Joy Lutheran Church Ocala, Florida

Two years ago, during Black History Month, I did a series of blogs about outstanding black Lutherans. One of those special people was a young bishop in the Metropolitan Chicago Synod, Reverend Yehiel Curry. 

On Saturday, October 4, 2025, Bishop Curry was installed as the first black Bishop of the Lutheran Evangelical Church in America, the largest Lutheran denomination in the US. I remembered my blog and wanted to share it with you today in celebration of this historic event. 

I’m excited! God demonstrates His unconditional love in many ways. For a denomination with a 90+% white membership, for a denomination which has reached out to suffering countries like Haiti and people of all shapes, sizes and colors, for a denomination which has demonstrated courage in bringing all sorts of people into the fold with love and acceptance, I believe that God has sent an another affirming message in the form of Bishop Curry’s installation. 

It’s important to know about the people who are leading us during these confusing times. Meet Bishop Yehiel Curry! 

I POSTED THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE TWO YEARS AGO IN 2023, WHEN BISHOP CURRY WAS ELECTED TO THE METROPOLITAN CHICAGO SYNOD (ELCA)

Meet Bishop Curry, a man who has crammed a lot of living into a relatively short amount of time. Born and raised on the south side of Chicago, he still lives there with his wife and 3 daughters. 

He was elected Bishop of the Metropolitan Chicago Synod ELCA in June 2019, just about 10 years after his ordination (Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago). He came to this calling by way of social service work and middle school teaching experience. It was while he was part of a team working to start a new worshiping community in Chicago under the auspices of the Lutheran Church in America that he made the decision to become a pastor. 

His pastoral work has centered on youth services on the south side of Chicago. His teaching and mentorship activities have been a major part of his career path. His philosophy contends that “you should make a friend before you try to make a member because it is easier to quit a denomination and harder to quit on a friend.” (taken from the E-Spirit Weekly Newsletter, February 7, 2023, published by the Florida-Bahama Synod) 

Since Bishop Curry is a contemporary figure, he has an extensive presence in written and social media. In his own words, he describes working with Safe in My Brothers’ Arms (SIMBA), a Chicago youth organization: “Thinking back on my own childhood experiences, I could easily recall being one of those young men who needed saving. . .Like many of the youth I was now trying to save, I was also bitter and prone to violence. In the process of helping some of the youth who I came into contact with through Simba, I was able to help myself. The ministry of Shekinah Chapel saved my life, my family, and my marriage.” (Publication of The Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago) 

Another interesting point of information is the fact that the Metropolitan Chicago Synod is the companion synod to the Florida-Bahama Synod. So, don’t be surprised if you now hear more about Bishop Curry.   

 Terri 

Somebody asked me if I had gone on vacation this past summer. I said I hadn’t physically, but my brain seemed to have been on vacation several times without letting me know where it was going. Age plays tricks on you.  I have trouble being sure if these days in the middle of the week are Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday. I have to check this blog to see whose devotion is up. If it’s mine, it’s Thursday. People are very nice not to mention my weakening memory, or maybe they do and I forget.

I do remember that forgetting is Biblical. The word turns up over 300 times. Frequently, forgetting is a bad thing. The Psalmist remarks that God’s people: “did not remember the abundance of God’s steadfast love” (Psalms 106:7). Yep, that’s the human race for you. We have an unfortunate habit of forgetting what God has done for us. This isn’t a malfunction of age.

There is also a positive side to forgetting. Paul encouraged his flock telling them  “Forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” ( Philippians 3:13-14). If you want to move ahead in spiritual things, you have to forget about things in the past that hold you back. 

Finally, God’s forgetfulness is much to our advantage. “I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins” (Isaiah 43:25). 

Maybe I shouldn’t worry so much about forgetting.

Read Isaiah 49:15 and remember, REALLY REMEMBER: God loves YOU unconditionally.

Wayne

*With thanks to Judy Gunson for reminding me to write this.

I did not write this piece.  It was sent to me by a Facebook friend who is going through a rough patch and I thought it had an excellent message, so I decided to share it with my Joy friends.

You are holding a cup of coffee when someone comes along and bumps into you or shakes your arm, making you spill your coffee everywhere.

Why did you spill your coffee?

“Because someone bumped into me!!”

Wrong answer.

You spilled the coffee because there was coffee in your cup.

Had there been tea in your cup, you would have been spilled tea.

Whatever is inside your cup is what will spill out.

Therefore, when life comes along and shakes you (which WILL  happen),

whatever is inside you will come out. It’s easy to fake it until you get rattled.

So we have to ask ourselves…”What’s in my cup?”

When life gets tough, what spills over?

Joy, gratefulness, peace and humility?

Anger, bitterness, harsh words and reactions?

Life provides the cup, YOU choose how to fill it.

Today let’s work towards filling our cups with gratitude, forgiveness, joy, words of affirmation, words of kindness, gentleness and love for others.

We know God loves us unconditionally and as the Bible tells us in Galations 5:14,

For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 

What is in your cup?  God hopes it is love.

Patty

It’s the working title for a social gathering I’ve started at Hiatus Brewing Company,
6230 SW Highway 200, Ocala. It’s not just about the beer. Have a Diet Coke if you wish. One of
the three new attendees asked what the theme, purpose or objective was. Honestly, I
confessed to them that I hadn’t figured it out yet.

My hope is to engage the other patrons in holy conversation – “God-talk”. I haven’t been courageous enough to invite them in for fear of being intrusive. Maybe I’m hoping they’ll overhear our discussion and join in, even if their words are anti-church. We should always be ready to render a defense for the hope that is in us, but also to NOT get defensive or judgmental.

The four of us had good deliberations about the Bible, other religions, and yes, scars borne from unpleasant church experiences. I welcome these opportunities and invite you and those you know who are local to our congregation and Hiatus, which are only a mile or so apart. Or any other place where we can engage in holy dialogue. Fermenting not only describes the brewing process, but also
thoughts, words, and dreams that bubble up to the surface. To talk about anything that the
Holy Spirit places upon us. To ask open-ended questions of each other, and of people we just
met.

I always go into “First Friday Fermenting” with a touch of trepidation, that fear of the
unknown and unexpected. It pushes me out of my comfort zone somewhat. I hope to convey
a bit of what our God shows us – unconditional love. Toward the end of our conversation last
night, that’s the word we came up with – LOVE. The equality and unity that is ours in Christ
Jesus. Like church or not, may that be the feeling that carries the day and maybe even bring
the “done-ers” back to worship. More of that, and less “doom scrolling”. For me as well.

Pastor Art

I just love those catalogs that fill my mailbox unsolicited.  It’s like old-fashioned window shopping, only I don’t have to leave my comfy lounge chair.  Each page tempts me with styles in the season’s newest colors, styles that look fabulous on the youthful models.  OK, I mostly enjoy looking, but sometimes I do order a little something, call it a gift to me.

What kind of gifts do you like?  Do you like practical gifts or those intended purely for enjoyment?  Do you like gifts you wouldn’t get for yourself, gifts that will improve your life, or perhaps homemade gifts because of the love that went into making them? 

True faith is a gift we wouldn’t and couldn’t get for ourselves. Only the Holy Spirit can give it to us. (Talk about a gift that improves a person’s life!) The Spirit clothes us with the righteousness of Christ – “clothing” that makes us beautiful in the eyes of God.  Faith is never something we can earn by ourselves; someone has earned it for us.  Handmade?  You bet. The nails in his hands have given this beautiful gift to us.

When it comes to spiritual gifts, the gifts of the Spirit are always exactly what we need, and they are delivered just when we need them. The Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit: wisdom, discernment, knowledge, giving, prophecy, ministry, and mercy.  These gifts are not for our own personal advantage or greatness, but they are given “for the profit of all.”  Do we all have the same gift?  No, we sure don’t.  Only when we work together, can we carry out the mission that God gives us.

May each of us thank God for the gifts the Spirit has given us and seek to use them for God’s glory!

Judy

You probably remember from Old Testament stories that Rebekah was at a well, when a servant of Abraham, asked her to follow him. She believed the messenger was sent by God and agreed to follow him.  She ends up being introduced to Issac, they marry and she conceived twins. The twins were Esau and Jacob.  A prophecy was told to Issac and Rebecca saying that the oldest son would serve the youngest. Conniving with Jacob’s help, Rebekah deceived Issac, then Jacob received what inheritance was traditionally meant for Esau. Rebekah, though a godly woman, still was deceitful and fell short.

Are you like Rebekah? Do we slip and fall short of a God-like life? Have you gossiped? Did you covet something/or someone? Have you told a “little white lie?” Yep, we have all fallen short because we are human and sinners. How blessed are we to know Jesus! God sent His Son to us on Earth and Jesus followed the plan God had prepared for Him, ending with a horrific crucifixion.  Why?  He died for our sins to save us. WOW!  Isn’t that amazing news? His death was for YOU!

We as believers, like Rebekah, will continue to have short-comings but as we grow in the Lord we realize, we can ask for His forgiveness.  We will learn from God the paths to take and ways to warmly accept His unconditional love for us.

Share the good news of Jesus. Trust Him. Build your mustard-seed faith with His Word. Healing and forgiveness are gifts He longs to give us.

Jill

As I was contemplating my topic for my blog for this week, I ran across this verse and thought it was timely in light of the happenings in our world and especially in our own country with the government shutdown.

James 4:1 asks the questions, What is causing the quarrels and fights among you?  Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you?

We have wars between nations that linger on. We have dissension in groups in which we participate. Quarrels erupt in our workplaces and in our congregations. We currently have a huge dispute in our government which has led to a shut down. The truth is when you get too many people together who are governed by their own desires, you will see division begin to happen.

This unfortunately is very normal because we are human. We want what we want, and we want it now. In James 4:1, James who was known for his practical guidance asks the questions “What is causing these quarrels and don’t they come from the evil desires at war within us?” So much of our lives is spent in allowing our human nature to come through and let our own desires take control in our relationships.

This is certainly true as we watch our country’s senators and representatives battle at the expense of the people they “represent”. We watch leaders of countries fight in useless wars, allowing their own desires to muddy the potential of peace. We allow petty arguments to lead to dissention and bitterness and division.

Let us pray for direction rather than leaning on our own wishes. Ask God to lead all of us to think with our spiritual nature instead of our own selfish wants and follow the will of the Lord.

God loves us unconditionally and wants us to love one another as He loves us. Put away our petty selfishness. Ask yourself, “What would God want us to do?”. We know the answer because we know His love. Thanks be to God!

Patty

As I sat down to write this blog complaining to God about the lack of rain this year, it was pouring outside. Such a wonderful sound on the roof and splashing off the sidewalk! Thank you, Lord. 

Seriously, it has been a difficult year for water from the heavens. In Vermont, where I spent the summer months on Lake Champlain, the lake water has receded to dangerously low levels. The eco-systems suffers with extremes. The low water impacts not only the human residents, but the fish, bugs and plants that call the lake their home. 

I have a small garden there with flowers, window boxes and a few vegetables. I had to water it every day to keep it going. All the plants and vegetables were still flourishing when I left last week, I worried about how they were going to get water. I thought about calling a friend to see if she would give them a spray.  

Then I read an article in the Vermont newspaper that the community water supplies are so low throughout the state that they had started rationing. So, I decided that the plants would have to survive without my help. And, don’t you know, the rain came to Vermont last week. Not enough to eliminate the issue, but a start. 

Here in Florida, the situation is similar. We wait for a good tropical storm to refill the amazing aquafers that supply extraordinary amounts of water to the people. So far, that big storm has yet to make landfall.  

What to do? What can I do about the rain or lack thereof? In times of trouble or distress, we hear people say “I’ll pray” and others around them roll they eyes and say “Sure, that will help.” There are actions that we can take about many troublesome issues, bringing the rain is not one of them. I gave up my control of the weather   years ago. 

So I pray. I pray the words of Jamie Cortez’ beautiful song “Rain Down” and leave the rest to God. God’s love is constant and unconditional. Listen to the words of “Rain Down” and be comforted with its wisdom. 

Terri 

Ever hear of Peter Beskendorf? He was Martin Luther’s barber. Evidently Master Peter, as he was called, was well-known and respected in good old Wittenberg. He asked Luther for a simple way to pray for an ordinary person. Luther replied with a 34 page book.

Luther explained that when he prayed, he first said the Ten Commandments, the Creed, and, if he had time, the words of Jesus or Paul or some psalms. That was a kind of warm up. Then he got down to serious business and started praying a part of the Lord’s Prayer. He didn’t just repeat the words, he made it the source of his prayer. For example, he might start, “Hallowed be thy name,” and then continue, “Yes, Lord God, dear Father, hallowed be thy name both in us and throughout the world.” And on he went praying and then took up the next part of the Lord’s prayer. If he still had time after prayer the Lord’s prayer this way, he went also prayed the Commandments and the Creed this way. 

Those of you raised in a Lutheran Church realize Luther was praying the catechism. 

We tend to think of Luther’s Small Catechism as a book we had to memorize in order to be confirmed and then promptly forgot. Luther expected that every household would regularly study the catechism. In his instructions to Master Peter, it is evident that even the learned Dr. Luther had recourse to turn to his catechism and to let it shape his prayers.

It might be helpful for us to do the same. 

Read Mark 11:24 and remember: God loves YOU unconditionally.

Wayne

I had been reading Trevor Noah’s autobiographical essays entitled Born A Crime.  Noah, a South African comedian, was born five years before the end of the practice of apartheid.  At the time of his birth, it was a crime, punishable by jail time for a white man and a black woman to be in a sexual relationship.  The same was true for a black man and a white woman.  It was the law of the land, complete with proscribed jail time.

I knew that apartheid was a repressive and dehumanizing practice.  I did not know the extent of the persecution, oppression and violence that was intrinsic to it.  However, what I learned from reading Born A Crime appalled me and left me sad and embarrassed that I had not taken stronger action during the campaign to end its practice. 

Like Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation effectively ending the practice of slavery in the United States, the ending of apartheid did not magically bring all the injustices in South Africa into balance.  Noah’s telling of his life post-apartheid is both tragic and charming.  He is a very funny, very smart, very inciteful man.

His straightforward writing had an impact on me with its candid description of his life.  Here is a quote that stands out for me, “We live in a world where we don’t see the ramifications of what we do to others, because we don’t live with them.” In the case of apartheid, blacks and whites were prohibited from living in physical proximity.  This makes the “seeing” of adverse effects impossible. I think that the same is true for most of us in today’s world.

There is a lesson here for us.  Expressing “sympathy” about unjust situations may get us off the hook, in a manner of speaking.  However, mean comments or observations about a group of people or worse, acting in an unjust manner illustrates that we really don’t understand the effects of our actions on others. 

Christ’s journey on earth was centered around bringing a new commandment into being:  Love- Love of God above all others and love of neighbor.  We are the recipients of God’s unconditional love.  It’s a difficult example to follow, but one worth trying.

Proverbs 28:5 Evil men do not understand justice,
But those who seek the Lord understand all things.

 Terri