Hello,
A couple of months ago as the season of Lent began, I told
you about our congregational Lenten project which we dubbed, “Lenten Loo’s”.
In a world of 7.1 billion people, 2.5 billion of them have
inadequate sanitation which poses major health problems and brings death to the
young and the old. So, we , at
First Lutheran, challenged ourselves to respond to God’s grace to us to see how
many “Lenten Loo’s” (deep drop latrines) we could fund.
Week by week, the children of the congregation helped build
a “Lenten Loo” in the front of our sanctuary. We “dug” a hole.
We laid a foundation.
Constructed the walls (yes…kids drilled in some of the screws to erect
it). Decorated the outside with
crosses drawn by the kids (as a mark of whose love was the driving force for
the “Loo’s”) rather than a moon or sun which used to designate male or female
“Loo’s”. Gave it a seat. Put a curtain, orange and blue, of
course, as a doorway. And set it a
roof on it.
I was a little concerned that the construction of a “Loo” in
our sanctuary might be seen as a bit distasteful for a worship space. But not so! As it rose in our midst, it was a visible reminder of two
things. First, a reminder of
our Lenten discipline of looking beyond ourselves as Jesus did on his path to the
cross. Second, a reminder that
when we help people with basic, although not necessarily “dignified” things, we
are bringing the grace of God to them.
Now that Easter has arrived and Lent has passed, we
collected all of our “Lenten Loo” offerings which people had placed in empty
toilet paper rolls. The total was
evidence of the resurrection power of God that opens people’s hearts in thanks
and brings life to the world.
$8566.50!
At $150.00 per Loo, that means that 57 Loo’s will be built
through our gifts throughout the world.
Alleluia!
Normally, the sounds of the power of the resurrection is
heard in blaring trumpets, organs with all the stops pulled, voices raised in
powerful song…..but this year, the power of the resurrection will be heard
through pounding hammers and whirling saws as 57 “Lenten Loo’s”
are built all around the world…..giving life to thousands!
Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed!
Alleluia!
Have a great week.
God’s grace and peace,
Pastor Jerry Nuernbeger
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