Joy Lutheran Church Ocala, Florida

Navy Band San Francisco was my first duty station. I arrived at Naval Station Treasure Island, where the band was located, in January 1982. As a twenty-year-old, it was slightly mind-altering. I didn’t have a car and lived in the barracks on base. I knew I wanted to find a Lutheran church. St. Mark’s in S.F. was my choice. I could take the bus and only have to walk a couple of blocks (uphill, of course). My mind was fully blown by the context, all new to me in my life of churchgoing. Street people on the steps and wandering their way into worship. Diversity of ethnicity and sexual orientation. In the early days of the AIDS epidemic, I started off admittedly guarded and wary. I’ve never been one to make the first move toward someone either.

I had my first awakening and integration with gay people. I found them to be so hungry and thankful for God’s unconditional grace. I not only imagined what the church could be, I saw it lived in reality. The cultural backdrop of the city by the Bay (cue the Journey song “Lights”) included the first-time Super Bowl champion 49’ers, and protests at the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory in Berkeley. It was all radical and yet refreshingly liberating. I loved my tour of duty there so much that when offered the option of extending a year, I jumped on it.

God knows how to position us in the right place at the right time. My four and a half years there grew me up, helped my turtle head peek out from its’ shell, and opened me up to relate with people I might never have done on my own. My discipleship was given wings to fly. I realized that the unconditional love of Jesus introduced a judgment-free way of living.

Pastor Art

I’m trying to picture the Jordan River with reeds growing profusely along the shores.  Reeds, tall, slender plants, are commonly found in marshy or wetland areas.   In Biblical times the reeds were used in the construction of baskets, mats and even boats.  I’m told some even punched holes in a reed to make a musical instrument.  There was just one problem.  If the reed was bruised or bent, it was not useful for anything and it was tossed aside.

In Matthew 12:20, Matthew uses the metaphor of the bruised reed.  He applies it to Jesus, as the fulfillment of the prophecy from Isaiah 42, “Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight . . . A bruised reed he will not break. and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out..”

I’d like to share a story with you of a woman named Eva. Her husband had committed suicide, and she was suffering from this devastating loss. Her pastor asked if she would be one of the women speakers in church one Sunday. She wanted to say yes but, in her despair, she couldn’t think of anything to say. God came through for Eva and inspired her to write words which would comfort others. As she wrote, she also found the comfort of God’s Spirit. She knew with all certainty that unlike the reeds tossed aside along the Jordan River, God does not throw us out.

Yes, I too am a bruised reed in a world filled with bruised reeds.  We each have our own hurts and sorrows.  We each need to be lifted up.  Thanks be to Jesus, that he has come for ones just like us.  With thanks that we are lifted up, let’s do our compassionate best to lift up others as well. As God’s servants, we can work gently to care for the weak, to comfort the hurting, and to bring justice without breaking or crushing others.

You may enjoy her song, tune composed by Vic Zarley, “A Bruised Reed.”

Judy

 Zechariah, a prophet, writing in the Old Testament, told us about this event in Jesus’ life. Zechariah 9:9, tells us a king is coming to Jerusalem riding on a donkey. All four of the Gospels describe Jesus’ arrival riding on a symbol of peace, a donkey. The Gospel accounts remind us, crowds honored Jesus by lining the pathways and scattering palm branches along the path, waving the palms symbolizing peace, victory, and triumph. Shouts of Hosanna filled the air, as Jesus rode a donkey into Jerusalem on a pathway that within days would lead to his arrest, trial, and crucifixion.’

His humility, suffering and sacrifice for us, should be a “gift” we reflect on, not only during this Holy Week, but always. Let your shouts of Hosanna be heard. Share the Good News of Jesus as your Savior. You are blessed to KNOW the rest of the story, the horrific death and the glorious resurrection, of your Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Hosanna!  Hosanna!

Jill

Connection is the energy that exists between people when they feel seen, heard and valued: when they can give and receive without judgement; when they derive sustenance and strength from the relationship.  Author Unknown

We all are probably aware staying connected boosts our health, but why? Myriad medical studies have shown that staying connected or increasing our bonds with others not only improves our health but actually increases our longevity. 

Having social ties with other people no matter your age, sex, health status or disease status increases survival rates by 50 %.  Having friends, family, neighbors and colleagues in our lives make our very existence both meaningful and significant.  While receiving social support is very important, even if you are lonely yourself, when you reach out to help someone else, it is in the giving where you gain the most and you are making a connection while doing this.

When I interviewed people for Volunteer of the Month for The Tidings, almost all of them tell me one of their greatest pleasures in attending Joy is the connection they feel. Many shared they felt this the first time they attended services.  I had the same experience and it made me feel welcome and valued.

While connections with people are vital in our time here, the one connection we truly need that will sustain us throughout every aspect of our lives is our personal connection with our Heavenly Father.  In John 15:4 we read these words. Abide in Me, and I in you.  As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides of the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.

Because of God’s unconditional love and our choice to believe in Him, we know He will provide the sustenance and strength we need to live our best lives.  Thanks be to God.

Patty

It was a cold winter day in 1968 when my hubby and I walked into the realtor’s office for the closing on our first home. We would sign our names to a document, committing ourselves to paying thousands of dollars for this little house. The fear must have shown on my face. The grey-haired realtor looked me in the eye and gently said, “Remember, you only owe one payment at a time.” That reminder was such a relief.

So much of life is like that; the big picture is overwhelming. We’re afraid. What will become of our health? Will we be alone? Will our finances last to meet our needs? We worry and fret about the unknown ahead of us. Yet repeatedly our Lord tells us to “Fear not!” We really have only this day to live as fully and gratefully as we can.

In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says. . . “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble” (Matt. 6:25-26, 33-34)

Our Lord is with us today; he’s helping us along each step we take. Our Lord will be with us tomorrow; whatever the day may bring. His unconditional love will continue on each and every day. He’ll hold our trembling hand securely in His . . . and lead us, one step at a time.

Judy (Originally posted April 2019)

I’m writing just after the funeral of President Jimmy Carter. There was a Christian who really made a difference in the world. It makes me wonder what I’ve achieved in comparison.

I spent a good part of my life in 1990 and 1991 writing my doctoral dissertation. It explored cognitive dissonance and learning in religious studies. My work is full of statistics using discriminant analysis employing the stepwise method with Wilks’s lambda. Thirty-five years later I’m not sure what that sentence means. I’m proud of my accomplishment, though I doubt I really made an advancement in human knowledge.

Maybe it’s a matter of age, but I’ve reached the point where I have to admit I’ve achieved about what I’m going to achieve in life. I’m not going to be like Grandma Moses who took up painting at 78 and whose works now hang in famous galleries everywhere. I take comfort, though, in the knowledge that God won’t ask me why I wasn’t a Jimmy Carter or Grandma Moses. Maybe it will be like this:

God:     Were you who you were supposed to be?
Me:     Who was I supposed to be, Lord?
God:     I told you plainly enough: “do justice and love kindness and walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8). “Open your hand to the poor and needy” (Deuteronomy 15:11).
Me:    Yes, Lord, but I don’t think I did that as well as I could have.
God:    I know that. Why do you think I sent my Son to take flesh, live, die, and rise for you?

Read Matthew 25:31-40 and remember: God loves YOU unconditionally.

Wayne

There’s an analogy I like to use to describe the twists and turns that my life takes. I see myself as a small leaf floating on a brook. The size of the brook doesn’t matter, nor the length of its path; just the fact that the leaf has no control over the natural happenings that occur on its journey to the sea.

Sometimes that leaf floats along on a calm, serene waterway, meandering through a beautiful meadow filled with flowers and friendly animals. The sky is a beautiful blue and the clouds are high and fluffy. Nothing ruffles the surface of the brook, so the leaf floats on in a state of contentment. All is right with its world. This is the state that I want to have all the time.

However, storm clouds move in and the brook becomes a violent pool of waves and splashing water. The leaf bobs up and down over terrain that once was smooth and easy to navigate. Then the sun comes out again and calm is restored.

This analogy has wonderful examples that tell the story of life: the trips through the dark and scary woods; the journeys over shallow, rough and rocky ground; the tumults of falling over an unanticipated waterfall when the ride had been so smooth. And, eventually, the emergence once again into the bright sunny meadow filled with peace and tranquility.

Sometimes the brook seems awfully lonely and the forest is very dark, but I know that God is there holding me in the palm of His hand. I know that God is there for you, holding you in the palm of His hand. Why? Because God loves you unconditionally!

Terri Originally posted November 2017

(with acknowledgment to  the brilliance of Frederick Buechner)

Do things just happen us? Or, as my alter-ego Forrest Gump mused, “are we all floating along accidental-like?”

We who believe in God are more inclined to say, “certainly not! Heaven forbid!” We come to understand that our lives are driven by divine purpose. The road has many twists and turns, potholes and detours, but the destination should never be in doubt. We are getting somewhere, even as things happen. Forrest Gump stepped in ___and then responded, “It happens.” Thus an expression was born!

Seriously, I am not persuaded that God micro-manages our lives. He has nothing to do with whether you get a strike in bowling, have a good day or a bad day, get cancer; or have grandchildren. His angels can make certain things happen in looking out for our welfare. Consider all the times in our lives we could have been “done in.” We have a certain trajectory plotted by our Maker. Being in and with God constitutes a whole new way of living. Joined together in the mission of God, we confess that He sent Himself in human form to enact a perfect solidarity with us to resist and counteract the “subplot” that hell’s angel orchestrates. Seeking and awaiting the next plot twist that confirms our belief in His providence, we need not fear what the powers that be aspire to. That will always be folly and rubbish. Kick it to the curb! Wad it up and hurl it far, far away! Look to the light of Christ, always overcoming the world. Even though we are all undeserving of it, grasp hold of the unconditional love and freedom of grace that keep us fueled along life’s meandering highway.

Pastor Art

“I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress:  my God; in him will I trust.”  Psalm 91:2

I watch quite a bit of British TV.  The countryside is lovely and the villages quaint.  Scattered throughout are the castles (or remnants of thereof), built by the wealthy to be their refuge and fortress.  If you had enough money, you could construct a fortified residence that would defend your family militarily. Sometimes the walls of stone were as much as 24 feet thick.  Of course, inside you would not only be safe, but you could bask in the opulence of your own palace. 

Is this what the Psalmist had in mind when he said that the Lord is his refuge and fortress?  It’s my best guess that the answer is no. While the stone fortress kept the enemy out, it also kept the residents confined within.

Our Lord doesn’t want us to stay in hiding, captive behind the bars of our churchiness.  He has told us to “go out into the world.”  But we don’t go out defenseless and vulnerable.  We go out with a God who is with us and in us, a fortress and strength that we can only experience when we put our full trust in Him. 

We don’t need to hide.  We don’t need to be afraid.  God is our refuge.  He is our fortress.  He can strengthen our spiritual resilience and readiness for life’s challenges.  He wants to do this and He will.  Just ask Him. 

Judy

William. Billy. Bill.  All the same guy but called by three different names. I’m smiling because, I too, remember being called by several names. Jill.  Jillylou. Jilly-bean. Such a short easy name, but my mother would often call me Jillylou and a college roommate called me Jilly-bean. Thinking of the Triune God and His names: Wonderful counselor, Prince of Peace, Everlasting Father, Abba, Jehovah, Alpha and Omega, El-Shaddai, Yahweh and so many more.  Knowing the many names of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit allows me to build a better mind picture of LOVE, unconditional love. Our heavenly Father, the same yesterday and today and always.

I ponder the power of God, as I read the Old Testament. Noah’s story, the exodus into the desert, the Ten Commandments given to Moses, the burning bush, all powerful stories. Then reading the New Testament fills me with the “human” Jesus. His feelings and emotions as He led others to realize He was the Messiah and THE WAY to our Heavenly Father. When the Holy Spirit descends like a dove at Jesus Baptism and as a flame over the disciples, true love permeates the air.

How blessed are we as believers to know our Heavenly Father, by whatever name you choose to call Him. We know we are loved unconditionally. We know He never leaves us or forsakes us. We know His son was sent to redeem us, even dying on the cross for our sins. Three in one. The Trinity of love, strength, peace, comfort, forgiveness, and hope.

Jillylou