St. John's Lutheran Church
Forgiveness does not mean ignoring what has been done or putting a false label on an evil act. It means, rather, that the evil act no longer remains as a barrier to the relationship. Forgiveness is a catalyst creating the atmosphere necessary for a fresh start and a new beginning. It is the lifting of a burden or the canceling of a debt.
—Martin Luther King Jr.
Men’s Prayer Breakfast
October 11th, 2025
The men of St. John’s will be meeting Saturday morning for breakfast and study on October 11th at 8:00 a.m.
Following the meal will be a brief program concluding by 9:00 a.m.
Women's Bible Study . . .
. . . will be Tuesday, October 14th at noon. Any questions, please contact Rose Montgomery at rosetrix38@comcast.net. All are welcome!
Rock of our Salvation Worship
8:30 a.m.
Sunday, October 12th 2025
Love makes us worthy
Unlike God, who loves unconditionally, humans often make choices and set limits when doling out affection. But Thomas Merton reminds us, “Our job is to love others without stopping to inquire whether or not they are worthy. That is not our business and, in fact, it is nobody’s business. What we are asked to do is to love, and this love itself will render both ourselves and our neighbors worthy.”
“A Year of Celebration”
One of my favorite quotes from the large catechism is when Luther says:
“In short, it pains him [the devil] that anyone receives a morsel of bread from God and eats it in peace. If it were in his power, and our prayer to God did not restrain him, surely we would not have a straw in the field, a penny in the house, or even our life for one hour — especially those of us who have the Word of God and would like to be Christians.”
A morsel of bread, a moment of peace, a straw, a penny, or our life for one hour. The devil’s goal is always to make us miserable and to distract us and separate us from God.
I like to quip that my patron saint is Grumpy the dwarf. In truth I work hard at counting my blessings and thanking God for people and things.
It actually starts thanking God for claiming me as His precious child. I delight in proclaiming that He claimed me before I had a choice. If it were up to me I may have messed up the decision. It was too big of a decision for me to make. I thank God that all the big decisions in life He made for me.
Lutherans know that all good things come from God. We thank God for blessing us. I am often blessed in spite of myself, not because of myself—that is the point—God’s love is not dependent on us earning His love. His love comes to us regardless.
For relationships and things, I can only say, “Thank You!” Among those I thank God for most profusely is you.
See you in Worship,
Pastor Johnson
St. John’s Lutheran Church
