In Sympathy: Fernando Siaba
Rev. Fernando Siaba, a member of the Northern Illinois Conference, died on October 6, 2025.
Location: Skokie: Central UMC, 8237 Kenton Ave, Skokie, IL 60076
9:30 am check-in and gathering, 10:00 retreat, 11:30 Lunch
Location: Skokie: Central UMC, 8237 Kenton Ave, Skokie, IL 60076
Program will be a spiritual retreat called, Notes of Rest, hosted by artist-theologian Julian Reid.
Cost $20
A recording will be available after the event.
Notes of Rest is a spiritual retreat hosted by artist-theologian Julian Reid. This ministry fuses reflections on the Bible with hymns on solo piano for the sake of cultivating rest, contemplation, and creativity in all who gather. Notes of Rest for Lake North Clergy is a 90-min event crafted for those God is pastoring as they pastor in this district. By letting questions emerge from a passage of the Bible, Julian will lead the participants in a time of reflection on how your vocation and faith are shaping one another in this trying season. And towards the end of our time, you'll have a chance to respond creatively to what God's been doing in us. Write a song, draw a picture, sculpt silly putty, begin a screenplay, or do whatever else God's placed on your heart!
It is Julian's sincere hope that our time will make way for you to encounter The Lord, our Pastor. As the pandemic continues to disrupt routines and norms, you continue to give so much to your congregations, and yet often don't have space to receive yourself. May this retreat be a time for you to tend to your own soul care.
Notes from Scripture. Notes into Music. Notes for Lake North. Notes of Rest.
More about Julian:
Julian is an artist-theologian who plays, speaks, and writes at the intersection of music, faith, and story. In addition to Notes of Rest, Julian is a founding member of the jazz-fusion group The JuJu Exchange, whose latest project is The Eternal Boombox EP. Along with Nova Zaii and Nico Segal, Julian creates exploratory and nuanced music that calls us all to wonder and trust. The JuJu Exchange’s music blends acoustic and digital instruments to further meaningful exchange among seemingly disparate cultures. In addition to recording with the band, Julian has various personal forthcoming projects, including a solo album of piano hymns entitled Rest Assured. Julian also works at Fearless Dialogues, a grassroots organization committed to creating unique spaces for unlikely partners to engage in hard heartfelt conversations about taboo subjects.
Julian is the son of Rev. Adonna Davis Reid of First UMC of Oak Park. Raised in St. Mark UMC on the South Side, Julian studied theology & the arts (M. Div.) at Candler School of Theology at Emory University and philosophy (B.A.) at Yale University. He and his wife Carmen, a pediatric resident, are based on the near West Side.
juliandavisreid.com/notesofrest | @notesofrest