A couple weeks ago, I mentioned how special Ash Wednesday was for me this year. Imposing ashes is always a deeply meaningful and even intimate moment as I see the face and cradle the head of so many beloved children of God. With each swipe of ash, I feel the weight of what it means…

As we turn the corner from Black History Month to Women’s History Month, it felt right for our final spotlight to highlight a modern Black woman who’s recently made history and happens to share our Baptist heritage. Born the daughter of immigrants, her father emigrated from Jamaica to pursue a PhD in economics while her mother emigrated from India…

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…