Hugging. Smiling. Laughing. Crying. Welcoming. Reminiscing. Singing. Praying. Communing. Reflecting. Dreaming. Celebrating.
We may have had to wait two extra years to celebrate our 150th anniversary at First Lutheran Church, but it didn’t dampen the celebratory spirit of all who attended the day’s events on April 24. Hearts were filled with joy as we welcomed each other and our special guests into a worship experience like no other! From 420+ worshipers filling the pews, to an inspiring message from Bishop Brian Maas, and music, featuring the children’s choirs, adult choir, brass, percussion, woodwinds, strings, pipe organ and bells (sometimes all playing and singing together, it all would have made our brothers and sisters from the past proud of who we are today as First Lutheran Church.
Every inch of available space was occupied in the Activity Center by those attending the luncheon and program that followed worship. This, in and of itself, brought so much joy as we have yearned to gather over a meal and in fellowship with one another for the past two years.
It is hard to express in words how one felt at the end of the day, but one feeling was obvious – thankfulness. We give thanks to all those who worked behind the scenes before the pandemic, and now in 2022, to plan such an amazing celebration. We give thanks to the staff, especially to Masako and Boyd Bacon, for the extra hours of work it required of them just one week after Easter! We give thanks for the former pastors, vicars and daughters of First Lutheran Church, and their families, who took the time to celebrate with us in-person or through video greetings. We give thanks for all who have been called to serve First Lutheran in the past 152 years! We give thanks for each other and our faith community and the resilience, hope and faith instilled in us today – just as our forefathers from the past had as they looked towards the future of a church that would serve Lincoln and the larger community in bold ways! Lastly, we give thanks to God for his continual faithfulness to us for 152 years and equipping us with all we need to be disciples of Jesus Christ who are transformig the world in 2022 and in the years to come! Praise be to God!
(Enjoy photos that were captured during the anniversary celebration on page 13. More photos and videos will be available on our Facebook page and website in the coming week. The First Lutheran History and Bios of Former Pastors, Vicars and Sons & Daughters of First Lutheran Church books are also available for download.)
