Joy Lutheran Church Ocala, Florida

I have a little wooden horse. It was my Dad’s and it has survived more than 100 years. Why do I treasure this little toy? Perhaps it’s just thinking about all the hands that have held it. My grandfather’s hands chose it for his son. My dad’s hands played with it and later carefully repainted it in bright colors for me. My hands played with it, knowing that it was a special toy. My kids’ hands played with it “carefully”; it was much too old for rough play. Its survival amazes me.

Perhaps it’s “hands” that make our faith such a treasure. The hands of Jesus acted in love and then bore the marks of crucifixion. The hands of the apostles wrote the words, so that the world would remember this Jesus. The hands of a pastor held our infant body and sprinkled the water of baptism. The loving hands of parents supported us, led us, and finally set us free when we were grown. The hands we hold today; the hands that reach out to help us. So many hands – so much love.

The hands of love make our faith much more than religious words in a book. Our Lord Jesus used his hands to help and to heal. “… and laying His hands on each one of them, He was healing them.” Luke 4:40 The apostles also were given the power of the Spirit so that their hands could touch and heal. “And these they brought before the apostles; and after praying, they laid their hands on them.” Acts 6:6

It is uncertain where the statement originally came from, but there is a saying “’He has no hands but our hands, no feet but our feet.” Perhaps it is a paraphrase of Jesus’ teaching where He states “If you did it unto the least of these my brethren you did it unto me.” Matthew 25:40 Or the message from Galatians, “You obey the law of Christ when you offer each other a helping hand. “ -Galatians 6:2

Our Lord Jesus used His hands to give His unconditional love to me and to you. We lift our hands to accept His love. Let’s open our hands to share this love with one another.

Judy Previously posted in February 2019

It comes in waves, doesn’t it? Our walk along the beach with God. Sometimes sandy, sometimes rocky, surging high tides that practically bowl us over. Everything about our faith practices – prayer, worship, working, observing Sabbath rest – is as unpredictable yet constant as waves breaking on the shore.

lf I’m ever more than a two hours’ drive from either water or mountains, I feel spiritually adrift and lost. I grew up only three miles from the Gulf. Sunday afternoons were our Sabbath bliss and tranquility; although I much preferred a rougher surf, I also grew to appreciate just walking along the shore. A good hearty mountain trail hike has the same effect. We need those retreat times, whether we’re a city mouse or a country mouse.

I think our faith flows better, like a mountain stream if you will, when we are caught up in the sheer goodness of God instead of the truth. It makes sense when we feel faith rather than attempt to explain it. We seldom need a wave to knock us down in order to get our attention, but once in a while coping with said wave can be exhilarating. It’s more about the ebb and flow of the journey than the lightning bolt that chases you back to the car.

We don’t have to “get it right”. Balance is always a dance, a side-step in progress. Walk with the Savior, the Rabbi, our truest friend. You might end up in limbo, wandering, stumbling, a little lost, or with a swimsuit full of sand from the pounding surf. (maybe you’ll never want to go the oceanfront again after trying to “unsee” that image!). Our Lord understands, and with a love so unconditional and perfect that loves you as if you were the only person in the universe to love, picks us up when the waves of life beat us down. The coastline seems to continue on indefinitely, and the sea is infinitely wide – all part of God’s masterful work of creation.

You are the crown jewel.

Pastor Art

“How deep the Father’s love for us,
How vast beyond all measure,
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure.”

These are the opening lines of a hymn published in 1995, written by Stuart Townend, entitled “How Deep the Father’s Love.”  Born in 1963, Stuart Townend was raised in West Yorkshire, England, the son of an Anglican priest.  He began writing music at age 22 and has produced albums for his friend Keith Routledge and Vinesong.  He also produced 8 solo albums, but his better-known songs include three hymns, one of which is “How Deep the Father’s Love.”  Townend has been described as a significant songwriter in the international Christian music field, writing lyrical content with both theological depth and poetic expression. 

As we journey through our Lenten season, his words are particularly relevant to us.  I am moved by the second stanza.  As I gaze at that torturous cross, I remember it is “MY” sin upon His shoulders.

“Behold the man upon the cross,
My sin upon His shoulders.”

I attach a rendition of the hymn for you to enjoy.  It’s presented reverently and quietly, giving us time to absorb its poignant message.  

God’s love for us is not only unconditional but it is deep beyond our understanding.

Judy

*Copyright Stuart Townend 1995.  Published by Thankyou Music.

Ok, confession time…when I was a teenager the “thing” to do was TP someone’s yard. This tossing of rolls of toilet paper up into the trees left a well-decorated yard and your boyfriend or girlfriend or buddy knew you had been there.  Our front yard had a huge apple tree and several smaller trees.  My brother was four years older so I knew “tp” time was coming for me and my friends.  Thankfully my folks didn’t mind, because between my brother’s friends and mine, our yard got it a lot.  Simple, easy, fun! Fast forward, to my teen years and my best friend had a new boyfriend.  Our plan was to TP his yard and the yard was HUGE! We laughed and giggled so much, I was certain we could easily be heard and our “plan” compromised. We peeked into a living room window quickly to make sure no one heard us and let the tossing begin. Harmless fun…my bestie and I still laugh about our one and only TP adventure. (We were the scaredy cats and typically the goody two-shoes of our class.)

Thinking about peeking inside honestly made me think about peeking inside heaven.  Do you ever catch a glimpse of the glory of heaven? Does your mind see the streets of gold and the place God has prepared for you? Every day during your thoughts of thanks and praise, you are indeed peeking into heaven.  John 14:1-3: “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also” Trust God’s Word. See the glimpses of Him all around you. He loves you unconditionally and is always with you, never leaving or forsaking you. Allow yourself to see Him in others and allow others to see Him in you.  Peek inside the beauty of nature and see Him. Peek inside His good news and learn more about His beloved Son. Study His word. Your “peeks” will become more than glimpses and glances. They will produce rewards of your faith and trust. Discover the way to a forever home with your Heavenly Father. (no silly teenage TP antics will follow you). 

Jill

I’m thinking about descriptive expressions used often in relationship to our bodies, such as, the back of your hand, the tips of your fingers, the top of your head, the palm of your hand, but hmmmmm, it is called the SOLE/SOUL of your feet.

Pondering this, I wondered, so where is your soul? I see folks touch their heart and say, “ My soul is happy, or my soul is disturbed or concerned,” others motion towards their head or mind for a soul locating point. But I was stuck on feet and the reference to the “soul” of our feet.

On a Biblical quest for FEET references I was searching for soul answers. In Luke 10:39-40, “She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said.” Revelations 1:17-18 “When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man.” Jairus, who wanted his twelve year old daughter healed, fell at Jesus’ feet and begged him to come to his house.

During the time of Jesus, the people went barefoot or wore sandals, so entering a home meant washing their feet, taking off the sand and dirt from travel.

The Passover reflection mentions foot washing and its symbolic importance.
Could our feet be the location of our souls? Is it a “thing” that has a location? Heart? Mind? Bottoms of our feet? Does it encompass our body completely and fully?

So many questions arise for me regarding SOULS. After thoughtful study regarding Biblical references to feet, I found my answer: God loves me unconditionally and the soul’s location can be found in love. My spirit is resting in that epiphany. God’s love living in me, encompasses my soul and I have His peace. May your soul be at peace and feel His ever present love for you.

Jill (originally posted April 2019)

What can separate us from the love of Christ? In Romans 8:31-39, we find an answer. Nothing! That’s right. Nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. 

This is the scripture passage that asks the question, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” A favorite site for many people. Further on the passage goes on the list the things that have no power to separate us from God’s everlasting love.  

Things like: death, life, angels, devils, rulers, the present or the future, nor “anything in all creation.” Wow! If that isn’t a definition of unconditional love, I don’t know what is. God will love you forever and ever. There is nothing that you or anyone else can do to change that love. 

Why don’t we take Him at His word? Let’s accept this wonderful non-returnable gift and live in the love of God. Accept the free gift of grace and let it work in your life. 

Terri 

I was watching videos on Facebook (which partly explains why I don’t get more useful things done). One video showed an angry, elderly lady shoveling snow off her front lawn and dumping it on her sidewalk. It seems the people making the video had cleared her sidewalk for her, as a good neighbor might do, but she was furious because they had trespassed on her property. It was silly, but the same sort of thing had gone on in my neighborhood for generations. Don’t shovel snow onto someone’s lawn or they will come out screaming at you.

I amazes me that the human race has survived as long as it has with all the stupid things we make issues out of. Some things we get so worked up about don’t matter.

One day some Pharisees complained to Jesus that his disciples were eating without washing their hands. Jesus pointed out to them that they were obsessed with human traditions, and as a result sometimes ignored the intent of God’s commandments. I think that is often the case in life. We become fixated about things that God doesn’t care about.

Jesus tells us to love our neighbors. In interpreting the Ten Commandments, Martin  Luther says that we should defend our neighbors, speak well of them, and explain everything in the kindest way. We should also help our neighbors preserve and improve what belongs to them. In short be a help, not a hindrance to others.

How much nicer life would be if we all gave that a try.

Read Mark 12:31-32  and remember: God loves YOU unconditionally.

Wayne

Have you ever been powerless? We have. During hurricane Irma we were without power for four days. Paulette’s sister and her husband live in Summerfield, and we had them come up and stay with us during the storm until their power came back eight days later. It was frustrating to have no power, but at the end we felt very fortunate. Our only serious damage was having to clean out the spoiled food from two refrigerators; after eight days Paulette’s sister’s food was especially pungent. On the positive side we had eight days of good company. We were also blessed by our neighbors across the street, who had a small generator; each morning that we were without power they brought us a thermos of hot coffee. Hurricane coffee is the best!

There are times when we feel powerless in our personal and religious lives – even to the point of depression. Those are the times when we need to have faith that He will strengthen us in the many ways that He can: through trained professionals, through friends and family, by removing burdens, and by giving us coping mechanisms. Prayer and meditation can help us feel comforted. Reading scripture like Isaiah 41:10 can remind us of His promises. It reads

“So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Many of the Psalms sing of his loving support; for an example, read Psalm 121:1-4 and remember that God loves YOU unconditionally.

Jim

French philosopher Rene’ Descartes gave us that one. “I think, therefore I am”. Modernity gave us the platform to live that out for centuries with The Age of Reason or Enlightenment. In all 20/20 hindsight honesty, it was the exact opposite. Jesus often reminds us that our minds only take us so far before they must be transformed. Other than the required Jewish rabbinical tutoring Jesus likely received, he was way more interested in our soul, our nephesh (spiritual being).

Our mind actually imprisons us. Who wants to stick around an intellectual know-it-all? Great minds think alike, brain trust; I get all that. We would not be where we are today without the discipline of knowledge. Science is important for understanding our existence, the nature of things. What is more essential is the common story we find ourselves in. Psalm 84 mentions small, insignificant sparrows. They pass on the DNA that leads the hatchling to mature and build an identical nest. How much more you and I?

We, the most advanced beings God created, are infinitely more than our individual head space. Faith is personal but never private. Here at JOY!, we are crafting a vision to be a spiritual community. Not a think tank. An organic plethora of people from all over hoping to connect with people here. Living together in trust and hope to imagine holy things, to follow where the Spirit might be leading. It is the unconditional love that spurs us on, enlightens us.

We worship, share and serve; therefore we are.

Pastor Art

Growing up, I was always a little envious of the Irish girls in my class.  When St. Patrick’s Day came around, their moms would let them put some green food coloring in their hair as part of the celebration of their heritage.  My Mom would not.  We weren’t Irish.  We didn’t do things like put food coloring in our hair.

We did, however, celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with a meal of Corned Beef and Cabbage, which at the time, I absolutely hated.  My mother told us that “we are all Irish on St. Patrick’s Day.”  (Just not Irish enough to dye our hair green!)

In Ireland, they don’t celebrate with corned beef and cabbage, that’s a dish that came into being with Irish immigrants living in the tenements of New York City and eating the local fare provided by the merchants who lived in the neighborhoods.  Corned beef is a food with Jewish roots.  In Ireland, they eat their cabbage with bacon.

It’s a lean bacon that was generally available when beef was not.  They do eat lots of cabbage, potatoes and carrots.   Those are foods that were always in the garden.   Still are.  The Irish Famine tells in sad detail the dependence that the Irish people had on the one staple that failed them – the potato.

But, I digress.  When I married into an Irish family, my knowledge and appreciation of the Irish people increased dramatically.  I have had the pleasure of visiting Ireland on multiple occasions, each time leaving with pleasant memories and regrets about having the visits end. 

One of the funny ironies about St. Patrick is that he was probably not an Irishman.  History is a little unclear about his ancestry, but he may have been a Roman; an Italian.  He was sent by the Roman church to bring the word of Christ to the pagan lands of the Celts.  He was doing as Jesus had instructed his Apostles after His resurrection.  “…Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” (Mark 16 vs.15)

The story of Patrick’s mission in Ireland reads like a great adventure story.  He had to overcome some large hurdles, but his success remains evident to this day.  The Irish celebrate Patrick’s feast day, not with boisterous parties and shenanigans, but with prayer and church services, with a reverence for the gifts which they received when Patrick brought the word of Christ to them.  It is not always obvious to the observer that God has blessed the Irish people.  Theirs is a history fraught with conflict and sorrow.  However, through it all, they remain, with the grace of God, a resilient and brave people.  They are a demonstration of God’s unconditional love for His people.

So, now that I am a grown-up, I could dye my hair green to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, but I choose to honor the saint who followed the instructions of Jesus to bring His words of love and grace to all the world. 

Terri Previously posted in 2020