Dear
Fellow Children of God,
My daughter, Mary, gave me the
gift of an “Ancestry.com” kit for Christmas.
Using this tool has been an interesting discovery into the history of
our family. I knew I was of German
ancestry. Through a DNA test I also found out that I have about an equal amount
of Scottish blood in me. As the online
program searches public records, grave stones, and pictures, I found that my
family on my father’s side immigrated from Germany, primarily from around
Hannover, in the mid 1800’s. But, my dad’s
ancestors also include those from Poland and from Switzerland. On my mother’s side, some of the family came
to America from Ireland, England, and Scotland.
But, going back 5 generations, some of my mom’s family were in America
in as early as the 1700’s. I also discovered
that family dynamics are not only difficult in our day and time. My ancestors
also faced untimely death, divorce, and other challenges. I knew some of these facts, but I am learning
even more as this computer program helps me to dig deeper.
I had another surprise. I did not expect to find many others doing similar
research including some of the same people in my family. Family trees extend a long way. Some of these fellow
genealogy searchers I recognize. But most I do not know. It seems to me that there is an increase of
interest in our family histories in recent years.
Did you know that genealogy is
not a new phenomenon? Scripture is full
of such lists. The first one I know of
shows up in Genesis 5, listing a line descendants from Adam down to Noah. But, Ruth 4 gives us a short genealogy
showing that Ruth was the great grandmother of King David. There are many other genealogies in the Old
Testament, and both Matthew (Matthew 1:1-17, and Luke (Luke 3:23-38) give us
the family line of Jesus.
Following genealogical records
can be confusing. Sometimes birth
records, and death certificates, marriage records and gravestones list the same
dates, but the names are different, yet similar. Likewise, Matthew traces Jesus’ heritage back
to Abraham. On the other hand, Luke
follows Jesus’ line all the way through Adam, to God. Therefore, according to Luke, Jesus is the
Son of God by flesh. Yet, according to
John 1, and John 3, Jesus was “with God” in the beginning. He is the “only begotten Son” (John
3:16) of God!
This heritage of Jesus is
important to us! As a man, born of Mary,
Jesus kept God’s law for us, suffered and died to pay for our sins, and rose to
win victory over sin, death, and judgment.
As God, Jesus’ life shouts to us the love of God, that our Heavenly Father
sent His ‘only begotten Son’, to save us.
As God, Jesus was able to accomplish our salvation by doing what sinful
and weak human beings cannot accomplish.
This Sunday, June 4, at St.
John, there are ways in which our family celebrates our heritage. After late worship, at 12:30 p.m., we will
dedicate the St. John Lutheran Pavilion.
The pavilion is named “The St. John Pavilion” because it belongs to this
congregation to be used for the glory of God.
However, the pavilion is dedicated to my dad, Robert E. Rockey, who gave
the funds which were used to build this tool for ministry.
In many ways my dad was a
simple, if faithful man. He worked as an
electrical engineer. However, his life
showed faith in God and love for his wife and children. I often heard our pastor in Florida say that
my dad had served in every office at First Lutheran in Gainesville. And, my dad’s life and love lives on in his
children and grandchildren and others.
Three of his children served as professional church workers. As his oldest son, I served as full-time
pastor for over 40 years, 28 of which were at St. John. His son, Stephen, served as an LCMS teacher
and principal for 20 years. Our youngest
sibling, James, has served as a pastor for 25 years, and is now District
President for the Florida-Georgia District.
In addition, my dad’s only daughter, Martha, has served as
congregational president in her small Lutheran church, Good Shepherd Lutheran
in Chiefland, FL. Actually, she has served
about as long as congregational president as some of her brothers served as
professional church workers.
You see, I observed that my dad
would have traced his lineage and ancestry like Jesus did, all the way back
through Adam, to God. My dad saw himself
as a sinner, called to God’s grace to forgiveness and life in Jesus. My dad lived by grace as a “child of God.”
Have you thought about your ancestry? Do you realize that, from the beginning, you
are a child of our Heavenly Father? Does
your godly heritage show in your faith and life?
A Child of God, Thankful
for My Christian Family and Heritage of Faith!
Pastor Jonathan
P.S. Please plan to attend the St. John Lutheran Pavilion
dedication this Sunday, June 4. After
the short ceremony we plant to serve salmon and brats, cole slaw and macaroni
and cheese, cake and watermelon. J
P.P.S. The St. John Colony Days Picnic is held
Saturday, June 10, after the Colony Days Parade. There are many opportunities to provide food
donations or to help with the picnic.
Please consider volunteering or donating if you have not yet done so.
P.P.P.S. The weather has been cool and windy since we
arrived back home in AK. So no fishing yet.
But I’m scheduled to take someone fishing this Thursday. However, we have been working on our yard,
and on our daughter’s new house.
·
Here is a picture of new snow on the mountains
on May 30. You see what we have been
facing for weather. https://photos.app.goo.gl/kCrwBAeHPnKAziwa8
·
Our Garden has been planted since May 25. Here are a few pictures. https://photos.app.goo.gl/PSRvthpU2Ch3XAhHA
·
The Raspberries are trimmed and weeded. https://photos.app.goo.gl/P25MX6r88h5uQTkK9
·
The Strawberries are weeded. https://photos.app.goo.gl/qHpKU8esE29EPvWYA
·
I planted new Apple Trees, and tried grafting
the trees damaged by the moose. https://photos.app.goo.gl/VdSsFscQJQVwTT549
·
I trimmed a previously transplanted Lilac
bush. https://photos.app.goo.gl/pVtopJvRA2XQaYYG8
·
Now I’m working on the front flower
gardens. https://photos.app.goo.gl/dYhUoq6fXpLnDwBN9
*****
ABOUT THIS DEVOTION - I retired
at the end of August 2019 from serving as senior full-time pastor of St. John Lutheran Church
in Palmer, AK. I was writing a weekly
devotion previously entitled, "Thoughts from the Pastor." When I retired many asked me to continue
writing these devotions. So I have
continued writing. However, with life's
changes I now call this weekly devotion "Journeys Through Life as a Child of
God." Since I am no longer senior
pastor at St. John, I felt it right to only send this message to those who
asked to receive it.
So, if you stopped receiving these
devotions and wondered why, now you understand.
And, if you are now receiving these devotions and do not wish to receive
them, please let me know, and I’ll gladly remove your name from my distribution
list. My e-mail address is
jonrock53@mtaonline.net.
My prayer is that these devotions help
each of you in your daily walk with our Lord, Jesus.
*******
Jonathan Rockey
Child of God
Husband, Father, Son, Grandfather
Pastor Emeritus, St. John
Lutheran Church
E-Mail: jonrock53@mtaonline.net
“1 John 3:1 How great is the love the Father has lavished
on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” (1
John 3:1 a)
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