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Aging Well: Practical, theological reasons to value older people
Missy Buchanan Sometimes you read something that sends chills down your spine. It happened recently when I read the words of Stephen Sapp, chair of religious studies at the University of Miami in Coral...
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Aging Well: Intergenerational dialogue – a challenge for churches
Not long ago a friend told our adult Sunday school class about a training program her work organization was undertaking. The purpose of the program was to help different generations of employees...
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Aging Well: Listening can help bridge generational divide
An 84-year-old grandmother and lifelong Methodist shared a family situation that was troubling her. Her 22-year-old granddaughter had just moved in with her boyfriend. The grandmother was heartbroken,...
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Aging Well: Seniors need more than our quick-and-easy gifts
Not long ago I sat in a restaurant and watched a young-adult grandson cradle the elbow of his grandmother while she pushed her walker across the uneven brick floor. It seemed obvious that they were...
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Aging Well: Eldercare mediation can help stressed-out families
The middle-aged woman rolled her eyes and abruptly turned away from her younger brother so she wouldn’t have to see him caress their frail elderly mother. As usual, he had popped in with an armload of...
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Aging Well: Tips for seniors on greeting young visitors in church
Several Facebook friends recently posted something that caught my attention. It was a newsletter from the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations offering advice for older adults who are...
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Aging Well: Senior keeps Sundays ringing
As you drive the streets of picturesque Jefferson, Texas, you will likely see the historic First United Methodist Church with its steeple stretching into the sky. At a glance, the white wooden...
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Aging Well: Expert –“Churches can do more to support seniors”
When the Rev. Larry Minnix first accepted a call into ministry, he was a 16-year-old boy sitting by the campfire at a youth retreat. He never imagined that one day he would be trying to light a fire...
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Aging Well: Churches shouldn’t run from the topic of aging
The photo in the newsletter caught my attention. It was an image of a yellow sticky note with handwritten words, “Do today: Plan for God to use me in old age!” My mind began to spin. Most people don’t...
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Aging Well: Our faith helps us resist the temptations of aging
I couldn’t help but laugh when my 89-year-old friend made a confession. “Some days I need a tractor to pull me out of my rut!” she exclaimed exasperatedly. It’s true for all of us. Without realizing...
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Aging Well — Supporting those in senior communities
Each Sunday morning before worship begins, I make the rounds to visit with older friends at church. Not long ago I hugged an older woman and asked about her upcoming week. After a brief pause, she...
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Aging Well: The value of intergenerational ministries
Recently, I was at an airport in North Carolina waiting to board a flight to Atlanta making a connection to Dallas. I had just made it through the security line when I received a text message from the...
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Aging Well: Life in the fourth quarter
I have never met 84 year-old Dede Casad in person, but judging from her book, The Fourth Quarter: The Hail Mary for Seniors, I imagine her to be a little like Judge Judy. Spunky, funny and...
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Aging Well: Valuing seniors as a counter-cultural act of love
A few years ago I was having coffee and casual conversation with the marketing director of a large retirement community that has both independent and assisted living facilities on its well-manicured...
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Aging Well: A tribute to a veteran and servant of God
Ed Frazier Every Friday morning you can find ninety-three year-old Ed Frazier at the Helping Hands food pantry in his hometown of Rockwall, Texas. The former Air Force pilot is on another mission in...
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