Yesterday I went over to Holy Cross in Collinsville with two of our seminary students who work part time in the communications department. This department does most of the work involved with publicity in all forms and students are excellent photographers. The school is celebrating Lutheran School Week and as this is also the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, staff wanted to do something which involved everyone. it was decided to attempt to have all the kids form the Luther Seal in the gym. This seal is synonymous with Luther.
All the classes were assigned one color to wear. The seal contains yellow, blue, white, red and black. Then Mrs. Shimkus made a circle on the gym floor in inside of it she placed small pieces of paper with those 5 colors on them so the children would know where to stand. It was then hoped that all the colors would turn that mass of students and teachers into a Luther Rose.
The photograph had to be taken from above to make it work and that was the main issue. At first it was thought bringing the seminary drone over would do the trick but it turns out drones need to be in a GPS area to be able to move up, down, side to side, and it is not available indoors, only outside. Then we learned that Holy Cross actually owns a lift! I mean, seriously? So many of us at the seminary wish we had a lilt because there are many times we really need to get up higher and safer than with a ladder. Anyway, George brought in the lift, one of our sem students got aboard with the church's lift driver and it worked great. Here's a look at how it went.
If you click the pictures they enlarge and you can see the faces really well.

Seminary students Aaron and Mark

Mrs. Shimkus showing the students the seal and explaining what each color meant. to begin all the students were on the bleachers.



These are just a few of the classes waiting to get going.
Pastor Wright participated as well and even wore his Luther Seal socks with Luther's famous words, "Here I stand".

Esther Comfort Dog was part of the picture and she was with her handlers and staff.


Then it was time to get going. The kids were placed on their colored marks and the lift rolled up.

And rose higher and higher


The school audience was amazed

And here we go



Everybody wave!


At the end sem student Mark noticed a few balls which had gotten caught in the ceiling rafters and he began tossing them down to the kids.

Fun way to end an event which worked out better than we hoped. Very cool morning.