Dear Members and Friends of St. John,
Many of you know that last weekend Kathy and I attended a
reunion of my first college, Concordia Lutheran College in Austin, Texas. I attended what is now Concordia University,
Texas, from August 1971 to May 1973. As
reunions go this one went about as expected.
We renewed old acquaintances, told some stories, and reminisced about
the past. It gave both Kathy and me an
opportunity to give thanks for God’s blessings in our lives.
However, because Concordia was and is a Lutheran
Christian college we actually spent time at the reunion in worship both Friday
and Saturday mornings. I have been to
high school reunions for both Kathy and myself and there was never a worship
service included. But, we both attended
public high schools. Reflecting back on
my experience in Austin, I consider myself especially blessed to have learned from
professors who were Christians, often trained Lutheran teachers and
pastors. Many of my fellow students who
attended school with me were also studying to be church workers. Most days we spent time in chapel services, seeking
and considering God’s direction and purpose in our education and for our lives.
On Saturday morning of the reunion, after worship, former
staff and faculty reflected on past blessings and current realities at the
college. The man who taught me Physical
Science while I attended Concordia, Professor Ted Zoch, commented on the goals
of the faculty which helped make my education a blessing. He said, “We
couldn’t teach you everything you would need to know, so we put it in your DNA
to keep looking for Jesus” In
retrospect, I believe my professors were successful, and I am blessed and extremely
thankful.
Actually, those words from Professor Zoch point to a goal
that I, and I believe most pastors, have. I hope to prepare and equip the people of St.
John for lives as children of God. But, “We couldn’t teach you everything you would
need to know, so we put it in your DNA to keep looking for Jesus” As parents, Kathy and I have worked to prepare
our children for life, especially for eternal life. We pray God has used our efforts. But, I can also say about our parenting, “We couldn’t teach you everything you would
need to know, so we put it in your DNA to keep looking for Jesus”
As I read Scripture, I hear God having the same goal for
his children. Listen to what our Lord
moved Paul to write in Ephesians 2. “19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and
aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household,
20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus
himself as the chief cornerstone. (Ephesians
2:19-20) God builds up and
equips His people on the foundation of Scripture, with Jesus as the center of that
equipping. It is in knowing Jesus that
we serve as members of God’s household, that we live as children of God.
Actually, God cares for us past, present, and future as
we are built on this foundation of Jesus. God created us each as unique
individuals, and He calls us to live as His children in our baptisms. Unfortunately, we fail and rebel against God’s
purpose for us. But, our Lord loves and
forgives us through Jesus who died on the cross to pay for our sins. And, because of Jesus’ resurrection on Easter
God has our eternal life in heaven won for us.
God fills us with the DNA of looking to Jesus, so that we know our life
and purpose are found in Him.
For me, it was a moment of clarity to hear Professor Zoch
state what my professors had sought to do, to build and equip me and my
classmates for looking to Jesus. As pastor, as dad, and grandfather, I seek to
do the same, because that is God’s plan for us, that we are “built on
the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the
chief cornerstone.”
A Child of God, Given
Life and Purpose in Jesus,
Pastor Rockey
P.S. Here
are some pictures at the 70’s reunion with friends and faculty from the 70’s. https://goo.gl/photos/fXNi5ephC9uKM4c79
P.P.S. While “Thoughts
from the Pastor” is primarily intended for the members and friends of St. John,
it has also been printed weekly in our local newspaper, The Frontiersman, for
almost 6 years. The Frontiersman has
recently had changes. In order for this
week’s devotion to get in this week’s paper, I will attempt to get these devotions
out at the beginning of each week to make a new Wednesday deadline. So, you are receiving this message a little
earlier this week, and hopefully in the future.
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ABOUT ‘THOUGHTS FROM THE
PASTOR’ - I am sending these e-mail messages, hopefully weekly, to
all St. John members and friends whose e-mails I have. (I am regularly
adding new names of friends and members – in case you are just receiving this
e-mail for the first time.) However, if you don’t want to receive this
e-mail, please let me know, and I’ll gladly leave your name off my list for
this message.
******
