Hyde Park Speaks
The Stories We Share
You Remade the World
Dear Lenten Pilgrims, One of the oldest hymns in our hymnal was written in the year 818 A.D., by a man named Theodulf, the Bishop of Orleans. He was a noted poet who wrote a refrain that would become part of our standard Palm Sunday celebrations: All glory, laud and...
Be The Donkey
Dear Lenten Pilgrims, One of the oldest hymns in our hymnal was written in the year 818 A.D., by a man named Theodulf, the Bishop of Orleans. He was a noted poet who wrote a refrain that would become part of our standard Palm Sunday celebrations: All glory, laud and...
The Power of Your Words
Dear Lenten Pilgrims, I spent the last several days out of town enjoying Spring Break with my daughters Grace and Maddy. We spent most of our time in Chicago, where Grace is in graduate school for Museum Studies. But last Monday and Tuesday, we made a quick road trip...
The Collect: A Way to Pray
Dear Lenten Pilgrims, At the start of the year I began using a book titled Being Here: Prayers for Justice, Curiosity, and Love by Padraig O’Tuama. He is an Irish poet, theologian, and conflict mediator whose writings have been very helpful in my spiritual practices....
Helpful Hints for Parenting Your Child in Worship
Preparation before Sunday: • Speak positively about the experience and let your child(ren) know you are pleased they will be joining you. • Read Sunday’s Scripture together. During the week, begin discussing your family’s expectations for worship behavior and...
Being and Doing
Dear Lenten Pilgrims, For the past few days, I have been with my clergy covenant group in Atlanta for one of our bi-annual retreats. It is a gathering I always cherish, connecting with my closest friends in ministry for a time of encouragement, learning, and play....
God Who Pays Attention
Dear Lenten Pilgrims, In my journey of living into “savor” as my key word for Lent, I am sharing a prayer I experienced last weekend that I have found to be very meaningful. Last Saturday, I attended an event in Orlando called “Exploration,” which gathered people...
My Word for Lent
Dear Lenten Pilgrims, Last year, I gave up coffee for Lent. It went as you would expect; I found myself longing for Easter resurrection many times. This year, I’ve decided a different approach. It doesn’t involve giving up something as it does focusing on something....
Defining Moments
Dear Hyde Park Family, What are the defining moments of your life? All of us can point to memories that we consider pivotal in shaping who we are today. Perhaps you think of the day you got married, the birth of a child, or the moment you survived a near-death...
The State of the Church
Dear Hyde Park Family, Last Sunday night, we had our annual Leadership Gathering of elected committee members and ministry area volunteers. It was a time of connecting with other leaders in the church, learning about our church’s organizational structure, and...