Hello, my Lord of Life family! I recently joined you as we celebrated the life and love of our dear friend, Gary Glaab. It was wonderful to walk in the doors and be greeted by everyone as if I had been there every Sunday for the last few years, as opposed to someone deep in the seminary life.
It is a surreal thing to be still living so close while working in my internship for my ordination journey. I am still here, but it can at times feel like I’m a million miles away. The responsibility and time that internship asks of us does come at the cost of regular communion with the congregation that helped deliver me to the Church for candidacy in the first place.
Lord of Life is still my church and I deeply love all of you. As you may know, I showed up with my family at Lord of Life a decade ago. After a conversation with your brand-new (at the time) pastor, we started worshipping with you all. You drew us into a deeper relationship, and you made it possible for me to get more involved at LOL. I was fortunate enough to serve as a Evangelism Ministry Area Coordinator (MAC) for quite a few years, and through Pastor Lowell’s gentle nudging, and seeing our friend Corey Wagonfield navigate the challenges of seminary while maintaining a family, I eventually followed suit.
I am now serving at Trinity Lutheran Church in Mt. Healthy as a seminary intern and have been very fortunate and overjoyed to see some of my Lord of Life friends pop in to see me preach. Seeing you brightens my day! I am coming up on my first 6-month review and have been ruminating on my journey. Worshipping and celebrating with you on May 18 brought a smile to my face, even if it came at a time when we were gathered to reflect on a life well lived. Those days bring with them a wealth and range of emotions, but for Gary, it is hard to look back and not smile. He was a part of my faith journey and he makes everyone smile.
You all have supported me through this. As I write, I find myself sitting in a room at the seminary in Columbus. For us Trinity students, we travel here every now and again for week-long intensive courses. These come with times of reflection and times to connect with the Holy Spirit. It is in one of these moments I felt drawn to write to you all.
As Lord of Life prepares to say goodbye to Pastor Laura, next month and looks forward to meeting Nicole Keifer, our new seminary intern, let me grab the mic for a minute to say thank you. While my duties at my internship site keep me away from your doors, know I am always thinking about you. Lord of Life is an amazing place, filled with amazing people, and I count myself lucky to be counted as one of your number.
Through the lens of people like Gary, we see a reflection of our whole community. A community that cares for one another, uplifts one another, and supports one another. I feel your support and I love being a part of you. I love that you are a part of my journey into ordination and a call to pastoral leadership.
With Love,
Vicar Richard Ponton
Trinity Lutheran Church, Mt. Healthy
Training to be a Lutheran pastor is a four year degree with a blend of coursework while also serving and learning in the parish. We currently support our seminary student Richard Ponton with $5,000 per year toward education expenses. Thank you for your financial generosity that makes training ministry leaders a priority.