Greetings Kenmore,
Activist Gerard Manley Hopkins writes in As Kingfisher Catch Fire that “Christ plays in ten thousand places…” As an elder in the Upper New York Annual Conference, I believe what Hopkins observes is true. For the last eight years, I have witnessed Christ play in the congregation of the First United Methodist Church in Westfield and their neighbors. On July 1st, I look forward to ministering alongside Rev. Becky Naber, the dedicated team of church staff, and the various leaders and volunteers that call Kenmore United Methodist home. As I learn of the church’s rich history, Hopkins line encourages me to seek the ten thousand places where Christ is at play within the Kenmore United Methodist Church and the wider community.
I was raised in Niagara Falls, and spent my youth playing pickup games of football, baseball, and street hockey. Now I follow the Cleveland Browns, Toronto Blue Jays, and the Philadelphia Flyers. My faith in Christ was nurtured by the preaching of Rev. Dr. David Kofahl, and the teaching of faithful Sunday school teachers and an energetic youth leader. When I wasn’t competing against my friends or receiving a solid United Methodist catechesis (religious instruction) I would be reading the Scripture allowing its words to penetrate my heart and mind.
In my formative years, as a person living with a corrected cleft lip and palate and receiving speech therapy, I gravitated towards Moses’ excuse to the LORD, “’I have never been eloquent… I am slow of speech and tongue’” (Exodus 4:10). Later when discerning whether to earn a doctorate I ruminated on the LORD’s question posed to the prophet, “’What is in your hand’” (4:2)? In all the seasons of my life, I have found the Bible and/or a resource relating to the Bible in my hand. I stepped out in faith mixed with fear, as the first person in my family to attend college. I had sensed God’s call on my life early and I knew attending college was a prerequisite for ordained pastoral ministry. At Roberts Wesleyan University (Rochester, NY) I studied Religion and Philosophy and studied the Scripture, especially the Hebrew Bible/ Old Testament. Dr. J. Richard Middleton was a capable guide who challenged me to ask questions of the biblical text and to explore the Scripture’s claims.
In 2006, I attended Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University (Dallas, TX) to earn a Master’s of Divinity. I attended Perkins, with the encouragement of a friend I had made at Roberts. I will forever be grateful for Dr. William Abraham’s challenging Systematic Theology class. Dr. Abraham revealed to me the depths of the Christian Tradition and the importance of listening well to differing viewpoints. On the first day of student orientation, I met Carmen. We married three years later. Carmen is from San Antonio, TX and has survived fifteen Western New York winters. She is a United Methodist elder, and will serve the Bowmansville congregation (1/4 time) and work full-time as a Speech Language Pathologist locally. Carmen loves watching Blue Bloods and The Voice.
We have two children, Nathan (11) an introvert who loves fishing, playing video games, and delivering funny-one liners and Nadia (9) an extrovert, who is always on the move, hanging out with friends, trying new foods, and performing gymnastics routines. The kids have multiple fish and a playful five-year old black Labrador Retriever who is always ready to fetch a punted football, return a hockey ball, or swim. Nathan and Nadia will likely toggle back and forth between Bowmansville and Kenmore. As double- pastor’s kids, it is a blessing to know that they have two faith communities that they can depend on to love them as they mature into young adults and grow into our common Faith.
I enjoy spending time with my family, plotting sights to see on a vacation, losing at chess or dominating at a game of P-I-G in the driveway. I like to lift weights and read books while on the elliptical/stationary bike at the gym. When house-cleaning or decorating for the upcoming season, I prefer to listen to either modern country music or the powerful sermons of my favorite preachers. When I watch television is it likely to old reruns of Friends or Impractical Jokers. Bigger than any of my hobbies is my relationship with Christ. One aspect of that devotion is playing hymns/worship songs or playing guitar to hymns/worship songs via videos on Youtube.com.
Several years ago, I earned a Doctorate in Ministry from Candler School of Theology at Emory University (Atlanta, GA). While not my advisor I deeply appreciated learning from Dr. Ryan Bonfiglio, a practitioner of bridging the divide between the academy and the church, the ivory tower and the pew. It is my hope that these two worlds (often held in opposition) intersect at 32 Landers, as we equip and deploy faithful and well-formed disciples of Jesus Christ. As Hopkins reminds us, “Christ plays in ten thousand places.” Where does Christ play in Kenmore and the surrounding communities? What is Christ doing in the Kenmore United Methodist Church? How is Christ at play in your life today? Surely, we can name ten thousand places, where Christ is at play. I look forward to meeting you in the near future.
~ Christ’s Blessings,
Nicholas Perry, Pastor
