Unity
Unity is beautiful, fragile, elusive, and complicated in the presence of diversity. But if unity forms around a common enemy, it’s profoundly simple. Creating unity in our time is difficult.…
Keeping it Together
Before the pandemic, The Portico Cafe was a small and mighty team of baristas and catering managers.For many this was their second “shot” at rebuilding a life for themselves and…
Chilling
Hope your summer is as chill as my dog Karl. This is a photo of him while I was working this week. I returned from an epic vacation last Saturday…
The Pursuit of Happiness
The Declaration of Independence: it could be called the ultimate break-up letter.We had to tell England, “You don’t own me“, we are born with natural rights endowed by our Creator.And while…
Season of Celebration
Last week a dear friend of mine reached out to me for inspiration.“What does Juneteenth mean to you?”For me the answer was simple. It’s about freedom and humanity.Last year, after the…
What Are You Here For?
Have you ever answered our post-it wall question?Upon entry into The Cafe you are encountered by a question.Your answer is then affixed to a plexiglass wall for all to see–as they compose…
Summertime is here!
The summer season is upon us and for the first time in quite a while, families and friends are gathering in major ways.I just kicked off my summer with a…
Is Evil Winning?
(See Hyde Park’s pastoral statement at the end of this message)Many congregations gathered on Monday at The Portico for the Hillsborough Organization for Progress and Equality‘s Justice Ministry Celebration. We…