Dear
Fellow Children of God,
For
the last 10 plus months I have had the joy and privilege of serving as vacancy
pastor at First Lutheran Church in Gainesville, Florida. Their previous pastor took a call elsewhere
last summer. Kathy and I arrived in
Gainesville September 11. One of the joys of my work is that this is
the congregation where I grew up, and the congregation which sent me away to
study to be a pastor. So, I am serving a
place I know, and serving people I care about. What a privilege! What a joy!
However,
as I prepare to leave for 6 weeks of time at home in Alaska, I’m trying to get
a lot done, in addition to my regular weekly tasks. I stayed in Florida until the end of July so
I could help with Vacation Bible School.
This Monday through Friday children are running around at night, and
adults are studying and sharing, during this time of growth and fellowship. I’m supposed to be half-time in my position,
so I often do not come to the office on Mondays, Fridays, and Saturdays, or
even half a day Wednesday. But this week
. . . I’m here every day.
Recently,
I have been visiting a long-time church member whom I remember from over 50
years ago. Over the last few weeks she declined
rapidly and passed away last Friday. I now
have the privilege of bringing Jesus to the celebration of her life this coming
Saturday afternoon.
In
addition, the reason I have served First Lutheran is to help get them through
their time without a permanent, settled pastor, and to shepherd them until a
new man arrives. This past Sunday night
and Monday we hosted and visited with our prime pastoral candidate, Rev. Jay
Winters of Tallahassee. Therefore, First
Lutheran has scheduled a congregational meeting for this Sunday, July 28, after
worship. The purpose of this meeting is
to pray and then to vote on calling Pastor Winters to First Lutheran. If God works this gift of grace, I will
personally feel joy that the Lord used me in the task to which I was called. I am encouraged. I am hoping.
I am praying.
But,
I am older than I once was. This is a
BUSY WEEK. I confess to being a little
weary. 😊
If
you worshiped in a liturgical Christian congregational last Sunday you heard
the assigned Gospel lesson from Mark 6, which shared the account of Jesus
feeding the 5000. What an amazing
miracle! However, perhaps you missed
what came earlier in the reading. Jesus
had previously sent His disciples out two by two to proclaim the gospel and to
heal. The disciples had returned. As they shared with Jesus all their stories,
this was His response, according to Mark 6:31 (NIV). “Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even
have a chance to eat, he said to them, ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet
place and get some rest.’"
It
should not be a surprise that the disciples needed rest. Our Lord gave a
commandment, for our own good, based on the rhythms with which He created, a
commandment which calls for rest. “Remember
the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.” (Exodus 20:8) I personally understand the part in Sunday’s
Gospel lesson about “they did not even have a chance to eat.” We all
need time to stop the work and the craziness, in order to rest in body, soul,
and mind.
I
also believe people may miss THE source of such rest to which this Bible
reading points. Jesus says, “‘Come with ME.” JESUS is the source of rest. When we
are weary from work, the Sabbath reminds us that GOD provides! When we are
troubled with life troubles ‘nothing can separate us from the Love of God.’
(Romans 8:31-39). When we have failed
and sinned and are burdened with guilt, “The blood of Jesus, His Son,
cleanses us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7)
As
Jesus taught and encouraged His followers during His time on earth, "Come to ME, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I
will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)
JESUS is the source of rest!
Interestingly,
last Sunday’s Epistle lesson taught the same truth, as we are reminded that
JESUS is our peace! 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have
been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For he himself is
our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the
dividing wall of hostility 15 by abolishing the law of commandments
expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place
of the two, so making peace, (Ephesians 2:13-15)
Kathy,
my wife, has pointed out to me once or twice 😊 that I make my
own decisions about time and work. I love
serving my Lord as a shepherd for His people, and I love the people I
serve. I think about work as I think of
a dinner. I don’t want to run out of
food! I’d rather have a little too much than too little. When serving as pastor, I would rather do a
little too much, rather than hold back on bringing faith and love from Jesus.
This
Sunday in worship, we will hear that, in the midst of trials, in the midst of
chaos, in the midst of busy-ness, Jesus continues to love us as Lord and
Savior. I pray that you hear and know
Jesus who calls us to peace and to rest. “Come with me by
yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest."
A
Child of God, Thankful that Jesus Brings Rest and Peace to His Children,
Pastor
Rockey
P.S. I also appreciate Psalm 127:2. 2 It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread
of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.
P.P.S. NEWS AND MINISTRY OPPORTUNITIES AT
First Lutheran Church – Gainesville!
DANIEL
GOLDENBERG was confirmed and received into membership at First Lutheran on July
21. Here is a picture. https://photos.app.goo.gl/TnGU5fY5LH5gDPan9
CALL
COMMITTEE NEWS – The
First Lutheran Call Committee has worked through a lot of names submitted by
the District and by First Lutheran members.
After interviews and prayerful deliberation, the call committee brought Pastor
Jay Winters from University Lutheran Church in Tallahassee, FL, to First
Lutheran Gainesville for a visit with congregational leaders the week of July
21. The Call Committee and Church
Council have asked for and scheduled a Voters’ meeting after worship on Sunday,
July 28 to vote on calling Pastor Winters to First Lutheran. PLEASE CONTINUE TO KEEP THIS PROCESS IN YOUR
PRAYERS.
VBS
IS HAPPENING AT FIRST LUTHERAN JULY 22-26! Here are some pictures. https://photos.app.goo.gl/V4aspXKLSphV8ZGu7
FIRST
LUTHERAN HAS BEGUN A ROOF FUND, and an AIR CONDITIONER FUND. In an announcement
at the May 19 Voters’ Meeting we learned that to put a new roof on the
sanctuary, the office building, the fellowship hall, the preschool, and the
student housing will cost about $200,000.00
The roofs are still in good shape.
But we have had leaks, and it has been about 20 years since the roof was
last replaced. First Lutheran leaders
want to act before the roofs fail.
In addition, we learned at the June
Mission and Ministry Council meeting that our Air Conditioners are old and will
need replacing.
Please consider how God may lead you toward
these needs in the future.
WE
CONTINUE TO STUDY THE BOOK OF ACTS on Sunday mornings at 8:45 a.m. in the
Besalski Fellowship Hall. On Sunday,
July 28, we will continue in Acts 19. Come
and join us in studying about the history of the early Christian Church!
WE
CONTINUE TO READ THROUGH THE SCRIPTURE IN 2024 and 2025 using the Today’s
Light Devotional Bible. On Tuesday, July
16, we finished reading 2 Samuel. We are
reading 2 Kings. On Tuesday, July 23 we finished reading about Solomon.
Feel free to contact Pastor Rockey at 907-841-4066 if
you have any questions about these readings.
Or send an e-mail question to jonrock53@mtaonline.net
P.P.S.
PICTURES – AND OTHER ITEMS OF INTEREST
I GOLFED ON THURSDAY, JULY 18 with
long-time friend, Pastor Rick Armstrong – Here
are some pictures. https://photos.app.goo.gl/w7VWEADt7PkXZA216
AS I PREPARE FOR TRAVELING TO AK,
FOR THE VISIT OF PASTOR WINTERS, AND FOR VBS, I HAVE BEEN MORE BUSY THAN
NORMAL. I DID NOT GO FISHING THIS
LAST WEEK. ☹
I LEAVE FOR 6 WEEKS OF VACATION, TO
SPEND TIME WITH FAMILY, TO FISH AND HUNT IN ALASKA, ON THE EVENING OF JULY 28,
AFTER WORSHIP.
*******
ABOUT
THIS DEVOTION - I retired at the end of August 2019 from serving as full-time
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. (However,
I am currently as Vacancy Pastor for First Lutheran Church in Gainesville, FL.)
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
Vacancy
Pastor, First Lutheran Church, Gainesville, FL
Pastor
Emeritus, St. John Lutheran Church, Palmer, AK
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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