Author Archives: Ruth Harder

I felt strange and perhaps a little mischievous as I opened the church doors for R2D2 late Saturday night. I saw some of our neighbors peeking through their house windows with a shocked and worried look on their face. Perhaps … Continue reading →

Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door! These words were penned by … Continue reading →

Every year since we have been married my husband has been in charge of the Christmas postcard and we both like it that way. Usually I’m in awe with what he creates. He’s funny, clever, and thoughtful. This year’s postcard is … Continue reading →

It’s that time of year when I hear people either laud or loathe the sounds of Christmas. Some of us can’t imagine life/December without music and others could do without it and actually be happier as a result. I say this because on … Continue reading →

Just over a year ago, I took a boat ride across the Sea of Galilee. As our group from the US loaded the boat, one of the captains hung a US flag and began to play patriotic music over the … Continue reading →

The year was 2006. Jesse and I had just spent a lovely afternoon walking the nearly empty, wet streets of Chicago. We made it to LaSalle Street Church just in time for the Christmas Eve Service. I was tired, hungry, … Continue reading →

A new church year begins this coming Sunday with the first Sunday of Advent. Churches will mark this seasonal change in different ways, if at all. At Rainbow we will make some minor changes to our order of worship, including … Continue reading →

Certain stretches along I-35 have become quite familiar these past two years, especially the 160-mile stretch between Kansas City and my hometown of Hillsboro, KS. I can’t say I always enjoy this three-hour drive, but I do enjoy the part … Continue reading →

This coming Sunday at Rainbow we will have a chance to learn about and give to an organization called Cross-Lines. For the over 50 years Cross-Lines has existed, Rainbow has sought to support their mission which is “to provide people … Continue reading →

A church member recently reminded me that November is National Adoption Awareness month. I know many lives at Rainbow have been touched in some way by adoption, foster care, and child advocacy work. I therefore invited a variety of people … Continue reading →