Dear Fellow Children of God,
Last week Hurricane Helene made
its way up the Gulf of Mexico. We had warnings about this storm. But, every time there is a storm we hear
warnings. I told Kathy, “The worse the
weather forecasts predict the storm will be, the more people watch the show. The more people watch the show, the more
advertisements they sell. The more
advertisements they sell, the more money they make. They always
make it sound bad.” I heard warnings, but I was not convinced.
We heard, “The storm-surge will
be 15-20 feet in some places.” “It’s a
massive storm.” It sounded like warnings
I have heard before. We have been through a number of storms in
Gainesville, and the reality did not match the warnings. And after all, I’ve lived Alaska for over 30
years! We have numerous windstorms every
winter with winds of 60, or 70, or 80, or 100 miles an hour, or more! These
storms last for days, not hours. Only,
Alaska’s storms don’t have names. People
just say, “The wind is blowing in Palmer.”
Last week we were told to watch out for Hurricane Helene. But I was . .
. skeptical.
On Thursday, after an
appointment to plan a funeral, I then tried to visit a seriously ill person in
the hospital. We had expected the rain
to start around 1:00 p.m. However, at
4:00 p.m. the weather was still relatively nice. When I arrived at the hospital
a security guard asked me if I came to visit.
I told her I was. She said,
“We’re not allowing visitors because of the storm.” I looked around. The sun was out. There was a slight breeze. The temperature was pleasantly warm. Frustrated, I shot back, “It doesn’t look too
bad right now.” But she replied, “It’s
coming!” I left the hospital without
visiting this lady who did pass away later that weekend. (Thankfully, I did see her on Sunday.) Again, I was skeptical.
Then reality hit. Sometimes a person just stands back in awe
and watches the power of nature, as many in America’s southeast did last week. Even
though the eye of the storm was over 100 miles away from Gainesville in the
Gulf of Mexico, the winds were stronger than I have experienced here. I heard one person say they heard a report of
80 miles an hour winds at the airport.
Another person told me their phone reported gusts at 80-85 mph. This was different than my previous experience.
Of course, our electricity went
out Thursday evening, and did not return till late Friday afternoon. But we were the lucky ones. I know some who still did not have power 5
and 6 days later. On Friday I did
something I’ve never done before as pastor; I conducted a funeral with no
electricity! However, we did have light through the windows. We had a musician on the piano, and a pastor
with the Bible. The air conditioning did
not work, but we opened doors on both ends of the church and a nice breeze blew
through. And we still had power issues on Sunday.
There were trees down
everywhere. A large oak tree split and
damaged the roof of a home in our neighborhood.
Another tree blocked the road in front of the church before the funeral,
while damaging a nice truck. We saw
power poles down, power lines down, and trees leaning on power lines. Crews were out for days, and they continue to
work.
Yet, even though we had a
rougher experience in Gainesville than from some past storms, it was nothing
like the coastal areas, which were devastated.
I looked again and again at one of the satellite photos which showed the
eye of Helene near Tallahassee, but clouds from the storm in New England and up
to Chicago. The rains in North Georgia,
the Carolinas, Tennessee and Virginia break one’s heart. The pictures from Ashville and Chimney Rock,
NC seem unbelievable. Over 150 people
have now lost their lives. This was the
real thing!
What does a child of God do when
faced by the storms of nature, and the storms of life. The words of Psalm 46 came to mind. “1 God is our
refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we
will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into
the heart of the sea, 3 though its waters roar and foam, though the
mountains tremble at its swelling.” (Psalm 46:1-3)
The forces of nature are surely stronger than human strength. When a hurricane or tornado strikes, when an
earthquake or tsunami hit, people see that overwhelming power from God’s
creation. But, our Lord is stronger than
His creation. So, when storms hit, and
mountains crumble, and waters roar and foam, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” When we are in trouble, God is our ever-present
help. Similarly, when my weakness and
sin are stronger than we are, God is our help and salvation, in Jesus! When we face the trials of life, AND when we
know our Lord helps us, we can do what Psalm 46:10 says. "Be still, and know that I am God.”
Last week the forces of our Lord’s creation reminded us again, we are not
in control. As my wife says, “You are
not God!” Yet, when the storms roll in
our lives, “God is our refuge and
strength, a very present help in trouble.”
A Child of God, Settled Because,
When the Storms Roll, God is Our Refuge and Strength,
Pastor Rockey
P.S. I am in Gainesville,
Florida, again where I am serving as vacancy pastor at First Lutheran Church
until they receive a permanent full-time pastor.
P.P.S. NEWS AND
MINISTRY OPPORTUNITIES AT First Lutheran Church – Gainesville!
UNFORTUNATELY, our Oktoberfest
scheduled for September 29 was cancelled because of the Hurricane. L
SUNDAY SCHOOL IS IN FULL
SWING until May. Children begin in worship at 10:00 a.m.. Early
in the service, after the Children’s Message, children leave for a lesson, for
a craft, and a snack. Parents, Grandparents, Uncles and Aunts, Neighbors,
PLEASE bring your children to Sunday School.
THANK YOU Sunday School Teachers and staff!
WE CONTINUE TO STUDY THE BOOK
OF ACTS on Sunday mornings at 8:45 a.m. in the Besalski Fellowship
Hall. If you want to read ahead, this coming Sunday we will continue in Acts
27. Come study with us about the early church as we seek to be God’s
people in today’s world.
COLLEGE STUDENTS AND YOUNG
ADULTS are now meeting on Tuesday nights in the student house at 7:00
p.m. Come and join us!
WE CONTINUE TO READ THROUGH
THE SCRIPTURE IN 2024 and 2025 using the Today’s Light Devotional
Bible. On Tuesday, September 24 we finished 2 Chronicles. We read
through Nehemiah 3 on Wednesday, October 2.
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 I
have recently received questions and comments. It is always good to
consider our Lord’s love and guidance. I will TRY to answer, but some things only
God knows!
FIRST LUTHERAN HAS BEGUN A “RAISE
THE ROOF FUND,” for roof replacement and air-conditioning repairs. The
roofs are still in relatively 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, our Air
Conditioners are old and need replacing. So the Congregation has begun a “Raise
the Roof” campaign. Our goal to accomplish these combined repairs is
$500,000!
Please consider
how God may lead you toward these needs in the future.
FIRST LUTHERAN IS BACK IN THE
CALL PROCESS. We have sought nominations and names of pastors who
would serve the Lord and His people well at First Lutheran in
Gainesville. The Florida-Georgia District has sent information on the
candidates. We have 21 names!
PLEASE CONTINUE TO KEEP THE FIRST LUTHERAN CALL PROCESS IN YOUR
PRAYERS.
P.P.P.S. PICTURES –
AND OTHER ITEMS OF INTEREST –
·
Here are some hurricane pictures from Friday
morning. https://photos.app.goo.gl/AQN3kiT8Vx2LWuom8
·
On Monday, September 30, I again had a “water incident” with my computer. It will not charge, and I used the
battery. That is impacting my devotional
e-mails, as well as other communications.
I have a warrantee, and had to send Hewlett Packard these pictures that
there is no charging light working. L https://photos.app.goo.gl/PkevqJb9co7dBwSBA
·
With a Pastors Conference on September 23-25,
and the Hurricane starting September 24, it was a busy week. But I did golf and fish. Here are some fishing pictures.
·
On Saturday, September 28 I tried to fish at
Rodman Reservoir, a favorite. However,
the dam has been lowered and the water has been “drawn down.” This was done in conjunction with the
Hurricane. Here is what I found when I
wanted to launch my boat. (computer problems.
Cannot access pictures.)
·
I then went to Little Orange Lake. I’m told, “fish bite before the storm, not
afterward.” That proved to be true. But, I had a couple of bites, and it was good
to get out! Here is a picture. (computer
problems. Cannot access pictures.)
·
I had a flat tire on my boat trailer. It turned out the rubber was rotten,
according to our tire store. (computer problems. Cannot access pictures.)
*******
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
907-841-4066 – cell
352-376-2062 – First Lutheran
Office
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)
Dear Fellow Children of God,
Last week Hurricane Helene made
its way up the Gulf of Mexico. We had warnings about this storm. But, every time there is a storm we hear
warnings. I told Kathy, “The worse the
weather forecasts predict the storm will be, the more people watch the show. The more people watch the show, the more
advertisements they sell. The more
advertisements they sell, the more money they make. They always
make it sound bad.” I heard warnings, but I was not convinced.
We heard, “The storm-surge will
be 15-20 feet in some places.” “It’s a
massive storm.” It sounded like warnings
I have heard before. We have been through a number of storms in
Gainesville, and the reality did not match the warnings. And after all, I’ve lived Alaska for over 30
years! We have numerous windstorms every
winter with winds of 60, or 70, or 80, or 100 miles an hour, or more! These
storms last for days, not hours. Only,
Alaska’s storms don’t have names. People
just say, “The wind is blowing in Palmer.”
Last week we were told to watch out for Hurricane Helene. But I was . .
. skeptical.
On Thursday, after an
appointment to plan a funeral, I then tried to visit a seriously ill person in
the hospital. We had expected the rain
to start around 1:00 p.m. However, at
4:00 p.m. the weather was still relatively nice. When I arrived at the hospital
a security guard asked me if I came to visit.
I told her I was. She said,
“We’re not allowing visitors because of the storm.” I looked around. The sun was out. There was a slight breeze. The temperature was pleasantly warm. Frustrated, I shot back, “It doesn’t look too
bad right now.” But she replied, “It’s
coming!” I left the hospital without
visiting this lady who did pass away later that weekend. (Thankfully, I did see her on Sunday.) Again, I was skeptical.
Then reality hit. Sometimes a person just stands back in awe
and watches the power of nature, as many in America’s southeast did last week. Even
though the eye of the storm was over 100 miles away from Gainesville in the
Gulf of Mexico, the winds were stronger than I have experienced here. I heard one person say they heard a report of
80 miles an hour winds at the airport.
Another person told me their phone reported gusts at 80-85 mph. This was different than my previous experience.
Of course, our electricity went
out Thursday evening, and did not return till late Friday afternoon. But we were the lucky ones. I know some who still did not have power 5
and 6 days later. On Friday I did
something I’ve never done before as pastor; I conducted a funeral with no
electricity! However, we did have light through the windows. We had a musician on the piano, and a pastor
with the Bible. The air conditioning did
not work, but we opened doors on both ends of the church and a nice breeze blew
through. And we still had power issues on Sunday.
There were trees down
everywhere. A large oak tree split and
damaged the roof of a home in our neighborhood.
Another tree blocked the road in front of the church before the funeral,
while damaging a nice truck. We saw
power poles down, power lines down, and trees leaning on power lines. Crews were out for days, and they continue to
work.
Yet, even though we had a
rougher experience in Gainesville than from some past storms, it was nothing
like the coastal areas, which were devastated.
I looked again and again at one of the satellite photos which showed the
eye of Helene near Tallahassee, but clouds from the storm in New England and up
to Chicago. The rains in North Georgia,
the Carolinas, Tennessee and Virginia break one’s heart. The pictures from Ashville and Chimney Rock,
NC seem unbelievable. Over 150 people
have now lost their lives. This was the
real thing!
What does a child of God do when
faced by the storms of nature, and the storms of life. The words of Psalm 46 came to mind. “1 God is our
refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we
will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into
the heart of the sea, 3 though its waters roar and foam, though the
mountains tremble at its swelling.” (Psalm 46:1-3)
The forces of nature are surely stronger than human strength. When a hurricane or tornado strikes, when an
earthquake or tsunami hit, people see that overwhelming power from God’s
creation. But, our Lord is stronger than
His creation. So, when storms hit, and
mountains crumble, and waters roar and foam, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” When we are in trouble, God is our ever-present
help. Similarly, when my weakness and
sin are stronger than we are, God is our help and salvation, in Jesus! When we face the trials of life, AND when we
know our Lord helps us, we can do what Psalm 46:10 says. "Be still, and know that I am God.”
Last week the forces of our Lord’s creation reminded us again, we are not
in control. As my wife says, “You are
not God!” Yet, when the storms roll in
our lives, “God is our refuge and
strength, a very present help in trouble.”
A Child of God, Settled Because,
When the Storms Roll, God is Our Refuge and Strength,
Pastor Rockey
P.S. I am in Gainesville,
Florida, again where I am serving as vacancy pastor at First Lutheran Church
until they receive a permanent full-time pastor.
P.P.S. NEWS AND
MINISTRY OPPORTUNITIES AT First Lutheran Church – Gainesville!
UNFORTUNATELY, our Oktoberfest
scheduled for September 29 was cancelled because of the Hurricane. L
SUNDAY SCHOOL IS IN FULL
SWING until May. Children begin in worship at 10:00 a.m.. Early
in the service, after the Children’s Message, children leave for a lesson, for
a craft, and a snack. Parents, Grandparents, Uncles and Aunts, Neighbors,
PLEASE bring your children to Sunday School.
THANK YOU Sunday School Teachers and staff!
WE CONTINUE TO STUDY THE BOOK
OF ACTS on Sunday mornings at 8:45 a.m. in the Besalski Fellowship
Hall. If you want to read ahead, this coming Sunday we will continue in Acts
27. Come study with us about the early church as we seek to be God’s
people in today’s world.
COLLEGE STUDENTS AND YOUNG
ADULTS are now meeting on Tuesday nights in the student house at 7:00
p.m. Come and join us!
WE CONTINUE TO READ THROUGH
THE SCRIPTURE IN 2024 and 2025 using the Today’s Light Devotional
Bible. On Tuesday, September 24 we finished 2 Chronicles. We read
through Nehemiah 3 on Wednesday, October 2.
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 I
have recently received questions and comments. It is always good to
consider our Lord’s love and guidance. I will TRY to answer, but some things only
God knows!
FIRST LUTHERAN HAS BEGUN A “RAISE
THE ROOF FUND,” for roof replacement and air-conditioning repairs. The
roofs are still in relatively 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, our Air
Conditioners are old and need replacing. So the Congregation has begun a “Raise
the Roof” campaign. Our goal to accomplish these combined repairs is
$500,000!
Please consider
how God may lead you toward these needs in the future.
FIRST LUTHERAN IS BACK IN THE
CALL PROCESS. We have sought nominations and names of pastors who
would serve the Lord and His people well at First Lutheran in
Gainesville. The Florida-Georgia District has sent information on the
candidates. We have 21 names!
PLEASE CONTINUE TO KEEP THE FIRST LUTHERAN CALL PROCESS IN YOUR
PRAYERS.
P.P.P.S. PICTURES –
AND OTHER ITEMS OF INTEREST –
·
Here are some hurricane pictures from Friday
morning. https://photos.app.goo.gl/AQN3kiT8Vx2LWuom8
·
On Monday, September 30, I again had a “water incident” with my computer. It will not charge, and I used the
battery. That is impacting my devotional
e-mails, as well as other communications.
I have a warrantee, and had to send Hewlett Packard these pictures that
there is no charging light working. L https://photos.app.goo.gl/PkevqJb9co7dBwSBA
·
With a Pastors Conference on September 23-25,
and the Hurricane starting September 24, it was a busy week. But I did golf and fish. Here are some fishing pictures.
·
On Saturday, September 28 I tried to fish at
Rodman Reservoir, a favorite. However,
the dam has been lowered and the water has been “drawn down.” This was done in conjunction with the
Hurricane. Here is what I found when I
wanted to launch my boat. (computer problems.
Cannot access pictures.)
·
I then went to Little Orange Lake. I’m told, “fish bite before the storm, not
afterward.” That proved to be true. But, I had a couple of bites, and it was good
to get out! Here is a picture. (computer
problems. Cannot access pictures.)
·
I had a flat tire on my boat trailer. It turned out the rubber was rotten,
according to our tire store. (computer problems. Cannot access pictures.)
*******
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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