I love the first creation story in Genesis, in which God creates the world - sea, land, sky, vegetation, animals, and finally humans, particularly the emphasis of humanity being created in the image of God (imago Dei). For me, it has always served as a reminder that creating is a Godly thing. And I’m not simply talking about God’s creative work; I’m talking about our creative work as image-bearers of God. We draw pictures, knit scarves, carve pumpkins, and build furniture. Us bringing things into existence is holy as we live into our imago Dei. 

This past week, the church held a rummage sale and our entire building became packed with nearly everything - movies, books, home decor, furniture, jewelry, and all things in between. As I saw stuff pile in, I tried to see things not as they were, but as what they could be! As someone who has always liked the idea of refurbishing furniture, I thought, “now is my time to shine” as I took home a small piece for myself. 

As Pastor Lowell preached this last Sunday, using the rummage sale as a sermon illustration for the second creation story and Mark’s lesson on divorce, I wrote a note in my bulletin that can be summarized as “refurbishment is restoration.” If creating is us living out what it means to be made in the image of the biggest creator there is, then what is refurbishing? I like to think it is another imago Dei moment, us reflecting a God of restoration. Just as the creation narrative takes a sharp turn with Adam and Even eating some forbidden fruit and getting expelled, furniture gets dinged up and our sinful selves don’t use coasters on our coffee tables. Our sins are not the end of our story. God is in the saving business, bringing restoration and wholeness in our lives and in our world.

As I lay a stripping agent onto furniture, scrape off the old stain, sand down, restain and finish, I will continually be reminded that we have a God of restoration. There is power in bringing about a physical manifestation of faith, as it will only engrain faith more deeply into our hearts. When a refinished coffee table rests in my living room I will continually be reminded of God’s restorative nature.

My favorite Bible study of the Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32) had a twist. Usually, we’re challenged to see ourselves as the prodigal son, sinners always welcomed into God’s hands. But in this Bible study, we were asked, “How do we emulate God in this passage?” Suddenly, I was called to place myself into the shoes of the father in the passage, and offer grace to others. There’s a pattern here. In our restoration process, God teaches us, bears God’s image into us, and then asks us to show Him who we are and what we’ve learned. As I refinish furniture from the rummage sale, I hope I am showing God what I’ve learned, and as I scrape what is old and restain to make new, I hope to be reminded of God’s work in me, as the hymn Shepherd me O’ God proclaims, “Shepherd me O’ God ... from death into life.”

As my oldest daughter was preparing to head to college, I wanted her to know that God would guide her as she ventured into a whole new world of growth and experiences. In searching for just the right idea, I found this prayer. I cleverly placed it in the middle of a photo collage frame of family pictures. She would have to hang it in her dorm room since it was too big to fit in a drawer! I was hoping in her moments of doubt and fear, she could calm her spirit by reading this prayer when her own prayers might be muddled or non-existent. As Pastor Alec said this past Sunday, “prayer isn’t always easy, especially in times of struggle or uncertainty.”

Through the years, I have given this prayer to my teaching staff to post in their classrooms and again, placed it in a similar family photo collage when my younger daughter went to college. When there our days of doubt in their abilities, whether it’s in the preschool classroom or college campus, what a comfort to know that by trusting in the infinite possibilities born of faith and the gifts given to them, they could find immeasurable peace and freedom to live and love.

Little did I know as I gave this to others, it would become my constant prayer over the past four months as I moved forward in discussions with Lord of Life to be the Director of Faith Formation. God had started tapping on my shoulder to open a new chapter that was born in faith. There were so many fears and doubts over this life-changing decision, but with each step, I have felt the Holy Spirit continuing to calm my soul with the knowledge that I am where I am meant to be. “Do you feel it in your bones yet, Angie? Remember that you are My child and I have given you the gifts to live into this calling of ministry with the people of LOL.” I am reassured that my fears of inadequacies will be met with love, grace, and opportunities for growth by the people God places in my path (hint, hint!). I have found peace knowing that POP (Prince of Peace) Kids School is exactly where they are meant to be with new possibilities for their future as well.

I AM feeling it in my bones… the freedom to sing, dance, praise, and love in this new adventure with you. With faith, truly all things are possible. However, just a heads up, I’m still working at the singing and dancing part but that doesn’t keep me from trying or feeling the spirit!

Wherever you may be in your life’s journey, I pray that you feel in your bones the contentment and peace that comes from knowing you are a beloved child of God and the infinite possibilities that are born in faith. I can’t wait to know you and grow together!

God’s peace always,

Angie Seiller, Director of Faith Formation

P.S. If you’re interested in learning more about St. Teresa, here is a link: www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=208. She was declared a Doctor of the Church for her writing and teaching on prayer, only one of two women to be honored in this way.

Earlier this month, we heard/read stories about the victims of 9/11 from family and friends. Some of these stories included the thoughts of “if only.” “If only my spouse hadn’t delayed their trip because of my birthday.” “If only my wife wasn’t anxious to be home again.” “If only I hadn’t asked my sister to watch my children she wouldn’t have switched schedules.” “If only… If only.”

Our lives are full of “If only” moments, too. As youth we wonder, “If only I had studied for that exam instead of…. If only I had listened to my teacher and my parents.” As adults, how often do we find ourselves saying, “If only I had been more careful with my words or my actions. If only I had listened to my parents, my significant other, my friends.” As parents we admonish ourselves, “If only I had spent more time listening to my children” or we reprimand our children, “If only you had listened to me.”

In Scripture, God tells the Israelites that if only they had paid attention to his commandments, “your peace would have been like a river, your well-being like the waves of the sea. Your descendants would have been like the sand, your children like its numberless grain” (Isaiah 48).

All these “If only” thoughts and words look backwards at what had happened and cannot be changed. What if, instead, we take those words and leverage our “If only” moments to build our future words and actions? What if they become our prayer? What if God uses these occasions for springboards?

If only you help me stop and listen, I will help my children, my partner, and my friends.

If only you open my eyes to see the weak or the suffering, I will help.

If only you give me an awareness to see someone in trouble, I will offer the helping hand.

If only your Holy Spirit stirs me to believe, then anything will be possible. In Mark’s account, Jesus tells us that “Everything is possible for the one who believes.”

At Lord of Life, our members help put these “If only” moments into action. Through our various ministries, help is extended to groups such as Family Promise, Stepping Forward, and Reach out Lakota. We support organizations that offer the helping hand such as Faith Alliance and The Fringe. Each summer, some of our youth and adults participate in ASP (Appalachian Service Project). We offer our space to outside groups like AA, Al-Anon, and the Scouts.There are many other examples, each playing an important role in helping Lord of Life live out our mission to “Live, Share, and Celebrate God’s love through Jesus Christ,”

For each of us as Christians, which “If only” interpretation are we experiencing in our lives? Prayerfully, we need to look to where our time and talents can lead us to these new “If only” moments, whether it is donating food to the Reach Out Lakota food pantry, helping serve meals at Stepping Forward , participating in activities supporting marginalized groups. Or maybe it is offering support within Lord of Life by praying, teaching, or simply listening to those around us. It only requires that first step aided with prayer and I think you will find that the old “If only” has been replace with a new perspective.

“For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose” (Philippians 2).

Yours in Christ,

Denise Krallman

All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
By the gift of grace in ☩ Christ Jesus, God makes you righteous.
Receive with glad hearts the forgiveness of all your sins.
Amen.

The day is finally here. We can see the end of this phase of our project coming to an end. There is fresh paint on the walls. New lights. New carpet. Beautiful wood beams. A refreshed dais for the altar, pulpit and baptismal font. New communion rails. A new platform for the band and choir with plenty of outlets to power our instruments without tripping a circuit breaker or causing a hum in the sound system. A beautiful media desk to accommodate the new technology it takes to stream our worship. So much light spilling out of the room that we can read our bulletins, even in the shadows.

The deadline is in place, but we’re cutting the ribbon even though contractors will continue to work after Sunday morning. There are still some holes to cover with access panels. The communion rails need to be stained. More cables need to be run. 

And while we’ve tried to be careful in our new space, accidents happen. There are already scuffs on the new paint and dings in the plaster before most people have gotten to see the space as new.

The fact is, our Sanctuary, like us, will always be in a state of change and growth. This weekend we’ll celebrate we’ve reached a milestone, and we’ll move onto the next phase of our Share the Light building project. Meanwhile, we will continue to live in and love our worship space. Eventually, someone will spill their coffee. Someone will crush a cheerio on the floor. On Christmas Eve, despite our best efforts, wax from one of the candles will drip into the carpet. Chairs will scrape against the wall and we’ll start to see the lines along with the paint that go along with everyday use.

We have a ribbon-cutting for ourselves during worship every Sunday. We confess our sins, admitting to all our spills and cracks. And at the end, the celebrant offers an absolution like the one at the top of the page, refreshing us, renewing us, and preparing us for another week of living. 

Even while we’re confessing and being forgiven, new cracks are forming. Because we’re human. We can’t help it. But we have grace. Jesus knows who we are, and loves us unconditionally. That’s not to say we’re supposed to go around purposely trying to bash holes in the plaster, but sometimes we do that, too, and Jesus will walk with us while we rebuild ourselves.

Rebuilding alongside you,

John Johns, Music Director

I was six years old when Al-Qaeda flew two commercial flights into the World Trade Center, killing nearly three thousand people. I do not remember 9/11, but I remember what I believe was the following day. My first-grade teacher tried to talk about the horrific event with the class by sitting us down on the carpet and showing us a newspaper. But how does a first grader compute a terrorist attack? Overall, I remember knowing what happened, but I didn’t comprehend the gravity of that day.  

Though I do not remember the exact day, I grew up in a post 9/11 world in which its anniversary was a nationwide day of mourning and solemnity, as it was still so fresh. I watched us go to war against terrorism, witnessed political discourse over the Patriot Act, waited in long lines through TSA and took my shoes off at the airport. When talking with church staff about this, I’ve learned that parts of my everyday world are post-9/11; and for me, it’s just normal, such as barriers in front of government buildings and businesses that prevent people from driving into them. 

Every generation passes a new world down to the next- a world shaped by shared experiences of a generation and experiences that have created a shared ideology that has formed the world as we know it. Now, generation Z has no memory of 9/11 and the oldest of them are now registered voters. 

When I think of this reality, I am reminded of how the church lives into the communion of the saints. We inherit the traditions and theological thoughts of generations. We are shaped by them. We delight in them. And yet, we reform and live into what is current. We light candles in our sanctuary when the tradition originates from not having light bulbs, yet, we have dozens of people every Sunday morning that livestream our worship service through the digital universe. 

I say all of this because right now we are living in a world in which 9/11 is beginning to be a history lesson. The war in Afghanistan has come to an end, and though 9/11 touched all aspects of society, we have a generation of people, including voters, that can only think of 9/11 as a historical event to imagine in one’s head, not an experience to remember. So now, the world must begin embracing what it means to live in the communion of saints in order to not simply remember, but also come into the knowledge of 9/11.  

In the aftermath of 9/11, society mourned news on the television screen. Others knew 9/11 more intimately as they grieved the loss of loved ones. As we grappled from afar, we looked to God for meaning and hope. We sought out the peace of Christ that “surpasses all understanding” and placed faith in the resurrecting power of God. Now, those who have no memory of 9/11 will continue to learn to live into the experience of others, communally looking up to God in times of suffering for the world they currently live in. 

Remembering and learning the spiritual lessons of 9/11,

Pastor Alec Brock, Seminary Intern (he,him,his)

One of my favorite bands, Switchfoot, released a new project in August entitled “Interrobang.” In the hype leading up to the release, I avoided any press weighing in about the recording and even steered clear of what the band had written about this fresh batch of songs. I wanted to listen without any expectations.

It is good, very good, but after listening through the whole recording several times, I still had to ask myself, “What is an interrobang?” I had no clue.

Interrobang /inˈterəˌbang/ Noun - a non-standard punctuation mark (‽) indicating a question expressed in an exclamatory manner, as in what are you doing‽.

I don't recall learning this word in an English class, but if I were able to read the transcript of my early parenting days, it would be filled with interrobangs. “What are you doing‽,” “Are you crazy‽,” “Are you trying to hurt yourself‽,” “Did you hear me‽,” and “Are you ready for dinner‽” would play over and over in rapid succession. I was asking a question, but there were also overtones of exclamation, frustration, and urgency.

Punctuation wasn’t included in the original Greek manuscripts of the New Testament, so we can’t know the phrasing and intonations in Bible passages, but I imagine that some of Jesus’ questions would have included an interrobang, if that was a thing in the Ancient Near East First century world.

“Why do you worry about clothes‽” (Matthew 6:28)

“Why do you notice the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the wooden beam in your own eye‽” (Matthew 7:2)

“Do you have eyes and still not see? Ears and not hear‽” (Mark 8:18)

“If you do not believe Moses’ writings how will you believe me‽” (John 5:46-47)

Time and time again, Jesus addressed the people he loved with urgent rhetorical questions, hoping to evoke an emotional and sometimes physical response.

Small children are often frustrated when they want to tell us something, but haven’t developed the linguistic skills, yet. So what happens? A tantrum filled with stomping, screaming, crying or otherwise ensues. As they grow and those moments come, a loving adult might say, “Use your words.” (I’ve found myself saying that to teenagers, frustrated adults, and even myself in moments of anger and frustration - “Use your words, Lowell.”)

These are urgent and exclamatory days. As I read the morning news of a devastating tornado in New Jersey and flash floods killing people in New York City, I want to ask/scream/cry/pray, “What is going on‽” I am looking for some words.

Thankfully, God continues to expand our vocabulary. All day, every day, the Holy Spirit teaches us and reminds us about trust, compassion, empathy, solidarity, faith, forgiveness, love, and hope. We need to embrace and use these words. These are God’s words. These are our words.

Living in trust and hope,

Pastor Lowell

Image by Tim Foreman ©2021