're going to consider this in the light of the story of Esther. How do our values help us choose a path forward?

The Mandalorian Worship Series The Early Christians referred to themselves as "The Way." What did these first followers of Jesus understand about their new movement, and what can we learn from them in 2022? Join us this Sunday as "The Mandalorian" Worship Series comes to its conclusion. You'll leave with a fresh perspective on our Christian community and our potential to be a force for good in the...

The Mandalorian August Worship Series Why did Jesus say: People’s enemies are members of their own households? Why did the Jedi force kids to leave their families to join the Order? In our worship service this week, we're going to consider why being a disciple could call you away from family. Even more, we'll seriously consider the need for deep, committed relations beyond the bonds of blood. Ther...

The Mandalorian Worship Series We’re continuing our series based on the hit Star Wars series The Mandalorian. Even if you’re not into this show, there are messages that resonate with our world. In this fictional world, Mandalorians express their religion with weapons and armor. How different is our world? What did Jesus teach about weapons, and how does it figure into our world? We’re going to loo...

You've probably heard it before: there's this idea that we are living in one of the most divided times in our history. It may seem that way, but is it true? And if we have been so divided for so long, what (if anything) can we do about it? Join us this Sunday as we consider how we might get from a divided world to one that loves, supports, and welcomes all.

The Two Halves of Life Worship Series Humanity is drawn to rules – what is right and what is wrong. We look for one size fits all laws. Yet Jesus didn't. He saw that every time that God forgives, God is saying that rules do not matter as much as the relationships that God wants to have with us. The unique, messy relationships of life are more important than the rules. In this last Sunday of our Se...

The Two Halves of Life Worship Series We're going to face darkness. In this series about the Two Halves of Life, we must face our dark side - our shadow side. The temptation is always with us to gloss it over or deny it or pretend it’s not there. Jesus' lessons for moving into the Second Half of Life are the hope we need, but they are not easy.  Even as we face darkness, we don't do it alone. We...

The Two Halves of Life Worship Series Mentors are blessings. Beginning often with our parents and families, we have those people who help us grow in this life. However, not everyone is suited to be a mentor to you. Having a good fit with a spiritual mentor is important, and we're going to consider what to look for ourselves. We'll also take a moment to thank God for the gift of those mentors in ou...

God gives us the freedom to choose. We’re going to consider the choices the founders of the Hebrew nation and of this nation made. The truth is that the Hebrews decided to form a “less perfect union,” and that decision cost them. We may find wisdom from God about the choices we are making today. We may find hope for a better way of living in the kingdom that Jesus proclaimed. It’s a vision for a b...

Worship Series: Imagine the People of God Jesus Christ is the vine and we are the branches. When we realize and take seriously (with a sense of joy!) our dependence on him, we know that we can do all things with the strength that God supplies. “Bearing fruit” for God means that we live out our faith through relationships with others. Christ sets us free—not to live for ourselves alone but to use t...

Worship Series: Imagine the People of God We are hardwired to resist uncertainty and change. Our brains prefer a predictable, negative outcome over an uncertain one. Growing spiritually means shaking things up! We can learn to grow and consider new perspectives. This is the Way of Jesus. Church can help. God's Spirit can encourage us to get out of our comfort zones and transform.

Worship Series: Imagine the People of God Compassionate love is the true measure of a church community. Compassion means showing up and doing. Our key scripture asks us, “is your heart tender and compassionate?” What will be your answer? Will you show up? (And share some ice cream, too!)

Worship Series: Imagine the People of God We've witnessed some bloody days. We are surrounded by cynicism and "political realities" that say that nothing can be done. No. There is a Greater Power in this world. It is not God's will for this present darkness to stand forever. On this Pentecost Sunday, we are going to express the prophetic imagination that God's Spirit brings to change this broken w...

Worship Series: How Can I Forgive? Jesus tells us to love our enemies, to do good to them, and to bless them. In the "cancel culture" of today, staying connected to those with whom we disagree isn't always popular. In this time of polarization and fear of the other, how do we live into Jesus's teaching to love our enemies? How do we set aside our preconceptions and snap judgments to truly live and...

Worship Series: How Can I Forgive? Living with the shadow of shame suffocates our spirits. Shame is an internalized self-image that makes a person feel broken, unworthy, less than. Shame makes us want to hide. Learning the process of becoming free from shame is vital. Jesus' life was dedicated to breaking the bonds of shame and offering new life, and this Sunday we are going to consider how each o...

Worship Series: How Can I Forgive? The world heaps expectations on mothers. Mother's Day can be a difficult day for many people. We're going to face that truth as we worship with the hope that there truly is a higher Love. May our Mother's Day worship inspire you to take the risk to love deeper and freer.

Worship Series: How Can I Forgive? There is more than one sort of prison. Holding on to anger or regret chains our souls and keeps us from living fully. This Sunday, we're going to begin our new series on forgiveness. Are there hurts and sins that we should not forgive? Is it wiser, or maybe less risky, to just make a clean break? Does that actually break the chains on our souls? We'll explore the...