It's Not Just Catholics - Other Church Closings In Lakewood

[sharon kinsella]

On the corner of Spring Garden and Detroit, Lakewood Christian Church is displaying a church sign saying that services will be at the Cove Church on the corner of Cove and Clifton. The tree lawn is dug up and pipes are being installed, the grounds look like they are not being maintained any more.

The Lutheran Church at the corner Arthur and Detroit is sporting a huge for sale sign in front. There is the church and an attached school and daycare in the building. I didn't seen any other signs up. That makes the intresection Taco Bell and the library with two vacant churches.

Not good.

[Jim O'Bryan]

Lakewood Lutheran Church and School fenced off to begin demolition.

Been a rough couple years on churches here in Lakewood.


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[Jim O'Bryan]

Like a church in bondage.

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[Betsy Voinovich]

Ex-mayoral candidate in front of ex-Lutheran church.


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I rode up with my son to take some pictures. For us it's about not cutting through the parking lot that was ringed with different blossoming trees every Spring, and for the girls it's about not getting to balance on the curb in front of the building, and not staring up at the 2 story stained glass Jesus.

My daughter said, "Mommy! No-one's ever in the CVS when we go in there now. Why is there going to be a bigger one?"

Couldn't answer. It's not for people from Lakewood who go to drugstores? Drug Mart's got produce. And every other thing on the planet and it's cheaper. They are rebuilding also. Do we get to have a drive thru pharmacy just across the street from the drive thru Taco Bell? I know this ship has sailed.

Here are some pictures. For us, as i said, it was only getting ready to ride through the parking lot and finding a big fence in our faces. The kids are wondering if anyone will save those beautiful blossoming trees. I know, I know, how much money does that cost? We would have dug them up, but they are not ours. We will also miss the little park next to the school.

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"Hey, where's the swings?"

Betsy Voinovich

[Betsy Voinovich]

Okay my son was watching me post this and he's insisting I post a couple more of the park.

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Yes, the steering wheel is all that's left of the little park. I laughed taking this picture, I told my son that the correct picture would be the one where he was reaching up to grab that wheel when he two. The Lutheran school never minded that so many families in the area with little children played at the park.

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Okay, this is my son's favorite picture from this evening, he captioned it, "Why??!!!" as he stands in the place where the swing set used to be and raises his hands to the sky for an answer. (Yes he did think it was funny. It is fitting that our last memory of this place was full of fun.)

And finally, he suggested that I add this song, as a soundtrack to the pictures.




"Jesus and his lawyer are coming back."

Betsy Voinovich

[Bryan Schwegler]

That's my childhood church, sad to see it being torn down, lots of good memories there. I grew up only a few houses down from there on Arthur, it'll be weird to see that street anchored with a CVS.

[michael bastian]

I imagine that in the years to come,there will be those who wonder what ever happened to the religious. I would not at this point, worry it too much. In the future however? Many of us were raised in these churches and may find ourselves wondering how facebook or whatever replaced the other thing and why it feels so odd. I for one will miss the bricks and mortar ..ness of old time religion. But as of yet I will not miss it, itself. God Bless, they say.

[Jim O'Bryan]

I imagine that in the years to come,there will be those who wonder what ever happened to the religious. I would not at this point, worry it too much. In the future however? Many of us were raised in these churches and may find ourselves wondering how facebook or whatever replaced the other thing and why it feels so odd. I for one will miss the bricks and mortar ..ness of old time religion. But as of yet I will not miss it, itself. God Bless, they say.

Michael

All of these Lakewood church closings are just another wound in the The Slaughter of Lakewood. Years ago, and you
can find some of it in the Annex for Lakewood Observer conversations http://lakewoodobserver.com/deck.

Religion and churches have always been one of the strong fibers that hold the tapestry of a community together. As
churches merge and as minsters move to mega churches they tend to take parishioners with them. I mean we like Rev.
Bob, and he just went to Bay "Church" let's check it out. They check it out, it reminds them as the way they remember
church as a kid, except bigger and less personal. On their drive to church they see homes for sale, stop by friends homes
that already leak out, and soon they are looking for a place in the burbs too.

Throw in the new spirituality which is simply "I desperately want to believe, but my lifestyle will not let me follow anything
with as many rules and regulations as a "real" church, and the dulling of our emotions and reason because of facebook
and other social networking tools that allow us salvation on a Jerry Springer level every minute of the day and you have
a real problem for religion, and communities.

I am not sure how you stop he trend, or even if it should be stopped. Maybe the closing of Lakewood's churches is
God's work. Maybe the slaughter of Lakewood is God's work. I have no idea, but we are bleeding to death and much
of the wounds are brought on by people telling us they are helping.

FWIW


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[Gary Rice]

With all due respect, I have to disagree somewhat.

While some of the "mainstream" corporate churches around here seem to be leaving us faster than you can count 'em, at the same time, we have an abundance of new religious neighbors moving in. There is an active community of worshipers at Harding School, as well as a very active and apparently healthy congregation meeting at the Masonic Temple, and then you have the group that took over the church building on Warren, just north of Lakewood Heights, among others...

Even some of the mainstream groups are even doing pretty well. Some of them, like Lakewood Methodist, have added alternate worship experiences that welcome those seeking God in different ways.

Just my opinion too here: Each of the "old" churches had their own distinct identity, true, but at the same time yes, there WERE those "my-way-or-the-highway" rules and regulations that everyone could simply not follow. These days, there seems to be more of an inclusive recognition, if not always outright acceptance, of people and their differences, even in the mainstream churches... That kind of thing simply did not exist too often in the old days.

Back to the banjo...

[Jim O'Bryan]

With all due respect, I have to disagree somewhat.

While some of the "mainstream" corporate churches around here seem to be leaving us faster than you can count 'em, at the same time, we have an abundance of new religious neighbors moving in. There is an active community of worshipers at Harding School, as well as a very active and apparently healthy congregation meeting at the Masonic Temple, and then you have the group that took over the church building on Warren, just north of Lakewood Heights, among others...

Even some of the mainstream groups are even doing pretty well. Some of them, like Lakewood Methodist, have added alternate worship experiences that welcome those seeking God in different ways.

Just my opinion too here: Each of the "old" churches had their own distinct identity, true, but at the same time yes, there WERE those "my-way-or-the-highway" rules and regulations that everyone could simply not follow. These days, there seems to be more of an inclusive recognition, if not always outright acceptance, of people and their differences, even in the mainstream churches... That kind of thing simply did not exist too often in the old days.

Back to the banjo...

Gary

I cannot be so blind on this topic. Yes new world churches are coming to Lakewood, and that is a good thing though
it would be nice to see them work together to buy some churches. But there is a pattern in what is happening in Lakewood
and other inner ring and communities. Most of the minsters I have spoken to that have made the move, will say, "We
need to follow our flock wherever they take us." While many residents of LEAKwood have said, well we thought it was best
out friends and neighbors moved and so did our pastor.

As far as the lowering the bar to get into heaven. I often wondered how was it when I was a kid, my Catholic friends and
family members were suddenly able to eat meat with us on Friday. Seriously, for 1,800+ years it was a sin, and suddenly
lifted. When I read through "The Golden Bough" on the history of religion I can see how the rules are watered down,
but I have never figured out how good god fearing people could buy into it? This is what I mean with the "spiritual
movement" why not just say, "rules were too tough for me, I have to sin..."

Over the years I have seen a funny thing happen, as churches try more and more to recapture attendance, and they
bring in the rock music, and the uplifting not damnational sermons from the pulpit. I see more run from those churches
and more and more stay away.

Again I have no answer, except that God has been kind of tough on Lakewood's churches the past couple years.

FWIW


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