Weekly Blog

  • The Hamilton Family Cookbook

    Every once in a while, our staff have to remind me that I’ve been digging into tough topics in my blog and perhaps readers would benefit from something lighter. They’ve been right so far. I’m sure that this is true in this season of blogging as well. This week, I want to tell you about…

  • Embracing True Patriotism: A Reflection on Independence Day and the Risks of Christian Nationalism

    I share our Bishop’s concern about the rise of White Christian Nationalism and so I am continuing my writing on this topic that started on Memorial Day weekend, finding Independence Day to be apropos. Beyond the fireworks, parades, and social gatherings that marked our observance of this important day it’s important to consider how we…

  • Beating the Heat: It’s our responsibility

    Beating the Heat: It’s our responsibility

    As we have felt firsthand, last week brought record-setting heat waves to the Great Lakes and Ohio Valley regions, even more than “Swedish Days is always hot” kind of heat. Those relentlessly high temperatures have been more than just a topic for conversation—they pose serious risks to our health and well-being. But beyond immediate health…

  • Continuing Our Sacred Journey: Year Four

    This past week at our Northern Illinois Annual Conference, Bishop Schwerin appointed me to serve as your pastor at the United Methodist Church of Geneva for the fourth consecutive year. It is with joy and gratitude that I share this news with you. Each year, our bishops and their cabinets review the appointments of every…

  • When Online Meets In-Person: Building Bridges Within Our UMCG Family

    We are past the COVID protections that forced the church into the digital age, but we are experiencing the beautiful convergence of online and in-person ways of being a church. I think this blend of virtual and physical gatherings enriches our congregation and strengthens the bonds that unite us in faith and fellowship and could…

  • Could We Be Entertaining Angels?

    In Hebrews 13:2, we are reminded to “not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it.” This powerful verse captures the essence of what it means to extend grace through hospitality, a theme that resonates deeply with our recent experiences at UMCG. As we reflect on these…

  • “Spilling the tea” on what I heard at the Pancake Breakfast

    ‘Thank you’ a lot. ‘I think it’s so great the church does this.’ ‘Can I get more?’ ‘I really like your sermons.’   ‘Your church does so much for our community.’ Then after flipping pancakes, I visited with the other stations and volunteers before I greeted folks, sat with some diners and heard their stories.…

  • A Cautious Warning Against White Christian Nationalism

    A Cautious Warning Against White Christian Nationalism

    On this Memorial Day weekend, we gather not only to flip pancakes, sell plants and serve coffee, we gather to remember and honor the brave persons who have sacrificed their lives for our country. It is a solemn occasion that allows us to reflect on the values of freedom, justice, and peace that these individuals…

  • The Loneliness of Modern Parenthood

    The Loneliness of Modern Parenthood

    This guest blog features the introductory and first edition of a new monthly newsletter written by our Director of NextGen Ministry, Dr. Greg Coates. We hope the information is helpful and invite anyone to “Opt-in/Sign-up” to receive these monthly e-newsletters moving forward. May 2024 – Since joining the staff of the United Methodist Church of…

  • She Wanted Seconds

    This past Sunday we celebrated confirmation. In keeping with the series on Making a Methodist, I preached about the means of grace, the outward and tangible signs of God’s inward love in our lives. These means of grace are conduits in which we can experience and share in God’s unconditional love for us. Confirmation is…

  • Please Confirm Your Upcoming Appointment

    About the time that this is published on Friday, I’ll be in the dentist’s chair getting my regular cleaning. About a month ago, I got an email that kind of looked like the graphic above asking me to click to confirm or call to reschedule. Then last Friday, I got another one. I appreciate these…

  • Not Afraid to Say “Yes!”

    Being part of a church that says “yes” and doesn’t shy away from doing difficult things energizes me. Who doesn’t want to be around that kind of positive energy? You might not expect to feel that excitement at a Church Council meeting, but you would be wrong. Church Council, made up of chairs from each…

  • What’s so ‘good’ about Good Friday?

    What’s so ‘good’ about Good Friday?

    That was the question around our dinner table earlier this month.  No pun intended… that is a good question.  Sometimes as Christians we think of what Jesus went through on that fateful Friday – the mockery, flagellation, the carrying of the cross, the crown of thorns and the nails in his wrists and feet –…

  • 2024 State of the Church Address, March 2024

    To see a video of Pastor Rob sharing this information, click here. Friends of the United Methodist Church of Geneva,           It is an honor to be your pastor and to share the good news about what God is doing in and through us as a church, alongside some data that sometimes interrupts my sleep.…