Psalm 137 is a psalm of lament over the destruction of Jerusalem. It was written during the exile of the people of Israel in Babylon after they were conquered by the Babylonians. I mentioned that in my sermon last Sunday. The psalm recounts how the Israelites’ captors tormented them by asking them to entertain them with the songs of Zion (another name for Jerusalem). Verse 4 then poses the rhetorical question, “How could we sing the Lord’s song … [Read more...]
Living Faithfully Into the Future – June 2019
Summer is here! Okay, I know that summer doesn’t technically begin until June 21, but for all practical purposes in places ruled by the academic calendar, summer is June – August. Things tend to slow down at this time of year. It’s a good time for a vacation week or two. But in the wake of annual reports written for our congregational meeting, staff reviews, and my own goal setting for the coming program year, it’s also a good time to think about … [Read more...]
Behind the Scenes – May 2019
The Illinois Marathon was this weekend. Helen ran the half marathon, and Marian went along to support her, cheering her on and meeting her at mile nine to supply her with a banana and granola bar. Thousands of people took part in the full and half marathon, as well as the 10K on Saturday morning. Thousands more ran the 5K on Friday evening. But in order for that to happen, many more people, most of them volunteers, had to work behind … [Read more...]
Into the Mystery – April 2019
We are more than half of the way now through the season of Lent. In my newsletter article last month, I said that Lent is a time for paying attention to the uncomfortable things about ourselves, with a particular focus on how they intertwine with the lives of others and the world around us and make us complicit in the complex web of sin and brokenness that we humans have been weaving throughout our history. That will continue to be … [Read more...]
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