Dear friends and members of University UMC:
Our children’s director is leading a day camp for lower-elementary-aged children, and I’ve had the joy of hearing the sounds of children all week long. Yes, there are hard things going on in the world and in our communities. Seeing the children learn, play, and sing together is good medicine for a weary soul.
In July, our sermons are centered on Old Testament lessons and invite us to consider how good questions can lead to greater connection between people. Questions like “What do you need?” “Tell me a little about yourself?” or “How can I help?” Last Sunday, the question was “Where are you from?” and it reminded me of an exercise I did at a retreat years ago. At the retreat, we were told to read the poem “Where I’m From” by George Ella Lyon. We were then invited to write our own poem using a template based on Lyon’s poem. If you have the time and want to write your own “Where I’m From” poem, I encourage you to follow the nudge! You can find the template link below. While I have a vivid memory of my time at that retreat and the poem exercise, I can’t for the life of me find the poem or even recall what all I wrote. And so, I wrote a new one. You can find it below.
I’m also including two of the resources I shared in worship on the 4th of July weekend. They are good words from thoughtful theologians. As I considered answering the question “Where are you from?”, Simran Jeet Singh’s prayer reminds us that we come from the heart of God. And M. Kaiser’s “A Prayer for unBlessing” is a powerful and prophetic word that calls us to humility and repentance. As the United States became 250 years old, the invitation to enter into a time of reflection remains.
And finally, if you’re looking for a good book to give to a child in your life, I recommend “Where are you from?” by Yamile Saied Méndez and Jaime Kim.
