On Monday evening I watched as protesters marched around downtown Naperville. There had been peaceful protests earlier in the day, and this one started off peaceful enough. I watched as a few organizers gave instructions and asked the crowd to hold each other accountable—to look out for each other and not break windows, destroy property,…

When I was in my office at the church before service this past Sunday, I happened to notice how my desk calendar was still on March. And then when I was leaving my office after the service, I realized my winter wreath was still hanging on my office door. I hadn’t swapped it out for the spring wreath because I’ve…

WARNING: I’m able to reference an old baseball movie so I apologize to those who are missing baseball and those who didn’t see this movie. I included a clip of the referenced scene below if you want to check it out. In the 1993 classic baseball movie, Rookie of the Year, a seasoned pitcher is charged with giving a pep talk to…

I know time is a fuzzy concept these days as normal routines have been upended. So I hope sending out the church email a day early isn’t too confusing. I promise it’s for a good reason. For many years, the first Thursday in May has been recognized as a National Day of Prayer. And since tomorrow is the first Thursday…

In putting together the video above, I came across a clip of a pastor teaching the American Sign Language (ASL) sign for “Peace be with you.” Unlike the gesture popularized in the 1960s of two fingers held up in the shape of a V, the sign for peace is actually a compound sign. First, palms are rotated…

Last week in this space I shared my thoughts on Wendell Barry’s poem that challenges us to consider what it means to practice resurrection. I thought it would be a one-time reflection, but as time went on and I started mapping out our worship services for the next few weeks, I couldn’t stop thinking about this idea…

As a beloved American poet, novelist, essayist, environmental activist, farmer, and cultural critic, Wendell Barry gives voice to a way of being in the world but not of the world. If you’re looking for something to read during this time, I highly recommend checking out his writings in whatever form best appeals to you. One of his most well-known poems…

Tonight we would’ve gathered around tables in fellowship hall to share a potluck meal and a time of fellowship. I would’ve washed and blessed your hands as we gathered to remember how Jesus washed the disciples’ feet and gave them a new commandment—to love one another as he had loved them. Instead of giving thanks around…

On the fifth day of creation, God created all the creatures of the sea and birds and instructed them to “be fruitful and multiply.”  On Sunday, we explored the idea of Living Water in connection with God filling the seas with creatures and Jesus offering the Samaritan woman a drink of living water. Sadly, this left little room…

As promised, here’s my reflection on supernovas, glowing up, and guiding stars. Let’s begin with a very oversimplified definition. A supernova is a HUGE stellar explosion resulting from a massive star’s core suddenly collapsing in on itself or a white dwarf star’s temperature rising to a point that triggers runaway nuclear fusion. Either way, a supernova is basically a star going out with a…