Even before the pandemic, May was usually filled with many shifts. As the school year wraps up for students, teachers, and families, daily rhythms of classroom and homework move to lazy mornings and relaxed schedules. Weather shifts from cool, spring showers to steamy days and humid nights. Work schedules have the occasion to shift from long days and weeks to make way for summer vacations and allow for holiday weekends and evenings with friends and family.

Our Lord of Life community shifts with the church year and the seasons, too. How fitting that we begin our summer this Sunday with the celebration of Pentecost, honoring the Holy Spirit, that leads us into new and exciting ways to live, share, and celebrate.

This year, there are additional shifts happening, too. In the last few days, we heard about a major shift in COVID protocols, which modifies many of the restrictions of the last fourteen months. As we review the changing protocols, we are thrilled to announce some big news about our lives together.

First, beginning Memorial Weekend, we’ll shift to our new summer schedule of 8 am and 10 am worship. Allowing an extra half-hour between the services allows us to return the 8 am worship service indoors, in person, surrounded by the ongoing sanctuary renewal projects. Please bring your own chair for comfortable seating. Metal folding chairs will also be available.

Our 10 am worship service will be outside, weather permitting, with the option of in-person, inside when the weather is bad. We invite you to bring your own chair or blanket for comfortable seating. Metal folding chairs will also be available.

Both worship moments will continue to be streamed online, so you can watch from your home, the campground, or wherever else you might be when summer Sundays roll around. You can also watch them later. All of our worship services are archived on our YouTube channel and our website.

There will also be a shift in our food truck events. These have been a huge success over the last six months, pumping revenue into local, independent restaurants and bringing our community together during a time of isolation.

This summer, food trucks are shifting to the first and third Wednesdays and we are adding a free concert series with artists from around the region. Please see the announcement on our social media, website, and weekend bulletins. These will not only be great opportunities to listen to a variety of great music, but also a time to reconnect with friends and meet new neighbors. We’ve shifted our traditional Vacation Bible School (VBS) to a series of activities to coincide with the concerts.

Even though the mask mandate is lifting for vaccinated individuals, we encourage you to continue wearing a mask while moving about in the indoor and outdoor spaces. It isn’t required, but our ministry staff will mask up, even though we are vaccinated, knowing that it will bring comfort to some of our little ones and the vulnerable around us who aren’t yet vaccinated.

Thank you again for your patience, flexibility, and encouragement over the last year. Your faithfulness to what God is doing through our congregation has been a source of comfort, hope, and stability. “We love because God first loved us” (1 John 4:19).

Even as the Holy Spirit guides us to shift in new directions, Jesus is the rock we can stand on.

I pray that you are well and staying healthy.

See you soon,

Pastor Lowell

What would we do if we didn’t have volunteers? When I look at all the people who attend Lord of Life, I see many who take time out of their everyday life to freely offer their time, talents, funds, and expertise to tackle a task. They don’t do this for pay, nor do they do it for the fame and glory. They volunteer because they are following the call of Christ to serve one another. What a special way to show the love of God.

Volunteering can look like being part of a mission team, leading our youth and children’s programs, going on mission trips, sponsoring a Bible study, serving communion, being part of the praise team, praying for others, helping with Stepping Forward, providing food during a food drive, giving backpacks to children who are in need, being on the board for the Preschool, greeting people at the door, and my favorite: volunteering for Family Promise.

Did you know it takes approximately 50 people volunteering each week that Lord of Life hosts Family Promise guests at the church? It requires people to set up the family rooms, 2 volunteers each night to spend the night, around 4 people to prepare and serve a meal along with being with the families during the evening, then taking everything down and washing the laundry at the end of the week. If 50 individuals volunteer, then you only serve time for the week.

I’d like to share a couple of stories as to how our volunteers affect the lives of those we serve at Family Promise. One of our single moms was asked by a volunteer if there were no barriers what did she dream of doing with her life. This mom had never had someone ask her what her dreams were. Her answer was to own her own daycare. This volunteer then sat with her while they put this dream on paper and set up a path to make it happen. I am so excited to say this mom followed through on the dream and now runs her own in-home daycare. She is very successful, all because a volunteer asked what her dreams were. One of the congregations took the families to Light Up Middletown to see the Christmas Lights. Several of the children had never seen a Christmas display before. We had a kindergartner who was failing because he couldn’t read. For 2 months straight, we had a volunteer tutor at each congregation who worked with this child and he graduated from kindergarten at an age appropriate, reading level. This is a super small sampling of what our volunteers have achieved.

While Family Promise is obviously my favorite way to volunteer, I would encourage everyone reading this to prayerfully consider where your gifts and talents lie and then volunteer. Volunteers do make a difference!

Linda Smith, Executive Director, Family Promise of Butler County and Lord of Life member

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Family Promise of Butler County addresses the needs of families struggling with homelessness by providing shelter, meals, and support services. You can learn more about this crucial ministry, as well as serve and support them, here: http://www.familypromisebutlercounty.com/

Many thanks to all who made our host week with Family Promise happen, this week. Each greeting, meal, and prayer was a service of love.

As individuals, we may be aware of parts of ourselves that are a contributing factor in how we mingle around a room, or how we are received in daily interactions. For me, when I began my journey into the candidacy process, that is, the process to become a pastor, I became aware of my age. Not all at once, rather, it was gradual. I met my seminary cohort and I realized I was the youngest person in the Master of Divinity program. While most of my classmates were in the process of leaving a career behind to head back to the classroom, I felt as if I was starting from scratch. Another time of being made aware of my age, I wore a collar out in public, and someone who was old enough to be my grandfather said, “Hello father.” My eyes widened as I took control of my reaction. Then I smiled, greeted, “Hey son” as I inwardly found humor in the dialogue.

But chip by chip, self-awareness of my age, and all that it may bring, started to weigh on me. I thought, “I’m going to be like a Catholic priest in marriage counseling”- someone with no marriage and no kids, trying to have wisdom, or at least relatability, for the married with kids. I dwelled in the reality that I will have to contextualize the gospel to generations cultivated by shared experiences that have had no role in shaping me. I pondered the reality that I have little past career experience that has strengthened and refined skills for a clergy career that is oftentimes taxing and of many hats. On top of all of that, there is the simple reality that I am at an age that can easily be dismissed or looked down on as naive, or as lacking the necessary maturity. I can go on.

But I have to remind myself that those perceived deficits are only half of the equation. While I do believe it is important for me to be aware of how my age may impact how I’m received, or how it may come with hurdling blocks, I must also be aware of the gifts it brings. Does my age come with new eyes? Does placing my generation in positions of leadership help the church bring the gospel to my generation, which is disproportionately churchless? Just as people who have come before me have molded the church, and continue to magnificently shape the church, is now my time? I like to think yes. And my value as a young adult does not simply apply to me. Rather, just as I have value for the life of the church, so do the youth at Lord of Life.

In the coming Sundays, we are celebrating youth in the church. Little ones will be taking communion for the first time. We’ll celebrate our high school seniors, as they will soon graduate and move onto the next chapter in their lives. Confirmands will affirm their baptismal vows, and become voting members in the parish. Each of these is a reminder that youth are not the church of tomorrow, rather they are the church now. From adorable little ones to young adults, the Holy Spirit is cultivating their gifts for the life of the church, and what a blessing it is for us to be witnesses. And for me, what a good reminder!

Your sibling in Christ,

Pastor Alec (he/him/his)

Scrolling through texts and emails, I’ve noticed a marked increase in questions, this month. “When is Graduate Sunday?” “When is Confirmation?” “Are we hosting Family Promise, this month?” “What are the dates for our ASP (Appalachian Service Project) trip?” (See the latest Lifeline for all these ministry dates and more.)

But wait … there’s more! Inquiries are also coming in about the latest shifts in CDC recommendations for congregations, outside groups using our spaces, the planting schedule for our community garden, funeral restrictions, staff summer vacations, and other questions. We are curious and searching for answers.

You may remember Anselm of Canterbury’s (1033–1109) popular definition of theology, “faith seeking understanding.” Questions drove him – and us – to search and wrestle with issues of love, loss, shame, liberation, life, meaning, and faith. Our yearning to comprehend God’s creative efforts and unconditional embrace drives us to wonder and clarify. We can’t stop asking questions.

Earlier this month, I answered some questions about our life together, since we aren’t lingering in the gathering space or parking lot to muse about these. Here are a few more that have been our minds.

What is happening with our church sign?

Our electronic sign is dead. Toast. History. We’ve made several repairs over the last few years, but this winter the digital panels finally shut down for good. Two different companies confirmed that repair/replacement parts aren’t available and we should seek alternatives.

So what’s next? We’re exploring all options from replacing the digital panels with the latest technology to the throwback idea of having a sign with a fixed image and information. Increasingly, our surrounding area knows about our worship, learning, serving, and community opportunities from social media and our website, which offer much greater possibilities and reach than a high definition sign. We’ll keep you posted.

Why can’t we have indoor worship in the Fellowship Hall while the Sanctuary is under construction?

Our sound systems are permanently installed in the sanctuary and outdoor worship spaces. If we were to worship in the Fellowship Hall, it would only be acoustic with no sound or video for the in-person or online experiences. In addition, COVID restrictions limit the number of people able to gather in that space, whereas our outdoor sanctuary offers a more expansive and hospitable space. Thank you for your flexibility.

“When will the Share the Light project be complete?”

We don’t have a timeline for the completion of the Share the Light renovations and additions. Permitting is backed up considerably because of the COVID shutdowns. We feel that as we currently wait for fire suppression and sanctuary permits. We hope to finalize the sanctuary upgrades in early summer and look forward to announcing a ground-breaking date for the new multipurpose community space in the coming months.

When is our next rummage sale?

There are no plans for a Lord of Life rummage sale. If you cannot wait until then, we encourage you to host a garage sale at your home (maybe even invite some friends to join you, making it a multi-family sale) and then donate the proceeds to youth ministry at Lord of Life. Thank you in advance!

Thank you again for your faithfulness and flexibility during this unusual season. I pray that you are well and staying healthy, and look forward to the possibility of seeing you face to face, soon.

Thank you for continuing to live, share, and celebrate with all in Jesus’ name. This is not only our church’s mission, but is the driving force behind the many ways we ask, seek, and knock.

Still searching,

Pastor Lowell

I love long car rides. I generally prefer to drive anywhere I can go by car in less than 10 hours rather than go through the hassle of getting on a plane and flying. It is another story if I’m stuck in a car with a stranger or someone I don’t trust. It is particularly unsettling that my distrust is for my own father.

To say that one particular ride left a scar is an understatement. I was in my early teens. My parents had been divorced for several years and things were already tense between us. I lived with my mom most of the time and managed to keep myself busy enough to avoid my dad as much as I could. But I couldn’t say “no” when he wanted me to visit my grandpa, who was in the hospital in Columbus, two hours away from Findlay where I grew up.

That’s how I found myself in his truck, shotgun mounted on the back window, Smith and Wesson handgun under his seat, on route 23, surrounded by cornfields, riding south toward Columbus, the cab feeling more and more suffocating as the minutes slogged on. Then, he reached over to turn down the radio.

“Son,” ugh … even as I’m writing this 25 years later I can feel my chest constricting. One word out of his mouth and there was no direction this could have gone that could have made the rest of my day feel better. He kept going:

“I know you’ve been hanging around with a lot of people who are ‘different’ than us,” (here, I already know he is referring to the one gay friend I’ve managed to find in my tiny home town) “but it’s our job as Christians to show people the right way.”

At this point words could not have passed my lips if I had wanted them to, but at 15 years old, I had neither the wit, nor the emotional fortitude to respond to that. I set my jaw and willed the tears to remain firmly in their ducts. But he wasn’t finished:

“And if you ever turn gay, I’ll shoot you.”

In Acts 4, the apostles speak to the people about Christ’s resurrection and the priests (the same ones who had Jesus crucified) arrest them. How inconvenient! These trained theologians went through all the trouble of killing the Son of God, who was trying to get everyone to love each other, only to have him come back to life and have his ministry carry on anyway. 

At some point, I’m sure they thought they were right. Like everyone, they were taught a certain way and were truly appalled by this carpenter claiming he had more authority than they did. Confronted with the evidence of Jesus’ teaching, miracles, and resurrection, they could have made the choice to open their minds and accept Christ’s call to love one another. Instead, they locked his disciples away (and eventually executed most of them) in an attempt to cling to their outdated beliefs.

My father thought he was right. I don’t know if he intended that his threat would somehow change my “gayness,” if it would cause me to hide it, or if he might have actually followed through and killed me. When your father, or anyone else for that matter, is rejecting you because of something you can’t change, it is hard to stop and think about what is going on in their head.

What I am confident about is that I can choose to learn and adapt and, when confronted with similar situations and situations I think I know something about, make the decision to love first and ask compassionate questions later.

Yours in love,

John

We had a fantastic day in the woods of Camp Kern with our junior high students recently, talking about Holy Week, resurrection, and beyond. Other than the gorgeous trees and the massive rainstorm that rolled through Saturday afternoon, our time was dominated by questions. “Why the footwashing?” “Why Passover?” “Why the cross?” “Why so many different resurrection stories?” “What is an Emmaus?” As we answered these questions, even more inquiries and clarifications arose.

That’s our life, isn’t it? We wonder and seek, only to have more questions rise in our hearts and minds.

I’m grateful that our Christian theology maintains abundant room for questions, wonder, and doubt. Not only is the Bible filled with people and situations seeking answers, but when influential thinker Martin Luther set out to explain the Christian faith to children and their parents, he structured the whole thing around the question, “What does this mean?” Tackling the Ten Commandments, the Lord’s Prayer, and the Apostles’ Creed, this query provided a springboard into faith-filled wrestling.

We have many questions about our lives together right now. Worship, learning, and interaction patterns are still turned upside down because of our last thirteen months of COVID restrictions. Here are a few of the questions I hear most frequently with some answers.

What happened to 9:30 am worship?
The 9:30 am worship moment is on pause for now, as Pastor Alec and I help cover teaching moments during that time. Lord of Life hosts Learning Hour at 9:30 and, right now, we bounce back-and-forth between online junior high and Sunday school classes, assisting those who are leading, as well as taking our turns to teach. Do you want to be a part of Sunday morning learning for little ones or teens? Contact our Youth Ministry Area Coordinators, Lisa Bacu and Danielle Beneteau, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 9:30 am worship will be back. Thank you for your patience, as we seek to maintain our important ministry of education.

Why didn’t we pass the offering plate at Easter for in-person worship?
For the foreseeable future, the less contact we share, the better for our well-being, so we will not be passing the offering plate. If you are worshiping in person, you can drop your offering in the designated container at the welcome table or give electronically online, mail in a check, or drop your offering off in the church office. Thank you for your continued generosity and help to fuel ministry.

Do we still commune ourselves?
We celebrate Holy Communion each week, whether we worship in person or online. While we prefer to gather around the altar in a shared space for the Lord’s Supper, we believe that Jesus is present as we eat and drink, drawing us closer to God and into a deeper relationship with one another. For in-person worship, you may use the wafer and juice provided, or bring your own communion elements (bread and wine, cracker and grape juice, other).

How long will online worship continue?
Online worship is now part of our rhythm and will be offered for each worship moment, as well as some other events. (Be sure to watch our Theology For Today discussion panel at 9:30 am, this Sunday.) As a side note, online worship is not virtual worship. Online worship is actual worship, whether watched live-streamed or recorded at a later date. We trust that the Spirit of God shows up each time we gather and our prayer, reflection, and praise is a celebration of our love and adoration. Yes, it is different than what we’ve been used to in the past, but we give thanks for the many ways that God gathers, speaks, feeds, and sends us in this new era.

There are still many questions for which we don’t have answers: “When will we worship together in the sanctuary again?” “When will we break ground for the new multipurpose community space?” “When will the Share the Light project be complete?” “When is our next rummage sale?” For these – and so many more questions – we don’t have answers, yet. We will keep you posted as plans develop.

Thank you for your faithful flexibility during this unusual season of life and ministry. Thank you for your ongoing support and encouragement in the ministry to which God calls us at Lord of Life. It is such a joy to share this journey of faith with you as we live, share, and celebrate the unconditional love of the resurrected Jesus with all people!

Still seeking answers,

Pastor Lowell