Alka's Angle

9/11! This date perhaps is etched in the memory of all who were of the age to understand the severity of what we experienced that day! Our world changed that day! Our country had not experienced anything like that before and we thought nothing worse than that could ever happen to us again. While we have not experienced another tragedy caused by external elements, we’ve certainly not been immune to internal conditions that make life difficult for people. Specially this year, the reality of racial inequity has surfaced like never before, and the decisions of our administration are creating extremely difficult circumstances for people of color, people with limited resources and people with disabilities. 

The lay-leadership of our church and I have decided that we will open our building for in-person worship beginning this Sunday, September 6th. The building is prepared and safety measures are in place. And we also need your support to make the experience safe and welcoming for all. For that, please make sure you sign up to attend in-person worship by clicking here. When you arrive:

When you read this, I will be at the end of my time away from pulpit and church responsibilities. And I would like to thank everyone who made this possible:

This week marks the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th amendment -- the amendment which prohibits the states and the federal government from denying the right to vote to citizens of the United States on the basis of sex. One would think that was the end of the denial of voting rights for women -- but this was neither the beginning, nor the end of this discrimination. Just like any other injustice, this too was complicated. 

The storm (Derecho: a widespread, straight-line wind storm associated with a fast-moving group of severe thunderstorms potentially rivaling hurricanic and tornadic forces), on Monday was a strong one. I have not seen anything like this before. It caused a lot of damage with about 15 tornadoes that touched down in the Chicagoland area. I am grateful that there was no damage to our church property, but several trees came down or were up-rooted, causing damage to cars and property and thousands of residents lost power.