Boxes of all sizes, bags filled to overflowing, and truck’s full of generous donations just kept coming. From Sunday afternoon through late on Thursday evening, they filled every nook and cranny of available space at Lord of Life. Each day, I would think about how we could possibly sort through it all. How do you price thousands of items to sell in a week? Would we have enough volunteers to do it all? What happens if it doesn’t sell? What’s the right pricing to make the most for the youth but still have it all go?
I confess that I am not always good at listening to the “do not worry” verses in the Bible, especially when I like to work a plan or when there are factors I can’t control. I can lose sleep at night thinking about the “what if’s” or completely miss a great song on the radio because my thoughts are replaying every scenario of possibilities.
Oh, how I wish I could get those hours back these past few weeks because God had it all under control. I’m getting teary-eyed as I write thinking of the holy moments that happened as everyone pulled together toward a common goal for good. Hearts and minds toward one thing, toward one good purpose - our youth. We served and grew together.
I think of the people who do not have kids directly involved in the youth program who were there sorting, pricing, and working the sale. Or the grandma who signed up to help for a few hours and kept coming back day after day. Or the past organizers who had certainly “done their time” with this massive project but still showed up to help and guide. The people who said “yes” when I asked if they could load their trucks on a beautiful Saturday afternoon to take the leftovers to Goodwill and St. Vincent. The family that volunteered to take all the videos, DVDs, and books that didn’t sell to Half Price Books to get a few more dollars for our youth. And of course, there were the homemade cookies for working volunteers because someone wanted to help but couldn’t physically be there.
There were so many holy moments that could get lost in the worry of getting things done. Catching up with old friends and meeting new. Finding common interests in the wide array of books or items that reminded us of our childhood. Appreciating the beautiful soul that bought all the vases to bring flowers to hospice patients or the dog rescuer who was delighted to find dog cages and the woman who left her phone number so she could pick up all the leftover blankets for a homeless shelter.
Please know that this blog is not meant to give anyone guilt for not being there. Life is busy and it was a weekend full of band competitions, scouting events, and other commitments. All good stuff! I pray that you,wherever you were and whatever you were doing, found just a little time not to worry and truly see how God intertwines our lives for community and purpose.
There are holy moments all around. How can you be intentional today in finding those moments? How can you be present with those around you, and give your worry to God?
Join me in saying a prayer of thanks for the $6200 raised for our youth and the hands and hearts that made it possible! Money that will be used so they can go out into the world to serve others and grow in their faith through mission projects and the 2024 National Youth Gathering in New Orleans. I can’t wait to see how God continues to work through us. More holy moments to come!
God’s peace always,
Angie Seiller
Director of Faith Formation
A few weeks ago, I went to my first FC Cincinnati game. It was a thrill and delight to be caught up in the momentum of the tens of thousands cheering and the non-stop percussion ensemble leading a “massive wall of noise and color” in the Bailey bleachers as fuel for the frantic scramble back and forth on the pitch.
Although the Charlotte club had control of the ball almost twice as much, Cincinnati was able to make their shots on goal count for a win, 2-0. Thirty-eight minutes into play, FC Cincinnati defender and Lakota West graduate, Nick Hagglund scored the first goal of the game. As we cheered and high-fived, I couldn’t help but mention, “That is a bunch of effort for one point!” So much running, kicking, jumping, falling, and body slamming for a single point on the board. One. Single. Point.
Our culture often celebrates more. We cheer for the biggest, richest, and most famous. We honor the smartest, the most creative, and the ones who excel. We even say that “the one with the most points, credits, and toys wins.” Too often, we underestimate the power of one.
This past Sunday, Sarah Davis shared stories about the impact that the Fringe Coffee House is making in the greater Hamilton area. One opportunity, one job, one set of keys, one moment of trust all help make a dramatic shift possible. One cup of coffee can lead to life-changing conversations. One Alcoholics Anonymous meeting can be a first step toward restoration.
But one isn’t always good news. We’ve been on the giving and receiving end of some bad ones. One sneer. One rumor. One breakup. One lie. One biased law. One theft. One accident. One assumption. One accusation. One diagnosis. One event gone wrong. Numero uno can deliver a devastating blow.
Thankfully, Jesus is the master of transforming the bad into something good. Recognizing a moment of debilitating remorse, he spoke one word of forgiveness that set Zacchaeus free. With one touch, he brought healing to a woman who had suffered for years. Jesus spoke about the value of one lost coin and sheep that were worth finding. With one look, he offered compassion to the multitudes and after blessing one boy’s sack lunch, Jesus fed the hillside.
At the end of his earthly life, one cross led Jesus to one empty tomb, who now leads us with an enduring promise, “I am with you always, to the end of the age.” In hope, we join the voices of millions, saying, “Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!”
God continues to meet us as we receive one nibble of bread and one sip of wine that fill us with nourishing grace. Wherever we are, we have the ability to connect to the Creator of the universe as we pray the prayer that Jesus taught. The Spirit of God continues to be on the move and reminds us not to diminish the transformative power of one.
I look forward to being with you as we celebrate the One who brings us together as one people. Until then, may you be reminded of this great Love, today.
We are one in the Spirit,
Pastor Lowell
On Sunday, October 5, 2014, I was sitting in a pew, participating in worship in a way I rarely experience. I’m used to being at the piano - I’ve been worshiping that way since I was a kid, so sitting in the pew gave me a new perspective. This was my first Sunday at Lord of Life, and before I jumped into leading rehearsals and using my Sunday morning brain space to think about what notes I needed to play and who I needed to cue next, I was allowed to sit and watch and find out for myself how Lord of Life comes alive each week.
My previous church experiences left me with moments of doubt. Not so much in God - I believe in God. And Jesus. But sometimes it seems like the theological structure of the Christian church is a barrier to doing the work we’re being called to do - specifically, to love each other. And the hierarchical structure demands that pastors and bishops have answers and authority. So when people ask difficult questions, they answer with hard and fast “black and white” principles that end up hurting some people.
You can imagine how refreshing it was when Pastor Lowell’s sermon on my very first Sunday ended with “I don’t have all the answers, but we’re on this journey together.”
Huh.
I know there is comfort in having someone tell you that there are simple truths and that all your questions have answers. But after a lifetime of having those “truths” or beliefs fall apart under pressure or apply more to some people than others, I feel much better thinking of Christianity less as a set of beliefs and more as a way of life. Jesus, himself, said, “I am the way.” He also said to stop getting caught up in all the laws of the church and focus on loving each other.
I’ve been reading a book by Brian McLaren called Do I Stay Christian? This book isn’t for everybody. It says a lot of things that are difficult to hear. He explores some of the ideas I’ve discussed here about faith and beliefs, and many more. I was surprised when he quoted Frederick Douglass using words that could easily apply today:
The church regards religion simply as a form of worship, an empty ceremony, and not a vital principle, requiring active benevolence, justice, love, and goodwill towards humanity… A worship that can be conducted by persons who refuse to give shelter to the houseless, to give bread to the hungry, clothing to the naked, and who enjoin obedience to a law forbidding these acts of mercy, is a curse, not a blessing to humankind…
I’m grateful that Lord of Life is so good at overcoming the shortcomings of many Christian churches. But I’m always trying to stay aware that what we sing and say in worship continues to inspire us to follow the way of Jesus.
What other ways would you like to see us follow Jesus’ way?
Yours on the journey,
John Johns
Who am I?
Where do I fit?
What difference can I make?
“3 Big Questions that Change Every Teenager” by Kara Powell and Brad Griffin is the book I am reading. 2,200 diverse teenagers were interviewed and are its basis. I can’t wait till I get to the end and have all the answers!
If it could only be that simple. If you look at me, you could guess that my teenage days did not have cell phones. We hung out at the mall, played Pac-Man, and laid in the sun slathered in baby oil while listening to Madonna and Prince on my prized boom box. Those days were long ago.
However, these three questions have continued to follow me throughout my life. In an ever-changing world, there is constant re-evaluation of my priorities and discovering who I truly am, especially during the COVID years. Fortunately, I have had years of caring adults and mentors to show me that I am enough, I will always fit in, and I can make a difference because of Jesus. They welcomed me into God’s life-changing story. Being rooted in this knowledge has allowed me to be fearless in the face of these questions. Well,mostly unafraid. There have certainly been times I was scared and unsure of my path but those were times that I wanted to be in control.
Due to our barrage of media in all forms, our youth can get lost in these questions. We adults can get lost and confused, too. I know these questions were part of my life in those formative teenage years, but my phone was tied to a wall so my parents could listen to my every answer. I did not have the constant outside influences, and opinions that impact our lives today.
This past weekend, there were parents, grandparents and those with grown children that showed up to support our youth at the Parent/Child Youth Ministry Meeting. We were saying “Yes!” to walking along with our LOL youth in their journey of answering these questions. We aren’t biblical experts, or teaching gurus, or perfect at praying, but are willing to invest in our youth. We don’t have all the answers but are allowing the living Word of God to work in our lives to guide our youth.
There are deeper answers to these questions that continue to grow and change. However, in this season, at this moment, I can answer:
Who am I? I am an imperfect and beloved child of God.
Where do I fit? I fit in at Lord of Life.
What difference can I make? I can journey with youth as they wrestle with the big questions of life and faith.
How would you answer these questions today?
Growing in faith together,
Angie Seiller, Director of Faith Formation
*We invite all families to register for the new season of youth ministry. Sign up today!
I enjoy leftovers. Not only does eating the scraps help me make room in the fridge, but it also forces me to come up with creative ways of reimagining the remnants of a previous meal. Baked potato bar leftovers from last night stirred into a morning omelet turns my measly scrambled eggs into a First Watch kind of breakfast creation. A pork roast from earlier in the week turns up my nacho game when drizzled with a swirl of BBQ sauce, a dollop of sour cream, and a handful of cilantro. Even the lingering fruit from my lunchbox is perfect atop a bowl of cereal or ice cream for a late-night snack. It’s fun to pull out the good stuff and discover a second life.
This time of year is always interesting in church life. It feels a bit like cleaning out the fridge to prepare space for what is next. Church staff and ministry leaders spent the summer looking at the leftovers from the previous year, not only the Bibles, crafts, and other physical items, but also the lingering ideas, hopes, dreams, and patterns of learning and serving. What should we keep? What should we pitch? What are the items we can recycle and use right now as part of something new?
In a few weeks, as we leap into our fall schedule, there will be many things that you will recognize. We will return to our Sunday rhythm of three worship services, with learning for all ages at 9:30 am. Sprinkled throughout the week, there will be a variety of opportunities to serve and learn and gather together as we continue to ground our lives in the promises of God.
Drawn from conversations with many of you and our recent survey results, there will also be some things that will be switched up a bit. One of the most exciting shifts will be our pattern of learning for children on Sunday morning. We will invite everyone in fifth grade and below to begin with us in worship as we sing, pray, and share a children’s message together. Following that time, the children will zip down to the fellowship hall space for the remainder of worship, spending time digging deeper into the Bible verses and themes of the day.
Why the shift? Over the last few years, we realized that many children were dropped off for Sunday learning, while their parents or grandparents went to worship. After worship, the adults grabbed the little ones and departed. Unintentionally, we have been creating a generation of children who don’t know what it is to be part of worship and families haven’t been in worship together. This is a crucial misstep in faith formation that we need to correct.
Along with our mission to live, share, and celebrate with all people in Jesus, Lord of Life’s core values of outreach, diversity, faith formation, and worship all pivot around intentional time in Scripture and community. We hope that welcoming these little ones into worship moments will:
create a cohesive, multi-generational worship experience for all.
empower families to sing, pray, and share together.
challenge us to think about what a welcoming and inclusive space can be.
This fall is an excellent season to try some new things and look forward to how it will enrich all of our Sunday morning experiences.
There is a precedence for this. Over and over, Jesus made room for others and welcomed children into worship. He was continuously looking ahead, reimagining not only what the church was, but what it could be! With things like bread, wine, water, oil, and more, he was always gathering the extras and serving up another delicious plate of nourishing Grace.
I’ll meet you at the table,
Pastor Lowell
Come find out more about plans and how you can be part of this exciting time this Sunday, August 28 after the 10 am service at the Parent/Child meeting or contact our Director of Faith Formation, Angie Seiller.
I had planned on writing my blog about ice cream and its many flavors and consistencies, but God had other plans.
Over the last couple of Sundays, I have read and listened to the scripture readings, heard the children’s message from Pastor Lowell and Angie, and absorbed the messages from Pastors Lowell and Joan. What I read and heard drew me to a memory.
Many years ago, I received a gift for my confirmation. It was a necklace with a small mustard seed encased in a pendant. I looked for it today but unfortunately couldn’t find it – after 50+ years it is only a memory now. But what I do remember is the following verse:
Jesus said to his disciples “Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” Matthew 17: 20-21
That mustard seed is a reminder of the strength of one’s faith. I think that faith comes to us in three parts: to hear the word of God, to believe in what we hear, and to follow the word of God as God uses it to do holy work here on earth.
Just as the biblical heroes we learned about in Sunday School (like Noah, Abraham, Joshua, and Rahab in the Old Testament and Mary & Joseph, John the Baptist, Peter, and Paul in the New Testament) heard God’s direction, trusted/believed in God’s direction, and followed that direction – then that is what it means to have faith.
We all have our “cloud of witnesses” (thank you Pastor Joan for that powerful language) that have helped us nurture our faith and lead us along the paths to stronger faith. Our parents, our Sunday School teachers, our VBS leaders, our pastors, and our peers as we struggled together. We have them today – look around you in the gathering space, in the sanctuary, in the fellowship hall, and in the various ministries Lord of Life offers for us to join, participate in, and lead.
Each of us has a call to share our faith journey with others. There are so many opportunities to step into here at Lord of Life. Gather the 3 & 4 year-olds during Sunday School and tell them the story of Noah or teach them a simple song that they can share. Spend a Sunday morning with the youth (elementary, junior high, and senior high) as they begin/continue on their journey of faith.
Be a greeter for the visitors that join us on Sunday morning. Help with communion or usher if you attend worship in person. Join one of our ministry teams – Evangelism, Stewardship, Outreach, Worship, Fellowship, Youth Education, Adult Education, and Care – these are ways to grow your faith.
You are gifted for ministry and your unique talents are essential to God’s plans. Listen to that voice telling you that you are special and you have something special to share and offer to others.
Yours in Christ,
Denise Krallman, Council President
When I was growing up, I couldn’t wait for the holiday season when all the Peanuts specials would air. Most of the original Charlie Brown era happened between 1969 and 1980, so by the time I can remember in the mid-1980’s, the networks were only showing It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown around Halloween, A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, and A Charlie Brown Christmas. VHS tapes were just coming around and streaming services were decades away, so if I missed them when they aired, I would sulk and then wait another year for the next airing.
One of the things I loved most was the music. A combination of catchy modern jazz and classic holiday hymns and folk songs, it never failed to captivate me and make me want to be part of the gang. The singing wasn’t good. But it was joyful and familiar and full of holiday spirit.
That kind of wide open, joyful singing is what I think about when I think of church music. Some of the logistics have evolved over the last several years - sometimes we have a hymnal in our hands, sometimes we’re looking at a screen. Sometimes we’re led by a piano and a soloist, or a youth ensemble, or a praise band. Whether we’re singing from the hymnal or a newer praise song, the idea that everyone can sing along is important to me.
We all have a different level of skill, but that doesn’t mean you can't or shouldn't sing during worship. There is nothing like the feeling of being in the middle of 50 or 100 voices singing A Mighty Fortress is Our God or Blessed Be Your Name.
The best thing is, if you miss singing one Sunday, you don't have to wait another year before you get to sing along again. In another week, we'll sing another set of songs that you can sing along with, too. If there is something we can do to make it easier for you, let me know. I want that part of worship to be as participatory as possible.
As we prepare for the new program year beginning with Rally Day on September 18, we're finding ways to bring back some of the ensembles we haven't been able to have the last couple years. Versions of choir, youth band, and children singing will all return.
If you’d like to participate in an ensemble let me know. Play an instrument? We’ll find a way to include you in worship. I can’t wait to hear what kind of sound we can make this season.
Yours in music,
John Johns
Director of Music (