The June 11 issue
of the Anchorage Daily News published an article entitled, “Poll: Millions in
US Struggle Through Life With Few To Trust.” The article explains that national
studies show that millions of Americans face a troubling issue. “Millions of Americans are struggling
through life with few people they can trust for personal and professional help.
. . The poll finds that 18% of U.S. adults, or about 46 million people, say
they have just one person, or nobody, they can trust for help in their personal
lives, such as emergency child care needs, a ride to the airport, or support
when they fall sick. . .” Obviously,
this issue became worse through the COVID-19 pandemic, when many stayed home to
keep themselves safe, or to keep from infecting others.
I mentioned this newspaper
story to my wife after Adult Bible Class at St. John on Sunday, June 13. Our teacher, Hunter Richards, while teaching
about Elijah in our class on “’Characters’ of the Bible,” pointed out that God
gave Elijah a friend to help him. This
friend was fellow prophet, Obadiah.
Obadiah helped Elijah when he had to bring God’s message to evil King Ahab. Hunter then reminded us of others in
Scripture who had important friends and helpers for the difficult tasks God
gives.
Kathy then
mentioned something we heard St. John member, Kirsten Nelson, say many times
over the years. Kirsten worked as a Social Worker at Mat-Su Regional Medical
Center. In her position, Kirsten often
helped people without support from others.
As volunteer chaplain, I heard Kirsten say, and as a Registered Nurse on
staff, Kathy heard Kirsten say, “You need to join a church.” Kirsten’s explanation went something like
this. If someone lives by themselves,
perhaps in a dry cabin hauling water, or perhaps cutting their own wood for
fire, someday they would need help. They
would need a friend. They would need someone
who cares for them, checks on them, listens to them, and who could help them if
they became ill. It was during these times
of illness that Kirsten would come in contact with such people who lived alone,
and not just in remote cabins. However, Kirsten saw the sense of community, she
saw the care given, and she observed the Christian love shared through a
worshiping community, through Bible Classes, and through church service
groups. Seeing people who needed love
and friendship, Kirsten had observed that the love and care which people needed
was often found in local Christian churches.
In
Bible class, Hunter quoted Genesis 2:18.
“The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will
make a helper suitable for him.”
In this case, God
created Eve to give to the man, to give to Adam, as a companion. Adam’s companion was his wife. But, God also provides love and friendship
and companionship through other relationships.
King David wrote, “5 A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy
dwelling. 6 God sets the lonely
in families . . .” (Psalm 68:5-6 a) Our Lord knows that we need others. We need friends. We need healthy relationships.
As Kirsten observed, one of the places where our Lord gives
this community is in His Church. In 1
John, we read, “10 This is love: not
that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning
sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought
to love one another.” (1 John
4:10-11) God has blessed us with His
undeserved love in Jesus. This love of
Jesus calls and empowers God’s people to love one another. Or, as God teaches us through Paul in 1
Corinthians. “26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is
honored, every part rejoices with it. 27 Now you are the body of Christ, and
each one of you is a part of it.” (1
Corinthians 12:26-27) We are part of
the body of Christ, people of God who suffer and rejoice with each other.
Unfortunately, even though God’s church is made for community
with one another as we grow in Christ’s love, the church is made up of sinners,
people who need forgiveness. Sometimes, as
sinners, the church does not necessarily show the love and concern to which God
calls us. There are times when God’s
people can be petty, can take offense, can act in judgmental ways, can fall
short of the love we are shown by God. However,
even when we fail, the church of God is a family built on the love and the forgiveness
of Jesus. I have seen the love of God
shine forth from His children onto those around them. What a blessing! No wonder the Psalmist writes, “I rejoiced with those who said to me,
"Let us go to the house of the LORD." (Psalm 122:1)
Are you lonely? Do you need a friend? Perhaps this loneliness has grown worse
during our recent pandemic. I encourage you, come to church. There you will not only hear of God’s
gracious, saving love for you in Jesus.
In a Christian congregation, you may also meet a fellow redeemed child
of God. Listen, laugh, worship, pray, and help one another. After all, God is the one who said it. "It
is not good for the man to be alone.”
A Child of God, Thankful that In Gods
Church We Have Companions and Friends!
Pastor Jonathan
P.S. THANK YOU to all who helped in this year’s Colony Days Parade and Picnic last
Saturday, June 12. The numbers were a
little lower for most of the Colony Day events.
Our cooks estimated we fed 750-800 people (not counting those who
skipped the hot dogs and went straight to the ice cream). Here are some pictures from the parade and from
the picnic. https://photos.app.goo.gl/aFWF3XFZc8QVh83n7
P.P.S. We have a member
at St. John who has recently lost housing.
This regular attender has applied for housing but none is currently
available. She is looking for a place to
stay or to rent until housing is available.
She does have a cat. Please call
the church at 745-3338 if you might have a place or know of a place for her to
stay.
P.P.P.S. I continue working on our yard and our garden. Here are some new pictures
from this past week. https://photos.app.goo.gl/7A4bCnR3g4oC7F289
P.P.P.P.S – I was blessed to be in God’s creation fishing,
3 times in the last week. Here are pictures
from two trips. I took grandchildren, Henry
and Annie, fishing in my river boat, and also took Gaelen Swigart fishing in my
canoe. https://photos.app.goo.gl/7A4bCnR3g4oC7F289
P.P.P.P.P.S. What
a beautiful view of Pioneer Peake just before 11:00 p.m. from my front yard on
Monday, June 14! https://photos.app.goo.gl/B1F67susX7mEYPys7
*****
ABOUT
THIS DEVOTION - I retired at the end of August 2019 from serving as senior
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. (Though I am now serving
again part-time at St. John as assistant to the pastor.) Perhaps you also know that I “killed” my
computer on November 7, 2020. In so
doing I lost, for a time at least, all my e-mail contacts. So, I was really goofed up. Many who were receiving this devotion each
week were no longer receiving it. I
tried to rebuild my distribution list, but I am not sure how accurate I have
been.
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
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