April 10, 2024
La Casa de Cristo Lutheran Church in Scottsdale, AZ
Submitted by Jeff Ruby '84
The second week of the pandemic, I was walking around our large, empty campus that had gone all online in Scottsdale, AZ, and I thought, “we can do more” . We had many buildings empty on our 12 acre campus, so we opened up and made arrangements for nurses and doctors to have respite care in our Gathering Place center, which has a commercial kitchen and showers. If they were working double shifts, they could stay here instead of driving hours to their homes in outlying areas, only to return again.
Also , our congregation made masks per the CDC, and started writing cards of encouragement.
Pictured below is a “Wall of Gratitude ” with La Casa de Cristo cards from our members at Mayo hospital in North Phoenix. They told us “nurses, doctors, and techs stop at the wall to read the cards. Some pray, some are silent, some weep”. Snacks are provided as well. Partnering with health care, our congregation believes in the Hebrew concept of Shalom, that our physical and spiritual well being are integrated.
I had an online conversation with Pastor Jim Lapp, another CLU alum who serves at St. Stephen Lutheran church in Santa Cruz, CA. We were both inspired by Pastor Gerry Swanson, former CLU campus pastor, who taught us the meaning of loving God and neighbor. All roads for us led back to Cal Lutheran, inspiring us both to reach out in this pandemic. Thank you Gerry , Jim and Cal Lutheran! Pastor Jeff and Susan (Ahmann) Ruby ‘1984