Sharing What's Really Important: May 2020

Wednesday, May 27, 2020

Surprised that I Have Exactly What I Need for a Difficult Task

Dear Fellow Children of God,

I am planting a garden again this year. Because of our quarantine time, I had plenty of opportunity to till, to weed, and to plant seed in early May. I actually planted potatoes, radish, carrot, beet, and spinach seeds on Monday, May 11. However, I also have some plant starts I have been waiting to plant in our garden on the hill behind our house. I have swiss chard, collards, early cabbage and red cabbage. I am also planting broccoli, romaine lettuce, red leaf lettuce, and buttercrunch lettuce. In past years all of these plants have done well in our 30’ x 30’ area of tilled and enhanced soil.

However, there is a reason I have been waiting to plant the starts. Not only has the weather been cool, BUT, we have a new issue this year . . . rabbits! (Or more correctly stated for Alaska, snowshoe hare) It seems that 2020 is the peak of the population curve for rabbits in our area, and I have seen many of these long eared pests hopping around in my yard. We even have rabbit droppings in our garden plot. I’m sure you understand that I don’t want to plant these vegetables which I purchased and then have them eaten up and disappear right away. So, how do I keep the rabbits away?

My wife suggested a fence as a possible rabbit deterrent. But, there are a number of reasons I don’t want to put up a fence. My Extension agent suggested predator urine. But, I wasn’t sure about that either. Where do I get the urine? How much do I use? How much does it cost? The problem about when to plant and what to do with this year’s rabbits was puzzling. What will I do? Where do I get the help I need to deal with this problem?

Then I talked with Pastor Craig Schultz of St. John Lutheran. He grew up on a farm in New York and said that he and his wife, Martha, have put dog hair around their vegetables. The dog hair has kept rabbits away for them. Well! As the owner of a yellow Labrador retriever, if there is anything which I have in abundance, it is dog hair! Kathy reminded me I could harvest this already collected hair in our vacuum canister. It turns out that, in facing this new and difficult task, I already have what I need to deal with the problem and to help me accomplish my goal of planting a garden.

In traditional Christian churches, which follow the assigned lectionary readings in worship, last Thursday, May 21, was Ascension Day, 40 days after Easter. This coming Sunday, May 31, is 50 days after this year’s Easter, so it is the day we celebrate the festival of Pentecost, when God poured out His Spirit on all flesh. You see, after Jesus’ resurrection, when He was preparing to physically leave this world, He gave the disciples a big job, an overwhelming mission. In Matthew 28 Jesus directed His 11 disciples, ¹⁸ . . . "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." (Matt. 28:18-20, See also Mark 16:15-16, Luke 24:46-47, and John 20:21-23) Jesus also repeated this charge on the day He ascended into heaven, telling His followers, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." (Acts 1:8) How would these men, who had so often failed Jesus, accomplish this mission He gave?

This job of making “disciples of all nations”, this mission of being Jesus’ “witnesses . . . to the end of the earth” is not just the task Jesus gave His disciples. Jesus also calls us, the children of God today, to spread the good news of His saving love. How do we accomplish this big, overwhelming mission given to us by our Lord? Where will we get the ability, the strength to accomplish such a task? The truth is, sort of like in my garden, we already have exactly what we need! Jesus does not just send His church to make disciples, to be His witnesses to the end of the earth. Jesus promises, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you.”

There are many commands Jesus has given His Church which are difficult, commands such as loving God with all our heart soul and mind, or loving our neighbor as ourselves (Mark 12:29-31). And, how can we love our enemies? (Matthew 5:43-44) Jesus promises that for these difficult tasks, even though He has ascended and physically left this world, we are not alone. “16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever-- 17 the Spirit of truth.” (John 14:16-17 a) God is with us through His Spirit to give us power and strength and ability as we face the challenges of the journey through life as a child of God.

I already have the help I need for a difficult task in my garden – I am abundantly blessed with dog hair. God has called us to continue the work of Jesus and to witness to His saving love to the ends of the earth. But, He has given us exactly what we need so that we have the power and strength for the task. God sends us His Holy Spirit. We Christians have the joy of celebrating God’s gift of the Holy Spirit in worship this Sunday.

A Child of God, Surprised that I Have Exactly What I Need for a Difficult Task,

Pastor Jonathan

P.S. Here are some garden pictures.

· Here are pictures of the plant starts, and dog hair around the starts in our garden. https://photos.app.goo.gl/PiiKfnaiNVCGUbRQ9

· Here are all the garden pictures so far for 2020. https://photos.app.goo.gl/Cf2iWxyasVcwH2F1A

P.P.S. I have few pictures this week, though the family and I

· Golfed on Wednesday, May 20.

· Did Anchorage chores on Thursday

· Went to our cabin Friday and Saturday – put the boat in the water and did a little trout fishing, not catching.

· Worshiped on Sunday

· Had a family gathering Sunday

· Put in a backing on a shelf and . . . 2 new toilet seats on Monday. J

· Planted garden starts on Wednesday, May 27.

*****

ABOUT THIS DEVOTION - I am now retired as senior pastor of St. John Lutheran in Palmer, AK. My weekly devotion was previously titled, "Thoughts from the Pastor." However, with life's changes I now call the devotion "Journeys Through Life as a Child of God." I am only sending this message to those who have asked to receive it. If you know someone else who desires to receive this message, have them e-mail me at jonrock53@mtaonline.net. I will include them on my distribution list. You can also view this message on my Facebook page.

A NUMBER OF PEOPLE HAVE ASKED ME WHY THEY ARE NO LONGER RECEIVING MY DEVOTIONS. Since I’m only sending these e-mails to people who ask for them, many are no longer receiving them. BUT, if you read this on Facebook and like to receive these devotions by e-mail, or if you know someone who would like to receive these devotions, send me an e-mail at jonrock53@mtaonline.net, and I will add you to my distribution list.

Jonathan Rockey

Child of God

Husband, Father, Son, Grandfather

Pastor Emeritus, St. John Lutheran Church

907-841-4066 – cell

907-746-5131 – home

E-Mail: jonrock53@mtaonline.net

Wednesday, May 20, 2020

I'm Going Fishing - We'll go with You!"

Dear Fellow Children of God,

About 2 years ago one of our grandsons, 6 year old Henry, asked Kathy and me a question after the worship service. “Can we come to your house today?” What a wonderful privilege to have all our children and grandchildren living so close to us. And, what a blessing that our grandchildren know our home and enjoy visiting. We are truly very richly blessed. However, Kathy had to tell Henry, “I’m sorry, Henry. We have a Church Council meeting today.” So Henry couldn’t visit after church. Neither could any of our other 5 grandchildren visit that day. Kathy and I love our Lord. We cherish our church, and the opportunity to serve our Lord. Yet, as retirement approached we promised ourselves and others we would have more time to spend with our grandchildren, with our children, and with each other. However, after retirement we left town to get out of the way. So, while part of the goal for retirement was to spend time with our family, then because of traveling, we were unable to spend that time with our Alaska family.

Nevertheless, during our time in Florida I had another opportunity to spend time with family. All 4 of my siblings live in Florida, and we gathered together a number of times. In addition, my brother David has 5 grandchildren about the same age as my own grandkids. While in Florida I got to spend time with all of them, and with many other nieces. In fact, while in Florida I had the opportunity to take all four of David’s grandsons fishing. My brother, Stephen, and I took David’s grandson, Nathan, fishing on the Suwannee River. We caught a mudfish that day. I also took Jonathan and Matthew fishing separately on the Suwannee. Jonathan had a lot of bites, but he didn’t catch any fish. When I took Matthew fishing the river was very high, we only got two bites and neither of us caught any fish. Finally, I took Jayden fishing on Grandin Lake. Jayden caught a bass, his first fish ever! Jayden asked me, “So, I’m the only one of the cousins who caught a fish?” These fishing trips may have seemed just like another outdoor outing, but they were really much more. By sharing this time together we built relationships with one another. I got to know my nephews and they got to know me a little better. We learned to trust and appreciate one another for who we are. Also, these nephews of mine may also now listen a little more closely when I share important values of life, or faith. People are more likely to listen when they know you care about them and when they respect you.

There are many verses in Scripture where God calls us to share our faith with others. But, in Deuteronomy parents are specifically instructed to share the word of God with their children. Listen to these words which God inspired Moses to write. ¹⁸ "You shall therefore lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. ¹⁹ You shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. ²⁰ You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, ²¹ that your days and the days of your children may be multiplied in the land that the LORD swore to your fathers to give them, as long as the heavens are above the earth. (Deuteronomy 11:18-22) (Similar guidance from our Lord is also given in other verses of Scripture. See, for example, Deuteronomy 6: 5-7, Proverbs 22:6, and Ephesians 6:1-4.) God wants parents, grandparents, uncles and aunts, to teach the young people in their families about our Lord and His love for them. He wants us to teach them about Jesus.

So, Kathy and I are home in Alaska. We fulfilled our 14 days in quarantine and we are now able to spend time with family and friends. In fact, on Tuesday night our daughter, Mary, and our son, Andy, visited at our home. Andy’s children, Jackson and Kendall, also spent time with us. There are lots of ways to build relationships with others. But on Tuesday night I told Jackson and Kendall, “I’ll be going fishing and camping this summer. I’m hoping to have time to take you with me. Maybe we can catch some trout like last summer. Or, maybe you can even catch a salmon.”

A parent, or grandparent, naturally wants to give good things to their children. But, the best and most important gift we can give is the fullness of life God gives in this world, and the eternal life in heaven which we receive through our Savior, Jesus. This blessing of life is best shared when others know that we love and care about them, and when they respect us. But, that’s also the way it is for us with our Heavenly Father. When we know the Creator and Lord of all loves us, that He even gave His Son for us, and that He rules over everything for the good of His children, then we are more likely to listen to Him. We listen because Ruler of all truly does love us.

Of course, I like to remember the words of Peter beside the Sea of Galilee after Jesus’ resurrection. Perhaps you also know Peter’s words and the response of the other disciples just before the risen Jesus appears to them.. ³ Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing." They said to him, "We will go with you." They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. (John 21:3) It’s even acceptable not to catch fish. You see, Peter and his fellow disciples were building relationships!

A Child of God, Hoping to Spend Time with my Grandchildren, Sharing my Love and Jesus’ Love,

Pastor Jonathan

P.S. Here are some fishing pictures

· With my nephews in Florida this Spring. https://photos.app.goo.gl/Krn2Nrjf3Yu5FEYG9

· With my children and grandchildren last summer. https://photos.app.goo.gl/zBUP7y89oecZZeH68

P.P.S. Kathy and I arrived home on Monday night, May 4. We spent 14 days in quarantine through Monday night, May 18. During this time at home Kathy spent time quilting and sewing. I found “a few chores” to do. Here are pictures of some of those “chores” I did while in quarantine. https://photos.app.goo.gl/SAmkzpKsCp9V9vGeA

*****

Wednesday, May 13, 2020

Praying for My Country and Considering God's Call

Dear Fellow Children of God,

Do you pray for our country? For the nations of the world? What do you pray? Please consider that question as I ramble some.

I spend time daily reading Scriptures and, in my current devotions, I am finally coming to the end of the Old Testament. This week’s lessons are in Zechariah. Next week I finish Malachi and begin reading in the New Testament. After about a year and a half of reading the Old Testament, this Christian longs to hear directly about God’s grace in Jesus.

The common themes which I have been reading about in the prophets are God’s words of Judgement of the Old Testament people for their sin, and the Lord’s Promise of Hope because of God’s grace in the coming Messiah. Some may ask, “Is judgement even relevant in today’s world?” Judgment is not just relevant, it is an assured reality which will reach ultimate fulfillment when Jesus comes again. The sin of this world will be judged. And, in the Lord’s supreme act of forgiveness, God’s children, those who repent of their sin and trust God’s mercy in Jesus, will receive eternal life in heaven.

But what about in our lives in this world? Does God send judgment on us today because of our sinfulness? That is a more complicated question, even a dangerous question. Sin is the cause of the evil in our world, yet Jesus warned numerous time in Scripture not to think that the troubles which happens to us today are the direct result of some specific wrong we committed. Read John 9:1-4 and see how Jesus teaches His disciples that the blind man was not born with his affliction because of his sin, nor the sin of his parents., Instead, God would use this affliction to glorify Himself, as Jesus healed the blind man. Or, read Luke 13:1-9. Jesus warns the people of his day not to think that the cruelty of Pilate, nor the disaster of the tower in Siloam, were the direct result of sin. Jesus warns that everyone is sinful and He calls all to repent. If God worked specifically punishing our every evil deed, then we are all in deep danger. Scripture instead assures us, time and again, that God is “slow to anger, and abounding in love.” (Joel 2:13, Jonah 4:2, Nahum 1:3 (all recent reading of mine), and especially Psalm 103:8)

Yet, as I read through the pages of the minor prophets, they are full of God’s judgment on people who will not turn from their sin and turn to God. So, the Lord judges and condemns Israel, Judah, Assyria, Babylon, and other nations. He also promises that, even before the Great Day of the Lord’s Judgment, that they will reap the results of their idolatry, their pride, their self-indulgence, their sinfulness.

Now, back to my original questions. “Do you pray for our country? For the nations of the world? What do you pray?” I daily pray for our nation, and the nations of the world. For years my constant prayer has been for repentance - turning from sin, and for faith - to trust and hold on to the mercy of our Lord in Jesus. Our whole world has turned more and more away from the Creator, turned away from the Lord, turned away from the Savior, from the Comforter of this world. Many reject the reality of God and the truth of His word for their lives. Our mouths and our lives do not praise Him, but use His name in vain. We treat the Sabbath and worship as a personal choice, rather than as the sweet opportunity that we regularly need to be with our Lord and His people. The people of this world, and unfortunately, even those who trust Jesus, reject the authorities God has established. We often hurt others to achieve our own desires. People ignore that sex is a gift from God to be used in marriage, intended to strengthen the relationship of a husband and wife. Theft is common. Lying abounds. Gossip and the twisting of truth have been multiplied through the internet. We are not satisfied with the way that the goodness and mercy of God overflow in our lives. We long for more things, rather than finding satisfaction in our Lord Himself. In other words, we have not kept, or sometimes even cared about, the 10 commandments. Or, as the prophet Micah says, we have forgotten what God requires of us. “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8)

Yet, in Romans 8:28 God promises, ^“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” As I pray for repentance and faith in the nations I ask myself, “Could God be using the trial before us now for good, to point our country and to call the whole world, to Himself? Could God be calling us to repentance, both His Church and the world, and calling us to “humbly walk” trusting in Him? There are many places where we are told that God waits and longs for such repentance. (Luke 15:7, 2 Peter 3:9, Revelation 16:9,11)

The greatest way in which our Lord reaches out to us and calls us is when He sent His Son, Jesus. “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” (John 3:17) Does the sacrificial love of God in Jesus touch your heart?

I know that as a baptized child of God I need to daily drown my “old Adam”, my sinful nature and desires, and I need to let the new man that God makes me in Jesus come forth and serve Him. It is easy to point the finger at others and then to forget my own sin. Perhaps God is speaking to me in this current plague to turn again from my sinful desires, and to turn to his “abounding love.”

How about you? Is God calling?

A Child of God, Praying for my Country and Considering God’s Call,

Pastor Jonathan

P.S. Kathy and I arrived home last Monday night, and are in 14 days of quarantine until next Monday night, May 18. During this time at home Kathy has been quilting, while I have found “a few chores” to do. Here are some pictures. https://photos.app.goo.gl/SAmkzpKsCp9V9vGeA

*****

ABOUT THIS DEVOTION - I am now retired as senior pastor of St. John Lutheran in Palmer, AK. My weekly devotion was previously titled, "Thoughts from the Pastor." However, with life's changes I now call the devotion "Journeys Through Life as a Child of God." I am only sending this message to those who have asked to receive it. If you know someone else who desires to receive this message, have them e-mail me at jonrock53@mtaonline.net. I will include them on my distribution list. You can also view this message on my Facebook page.

A NUMBER OF PEOPLE HAVE ASKED ME WHY THEY ARE NO LONGER RECEIVING MY DEVOTIONS. Since I’m only sending these e-mails to people who ask for them, many are no longer receiving them. BUT, if you read this on Facebook and would like to receive these devotions by e-mail, or if you know someone who would like to receive these devotions, send me an e-mail at jonrock53@mtaonline.net, and I will add you to my distribution list.

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Surprisingly Thankful for Two Weeks of Ceasing and Growing

Dear Fellow Children of God,

Kathy and I have finally arrived back home in Alaska. We spent almost 4 months in Florida visiting family and friends and enjoying time to rest and recreate. Part of this extended absence from Alaska was an intentional desire to give the church where I served as pastor for over 28 years an opportunity to figure out life apart from their long term shepherd. But, mainly this trip was part of figuring out retirement. I still wonder about what retirement means and what I will do now that I am not serving full-time as pastor. Part of our plan for this life change was also more time together as husband and wife, and more time with family. The coronavirus changed our plans about our time away. So, our intended 3 month absence became 4 months.

But, now we are home. So we can visit with our children, and our grandchildren. Kathy and I can spend time with our Alaska friends. Maybe I’ll even spend some time walking the Alaskan trails, and fishing in Alaskan waters. Right? Wrong! We returned on a plane from Orlando through Seattle on Monday, May 4. Now we get to shelter in place, to quarantine for 14 days. We have 2 weeks to stay home not spending time with family and friends.

During this time of quarantine we can accomplish some chores at home. We can rest. But, my wife says that I am a person who seems to always needs to be doing something. She says I play as hard as I work. I do admit that I have trouble taking it easy. I feel a need to be active, to be productive, to be doing something. Even as a little child I did not want to take naps, or go to sleep, afraid I would miss something. So, 14 days at home, not visiting with family or friends, or going outside our house, seems foreign and strange.

Actually, Christians should not be unfamiliar with ceasing of activity and work. We should be familiar with rest. We should understand meditating on life and on our Lord. God created our world with times and seasons. Part of our Lord’s rhythms for life include a need for rest. Consider what God says about rest in the third of His 10 commandments. ⁸ "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. ⁹ Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, ¹⁰ but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. ¹¹ For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” (Exodus 20:8-11)

According to this decree of our Lord, God intends for us to rest. We need the recuperative time of ceasing physical, mental, and emotional work. We need time to spend with our Lord and His people and to worship Him. Some fear that when we stop working, we won’t be able to make a living or provide for their families. How can we accomplish anything if we cease our labors? The truth is that such ceasing, such resting, allows us to see how God does provide. When people stop the busy-ness of work they get to spend time on the things that are truly important, like family and friends, faith and love. In fact, I have even recently read and heard of people who may have struggled with teaching children at home, but who have also discovered that time together builds relationships. People may have forgotten how good family time can be. Faith and family relationships are much more important than much on which we often spend our time.

Unfortunately, the people of Jesus’ day became legalistic about God’s Sabbath. The religious leaders made laws about what was and was not work to the point that Jesus had to teach them this lesson. ²⁷ . . . "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. ²⁸ So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath." (Mark 2:27-28) The Sabbath, and the rest and worship which come with it, are a gift of God to us.

In fact, ultimately Scripture reveals that Jesus is our rest. ²⁸ Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30, See also Mark 6:31) Rest is found in Jesus because God does provide, even when we cease working. Peace and rest are found in Jesus because, for those who hopelessly strain to fulfill our Lord’s righteous demands and earn God’s favor, Jesus forgives our sin and provides us with the righteousness He Himself has earned by His own holy life, through His death and resurrection.

So, Kathy and I get to spend a government enforced ceasing of many regular activities during two weeks of quarantine. And we get to rest. As followers of Jesus, Kathy and I should not be unfamiliar with this ceasing of activity and work. I pray that our quarantine brings the joy of an extended Sabbath. After all, we can have the opportunity to spend time and energy growing in love and in faith.

A Child of God, Surprisingly Thankful for Two Weeks of Ceasing and Growing,

Pastor Jonathan

P.S. Former St. John member, Karla Reda, sent me this video. Interestingly, it has some similar thoughts to my devotion. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nw5KQMXDiM4

P.P.S. I had 2 more opportunities to fish in Florida with family before I left. Here are some pictures of those trips.

· On Thursday, April 30, I took my nephew, Jayden, fishing with me. He caught his first fish. https://photos.app.goo.gl/4S4M9tTfnneo8Ws69

· I went fishing with my brother, Stephen, in the early morning of Saturday, May 2, at Rodman Reservoir, south of Gainesville. We had quite a trip. Here are some pictures. https://photos.app.goo.gl/EWuiZSUQAx4XLXNTA

P,P.P.S. While fishing with Stephen we had an encounter with a manatee, a gentle giant sometimes called a “sea cow.” Here are pictures of that experience. https://photos.app.goo.gl/1FnMCGHo5qZpGXYJ9

*****

ABOUT THIS DEVOTION - I am now retired as senior pastor of St. John Lutheran in Palmer, AK. My weekly devotion was previously titled, "Thoughts from the Pastor." However, with life's changes I now call the devotion "Journeys Through Life as a Child of God." I am only sending this message to those who have asked to receive it. If you know someone else who desires to receive this message, have them e-mail me at jonrock53@mtaonline.net. I will include them on my distribution list. You can also view this message on my Facebook page.

A NUMBER OF PEOPLE HAVE ASKED ME WHY THEY ARE NO LONGER RECEIVING MY DEVOTIONS. Since I’m only sending these e-mails to people who ask for them, many are no longer receiving them. BUT, if you read this on Facebook and would like to receive these devotions by e-mail, or if you know someone who would like to receive these devotions, send me an e-mail at jonrock53@mtaonline.net, and I will add you to my distribution list.