As tears welled in her eyes, she said, “For 30 years as a teacher, I taught inclusion and empathy. I just feel like we are going backward.”

“I am an extreme introvert, and this is way beyond my comfort zone, but I feel that I need to do this. So many people have been rejected by family because of who they are” another woman told me as we brought up the last of the line of Pride marchers and as she carried her “free mom hugs” sign.

June is Pride Month. This past weekend we were part of Hamilton Pride which included a march and an afternoon filled with activities. Lord of Life hosted a booth with bubbles, stickers, and conversations about welcoming and affirming congregations. There were countless expressions of thanks. They didn’t know some churches affirm and accept LGBTQ+ people. They only knew disappointment and rejection by their church.

That’s what fear does. It robs us of deep connections and peace in knowing and affirming others as Jesus taught us and sharing that same affirming love with others. When we step beyond that fear, past the stereotypes, blanket assumptions, and our internal voice that wants to stand in judgment of a perceived wrong, we can find a sense of peace that is hard to comprehend.

As I have walked the long journey of outside acceptance with my family, friends, and church community, some people have had the courage to ask, “Why do we need a Pride month? Why do we have to have this flashy, big emphasis on the LGBTQ community? I am fine with loving the sinner and hating the sin, but this is too much.” I appreciate the opportunity to have a dialogue. I didn’t get it at first either. Learning more helps dissipate misunderstandings and fear.

Why Pride? It is because lives depend on it. There are youth that live in fear of being found out, or grappling with the idea that something is inherently wrong with them, or they have been rejected by their family and sadly, by their church family too. They are burdened that they must change to be palpable for a straight world. The fear, the hiding, the huge emotions that must be dealt with in isolation, can be devastating and life-altering. According to the Trevor Project, LGBTQ+ youth have an increased risk of suicide. Not because of who they are but because of how they are mistreated and stigmatized.

One gay man described his journey of coming out. If he could have experienced just one rainbow flag on a teacher’s desk or an example of a thriving, queer adult that he could look up to, it could have changed the years of fear and absence of trust that consumed his life. Sweeping it under the rug or erasing any signs of the LQBTQ+ community will not change who God created him to be. Imagine if those awful years were replaced by hundreds of examples of people living life to the fullest in a Pride parade or festival, or especially by a community of faith that shows affirming love. A community that drowns out the hate and fear with the message that Jesus loves all of us always, boldly, and unconditionally, just as we are.

Last night at the Service for Affirming and Healing, Rev, Suzanne LeVesconte of Trinity Episcopal in Hamilton described how she felt emotionally unsettled for days after peacefully standing in front of hate-filled protesters for just one hour at Hamilton Pride.

As an ally, her intense feelings came from one hour, can you imagine not just one hour but a week, a month, or years of this ugly messaging being hurled at you? We are complicit when we don’t stand up to hate. We need Pride.

Love IS stronger than fear and hate. Jesus is our ultimate example. The commands to love one another (John 13:34) and to love our neighbor as ourselves (Matthew 22:39) were given and modeled by Jesus. We don’t need to fully understand or think we are somehow betraying long-held beliefs. Step into love. Learn more. Affirm. Stand against fear.

Standing with you in love,

Angie Seiller, Director of Faith Formation

Pictured: Pastor Lowell Michelson and John Johns, Music Director, drowning the hate with messages of love.

Fourteen years ago this week, one of my church members was murdered in our gathering space on a Sunday morning as we prepared to begin Pentecost worship. Some Christians were disturbed that his women’s reproductive health practice included abortion services and labeled him an evil threat and worse. For years, various groups and individuals plotted strategies to destroy his medical practice and inflict injury to him and his staff. One finally succeeded.

Among the trauma and grief that followed, the Christian witness of love and inclusion at Reformation Lutheran (ELCA) was made public. We had not been private about who we were in any way, but now it was on display for the world to see. Many offered words of support and encouragement, while others chose to offer admonition or hate. Even some family and friends chose to leverage this moment as a corrective to who I was as a pastor or person.

Sometimes, we want to keep our Christian faith private. We worship, serve, give, and pray, not wishing to draw any attention to ourselves. This is good and faithful, but be aware that sometimes following Jesus is a public act. However, as we go about our daily tasks, the Spirit of God uses us as a vessel to bring more peace, hope, love, and joy into the world. Sometimes, living out our Christian faith even leads us into public spaces boldly declaring God’s unconditional love for all.

Some of Jesus’ first public words in Matthew’s account remind us of our public witness. “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, giving light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16). Even as you read this, you are the light of the world.

My colleague in ministry and our Director of Faith Formation Angie Seiller recently wrote about why we are tie-dying rainbow T-shirts, passing out water at the Hamilton Pride Festival, and marching in two different Pride parades this month.

“Sharing unconditional acceptance is a year-round journey but Pride Month in June is an additional opportunity to share God’s love and healing affirmation… By outwardly proclaiming God’s love for all, we can send a life-changing message to those in the LGBTQ+ community, their families, and friends. We desperately need voices that spread God’s inclusive love to counteract the messages from so many Christians that condemn those made in God’s image. It is a small step in the healing process.”

I know that we’re all at different places on our journey. We’re also gifted differently in the ways that we share the love of Jesus. That is one of the greatest gifts of life in community!

Wherever you go and whatever you do, I pray that you continue to know the love of Christ that will not let you go and that this hope in the risen Jesus Christ continues to radiate from you to the world.

Shine where you are!

Pastor Lowell

School is out for the summer for most students, but a year of learning is just beginning for Laura Applegate, Lord of Life’s new Intern Pastor. A long-distance student at Wartburg Theological Seminary in Dubuque, Iowa, she continues her path to a Master of Divinity degree as she joins the church staff this June. Starting this summer, the LOL community will be Laura’s new classmates.

Laura is an online seminary student, spending the last two years logging on for learning from her home in Northern Kentucky where she lives with her spouse David and their two children, Alex (10) and Katie (8). She is looking forward to being in-person with the people of Lord of Life and will commute to West Chester for the internship.

While the Ohio River separates her home and work, this won’t be a problem for Laura. Described by her family and friends as authentic, inquisitive, and loyal, she has also been called a “bridge builder,” due to her natural instincts to find ways to connect people.

“The underlying theme for what I like to do the best is helping and caring for people,” Laura says. “I used to work at Fidelity [financial services corporation], but even there I was in the department that was customer focused and all about helping people.”

When Laura does get a moment to relax, her favorite way to spend downtime is surrounded by her extensive support system of family and friends. Her parents divorced and remarried while she was very young, so she has been blessed with a blended family, including four parents and six siblings.

“I love spending time with my family and friends. My family is a ‘yours, mine and ours’ kind of family,” Laura explains. “I have four amazing parents. I'm so grateful for them and they are all near me in Northern Kentucky.”

For fun, Laura enjoys movies, cheering on her favorite sports teams, and reading. “We love to go to the movies. David and I actually met at a movie theater,” she shares. “I am also a Cincinnati sports fan—I love the Bengals. I love the Reds. I’ve been to a couple FC Cincinnati and Cyclones games. And the Florence Y’all baseball games are really fun,” she says.

Get your oven fired up to welcome Laura. She delights in comfort foods and has a sweet tooth, especially for pecan or peanut butter pie, Reeses and lattes. “I like sweets of all kinds, except lemon,” she says.

More than anything, Laura is sweet on getting to know the Lord of Life family. “I love people,” she says. “I love connecting with people and building relationships. It brings me so much joy to connect with another Christian and be able to grow our faith and learn together.”

Meet Laura at her first official worship as Intern Pastor on June 18. The Lord of Life community has great plans to live, share, and celebrate the love of Jesus as we embark on this year of building bridges together.

Laura Applegate was interviewed by Tera Michelson for this blog post.

We’re wrapping up another school year at Lord of Life Christian Preschool and I wanted to share some thoughts with you all as we send the kids off for the summer, whether they are coming back in the fall, or moving up into kindergarten somewhere else. It has been an amazing year, and I can’t begin to say how grateful I am to everyone who has made it possible.

First, I love my job. I love everything about seeing the kids every day. You can’t be unhappy being around 3 and 4 and 5-year-olds. They’re so optimistic. I get to do God’s work every day. Their positive attitude, their thrill for life, and the wonderment that kids bring to everything. They always tell the truth and they are always so genuine. The best part of my day is seeing the light bulbs come on when they learn something new.

And we have more kids than we’ve ever had before. With 158 kids enrolled this year, we were able to start some new activities and bring back some old ones that hadn’t happened in a few  years. The multicultural night was a new event this year, and it celebrated the diversity of all our families. We have 11 nationalities represented among our kids. We brought back our sweetheart dance, had parents come back in the building, built community with the LOL staff, Mother’s day teas, thanksgiving feast, pumpkin carving, and the Christmas program.

We were able to serve our kids better this year because some generous grants made it possible to raise salaries for teachers and provide retention bonuses; do upgrades to the playground, including a nature space; buy some new educational games, new furniture for classrooms and the fellowship hall, and new automated soap and paper towel dispensers throughout the building.

Partnering with Lord of Life has been amazing. Most churches don’t have a preschool because it isn’t a money maker and that is what they look for. The church is so generous with giving us space and resources. Children’s chapel with Pastor Lowell and Angie is such a blessing. I couldn’t ask for a better working relationship. Lord of Life staff forges a relationship with Preschool families whether they are church members or not and it makes all the difference.

We have a great staff who really connects with the children and loves them and pours themselves into them. They give a lot of their time, and everyone knows this is more than just a job for them. They are constantly learning and growing so they can keep the curriculum fresh and current.

We can’t wait to see all the new faces next year. We truly love each of the kids and their families. We are like a family and have created a whole community, and it includes the kids and their family members, too. The building at Lord of Life is alive every day with music and learning and spreading love in the world.

Blessings,

Paula Drake, Preschool Director

I got a call at church the other day that got me thinking. I greeted the caller and they said they had a question about volunteering at Family Promise, the program that houses those experiencing homelessness in local houses of worship for a week at a time. We had a week of hosting coming up and they wanted to know if they could volunteer since they weren’t a member. I’ve been around here long enough to know most of you by name, if not by sight, and I said, “But you are a member.” They responded, “Oh no, not anymore, we haven’t been to worship in a year.” That got my attention and I fumbled for a response. I said “Sure you are” and went on to answer their specific concerns about volunteering. As is often the case, I felt like I didn’t give the best response in the moment and ruminated on it until I finally came up with what I should have said. 

Yes, our church has a constitution that defines what is involved in being a member of our congregation. It’s about a page long. There are different kinds of membership, details on becoming one, staying one, the privileges and responsibilities of membership, and even words about being removed from the church roster. You can find a copy of our constitution on our website if you’re curious about these details. While I might joke about how boring those rules are, they serve a key purpose in the running of the day-to-day operations of the church. It would be hard to be in church leadership if you don’t attend regularly. The generosity of your time and finances help us provide exceptional worship moments, educational events, and outreach programs.

I see a difference though, in membership in our church, and membership in God’s loving family. My caller may not have been here in a year, but God still loves them, and we will always welcome them to live, share, and celebrate with us. Wherever your affiliation or congregational membership lies, God's purposes for your life can be lived out in a whole spectrum of ways and places.

Have you been absent for a while? We’re here to share God’s love with you. Circumstances haven’t allowed you to donate? We’re here to share God’s love with you. Have you found another congregation with a worship style or theology that suits you better? Great! Please let us know that you have moved on. Have you been told by someone or some congregation that the circumstances of your birth don’t allow you to be a member? We’re here to share God’s love with you, no questions asked. Have you been told that who you love doesn’t allow you to be a member? We’re here to share God’s love with you and your partner. 

The mission of Lord of Life Lutheran Church is to “live, share, and celebrate with all people, God’s love in Jesus Christ.” How we do that comes in all sorts of ways, just like membership, participation, and generosity look different from person to person. 

Yours in Christ,

Cara

About a year ago, our neighbor, Jim, died peacefully after a 94-year happy life. We decided to buy the house for several reasons. First, it gave us a place for our family to stay when they visit and a future plan in case any of our parents need to live near us toward the ends of their lives. Second, and maybe a little more, we wanted the extra garden space. Between the two lots, we have a half-acre utopia in the middle of an otherwise urban environment.

Among the first tasks when we closed the sale was to tear out the fence between the two properties and clear out the brush around the whole perimeter so we could appreciate our newly joined property and start to make a plan for how the new garden would integrate with my existing beds. The year was going by quickly, so we decided the labor was something we could contract out, and we called a landscape company to come to give us an estimate. What I would come to learn is that there is a difference between landscapers and gardeners, and the distinction can come at a great cost.

During the landscape company owner’s first visit, I explained our goals and that we were really only concerned about the fence line and the brush. He walked briskly through my yard and talked over me about what he was going to cut down in the beds and what bushes he was going to trim and I found myself having to run behind him to tell him what plants still needed to go to seed to come back in the spring and that he really didn’t need to worry about the beds. I just needed him to focus on the fence line. But this focused landscaper had a very particular idea in his head about what a good landscape should look like. It didn’t leave a lot of room for variation. Finally, I suggested that we write it all down and map it out so his crew doesn’t cut anything out that I don’t want to lose. He said he would come back with his foreman before the rest of the crew comes and we could go over it.

In the end, it didn’t matter what we talked about, or what we said during the visit with the foreman, because they saw everything as black and white, with a clear set of rules, and anything they couldn’t identify was dug up and mulched over. I lost all my lilacs, several other perennials, and a bunch of self-seeding annuals before I noticed what they were doing and made them leave. 

A real gardener recognizes the diversity of their plants. They don’t mow everything down in an attempt to meet some standard set by society. That is black-and-white thinking and doesn’t apply here. Instead, they tend to the qualities that make each plant unique and help them thrive so that the whole garden benefits. What looks like a weed to some people is a beautiful prairie flower to someone who has grown it from seed.

You don’t have to be a gardener. Sometimes you only have time to mulch your beds and trim your bushes and call it a day. Or it is too complicated to figure out which flowers are good and which ones are weeds, so it is better for you, personally, to have none of them. But you can play an important role by celebrating the people who love all of their varied flowers, too, and to give them space to help their flowers flourish.

Yours in the tending,

John Johns, Music Director