Greetings from Magoffin County, KY, from two of your original Appalachia Service Project (ASP) (self-proclaimed) favorites! Can you believe this is our fourth time attending the ASP mission trip? In 2019, we heard about the opportunity to spend a week serving under God and being served by Him. As two 16-year-olds, we had no idea what we were getting ourselves into. As we spent our first week at ASP, we quickly learned this was a place we belonged. From endless inside jokes and laughs to serving the families of each community through the love of Christ, we have found ourselves fully involved in Appalachia Service Project. 

In 2019, Lord of Life’s first year at ASP, we quickly realized we would do this every summer. This year our tasks were to put in a bathroom and put up a wall. We had no idea what we were doing or what to expect, but we quickly realized that our most important task was to put a smile on everyone’s face. With our amazing leader Lowell, not only did our nerves settle, but we also created so many strong relationships. ASP was a new environment for everyone, but Pastor Lowell did not hesitate to get his hands dirty at work daily and helped our group with every step. All the built-up excitement for each workday was followed by an amazing ice cream stop at the best local shop. The ice cream we enjoyed each night is still remembered and talked about to this day. The first year of ASP was one to write in the books and start the Lord of Life tradition each summer.

In 2021, our second year due to Covid preventing ASP from happening in 2020, we had a unique role. We had the honor of being “floaters” with Tom Barth, meaning we would travel from site to site and help wherever needed. Having Tom as our leader, we learned many of his habits, creating life-long jokes. We can only imagine Tom's horror when he realized he was paired with us two for the week, but he became one of us in no time. We quickly became a dream team whose reputation would live on. Without Tom, ASP would not be the same. This year had the biggest impact on us as we grew close and were able to have an impact on several different families. 

In 2022, our third year, things were a little different in a good way. We stayed on cots in little cabins instead of on a community center or school floor. We also had to drive to the showers, activity rooms, and supply room. With these many changes, there were also several new people, including Dan Seiller. Dan made our trip a year to remember! As a fire chief, Dan was prepared for all the hard work this year would entail but not for the work it takes to deal with us two girls. Little did he know, we would make this the best trip he’s ever experienced. Not only was he shocked at how honored he felt to work with us, but Angie was happy to see her husband entertained for the week. Without Dan, we wouldn’t have finished the work or shared as many laughs. We also had the pleasure of working with another church at our worksite. Our goal was to repair a hole and uneven floor in the kitchen. We had a great work crew for the week and accomplished all the work. As Saturday morning approached, we realized we had completed a successful third year with Appalachia Service Project.

This year, our 4th year, 2023, has been quite the ride. With almost a whole new group of people, who knew what this year would hold? We partnered with another Lord of Life crew for the first time. We were disappointed by the sad news that Dan would not be returning to ASP, but little did we know we would be blessed with an amazing leader: Joe Cramer. You’re probably thinking the same thing: the name Joe does not do justice to the man behind the name. This year, we got to work alongside the most infamous leaders, Joe and Tom. Our task for this year was to fix and put up siding. We thought by now we were pros as we’d done a little bit of it every year. We were wrong. We quickly realized it wasn’t as easy as it seemed. Luckily, we grew close with all our work partners, and everyone was willing to help us get started. We got a lot of work done and had a fabulous time making new friends in our work groups. This year has held the most laughs. 

Overall, Appalachia Service Project has greatly impacted both of our summers and has become one of our favorite traditions every year. It is such a fun experience, and we hope every person gets to participate in ASP. The people and environment, with changes every year, keeps bringing us back, and we hope one day we get the opportunity to become staff members of ASP.

Yours in Christ,

Annabelle King and Larkyn Ripley

In our culture summer is associated with relaxation. “A lazy summer day” is a phrase often used in stories when the main characters spend the day near the water, enjoying life. Perhaps you have taken this week to relax and enjoy life. Maybe you grilled out and watched fireworks, swam, fished, or boated. So many awesome opportunities to be out enjoying God’s creation!

And yet, this week was not the relaxing oasis I had envisioned. I had family in town this week and I was so looking forward to reconnecting. But then the burden of cleaning and planning and being perfect got in the way. I became overwhelmed with worries that I robbed myself of peace and enjoyment. I wasn’t embracing vulnerability and honesty. I was trying to live up to what I perceived their expectations would be. I wasn’t being myself and was trying to present this more perfect image of myself as someone who has it together.

It reminds me of the song “Truth be Told” by Matthew West. He outlines lies we tell ourselves and others to measure up to societal pressures. And in the chorus, he repeats, “I say I'm fine, yeah I'm fine oh I'm fine, hey I'm fine but I'm not, I'm broken.” And despite this brokenness, God loves us. Fully. God knows all about the stuff we try to keep hidden and still loves us. God does not judge us for the dust on the baseboards or the expired dressing in the fridge or even for the endless train of worries in our minds. God knows all this and loves us.

God accepts us for who we are. This idea of being perfect is something we put on ourselves. God did not add a “Thou shalt be perfect” to the tablets on Mt. Sinai. God just wants us to be upfront and honest about the mess that God is fully aware of already. We have to be honest with ourselves and with God about the “not fine” moments of our lives. Honesty is a critical foundation to any relationship. Those lies we tell ourselves can be like stagnant water. When we ignore the truth of how we are truly doing, we miss the opportunity to flush out the stale water. If we persist in ignoring our faults, the foundation begins to break down and we need more than cleaning, we need repairs.

But a pressure washer won’t help us clean up our hearts and minds. West tells us that “being honest is the only way to fix it.” Opening up, reflecting, and being honest about where I am gives me the opportunity to clean up and repair the brokenness I have created through my pursuit of perfection. Through this acceptance of who I am in this moment, I can change. I plan to be more intentional in my relationship with God and my family. I also am going to work with my therapist on confidence. I might take another read through Brené Brown’s “The Gifts of Imperfection” or perhaps “Boundaries” by Drs. Cloud and Townsend. But what I’m not going to do is continue to lie to myself that I’m fine when I’m not.

So, take heart, friends, and whatever your truth is – addiction, anxiety, people-pleasing, gossiping, FOMO (fear of missing out, aka envy), and so, so, so many other things we keep hidden in our hearts – embrace vulnerability and “let the truth be told.” What does this clean-up look like for you? When we stand in the freedom of the truth, then we can really enjoy our lazy summer days.

Peace be with you all. See you Sunday!

Pastor Laura Applegate, Seminary Intern

You have probably already heard… Taylor Swift is coming to town this weekend. Her massive “Eras Tour,” which promises to take listeners on a journey through the various eras of her career, has the Tri-state buzzing with excitement as restaurants add special menu items, hotels and airbnbs are well past sold out within sixty miles of the city, and thousands of fans without tickets are making plans to stand on the banks of the Ohio River and sing along outside the stadium.

One of the biggest considerations for attendees is what to wear to the concert. The idea is that you plan your outfit to represent your favorite era and/or album of Swift’s career.

Clothing is important. It can create an atmosphere and set a tone. It helps us express ourselves and lets others know who we are. Clothing can be protective for certain work and hobbies. Some clothing, just by wearing it, provides access to places off limits to others. It happens when I wear my black pastor shirt at a hospital or retirement community all the time.

When meeting with seminary intern Pastor Laura, one of the first things she asked about was if there was any type of staff dress code at Lord of Life. I told her, “Dress for the day.” I let her know that I don’t wear a pastor collar shirt every day and don’t expect her too, either. “Dress for the day.” When preparing to get a pie in the face at VBS, meeting someone for lunch, going to a concert or game to support a LOL kid, or building a ramp on a home as part of the Appalachia Service Project trip, she may want to wear something appropriate to the activity. And yes, it is totally appropriate to wear the pastor shirt and clergy collar underneath the Lord of Life “You are loved” tie dye for the Pride Parade.

These ideas spill into how we “dress” our space at Lord of Life, too. What do our campus and building, words and songs, visual art and signage say about who we are and what we believe? More about that in a future blog.

The apostle Paul explores the types of apparel that all of us are invited to wear every day in Colossians 3:12-14. “Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience… and don’t forget to fill up your pockets and hearts with forgiveness and love” (my paraphrase).

Talk about love and this Spirit-inspired attire isn’t just for special occasions. God’s inclusive and permeating love centers our whole lives together. It is God’s example of unconditional love through Jesus which provides the template and example of how we can love and care for one another. These words – compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience – give us a glimpse of what this outfit will look like.

Sometimes, these words don’t fit us well. They may feel like a borrowed shirt or shoes that are too big to fill. We have to alter our lives to make them fit better or feel comfortable. The presence of God and the joy of a faith community help us suit up and join the party.

How are you dressing for the day ahead? What are you wearing? Are you putting on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience? Why or why not? This is a great season to try on something new or refresh your wardrobe. God reminds us that this is the era of love!

Putting on love,

Pastor Lowell

“Can anyone find the past schedule? I’m pretty sure the boxes are still in the attic. Who handled registration?” We couldn’t remember the details, but we couldn’t wait to have the feeling again of joyfully coming together as a community and sharing the light of Jesus. Due to COVID and the changing landscape that followed, It has been three years since Vacation Bible School (VBS) overtook every inch of Lord of Life. We deeply missed the Holy Spirit working in such a powerful and exciting way. We are thrilled that 2023 ushered in a new era of VBS!

Our adventure into space was “Stellar!” Stellar means exceptionally good or having a star-like quality. Or as one student described what he thought was stellar, “It’s like mac and cheese!” Yes, perfect goodness! I think we achieved that on our journey, but it wasn’t because it was a meticulously planned or executed space-themed extravaganza (but that was pretty awesome!). It was because of the group of teens and adults that came together to share their spirits, talents, time, love, and faith in Jesus with everyone they encountered in the weeks of preparation and throughout this week. It spread through the kids throughout the experience, and you could feel that same energy of kindness and enthusiasm head out the door each day and into the community. Isn’t that exactly what Jesus calls us to do?

Every day we explored how Jesus’ light shines in the world. (Warning, you may want to step back if you talk about this with anyone who attended VBS, we tend to break out in big hand motions and possibly a song to show how his light shines all over the world!)

“Shine Jesus’ light in the darkness! Sadness and hurt are in our lives. Jesus, the light of the world, offers the promise of peace and joy.

Shine Jesus’ light when people don’t get along. Conflict can pull us apart. God calls us to live in unity, treating others with compassion, kindness, and grace.

Shine Jesus’ light when good things happen. We tend to remember the big things we are thankful for in life. However, life is made up of countless little blessings. Where or in what did you see God today?

Shine Jesus’ light when people are sad. Sorrow is part of our world. Jesus comforts and heals.” (Group Publishing) 

How can you experience and share the light that comes with following Jesus?

Someone asked me today to tell them about VBS. My heart just swelled, and I said, I wish everyone could experience it. It’s hard to describe. It’s more of a warm, comforting, smiling-to-yourself feeling. If you couldn’t be there, a picture is truly worth 1,000 words. You can capture the feeling. Be sure to check out our Facebook (Lord of Life Lutheran Church, West Chester) and Instagram pages (lord_of_life_ohio). There will be many pictures in the next issue of the Lifeline,  too.

We may be tired from the week, but it’s a good tired. One that lets us rest in the knowledge that Jesus’ light is shining in these beautiful children, families, and volunteers. When we get mired down in the darkness of our circumstances or things happening in the world, there is still so much hope, kindness, and love continuing to spread when we open our hearts to the light that is in Jesus. 

Shining Jesus’ light with you,

Angie Seiller, Director of Faith Formation

I grew up in a small town, but I never saw myself staying there for long. I spent my childhood impatiently waiting for the moment I could trade the boring, slow movement of rural america for the rush of a bigger city; the twangy banjo music at the county fair for stadium concerts with rock stars and concert halls filled with classical music and musicals; the boring clothes from Sears and JC Penney for … ok who am I kidding? I’ve never been good at clothes. But I digress.

My tastes and thoughts have always leaned toward the modern and new or the ancient and grand, or at least toward amenities that weren’t available in northwest Ohio. So you can imagine my shock as I’ve entered into my middle age and my favorite band is a bluegrass group called Nickelcreek. Brian and I discovered them when I went to the MusicNow Festival at Music Hall a few years ago and Chris Thile, one of the members of Nickelcreek, was headlining a performance. I was there to hear something else the symphony was playing. I don’t even remember what it was now, because I went home with Chris’s virtuosic mandolin playing in my head, searching through his career on Google to listen to every recording with every group he’s played with.

The thing about Chris Thile is that he has a brilliant knowledge of traditional music, and traditional bluegrass music, and can play it flawlessly. But he also understands at a deep level that music, like so many other things, is living and breathing and continues to evolve and grow. He is able to play bluegrass just like it was played a hundred years ago or a Bach partita on the mandolin instead of the violin, but he chooses to use those as starting points to move forward and create new music with the old building blocks. He shucks the parts that don’t make sense anymore or that impede progress. Because of that, I have a new appreciation for older bluegrass, the twangy county fair stuff, because I can see where it can go in the future. I have a renewed appreciation for Bach because I see how I can use those pieces to create something new.

As we listen to Jesus’ parables and see him pull the rug out from under the elders of his time, we hear him take the old testament law to their natural conclusion and then use the building blocks to create something new. The basic tenets of one God who loves us and created us are still there, but there is a new major guiding principle: if any of the laws are getting in the way of loving each other, you should love each other first and ask questions later. “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this, all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:34-35

It is amazing that 2,000 years later, this still feels modern and forward-thinking. Many of us have spent the last two millennia debating what the Bible does and doesn’t say about various rules and regulations, causing wars and genocide and personal turmoil for thousands of people. In the end, it is much simpler, and feels better, too, to listen to the clear words Jesus said. “Love one another.” As Paul explained to the Romans, “Love is the fulfillment of the law.”

Yours in Christ,

John Johns, Music Director

As tears welled in her eyes, she said, “For 30 years as a teacher, I taught inclusion and empathy. I just feel like we are going backward.”

“I am an extreme introvert, and this is way beyond my comfort zone, but I feel that I need to do this. So many people have been rejected by family because of who they are” another woman told me as we brought up the last of the line of Pride marchers and as she carried her “free mom hugs” sign.

June is Pride Month. This past weekend we were part of Hamilton Pride which included a march and an afternoon filled with activities. Lord of Life hosted a booth with bubbles, stickers, and conversations about welcoming and affirming congregations. There were countless expressions of thanks. They didn’t know some churches affirm and accept LGBTQ+ people. They only knew disappointment and rejection by their church.

That’s what fear does. It robs us of deep connections and peace in knowing and affirming others as Jesus taught us and sharing that same affirming love with others. When we step beyond that fear, past the stereotypes, blanket assumptions, and our internal voice that wants to stand in judgment of a perceived wrong, we can find a sense of peace that is hard to comprehend.

As I have walked the long journey of outside acceptance with my family, friends, and church community, some people have had the courage to ask, “Why do we need a Pride month? Why do we have to have this flashy, big emphasis on the LGBTQ community? I am fine with loving the sinner and hating the sin, but this is too much.” I appreciate the opportunity to have a dialogue. I didn’t get it at first either. Learning more helps dissipate misunderstandings and fear.

Why Pride? It is because lives depend on it. There are youth that live in fear of being found out, or grappling with the idea that something is inherently wrong with them, or they have been rejected by their family and sadly, by their church family too. They are burdened that they must change to be palpable for a straight world. The fear, the hiding, the huge emotions that must be dealt with in isolation, can be devastating and life-altering. According to the Trevor Project, LGBTQ+ youth have an increased risk of suicide. Not because of who they are but because of how they are mistreated and stigmatized.

One gay man described his journey of coming out. If he could have experienced just one rainbow flag on a teacher’s desk or an example of a thriving, queer adult that he could look up to, it could have changed the years of fear and absence of trust that consumed his life. Sweeping it under the rug or erasing any signs of the LQBTQ+ community will not change who God created him to be. Imagine if those awful years were replaced by hundreds of examples of people living life to the fullest in a Pride parade or festival, or especially by a community of faith that shows affirming love. A community that drowns out the hate and fear with the message that Jesus loves all of us always, boldly, and unconditionally, just as we are.

Last night at the Service for Affirming and Healing, Rev, Suzanne LeVesconte of Trinity Episcopal in Hamilton described how she felt emotionally unsettled for days after peacefully standing in front of hate-filled protesters for just one hour at Hamilton Pride.

As an ally, her intense feelings came from one hour, can you imagine not just one hour but a week, a month, or years of this ugly messaging being hurled at you? We are complicit when we don’t stand up to hate. We need Pride.

Love IS stronger than fear and hate. Jesus is our ultimate example. The commands to love one another (John 13:34) and to love our neighbor as ourselves (Matthew 22:39) were given and modeled by Jesus. We don’t need to fully understand or think we are somehow betraying long-held beliefs. Step into love. Learn more. Affirm. Stand against fear.

Standing with you in love,

Angie Seiller, Director of Faith Formation

Pictured: Pastor Lowell Michelson and John Johns, Music Director, drowning the hate with messages of love.