Articles By Missy

American Society on Aging

Aging and Faith

Good Morning America – Weekly Inspirations

There’s No Rolling Luggage in Heaven

If Growing Old Is a Journey, Where’s the Nearest U-Turn?

Who Forgot Grandma?

New Year’s Resolutions Worth Keeping

Missy’s Column from the United Methodist Reporter

Helping aging boomers become sages

Start strengthening older adult ministry in the new year

The Island of Misfit Toys

Churches shouldn’t run from the topic of aging

Expert — “Churches can do more to support seniors”

Senior keeps Sundays ringing

Tips for seniors greeting young visitors in church

Eldercare mediation can help stressed-out families

Seniors need more than our quick-and-easy gifts

Listening can help bridge generational divide

Intergenerational dialogue — a challenge for churches

Practical, theological reasons to value older people

Why the church is no place for age group wars

Valuing seniors as a counter-cultural act of love

Ministry Matters Articles

Sharing and Preserving Stories

Standing in the Footsteps

A Lesson in Respect

Teaching the Young About Growing Old

Ways We Don’t Want to Be Remembered

Blessing Discovery

Those Elusive Baby Boomers

What’s the Problem?

Transitions of Older Adulthood

Been There. Done That. I’m Through.

AVAILABLE NOW Missy’s newest book, From Dry Bones to Living Hope.

Though the shadow side of aging is a reality, author Missy Buchanan brings spiritual light and nourishment to people in the later years of life. Older adults struggle with chronic pain and diminished physical abilities. They contend with losses that pile up like the dry bones in the prophet Ezekiel’s vision—the loss of loved ones and friends, the loss of their home and belongings, the loss of independence, and the loss of purpose. In a culture that values youth more than age, older adults often feel forgotten and without purpose.

Each chapter of From Dry Bones to Living Hope opens with an intimate, prayerful lament to God from the perspective of the older adult who longs for spiritual renewal and purpose. The authentic voice of lament establishes credibility with older readers who yearn for others to empathize with their struggles. The second part of each chapter, “Cultivating Hope,” guides them to God’s perspective on aging and specific actions they can take that lead to hope and joy.