St. John hosts prayer vigil for car accident victims, Concordia offers grief support
Pastor Nathan Scheck leads a prayer vigil at St. John Lutheran Church on March 17.
Photo credit: Johann Nafzger
By Johann Nafzger, Dylan Buechler and Kai Olbrich
St. John Lutheran Church hosted an emotional evening prayer vigil on Tuesday for Concordia junior Noah Ramirez, who remains hospitalized after a car accident in Missouri over Spring Break. The vigil also offered prayers for two other students who were injured, as well as for the family and friends of junior Matthew Wing, who was killed.
According to the accident report from the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the car driven by the 22-year-old victim from Seward was traveling north on Interstate 49 near Harrisonville, Missouri, at 10:20 p.m. on March 13 when it was struck head-on by a vehicle heading south in the northbound lane. The report noted one fatality, one serious injury and two minor injuries.
The occupants of the vehicle were Wing; Noah Ramirez, who was seriously injured; and Jackson Lindburg and Hayden Kluthe, who sustained minor injuries. The report said the driver of the other vehicle also was seriously injured.
All four students are members of the Concordia Track and Field Team.
St. John Associate Pastor Nathan Scheck led the service and prayed for the students involved in the accident. He gave special emphasis in his prayer for Ramirez, a passenger in Wing’s car. According to the pastoral care team at St. John, Ramirez’s condition has shown signs of improvement.
The service included the order of responsive prayer, which was done by candlelight and involved the congregation as well as the pastor. Scheck then entered a time of personal prayer, where he prayed on behalf of the congregation for those grieving and hurting.
Scheck, students and others in the congregation shared in grief from the recent tragedy as well as the hope found in Christ for all of those who are suffering.
The prayer vigil at St. John. Photo credit: Johann Nafzger
The service concluded with the singing of “When Peace Like a River.” The hymn was an emotional and hopeful end to the service, with lyrics proclaiming Christ as the only certain hope in the face of sin, death, and the devil.
Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come
Let this blest assurance control
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate
And hath shed His own blood for my soul
It is well (it is well)
With my soul (with my soul)
It is well, it is well with my soul
In lieu of the standard blessing to close the church service, Scheck read Ramirez’s confirmation verse, Ephesians 6:10: “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.”
Campus chaplain Rev. Ryan Matthias told The Sower in an interview that in times of grief and hardship, he often goes to the Psalms. Matthias finds comfort in the words of Psalm 34:18, which says that the Lord is near to the broken-hearted. He also finds Job 19, 23 and 27 particularly applicable in difficult times and sees them as the Gospel in a nutshell.
Matthias stressed the importance of community as a means of bearing with one another and supporting each other through grief.
“God tells us to bear one another’s burdens,” Matthias said. “We never get over stuff; we can only get through it. And we get through it with the help of other people. I mean, you just can’t do it alone.”
Concordia’s director of Counseling Services, Kathy L’Heureux, said the campus has been able to respond to the tragedy in different ways. She said that a couple of support group meetings have been held, and four comfort dogs from around the state have been able to be present for the community.
L’Heureux was impressed with the actions of the Concordia Crisis Team, which responded to student, faculty and family needs. Individual counseling sessions with L’Heureux and counselor Mark Hannemann have spiked recently, and she emphasized the importance of continuing that support for students.
“Certainly, students have sought out individual counseling,” she said. “We’ve been really busy with those the first two days.”
L’Heureux said there can be residual feelings after the shock of such an event wears off. “So, continuing that support is also important for our students, recognizing who those students are that we need to continue to check in, and faculty too,” she added.
She said that people need to remember to take care of themselves with sleep, eating and connecting with peers, along with taking advantage of other campus resources.
“Whether that be spiritual guidance from Pastor Matthias or Bekah [Student Life Director Rebekah Freed], counseling supports at the counseling center, connecting with your coach or an adviser or even just your friends can be very helpful,” L’Heureux said. “So, I think remembering to lean into those supports is really important.”
The Campbell-Lewis Funeral Home announced that the funeral for Wing is scheduled for 3 p.m. Friday at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Sweet Springs, Missouri. A memorial service for Wing is scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday, March 28, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Lincoln.
