Joy Lutheran Church Ocala, Florida

While brainstorming ideas for upcoming blogs, my son Seth volunteered the following: “We need more kindness, Mom. We need to live the Word, not just talk about it. We need to set our own personal example of good behavior and follow it.”

Perhaps I should explain. Seth is not particularly religious, but he has cultivated a spiritual life which gives him comfort and strength. He considers Jesus to be a friend and genuinely values the teachings that He left for us to follow. He has done battle with me on numerous occasions about the predicament that varied organized religions have created for their followers and observers. I agree with him on many points of his arguments.

However, his willingness to share this simple, straight-forward paradigm for living struck me with its sincerity and ease of application. He wasn’t being flip or sarcastic, but honest and helpful. This is his belief, set against the background of many years of religious training in school, college and church. He has distilled a working philosophy which can be applied universally without complicated debate about dogma; without a victor; without anger.

Isn’t this exactly what our Creator God instructs us to do? Love one another; be kind and helpful. Don’t hurt each other. Reach out your hand in love and assistance. Live the word of God, don’t just talk about it. There are many straight forward concepts which don’t take any training to implement immediately. Feed the poor; shelter the homeless; treat the stranger like Christ.

A special thanks to Seth for today’s thoughts. It is wonderful to watch him apply this philosophy to his own life. The wonder of this joy continues everyday thanks to the grace and love which I receive unconditionally from our eternal God. It is yours also; receive and cherish these blessings and this grace from our God who loves you unconditionally. Read Titus 3:4-7 and be assured once again of this eternal promise.

Terri originally posted this in August 2018

This could be another instance of how the English language can be so complicated. So many antonyms, synonyms, spellings that get “confuzzled” (that’s an Amy word). Sometimes the only way to have peace of mind is to give someone a piece of it! We remember the expression, although not used as much today: “I’d like to give them a piece of my mind” – usually accompanied by a scowl and the crossing of arms. It might make you feel better temporarily, but it is anything but pleasant for the giver as well as the receiver of a piece of mind. Peace is so fleeting. All of us carry around mental baggage or burdens; things that inwardly trouble us. If we aren’t careful, we risk bottling it up for too long, and our piece of mind becomes such a huge chunk that it doesn’t come out the way we intended. But the damage is already done. Speaking the truth, even confronting someone with an uncomfortable truth, is a tough pill to swallow. Accusations hurled, names called, character assassinated. There are times when a piece of mind gets misinterpreted in all of those ways. The message is in the ear of the beholder.

We all find times in our lives when we feel hypocritical. It is part of the sinful human condition. We protect, defend our self-opinion at all costs. It is not different or easier when we are followers of Jesus. Or even just a fan of Jesus. We get on our moral high horse, becoming all self-righteous and judgmental. Neither the church nor Jesus promised us peace of mind. If it did, what need would there be for law and gospel? We always struggle and grapple with our unworthiness. I confess and own the fact that I have hurt people with my hypocrisy, with giving someone an unwarranted, unsolicited piece of mind just to make myself feel better; better than them. I stand condemned by the law of God; not just because I have broken commandments, but because I am a sinner. The only hope I have of getting the broken pieces back together is by the loving mercy and grace given by God through Jesus. The gospel grants the peace.

My Christian brothers and sisters share that peace with me every Sunday. We do not know all the sordid details of each other’s lives; most of that remains between us and God, against whom we have ultimately sinned. Church is not the panacea, the “fix-it-all” place. It is the broken body of Christ. It is the place where, if you give someone a piece of your mind, you rightfully expect or at least hope that there will be forgiveness leading to peace. So give yourself permission to be flawed, to mess up, to surrender your entire soul to the One who pieces back together. Be at peace with one another so that the un-Christian world can see your goodness and give glory to the same One who loves us unconditionally.

Originally posted by Pastor Art in October 2018

August 26 is the birthday of Mother Teresa.  It’s a good time to give thought to this holy woman of God. Mother Teresa was the founder of the Order of the Missionaries of Charity, a Roman Catholic congregation of women dedicated to helping the poor. Considered one of the 20th Century’s greatest humanitarians, she was canonized as Saint Teresa of Calcutta in 2016.

I would like to share with you one of her quotes.  “Before you speak, it is necessary for you to listen, for God speaks in the silence of the heart.”

We hear a similar message in James 1:19. “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.”

We are so quick to talk.  Perhaps it is a sign of our times where the faces on TV emote a continuous stream of talk.  They give their opinions, their views, their ideas, all with the assumption that they are correct.  Any other view of course would then be wrong. Talk, talk, talk.  Do they ever listen?

How about us?  Real loving listening is a skill.  It is possible to listen intently to one another, regardless of whether we agree.  We don’t have to immediately come back with our rebuttal. We can listen respectfully, explore what another is saying, and why they may feel that way.  Arguing doesn’t solve the problem.  Listening just may increase our understanding of each other.  Listening from the heart is a God-given ability that we do well to practice.

Isn’t it awesome that our loving God really listens to us? 

Judy

I was 8 years old when my family got our first car. Before the old gray Chevy, walking was the mode of transportation and Sundays were the best.  We walked to church as a family and after church, sometimes we stopped at the roller-skating rink and spent time skating as a family. Wonderful memories!

The walking became a game of sorts for my brother and me, sometimes we would sing rounds of silly songs, John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt, Frere Jacques, etc. Also fun, was chanting, “Don’t step on a crack, you’ll break your mother’s back,” or slide, slide, skip, or jump, hop, then skip. I’m certain all these antics during our walk were to just to keep our minds busy and make the one-mile walk seem to go faster.

How is your walk going? We are walking with our Lord through this earthly life. As David wrote in Psalm 26:1-3 “Vindicate me, O Lord,
    for I have walked in my integrity,
    and I have trusted in the Lord without wavering.
² Prove me, O Lord, and try me;
    test my heart and mind.
³ For your steadfast love is before my eyes,
    and I walk in faithfulness to you.”

Boost your mindfulness, as you walk through this life. Be faithful to your God, who loves you unconditionally. Trust, as David said, “…without wavering.” Hold your head up high, heart forward, one foot in front of the other, make your journey of faith a hop, skip and jump to knowing our Lord more deeply and trusting Him completely. You are never alone. Like David, “walk in faithfulness towards God.”

Jill

Silence is golden.  We have the right to remain so.  We are advised to do this to our fears. We are cautioned to observe it, or else! Libraries, sanctuaries, school halls all call for it most of the time.

Silence.

It has been scientifically proven that most people, after just two minutes of complete silence and stillness,  begin to lose our cotton-picking minds. Most of us are preconditioned to having some kind of ambient noise around us at all times. Many people always have the T.V. on in their homes, whether or not they are actually watching it. I have to have music on when I drive. I skip stations as soon as talking comes on, or I put in a CD.  There are techniques – Zen, tai chi, transcendental meditation – to tune out the distracting sounds. Mystical traditions, spiritual exercises, monasticism – whatever works.

Silence can be crushing – just ask Isaiah. To some, silence is akin to death. Maybe that is why when someone is dying, the last sense to go is hearing. Maybe it is in that particular silence that we encounter the living, active God. In trying to draw closer to God, we do need times of quiet reflection. Even in a worship service (remember the two-minute barrier?), it can be a challenge. Sometimes the best response to personal attacks is silence. My Dad taught me that when the urge is to fight back, further antagonizing the assailant, silence and ignoring can be tremendously disarming! If they don’t have an “audience”, eventually they will give up.

I pray for you, blog readers, with great joy and thanksgiving. I also pray that you will avail yourselves of the quiet, silent moments. Before or during the Sacrament of the Lord’s Table in congregations of the (ahem) Lutheran persuasion, we occasionally sing the following hymn as we prepare to encounter the living Christ:

Now the silence, Now the peace, Now the empty hands uplifted
Now the kneeling, Now the plea , Now the Father’s arms in welcome
Now the hearing, Now the pow’r, Now the vessel brimmed for pouring
Now the body, Now the blood,  Now the joyful celebration
Now the wedding, Now the songs,  Now the heart forgiven leaping
Now the Spirit’s visitation,  Now the Son’s epiphany
Now the Father’s blessing
Now  Now  Now

In the silence of your hearts, may you feel and know the unconditional love God has for you.

Originally posted by Pastor Art in October 2018

Several years ago, I listened to a sermon delivered by Pastor Lisette Baxter at St. Andrew’s Church in Colchester, VT.  Pastor Lisette’s message is based on Matthew’s Gospel about the slave who was forgiven much and didn’t get the message. 

You may recall that this Gospel according to Matthew (18:21-35) deals with the topics of forgiveness and mercy.  The slave’s master forgives him a sizeable debt after the slave appeals to the master for mercy and promises to make good on his debt.  However, the forgiven slave acts in a very different manner to a fellow slave who owes him a hundred denarii; refusing to grant leniency as he had been granted by the Master.  When the Master finds out about this behavior, he retracts his forgiveness and throws the Wicked Slave into debtors’ prison.  The Wicked Slave receives some nasty punishment for not following his Master’s example of forgiveness and mercy. 

With this reading as background, Pastor Baxter talked about four items of preparation before the actual act of forgiveness.  These steps, if you will, help to put forgiveness into its proper light as a Christian practice.  How many times have you heard people say, “I just cannot forgive her/him for what they did to me”.  And yet, forgiveness is at the very heart of the Christian message:  God reaching out to His people with love to forgive them their sins.  It is the very reason that Jesus took human form and came to earth to redeem us.  We did nothing to deserve it.  It was freely given, and we are freely forgiven. 

We must make the act of forgiveness an integral part of our faith practice.  So, here are four steps to help with this practice.    

First:  Own the pain.  It is necessary to accept that the offense caused harm or disruption in your life.  Don’t let it be washed over as nothing.  Denial causes resentments to build in your soul and turns you against others who don’t understand what you are going through or how hurt you are.  So, talk about the offense with a trusted spiritual partner, like a pastor, therapist or Stephen Minister. 

This is not a quick process. It is often on again, off again and can be very emotional.  Acceptance requires God’s grace, God’s active love in your life.  Often, it is easier to become numb to the hurt rather than recognize and confront the hurt within yourself.  Confronting the hurt takes courage. 

Second:  Forgiveness is for the Offended, not the Offender.  Forgiveness means to be released; to be set free.  In a recent study, victims who forgave their offenders almost all expressed a physical sense of release after the act of forgiveness.  They felt lighter and freer themselves.  They were freed from the resentment that was smoldering within. 

Third:  Repeat forgiveness does not mean being a Christian doormat.  Forgiveness does not mean tolerating inappropriate, bad or abusive behavior.  It requires good self-care.  It requires action, when appropriate. 

Fourth: This is not a once and done process, unfortunately.  Forgiveness is a process which requires a decision; it requires thoughtful prayer and help from God.  It requires the assistance of the Holy Spirit in letting go of the residual resentments and hard feelings. 

Why should we forgive anyway?  Because forgiveness imitates for the world the pure generous gift of love given to us by our Gracious God.  Yes, He the One who loves us unconditionally forever and always. 

Terri 

I think it was Patty and Violet in a 1950s Peanuts cartoon. They were planning a party and making a list of people not to invite which they found much more fun than actually inviting people. Kids–what can you do with them? What’s sad is they probably learned the behavior from the adults around them.

I should have kept a list of people some members wanted uninvited from their church. Somebody wanted an Ethiopian family uninvited; some wanted the single mother with a child uninvited, some wanted the lady with the service dog uninvited, some wanted the person who spoke English with difficulty uninvited, some wanted the woman with MS uninvited. I’ve actually had some people head off others before they even got into the building to make sure they knew they were not invited to the church. And I have a collection of horror stories about how teens were treated to make the point they weren’t invited.

I suppose you can tell these sorts of things really bother me.

I learned in Sunday school the story about the disciples trying to stop people from bringing children to Jesus. And the Lord told them: “Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs.” And then there is the powerful sentence from Hebrews: “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.”

If we don’t get that message, we haven’t understood Christ at all.

Read Matthew 25:31-40 and remember: God loves YOU (AND EVERYBODY ELSE) unconditionally.

Wayne

Early one morning I saw a perfect rainbow. The colors were vibrant, and its huge arc was completely visible from pot of gold to pot of gold. What made it unique was that it appeared against a perfectly blue cloudless sky, and there was no sight of rain or storm anywhere. It was so beautiful and moving, that I even woke my wife so she could see it, and she was happy that I had. While the rainbow is often viewed narrowly as a promise from God to never again flood the earth, the vision that morning moved me to see it as a symbol of all of God’s promises.

Rainbows are created when light is refracted in little rain drops, each acting as a little prism. White light is a mix of all the colors, but when light is refracted, different wavelengths are refracted different amounts so that the different colors appear; hence the colors of the rainbow are ordered by their wavelengths. For this and some other purposes it is best to think of light as a wave, but this presents problems. Waves require a medium; for example, the medium for the waves forming a ripple in a pond is water, and the medium for sound waves is air. For a long time, scientists fruitlessly searched for a mysterious medium, called the ether, to carry light waves until the idea was put to rest. If this seems a little over your head, welcome to the club.

We as Christians have a similar situation; we believe in a Triune God. That is, we believe in God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, and we believe that they are very different forms of the One God. Probably the closest scriptural reference to this is Matthew 28:19, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” Like the dual nature of light, this can be hard to understand, especially for new Christians. The early Church had similar problems and Constantine called the Council of Nicaea (325 AD) to study the matter. We recite the resulting Nicene Creed on many Sundays during the year. Even though hard to understand, the Triune God gives us more ways to come closer to Him.

By the way, in viewing that rainbow, I envisioned the pots of gold as God’s unconditional love for YOU and me.

Adapted from Jim’s post in August 2018

Our church has a “Super Sale” every year in the fall. Out come everyone’s “trash and treasure,” “white elephants,” jewelry, and books. The women get the fellowship hall and the men, of course, get the garage. All the power tools, big and heavy items,…and last year, my golf clubs. I determined that if they sold, that was a sign. If they didn’t, that too was a sign. Gone they were. And just like that, my golfing days were over. I was leaning in that direction anyway: too much time, money, and frustration. I just didn’t enjoy it anymore. Better the church gets the money.

I remember once a friend did a similar thing with their jet skis at their home garage sale. The kids were grown and moved out, so there those expensive toys sat. Another reminder that we keep things that don’t really fulfill; status symbols are what they amount to. In the overall, God’s story scheme of things, they are rubbish. Add to that our treasured, hallowed life accomplishments. They pale in significance compared to the inexpressible joy of knowing and experiencing life in Christ. All in.

When we heard major league baseball players testify to that knowledge and experience after yesterday’s Tampa Bay Rays game, it choked me up. Even being in the World Series, as they were in 2020, paled in comparison. When we get to the point of “is this all there is?” we find the Lord when we humbly seek him and lay our trophies at His feet. Happiness derived from creature comforts is nothing but vanity (Ecclesiastes). “Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven” (Beatitudes). Jet skis and golf clubs? Puh-leez! Nothing, no one is like You, our Rock and our Redeemer.

Pastor Art

In 1877 a baby boy was born in County Cork, Ireland. In the impoverished harbor village of Crosshaven, he was orphaned at a very young age. Education would be a luxury for such a lad, so he attended school (erratically) for only three years. Then, leaving behind the deprivations of an orphan, he ran off to sea as a cabin boy. It was not an auspicious beginning.

Our memory of him is a humbling experience – full of admiration for his determination to survive. He worked harder than we know, but in return he earned a bunk for sleeping and food for his plate.  How could he ever have imagined that a grandson and great-grandson would someday carry his name; that they would be educated in the schools of America; that they would enjoy opportunities beyond his wildest dreams.

To each generation – whatever our lot in life – the message is the same. We find Jesus’ words in Matthews 28:20, “surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Whatever our circumstance was yesterday, He was with us.
Whatever our circumstance is today, He is with us.
Whatever our circumstance may be tomorrow, He will be with us.

This unfathomable assurance brings to mind the beautiful words of a favorite hymn . . .

“Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee,
How great Thou art! How great Thou art!”
Swedish poem by Carl Boberg (1885), adapted by Stuart K. Hine (1899-1989).

How great is a God who loves you unconditionally to the very end of the age!

Originally posted by Judy in August of 2018