Who could imagine that five months ago we would be wearing masks, practicing physical (social) distancing, working from home, working from work, eating at home, eating out rarely, unable to gather with friends, worshiping online or outside and the list could go on and on and on. None of us have any life experience comparable and history only partially provided similar situations in the 20th and 21st century. And yet, here we are about to start school for the 2020-2021 school year, the 85th time Concordia Lutheran High School has been in session.
Lutherans chuckle when one says this, “What does this mean?” That is the question that really permeates our lives. Why did this pandemic happen? Could it have been stopped? Was it a conspiracy and does that conspiracy still exist? Are we being attacked by another nation? Again, so many questions that may never be answered continue to surface to keep us concerned, fearful and wondering about our own mortality.
For me, continued time working at home and in the office (as only 4-6 of us were around on our huge facility), emails, phone calls and even some personal home visits occurred as friends and supporters of Concordia asked how we were doing. I was able to share the great work done by our faculty with Zoom and the high level of attendance by our students. Online is not as intense or personal as being in the classroom, but it was what we were limited to doing in continuing school. We were out and live within a week of the school physical closing and again, our faculty performed magnificently, “pivoting” (the new buzz word) to change their teaching style to work online.
I was also continuing to serve in the pulpit via pre-recorded services and sermons. Preaching a sermon staring at a camera changes the dynamics necessary to anyone sharing a message. But, with focus and practice, it worked.
Then, with the gradual re-opening, outside worship, no matter the temperature although we did cancel for rain, and only allowing up to 15 people was another new experience. Once you figured out how to make it work with communion, it became a very personal worship with interaction during the 20-minute timeframe. In many ways, it was a more powerful opportunity to share the Gospel. A message was adopted based on what was happening in Allen County and beyond and linked to Scripture that reinforced our faith in God who has a plan and it will be seen in His time.
Personally, my wife and I were together much more and cooked and worked through the home list including staining and sealing a new deck and spending more time on yard work. Of course, initially no golf or time with others and then during the slow re-opening, golf and meeting at a restaurant, which clearly knew how to do physical distancing. But, it still wasn’t the same.
Preaching at Lake James Chapel, taking time to go to Lake Michigan for our first vacation without children and grandchildren, continued class work for the Seminary, increased preaching and filling the pulpit for other churches, and now back in the office fulltime.
What does this mean? By the grace of God, that was the last five months in the new normal. By the grace of God, we knew that God would provide and that we are blessed as members of the Christian family. By the grace of God, we have been able to continue our service for and with Him. So, that was my summer. What was yours like?
The Rev. John Schoedel,
Chief Development Officer