Sunday Worship8, 9:30, & 11 am
If you have ever brushed your dog in the summertime, you know that the hair never stops. Brush after brush, the hair keeps coming. From nooks and crannies unknown, the brush fills up one swipe after another. Yes, I know that there are dogs that don't shed. Yes, I am aware that if we didn’t have a dog, then we wouldn’t have the problem of hair on the wood floors, couches, black clothes, etc. But the reality of my back porch during August brushing experiences is a flurry of endless hair. Enough!
It is with sincerest gratitude that I extend a “thank you” to everyone within the Lord of Life community. This congregation has far exceeded my expectations of what the first few days of internship would look like. The new office looks amazing and I, along with hopefully many interns to follow, are so very grateful. I recognize and deeply appreciate all the effort that has been put forth to make my transition a great experience. By inviting me into your sacred space, you have perpetuated the notion that “all are welcome,” which I quickly gathered is a vital piece of defining Lord of Life. You have revealed a commitment to education by investing your time, effort, and resources in a seminarian. Throughout my service at Lord of Life, I hope to continue a “student” mindset, as I learn how to be God’s Church from all of you, my teachers.
As I have been meeting new people and shadowing Pastor Lowell these past few days, I am overjoyed with all the new beginnings that Lord of Life has on its horizon. So many people are filled with positive energy and great ideas. I see their expressions come alive as they talk about vision and possibility. I can relate well to this mentality; I feel like a racehorse awaiting the opening of the gates. I too, am ready to create, serve, give, and truly love all God’s children. The month of August may bring with it busy calendars and hectic mornings, but amidst the hustle and bustle comes an abundance of opportunity.
Summer camp has always been filled with surprise, but the kids could not have imagined what was about to happen.
July 25, 1933, the traditions of wintry December happenings descended on a steamy wilderness experience. No, it didn’t actually snow, but The Washington Post notes that Camp Keystone, a camp in North Carolina, inaugurated the first “Christmas in July” event when they celebrated with a Christmas tree, gifts, and even a visit by Santa Claus on a hot summer night.
Since then, the concept has expanded into virtually every corner of North American society. Camps and parks use it as a catchy summertime theme. Stores and communities leverage the marketing and advertising scheme to draw in otherwise slumping seasonal crowds. Even our own West Chester EnterTrainment Junction advertises, “Beat the heat with Christmas cheer and a mid-year check-up with Santa.”
Christmas in July. It is a wacky concept juxtaposing winter carols, snowy evergreens, and tales of the North Pole with the blistering heat of mid-summer, but it works. Who doesn’t love the option of joy, hope, peace, and presents anytime?
While you might not celebrate Christmas in July in any formal way, there’s no denying that summer is loaded with gifts. Often, this season allows for family reunions and time together around campfires, outdoor projects, vacations to destinations near and far, or “staycations” where we find time for rest and relaxation without leaving home.
If we force ourselves to step back from the traditions and assumptions of the holiday shtick, we quickly realize that the heart of Christmas is the pure delight that refreshes us during these summer months, too. Like Mary and Joseph, we join a journey that is lacking in specifics. Like shepherds in the fields, we stand in awe and amazement about the great news of God coming among us. Like the magi and the barnyard animals, we offer ourselves to Jesus, trusting that he’ll use us for his purpose.
The gifts of Christmas are being shared in our faith communities this summer, too. God continually meets us in moments of worship and conversation together. Our Vacation Bible School declared over and over, “Jesus is the Light of the World,” as we explored new territories of faith. Office and narthex renovations renew gathering spaces to meet our changing needs, like when we create additional room for the Christ child to take up residence among us. We wait with eager anticipation for seminary student Lucas McSurley to land here mid-July to begin a two-year internship. At the end of the month, 20+ of our people will be heading to West Virginia to live and serve among those strangled by poverty.
Christmas is this July. Don’t miss it. God is with us. Immanuel continues to come. The gifts of the Christ child continue to surprise and amaze us. There may not be Christmas trees, mistletoe, and snowy sidewalks, but amazing and unexpected gifts continue to arrive daily.
God is not in the destruction business…Instead, God chooses to do the hard work of restoration.
I’ve been wondering about the property in the 7200 block of Tylersville Road for some time. Every time I drove east to drop off a kid at Hopewell Junior School, pick up groceries at the store, or cruise to Voice of America Park for a walk, I glanced at the dilapidated structures and overgrown yard on the north side of the street wondering what happened there.
Looking past the shattered windows of the house and gutters in disrepair, I imagined a time when the yard was overflowing with young children playing after gulping down BBQ at a summer picnic. Long before Tylersville Road was a bustling four-lane corridor, I envisioned family and friends burning away the hours relaxing and talking on the massive front porch. I could picture mountains of raked leaves, constructed snow forts, mechanical projects in the shed, and piles of freshly split firewood waiting to be stacked.
May is a month of remembering. When May comes around, I remember prom as the massive celebration at the end of senior year following our long journey of high school together. In a single night, we gave thanks for the many ways we shared each other’s burdens in the tough times and rejoiced in our many accomplishments and victories. I remember the limousine, the dinner, the dancing, and the After Prom at Geauga Lake Amusement Park that kept us on the rides and waterslides until dawn. I remember good friends, some of whom are still in touch.