If you haven’t been in the Lord of Life sanctuary recently, get here! Over the last year, a whole host of skilled professionals have used their expertise to transform our worship space one step at a time. Pipefitters, concrete professionals, electricians, drywall installers, carpenters, and painters each harnessed their craft as part of our Share the Light sanctuary renewal. (By the way, if you haven’t made your mark on the floor, you better get to it. The carpet is scheduled to be laid the week of August 9! If you can’t come and do it in person, reach out to the church office and we’ll be sure to have someone write your name, Bible verse, or reflection for you.)
When I think about my life of faith, I can’t help but celebrate the countless skilled professionals, faithful volunteers, and clueless bystanders whose lives intersected mine and helped me grow in relationship with God. Not only was my forehead marked with a cross in the waters of baptism at Zion Lutheran in Canton, OH when I was an infant, but the Spirit of God led and pursued me through all kinds of ministry moments and decades of my life.
For me, Scripture was planted in my heart through singing VBS songs on the cold tile floor at Messiah Lutheran in Akron. Conversations about faith expanded beyond Sunday morning worship as I lingered in the woods of Camp Mowana as a child at summer camp. In high school, moments of serving at nursing care centers and food pantries connected the dots of faith and action, as we loved one another through compassionate care.
Campus ministry at Wittenberg University blew my heart and mind wide open when I was encouraged to wrestle with the hard issues of life and faith, trusting that God was ready to meet me in the tussle. Traveling as part of a music ministry team with Lutheran Youth Encounter introduced me to a variety of people with varied Christian beliefs and practices, challenging my thoughts about life, faith, worship, leadership, and community.
Youth ministry at Salem in West St. Paul, MN, seminary classwork at Trinity Lutheran Seminary, hospital chaplain work at OSU, and an internship at Resurrection Lutheran in Portland, OR, followed by pastoring in Davenport, Wichita, and West Chester have been essential steps in my journey. Each person and moment has been a crucial addition to my mosaic of faith formation and I can’t imagine that I would be a pastor without them.
Whether I know your story of faith or not, I’m grateful for all of the ways that you, too, have encountered God throughout your life. I imagine that in addition to worship, there have been moments of learning and serving where you have encountered the promise and presence of God.
We are on the verge of something new and beautiful at Lord of Life. Not only are we filled with expectation for the completion of our sanctuary renewal and a return to in-person ministry activities, but in the coming weeks, we hope to hire a Director of Faith Formation. This new, full-time ministry position will be a catalyst for all of us to be drawn into learning and serving moments. This person will be part of our ministry staff, working closely with the pastors, music director, and office administrator to help propel ministry further in this place and deeper into our hearts and minds. Our Director of Faith Formation will not only clarify the learning ministries that we have, but will also help grow our learning ministries with all ages – from the smallest children to the most senior adults. Faith formation is a lifelong practice.
This new position also add substantial dollars to our mission spending plan. You already know that it takes all of us to make ministry happen in this place. Thank you for your generosity, especially through these strange days of the coronavirus and our physically distanced ministry moments.
If you haven’t been giving financially to our ministry recently, would you please consider it? As we gear up for many of our learning ministries to resume, our expenses will go up. In the coming weeks, we’ll be purchasing curriculum, scheduling retreats, and planning for once-a-year events like Rally Day, God’s Work. Our Hands. Sunday, and so many other moments of togetherness. Keep an eye out for ways to grow your faith.
I’ve missed each of you over the last year and a half as we’ve been apart and it has been so good to see many of you returning to in-person worship. I look forward to seeing the rest of you soon, as we continue to step forward in faith, together.
Living, sharing, and celebrating,
Pastor Lowell