The Seasons of Life
April Tower-Chimes: The Seasons of Life We recently had to put our 13-year old cat, Lucy, to sleep after it was discovered she’d developed cancer. We’re grateful that on her last day with us she seemed to be pain-free, and even her trip to the vet was relatively stress-free. In her final moments we told her we loved her, gave thanks for the joy that she was for our family, and tearfully bid her good-bye. After a lifetime of…
Keeping the Right Perspective
March Tower-Chimes: Keeping the Right Perspective Who among us doesn’t prefer stability over instability, predictability over unpredictability? By nature, most of of are wired to want things to be stable. This is why the precarious state of The United Methodist Church over the past few years has resulted in soaring levels of anxiety within the denomination. It would be difficult for any elderly life-long member of the UMC to point to a time in their life when denominational anxiety…
Radical Discipleship: Our Calling
February 2023: Radical Discipleship: Our Calling Radical discipleship. Is this something good? The word radical has mostly negative connotations these days. These days, “radical” has mostly political undertones, and to be labeled a “radical” is usually not a good thing. With it, we associate words such as revolutionary, extremist, insurgent, rebellious, and militant. In this sense, few of us see being a radical as a good thing. But radical has another meaning: relating to the fundamental nature of something;…
My Pastoral Life in Review
January 2023: My Pastoral Life in Review: That Was Then, This Is Now At the end of every calendar year, it’s not uncommon to review the ups and downs and the ins and outs of the previous twelve months. TV shows will recall the year’s top stores; radio stations will review the year’s biggest hits; pop-culture magazines will highlight the celebrities died; and Spotify users will be told which songs in their library they listened to the most. All…
Christmas or Xmas?
Does it bother you when you see the word “Christmas” written out as “Xmas”? If so, you’re not alone. Around Christmas each year, there are some who openly decry the use of the abbreviation Xmas as a kind of blasphemy against Christianity, arguing that it “Xs Christ out of Christmas.” In response to the modern debates about the public display of manger scenes and substituting “Merry Christmas” with “Happy Holidays,” many have become sensitive to anything that smacks of…
The Freedom to Do the Right Thing
Pastor’s Article – July 2022 Tower Chimes There are times when doing the right thing and doing what we have the right to do are juxtaposed with each other. When this happens, I believe the Christian has a duty, if you will, to forego their rights in order to do the right thing. For example, let’s assume, for the sake of argument, we live in an location where the main supply of water is subject to changes in seasonal…
United Methodist or Global Methodist?
Pastor’s Article – June 2022 Tower Chimes If you’re confused by the title of this article, let me clear things up, then I’ll continue. The UnitedMethodist Church (UMC) came into existence in 1968, when The United Brethren Church and the Methodist Episcopal Church merged to form a new denomination. Four years later, at the first general conference of The UMC, the topic of human sexuality was raised and has been discussed and debated at every general conference since then.…
Seriously?
Pastor’s Article – May 2022 Tower Chimes On the day after Easter, a spring snow storm came through much of lower Michigan. I texted a photo to my parents, who are still in California, with the message, “See what you’re missing?” to which they texted back, “Seriously?” accompanied by a giant crying face emoji. On that first Easter, the women who discovered that Jesus’ tomb was empty received a ‘Seriously?’ response when they reported their finding to the men.…
The Long, Slow Process of Healing and Growth
Pastor’s Article – April 2022 Tower Chimes This is a photo I took of myself on December 31, 2020. I sent it to my nephew (also a runner) who’d just given the running cap to me for Christmas. In the text I think I wrote something like, “Heading out on my last run of the year.” It wasn’t long after I took this picture that I had to stop running on account of pain that I was starting to…
Take Away or Add To?
Pastor’s Article – March 2022 Tower Chimes Do you have an established way of observing Lent? Traditionally, Christians have given up something—typically, something they enjoy—as a way of immersing themselves in the sacrificial nature of the season. What are you giving up for Lent? is a question that might be asked at a Bible study or between friends. Common answers include various food items (sugar, meat, etc.), forms of entertainment (watching TV, social media, etc.), and alcohol and carbonated…