Friday, February 16, 2018 First Week of Lent Dear Friends: On Ash Wednesday, we began the spiritual journey that leads us to a deeper place within our own self-understanding, and hopefully, to a closer place in our walk with God. The journey will go through the wilderness, as it did for Jesus after his Baptism,… Read More »
The Teddy Bears of St. Andrew
I met the author of this reflection during the Florida leg of his book tour, when he joined the MCCJ Clergy Dialogue* for a presentation recently. His book, his work, his weekly sharing have been very meaningful to me. Links are intact if after reading you want to read more – which I would certainly… Read More »
PASTOR’S ANNUAL REPORT FOR 2017
January 21, 2018 Another year is in the history books. Our congregation has weathered some storms in this last year – and if spiritual and even the regular storms of life weren’t enough, we along with the rest of the state of Florida endured the ravages of Hurricane Irma. At one point, a Cat5 storm… Read More »
November 2017 Congregational Meeting
On Sunday, November 19, the Congregation shared some conversation and made some decisions: We adopted the Proposal for a transformational Renewal of Ministry that was presented. We will be working on forming a Leadership Team (six persons, plus Pastor; lay person to Chair) that will guide our process. Please take time to read the Proposal if you have not had the chance… Read More »
Disaster Response Funds at Work in Haiti
Many of you know that I continue to serve on the Haiti Task Force of the Florida Bahamas Synod. Often our financial support is towards maintenance of vehicles – important, but kind of mechanical (ok, pun intended). Our support of this project for recovery after Hurricane Matthew in October 2016 has been different – not… Read More »
A Proposal for Renewal
On October 1, 2017, Pr. John Mocko, Interim Assistant to the Bishop for the Florida Bahamas Synod, met with and heard from the members of the Church Council and others who had expressed an interest in conversation about the future of Living Faith. He produced a Ministry Review report, and in further conversation with Bishop… Read More »
An eye opening conversation about guns
It’s clear to all that something has to change when it comes to our national experience of mass shootings. Too many have been impacted by these tragic shootings, and yet as a nation, we seem poised to do….well, nothing. “It’s not the right time” to talk about gun control, or any regulations, or whatever the… Read More »
MABO moves in to ELH compound in Haiti as new partnership is established
Living Faith – many of you know that I have been part of the Global Mission Team’s HAITI TASK FORCE. In 2015, I traveled with a group of pastors, mostly from the Florida Bahamas Synod, to share in a week of teaching elders and deacons in Gressier, where the new ELH (Eglise Lutherienne d’Haiti) compound… Read More »
After Irma: What are we called to do?
Home destroyed on Big Pine Key, where Lord of the Seas Lutheran Church is also located. We were spared – in large part – from the wrath of one of the biggest storms to come by this way in a long time – certainly, in anyone’s living memory. A blessing? Certainly. We had storm debris… Read More »
Christmas Shoeboxes for Seafarers!
It’s time to start preparing for our annual Christmas Shoeboxes for Seafarer’s, our “God’s Work Our Hands” community project. SHOEBOXES: Standard adult size boxes only, approximately 11” X 7”; no boot boxes or children’s shoeboxes please. This is so all gifts are equally wonderful! STANDARD ITEMS STILL NEED as of 9/20/2017 at 6:43am SHOEBOXES 44… Read More »
