When I started thinking about Lent this year, one word kept coming to my mind: Undone. Trying to seem like we have it all together is something many of us feel like we need to do…are expected to do. Even though feeling tired, overwhelmed, unsure, and a little bit like an imposter are fundamental human experiences that we ALL share, we can invest lots of time and energy and pasted-on smiles in trying to convince those...
Contemplative practices promote experiential connecting with the holy - encounters with the divine that engage our hearts and bodies, going beyond words and concepts. The labyrinth is an ancient contemplative practice found in many Christian settings. Labyrinths come in all shapes and sizes, and can be found indoors, outdoors, and even online! This one was designed by WCC member JS Hedegard, who invites you to be open to the experience of slowly moving through the...
We invite you to a special Ash Wednesday service, which will premiere on our church's YouTube channel at 7 P.M. on Wednesday, February 17. This service will introduce our Lenten theme (a timely and poignant one, to be sure) and empower us to deepen our faith as we journey toward Holy Week's sobering depth and Easter's uplifting joy.https://youtu.be/8TXc_HjXhPs...
More than thirty years ago a single church youth group was driven to do something different on Super Bowl Sunday after hearing a simple prayer: “Lord, even as we enjoy the Super Bowl football game, help us be mindful of those without a bowl of soup to eat.” That was 1990. Since then, ordinary young people have generated an extraordinary $163+ million for soup kitchens, food banks and other charities in communities across the country.This...
So much has happened in our world, in our country, and in each of our various lives over the last year. And while the start of the new year may not have brought with it instant change, it can still serve as a reminder to just stop. With each new year, and each new day, we have an opportunity to stop and reflect on what has been. It's a chance to pause, and to look...
As we move from 2020 and into 2021, I know there are hopes and dreams that this year will be different than last. But I also know that hoping can feel challenging as well, especially after the last year, and especially in light of what has happened this past week. Hope is such a powerful thing, and one of our confirmands this past Wednesday reminded me how important it is to believe, because believing is part...
From Fracture, Fresh Sight https://winnetkacongregationalchurch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/From-Fracture-Fresh-Sight-January-7-2021-1.mp4 Dear Sisters, Brothers, and Friends, In the course of our Nation, there are moments that shock us. Moments that shake us to our core. Among these shocking moments are: The assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Robert F. Kennedy. The explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger. The attacks on 9/11. The videotaped killing of George Floyd under the knee of a white police officer, as...
I know that this holiday season will be a lot different than any before and we are all trying to find ways to create more joy and light in our lives and in the lives of others. One of the things that brings me great joy is sharing stories with others. In the spring we had a special interactive “Story Time with Pastor Sarah” on Zoom. It was a wonderful way for us to stay...
In this Advent season, it has been a church tradition to gather for the lighting of a beautiful tree on our front lawn. This year, we gathered virtually to view the lighting. We heard some humorous words of wisdom from Senior Pastor Jeff Braun as well....
New Trier Multifaith Alliance Interfaith Thanksgiving Service Hosted by Temple Jeremiah Tuesday, November 24, 2020Litany of Thanksgiving by the Rev. Jeffrey D. Braun One: Within the centering embrace of our shared worship, Many: Gather us, O God. One: Over and above the cacophony of cleaving impulses, partisanship, and parochialism into which humanity can and all too easily sink, Many: Attune us, O God, to the still-small, yet tectonic power of your unyielding call: to justice, to mercy, to love. One: Within the deep well of every human heart where joys and sorrows, despair and...