What are we doing during these 40 days of Easter? In more than six decades of living, I feel I’ve not yet grasped all there is to this feast of paschal mystery. This year, my ponderings have been ordered by three images, a triptych, if you will. The center panel is baptism – a very […]
Arts & Culture
Posted inArts & Culture
Greg Kanter interview
Rabbi Greg Kanter of Temple B’rith Sholom talks with Tony Stang of The Mosaic Project about his journey of faith and coming out.
Posted inArts & Culture
A welcoming place
By 2024, Greg Kanter had been out as a gay, ordained rabbi for nearly three decades, a pioneer of sorts, who had been leading a congregation in Charleston, South Carolina, for about eight years. Life had been good there for him, his husband, and two adopted daughters. Then came a new presidential administration, and the […]
Posted inArts & Culture
DSI executive director to hold ‘Ask Me Anything’ event
Downtown Springfield, Inc. (DSI) will host an ‘Ask Me Anything’ event with its new executive director, Jay Shanle, on Thursday, April 30, at First Presbyterian Church in downtown Springfield. “My day-one commitment was to build a foundation of partnership and communication,” said Shanle. “I want to reintroduce DSI to the community, share our vision and […]
Posted inFilm
The Drama serves as a cautionary tale, Thrash a silly, welcome respite
Smart Drama a cautionary tale for today A cautionary tale for today, Kristoffer Borgli’s The Drama is a movie that thrives on making its characters and the viewer uncomfortable. Handling hot button topics with a commendable deft touch, the film puts social media era relationships under the microscope, as well as our ever-shifting perspectives of […]
Posted inIT Picks
Lincoln Presidential Half Marathon
SPORTS | Run where Lincoln walked on Saturday This annual event immerses runners in Lincoln history unlike any other race! The race starts and finishes at the Old State Capitol where Lincoln gave his House Divided speech and near his former law office. The course also goes by his home, through Oak Ridge Cemetery and […]
Posted inPoetry
Lord of the Rings
I sought and found a certain grave in North Oxford. J.R.R. Tolkien’s headstone read simply “Beren” and his wife’s read “Luthien.” I found a pair of those special dice some of you will know well, hidden in the leaves, a gift from another pilgrim. 2026 Jacqueline Jackson
Posted inArts & Culture
Mary Lincoln’s dress of defiance
In May 1861, Mary Lincoln posed for what was likely her first official portrait as first lady with the highly respected Washington, D.C., photographer Mathew Brady. He would become renowned for stark Civil War battlefield photos. Before that he was known for photographing America’s leaders and well-known figures. Mary chose a black silk dress embroidered […]
Posted inCommunity & Lifestyle
Garden serendipity
Last Sunday, Christians around the world celebrated Easter by joining Mary in the garden outside the empty tomb and proclaiming the day of resurrection. The Bible begins and ends with garden imagery. The creation story in Genesis 1 presents the cosmic garden with all the light and darkness across the universe coming into being through […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Josh Sabo interview
Josh Sabo, executive director of Heartland HOUSED, sits down with Tony Stang of The Mosaic Project for an extended conversation about the unhoused community in Springfield.
Posted inCommunity & Lifestyle
Are we making progress on efforts to address homelessness?
In 2020, our community began to take tangible steps to evaluate gaps in services to address homelessness and chart a new way forward. Community leaders, service providers, people with lived experience of homelessness and community members gave input about challenges related to homelessness and shared their hopes for what could be. The result was the […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Less is more at Gallery 1624
If you’re passing by the corner of West Laurel Street and Holmes Avenue in Springfield, you might happen to notice what looks like a miniature house with windows and solar panels standing on a post in the yard of 1624 Holmes Ave. A closer look will reveal an intricate, dollhouse-like interior, designed to showcase tiny […]
