A Gold-Plated Day

We held our groundbreaking on June 25 at noon.  Parishioners, townspeople, local leaders, supporters, and media gathered under a sweltering summer sky for a brief consecration of the work site.

Pastor Sandy Niiler greeted the crowd and led the ceremony.

Pastor Don Strandlund assisted.  Note the yellow police tape in the two pictures immediately above: It marks the approximate site of the altar.

Willie Mae Murrell, the oldest member of our congregation, was also present at Christ Lutheran's first groundbreaking--in 1924.

John Niiler, Connor Grassi, and Antonio Grassi took in the proceedings.

It takes a lot of good people (L-R):  Austin Hall, Nearen Construction; Jock Leonard, Architect; Gwen Parker, City Planning Committee; Ken Peters, Christ Lutheran Building Committee; Cullman Mayor Max Townson; W.C. Peinhardt, Christ Lutheran Building Committee; William White, Kreps Concrete Construction; Pastor Don Strandlund; Don Bates, Bates Road Builders; Elaine Kreps, Chair, Christ Lutheran Building Committee; Jason Kreps, Kreps Concrete Construction; Pastor Sandy Niiler; Bryan Kreps, Kreps Concrete Construction; Johnny Fricke, Christ Lutheran Building Committee; Paul Bussman, Alabama State Senator.

Gold-plated shovels are nice to look at, but you can get so much more done with heavy equipment!

Watch this space over the coming months for regular updates.  And thank you for your continued prayers and support!  (Note:  All photos for this blog entry are provided courtesy of Pam Kreps).

(Ground) Breaking News!

Text of a press release detailing our upcoming groundbreaking follows: 

The congregation of Christ Lutheran Church invites the Cullman community to its groundbreaking at noon Monday, June 25, 2012.  The event will be held at the site of the church, 424 Second Ave. S.E., at the corner of Fifth Street and Second Avenue Southeast.

Founded in 1922, Christ Lutheran Church was destroyed in the statewide tornado outbreak of April 27, 2011.  Since that time, the congregation has worshiped at the Sacred Heart Monastery in Cullman.

“We are thankful for this opportunity to rebuild and begin a new chapter in the life of this congregation,” notes Pastor Sandy Niiler.  “We are grateful for the support we have received from our neighbors.  And we invite everyone to drop by on Monday to say hello.”

The groundbreaking will include a brief consecration of the site.

Pastor Sandy Niiler visits with Mr. Don Bates, of Bates Road Builders, Cullman.  Mr. Bates' firm will perform preliminary sitework.

I Know All is Well

From Pastor Sandy Niiler:

As I write this post, it is almost a year to the day since the April 27, 2011 tornadoes.  This past Wednesday, April 25, Pastor Don [Strandlund] and I stood in front of Bo’s new barbershop and the new Busy Bee Cafe.  As many know, that business area was destroyed by the tornadoes and has since been rebuilt and looks great!  We stood with others, waiting to greet and meet Governor Bentley.  The Governor has been busy touring Alabama towns and cities hit by last year’s deadly tornadoes.  Governor Bentley arrived in front of the café around 3:20 p.m. and was personally greeted by Colonel Cullman, the Mayor, and of course Bo, owner of the barbershop. 

As Governor Bentley stood in front of the rebuilt business district, he shared how he visited Cullman immediately following the tornadoes.  And now almost a year later Governor Bentley shared how pleased he was that Cullman was rebuilding and moving forward.  It was a nice talk, and a ribbon cutting ceremony followed the greetings and well wishes.  Governor Bentley then mingled and talked with those gathered.

I got to meet the Governor.  I pointed over to where our church used to stand.  Pastor Don handed me a copy of our architectural plans.  As I was about to share our plans, I began to tear up and could not talk.  Governor Bentley kept his arm around me and spoke for me.  Those who were standing nearby got quiet.  I guess the reality of sadness mixing with the joy of rebuilding came out.  Before I attended this event, I prayed for God to be with me and to show me what to do and say.  Little did I know that I would tear up.  Perhaps a few tears remind us that we are grateful for what we have, and that we are grateful for each other.  

I must add that several people came up afterwards and shared kind words.   As I left the event, I sighed and shook my head.  I said to myself, “Well, I guess the Governor will remember our church now.”  But more importantly, I know God loves and remembers our church, and we won’t take this for granted.  I know all is well.  

 (Photos courtesy Rev. Don Strandlund)

Dream of Life

It's been almost a year since April 27, and this is probably the toughest blog entry I've had to write.  I don't want to go back to that day.  Commemoration, remembrance, looking back:  I used to wonder why some veterans returning home from wars don't want to talk about their experiences in country.  Now I know.  When a part of you is forever destroyed, it's tough to talk.

But the purpose of this blog is to talk, to open up and share with you, our kind supporters, where we are in the rebuilding process, and what we're thinking, and where we're going, and who we're becoming.  So here goes.  And this time, I'm going to get a little help from a fantasy writer, a psalmist, and a rock star, because the task seems too big to handle by myself.

 

I shot this the day after the storms--a week after Easter 2011--through a glass door and out across the street to rubble, into an indigo blue sky.  The image captures what I'm feeling--and what I'm feeling, which is so hard to put into words, is Easter.  Easter:  Pain that brings joy.  Joy that is painful, because we know what hurt feels like.  Pain and joy, violence and grace, coupled in resurrection, a rising, that no one ever expects.  

 

In an essay on fantasy literature, writer J.R.R. Tolkien called this phenomenon 'eucatastrophe,' a 'sudden and miraculous grace,' one that 'does not deny the existence of dyscatastrophe, of sorrow and failure.'  For Tolkien, eucatastrophe 'denies...universal final defeat and in so far is evangelium, giving a fleeting glimpse of Joy, Joy beyond the walls of the world, poignant as grief' ('On Fairy Stories').

Flash forward to Easter 2012:  In our borrowed space at the Benedictine Monastery, we processed with the cross that had been bent in the storm.  

But we also flowered another cross.

Two weeks later, just this past Sunday, we concluded the prayers of the church with a reading of Psalm 130, which reads, in part,

I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits,

and in his word I put my hope.

I wait for the Lord

more than watchmen wait for the morning,

more than watchmen wait for the morning.

And so here we are, one year later, poised somewhere between tragedy and joy, living in hope.  Sometimes we struggle in doubt.  Sometimes our grief comes flooding back.  Sometimes the future shines clear, shimmering like a cobalt-blue sky.  

 

In Easter 2012, we dream of life.

I said (above) that a rock star would help me write this post, so I'll close this installment with some Bruce Springsteen.  Not long after 9/11, Springsteen wrote 'The Rising,' a rock song with an Easter theme. You can watch it here:  Bruce Springsteen, 'The Rising,' Live, 2003.

Have a great Easter season, everyone!  You'll see more posts shortly, as we begin the bidding process and move to our groundbreaking.

Progress

On Monday, March 5th, the City of Cullman Planning Commission formally approved Christ Lutheran's building plans.  We will now begin taking bids on the project.  Rebuilding will begin later in the spring, with a projected completion date of winter 2012.  I will update the blog to reflect our progress.

The most important part of our rebuilding process is something you haven't yet seen, and it's something I want to show you now:  our people, our church.  The pictures below were taken just after our first worship service following the tornado, as members of the Christ Lutheran congregation surveyed the damage.

A Belated Thank You

A belated thank you to the youth of Our Savior's Lutheran Church, Vero Beach, Florida, who with their leader Jimmy visited with us last summer to help clean, salvage, and stack many tons of bricks left behind from the April 27 storms.  (All pictures are courtesy Our Savior's).

Believe

Images of Christmas Eve, 2011:

A wood cutout of a manger sits on the church building site; light is provided by a solar lamp.

Sisters' names are written on ornamental balls decorating a construction zone at the Benedictine Monastery in Cullman.

And in nearby Holt, Alabama, which was largely devastated by the April 27 storms, a Christmas tree and reindeer sit on top of a hill.

We believe, and we are not alone.   If the past several months have taught us anything, it's that belief is not ephemeral, transient, here today and gone tomorrow.  Belief is concrete, strong as time, solid as love.  Belief grounds us, defines us, shapes us, changes us for the ongoing work of the world.  The congregation of Christ Lutheran is growing now as never before:  in grace, in spirit, in communion with others.

We'd like to take a moment now to look back in gratitude, and thank everyone who's given in some way to our rebuilding effort this year.   The list below includes names of individuals, couples, groups and churches, hailing from Hawaii to Ohio, California to Florida.  We have been and continue to be blessed by your belief.  And we look forward to keeping you updated as we rebuild in the coming year.

Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year!

Mr. and Mrs. Vetare                                                Berlin, MD

Cross of Grace Lutheran Community                        Jonesborough, TN

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church                        Woodstock, GA

Carol Feiste                                                            Moorseville, NC

Benedictine Community                                    Cullman, AL

Christ Lutheran Church Sunday School            Fredericksburg, TX

Event Concessions, Inc.                                    Pelham, AL

Sonya Carol Richter-Smith                                    Honolulu, HI

Pr. Scott and Diane Arnold                                    Prattville, AL

Desperation Church                                                Cullman, AL

Sonny and Betty Voigt                                    Hanceville, AL

Redeemer Lutheran Church Men                        Newberry, SC

Mr. and Mrs. Butterweck                                    Mt. Laurel, NJ

St. Peter’s Lutheran Church                                    Pen Argyl, PA

Mr. and Mrs. Hornak                                                Berlin, MD

Reformation Lutheran Church                        Columbus, OH

Calvary Lutheran Church                                    Willmar, MN

St. Michael Lutheran Church                                    Baltimore, MD

Pr. Tom Kochenderfer                                    Trappe, PA

Christ Lutheran Church                                    Staten Island, NY

Crowell’s Chapel Lutheran Church and            Unionville, TN

Joyce Parsons

Nicole Campbell                                                Shelbyville, TN

Craig and Margaret Coburn                                    Royersford, PA

Dick and Mary Hudson                                    Tyler, TX

Howard and Carol Morrison                                    Berlin, MD

Mr. and Mrs. Dale                                                Findlay, OH

Mr. and Mrs. Starnes                                                Birmingham, AL

Rick Yarbrough                                                Pinson, AL

Joyce Smith                                                            Fort Ashby, WV

Grace Episcopal Church                                    Cullman, AL

Jesse and Dorothy House                                    Perry Hall, MD

Lutheran Church of the Foothills                        Tucson, AZ

Christ Lutheran Church                                    Whiting, NJ

Kim and Ross Winchell                                    Freeland, KY

Pairs and Spares Sunday School Class            Cynthiana, KY

Gethsemane Lutheran Church                                    San Diego, CA

Mr. and Mrs. Courtney                                    Mill Creek, WA

St. Peter’s Lutheran Church                                    Berlin, MD

Solomon’s Evangelical Lutheran Church            Chambersburg, PA

Christ the King Lutheran Church                        Greenville, SC

David and Heather Rausch                                    Centreville, MD

Quilter’s Group and Bible Study                        Murphy, NC

Holy Cross Lutheran Church of Commack            Commack, NY

Mr. and Mrs. Loving, Jr.                                    Camden, SC

Mr. and Mrs. Boland                                                Little Mount, SC

Cathy Rohrs                                                            Gettysburg, PA

King of Kings Lutheran Church                        Oceanside, CA

Our Savior Evangelical Lutheran Church            Vero Beach, FL

Senior High Youth Group           

Don and Lauren Smith                                    Cullman, AL

Bethlehem Lutheran Church                                    Beaumont, TX

Advent Lutheran Church                                    Citrus Heights, CA

Mr. and Mrs. Wilson                                                Berlin, MD

Dot Baasen                                                            Columbus, GA

Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church                        Heath, OH

Our Savior Lutheran Church VBS                        McAllen, TX

St. Andrews Lutheran Church                                    Plains, GA

Patricia Boesel                                                Ukiah, CA

Mr. and Mrs. Scholten                                    Eagle Grove, IA

Mr. and Mrs. Riggle                                                Sioux Center, IA

Catalina Homeowners’ Association                        Cullman, AL

Pilgrim Lutheran Church                                    Othello, WA

Epiphany Lutheran Church                                    Pleasantville, NJ

First Evangelical Lutheran Church                        Brockton, MA

Our Savior Lutheran Church                                    West Columbia, SC

Janis Comstock-Jones                                                Mt. Vernon, OH

Hope Evangelical Lutheran Church                        Klamath Falls, OR

Mr. and Mrs. Manzee                                                East Bridgewater, MA

Faith Lutheran Church                                    Jeffersonville, IN

Ruth Johnson                                                            Commack, NY

Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church                        Manheim, PA

St. Michael Lutheran Church                                    Baltimore, MD

Mr. and Mrs. Laughlin                                    Bridgeport, MI

Redeemer Lutheran Church                                    Kingston, NY

St. Peter Lutheran Church                                     Carlsbad, NM

Shepherd of Life Lutheran Church                        Lake Elsinore, CA

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church                        Bel Air, MD

Evangelical Lutheran Church of the                         Saugerties, NY

Atonement

Christ Lutheran Church                                    Michigan Center, MI

Sandusky Lutheran Mission (Seven                        Sandusky, OH

Churches)

Mr. and Mrs. Wilke                                                Elkader, IA

Mr. and Mrs. Johnson                                                St. Peter, MN

Grace Lutheran Church                                    Clearwater, FL

St. John’s Lutheran Church                                    Martinsburg, WV

Mr. and Mrs. Colestock                                    Spokane, WA

Atonement Lutheran Church                                    San Diego, CA

Mr. and Mrs. Keller                                                Commack, NY

Advent Lutheran                                                Sylvania, OH
Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church                        Waterville, OH

Holy Cross Lutheran Church                                     Commack, NY

of Commack

All Saints Lutheran Church                                    Wakefield, MI

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church                        Wahoo, NE

St. James Lutheran Church                                    Gettysburg, PA

Mr. and Mrs. Deardorff                                    Waverly, OH

Advent Lutheran Church                                    Olathe, KS

Mr. and Mrs. Voros                                                Medford, NJ

St. Matthew’s Evangelical Lutheran                        Bridgeport, MI

Church

St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church            Oakland, CA

Abiding Savior Lutheran Church                        Fairview, NC

St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church                        San Diego, CA

St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church                        Plains, GA

Lutheran Church of the Redeemer                                                       Atlanta, GA

Trinity Lutheran Church                                                                       Farmington, NM

Bethel Lutheran Church                                                                        Lyford, TX

First Presbyterian Church                                                                      Raymondville, TX

The Christiansen Family                                                                       Vinemont, AL

Bethlehem Lutheran Church                                                                 Georgetown, CT

D. L. Holter                                                                                           Pasco, WA

Christ Lutheran Church                                                                         Stockton, IL

St. Paul’s Lutheran Church                                                                   Taneytown, MD

Eidskog Lutheran Church                                                                     Correll, MN

Mr. and Mrs. Sullivan                                                                           West Richland, WA

The Petersons                                                                                        Fargo, ND

Grace Lutheran Church                                                                         Long Beach, MS

Trinity Lutheran Church                                                                        Jackson, MS

Christ the King Lutheran Church                                                          Van Nuys, CA

Mr. and Mrs. Gleason                                                                            Santa Maria, CA

Mr. and Mrs. Droen                                                                               West Fargo, ND

L.M.A., Inc.                                                                                           Homewood, AL

Mr. and Mrs. Twedt                                                                               Mitchell, SD

Mr. and Mrs. Birdsall                                                                            Rapid City, SD

Mr. and Mrs. Fletcher                                                                            Fredericksburg, TX

Grace Lutheran Church Global                                                             Toledo, OH

Mission Committee

Faith Lutheran Church                                                                           Clay, AL

Mr. and Mrs. Collins, and others                                                           Davenport, IA

Mr. and Mrs. Ray                                                                                   Hartselle, AL

Gethsemane Lutheran Church                                                               San Diego, CA

Birdsall Family                                                                                      Pt. Charlotte, FL

Trinity Lutheran Church                                                                        Sherman, TX

Our Savior Evangelical Lutheran Church                                              Johnson City, TN

Peace Lutheran Church                                                                          Holbrook, AZ

Emmanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church                                              Lawton, OK

Mt. Joy Lutheran Church                                                                       Gettysburg, PA

Pasco First Lutheran Church                                                                  Pasco, WA

Women’s Group           

Mr. and Mrs. Selby                                                                                Cheyenne, WY

Mr. and Mrs. Smith                                                                                Chambersburg, PA           

Barb and Roger Parmenter                                                                     Eldridge, IA

Mr. and Mrs. Grimes                                                                              Hoover, AL

St. John’s Lutheran Church                                                                    Brenham, TX

Trinity Lutheran Church                                                                         San Gabriel, CA

Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church                                                     Anniston, AL

Southwest California Synod                                                                   Glendale, CA

St. John’s Lutheran Church                                                                    Thurmont, MD

St. Matthew Lutheran Church                                                                 Columbus, GA

Grace Lutheran Church                                                                           Carrollton, GA

St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church                                                 Springfield, IA

United Mission of Christ Lutheran Church                                             Chicago, IL

Zion Lutheran Church Women                                                                Beloit, KS

Bear Creek Lutheran Church                                                                   Grand Meadow, MN

St. John’s Evangelical Protestant Church                                                Cullman, AL

Salem Lutheran Church                                                                           Houston, TX

St. Peter’s Lutheran Church                                                                     Baltimore, MD

Siloah Lutheran Church                                                                           Graceville, MN           

St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, LCMS                                                         Cullman, AL

Mr. and Mrs. Knecht                                                                                Union, NJ

Lois Frigerio                                                                                             Kenilworth, NJ

Mr. and Mrs. McCarthy                                                                            Middlesex, NJ

Mr. and Mrs. Strond                                                                                 Union, NJ

Barbara Birger                                                                                          Union, NJ

Mr. and Mrs. Schiffl                                                                                 Union, NJ

LWML Esther Circle @ Trinity Lutheran                                                Cedar City, UT

Church           

Dr. Rhonda Kay Gaede                                                                             Huntsville, AL

Catherine Heinzerling                                                                               Hoover, AL

Nancy Christman                                                                                      Douglasville, GA

Christ Lutheran Church                                                                            Union, NJ

Triumphant Cross Lutheran Church                                                         Dothan, AL

Women’s Group

Mr. and Mrs. Clarkson                                                                              Birmingham, AL

Mr. and Mrs. Foster                                                                                   Fruitland, FL

Mr. and Mrs. Allen                                                                                    Albany, GA

St. Peter’s Lutheran Church                                                                      Middletown, PA

Mr. and Mrs. Cobbs                                                                                   Vinemont, AL

Ray Warner and Jilian Mincer                                                                   Port Washington, NY

Pilgrim Lutheran Church                                                                           Othello, WA

Ruth Morgan                                                                                              Mebane, NC

Mildred Warner and James Pratt                                                                Groton, NY

Hudson Conference, New York Synod,                                                     Kingston, NY

ELCA

Redeemer Lutheran Church Youth                                                            Newberry, SC

Redeemer Lutheran Church Men                                                              Newberry, SC

St. Peter’s Lutheran Church                                                                      Pen Argyl, PA

North/West Lower Michigan Synod, ELCA                                             Lansing, MI

ELCA Synod                                                                                             Chicago, IL

Luke and Sandy Niiler                                                                              Tuscaloosa, AL

Hudson Conference, ELCA                                                                       Kingston, NY

Rev. Deb Halter, Coordinator of Pastoral Care, Southeastern Synod       Atlanta, GA
Rev. Delmer Chilton, Bishop Assistant, Southeastern Synod                   Atlanta, GA
Bishop Julian Gordy, Southeastern Synod                                                Atlanta, GA