The Courage to Hope

By Rev. Beth Long-Higgins, VP of Engagement and director of the Ruth Frost Parker Center for Abundant Aging  •  February 06, 2025

There is a saying attributed to St. Augustine that lingers in my thinking. It has come to mind multiple times in the past several months as many I know are struggling to understand what hope is. This questioning most often comes amid great fear and frustration with the present moment and the danger of lingering in despair when looking into the future.

Recent Blog Posts

Community of Saints

By Rev. Catherine Lawrence  •  May 30, 2019

Our assisted living community celebrated the life of one of our beloved residents a few weeks ago. Preparing for worship, I thought about how a community of saints can..

What Does Age Have to Do with It?

By Rev. Dr. Kenneth Daniel  •  May 23, 2019

The Impact of Clergy Age on Churches When I was ordained back in 1981, I accepted the call to serve St. Andrew’s UCC, a small congregation in the old industrial city of..

Small Groups: Big Connections

By Rev. Rebecca S. King  •  May 16, 2019

Connecting Through Small Groups: A Story Last week, at the continuing care retirement community where I serve, the speaker for our senior class group that day called two..

I Will Remember for You Now...Until You Remember

By Rev. Beth Rodenhouse  •  May 09, 2019

My mom was diagnosed with vascular dementia several years ago, and she has had increasing memory problems. Mom is one of close to six million people living with dementia..

Community of Friends

By Rev. Beth Long-Higgins, VP of Engagement and director of the Ruth Frost Parker Center for Abundant Aging  •  May 02, 2019

Community is a core concept that we value deeply at United Church Homes. When the Board, staff and residents gathered in 2015 to articulate a new vision, mission and..

Signs of New Life

By Rev. Beth Long-Higgins, VP of Engagement and director of the Ruth Frost Parker Center for Abundant Aging  •  April 25, 2019

We moved to a new city last fall. My fall and winter attention focused on getting the inside of the house in order. We knew that we would focus on the yard and outside..

Welcoming Strangers

By Rev. Catherine Lawrence  •  April 18, 2019

Welcoming strangers is central to the Judeo-Christian tradition. It widens a circle of community with others. To include those we do not yet know creates opportunities..

Contentment

By Guest Blogger  •  April 04, 2019

How we approach a significant move, such as when to move into a retirement setting, can be felt as either a painful loss (discontentment) or a new beginning..

Rest. What Rest?

By Rev. Beth Long-Higgins, VP of Engagement and director of the Ruth Frost Parker Center for Abundant Aging  •  April 03, 2019

What do death, sleep, music, sabbath and pauses from physical and mental exertion have in common? A simple four-letter word: Rest.