Joy Lutheran Church Ocala, Florida

Ignatius was the Bishop of Antioch martyred in Rome some time around 108. Almost everyone of those statements has been disputed.

Ignatius is intriguing because he left seven letters that he wrote as he was being taken to Rome for execution. These letters give us a glimpse of church life at the beginning of the second century.

You’d think the major concern would have been the persecution of Christians, yet the letters reveal a bunch of disputes. It’s certain that Ignatius was a Gentile, but Antioch in Syria was an area where there were still quite a few Christians of Jewish background yet Ignatius seems to have been at odds with them. He clearly prefers that churches be led by a bishop assisted by elders and deacons, whereas it was common for Jewish background churches to be led by elders alone. He also insists on The Lord’s Day (Sunday) rather than the Sabbath (Saturday) as the day of worship.

Ignatius is the first writer to refer to the Christian church as catholic (universal.) He quotes from the letters of Paul and seems to know the Gospels of Matthew and John. He emphasizes the divinity of Christ yet also insists Christ was really flesh and blood.

I wish people knew about some of the early Christians like Ignatius to have a better understanding of how Christianity developed. It is a complex story revealing that Christians never have been in complete agreement about things. That  sounds a lot like modern times. Ah, yes. The  more things change, the more they stay the same.

Read Ignatius to the Ephesians 13 (below) and remember: God loves YOU unconditionally.

Wayne

Ignatius to the Ephesians, chapter 13.  “Be sure to come together often to give thanks and praise to God. When you gather in the same place the powers of Satan are destroyed, and his destructive goals are prevented by the unity of your faith. Nothing is more precious than peace, which brings all war, both in heaven and earth, to an end.”

Ignatius was the Bishop of Antioch martyred in Rome some time around 108. Almost everyone of those statements has been disputed.

Ignatius is intriguing because he left seven letters that he wrote as he was being taken to Rome for execution. These letters give us a glimpse of church life at the beginning of the second century.

You’d think the major concern would have been the persecution of Christians, yet the letters reveal a bunch of disputes. It’s certain that Ignatius was a Gentile, but Antioch in Syria was an area where there were still quite a few Christians of Jewish background yet Ignatius seems to have been at odds with them. He clearly prefers that churches be led by a bishop assisted by elders and deacons, whereas it was common for Jewish background churches to be led by elders alone. He also insists on The Lord’s Day (Sunday) rather than the Sabbath (Saturday) as the day of worship.

Ignatius is the first writer to refer to the Christian church as catholic (universal.) He quotes from the letters of Paul and seems to know the Gospels of Matthew and John. He emphasizes the divinity of Christ yet also insists Christ was really flesh and blood.

I wish people knew about some of the early Christians like Ignatius to have a better understanding of how Christianity developed. It is a complex story revealing that Christians never have been in complete agreement about things. That  sounds a lot like modern times. Ah, yes. The  more things change, the more they stay the same.

Read Ignatius to the Ephesians 13 (below) and remember: God loves YOU unconditionally.

Wayne

Ignatius to the Ephesians, chapter 13.  “Be sure to come together often to give thanks and praise to God. When you gather in the same place the powers of Satan are destroyed, and his destructive goals are prevented by the unity of your faith. Nothing is more precious than peace, which brings all war, both in heaven and earth, to an end.”

The words are familiar. The prayer attributed to St. Francis of Assisi.   St. Francis calls on us to be God’s instrument; the calling is noble but the task so difficult. How can we ever measure up?

Perhaps it will help a bit to know that Francis’ beginnings were far from saintly. He was born to wealth and privilege in 1182 in the Italian city of Assisi. He dreamed of being a soldier. He actually was attracted to what he saw as the glamour and romance of warfare. The reality turned out quite differently. In his first battle he was captured and made a prisoner of war. He was struck with illness that nearly took his life, was released, and sent home to recover.

Gone was the romance of the soldier’s life. We’re told that at this point his outlook on life took a radical turn. He renounced his wealth and sought to emulate Jesus’ life of poverty. He taught simplicity. He was concerned with lepers and the poor. He rebuilt churches. He promoted love for all of God’s creatures. The men who followed him about became known as an order of brothers – the Franciscans.

Francis wasn’t born with this innate sense that he was an “instrument of God’s peace,” and neither were we. Perhaps the clue comes in the very first three words of the prayer: “Lord, make me . . .”   Yes Lord, we don’t come by this talent naturally and it’s not easy, but YOU can make us such an instrument. And so we lift our hearts in prayer. Lord, you who loves us unconditionally, you can make an “instrument of peace” even out of us.

Never forget, God loves YOU unconditionally.

Originally posted in October 2018 by Judy

I just finished weeding the garden and now, it is time to prepare dinner. What’s the first thing that I need to do? Yes, wash my hands. For most of us, this is an automatic response to having dirt on our hands. We wouldn’t think about preparing or eating food without first making sure that our hands are clean. But we have done exactly that! And lived to tell the tale, usually, hopefully, without ill effect to our bodies. However, have we offended God by doing so?

A few weeks ago, the gospel reading from Mark 7: 1-23 mentions this exact situation. The Pharisees notice that some of Jesus’ disciples were “eating with defiled hands.” The dietary restrictions and rules found in Leviticus chapter 11 and Deuteronomy chapter 14 are quite specific, restrictive and hard to uphold without a lot of attention to detail. Along with a thorough, ritualistic washing of the hands, Jews were instructed to wash items obtained at the market place, had special procedures for dishes and cooking pots, and, of course, they were prohibited from eating certain kinds of food.

I had always thought, in my limited knowledge of these chapters, that many of these requirements were in place for the health and safety of the people. This practice was quite ahead of its time providing the people with good hygiene habits. However, these practices were very much in the forefront of Jewish devotional practices, as well. To ignore these rules meant more than the possibility of a food borne illness, it was a big offense against God.

This chapter of Mark brings Jesus’ reaction to the Pharisees’ complaints to our attention. He quotes from Isaiah and lashes out at them, calling them hypocrites who honor God with their lips but not their hearts. He is very angry at them. He tells them that they are fulfilling the prophesy made by Isaiah all those years ago. These people have abandoned the commandment of God in favor of the tradition of man.

Wow! All these many years, the Jewish people have followed the instructions regarding the dietary rules. Now, this Jesus tells them there is something more important that the traditions developed by their leaders. Jesus tells them that “there is nothing outside a person that by going in can defile, but things that come out are what defile.” It is from the human heart that evil intentions come. He lists twelve major evils that come from within among them: murder, theft, fornication, envy, pride. To see the full list, read Mark 7: 21-22.

What a powerful lesson this reading is for me, for you, for the whole world. This is not to say that following traditions is wrong, but blindly following traditions without regard for what is coming from our hearts is. Clean hearts are not the result of keeping our hands clean. Clean hearts result from surrender to the will of a loving God who wants only the best for all His children. The children whom He loves unconditionally.

Originally posted by Terri in September 2018

Yes, I’m thinking of the old hymn, “Rock of Ages, cleft for me.”  Perhaps it’s a strange metaphor to think of Jesus as a rock with a fissure.  But, that’s exactly how Augustus Toplady expressed it in 1776.

“Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in thee;
Let the water and the blood,
From thy wounded side which flowed
Be of sin the double cure;
Save from wrath and make me pure.”*

Are your mountains crumbling?  Does it feel like your sky is falling down?  Are you caught in a storm and headed in the wrong direction?  Whatever you need protection from, Jesus is there, standing by you. You can sprint to your “rock.”  You can hide yourself in the cleft.  It’s a spot where you will be safe from any storm. 

You may be reminded of the more contemporary lyrics by Ben E. King in the song, “Stand by Me.”

“If the sky that we look upon
Should tumble and fall
Or the mountains should crumble to the sea
I won’t cry, I won’t cry
No, I won’t shed a tear
Just as long as you stand, stand by me.”*

Except in this song, it is “his darlin” who will stand by him. Now that’s a good thing but counting on our Lord Jesus in these circumstances sounds far more secure to me. Jesus, the Rock of Ages, that’s what I truly want.  How about you?

Hope you enjoy this old favorite recorded by the Vagle Brothers in 2015.

Judy

*Rock of Ages, Augustus Toplady 1776.
*Stand by Me, Ben E. King

How many times do you see wishing wells? Or perhaps a fountain filled with coins, even at amusement parks, you will notice areas of water where folks have tossed in their coins. Of course, the beautiful Trevi Fountain in Rome must have millions of coins tossed in each year. 

With each coin toss, is there a wish to go with it? Blowing out candles on a birthday cake, do you make a wish first? When you see a shooting star, do you quickly make your wish?

Solomon, King David’s son, was young when he took the throne.  In a dream, God told him he could ask for anything and God would give it to him.  WHAT???? Anything, and it will be granted!  WOW!!!  What would you ask for, if you were Solomon? 

I’m sure you remember Solomon’s answer.  He asked for wisdom. 2 Chronicles 1:11-12 “God answered Solomon, “This is what has come out of your heart: You didn’t grasp for money, wealth, fame, and the doom of your enemies; you didn’t even ask for a long life. You asked for wisdom and knowledge so you could govern well my people over whom I’ve made you king. Because of this, you get what you asked for—wisdom and knowledge. And I’m presenting you the rest as a bonus—money, wealth, and fame beyond anything the kings before or after you had or will have.” 

So, was Solomon just lucky? I believe, we have the same availability in our conversations with God.  He sent the Holy Spirit to dwell in us, as close as our breath, with unconditional love. According to God’s Will, ^“Ask, and it will be given to you. Search, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you. Everyone who asks will receive. The one who searches will find. The door will be opened to the one who knocks.” If you have a desire, according to God’s Will for you, let that stir in you asking, seeking, and knocking. The Holy Spirit will hear and respond.

My heart wishes for you, God’s blessings.  Jill

I recently read this cute story and it reminded me once again how powerful prayer is.

A grandfather was walking through his yard when he heard his granddaughter repeating the alphabet in a tone of voice that sounded like prayer. He asked her what she was doing.  The little girl explained, “I’m praying, but I can’t think of exactly the right words, so I’m just saying all the letters and God will put them together for me because He knows what I’m thinking.”

Out of the mouth of babes…those words ring so true in this little story and in our lives.

I know in these past few weeks many people have been praying for those of us in the path of the hurricanes. Like all of you, I received many emails, texts and phone calls asking if we were going to be okay and what they could do for us. Each time I answered them with “Please pray for all of us and continue to pray for everyone once the storms have passed. Prayer is what we all need most”. I know they prayed and I felt the sense of peace those prayers brought me.   

In Psalm 139:1-2 we read these words. To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. O Lord, you have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up, you discern my thoughts from afar.

These words from this psalm are perfectly reflected in the words of the child in the above story. God knows what we know and He knows what we need. Through His unconditional love for us, He has provided the perfect thing we need…the salvation that comes from believing and trusting in His Son who gave His life for us.

I leave you with these words from another little ditty I read. The first ever cordless phone was created by God. He named it Prayer. It never loses its signal and you never have to recharge it. You can use it anywhere. Amen!  Thanks be to God!!        

Patty

This story begs to be told. In the summer of 1976, I was 29 and running for the Vermont House of Representative from the town of Colchester. Jimmy Carter was 52 and running for President. We both won our elections.  

President Carter turned 100 last week on October 1 and celebration is appropriate for this good, strong, loyal Christian man who took his faith with him to the White House. He spoke openly and unashamedly about his faith in Jesus Christ. The lessons that he learned and practiced during his life set the stage for his actions as President of the greatest country in the world.  

You may not always hear this praise about his term in office. Much is unknown about the background of his diplomatic works. He served during a very difficult time in American history on all aspects of our lives-domestic and foreign. One thing is sure, Jimmy Carter used the Lord and His teachings as his guide throughout his presidency as he did in his life. 

I had the honor of meeting Mr. Carter twice before he was elected. He came to Burlington Vermont to campaign in the most personal type of campaigning. He met with people, mostly women at the gatherings that I attended, in the living room of their homes. Not big luxurious homes, but the small middle-class homes that you would find in small communities like Burlington. We sat around in a circle on chairs gathered from the kitchen and dining room to listen to him talk about his goals.  

This may be part of the reason that I have so much admiration for him and his life. He talked to us because our opinions mattered to him. Many of his goals were those that women have reason to want accomplished: child-care issues, workplace equity, world peace and respect for all people.  

During the Iranian Hostage Crisis, he was urged by advisors to bomb Iran. They wanted a show of power which the US could have easily done and destroyed the nation of Iran. Carter’s decision to hold off on this type of aggressive action was based on his determination that 10-20 thousand innocent Iranians would be killed and certainly all the hostages would be executed.  

His decision was among the actions that led to his defeat that November. It is ironic that the hostages were intentionally freed the day after Carter left the White House (there is another story there). It did not stop President Carter from boarding a jet and flying to Germany to meet the hostages that meant so much to him. You have never heard Jimmy Carter whine and cry about the political sabotage that took place while he was in office. 

There is so much more to say about this humble servant, but I will let you do the rest of the research. He has written many books that are a treat to read, informative and enjoyable.  

I leave you with one of his quotes found in the USA TODAY NETWORK, Sunday October 6, 2024: I have one life and one chance to make it count for something…My faith demands that I do whatever I can, wherever I am, whenever I can, for as long as I can with whatever I have to try to make a difference.  

President Carter knows that Jesus loves him unconditionally. Jesus loves you unconditionally as well. Love Him back! 

Terri 

“To dream the impossible dream.” So sings Don Quixote in the “Man of La Mancha.” It’s an inspiring song, but of course Don Quixote was nuts, crazy, stark-staring bonkers. He was an old man who though he was a knight and jousted with windmills.

Dreamers are seldom treated well in our society. They are dismissed as unrealistic and impractical. Yet, I am inspired by the notion of an impossible dream. Why? Because everything about Jesus was impossible. That God should become flesh? Impossible! That the Savior of the world should be murdered on a cross? Impossible! That a dead man should rise to new life? Impossible! But these weren’t impossible. All of them really happened.

What’s more, I think Jesus calls us to dream the impossible. Dream of a world where the hungry are fed, where the meek inherit the earth, where peacemakers are called the children of God. Dream of a world where we love others as we love ourselves, love even out enemies.

Are those dreams crazy, or is it the world we live in filled with greed, hate, and violence that is crazy?  In 1968 Senator Robert F. Kennedy made a speech in which he quoted George Bernard Shaw: “Some people see things as they are and say why?  I dream things that never were and say, why not?”  Why not indeed.

Sisters and Brothers, dream the impossible dream–a world that lives the way Jesus taught us. Strive to make that dream come true. And above all, trust that with God all things are possible.

Read Joel 2:28 and remember: God loves YOU unconditionally.

Wayne