For My Friends… Scarred Perfection 15 May 202415 May 2024 From a Fellow Traveler This week marks the end of my wife’s chemo treatment. Four months and eight cycles in total. The last couple rounds were tough on her. It…
Exegetical Study Nathanael and Nothin’ 13 May 202413 May 2024 By Conrad Gempf The Gospels have a lot of stories about disciples who were called when they were out fishing. Another was in the middle of collecting taxes. But John…
Cultural Studies… On Being Human 10 May 202413 Nov 2024 By Jamie Wiechman I have really been wrestling with my humanness lately. Do you know what it means to be human? According to Merriam-Webster, “human” means “representative of or susceptible…
Exegetical Study Partial Eclipse of the Heart 3 Apr 20248 Jul 2024 By Justin Rossow The last time a solar eclipse was visible in North America, my son Caleb and I were down in south Texas, and therefore right in the shadow's…
For My Friends… It’s Getting Dark 27 Mar 202427 Mar 2024 From a Fellow Traveler It's starting to get dark. The light through my window isn’t enough to work by so I flip on the desk lamp. My wife is resting…
Cultural Studies… Strangers on the Beach 14 Mar 202418 Mar 2024 By Elizabeth Rossow You would think that sitting by the ocean would make me feel insignificant. I mean, we hear stories all the time of how, when faced with that…
For My Friends… The Valley of Lent 23 Feb 202420 Mar 2024 From a Fellow Traveler I am no fan of Lent. The songs are depressing. The message is grim. It’s so bad, even the word Alleluia doesn’t want to go to…
For My Friends C is for Cookie 19 Jan 202412 Feb 2024 From a Fellow Traveler As a kid of the 80s, I watched my fair share of Sesame Street. Without a doubt, my favorite character was Cookie Monster. I found him…
For My Friends Prayers from My Little Girl 19 Oct 20238 Jul 2024 From a Fellow Traveler Yesterday, my wife and I had one of the most emotional experiences of our lives. We had to tell our 10- and 7-year-old that my wife…
For My Friends Called to Listen, Commissioned to Speak 17 Jul 20238 Jul 2024 By Justin Rossow “What am I supposed to say?” For people who follow Jesus, that question can come up in all kinds of different circumstances. That question can turn a…
Discipling Leaders… Secure Humility 18 Apr 202315 Nov 2023 By Sam Fink Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he…
Faith Experiment… #Lenten Walk, Week 5 30 Mar 202311 Apr 2023 By Alli Bauck “Hi, friends!” A familiar voice enthusiastically welcomes me. It belongs to Annie F. Downs, a woman I have never met; but she and I have been on…
Faith Experiment… #Lenten Walk, Week 4 22 Mar 202322 Mar 2023 By Alli Bauck If anyone is keeping track, we are over halfway through the Lenten season. (Resurrection Sunday is getting closer!!!) For me, personally, the last eleven days have been…
Faith Experiment… #Lenten Walk, Week … What? 16 Mar 202317 Apr 2023 By Alli Bauck This week felt like one step forward, two steps back. As Spring makes its anticipated arrival to the Kansas City area, the forecast last week was a…
Faith Experiment… #Lenten Walk, Week 2 8 Mar 2023 By Alli Bauck Wow. Podcasts are e-v-e-r-y-where! I started out my #Lentenwalk with a varied list of podcasts (see my first Lenten Walk blog); however, my Spotify library has doubled…
Discipling Leaders… Let Zacchaeus Have His Day 15 Nov 20228 Jul 2024 By Justin Rossow You probably know the story. Or at least the song: “Zacchaeus was a wee little man, and a wee little man was he.” You likely know the…
Reflections on God, Faith, and Promises 10 Nov 2022 By Jamie Wiechman Exactly five years and three months ago, I believed God for something impossible. It wasn’t a promise directly out of Scripture (though it was surrounded by Scripture…
For My Friends Today is Where the Gift is. 19 Oct 2022 By Jamie Wiechman A few years ago, it was brought to my attention that I had a lot of discontentment. I’ll be honest: that feedback stung a bit. I was in…