Published by the Hill
Country Sun
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November 2016
LOCAL INFORMATION & ADVERTISING
New Life Lutheran at home in great outdoors
W
By Laurel Robertson
hen they say their church is open, they really mean it! New Life Lutheran Church in Dripping Springs has been meeting outdoors, in the shelter of three ancient oak trees, for more than two years now, and members say they hope never to go back to an indoor setting. Pastor Carmen Retzlaff says the group has fallen in love with the beauty of their 12 wooded acres near Dripping Springs Ranch Park and finds it connects them to God in a special way. “Many people find God in nature,” she observes, “and it reminds us that church is not a building – it’s a community.” On a typical Sunday morning this fall, several dozen worshippers gathered at their outdoor Oak Tree Sanctuary for morning service, some in shirt sleeves and some wrapped in blankets borrowed
from a nearby basket. A couple of friendly dogs ambled through the grass while the group sang from hymnals, joined in prayer, listened to Carmen’s short sermon and shared communion. At a nearby picnic table, children talked quietly as they busied themselves with an art project. Babies cooed in their parents’ arms and birds sang in the trees. The sun finally broke through the clouds just as the service ended. The group adjourned for coffee and cake and conversation, and then broke into Bible Study groups. In very inclement weather, they gather in a large white tent just downhill from the Oak Tree Sanctuary. Its sidewalls can be dropped to keep out rain or keep in warmth from the gas heaters. The group’s prayer and hope, says Carmen, is to eventually build a simple See NEW LIFE LUTHERAN, page 2
A recent “Youth Celebration” at New Life Lutheran Church, where worship services take place outdoors on 12 wooded acres. Photo by Jim Woodard.
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