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Dear Hyde Park Family, My first pet was a turtle. I was young when I received one as a gift from a friend. It was a small box turtle that I kept it in a green plastic bowl shaped around a fake island and topped with a plastic palm tree. I thought about naming it after...

Dear Hyde Park Family, In Celtic spirituality there is a term called “thin places,” where a person experiences the God’s presence more readily than in any other place. Travel writer Eric Weiner describes them as “those rare locales where the distance between heaven...

Dear Advent Pilgrims,  We are about to round the corner and come down the home stretch of our journey through Advent. Be sure to check out our website for descriptions of all the exciting events happening next week, starting with this Sunday: Family Christmas Service:...

Dear Advent Pilgrims, As we approach the half-way mark of our journey to Christmas, we have some special events this Saturday and Sunday that will comprise a joyous, festive weekend. We hope you will make one or more of these events a part of your holiday...

Dear Advent Pilgrims, Our journey to Bethlehem is guided by the songs of Advent, hymns written to prepare our hearts for the coming of Jesus Christ. It is a series based on one of my earliest books, titled Songs for the Waiting: Devotions Inspired by the Hymns of...

What do you give to a king who has everything? A few years ago, during a trip to London, my daughters and I visited the Tower of London and made the compulsory tourist stop to see the Crown Jewels. This impressive collection features royal crowns, mantles, scepters,...

Dear Hyde Park Family, Are there certain fragrances that evoke strong memories for you?  I was surprised to learn recently that the same part of our brain that processes our sense of smell is the same as where we store our memories. Your olfactory bulb is connected to...

Dear Hyde Park Family, This Sunday we begin a new worship series titled “Living with Gratitude.” It is a continuation of the leadership theme with which we started the year, based on Diana Butler Bass’ book Grateful: The Subversive Practice of Giving Thanks. Each...

Thirty years ago, I was in a small group Bible study in college, in which the leader was talking about Matthew 28:18-20, our scripture reading for this Sunday’s Missions Celebration. Jesus utters these iconic words to his disciples: “Go therefore and make disciples of...

Dear Hyde Park Family, It is a condition that affects about one in 1 in 5 adults in the United States each year. One in 6 American youth experience this challenge, and it is the most common cause of hospitalizations of people under the age of 45. It is the leading...

Dear Hyde Park Family, Thank you for the amazing response to the urgent plea for water last weekend for residents of Florida impacted by Hurricane Ian. In less than 24 hours, you donated about 4.5 tons of water, the equivalent of over 1,200 gallons. That water has...

Dear Hyde Park Family, Today’s special Midweek Message is in the form of this video, in which I offer you and your loved ones a pastoral word of comfort and courage in the face of Hurricane Ian. Blessings to you and your family as we navigate these days ahead. Magrey

Dear Hyde Park Family, Last Monday was the 25th anniversary of the tragic death of Rich Mullins, one of the greatest contemporary Christian music artists, and songwriter of the soundtrack of my youth. His song “Awesome God” debuted during my senior year in high school...

Dear Hyde Park Family, At the outset of a meeting last Tuesday of the Committee on Lay Leadership, I read Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, which contains the iconic “For everything there is a season” passage. Then I read a lovely poem by Laura Grace Weldon titled, “Compost...

Dear Hyde Park Family, “Can you hear me now?” You may remember that famous line from the advertising campaign for Verizon Wireless. It began on January 14, 2002, when nearly half of all Americans owned a cell phone. The ad assured Verizon subscribers that their cell...

Dear Hyde Park Family, As we conclude our worship series “The Meaning of Methodist” this Sunday, here are ten reasons I love being United Methodist. I pray they resonate with you, too. 1. I love how United Methodists view God. We believe that first and foremost, God...