Happy Birthday Church!

As we head into Memorial Day weekend, Pentecost can easily get lost among graduations, family gatherings, backyard barbecues, and the unofficial beginning of summer. But in the time of the apostles, Pentecost was one of the great celebrations of the Jewish faith — an ancient harvest festival, a commemoration of God giving the Law to Moses, and a time when Jews from across the diaspora gathered together in Jerusalem.

And it is into that crowded and expectant city that the Spirit arrives.

Meanwhile, the disciples are gathered behind closed doors. I imagine they are still grieving and trying to make sense of all that had happened — still processing the loss of their teacher, their rabbi, their friend. And then suddenly, wind and flame fill the room. The Spirit literally blows them out of their seats and into the streets.

That is why Christians celebrate Pentecost as the birthday of the church.

Henri Nouwen writes, “Without Pentecost the Christ-event — the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus — remains imprisoned in history as something to remember, think about and reflect on. The Spirit of Jesus comes to dwell within us, so that we can become living Christs here and now.”

Pentecost is the celebration of Christ’s Spirit alive and active in the world through ordinary people. It is the moment fearful disciples become courageous witnesses. The moment grief gives way to purpose. The moment the church is born.

And that same Spirit is still at work among us.

This Sunday we will celebrate Pentecost together and give thanks for the gift of the Spirit that continues to guide the ministry and mission of the church. Whether you are reading this at home before worship or sitting in the sanctuary this Sunday morning, I hope you will join us in praying once again: Come, Holy Spirit.

See you in church!

Peace, love, and grace,

Pastor Kevin

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The Church at Its Best

Over the past few weeks, our congregation has experienced a season of profound loss. We have said goodbye to beloved members of our church family: Bill, Susan, Carolyn, Nancy, and Carol. We continue to hold their families, friends, and all who loved them in our prayers.

Grief is not something that passes quickly. The loss of those we love leaves an ache that lingers, and their absence is felt deeply, not only in the lives of their families, but in the life of this congregation as well. These were beloved disciples whose presence helped shape our community, and we give thanks for the witness of their lives even as we mourn their deaths.

And yet, in moments like these, I am reminded that this is also when the church is often at its very best.

Again and again over these past weeks, I have witnessed this congregation surrounding those who mourn with compassion, kindness, prayer, and presence. The church becomes what it is called to be: a sacred and holy space where grief can be shared honestly, where stories are remembered tenderly, and where we bear witness to the promise of resurrection in Christ.

I have been especially grateful for the many hands and hearts that have helped care for these families. Our Heartstrings ministry has served with extraordinary generosity, preparing receptions, providing beautiful table settings, offering food, hospitality, and warm presence after each service. Though this has been an especially busy season, they continue to rise to the occasion with grace and compassion. Again and again, families have shared how deeply meaningful this ministry has been in their time of sorrow.

I am grateful as well for the ushers who welcomed people into the building with kindness, for the musicians who helped lead us through worship and remembrance, and for our staff who have worked many extra hours behind the scenes preparing for these services with care and dedication.

These acts of love are more than simple gestures of kindness. They are signs of the gospel lived out in community. They are reminders that even in the midst of sorrow and grief, we proclaim a greater truth: that in Christ, death does not have the final word. We celebrate the promise of eternal life and the assurance that love does not cease in death. It continues in the lives of those who remember, those who care, and those who show up for one another again and again when they are needed most.

It is a privilege to serve alongside such a compassionate and faithful community. Your care for one another bears witness to the love first shared with us through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Please continue to hold these families in your prayers in the days and weeks ahead. And know that I continue to hold all of you in gratitude and prayer as well.

See you in church!

Peace, Grace, and Love,

Pastor Kevin

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Tears and Alleluias

This week, I had the sacred privilege of sitting at the bedside of a beloved member of our congregation.

She had been in the hospital for nearly a week after a long journey with cancer. Life support had been removed. When I entered the room, she lay peacefully—her eyes open but unresponsive, her breathing slow and irregular, with long pauses in between. Nurses and physicians call this “active dying,” the body’s natural process of gently letting go.

I was a holy moment – a sacred space.

Family and friends gathered around her, sharing stories of her remarkable life, comforting one another, taking turns sitting at her side. There were tears, of course. But there was also laughter. There was gratitude. There was love — deep, abiding love that filled the room. And I am convinced that, in some way beyond our understanding, she knew she was surrounded by it.

We prayed together. We commended her into God’s care. And in that moment, the veil between heaven and earth felt thin. The Spirit was present — tender, steady, and sure.

It was a blessing to be there.

In these past weeks, we have said goodbye to too many of our beloved siblings in Christ: Bill, Susan, Carolyn, and Carol. We mourn their loss, and we grieve alongside those who loved them most. Grief is real, and it runs deep.
And yet, as people of the resurrection, we do not grieve without hope.

We give thanks for their lives — for the love they shared, the faith they lived, and the ways they shaped us as a community. And we hold fast to the promise that death does not have the final word.

Christ assures Mary, and all those who mourn, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.” (John 11:25-26)
This is the truth that carries us. Even in the face of death, loss, and grief, we are a people of hope. Even at the grave, we dare to sing: Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.

So I invite you, church, to continue being the body of Christ for one another. Hold those who are grieving not only in your prayers, but in your presence. Make the call. Send the card. Bring the meal. Sit and listen. Share the stories.

Because the love we share in Christ is stronger than death. And the hope we hold is grounded in the promise that nothing—not even death—can separate us from the love of God.

See you in church.

Peace, Love, and Grace,
Pastor Kevin

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Earth Day and the Gift of Creation

My parents celebrated the very first Earth Day in 1970 when our family was living in Burlington, Iowa. To commemorate the day, they filled our little red wagon with newspapers to recycle, and somehow that small act landed us in The Hawk Eye newspaper the next day. I was too young to remember all the details, but I grew up deeply shaped by my parents’ concern for creation and their belief that caring for the earth matters.

That value stayed with me as I got older. It was one of the many things that drew me to Rachel, who spent the years after college canvassing for Greenpeace. Before entering seminary, I worked as the communications and marketing manager for a fledgling bioplastics company headquartered here in Kansas. During my time there, I helped promote what became the market’s first compostable, plant-based elastomeric plastic.

These commitments continue in small ways at home. We compost. We wash and reuse our zip-top bags. We recycle as much as we can. None of us does this perfectly, but we try to live with greater awareness of the impact our choices have on the world around us.

Scripture reminds us why this matters. The psalmist declares, “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it” (Psalm 24:1). From the opening chapters of Genesis, humanity is entrusted with the care of creation. We are called not to exploit the earth as though it belongs to us, but to steward it as a sacred gift entrusted to our care.

How we treat the earth and its creatures reflects something about how we understand our relationship with God. Creation is not disposable. It is beloved by the One who made it.

Earth Day can sometimes feel overwhelming when we consider the scale of environmental challenges facing our world. But faith reminds us that small acts of care matter. Planting a tree. Reducing waste. Conserving resources. Supporting policies and practices that protect our shared home. These choices may seem small, but they are acts of gratitude and stewardship.
May we continue to tread more lightly upon the earth and care faithfully for this precious gift God has entrusted to us.

See you in church!

Grace, Peace, and Love,

Pastor Kevin

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Grief, Grace, and the Gift of Being Present

On Thursday morning we learned that we lost two beloved members of our congregation, Bill Wynne and Susan Kensill. In the midst of the flurry of church activities, I was blessed with a message on WhatsApp from Liset Amador, a member of the congregation in Placetas, Cuba. She wrote:

We live our lives constantly rushing—from one thing to another, from one obligation to the next, from one pending task to another. Sometimes we say, “We don’t have time.” Yet, saying this makes us realize something: we aren’t allowing ourselves to truly live. And amidst this whirlwind of thoughts, mental chatter, and fleeting fantasies, we often let life pass us by.

Life isn’t always found in the grand moments; rather, it resides in the simple things: a shared coffee or tea, an unhurried conversation, caring for our bodies through exercise, an unexpected smile, a comfortable silence—those small, unplanned moments that are felt deep within us. Yet, we often overlook them because we are busy thinking about what comes next, what is missing, or what lies ahead. When was the last time you were truly *present*? Not just physically—with your body—but truly *present*: feeling, listening, and truly *seeing*.

Happiness—or a sense of well-being—is not something to be attained; it is something to be recognized. “Oh, I loved that!” And to recognize those emotions, you have to *be there*—you have to be present. And to be present, you have to STOP.

Today, there is no need to change your entire life. Just pause for a moment and simply *live* what is already here—this very moment we are sharing: listening to the birdsong, feeling the warmth of the sun, sensing nature all around us, or gazing at the sky, even if it’s cloudy. Let us simply live what is already here… *that* is what it means to STOP.

Remember: when simple things are shared, they become immense.

Let us set aside our worries and simply live this moment of coming together.

I’m grateful for the ministry that we share with Placetas and blessed by Liset’s words. Her message touched my heart that was breaking with the news of Bill and Susan’s passing. We grieve their loss even as we celebrate the eternal life promised in Christ.

See you in church!

Peace, love, and grace,
Pastor Kevin

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