About a year ago, our neighbor, Jim, died peacefully after a 94-year happy life. We decided to buy the house for several reasons. First, it gave us a place for our family to stay when they visit and a future plan in case any of our parents need to live near us toward the ends of their lives. Second, and maybe a little more, we wanted the extra garden space. Between the two lots, we have a half-acre utopia in the middle of an otherwise urban environment.

Among the first tasks when we closed the sale was to tear out the fence between the two properties and clear out the brush around the whole perimeter so we could appreciate our newly joined property and start to make a plan for how the new garden would integrate with my existing beds. The year was going by quickly, so we decided the labor was something we could contract out, and we called a landscape company to come to give us an estimate. What I would come to learn is that there is a difference between landscapers and gardeners, and the distinction can come at a great cost.

During the landscape company owner’s first visit, I explained our goals and that we were really only concerned about the fence line and the brush. He walked briskly through my yard and talked over me about what he was going to cut down in the beds and what bushes he was going to trim and I found myself having to run behind him to tell him what plants still needed to go to seed to come back in the spring and that he really didn’t need to worry about the beds. I just needed him to focus on the fence line. But this focused landscaper had a very particular idea in his head about what a good landscape should look like. It didn’t leave a lot of room for variation. Finally, I suggested that we write it all down and map it out so his crew doesn’t cut anything out that I don’t want to lose. He said he would come back with his foreman before the rest of the crew comes and we could go over it.

In the end, it didn’t matter what we talked about, or what we said during the visit with the foreman, because they saw everything as black and white, with a clear set of rules, and anything they couldn’t identify was dug up and mulched over. I lost all my lilacs, several other perennials, and a bunch of self-seeding annuals before I noticed what they were doing and made them leave. 

A real gardener recognizes the diversity of their plants. They don’t mow everything down in an attempt to meet some standard set by society. That is black-and-white thinking and doesn’t apply here. Instead, they tend to the qualities that make each plant unique and help them thrive so that the whole garden benefits. What looks like a weed to some people is a beautiful prairie flower to someone who has grown it from seed.

You don’t have to be a gardener. Sometimes you only have time to mulch your beds and trim your bushes and call it a day. Or it is too complicated to figure out which flowers are good and which ones are weeds, so it is better for you, personally, to have none of them. But you can play an important role by celebrating the people who love all of their varied flowers, too, and to give them space to help their flowers flourish.

Yours in the tending,

John Johns, Music Director

The parking lot was packed. As we walked into the restaurant, it was obvious that every table was full. We thought about leaving but were quickly greeted by a server as he flew by with a tray full of beverages. He let us know that he would be back with us in a few minutes. True to his word, he came back within a few moments and seated us. He was engaging, funny, and smiled easily. He asked us to bear with him as there were only two servers working. He took the time to explain the menu fully, even though it was your standard burger and sandwich menu. He made us feel like we were the only people in the restaurant and his most important customer.

We understood that he was working for tips, but his actions were beyond “I’m doing my job.” After the restaurant cleared out a bit, we had the opportunity to chat with him further. He asked about us and we learned that this was his second job, and he was working to pay for gas and soccer team fees for his kids. They lived in the country, and it was a 30–45-minute drive to soccer practices and games. The food was good but the interaction with Dave was one that will stay with me. We will go back because of him.

Far too often, we are too busy to welcome the stranger. We fly through life; we grumble about customer service or lack thereof. I know there are times when I can get lost in my “to do” list and the rush of my important day. We get mired in our own daily tasks and forget the grace, love, and welcome that has always been extended to us through God’s redemptive power. As we continue to dwell on Jesus’ words, “I was hungry and you gave me something to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger and you invited me in” from Matthew 25:35, how can the spirit of welcome resonate in our lives? How can we welcome the stranger not only in our community but act beyond what personally touches us?

For many reasons, personal, political, social, economic, and security, we could easily justify not welcoming the stranger, but never on Christian grounds. Welcoming the stranger is at the very heart of Jesus’ message. I don’t know if Dave was a Christian, but the light and welcome that he so graciously extended while managing a busy life is certainly the way I see God calling me and our Lord of Life community.

Grace and peace always,

Angie Seiller, Director of Faith Formation

Did you know that we regularly receive calls at the church office from people who are looking for assistance? Some are looking for cash to put in the gas tank. Others are looking for funds to help with groceries or utilities.

This week, I received a call from a woman on the verge of eviction. A series of health issues have put her a few months behind in paying her rent. Because of your generosity to God’s mission, we were able to put $600 toward her overdue amount and keep her in her home.

Did you know that our congregation pledged to give ten percent of our income for the Share the Light capital campaign away as a tithe? Because of your financial generosity, we were recently able to send a $10,000 donation to Lutheran Disaster Response to help with the earthquake recovery efforts in Turkey and Syria. Our gift is delivering “critical aid like food, tents, sleeping bags, and winter clothing. [Our gift] will reach children, women, and men with the care they need right now, helping them endure immediate hardships and easing their suffering.” Read more about Lutheran Disaster Response here: https://lwr.org/turkey-earthquakes.

Did you know that this Sunday, several areas of our building will be transformed into living quarters? A team of volunteers will prepare to welcome our Family Promise guests by creating bedrooms, a living room, and a dining area, and then throughout the week will provide meals, crafts, conversation, and overnight hosting. Family Promise seeks to “empower families, who are experiencing housing instability or homelessness, to build a sustainable foundation of independence through a continuum of support services.” Read more here: https://www.familypromisebutlercountyoh.org/mission-vision. Because of your generosity, we are able to give these families a place to land during this uncertain season of their lives and envelope them with the incredible hospitality that Lord of Life has to offer.

Did you know that God loves you with an unconditional and everlasting love? Yes, “we love because God first loved us” (1 John 4:19), but unlike the rest of your life, God’s love for you isn’t dependent on how generous and kind you are, how you perform in daily activities, or even how you measure up against your own vision of who you are or who you want be. God’s love is based on how loving and generous God is! The apostle Paul says it this way, “I’m absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God’s love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us” (Romans 3:38-39 The Message). What a generous and loving God!

Okay, one more… Did you know that I am grateful to be your pastor? Your generosity, servant attitude, kindness, and compassion are a daily blessing to me. Your grace-filled lives and pursuit of loving and caring for others reminds me of our shared purpose and mission while fueling me with hope for what God is up to in our community. Thank you. I am blessed to be living, sharing, and celebrating the love of Jesus as we journey in faith together.

In the coming weeks, watch your mailbox, social media, and worship moments for more celebrations and invitations about our personal and collective generosity.

I praise God for you!

Pastor Lowell

Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. (Luke 24:5b)

Christ is risen….indeed!

This simple Christian message gives us the promise of life and hope because of Jesus. It is a declaration that death is not the end. Jesus’ resurrection is the word of life, the promise of forgiveness, grace and salvation. Jesus is alive! The Word made flesh and living among us is not just at Christmas.

Easter has arrived after the days of Lent and Holy Week. The Good News of what God has done for you and me, in raising Jesus from the dead, gives us a new relationship with God. We have HOPE and LIFE. In the middle of death and loss, God shows up. In the middle of heartache and destruction, God shows up. In the middle of death and school shootings, God shows up. In the middle of pain, suffering, questioning, hurt, sorrows of being human and living everyday in a sinful world, God shows up. God shows up in Jesus Christ.

The women encountered angels at the empty tomb with the news that Jesus lived. They didn’t keep quiet…they told others. They became the MESSENGERS of hope in a world that was consumed by division and violence. Let us join their witness to proclaim the good news that: Christ is risen indeed! Amen.

In Christ,
Bishop Dillahunt

Why do we worship so many times during Holy Week? What is the difference between all the services? Do I have to go to all of them? How is Holy Week different here than at my old church? If you’re new to all of these observances, or if you’ve experienced them differently in other denominations, you might have some of these questions or others as we head into the final three days before Easter.

I grew up Roman Catholic, served an Episcopal congregation for many years, and now consider myself a Lutheran, so I hope I can share a perspective of someone who has asked, researched, and had many questions answered about the way worship and theology differ among our various traditions.

Our Holy Week observes many of the same holy days that are observed in other Christian denominations - Catholics, Methodists, Presbyterians, Episcopalians, and Lutherans all mark these days on their calendars, whether their individual congregations choose to worship on these days or not. 

On Maundy Thursday, we reenact the last supper - which we do every Sunday morning during the Eucharist - along with other final moments in Jesus’ ministry. He called us to one another, so like Jesus, we renew our baptismal vows, we receive and forgive each others’ sins, we give thanks and remembrance for our joys and our griefs, and we wash each others’ feet. We celebrate Maundy Thursday in a relatively quiet and reflective way, but it is a call to action. We are tasked, just like the disciples, to fulfill Jesus’ ministry after he leaves the world.

In the Roman Catholic church, where crucifixes (crosses with Jesus dead or dying on them) are prominent in every worship space, the whole church year seems to lead up to and serve as a reminder of Good Friday, when Jesus died. Our post-reformation theology teaches us that Jesus died to free us of our sin. Rather than believe that we are still sinners - that we are weighed down by our “original sin” and need to constantly repent for it - we believe that Jesus’ death saved us by grace and that by having faith in Jesus, we are free from sin. If you think of it this way, Good Friday, for protestant believers, is a celebration of Jesus’ life. We are grateful that he came into the world for us and died to release us from our guilt and shame, and while we mourn him, as we would at any funeral, we are also commemorating our privilege to live our lives without fear of damnation.

You don’t have to come to worship on these extra markers of the church calendar year. But like so many worship moments throughout the year, Sunday and otherwise, the extra words of encouragement and reminders of our faith that we receive on these holy days each year can be a benefit in our lives.

I hope to see you soon,

John Johns, Music Director

I consider myself a lifelong learner. I enjoy reading books that challenge and stretch me, introducing me to a variety of voices and perspectives. I seek out TV and film that opens my eyes to new worlds and forces me to wrestle with compassion, forgiveness, and redemption in new ways. I listen to a wide spectrum of music that leads me into new sounds and guides me deeper into the exhilarating intersections of an ever-increasing global playlist.

I see this in my life of Christian faith, too, which is central to my whole being. I continue to learn and grow in faith, hope, and love. I am not the same person I was on my Confirmation day in 9th grade, my senior year of college, or even who I was when I preached my first sermon at Lord of Life in 2014. Stimuli from every direction of my life, as well as life lived among others, has led me to new territory and challenged me with notions about God, Church, humanity, and more.

One of the ways that has come about in recent years is in my work with seminary interns. Being a teaching parish and internship supervisor is good for me. In the almost twenty years since my own internship, there have been massive shifts in ministry. Interns help me catch up on current ministry models, explore new curriculum, become familiar with innovative voices, and help me rediscover how I’m called to pastoral leadership and why I thrive in collaborative ministry settings. If you’ve been around Lord of Life any length of time, you’ll remember the impact that pastors Lucas McSurley, Corey Wagonfield, and Alec Brohnson made as they shared their passions and gifts with us over the last handful of years.

Lord of Life as a teaching parish is good for seminary interns, too. We have so much to offer including vibrant traditional and contemporary worship, a spectrum of ages who are active and involved in learning and serving moments, and an amazing campus that includes an outdoor worship space and community garden. Our congregation is welcoming, affirming, and inclusive of all people – which sadly isn’t an experience for all interns. You are a generous people, joyously pouring out your time, finances, and talents to help propel God’s work in and through us. We host the Vida Eterna Iglesia Lutherana (VEIL) Latino congregation, Family Promise ministry with those who are unhoused, and share our space with a dozen outside groups. Interns are blessed when they experience the full breadth of ministry here, not as a spectator, but as an essential player on the ministry team.

Being a teaching parish is also good for us as a congregation. As we help form future leaders, we are reminded that church is a place to try new things, a safe place to fail, and a place to celebrate a variety of gifts and talents. A community of faith is a place to practice loving and caring for one another, stretching our minds, listening with expectation, and growing our hearts. Welcoming seminary students for short-term missions helps us practice saying “Hello” and “Goodbye.” As we serve and learn together, we are reminded that we’re all on a journey and have something to both offer and learn.

One of the central passages in the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament), the Shema, is centerpiece of morning and evening Jewish prayer:

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart. Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise. Bind them as a sign on your hand, fix them as an emblem on your forehead, and write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” Deuteronomy 6:4-9.

These verses are loaded with action verbs: Hear. Love. Keep. Recite. Talk. Bind. Fix. Write. Don’t miss how it is a blend of both receiving and giving. Isn’t that how Christian faith functions? Isn’t that what we are called to be? 

Living and learning in hope,

Pastor Lowell

Please see page 3 of the latest issue of our Lifeline Newsletter for more information about our 2023-2024 seminary intern, Laura Applegate.