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This week, I ran across a quote from Abraham Lincoln about his mother's influence:  "I have always remembered my mother's prayers. They have clung to me all my life."

On Mothers' Day, May 8, people across the country will be thinking of their mothers, or the women in their lives who have been, in some way, like a mother to them. In the church, we celebrate every woman on Mothers' Day, thankful for the ways their particular personalities and gifts have influenced us in our lives and faith, and have influenced the world.

My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand.  - John 10:27-28

These are the words Jesus spoke when the Jews rejected him at the festival of the Dedication. Jesus tells them that those who believe in him will never perish. "No one can snatch you out of my hand." The question becomes, if God is catching us all the time, what are we holding on to? Let's explore this question together at the 8:15 a.m. service this Sunday.

We hope that you, your family and your friends will join us this Sunday at 9:30 or 11:00 a.m. for the Chancel Choir Spring Cantata, Sunrise Mass. This evocative contemporary cantata, by Norwegian-American Ola Gjeilo, consists of four movements  - The Spheres, Sunrise, The City, and Identity & The Ground - which move from transparent and celestial to emotional and dramatic. The cantata will include projected images designed to enhance the listener's experience and will feature a guest orchestra.

Just as I expected, the music from last Sunday's Easter services echoed in my mind throughout the week - reminding me of the gift of Christ's resurrection even in the midst of the more ordinary days of the week.

Easter, of course, is much more than just one day - it is reality that changes how we live the other 364 (or, in the case of 2016, 365) days of the year.

Today we woke up in New York City. Some of us woke up a little earlier and went on a private tour of the Good Morning America control room. We saw where the directors and assistant directors talked with the television staff while they were live in air! Once everyone was packed and grabbed whatever breakfast, whethwr it was from the Starbucks on the same street as the hotel or food from the Dunham's, we headed out for Pennsylvania. We had a total of about 4 hours of driving, or in other words, 4 hours of exhausted New York kids sleeping on the bus.

Today we woke up in New York City. Some of us woke up a little earlier and went on a private tour of the Good Morning America control room. We saw where the directors and assistant directors talked with the television staff while they were live in air! Once everyone was packed and grabbed whatever breakfast, whethwr it was from the Starbucks on the same street as the hotel or food from the Dunham's, we headed out for Pennsylvania. We had a total of about 4 hours of driving, or in other words, 4 hours of exhausted New York kids sleeping on the bus.

After two days in NYC we are in the road for the return leg of our trip. According to our pedometers we walked more than 24 miles in two days and that doesn't include all the miles we spent on the subway. Our time in NYC started with a ride into Manhattan on the Staten Island Ferry after which we toured the 9/11 Memorial and One World Trade Center.

In the morning we had the Easter service where we lit the candles and we're all participating in the service by reading scriptures individually. Afterwords we were able to have individualized omelets made by the boy scouts that were a part of the church for breakfast. Then we got on the bus and drove to get lunch. Pennsylvania's fast food does not taste the same as Chicago's. Then we got back on the bus to go to the nursing home and we were almost late. We had to cut some songs so that everyone could eat dinner on time but the performance still went well.

Day 1,
It was an early morning for us all, especially the seniors. We woke up at 3 or so to meet up at IHOP for pancakes.

After the bus was all loaded up, the journey started. We all slept for most of the ride and made it safe and sound to Ohio State University where Jill Loveless gave us a wonderful tour of her campus.