The first Mother’s Day sermon I preached following the birth of our son Paul was a momentous occasion for me. I remember sharing that as a woman pastor I sometimes used the metaphor of “giving birth” for writing or composing a sermon. After the experience of labor, I wanted to set the record straight. There […]
Community & Lifestyle
Posted inCommunity & Lifestyle
Antiracism and reimagining community
We are long past the denial stage in the face of increasingly open attempts to reassert white racial dominance. In just the past week: Race and white supremacy were socially constructed in Europe to justify the permanent enslavement of people based solely on skin color. That system became the economic engine of this country and […]
Posted inCommunity & Lifestyle
The truth about a lie
I greet you in the morning as your thoughts begin to form. I nestle in your feelings – subtle – as if I am the norm. You may not sense my presence, as morn to night goes by – I have that subtle power – after all, I’m just a lie. I fill your mind […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Levitt AMP announces 2026 season
The Levitt AMP Springfield Music Series will return to downtown Springfield for a seventh season on Thursday nights starting May 28 through July 30. Presented by PNC, the 10-week live concert series will feature a diverse lineup of performers from across the world. Entertainment begins at 6:15 p.m. every Thursday in the vacant block north […]
Posted inCommunity & Lifestyle
The Baha’i festival of Ridvan
The Baha’i Festival of Ridvan (pronounced Rez-vahn) is the holiest season of the Baha’i year. Beginning at sunset on April 20 and ending at sunset May 2, this 12-day period commemorates the time in 1863, when Baha’u’llah sojourned along with family and followers in the Najibiyyih Garden, situated on an island in the Tigris River. […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Dana-Thomas House Foundation to demolish adjacent property
When Susan Lawrence and family moved to the neighborhood, it looked a lot different than it does now. The three houses across the street from the Dana-Thomas House (302, 306 and 308 E. Lawrence) were originally built as two-story homes. They were destroyed in the fire of 1916, and the current houses were built around […]
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Bar and bat mitzvah – marking the passage to adulthood
Next month I will be marking my 83rd birthday and the 70th anniversary of my bar mitzvah, the ceremony in Judaism marking a young person’s passage to adulthood. In recent times, some Jewish men of my generation, on reaching the age of 83, have been celebrating a second bar mitzvah. Psalm 90 notes that “the […]
Posted inArts & Culture
The face of downtown
A man who holds a Springfield bowling record is on track for a milestone in his professional career. O.J. Crowder set a city high-series bowling record with an 886 in November 2008. Today, Crowder has served downtown Springfield as a letter carrier for the U.S. Postal Service for more than 30 years. Crowder’s 2008 bowling […]
Posted inNews
Sangamon Auditorium to reopen in October with major upgrades
After more than a year without performances, there’s finally a date to circle on the calendar: Sangamon Auditorium is set to reopen this October. The UIS Performing Arts Center has been closed since June 2025 to make way for a major plumbing replacement throughout the building. It’s not the most glamorous upgrade, but it was […]
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A place to stay awhile, a space to belong: Inside Vondra Social House
There’s an art to creating a space people don’t just pass through. Creating a space that people choose to settle into requires an invitation to a space filled with more than the hum of smooth music and conversation. At Vondra Social House, that invitation is clear. Owners Eric and Sierra Ferrell have created a place […]
Posted inCommunity & Lifestyle
High School Healthcare Bootcamps
High school students interested in a career in health care are invited to apply for the Summer 2026 High School Healthcare Bootcamps at HSHS St. John’s Hospital in Springfield, HSHS St. Mary’s Hospital in Decatur and HSHS St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital in Effingham. The bootcamps are designed for high school juniors and seniors interested in […]
Posted inCommunity & Lifestyle
Springing into science
When people understand science, the whole community benefits. A scientifically literate community is a stronger community – one where people can navigate new technologies, evaluate information and participate in conversations that shape our future. Scientific literacy isn’t about memorizing facts. It’s about understanding how the world works well enough to make thoughtful choices within it. […]
