Like pastors across the country, the Rev. John Zimmerman and his flock have adjusted to the realities of the coronavirus pandemic and eagerly await a return to in-person fellowship.
We Are All Shut-ins (for) Now “E
very situation is different, but we know the end. We know that we are going to heaven because of Jesus. ... Keep that compass pointed to Jesus Christ alone as Savior ... it is peaceful and true,” said the Rev. John Zimmerman, pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church, Scranton, Pa., and St. John’s Lutheran Church, Pittston, Pa. As one of his members told him, “I follow the one who rose from the dead. I go where He goes.” Scranton, Pa., the setting for “The Office,” sits in the northeastern hills of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. This blue-collar community contains divergent ethnic (largely European) neighborhoods situated on the surrounding hills. It is in this setting that Zimmerman serves as undershepherd of the Good Shepherd. He proclaims the Word and administers the Sacraments. He visits his people. As all pastors, he goes to those who are shut in, those in nursing homes, those
in the hospital. He calls on those who are not attending worship. Zimmerman has been a pastor for four years, since graduating from Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, in 2016. He spent much of those first years establishing a normal routine — for himself and for those in the congregations he serves. Zimmerman has worked to get to know the members of these parishes, and they trust
that he will provide Word and Sacrament ministry for them.
From Boom to Bust Anthracite coal — black coal — was once the premier fuel for heating houses. Although difficult to ignite, anthracite burns easily once lit and provides a low-ash, clean and low-smoke fuel. From the early 1800s through World War I, anthracite grew in popularity and was often the
The Rev. John Zimmerman, pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church, Scranton, Pa., and St. John’s Lutheran Church, Pittston, Pa., takes a moment to read a devotion as he visits Immanuel’s cemetery.
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fuel of the elite. The mines of the Northern Field of the anthracite mining region of Northeastern Pennsylvania (NEPA) employed many of Scranton’s citizens. All that came to a screeching halt on Jan. 22, 1959. In the Knox Mine, workers punctured a hole from the mine into the Susquehanna River above the mine. The resultant flood killed 12 miners and took three days to fix. This devastated the surrounding area and the coal-mining industry, as natural gas and other fuels were simultaneously gaining in popularity. Church attendance plummeted with the loss of the socioeconomic bedrock of the town. Yet, the communities of NEPA continue on. At the time of the accident, Immanuel averaged between 300 and 400 people each Sunday. The congregation offered services in German, Polish and English. As mines and businesses shut down, the church, which began in 1895,
PHOTOS: LCMS COMMUNICATIONS/ERIK M. LUNSFORD
BY K E VI N A R MBR UST
