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…

If you’ve noticed over the past few weeks, the above space has featured the phenomenal artwork of a local artist. Molly Costello is an artist based in Chicago who is “interested in cultivating more interdependent relationships both within our human communities, with the divine and with our more than human kin around us.” I struggled with which of her…

Take a deep breath. Breathe in through your nose and feel your chest expand as your lungs fill with air. Hold it there for second. Now feel your body relax as you slowly breathe out through your mouth. Repeat as many times as necessary. “Take a deep breath” is timeless and ubiquitous advice given to everyone from women in…

Did you know 32 solar panels were installed on the White House in 1979? On June 20, 1979, President Jimmy Carter dedicated the newly installed solar system designed to heat water with these words, “A generation from now, this solar heater can either be a curiosity, a museum piece, an example of a road not taken or…

Lent both begins and ends in the dirt. On Ash Wednesday, we marked the beginning of Lent by marking our foreheads with a smudge of oil and ash. We remembered that we are dust and to dust we will return. Looking ahead, in 40 days (+ Sundays) we’ll complete this Lenten journey as we gather around a grave. As we move…