Memorial Day Weekend - Thankful for the Sacrifice of Others, But Angered and Grieving At those who Take Innocent Lives

 Dear Fellow Children of God, 

 

This weekend the United States celebrates Memorial Day.  Most U.S. citizens know that our country observes this holiday to rightfully honor those who cared enough about others, who cared enough about their country, to give the ultimate sacrifice.  We honor those who died for others, because their sacrifice has won freedom for our country, freedom for each of us. 

 

However, as our country prepares to honor those who gave their lives, we are again overwhelmed by gut-wrenching news about another person who has taken lives.  As I write this devotion, the latest reports are that on Tuesday, May 24 a gunman in Uvalde, Texas, took the lives of 19 elementary school students and the lives of two teachers.  This gunman did not give his life.  He took lives.  Worst, he took the lives of innocent children and teachers.  I heard a number of well-known people ask, “Why does this keep happening?”  I am sure we all have the same question.

 

Many public figures shared why they believe our country faces these horrors so often.  Some of the reasons given include gun laws, or racism, or open borders, or terrorism.  Children of God believe that the taking of the life of another breaks the law of God to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” and to “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Mark 12:30-31) In other words, God calls us to love Him, and to love others.  Murder is wrong and deserves punishment.  But, saying that the random taking of the life of an innocent person is wrong, does not explain why this happens.

 

The bottom line is that the hearts of these mass murderers are not right.  Hearts that love God and love others make our world a better place to live.  But, hearts focused only on themselves, hurt others.  The hurt faced by the families in Uvalde right now seems unbearable.  As a father of 4 children and grandfather of 6, I cannot imagine if one of them were to fall victim to such a horrible senseless crime.  We need to speak out against such violence.  But, we can also stand with the families who have faced these horrible losses.  Paul talks about love within Jesus’ church.  “If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.”  (1 Corinthians 12:26) We suffer and we grieve with the families who have fallen victim to this latest shooting. 

 

How can we change hearts?  No matter what public figures say, laws do not change hearts. However, love does change hearts.  Listen to God’s Word from 1 John.  “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) Our lack of love, our rebellion, our selfishness, and our hatred deserve God’s punishment and deserve death.  Instead of giving us what we deserve, God sent His Son who died for our sins.  Jesus’ love for us led Him to die and sacrifice His life for us.  Because God loves us when we deserve punishment, we are, therefore, called to love others.  Jesus also taught us this truth in John 15. “12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:12-13) Knowing the surprising, forgiving love of Jesus changes hard and bitter hearts.  Knowing the surprising, forgiving love of Jesus, God’s children can love others, even those who are hard to love.  God’s children have learned to trust His love in Jesus.  His love changes our hearts.

 

So, in this current tragedy, we don’t just need to simply hang our heads.  In response we want to show love and kindness to those around us.  Unexpected love from God changes our hearts.  Unexpected kindness from us can also touch and even change the heart of another.  Our love and kindness can touch another person, and might even keep them from committing such horrible actions.

 

As we prepare this weekend to honor the sacrifice of those who selflessly gave themselves for us, we are thankful for their selfless acts of love, and we are furious and angry, we grieve the senseless taking of lives in Texas, again. 

 

Lord, I pray that your undeserved love in Jesus for our sinful world changes hearts.  Help each of us, individually, to share your love and kindness.  Amen.

 

A Child of God, Thankful for the Sacrifice of Others, But Angered and Grieving At those who Take Innocent Lives,

Pastor Jonathan

 

P.S.  St. John is again hosting the town of Palmer for the Colony Days Picnic on Saturday, June 11, after the parade.  The meal begins at noon.  We have multiple leaders for each of 5 area of service.  PLEASE SIGN UP on the signup sheets in the back of the narthex at church if you can help cook, in the kitchen, serving food and ice-cream, setting up and taking down, or marching in the parade.  J

 

P.P.S.  I spent May 15-22 working at St. John, and working in our yard.  Our lawn is picked up and mowed, Our garden is planted.  Visits are made to St. John homebound.  Plans were organized for the Colony Days picnic, and services were led.  I did not go fishing.

 

 

 

*****

 

            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.) 

        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

Emeritus, St. John Lutheran Church

E-Mail: jonrock53@mtaonline.net

cell phone - 907-841-4066

Home phone - 907-746-5131

 

“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 3:1a)

 

Encouraging Confirmation Students, and My Grandson, to "Choose Church!"

 

Dear Fellow Children of God, 

 

On Sunday, May 22, five young people will be confirmed at St. John Lutheran Church in Palmer, Alaska.  Our Lord called these children of God in their baptisms to faith, to forgiveness, and to salvation through Jesus.  These students have studied through 3 years of confirmation classes.  Their class instruction included lessons on the stories of the Old and New Testaments, and included a year of summary of the Christian faith as found in Luther’s Small Catechism. Their class instruction studied for a year about living as a child of God.  Having been baptized, and having been instructed, these young people now have the opportunity to commit themselves to God. 

 

This commitment by these students is an important response to the grace and truth which God offers each of us.  Jesus taught his disciples about His call to follow Him, “29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. 30 And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. 32 "Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. 33 But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven.”  (Matthew 10:29-33)  Jesus assures us of His constant love, and Jesus, therefore, calls us to publicly acknowledge that we know His love, and to publicly acknowledge that we have heard His call of grace.

 

Therefore, this Sunday in front of their congregation, these confirmation students will respond to questions, confessing their faith.  They will be asked (in these words or similar words):

• Do you believe in God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit?
• Do you renounce the devil, and all his works and all his ways?
• Do you want to serve God with your life?
• Do you intend to serve Your Lord in His church?
• Will you support the work of the Lord in the church?

 

I responded to these questions 55 years ago on my confirmation day, March 27, 1967.  As I made those promises, I truly intended to serve the Lord with my life.  That is still my intent because I know and believe in God’s undeserved love and grace in my life.  But, I will never forget the words of love and encouragement from my grandfather who was present on my Confirmation day.  Grampy, as I called him, came up to me, put his hand on my shoulder, and told me, “I hope you do a better job with your vows than I did.”  I am still shocked by the confession that is implied in my grandfather’s words of encouragement.  I knew him as a man of faith who worshiped regularly, who served in the church, and who encouraged his family toward faith in Jesus.  Yet Grampy knew of times when he wished he had done better.  What surprises me is that, even today, my grandfather’s faith and encouragement is still one of the most important influences in my walk with Jesus.  Because, in retrospect, I now understand many of my own failures, I can therefore understand my grandfather’s confession, and His need for the grace and salvation that comes through faith in Jesus.

 

St. John Lutheran Church is currently working through the devotional book, “The Being Challenge.”  The challenge for our walk with Jesus which begins on Sunday, May 22, is “Choose Church.”  What wisdom!  Because Jesus has loved us, because he has died to forgive us, and because Jesus has risen to offer us eternal life, we want to worship Him regularly with His people in church.  However, we still struggle with the desires and temptations of our sinful nature. We need help which Jesus offers through His church.  Listen to the words of Hebrews 10.  “23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another-- and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”  (Hebrews 10:23-25)  We may not always “hold unswervingly” to our faith, but God is faithful.  He gives us the gift of worship and fellowship in our congregations to “spur us on to love and good deeds.”  He gives us fellow Christians to “encourage one another” to faith in Jesus.  Therefore, we do not want to “give up meeting together.”  We WANT to “Choose Church.”

 

I am thankful for the Scriptural encouragement of “The Being Challenge” book.  I am thankful and blessed that these 5 8^th grade students have received God’s grace in baptism, and now respond by promising to serve our Lord and His Church with their lives.  The timing for Confirmation Day seems perfect to me.  As we struggle in our walk with Jesus, He helps us through His Word, through the Sacraments, through His Church. 

 

All these students are special.  But, as I mentioned last week, one of those making these vows is my grandson, Jake.  Jake, I can share with you that I have tried to do MY best to keep my vows, but I have still failed my Lord at times.  Therefore, I want to encourage you by echoing the words of my Grampy. Jake, “I hope you do a better job with your vows than I did.”  Our Lord gives you His church to help your walk as a Child of God.  So, in order to choose Jesus, “Choose Church.”

 

A Child of God, Encouraging Confirmation Students, and My Grandson, to ‘Choose Church!’

Pastor Jonathan

 

P.S.  Kathy and I returned home in Alaska from Florida last Tuesday morning.  We have spent the last week opening a mountain of mail, and we spent time getting our house and yard ready for the Alaska summer.  There was no fishing this past week, but . . . my boat IS now ready to go!

 

P.P.S.  This March I shared these pictures from my confirmation day.  But here they are again, including pictures of my dad, my grandfather, my pastor, and another important mentor.  https://photos.app.goo.gl/cbQhq7G86zsZuDsA7

 

 

 

 

*****

 

            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.) 

        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

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 3:1a)

Why Should I Care About What God Says?

 

Dear Fellow Children of God, 

 

Why would a person care about what God says?  To someone who does not believe in God this may seem like an irrelevant question.  Why would a believer want to follow the wisdom and direction of the Lord of the universe?  Conversely, for a child of God this question may seem obvious, or unusual.  But, these questions are important for anyone facing the difficulties of life.

 

In January of this year, before Kathy and I left to visit family in Florida, I kept a promise to a woman who is a member of St. John.  She wanted to ask me how a Christian should view and respond to government and to authorities, and wanted to discuss this dilemma with me. We spent about an hour looking at Scripture verses and discussing their meaning for our lives as children of God.  I sensed that she was thankful for direction she received in response to her questions.

 

Life has always presented difficult challenges, challenges which can confuse us. We face many such difficulties today.  For example, in these times of political division, the discussion I had with the lady from St. John about government can be a challenging issue.  In addition, another difficult topic concerns the recent COVID pandemic.  What should a Christian think about and how do we respond to this challenge?  Another very current issue regards recent news that a possible landmark decision may be handed down by the Supreme Court in June concerning abortion laws.  In each of these situations we might want to ask, “What should I think?  What should a Christian do? How should a child of God respond?  Why does my faith influence my decisions?”

 

However, before dealing with these specific issues, it is important to ask another question, a bigger question. “Who is Lord of my Life?”  In other words, who controls what is right and wrong for me?  Who is the guide and Shepherd for my decisions? 

 

Christians have traditional believed that God is Lord or Ruler of our lives.  Consider the lesson He teaches us in Psalm 24:1.  “The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.”  Because God made and created everything and everyone in the world, everything belongs to Him; we belong to Him.  Because God is our Creator and Lord, we are to listen to and obey Him.  That is our responsibility as people whom God made.  To a certain extent, responsibility is the Old Testament perspective.  Unfortunately, even though Christians believe that our lives belong to God, regretfully we do not always serve the Lord.  We are selfish and sinful and we have failed Him, which just makes life more complicated.

 

However, because of the life, the death, and the resurrection of Jesus, we hear a different perspective for facing life’s difficult questions.  Our Lord inspired Paul to write these words in 2 Corinthians 5:15.  “And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.”  The Old Testament teaches us that we owe the Lord our lives because He creates us.  In the New Testament God tells us that He loves us so much that, in spite of our sin, His son, Jesus, died and rose for us.  God wants us to serve and honor Him because we know His saving love.  Our Lord does not want us to serve and obey Him out of coercion.  He wants our hearts to desire to serve Him in thanks and praise for the undeserved love and salvation He gives us. 

 

Confirmation Day at St. John is May 22 this year.  For years I have asked confirmation students to memorize 2 Corinthians 5:15, the verse quoted above.  According to that verse, and others, the reason we listen to God, the reason we live for him, is out of love, love which begins with His undeserved love for us. The reason we listen to God, the reason we live for him, is because Jesus died for us.  By the way, among those being confirmed this year is my oldest grandson, Jacob Rockey. 

 

My devotions on Wednesday, May 11, included the following simple bedtime prayer, written by a Lutheran pastor from the 1800’s, Wilhelm Loehe.  Notice how this prayer acknowledges that God loves us, and how the prayer asks our Lord’s help so that we do indeed live for Him, because of His saving love.  Here is the prayer.

            Tired now, I go to rest,

            Jesus, Savior, ever blest,

            In Thy name I close mine eyes;

            Watch Thou by me till I rise.

            Thou my best and kindest friend

            Thou wilt love me till the end!

            Let me love Thee more and more,

            Always better than before.  Amen.

 

Why would a person care about what God says?  Why would a believer want to follow the wisdom and direction of the Lord of the universe?  These are questions we all should ask, whether we know it or not.  I want confirmation students to know that we listen to God, we live for Him, because Jesus died for us, and because we love Him.  And, I hope that Jake seeks to pray and live this prayer.

 

A Child of God, Thankful for the Guidance of God’s Love in Dealing with Life’s Questions,

Pastor Jonathan

 

P.S.  Kathy and I extended our stay in Florida so I could attend the 50^th (51^st) reunion from my Gainesville High School class of 1971.  Here are a few pictures.  https://photos.app.goo.gl/PPbPE2hSCp6mv7BX9

 

P.P.S.  On Mother’s Day we visited the graves of my parents.  Here are a few pictures.  https://photos.app.goo.gl/9fMn9WJBUvBhDha47

 

P.P.P.S. I did go fishing one last time on the Suwannee River, but the water was fast and I did not catch the fish which bit my bait.  I did see a big gator.  Here are a couple of pictures.  https://photos.app.goo.gl/kNwjsJkeNqogAT2F6  In fact, here is a link to all the pictures I took while fishing in Florida this Spring.  https://photos.app.goo.gl/kBPzJnWFKmfEdzML6

 

P.P.P.P.S.  In response to questions I have seen on the upcoming Supreme Court abortion decision, I have written a response from my faith views.  However, the internet and Facebook are not the place for reasonable discussion.  If you want a copy of the piece I wrote, please e-mail me and I’ll send you a copy.  Then we can talk in person if you wish.

 

 

*****

 

            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.) 

        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 3:1a)

 

Thankful That in Jesus "Good-Bye" is Not Forever!"

Dear Fellow Children of God, 

 

Does saying “Good Bye” bring sadness to your heart?  I’m not talking about wishing someone “good bye” at work or at school, someone you expect to see again tomorrow.  Does it cause you sadness to bid farewell to someone about whom you truly care, knowing that it may be a long time till you see them again, if you ever do see them again in this world?

 

So, how about you?  Does saying “Good Bye” bring sadness to your heart?  I’m sure everyone has left a loved one or friend not knowing if they’ll see each other again.  For example, when I was 12 our family moved from Massachusetts to Florida. I left behind grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousins. We left our church and other good friends.  That move at a young age was somewhat confusing, if also a new adventure.  But it meant saying “good bye,” and some of those people I cared for I never did see again.

 

Perhaps the first time I realized my sadness at saying “good bye” was when I left home for college.  Yes, I left family. But I also had a strong support system of friends, some of whom were also going away to college.  When would we see each other again?  Would we?

 

During our marriage, Kathy and I have served churches in four different cities.  In each place and congregation we loved the people.  But, as we followed the Lord’s call to new churches, we said “good bye” and left behind people we cared about.  One of those moves was 5000 miles from Florida to Alaska. As we drove across country we visited dear relatives. Every place we left people cried.  It was hard to be excited about going to our new home.  But, as our family traveled toward God’s new adventure for us, we did say “good bye” to these loved ones, at least for a time.  And, some were called to heaven before we saw them again.  I think you’re getting the picture.

 

We are currently in Florida with many members of my family.  When we left Alaska in January for Florida we said “good bye” to our children, our grandchildren, our congregation, and Alaska friends.  I was sad to leave.  They probably could have convinced me to stay.  But now that we are leaving Gainesville to return home again to Alaska, our family and friends in Florida are telling us they wish we could stay.  Saying “good bye” may seem like a little thing.  But when you care about people it can be sad.

 

On Tuesday, May 3, because the pastor in our Florida congregation has COVID, I conducted a funeral for a lady whom I’ve known for over 50 years.  Her husband, children and grandchildren, her brother and nieces said “good bye” to her.  This is a different kind of farewell.  They will not see her again in this life.  But . . . THANKS be to God for eternal life in heaven!

 

Early in life, as I struggled with saying “good bye”, I came to realize that “good bye” is just part of life in this sinful world.  Because of our sin, and because of the rebellion against God in the world around us, we live in a world of pain, death, and suffering.  Thankfully, Jesus, the Son of God, died for our sins and rose to offer eternal life to all through faith in him.  Please consider this good news from God.  For example, during Tuesday’s memorial service we heard God’s word from Psalm 23.  Verse 6 of that Psalm assures us, “I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” It does not say, “I’ll visit God.”  Psalm 23 doesn’t tell us, “I’ll get to live with God for a short time.” Our Lord assures us “I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.”

John 3:16 is great news God shared with Nicodemus.  To this searching religious leader Jesus asserts "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”  Life in heaven does not have an end, as life does in this world.  Life with God is eternal!  The readings assigned for worship on May 8 tell of the joy and glory of God’s people in heaven.  You might want to read Revelation 7:9-17 on your own.

 

Please meditate on this good news.  Life in heaven is everlasting.  I don’t know exactly what relationships will be like in the next life. God knows!  However, I do know from God’s word that in heaven there is no death.  I can spend time with people I love, and have eternity to return and spend more time, and to spend more time.  I never have to say “good bye”, sad that I’ll never see that person again. And, even more good news, in heaven we get to see again those we love, who believe in Jesus, to whom we have said “good bye” in this life.  That is why Christians can say  “good bye” to loved ones in hope, because in Jesus, God gives eternal life in heaven.

 

On May 6 and 7 I am attending the 50 year reunion of my 1971 high school class, a year late because of COVID-19.  We had a big class of over 960 students, and when Kathy and I attended the 45 year reunion in 2016 there was a list of the 88 classmates who had died before that event.  Some of those were good friends, people with whom I spent time and with whom I even worshiped our Lord.  In the last 6 years more friends have passed on. 

 

“Good bye” is difficult when you care about someone.  But, God assures us, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”  For children of Jesus, “good bye” is not forever.  That is really good Easter news!

 

A Child of God, Thankful That in Jesus “Good-Bye” is not forever!

Pastor Jonathan

 

P.S.  Kathy and I did host a fish fry for family, friends, neighbors and others, using the fish I have caught since January.  Here are some pictures.  https://photos.app.goo.gl/Mnfpc7KpAPp5UKSXA

 

P.P.S.  As we are preparing to leave Florida for Alaska, our tomato plants are finally bearing.  Here are a couple of pictures.  https://photos.app.goo.gl/T1zMknKvtaxyuJgm9

 

P.P.P.S. I also did go fishing this past week. On Friday, April 29, I took a last chance to go shopping / fishing FOR the fish fry.  https://photos.app.goo.gl/1zf4hL25XCa9Rw3p9

 

P.P.P.P.S. Here is the Second Reading assigned for worship this Sunday, Revelation 7:9-17.  Look at how many are in heaven, people there by the grace of God, the blood of the Lamb.  Look at the comfort and love of God and their everlasting joy!  I will be preaching on this lesson on Sunday.

9 After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. 10 And they cried out in a loud voice: "Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb." 11 All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying: "Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!"

13 Then one of the elders asked me, "These in white robes-- who are they, and where did they come from?" 14 I answered, "Sir, you know." And he said, "These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 Therefore, "they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them. 16 Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat. 17 For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."

 

*****

 

            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.) 

        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 3:1a)