Joy Lutheran Church Ocala, Florida

Today commemorates Ludwig Nommensen (1834-1918) a Danish-German Lutheran missionary to Indonesia. In a round about way, he’s partly the reason became a Lutheran pastor. He enrolled at the Rhenish Missionary Society seminary at Wuppertal-Barmen in 1857. He was sent as a missionary to Sumatra, Indonesia in 1862, and worked diligently among the Batak people. In 1881 he became the first euphorus (bishop) of what became the  Batak Christian Protestant Church. This body of some 4.5 million Lutherans continues to grow and is larger than our own Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Nommensen University in Indonesia is named after him. That’s where his story crosses mine.

I was in my last year of college when I saw an ad in the Lutheran that the LCA was looking for someone to send to Nomensen University to teach choral music and English. I applied and was interviewed by Pr. Norman Nuding who turned out to be a friend one of my music professors and a pastor I knew well. The interview went well, except that it turned out the position also required the person to coach soccer. I didn’t get the job, but I was first runner-up. Pr. Nuding was encouraging and he hoped I would find a way to serve the Lord. That was the push I needed to explore becoming a pastor.

God sends us to share the Good News of Jesus, but we seldom realize how far reaching our influence may be. Remember the words to the old spiritual, “Children go where I send you.”

Where is God sending you?

Read Matthew Luke 9:1-2 and remember: God loves YOU unconditionally.

Wayne

Matthew 17:20-21 quotes Jesus as saying, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”  And, sometimes we need to have faith in small things.

This is the true story of Swedish missionaries David and Svea Flood and their daughter Aggie Hurst. I read the story in a Bible study class using the book “Grace Is Greater” by Kyle Idleman.

David and Svea went as missionaries to the N’dolera area of the Belgian Congo. The local chief wouldn’t let them have contact with any of the local people except for a boy who sold them food. Svea converted him, and he was to be the only convert they had in the years they were there.

In what should have been a joyous time, Svea gave birth to a baby girl, but unfortunately died a few days after giving birth. David was shattered, and depressed over her death and his lack of success, he went back to Sweden. He gave the baby to the care of an American missionary couple, who adopted her, named her Aggie, and raised her in the United States.

As an adult Aggie traveled to Sweden and made contact with her natural father. He had lived a less than happy life suffering from alcoholism, and was very ill. He apologized for giving her up explaining that he was depressed over Svea’s death and his failure as a missionary; he stressed that there had only been one convert. Aggie, though, had a surprise for him; she knew what had happened to that one convert. In a few years his witness had led to the conversion of almost everyone in the N’dolera region. Later, as an adult he had become the leader of a Christian association in the Congo with over 100,000 members. With the aid of Aggie’s love and message, David returned to his faith.

I love this story. I love the way this very small success, the conversion of a little boy, led to something greater. Please remember that God sometimes speaks to us through small things and that often that message is that He loves YOU and me unconditionally.

Adapted from a blog by Jim in November 2018

Election Day. There have been so many early voters – myself included – and mail-in votes that today will be just another of those days; that is until we anxiously try to stay up in hopes of knowing who POTUS #47 will be.

We have been in the modern era, or the age of the nation-state, since the Peace of Westphalia in 1648. The rumblings even were beginning during Luther’s time a century before, with the Age of Enlightenment grabbing a hold. And, after thirty years of war in Europe, people were weary of violence at the behest of organized religion. Christian faith became more tolerant and privatized. Mystery and devotion to God got pushed to the periphery by the concept/reality of the nation-state. Imagination and wonder gave way to power and authority. Father, Son, and Holy Ghost? How about self, state, and economy? The epoch of modernity had begun.

So it is, that for the past three + centuries, Christianity did not occupy space in the public square. Re-foundings are bubbling and fermenting – maybe even convulsing. U.S.A. 2024 finds us grappling over so-called “Christian nationalism”. I am only stating what is, the sitz im leben. Blogs are not places to stir up arguments. In my sermon Sunday, I hope I made the distinction between the kingdom of God and the nation-state. In our democracy, we get a chance every four years to either “right the ship” or “stay the course”. No matter who becomes POTUS #47, God will still be God, loving us unconditionally. Whatever the outcome, God will reveal His purpose in His time. Maybe we’re in the birth pangs of post-modernity, since it has been over five hundred years since the last upheaval. Our faith shall ensure that we’ll be okay, my brothers and sisters in Christ.

Pastor Art

The past 6 weeks have given me the opportunity to experience the plodding pace of recovery, and the patience required to do so cheerfully.   The plodding pace came like it or not, the patience not always so easily.  My situation was no different from that which many of you have experienced, and my surgery not nearly as difficult.  I could see light at the end of the tunnel – the question was more often how long is that tunnel.

So, what do we do?  Inspired by the experiences which so many of you have shared with me, I made the attempt to turn these days over to God, completely.   I have no plan here God, you do.  So, take me by the hand one day at a time.  When I kept my focus on God, it worked.  When I set my thoughts too much on my own bumbling, I sank.   God’s will, not mine, became a very apparent necessity for each day.

I know I’m “preaching to the choir” here, as the saying goes.  But some situations just have to be experienced personally before they become real.  I wish no difficulties for any of you, but should the day I arise, I hope you will look to the Lord who loves you unconditionally and turn it all to him.

I’ve attached a rendition of an inspiring song by Don Moen, “He WILL make a way.”  (Emphasis mine.)

Judy

I love to bake. Ask the neighbors, or the man who mows our lawn, or the pest service guy who sprays the yard, or my hubby. (I bake for them regularly.)  I have a few recipes that are quick, easy and delicious, so I can whip them up quickly when needed.  One of those is beer bread.  Yummy! The kitchen smells wonderful during the baking cycle. Don’t laugh, but I often think of the verse, John 6:35-38 “Jesus said, ‘I am the Bread of Life. The person who aligns with me hungers no more and thirsts no more, ever. I have told you this explicitly because even though you have seen me in action, you don’t really believe me. Every person the Father gives me eventually comes running to me. And once that person is with me, I hold on and don’t let go. I came down from heaven not to follow my own agenda but to accomplish the will of the One who sent me.’ “

We have learned bread is quite sustaining. When consumed it is filling and has fiber, vitamins, protein, folic acid, etc. Jesus gave us an example we could grasp and apply to ourselves. HE is the bread of life. We know if we learn more about Him, delving into His Words, trusting in His message, we will not hunger.  We are loved unconditionally and can understand the comparison He makes between the substance of bread and its fullness and giving ourselves to Him. He will fill us with His love, trim the crust of our rebellious nature, coat us with mercy and forgiveness, and dust the crumbs of sin from our hearts.

Fill yourself with Jesus.  The BREAD of LIFE!

Jill

I recently ran into this little ditty while I was reading a magazine.  I thought it is a great Idea think about. 

It reads, Life is like a camera. Focus on what matters the most. Capture what makes you happy. Develop from the negative. If things don’t work out, always take another shot.

Almost every line is a pun, which I love, but I also think the message is special. There are many times we try to accomplish something where we work hard, give it special attention, think it is what we really need (or want), but it just doesn’t turn out the way we had intended.

Do we just quit and think, “What’s the use?” or do we attend to another old adage, “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again”.

This certainly applies to our relationship with our Lord.  He may think the same thing about us.  He has tried many times to have us focus on what matters most, (a life following His word), live a life which makes us happy (a life following Him), learn from the sins we commit (ask for His forgiveness) and try again to be better (by following Him).

There seem to be a common thread here, I think. Jesus is the only way. He is the truth and the life. If you choose Him, you will have life. He will help you live the way you should. He will be the inspiration for everything you do.

Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. John 14: 6

God loves us unconditionally!! Thanks be to God!

Patty

I wrote this blog about 5 years ago and the message is still heartwarming and comforting. People celebrate or don’t celebrate the holiday of Halloween. Its roots are planted deeply in the earth of our lives. It has many meanings and activities. An historical perspective is not my purpose today. 

I have always loved Halloween. As a child, creating a unique costume consumed most of October. My mother was a good sport about the celebration; often staying up late to finish a special creation for one of the nine children who filled her home. 

As I grew older, easier costumes became the most popular. I think that I was a hobo or a pirate for 3 or 4 years in a row. Dirty face, patch over the eye and a striped shirt – so easy! I think that I will be a pirate this year as I attend a neighborhood party. 

Since this was before the days of booby-trapped treats, we went out on our own, up and down our busy road. I often had the responsibility of a younger sibling, but they were so cute that it was never a chore, but fun. We always came home with lots of candy, which our mother let us keep. Our dentist loved it. 

We never tricked. We knew that was wrong. Then we had to get up and go to church the next day because it was a holy day of obligation, All Saints’ Day. The religious significance of the day was not lost on me, but the candy was always the most important part. 

So, I was completely taken by an article in a local paper about an eight-year-old girl who had a different goal for her Halloween this year. She had her mother create a kid-sized McDonald’s French Fry container, all red and unmistakable. And then, she went out for Trick or Treat in that costume to collect for the Ronald McDonald House. She did this because she had a friend whose family had stayed at a Ronald McDonald House for a hospital stay. 

She did it because she likes to help people. She has a very generous heart. 
What a powerful example of self-less love in a child so young. What an inspiration for me when I think about buying some unnecessary item rather than slipping the extra contribution into the collection plate. I do believe that God’s heart swells when witnessing such unselfish action. What a wonderful way to please the Father who loves us unconditionally. 

Terri 

https://www.ocala.com/news/20191105/philanthropic-third-grader-is-one-kind-caring-mckid

It never occurred to me as a kid to dress up as Martin Luther for Hallowe’en. (By the way, that’s the way I was taught to write it when I was in school. It’s a contraction for Hallow Evening.) I suppose if I had done the Luther thing, I would have jeopardized getting candy from the Roman Catholic households.

Hallowe’en and Luther are connected because it was on October 31, 1517, that he sent the “Disputation on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences” or Ninety-five Theses to Albert of Brandenburg, Archbishop of Mainz. He may have posted them on the door of All Saints’ Church in Wittenberg on or around the same time. History is a little murky about that part of the story.

Pope Leo didn’t like the Theses. According to legend, he asked what drunken German had written them. I’m not sure today all Lutherans would like the Theses either. Here’s the first one: “When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said, ‘Repent,’ he willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.”  An entire life of repentance? Are you nuts? I’m not that big of a sinner that I need forgiving all the time. (I knew a Lutheran who actually said something like that.) When we start thinking we don’t have anything to repent of, we really need to repent.

Luther didn’t foresee where his Theses would lead. He wanted to debate. Instead of discussion, he was met by attempts to silence him. I wonder if we Lutherans want to hear him today?

Read Matthew 4:17 and remember: God loves YOU unconditionally.

Wayne

“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!

Originally posted in October 2018 by Terri

The one with the speech impediment is chosen to be the spokesman and leader of the Hebrews. The traitorous twin manages to wrestle away the birthright. The youngest, smallest son slays the giant. The “Sons of Thunder” are chosen by the Son of Man to be his disciples. A despised Samaritan does what two “holy men” refuse to. Saul/Paul – in my estimation, the most outrageous, incredible turn-around God has ever enacted in a human. The Bible offers us these and so many more.

Our puny selves become gainfully employed changers of the world. We have always been, and are still, the few who are evangelists; difference-makers. Don’t ever doubt what the Holy Spirit may be up to in you! We are God’s delightful treasure in broken pots. The tax collectors, whores, and murderers, ripped from between the lines of Holy Scripture. Poor madmen and fools who cut themselves shaving, trip over their own feet, and shoo away the children. All of us, daring to hope in the improbability that the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. The unconditional love of our God leaves us shaking our heads, maybe even chuckling at the sheer absurdity. The unconditional love is just that – freely given to the young man who is brain-dead from a self-induced fentanyl overdose; to the one ripping every drawer open to find the bottle, any bottle, with a sip of booze; to the one who can’t be bothered with caring for her disabled son; to the one who says, “I don’t have time for God”, when they honestly mean time for church. It’s all too unlikely, so much the case that we shrug with bemusement and say, “you can’t make this stuff up”. The ways of the world school us in despairing that something is too good to be true. The ways of God are that it’s too good NOT to be true.

Pastor Art