Joy Lutheran Church, Ocala, Florida

“Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Joshua 1:9

Sometimes we think of God as someone who only hears us when we pray. He is too busy with other people to just think about us unless we are in need of Him when troubled or in pain. But God is so much more than a listener. He is always here. He is present in every moment, walking beside us through every season of life, even if we can’t feel Him or understand what He is doing.

God is with us in quiet mornings, in sleepless nights, when we feel joyful and when our hearts are heavy. He is there with us when we have the words to pray and when all we can do is sit in silence with tears in our eyes. We never have to wonder if He has left us, because His presence is not dependent on our feelings or circumstances.

At times life gets so chaotic we forget He is near. We search for signs, answers, and reassurance, when all along, He is right beside us, holding us together in ways we may never understand. God doesn’t just hear our prayers from a distance. He walks with us, comforts us, strengthens us and loves us unconditionally and endlessly.

Remember, you are never truly alone. God doesn’t just hear you. He is here with you always. You will never go where God is not. Thanks be to God!

Patty

I seem to be more cognizant of the seasonal changes when I am in Vermont. Well, it is a four-season state. There is a clear definition to Summer, Fall, Winter and Spring, although some of you from the North may have also heard of the fifth season – Mud. We stay in Florida for that one.

Here on the lake, I get daily hints from the wildlife that stops by to rest and feed. The Canadian Geese, very noisy neighbors, are beginning to arrive. Wait a minute! The calendar only says August 31! Say it ain’t so that Fall is on its way with winter close behind. Lots of ducks, bobbing and diving for the small fish and lake weeds that make up their diet. Small birds wading at the fringe of the water.

The beautiful sunsets across the lake have moved from the north to the south, setting now in a different mountain location. They also come earlier each day. Sometimes, I identify with early settlers who used these indicators to prepare for the coming cold. I begin to organize my stuff for the return trip to Florida. (Not that my trip south can in any way be truly compared to people preparing for winter in a hut in Vermont- for which I am very grateful.)

My flowers appear to be putting on one last hurrah before the frost comes and they are no more. The colors are vivid and the blossoms plentiful. Even the basil has a blue-ribbon display, almost begging to be cut and made into pesto.

The light changes as well. Autumn has a distinct shade; sharper and clearer. I notice it in a flash while driving down the road. Wow! It is almost Fall.

Then, of course, there are the changing leaves and the cooling temperatures. Early man could not wait until the leaves began to change to prepare for winter. It would be too late by that time. Preparation for challenging times needs to begin when things are going well. When the temperature is warm, and food is plentiful.

Hmmmm. There is a correlation here for my spiritual life, isn’t there? There are spiritual seasons of plenty and drought. Practicing spiritual disciplines, like prayer and dependence on God’s grace during the times of plenty, put me on solid ground for the times of need. During those times, I can make a prayer request with confidence and know a reliable answer is waiting for me. I have practiced listening for the small still voice of the Holy Spirit, offering me guidance and love.

I have the assurance that God loves me unconditionally. He loves you unconditionally! Read Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 and practice preparation. And so, the days move on and time passes to wherever it goes.

Terri

It happened to all of us kids at my church. When you got to seventh grade you started confirmation class. Unlike the Roman Catholic kids we knew who got to leave school early on Wednesdays to go to Catechism class, we had to wait until AFTER school (big gyp.) Again I confess that I don’t remember a lot, but we did have to memorize much of Luther’s Small Catechism and, strangely, that actually stuck with me.

Lord’s prayer. Third petition. “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. What does this mean? The good and gracious will of God is done even without our prayer, but we pray in this petition that it may be done among us also.” I memorized it, but it was many years before the radical notion behind the explanation hit me. Luther turns all the petition so they aren’t just prayers about something God should do in general, but they are about what God should do to me. If I pray that God’s will be done, I’m praying that I should do God’s will.

It turns out praying is a very dangerous activity because every prayer in some way is about the will of God being done and that prayer always asks that we do the will of God. Prayer isn’t some magical formula to get God to do something we want done, but rather a request that we might do what God wants done.

Important Prayer Lesson No. 3. Whenever you pray, you are putting yourself in the service of God.

Read Matthew 6:9-13  and remember: God loves YOU unconditionally.

Wayne

In Hebrew, the language of the Old Testament, the word for wait means to expect, to hope, to hang on. Sometimes our interpretation of wait is: inconvenience, untimeliness, aggravation, unpleasantness. In a Bible study once, I learned the answers for prayer were yes, no, and wait. So, I like the Hebrew definition and its positive translation of expectation and hope and “hanging on.”

Though our lives have decidedly changed through the last sixty plus decades, God still does not have a drive through lane. We, as a society, have bullet trains, fast food, instant pressure cookers, world wide access a click away, fast, fast and faster. Biblical scholars, I’m certain, have counted how many times throughout God’s Holy Word, He implores the word WAIT. Are you expecting answers to a prayer? Are you awaiting end times and His return? Are you hoping for a miracle? His WAIT means, expect it! Hope for it! Hang on to it!

Your creation and birth into His world took nine months, not a snap of the fingers. Is He teaching patience with His use of WAIT? Is He polishing the rough edges of you before your request is answered? Knowing the mind of our Father is not in our job description but understanding His directive of WAITING and its meaning of expecting, hoping and hanging on allows us to know His unconditional love for each of us. Hang on! This life is a gift and our wait time will pass quickly if our hope is in the Lord.

Jill

The words are familiar. The prayer attributed to St. Francis of Assisi.   St. Francis calls on us to be God’s instrument; the calling is noble but the task so difficult. How can we ever measure up?

Perhaps it will help a bit to know that Francis’ beginnings were far from saintly. He was born to wealth and privilege in 1182 in the Italian city of Assisi. He dreamed of being a soldier. He actually was attracted to what he saw as the glamour and romance of warfare. The reality turned out quite differently. In his first battle he was captured and made a prisoner of war. He was struck with illness that nearly took his life, was released, and sent home to recover.

Gone was the romance of the soldier’s life. We’re told that at this point his outlook on life took a radical turn. He renounced his wealth and sought to emulate Jesus’ life of poverty. He taught simplicity. He was concerned with lepers and the poor. He rebuilt churches. He promoted love for all of God’s creatures. The men who followed him about became known as an order of brothers – the Franciscans.

Francis wasn’t born with this innate sense that he was an “instrument of God’s peace,” and neither were we. Perhaps the clue comes in the very first three words of the prayer: “Lord, make me . . .”   Yes Lord, we don’t come by this talent naturally and it’s not easy, but YOU can make us such an instrument. And so we lift our hearts in prayer. Lord, you who loves us unconditionally, you can make an “instrument of peace” even out of us.

Never forget, God loves YOU unconditionally.

Judy

On Indigenous People Day we tend to think of the Native Americans who resided here within the 48 states.  I’d like to share with you a bit of the story of some of the Indigenous People in the state of Alaska. 

I’ll take you to Shishmaref located on a small island north of the Bering Strait.  Shishmaref is on an island bout 3 miles long and ½ mile wide. Can you picture a little village sitting mostly on sand dunes where the Iñupiaq people of northern Alaska have lived for millennia.  The approximate 600 current residents depend on seals, walrus, birds and caribou for their food supply, just as their Iñupiaq ancestors have done.

One main street runs through the village, lined with a school, two grocery stores, a cemetery, simple wooden homes, and a Lutheran Church.  Yes, this is the northernmost ELCA outpost in Alaska.  I was fortunate to be acquainted with Pastor Tim Oslovich who, along with his wife and children, spent several years ministering to the people of Shishmaref.  He later accepted a pastoral assignment at my former church in Vernon, CT, but as of this year has returned north, as Bishop of the Alaskan Synod of the ELCA. 

Long accustomed to living under extreme weather conditions, the vibrant and loving people of Shishmaref are now threatened by climate change.  The water rises and the island gets smaller,  but the cost of relocating is too high. So, for now, Shishmaref stays where it is, and the Iñupiaq people continue their way of life.  To quote a 28-year-old Iñupiaq woman regarding the need to relocate, “No other place feels like home but here.”  A young couple with a one-year-old son expressed concern about the climate change but were not planning to leave the island. “Everyone here is like a big family caring for each other.”

A Lutheran Church in Shishmaref was built in the 1930’s, but the current building is much more recent.  The church offers a life-changing Christian journey to this mostly native Alaskan community.  The Eskimos love to sing; their songs are accompanied by a guitar or acapella.  The native culture is welcomed into their Christian worship.  Ministering in this northern outpost takes true commitment. 

The God who extends an unconditional love to us, extends the same to the people of Shishmaref.  Remember these people and their church community in your prayers,  for their safety and survival amidst harsh conditions, and for the devoted service of the clergy who choose Shishmaref as home.

Judy

A Thanksgiving Feast of Reindeer Stew served at the local school.

A dear friend, who admittedly, is of the older generation, often uses the above phrase: “That was then, this is now.”  Her mother NEVER wanted change and rebuked change if pushed on her. My friend promised she would never be like her mother in that respect. Oops…there are times lately, she sees herself, thinking or acting like her mother. Changes to clubs she is a part of, changes within the singing group she participates in, changes in church with surroundings and liturgy, changes, changes, changes. What she notices is there are things she feels like REFUSING to change…then a small voice reminds her, “that was then, this is now!” I’m so proud of her for realizing that change doesn’t necessarily have to be bad, but rather just “different.”

None of us lives the life that our Lord lived. In warm weather, we may be wearing sandals as He did, but we have the CHANGE of being able to ride comfortably to a destination.  We do not have to walk to our destination as our Lord did. What exactly is the same? WE ARE SINNERS.  WE ARE LOVED UNCONDITIONALLY BY JESUS.  Sometimes it is best to reminisce about the past but also find ways to be a part of any new changes. Jesus wanted His followers to hear His Word (a BIG change) and follow Him.  He wants the same for you.  Don’t allow yourself to get hung up on what once was, but rather what you can be a part of moving forward. Grow in Christ. A reminder from Isaiah 43:19, “Forget about what has happened before.  Don’t keep going over old history. Be alert, be present.  I am about to do something brand new. It’s bursting out! Don’t you see it?”

Smile and live in the now.

~ Jill

The philosopher-physician Richard Cabot wrote a book over one hundred years ago that still holds true today.  It is entitled What Men Live By and makes a convincing case there are four things all people need to live a full and genuinely good life. They are work, play, love and worship, not necessarily in that order. Some may disagree with this, but many still believe one hundred years later that we all need a measure of work, play, love and worship in the right balance to be truly fulfilled as human beings.

Often, people who are deprived of work grow anxious and depressed. They may turn to drugs or other forms of escape to fill up their idle hours. Good parents and schools instill strong work ethics in their children at young ages

But, all work and no play makes Jack (and Jill) dull people as the saying goes. When all you do is work, this takes the joy out of life. We all need some recreation whether it be music, sports, games, or any infinite  variety of things.

Can we live without love? While it may be possible to physically survive without love, a life without love is emotionally and spiritually broken. We are social animals and the glue that holds us together is love in all its forms.

Last, but certainly not least, we need to recognize there is a higher power in which to place our faith. As Christians, that higher power is God who loves us unconditionally. He gave us His only son to die for us that we may have our sins forgiven and have the promise of eternal life if we believe in Him. Some of us pray only at times of need, but almost all of us have prayed at some point in our lives, and have a hope based on faith that there is a higher power and a future life. “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good and His love endures forever.” 1 Chronicles 16:34. Thanks be to God!

Patty

“Slow down, you move too fast.”  The opening line to Simon and Garfunkel’s “The 59th Street Bridge Song” has been repeating in my head for the last couple of weeks. I have moved from the slow and steady pace of lake-living to the more active, goal driven one of Florida. I want to go back to the slow life!

So, I ask myself, “Can I slow down?” Can I change my attitude and enjoy the moment?” Of course, I can, but only with the help of God.

So many life lessons learned leave me hesitant to admit that I cannot finish a project or leave it undone for a while. However, I “need to make the morning last.” Sometimes the morning lasts because I just sit down and meditate a little bit or read a good book-not go directly to the computer and build a list of things that need to be done by the end of the day.

When I recognize that my life is out of control, I turn it over to God, once again for the one million plus time. I want to give my life to God only once and get it over with, so I can go on to other things, but it doesn’t work that way. Daily surrender to the God who loves me keeps me in contact with His love and His will for me. He will guide me through the ups and downs of living-at whatever pace presents itself in my life. Then, I find peace and the ability to live as God intended-depending on Him and not on myself.

Then, I find myself “Just kicking down the cobblestones, Looking for fun and feelin’ groovy.” God’s smiling because His child is happy, and the world looks good again to me, no matter what is on the list!

Read Psalm 119:105 and 130-135 and remember that the God who made these promises, loves you unconditionally. Oh, if you want to hear the song, go to youtube and search for Simon and Garfunkel’s “The 59th Street Bridge Song”, it’s a treat!

Terri

My Aunt Martha was a Sunday School Superintendent. Every Sunday she taught a lesson. I still remember her teaching about prayer. “If you’re late going to school, don’t kneel down in the street and pray that God would stop the bell from ringing. God’s not going to do that. Maybe you could pray while you’re running that God will make you run fast enough to get there in time.”

My aunt’s approach to prayer was practical. It’s important to pray, but don’t ask God for anything stupid. I have had to cope with her teaching ever since.

As a pastor I have often prayed for people facing terrible situations. I have prayed for healing for people when it was impossible for that person to be healed. Was I praying for a miracle? I don’t know. I think I was praying for something I knew would happen, that God would keep the person in love. That’s still what I do–pray for people even though it’s not going to happen that God will give me exactly what I pray for.

On the other hand there are some prayers I won’t offer–the ones in which I am tempted to ask God to take care of something when I decline to do what I could do. I have to caution myself–don’t ask God to do what I’m supposed to do. That’s like praying for God to stop the bell from ringing.

Important Prayer Lesson No. 2. It’s good to ask for God’s help, but don’t ask God to do your job for you.

Read Colossians 4:2  and remember: God loves YOU unconditionally.

Wayne