Sunday August 6, 2017 11:00 am

a Chattanooga police chaplain’s ministry of presence

We are “fearfully and wonderfully made”.
But do we live as a creation of the divine or a victim of circumstance? 
 
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
Psalm 139:14
 
Using Psalm 139 I’ll discuss how it is often said that we are created in God’s image. But what is that image? Some would say mind, body and soul, but what is often overlooked is that God also gave us free will and the power creation. The power to create both in the physical world and within our own imaginations things and ideas that no other creature on Earth can. But with all the physical wonders we create with science there is also the immaterial like love and hate. How with our hate we create a shield, a suit of armor, to protect us from getting hurt, but it also makes it hard for us to love and to be loved. 
 
Anthony Cothern Jr is a Chattanooga native with a love for theology, science and serving his community.  He majored in physics, biology and criminal justice at UTC before receiving his call to ministry and entering seminary. Cothern considers science merely the study of Gods creation. “I love being able to minister to those who place their lives on the line every day for our city and to minister to the citizens of this city in their most dire times. Sometimes it is just good to let people know you are there, available, and that you care. Chaplaincy is a ministry of presence.” Cothern is a nondenominational chaplain who has been working for the City of Chattanooga in several capacities for over 15 years. He attends Shepherd’s Voice Christian Fellowship church in East Chattanooga. He is also a code enforcement supervisor for the office of Economic and Community Development, and is a former police officer who has served as a Chattanooga police chaplain since 2010. Cothern has also served as the Mayor Youth Council’s Lead Coordinator and on the Chattanooga Council for HIV/AIDS Care and Prevention for 10 years.