Announcing Soul Studio on Earth Day

April 22 is “Earth Day,” so as always, the whole world celebrates my birthday.

But this year I turned the big “6.0.” So I’m reflecting on life more than usual.  I’m grateful for your birthday wishes, but what I’m most grateful for is life itself.

I was born on a Tuesday, four weeks (to the day) after the March on Montgomery arrived on the capital steps led by Martin Luther King, Jr. I once went to visit that spot where MLK made his speech, “How Long? Not Long,” exactly 60 years (and 4 weeks) ago. I went just after Obama became president, pondering how far we’ve come in one lifetime. Of course, in some ways we’ve regressed since then, but I am still hopeful.

Soon I will be finishing 36 years of pastoral ministry, having served 8 churches (all of whom grew spiritually and 6 of whom grew numerically while I was there, and 5 of whom are still “United,” I’m happy to say). I’ve done 86 weddings, 168 funerals,  364 baptisms, and exactly 500 professions of faith. I kept record of each and every name.

But I’m not retiring. I’m redirecting my ministry because I really need to be more available to attend to my elderly Dad, help my daughter raise our new grandchild, and care for my wife in this new season. I look forward to the adventure of being a chaplain at Fair Haven and, on the side, launching “Soul Studio,” a ministry of writing, music, and spiritual formation.

The Holy Spirit never quits, I love to say. I am being called to a new adventure, for a new season of life, and for a new period of history.

The best is yet to come.

The Resurrection Was Controversial!

It's clear in the book of Acts that the DNA of the early church was built on three ideas that got them in lots of "good trouble."

They spoke truth to power with the assertion that "Jesus is Lord." They confronted prejudice with the radical inclusion of gentiles. And last, but not least, they fanned the flame of religious controversy with the conviction that Jesus rose from the dead.

Why was the resurrection peculiarly controversial? Because Jesus came along during a pre-existing religious argument. Pharisees believed in the afterlife (the "resurrection of the dead") and Sadducees did not. I often joke that "that's why they were 'sad, you see'."

They tried at times to pull Jesus into their religious argument. And they continued to do so with Peter and the early church, even chasing Christians around from place to place to shut the movement down. Once you see it, you can't "unsee" all this in the book of Acts.

Let the power of the resurrection be more than personal devotions for you. Fathom how much "good trouble" it brought the early church that we believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Still today, no matter what the world brings, that's where our hope comes from. Our God who raised Jesus from the dead can make all things new.

Restoring Funding for Birmingham Civil Rights Institute

I wrote my letter in supoort of restoring funding for the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. I urge you to write yours.

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Dear Governor Ivey,

Grace and peace to you.

It is my understanding that your proposed new budget does not include any funding for the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. I am writing to urge you to reconsider.

The news that it has been completely cut comes on the heels of national efforts to suppress conversations about race and the legacy of the Civil Rights Movement. These conversations are essential to understanding who we are and how far we’ve come. The timing of this could not be more sobering.

As a white man who grew up in the south, I do not find the truth of our past to be threatening. I find it challenging and empowering. We need to keep the truth alive.

The stories that line the walls of the Birmingham

Civil Rights Institute are not abstract. They are Alabama history. They are American history, not a whitewashed version but real history.

I am deeply concerned about what removing this funding represents. It appears to be part of a larger extremist effort to undo decades of bipartisan investment in telling Alabama’s story in full—not just the parts that are comfortable, but also the hard truths of segregation, resistance, and the propensity to overcome.

I believe in protecting civil rights history. I believe the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute matters. I believe truth matters. If we don’t know our history, we’re doomed to repeat it, as they say. But just as importantly, if we don’t know our history, we rob ourselves of the opportunity for gratitude.

Please restore funding for the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute.

Sincerely,

Rev. Dr. Steve West

Senior Pastor, Jacksonville First United Methodist Church

Jacksonville, Alabama

Celebrating “Stay UMC”

I’m celebrating the new home of a very special prayer kneeler in a new UMC! 

It was originally placed in memory of my grandmother. It was for the UMC I served as founding pastor many years ago. 

Later in history, the church renovated and no longer needed it. Eventually, they gave it back to me. I’m so incredibly grateful.

In celebration of the Stay UMC movement, I have “regifted” it to another United Methodist Church. May it bring a prayerful spirit to the people of the newly formed All Saints UMC in Trussville, Alabama! May it strengthen them and give them good courage. We are praying for you!

Cultural Christianity

Richard Rohr calls out “cultural Christianity.” I believe this wholeheartedly. It’s an alternative way.

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“If our love of God doesn’t directly influence, and even change, how we engage in the issues of our time, I wonder what good religion is. ‘God talk’ becomes an opaque screen in which we see only reflections of ourselves, rather than any kind of true light. ‘Anyone who says they love God, and hates their brother or sister, is a liar’ (1 John 4:20). None of us wants to be a liar, yet religion’s high goals make failure almost inevitable for all of us (read Paul’s attempts to describe this paradoxical phenomenon in Romans 7:7–25). Our daily question is this: ‘Have I even begun to love’?

“Most Christians tend to echo the cultural prejudices and worldviews of the dominant group in their country, with only a minority revealing any real transformation of attitudes or consciousness. It has been true of slavery and racism, classism and consumerism, and issues of immigration and health care for the poor. From a religion based on a man who was always healing poor people and praising foreigners, it defies any logical analysis!”

Welcoming the Stranger

This deeply biblical insight on welcoming the stranger is challenging for us!

“This fundamental regard for the resident alien, and call to solidarity with the ‘outsider,’ came to full realization in the teaching and practice of Jesus of Nazareth.”

Check out the full article below.

https://cac.org/daily-meditations/welcoming-strangers-in-scripture/

Appointment at Fair Haven

Fair Haven, here I come!

Following up on my recent post about our future, I wanted everyone to know my new opportunity is confirmed! I’m excited. We announced this week to the residents of Fair Haven that I will be coming as their chaplain at the beginning of July.

Fair Haven is a bright star in the system of Methodist Homes for the Aging in the North Alabama and Alabama West Florida Conferences of the UMC. There are 350 residents in independent living, independent plus, assisted living, nursing home, and memory care units. There is a beautiful chapel for services and Bible studies, with a chaplain’s office nearby to facilitate pastoral care.

I will be appointed 3/4 time as an extension ministry of the UMC. This position will allow me to defer retirement and continue to be involved in the UMC I love, while also giving me ability to care for my dad (one of the residents) and help raise our new grand baby nearby. With a little spare time, I also plan to set up a home studio to do some writing, music, and spiritual formation ministries.

Sandy and I have been talking about how much we love Jacksonville and my wonderful appointment here. The church is healthy and strong. Whoever is appointed to come here is going to be lucky to have them.

I am grateful that they have been part of my life, and all we’ve accomplished together, as well as grateful for God‘s very clear calling into a new season of spiritual adventures.

Joseph and Family Systems

Have you ever been left holding the rope?

I am this week’s “Read Together” podcaster. Join me as we explore the story of Joseph in light of Family Systems Theory!

You can find it HERE.

Future Plans

For those of you who do not attend the church I serve, let me take this opportunity to share some important news about our future.

Sandy and I have thoroughly enjoyed our five years at this amazing church! Jacksonville First UMC is a thriving congregation, with outstanding music and missions and a tradition of quality ministries for all ages. We made it through unprecedented challenges together. First there was Covid, then mold remediation requiring a complete renovation of the children's wing and shutting down Kids 1st, then after construction was complete giving birth to the daycare all over again. Then there was the schism in the UMC. We lost some folks, but we gained others, and the church is stable, happy and healthy! We just finished an outstanding visioning process and set several forward-looking goals.

We came through all this with flying colors, and still continue to grow! I'm amazed at how wonderfully things are going. This is a great church. I have hoped for years that we could stay here until I retire. I've been in church work 42 years (36 as a pastor), and I love church ... especially this church!

But I've had a series of personal needs emerge in my family in recent months. These have forced me to consider retiring from itinerant ministry a little earlier than anticipated (the word itinerant means "traveling," or being sent by the bishop).

My father, who preached his last sermon with us a few years ago, has gone blind and recently became an assisted living resident of Fair Haven, our Methodist Home for the Aging in the Irondale area of Birmingham. He is 92, and I'm a primary caregiver. In addition, our daughter Deborah, a nurse at UAB, gave birth to a beautiful little girl four months ago. They live in the same vicinity as Dad does now, and she has arrived at a place where she needs some help raising Charlie.

So after much prayer, I recently submitted plans to the North Alabama Conference to retire from itinerant ministry, effective by the end of June. I will still serve the UMC ... I love the UMC! But to use a term from deep Methodist history, when circuit riders who traveled by horseback would eventually settle in one place, I need to serve "on location" in Irondale.

Our new home in Irondale will be minutes from Dad, Deborah, and sweet little Charlie. As if to show how much God was in it, in the midst of discerning this, I was serendipitously approached by Fair Haven (the United Methodist home where my dad lives), to discuss a chaplaincy position with me. Assuming this works out, being Fair Haven's chaplain will be a whole new ministry adventure, while giving me ample time to take care of family.

It's way too early for goodbyes. But I want our church to know, from the bottom of my heart, how much Sandy and I love them, and how hard of a decision it was. JFUMC’s next pastor, who will be announced in late March and begins his or her journey on July 1, is going to be so lucky to be here.

The Church Being the Church

Here is a letter from the United Methodist Council of Bishops to President Trump regarding foreign aid. We are the church bring the church.

Read the letter HERE.

The Prophetic Edge

There has always been a prophetic edge to preaching if done with integrity. Otherwise, why would Jesus have said “blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and spread all sorts of evil against you falsely” in Matthew 5.

The Bible is real about that. It is an honest book. I love this about it.

I have  never been prone to offend people in my role as pastor. I listen and care, and try to let the Word speak for itself.

However, there have been times when I stood with scripture to speak against white supremacy, Christian nationalism, prosperity teaching, intolerance of differences, schismatic separatism, conspiracy thinking, and the like. I do it all for love.

I remember one man who came and asked me why I talked about racism, for that was a political issue. I said, “I don’t talk about racism because it’s a political issue. I talk about racism because it’s a gospel issue.”