Joy Lutheran Church Ocala, Florida

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

I’m interested in your perception.  Do you see God as an angel with wings and a lighted background? Do you see him more ancient-times-looking, perhaps a Moses look alike, with maybe a long white beard and robe? Or is your “photo” of God, like artists depict Jesus, the middle eastern darker skin, black beard-look.

Hebrews 1:1 refers to him as “the very image of his substance” and Colossians 1:15 reveals Jesus as “the image of the invisible God”. Revelation 1:14-16 “His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters.

As believers, we learned we are created in God’s image.  That does not mean God looks like your great-grandfather. I believe it means God is Spirit and His spirit lives within us. Sending Jesus in human-form helped new believers see Him as “like them,” trusting in His existence.

Does what God looks like really matter to you? Your life choices and belief in God is what is paramount. Does He exist for you? He has chosen you as His child to love unconditionally.  Are you living under His guidance and laws for salvation? Many of those who have had out-of-body experiences of “seeing the light” have become changed people. They felt the confirmation of heaven and God in control. No photo necessary. Trust. Your tiny mustard seed of faith will grow with your belief.

Jill

In Biblical times women were not highly regarded. But, when reading the Bible, we find (as we certainly know now), they played a very important place in society by the way they lived and by the way God loved them unconditionally as He loves us. The women I am writing about walked with God and had a story to tell of His love and care for them. If they were alive today, they might share these thoughts about God and how He showed himself to them in their times of need. This compilation of Biblical women came from Grate Ingersoll.

Sarah would tell you nothing is too hard for God.

Hagar would share that God sees you.

Rahab would impart that your past doesn’t define you. God can use anyone.

Hannah would communicate God answers prayers.

Ruth would reveal it is not over until God says it is.

Esther would tell us to Trust God! He will exalt you in His timing.

The Woman with the blood would disclose to you when all has failed, God never fails.

While this writing only includes examples of women, it is meant for everyone’s ears and heart. For those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on the wings of eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not grow faint. Isaiah 40:31

                                                                                                                                                                    TThanks be to God!!

Patty

 This song title is from the hit musical “Mama Mia.” It is very catchy and sticks in your head, like an ear worm. Money! Money! Money! tells us, “It’s a rich man’s world.” But is it? 

Can money buy you anything that you need to make you happy, joyous and free? Can money buy your way out of eternal damnation? There was a time in Church history when that was a belief and practice by many.  

Pre-Reformation, there were two types of priests: seminary educated priests and “Mass” priests. The latter were trained, not educated in the seminary, to say the Mass for the Souls in Purgatory-to save them and get them to heaven. You could find them in the cathedrals and churches saying the Mass around the clock to fulfill the obligation created by those who paid for a mass to get their loved ones freed from afterlife punishment.  

Money and church practices encouraging the purchase of indulgences and masses were among the prime movers in Martin Luther’s writing of the Ninety-five Theses that brought about the Protestant Reformation over 500 years ago. You just cannot buy your way into Heaven, sorry.  

All the money in the world, all the donations for a new church or hospital wing, all the contributions made to feed the hungry and clothe the naked, will not get your eternal reward. You are God’s children, and He loves you unconditionally even if you are wealthy or even if you are poor, or even if you are in-between. 

The gift of grace is freely given to everyone-there are no exceptions. However, there are some expectations of those receiving grace. During this Lenten season, our hearts and minds turn to these expectations. Many want to “give-up” something that they enjoy as a demonstration of their love for Christ.  

A different action is to acknowledge my sinful nature and beg forgiveness of God for offending Him. Sin creates a barrier to my relationship with God. I remember a sermon given by Pastor Wayne where he suggested that we don’t like to talk about sin anymore. It makes us uncomfortable. We don’t sin today, only the really bad people do. 

But we do sin. We are human. Acknowledging my sin and asking for forgiveness-repenting are the first steps to setting my relationship with God back into good stead. This beautiful hymn “Call to Repentance” by Joseph Martin from his cantata The Rose of Calvary reminds us that Christ is always there and ready to forgive us our offences. Money can’t buy that! It’s free! 

Terri 

I found this quote attributed to Meister Eckhart, a 14th century mystical theologian: “It often happens that people spurn the least, and thus they deprive themselves from getting the most in the least, which is wrong.”* I’m not sure exactly what Eckhart meant by “least,” but I interpret it as referring to people. We human beings judge people in a way that makes us undervalue each other.

I knew someone who never held an exalted position in life. He had made some bad choices. Added to that, he was short. People often dismissed him as a result, yet he was one of the most insightful people I’ve ever met. He was always exploring the why of things, probing the depths of things. When we were developing our church’s mission statement, he contributed the phrase that part of our mission was to “experience the presence of God.” My gosh, that’s something most churches miss.

We use worldly judgement rather than godly judgement to our determent. James warned early Christians about it. “Suppose you give special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say to him, ‘Please have a seat.’ But you say to the poor man, ‘Stand over there,’ or ‘Sit on the floor at my feet.’ Aren’t you discriminating against people and using a corrupt standard to make judgments?” (James 2:3-4).

You never know what gift God is sending you in another person. We’ll never find out unless we receive others as if they were Christ himself.

Read Hebrews 13:2  and remember: God loves YOU unconditionally.

Wayne

*”The Master’s Final Words,” Meister Eckhart.

The headwaiter called the bridegroom and said to him, “Everyone serves good wine
first, and then when people have drunk freely, an inferior one; but you have kept the
good wine until now.” – John 2:9b-10

The Wedding at Cana: Jesus turns water into wine. It’s referred to as Jesus’ first miracle, the first sign of His divinity. And yet the headwaiter, the bridegroom, and presumably most of the guests, only knew it as wine. In fact, it was the best wine they’d been served. They weren’t aware that it was once water, and that a miracle happened behind the scenes.

Who did know? The servants knew.

Jesus told them, “Fill the jars with water.” So they filled them to the brim. – John 2:7 The humble servants, whom Jesus’ mother told to “Do whatever he tells you”, fetched some 150 gallons of water into stone jars, and whom Jesus told to “Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter”, knew. They saw the water go in, and saw the wine come out. Their eyes were opened that this was no ordinary man. They followed His instructions without even knowing why. There’s nothing in there where He says “Fill these jars with water, and I’ll make some wine from it”. I can’t imagine it’s what they expected to be doing in the middle of a wedding feast.

And the disciples saw it, too, Jesus did this as the beginning of his signs in Cana in Galilee and so revealed his glory, and his disciples began to believe in him. – John 2:11 So these men, the ones who had interrupted their lives to follow a charismatic traveler, also committed without knowing what was to come. And, like the servants, they were rewarded with being allowed to witness signs that they never imagined possible.

Are we the wedding guests, who go about their day enjoying, but not understanding, the bounty that’s been provided? Or, are we more like the servants and disciples, who have committed to doing the Lord’s will, not knowing what will come of it, and are rewarded with a deeper appreciation of His Divine Power? I challenge you to commit, each day, to listening for His instructions and carrying them out without asking why. Because the most miraculous part is often what goes on behind the scenes!

We pray:
Lord, Your bounty is offered to all, but Your divine majesty is revealed to those who commit to doing your will. Count us among the servants and disciples who follow Your lead, because we know that what we witness in return will change our lives!
Help us to hear your instructions, Lord, and we will follow. AMEN.

Shared by a Friend in Connecticut, January 2025

Also the title of a movie from the 1980’s starring Sally Field as a young wife and mother of two who is suddenly widowed in Texas in 1935. Her husband had been accidentally shot and killed by a young black man. He was lynched for his crime. Sally’s character has to figure out how she and her children are going to survive. She picks and sells cotton. The closing scene of this film still gets me. All of the characters are in church, including the dead husband. He passes the communion bread to his killer. Talk about forgiveness!

The Lord’s Supper is the banquet of life and love. The ethics of community derive from this meal. This sacrament is the embodiment of inclusivity, of unity and diversity. Since Jesus died for sinners, including murderers, the means of grace are not withheld from the one who believes and is penitent. God alone judges the heart. It is hard for me to imagine worship without celebrating the bond we share at the Table. The service (or mass) feels empty without it. The Trinitarian nature – command (“this is my Son; listen to him”), visible sign (the body of blood of our Lord) and the promise of the Holy Spirit are more than just words. They do something to us. Towards the end of our weekly time together, it sends all of us out, having been fed by the very essence of our Savior and Redeemer.

  A movie, or a song, or a personal encounter, can show us the special places in our hearts. May the real presence of God’s unconditional love be among you and remain with you always.

Pastor Art

Our Savior walked a 40 day journey from the Last Supper to his crucifixion.   The walk was full of stress and pain.  Yet, always we heard his words to his father, “Not my will but yours.”

We have a 40 day journey through Lent.  It can be a beautiful experience of repentance.  It can be a difficult experience of keeping our fast.  But we can turn each day to our heavenly father with the words, “not my will but yours.”

I’d like to share with you a lovely hymn entitled, “Bless Now, O God, the Journey,” recorded by a member of the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The hymn begins with the stanza:

Bless now oh God the journey
that all your people make
the path through noise and silence
the way of give and take.

Our God walks with us through every journey, and surely through this 40-day journey of Lent. We know this, yet so often we turn to our own means. Remind us O Lord that you are here with us every step of the way.

Judy

Alexander Graham Bell received his telephone patent in 1869. His invention connected us even closer than letter writing. Fast forward to our connectivity now. It seems as if a great percentage of the world walks around with a phone in their hand or pocket. Amazing! There was a drawback to this convenience, I discovered in my classroom while teaching. My class was 7^th grade pre-algebra students. Each child had their own phone. As part of the curriculum, sometimes I put my students in groups of four to work TOGETHER on solving mathematical solutions. WOW!!!! Without exaggeration I’m telling you, their heads were looking down, there was little to no conversation.  (Since they were toddlers, they had had a phone to watch videos on, or play different learning games). My discovery was my students did not know how to converse for any length of time face to face, and they definitely struggled with problem solving with others. Have you been out to dinner and watched other families/couples sitting across from one another and never having a conversation? They are each busy looking down on their own phones.

Well, my friends, HEADS UP!  God does not connect to us on anything that requires a charger, or battery, or case or WiFi.  He is always available, and loves us unconditionally. Look Up! Praise Him.  Worship Him. Thank Him.  Share the Good News to others (even if you have to use your phone.) Jesus gave His life for each and every one of us. He sacrificed his own life for our sins. As a child of God, you are loved and forgiven. Heads up and communicate this beautiful, life-saving truth to others.

Jill