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
September 12th
The men of St. John’s will be meeting Saturday morning for breakfast and study on September 12th at 8:00 a.m.
Following the meal will be a brief program concluding by 9:00 a.m.
Women's Bible Study . . .
. . . will return at King's restaurant Tuesday, September 8th. Any questions, please contact Cheryl Mechling at rock92@comcast.net.
Rock of our Salvation Worship
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.”
The Question
At the end of the Gospel of John, the final scene, Jesus asks Peter, “Do you love me more than these?” It is a net that is ridiculously full of fish. When I hear, earlier, that Peter is going fishing, think about members of our congregation going to the creek or on a boat in the river. Anglers of an avocation. Hobbyist relaxation. Not so for Peter. For Peter this is business. This is work. This is money—cold hard cash.
When Jesus asks us, “Do you love me?” It is easy to say yes. I don’t want to answer the question: “How much?” I don’t want to put a price on my love. The answer is supposed to be, “I love you more than anything!” “I love you to the moon and back!”
The Small Catechism explanation to “You shall have no other gods” is “We are to fear, love and trust God above anything else.” This is our challenge and hopefully our goal: above anything else.
There are the Spiritual, intangible answers to the question. This fall we will be looking at more concrete ways we can grow in our walk with God. On Generosity Sunday we will be invited to take a step forward. It is true: “where our money is, there will our heart be also.”
Sometimes I wish it wasn’t true; but it is. How we treat our possessions is always a spiritual issue. What we do and how we act in the concrete has an impact on our spiritual lives. Always has, always will.
See you in Worship.
Pastor Johnson
St. John’s Lutheran Church
