If you’ve been to downtown Chicago in the past year or two, you might have noticed that the prominent east/west artery formerly known as Congress Parkway is now Ida B. Wells Drive. Officially dedicated on February 11, 2019, Ida B. Wells Drive is the first road in Chicago to be named after a black woman. Affixing her…

While you’ve probably never heard her name, you’ve definitely benefited from the legacy of Henrietta Lacks. She was not a trailblazer in the traditional sense. Her legacy came after her death and took on a life of its own. Born August 1, 1920 in Roanoke Virginia. Henrietta’s short life was marked by poverty and more than her…

Few people can truly be called trailblazers. Many well-known leaders become well-known by building upon the foundations laid by those who came before them. Sometimes it takes a while for true trailblazers to receive the recognition they deserve because so many subsequent folks either knowingly or unknowingly built upon their work. Over the course of…

Beloved of God, it seems we hit the ground running in this new year. As we’re working on putting together our Annual Report and look forward to celebrating what we were able to accomplish despite the many challenges of 2020, I’m also very excited about several things on the horizon, both near and far. You…

They shall all sit under their own vines and under their own fig trees, and no one shall make them afraid; Micah 4:4 This verse from Micah was a favorite in colonial America largely in part because it embodied the desire of colonial farmers turned soldiers to be free and enjoy the fruits of their labor—to sit in…

On Sunday we read Matthew’s version of Jesus’ baptism by John. What we didn’t read was what comes before Jesus takes this fateful plunge. However strange he is, we’re no stranger to the character of John the Baptist. Most recently we highlighted his qualities of humility and authenticity a few weeks ago on the second Sunday of Advent. All the…

Yesterday I spent the morning writing a lovely reflection on the gift and blessing of Epiphany. Coupled with excerpts from a beautiful poem by Jan Richardson, I reflected on how the star only guided the magi to the halfway point of their journey. I considered what it meant that it was a dream that directed and…

Last winter, my dream for the church was to have a church retreat this year to begin crafting a vision and dream for this church community. We actually began the conversation at our annual meeting when we read and discussed our church covenant. But then the pandemic happened and put those plans on hold. With…

Starting two years ago, I found myself writing David a letter about once a month. I jokingly told him I needed to write more letters in case I ever got famous my biographers would have something to collect, compile, and analyze. The truth was, I’d often find myself thinking about him and would want to share what was…

I came across this song in one of my many searches for music that speaks to the scripture on my heart. In the haunting and heavy quality of this song, I heard similar refrains to the heartbreaking lament and soul-wrenching challenge Job directs toward God. As I’ve been sitting with Job for the past couple weeks, I wasn’t surprised…