All of us in the State of Illinois have been under an official stay-at-home order since March 22. Even the weekend before, clergy and laity teams responsible for worship began to figure out how to continue to worship online.
Read MoreThe bars and restaurants have been closed for weeks now. I’ve noticed the last couple of weeks, however, that some of them are doing renovation: pulling out all the glassware, removing the tables and chairs, working on light fixtures, upgrading décor, and often pulling up old flooring in order to put down new flooring. These are things they can’t do easily when they have customers coming and going all day and night long. This renovation also gives me hope that they expect to re-open after people can go back to bars and restaurants!
Read MoreWe're all doing the best we can! Happy Easter and congratulations on getting through to Easter Monday! Many of you, both clergy and laity, have been working so hard to present Holy Week and Easter services throughout these challenging and very different times.
Read MoreThis Easter may feel empty for many of us as we all are impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Our churches are empty. No lilies nor hyacinths wafting their strong sweet smell. No pews filled with people dressed in their best clothes. No choirs singing the alleluias or trumpets sending chills down our legs just hearing the introduction to “Christ the Lord Is Risen Today.” Our tables are emptier than we would like; we have empty chairs that friends and family would otherwise be filling.
Read MoreOn Friday, April 10, Bishop Sally Dyck will be joining a diverse group of Christian religious, civic and community leaders and representatives in a special service, The Ecumenical Stations of the Cross.
Read MoreAs we begin this Holy Week going toward Easter, we acknowledge that it’s a journey we take that’s unlike any other year. We may have gone through Holy Week while experiencing our own time of difficulty before. But this one we do with others: not only our church community but the communities, nation, and world around us. We are taking a collective journey together toward Easter.
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