On Aug. 27, United Methodists and friends assembled at the First United Methodist Church–Chicago Temple for “Keep the Dream Alive” to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington. Participants filled the sanctuary for worship and later moved across the street to Daley Plaza for a peaceful rally and march against racism.
Read MoreNet zero requires abatement of our emissions. We must eliminate carbon-producing activity. This will require our being less reliant on fossil fuels by pursuing efficient energy use, electrification, and renewables. A key action is to go solar.
Read MoreRabbi Yehiel Poupko of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago and Rev. Dr. Javier Viera, president of Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, invited the Bishop, his wife Julie, and other faith leaders in the Chicago area to an instructive tour this past summer of the Holocaust sites in Poland. The rising tide of nationalism in Poland and the ongoing polarizations in our own country suggested an opportunity to bear an interfaith witness to peace and strong interfaith relations among leaders in Chicago.
Read MoreChurch conferences focus on electing leaders, setting the pastor’s salary, approving the church’s budget (if available), recommending candidates for ministry, and approving lay speakers. The event also includes a time to review and affirm the congregation’s plans for ministry and mission and learning about the work of the conference and the wider United Methodist Church.These meetings are part of the fabric of our connectional nature. Through the connectional system, we are involved in God’s mission together. Together, we are able to do more than if we remained alone.
Read MoreThe world is ever-changing and the church is ever-evolving. Change is like the storms of life: You are either in one, about to enter one, or coming out of one. The Greek philosopher Heraclitus said, “Change is the only constant in life.” The world is always changing and so are its people. As a result, we find ourselves constantly adapting to it. It has been said, “If you are not changing, then you are dying.”
Read MoreIt is a time to say “thank you” to the people who may be most visible as preachers and teachers, but who, in reality, are on-call 24/7 standing with congregants and others to offer spiritual and other support in times of confusion and transition, times of heart-wrenching sorrow and times of overwhelming joy.
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