Many of us recognize that our congregations are aging. Because we do not understand aging well, we may hesitate to really get to know older adults and minister to them. This article is written by an aging congregant and may…
The inevitable invisibility of aging women in the church
In a 2019 essay for The Atlantic, Akiko Busch asks, “How might a woman’s identity evolve when she can go unrecognized, when she is no longer under the gaze of others?” The essay asserts an ultimate freedom of choice: because…
Geezers vs. youngsters: The battle heats up
Joe Biden, 81 and alarmingly feeble, refuses, at least for the moment, to pass the torch of presidential leadership to a younger Democrat. Meanwhile, the possible reelection of convicted felon Donald Trump, 78 and barely rational, looms like a doomsday…
Yes, there’s a double standard but Biden still must leave the 2024 race
President Joe Biden’s news conference at the conclusion of the NATO summit tonight wasn’t the train wreck of his debate two weeks ago, but it did nothing to assuage his friends who believe he should not run for reelection. What…
Things I would tell my younger self
Sometimes when I’m watching the news, there’ll be a story about an older woman being mugged or a grandma being held hostage. “A 63-old grandmother was severely injured today,” the newscaster will intone with all the gravity due the harming…
Of politicians and pastors who can’t quit
Politicians and pastors may share more things in common than you would imagine, but one common trait is ego. It takes a strong ego to subject yourself to a run for public office, and it takes a strong ego to…
‘Remember those who spoke the word of God to you’
You would expect a guy named “Lacoste” to wear Izod, and he did. But it was his Friday tennis ties I remember most about Lacoste Munn. Those ties signaled the end of another week and the anticipation of our Friday…
Reflections on life in the ninth inning
No doubt, you’ve heard the legend about Yogi Berra, the famous baseball player who commented on the end of a baseball game: “It ain’t over until the fat lady sings.” It seems Yogi had been to an opera or two…
The shock of being 60 years old
I turned 60 years old this past summer. I have not quite gotten over it yet. Sixty is just different. It definitely feels at least three years older than 59. “They” say age is just a number. So maybe this…
When will disability become a personal issue for you?
Most of us think of “the disabled” as someone other than ourselves. But that is unrealistic, according to a New Testament scholar who focuses on the issues of gender, disability, eschatology and suffering. Meghan Henning, author of Hell Hath No…
Lessons in coffin carrying
Years ago, as a pastor, I noticed when one of our ordinarily regularly attending senior adult men stopped attending his men’s Bible study class, as well as Sunday morning worship. I contacted the man I’ll call Bill and asked if…
You can(’t) go home again
A trip home to be with family in the face of an illness gave an interesting lens to the dynamics of return. Then on the heels of that, the memorial service of a formative ministry figure called the writer also…