In all my years of ministry, I’ve never experienced a Holy Week and Easter like these past few weeks. I would imagine it was a first for you, too.

There were no waving palms as we walked into the sanctuary together, because we weren’t there. There was no foot washing, no stripping of the altar on Maundy Thursday. We couldn’t hear the collective sorrow in the worship space as we sang “Were you there when they crucified my Lord?” together and then left in silence. There were no glowing faces as we huddled around the firepit at the opening words of the Easter Vigil. There were no flowing streamers above our heads as we sang, “Jesus Christ is Risen, Today. Alleluia!” on Easter morning.

But that doesn’t mean that those holy moments and the promises of an empty tomb on Easter didn’t arrive right on time! From your couches and chairs. We declared, “Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!” In front of our screens, we shared a meal together and heard the ancient bidding prayers. In the silence of our homes and hearts, we remember that Jesus said, “It is finished,” and gave up his spirit.

Thank you for your incomparable flexibility during these days of quarantine. Almost at a moment’s notice, you embraced our new patterns of being connected as we “live, share, and celebrate” the love of Christ in our midst.

Without any warning, we shifted into “nimble mode.” Nimble is defined as “quick and light in movement or action; agile; (of the mind) quick to comprehend.”

Church congregations of our size (220+ households) are not usually described as nimble, but in this season, our ability to move quickly to a virtual worship and learning environment has helped us maintain the warm hospitality that is a signature of Lord of Life.

As you know, none of this just happened naturally. We owe deep gratitude to so many who made this new way of being happen, including:

John Johns who not only is coordinating and arranging musicians from the piano bench of his home, but he has also ramped up his tech and production skills to rival a Sports Center remote production crew.

Cara Hasselbeck who continues to keep us on track with ministry schedules and deadlines, while also breathing life to a Lifeline Newsletter from a distance and plowing through our ministry software upgrade from her home.

Pastor Corey Wagonfield has been a flurry of organizing and coordinating behind the scenes, while also providing exceptional pastoral care and leadership in worship, learning, and moments. All of this while wrapping up his seminary career and preparing for a first call.

Donna Harvey and Tyler Keith continue to work tirelessly to keep us fiscally responsible, not only receiving your generous offerings, but also paying our bills and making sure that our ministry partners receive our support.

And a word of appreciation to the multitude of musicians, readers, Sunday morning teachers and Bible study leaders, letter writers, phone callers, Stephen Ministers, preschool teachers, lawn mowers, and so many others who continue to serve and offer words of encouragement and assurance in this uncertain season. Thank you!

Thank you to each of you for your kindness to one another and for your acts of service that build an atmosphere of hope in a time of anxiety. Thank you for your financial support that sustains our ministries and for your countless prayers which tether us in faith.

We don’t know when we’ll step back into our building for worship. We don’t know when we’ll share bread and wine in front of the altar. We don't know when we’ll tell stories, while sipping coffee or tea. We don’t know when our children will race down the halls to get to a learning moment and hear about Jesus.

But, what we do know is that we are the Body of Christ, bound together by the Spirit of God, and called to love and serve – wherever and however that may be!

Alleluia! Christ is risen!

Pastor Lowell

Each of us comes at life with our own perspective and sees things differently. 

A nurse. A teacher. A Stephen Minister. 

Call it a distinct view or an alternate vantage point, this is one of the great joys of doing life together! Our collective story is enhanced by what others bring to it. 

As one of the leaders of this congregation, sometimes I wonder if I get a first-hand view of ministry that some of you miss out on. Whew! Let me share. What a couple of days we’ve had! 

Each day brings new declarations and restrictions as the pandemic moves deeper into our neighborhoods and lives, but that can’t stop the ways that God is using us to plant seeds of faith, hope, and love. Here are a few of the beautiful moments I’ve experienced this week. (I invite you to share any that you’ve seen or been part of on our social media sites).

Some of the Lord of Life nurses have a group chat to encourage and support one another. One of them recently found out that she was being moved into training to care for COVID-19 patients. “I am afraid,” she wrote. Instantly, the nurse texts exploded with prayers, strategies for health, emojis, and words of encouragement. It was beautiful to watch their love and concern embrace their sister.

One of the Lord of Life Preschool teachers, after hearing that class – and her pay – would be ending March 31, wrote to the board president, “[I’ll] be able to continue to post videos and I will do so as I am able. I will complete my end of year videos for all 4 classes and have their end of the year books available for pickup when circumstances allow. [I will also] make a "graduation" video for the kids sometime on or before original last day of school… I appreciate all that you do!”

One of our Stephen Ministers had an idea: For those who are able to do so, what if we used a portion of the upcoming stimulus check to buy groceries for a local food bank? “I think the food banks are going to be hit really hard for weeks or months to come and I feel this is a way to help.” 

Pastor Bob Browning, serving St. Matthew’s Lutheran in Darrtown, called to say that he is very appreciative of our online worship services. He is going to encourage St. Matthew's to log into our feed each week, rather than trying to do one of his own. (I should also mention that Pastor Lucas McSurley, our former intern, has shared our Sunday morning livestream link with his congregation, Messiah Lutheran in Akron, so he can dedicate his energies to pastoral care and other ministries.)

You might feel like ministry is on hold or suspended, since we’re not in the building, or that somehow God’s mission has been derailed, this spring. Nothing could be further from the truth. God’s Spirit is continuing to lead us into living out our mission to live, share, and celebrate God’s love with all people. Who could’ve imagined the generosity that would come from these days of isolation?

As we enter this Holy Week and journey with Jesus through the gates of Jerusalem to the upper room and then follow him to the hill where he will lay down his life for us, hear the Truth of God’s love, once again: “The Light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.”

During this unprecedented era in our lifetimes, there will be grim moments. But Jesus Christ goes with us. He is our light, our hope, our peace.

Thanks be to God!

Pastor Lowell

image from Dave Walker, cartoonchurch.com

It happened when I was watching my beloved Indiana Hoosiers on TV. They were playing in the Big 10 tournament, which ended up being the last game where fans were allowed. As we watched, a notification flashed across the screen that the NBA had suspended the season. What? Things were really getting weird.

Read more …

I’m supposed to be in the Holy Land right now. More than forty of us from a couple of Ohio congregations have been planning a pilgrimage for the better part of a year that would lead us to dozens of biblical sites. Today would have been our first full day on the ground.

All that changed when the COVID-19 virus began its global spread. Our trip, along with all kinds of other travel, work, school, and other activities, came to a screeching halt.

My guess is that many of your plans have changed, too. You’ve probably spent the last few days deleting multiple events and appointments from your calendar, while also rescheduling doctor appointments and other regular happenings. But for when? How long will this last?

This is a time of grief. Not only have our daily rhythms been altered, but many key moments and milestones will be missed.

Vacations, sporting events, and competitions have been pushed aside. In my house, second round college visits for my high school senior have been tabled, indefinitely. 

How does this pandemic change our worship life? We are used to being with one another in a shared space around Sunday services, but for the time being we’ve been urged to stay at home and not convene in gatherings of any more than ten. Yes, we are gathering virtually, but we long to join our voices in praise and embrace one another as we pass the Peace.

Please continue to join us on social media and our website as we seek to build community and encourage one another.

In the midst of the sorrow and growing frustration, we are also witnessing countless moments of beauty.

• Italian communities singing together from their apartment balconies.
• Authors and poets are reading online.
• People rallying to support independent restaurants and businesses.
• Musicians offering intimate concerts from their homes.
• Neighbors making grocery runs for their elderly friends. 
• Museums and parks around the world are giving virtual tours of their treasures.
• Teachers scrambling to cobble together lessons and meaningful content for their beloved students.
• Medical staff and personnel, along with first responders, who are working tirelessly to tend to the sick and needy.

Each day, there seems to be an additional offering of unprecedented acts of kindness and generosity on display.

In these uncertain times, I keep seeing Psalm 46 popping up in various social media and devotional reflections:

God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, 
though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging.

These ancient words have offered solace to concerned and anxious people for thousands of years. This psalm was even the inspiration for Martin Luther’s quintessential anthem to hope, “A Mighty Fortress.”

God is our refuge. God is our strength. In your grief for what could have been and your anxiety around what the coming days hold, we rest in the promises and presence of God. Jon Foreman may have penned a new Psalm 46 on the latest Switchfoot release:

“I don't hold what the future holds
But I know You're my future.”

In hope and assurance,

Pastor Lowell

Please watch your email tomorrow for plans about the upcoming days of our lives together here at Lord of Life.

On September 5, 2019, I wrote a blog post about bad theology and I jokingly chose an image to go with it that said “Bad Theology Kills.” In the blog I talked about a Facebook post in which I joked about how God was trying to teach me a lesson through all of the bad luck I was experiencing. Some people didn’t realize I was joking on Facebook, so I needed to clarify in the blog that I don’t think God punishes us for our actions.

Today, I feel the need to call attention to some more bad theology that is currently floating around the internet in response to the Covid-19 (Coronavirus) threat that is spreading throughout the United States and the world. I have seen several posts that say “Do Not Fear” or “God Is In Control” and are accompanied by people talking about how we do not need to worry about this pandemic. Those are mild compared to the pastor who recently preached that the coronavirus is a plague sent by God to purge the world of sin as the End Times approach and “true believers” will be immune from the plague. 

First and foremost, I do want to say that there is Biblical precedent for believing that God is working for the redemption of the world and that we do not need to fear death because Christ has shown us that God can defeat death. But, and this is a big BUT, we still have free will here on Earth. God is not pulling all of the strings as if we are marionette puppets. If we didn’t have some control over our lives and this world, Adam and Eve would not have been able to eat of the forbidden fruit. We are still responsible for our actions here on this earth. 

God has given us gifts of reason, knowledge, and understanding and this is the exact time that we should be utilizing them for the betterment of all society. Scientists from around the world are telling us that through social distancing we can “flatten the curve,” which will greatly reduce the amount of people who will contract the coronavirus, potentially saving millions of lives. (https://www.sciencealert.com/dragging-out-the-coronavirus-epidemic-is-important-in-saving-lives) We should take great care in trying to balance caring for our families and also trying to protect the most vulnerable in our midst. Jesus gave us the responsibility to care for those who are most vulnerable in our society even if it seems inconvenient to us at times. 

These next several weeks or months are definitely going to be hard for us as the normalcy of our lives is interrupted. You will not be spared from the Coronavirus because of how “holy” you are and scientists are not antithetical to Christianity. God desires you to be healthy and live a life of love. One of the ways we can show that to others right now is to make sure we listen to the advice that is given to us and choose to preserve life at any cost. 

Your armchair theologian,

Pastor Corey