This image, I Have A Dream, was drawn by Charles White. It was a lithograph in brown on cream paper in 1976.

The Pandemic will be blamed for many things, but one thing it has brought is rest. Rest for the planet and its inhabitants.

This morning’s sermon by Megan Marshman reminded me of how lost we can get in the busyness of our lives. It reminded me that God knew how important rest was so He modeled it himself on the seventh day after He created the earth. He knew we would become weary and tired and lose our effectiveness.

“God can’t do more with you until you rest,” Marshman said. Burn out is not a badge, she continued in telling the story of Elijah in 1 Kings 19. He had had a number of successes, but needed rest.

We are the same way. We have had some successes and want to keep the momentum going. But God knows we need rest. I mean He shut down the whole planet.

The journey is designed to make you grow weary. Rest when the shepherd lays you down. Psalm 23 tells us the pasture is green and lush. Rest in it.

In celebration of African American freedom, we have to remember it was not an easy battle. In light of the protests this month that were centered around the brutal killing of George Floyd by police, this piece is called Protests.

A protester has been peppersprayed.

This is a reminder that during the month of June we will examine African American Art. This figure is referred to as Nkisi Nkondi. It was believed to be a spiritual image with empowered medicinal and magical ingredients. Nails were one of the first commodities Africans began to make trades with Europeans.

Breonna Taylor was an African American woman who was a first responder. She was killed March 13, 2020 when officers executed a search warrant in her home.