Category: Rev. Patricia Farris
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Horizons – August
I’ve been at the UM Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas, leading workshops at the first Young Preachers Festival. It’s amazing to be in the midst of 150+ 18-28 year-olds exploring their call to ordained ministry. I love their honesty, their passion, their questions, and their hope—for their own vocation and for the church…
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Summer 2015
May summertime bring to us all a bit of time to slow down, take some deep breaths, and simply be. While there will be lots going at the church, and lots going on in our family comings and goings, there’s nothing like a few quiet moments at the beach, or in a favorite chair, or…
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Eastertide Blessings
There’s plenty of data out there to document the decline of the church—decreased membership, lowered frequency of worship attendance, etc., etc. Some days it makes me want to stay in bed and pull the covers over my head. HOWEVER, truth be told—that’s not our experience here at First UMC. True, “regular attendance” now means once…
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April Fool’s Day
What are the origins of April Fool’s Day? They are many, but my favorite is an old story from the early church that Christ began preaching on April 1st, probably in relation to an even earlier custom of dating the Resurrection to March 25th. I suppose none of that makes much sense, nor does the…
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The Book of Forgiving
The season of Lent invites us onto a spiritual journey each year. It is a 40-day time of self-reflection, prayer, and cutting back on anything not life-affirming in our hearts and habits. It’s not for the faint of heart, starting as it does with the Temptation of Jesus and moving us right on through his…