With Thanks!
Wednesday July 29, 2020
Here are prayers and a psalm with some music for a summer evening full of grace in a tragic time. The first song, "Lost Highway" is a Hank Williams classic. The closing number, 'I Need Thee Every Hour" is one we often sing here. This version is by The Reedy Buzzards, who are not as famous as Hank. In between is the 93rd Psalm and prayers.
Go in peace.
Sunday July 26, 2020
A big weekend. On Saturday, over 140 people at the Zoom memorial service for Keith Stanisiewski, Darlene's son. Thanks to Sarah Pirtle, Joan Wattman, Josh Wachtel and everyone else who made it possible, from Scotland to Hawaii. Now, for Sunday we have one of the great parables, a variety of bright and soulful music and a sermon I've been needing to preach and to hear.
Link to offering:
Wednesday July 22, 2020
Wednesday waiting for the rain that's always on the way… where? We can recharge our spiritual roots with these living waters:
Sunday July 19, 2020
More words than music this time, due to space constraints. Don't worry, it won't last long. The music we have is beautiful. Nerissa, Katryna and Dave singing "One Hundred Names" a love song to God and . . . ? The sermon is out of the headlines and out of our history. Prayers are everything we utter. This batch is for many in our midst and in our hearts.
Wednesday July 15, 2020
We have "Verdant Groves" flanked by prayers and a link to "Hush" by Gina Coleman and Ben Kohn, with Gina's son on bass. Beautiful performances by great singers and piano players. Just right for a quiet Wednesday evening, if there is such a thing. The weather is like the plague and the politics: some beautiful days, always ringed around by ominous clouds, lightning striking somewhere and the fall ominous. And yet, there is this moment now, there is the drive of the planet to heal itself and of all life to evolve. There is this moment now; there is the urge in your heart to share life; there is this chance to love. Take it.
7.12.20 Sunday Vacation
Dear WCCC,There will be no Church-In-A-Box service this Sunday. Steve is taking the weekend off (wedding on Saturday; birthday on Sunday.)
Wednesday July 8, 2020
Good evening. Here are prayers, psalms and music for a summer evening.
Sunday July 5, 2020
Independence Day, 2020. Fewer fireworks. Perhaps we've had enough recently. Parades? Flyovers? Perhaps we're not in the mood for celebrating our birthday by reviewing the weapons and the troops, the part for the whole. The whole is daunting, dizzying, woebegone, wonderful, everything at once.
Wednesday July 1, 2020
Poem, prayers and piano. I began the poem a number of years ago. Could never get quite get it. Events of last week led me to work on it some more. It takes place on the drive home from Gardner state prison (NCCI.) Meade "Lux" Lewis and Little Brother Montgomery: two musicians with roots in the South who found success in Chicago.