Joy Lutheran Church, Ocala, Florida

I was babysitting for my 2 ½ year old granddaughter when the planes hit the twin towers. We had just returned to Vermont from a lovely weekend wedding in Rhode Island. Mollie’s parents had flown to Ireland for the destination wedding of Shawna’s friend.  

Rich, Brad, my mother, Mollie and I attended a nephew’s wedding In RI, complete with amazing fireworks. It was like a family reunion with relatives from all over the country. We were delighted to have Mollie for a few days in Vermont. The bride and groom were scheduled to fly to Europe on Monday for their honeymoon. 

Needless to say, many plans were disrupted, changed and cancelled on that September morning. Seth and Shawna had to stay in Ireland for an extra week because there were no flights to the U.S. Tyler and Treesa had to delay their trip until planes were allowed to fly to Europe. Mollie had to stay with me for a longer visit. 

The shock and sadness of that day still stay with me. My illusion of the safest country in the world was destroyed. The cruelty of the deception made it difficult to move past the anger at another country and its people. 

However, while watching the second tower come crashing down, little toddler Mollie spoke out. I had no idea that she would follow what was happening and I wasn’t paying attention to what she was doing. Well, she was watching and assessing the actions on the television. I heard her voice and I couldn’t believe what she was saying. She did understand what was taking place.  

She announced to us in words like this: those bad people broke that castle down, but don’t worry they’ll build it back up. Out of the mouths of babes-how did she know? Well, she has always been very savvy. Now 25 years later, she has a career path that will be enhanced by that intuitive knowledge. She is in law school. 

As happens often in times of tragedy, people turn to God and give blood. Two actions that we should do all the time (if you can give blood). God was there. God was crying. I know people ask, “Why here, God?” “Why my child?” “Why this violence?” 

9/11 was not an act of God. It was an act of men seeking to cause harm and damage. It was an act of free will. As hard as it may seem, we need to pray for the perpetrators and their governments that God may turn their hearts; that we may come to live in peace with each other as I believe is God’s goal for all of us. 

All those whom he calls children, he loves unconditionally.  

Terri

I wrote last week about spiritual dryness and about it’s most severe form, the Dark Night of the Soul when God seems to have vanished. Even Christians with the greatest spiritual depth can experience this.

Here’s why the Dark Night happens. Many spiritual practices like prayer and meditation produce results that give us comfort. These are often called consolations and we feel very good about them, so good that we want them to go on and on forever. There are two problems with this. The first is that we think that we are doing something special to cause this good feeling. That turns the focus on us instead of God. The second problem is that we come to seek the feeling rather than God.

To move us beyond this inward turn, God withdraws the feeling of the divine presence, the consolation. That doesn’t mean God isn’t present, only we don’t have the feeling of the presence. This isn’t punishment. It is a necessary condition for us to develop our relationship with God. I know it’s trite to say “no gain without pain,” but that’s how many things work in life.

What do you do when the Dark Night comes upon you? You go on with life. Especially you go on serving God even if you’ve come to question whether there is a God. This is a profound act of faith–complete, utter dependence on God. That’s where God leads us.

When your spirit seems to have gone dry, continue to trust God all the more.

Read Psalm 22:19 and remember: God loves YOU unconditionally.

Wayne

Most of us have probably been accused, at one time or another, of joining in an endeavor but not giving it our best effort! The common expression for this is “dialing it in!”

I’d like to share with you a little story about a work experience.

When a water main broke, I needed to act quickly. It was my job. My supervisor was out of town one day when a pipe burst. I was still new at this and couldn’t locate the crucial valve to shut down the leak.

What to do! I called my supervisor, but I had to leave a message explaining the problem. Now I needed to calm down. So I prayed to God for His help – help to settle down, think clearly and make wise decisions. In a cooler frame of mind I shut off the water to a larger section of the neighborhood; that would minimize the damage. When my boss called back he gave me the information I needed to locate the faulty valve, isolate the leaky pipe and repair it quickly.

I never forgot that experience. That hectic situation had forced me to rely on God so I could calmly assess what I needed to do.

Thinking back I recall other tricky situations; times when important people weren’t available to help; times when I leaned on God’s help to “calm me down and get me through.”

I think of the loss of our child in the 4th month of my wife’s pregnancy. I remember facing cancer (and being healed). I think of our struggles as both of us face chronic illnesses. And in every case, when I turned to Abba Father God, He was always instantly available.

My prayers weren’t always answered as I thought, but by embracing His loving answers I was calmed and able to muddle through. Better yet, I would be able to share His love with others when they went through similar situations.

You see, God doesn’t just “dial it in.” He’s there. In his ever-present intervention He shows us what we need to do. He’s there when we need Him. Amen?

Remember, God loves You unconditionally.

Joey

Romans 11:33 “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!”

Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Do we believe because we know the truth, or does our truth search for the faith to hold fast to it? The journey from atheism to belief is fascinating, sometimes even miraculous. Read the book and watch the film “The Case for Christ”, the story of Lee Strobel. He was an atheist trying to come to grips with his wife’s conversion to Christianity. As a newspaper reporter, he had to get all the facts. So he went to every expert he could find on every aspect of Christianity – anthropological, scientific, psychological – in the hope of discrediting faith. He was digging for the truth, and only when all exhaustive evidence stared him right in the face did he get down on his knees, hold his wife’s hand, and tearfully give his life to Christ.

Faith comes with emotion and feeling; a sense deep within us that what we dare to believe sight unseen is the only truth we can ultimately cling to. Most of the world’s great faiths share many truths, which is why they have survived. The full measure of the ingredients going into accepting that Jesus is Lord of all, Savior of all include faith, evidence and logic for converts like Lee Strobel. All that has been accomplished for us and for our salvation needed both the divine and human. Jesus is that unique, one and only God-Man. The Gospel accounts, especially Luke, employ all of the ingredients to convince any skeptic. For example, archaeologist W.F. Albright, who examined the painstaking accuracy of “Dr. Luke”. Dr. Wilbur Smith, a brilliant scholar attested to the historical and geographical accuracy of Luke.

The icing on the cake, the glue that holds it all together, is love. We can rest assured of the truth which sets us free from cynicism and hopelessness. Our faith convicts us of the belief that guides our life. We see the evidence all around us – all that is good in us as human creatures. Nothing is more important than accepting that unconditional love. It is a love that holds up as true, convicting, and affirming.

Pastor Art

Were your ancestors mill workers?  Mine were.  The late 1800’s was the height of the Industrial Revolution and our ancestors worked an average of 12 hours a day, seven days a week.  That was just to eke out a basic living.  Sadder still were the children as young as 5 or 6 who toiled in mills or factories.  Recent immigrants faced extremely unsafe working conditions, insufficient access to fresh air, sanitary facilities or breaks. 

In this dismal chapter of American history, workers began to protest.  Labor unions were formed.  Rallies, protests, and marches were organized.  In 1894 the employees of the Pullman Car Company in Chicago went on strike, crippling railroad traffic nationwide.  A wave of riots resulted in violence.  In the wake of this massive unrest, Congress passed an act making Labor Day a legal holiday.  In 1894 President Grover Cleveland signed it into law.

And so it is that on the first Monday of September, and yes that is today, Labor Day pays tribute to the achievements of the working men and women of America.  We honor the dignity of labor.  Work is the sacred use of our God-given abilities for the common good.  But, rest is just as important as work.  Just as our God rested after six days of creation, we also need time to rest and recharge ourselves.  Many traditions view this as the sacred rhythm of effort and rest.

So here we are in 2026.  Many of us no longer toil in the workplace.  But still, we are able to use the talents we have to the glory of God.  “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; – Colossians 3:23

We praise God for whatever talents we have been given.  We thank Him for the unconditional love he gives to us on each new day.

Judy

What do you know about Joshua? If you remember, Moses led the Israelites to the Promised Land, but did not take them INTO the land, Joshua led the Israelites into the Promised Land. He was a scout, a leader, someone Moses trusted.

Joshua 1:9 “Strength! Courage! Don’t be timid; don’t get discouraged. God, your God, is with you every step you take.” A big job was placed on Joshua’s shoulders. God reassured Joshua He was with him ALWAYS. Joshua led the Israelites onto the new land and separated the area for the twelve tribes.

This reminder from God’s Holy Word is so powerful.  We can easily remember it and tuck it into our hearts. As your life moves along, don’t be discouraged believe YOUR GOD is with you every step you take. Just as our Heavenly Father led, guided, unconditionally loved and stayed with Joshua, ALWAYS…the same will be for YOU.

May you feel the comfort, the love, the guidance, from your Lord and Savior and know with no doubt, you are loved unconditionally and NEVER alone.

Side note: The Joshua tree can live for several hundred years, and the oldest recorded Joshua has attained an age of one thousand years–not quite back to biblical times like their name of Joshua. Legend has it that early Mormon settlers noticed these trees with arms that seemed to point the right way just as Joshua pointed the way to the promised land for the Israelites. 

Jill

These four simple words “Being in the Now” can be a simple statement of fact or a guide for how to live and be present in “the present”. Physically, we are living in “the here and now”, but we often spend our days worrying about what lies ahead or what has happened in the past. We worry about if we will have enough or whether everything we have planned will work out like we want. Our minds take us elsewhere instead of enjoying the present. We can let our wandering minds ruin or at the least interfere with what could have been a joyful experience.

In Matthew 6:34 we read the Lord’s gentle reminder to us. “Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own”.

Being in the now means trusting God enough to enjoy the moments He has given us. It could mean noticing the laughter of a loved one, appreciating a peaceful morning, being grateful for the food before us and finding joy in the simple blessings we sometimes overlook.

Our Heavenly Father already knows what lies ahead. He is not surprised by tomorrow and He will be there to greet us when we arrive.

Today breathe deeply, give thanks for God’s unconditional love for us, love generously and laugh freely. Put down the burdens you were never meant to carry. Appreciate the present and let God hold tomorrow. Thanks be to God!

Patty

I have a fence in Vermont that I like to decorate with flowers.  When I arrived this June, the local supermarket had some sad looking impatiens plants for sale for $1.00/plant. The plants were barely alive, scrawny, shriveled, dried out, and unloved. I bought 5 of them. 

I knew that with a little TLC, these little plants could become beautiful and lush; adding charm and color to my old gray fence. So, I brought them home and installed them into the pots hanging on the fence. I tenderly plucked the dried blossoms and leaves, trimmed away the nonproductive stems, gave them a deep drink of life-giving water, and told them that they were the most beautiful flowers in the neighborhood. (And they were.) 

Soon, they were all blooming and growing more gloriously in the summer sun as you can see from the picture below. I wish that I had a before photo to prove my point. 

My point is that our loving Creator has imbued all of us with the same power of recreation. With a little TLC, even the saddest, maddest, meanest person can begin to blossom and grow in the glow of God’s unconditional love. The lonely can find solace in a friendly hello from a stranger. The downtrodden can be uplifted with a smile and a wave. The roadside panhandler can feel love with 4 quarters in his hand. 

I know that these actions will not solve the serious problems that face many people in our world. However, kind actions and words are a wonderful start to change their attitudes about living. Kind actions and words on our part can change our own attitudes about each other and the world. It is a start. An important start to bring about the unity of all in Christ.  

I am sending each of you a big smile and a prayer for a wonderful day. One where your pains are bearable and your joys overwhelming. Remember always that God loves YOU unconditionally! Amen! 

Terri  

Sometimes a preacher find themselves gone dry. They have no fresh, inspiring ideas. That usually passes, but sometimes it is a reflection of a deeper spiritual crisis.  I know. I’ve been there. You plumb the spiritual well, but come up empty. Everything is dry. But it isn’t just preachers who experience this.

The problem of spiritual aridity is well known to spiritual directors. There are a variety of causes. Sometimes it comes from superficiality in prayer–not really exploring the depths of prayer. Sometimes it comes from life stresses that just overwhelm us. Everything seems so bad that hope vanishes. Sometimes this spiritual dryness is so profound as to leave us in despair.

This is from a letter written by Mother Teresa of Calcutta: “. . . this untold darkness—this loneliness—this continual longing for God—which gives me that pain deep down in my heart. . . . The place of God in my soul is blank. There is not God in me. When the pain of longing is so great—I just long & long for God—and then it is that I feel—He does not want me. . . .”

How could such a holy woman as Mother Teresa experience such abandonment? It was not unique to her. She was experiencing what is called The Dark Night of the Soul. It is not an utter loss of faith but a kind of spiritual life passage.

I’ll write more about his next week, but in the meantime be assured that if you experience something like this, you are not alone. It happens to the most faithful of God’s saints.

Read Psalm 63:1 and remember: God loves YOU unconditionally.

Wayne

My daughter, Caroline, is expecting her first child. This has me thinking a lot about parenting and remembering when she was little. There are a lot of things I wish I’d known before I had children. There are times I wish I could have a do-over.

I also think I got a few things right.

Caroline didn’t respond well to the usual rewards or consequences, so I creatively discovered something that did help. She needed to feel connected, understand clearly what was expected, and practice the desired response or behavior. We called these do-overs.

Do-overs were not a punishment. They were simply an invitation to try again. So, if she spoke unkindly or handled a situation poorly, I would say, “Do-over.”

We’d both pause. I’d explain or demonstrate what I hoped to see instead, and then she’d practice it. No lectures. No shame. Just another chance. When she finished, I’d smile and say, “Perfect!” Then we’d move on.

Looking back, I realize those little moments taught her more than just expected behaviors. They also taught her that mistakes aren’t the end of the story. They’re opportunities to learn.

I believe God’s parenting is a lot like that. Yes, our choices still have consequences. Hurtful words can wound relationships. Fear can keep us from experiencing peace. Selfishness can leave us feeling isolated. But God’s response is never to pull away from us. Instead, God draws near. Jesus shows us what love looks like in human flesh. He demonstrates another way to live, then patiently invites us to try again.

“Do-over.”

We apologize.

“Do-over.”

We choose kindness this time.

“Do-over.”

We forgive instead of holding a grudge.

When we snap at a spouse, become impatient in traffic, or simply fail to love well, we can imagine God gently smiling and saying,

“Do-over.”

Not with disappointment. With hope.

The Christian life isn’t about getting everything right the first time. It’s about being lovingly formed over a lifetime. Every sunrise is another invitation. Every breath is another chance. Every moment is another do-over. Why? Because God loves you unconditionally!

Annie

Prayer
Loving God, thank You for never giving up on us, for teaching us a better way, and for inviting us to grow in love. Amen.