A Congregation of the Florida-Bahamas Synod.

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Check out the websites from our sister churches:    Living Waters and Holy Trinity    

NEW FM RADIO STATION.  Anyone can now listen to worship in their vehicles by tuning into FM Radio station 88.3.  The Sunday morning 8:30 AM parking lot service is being broadcast on FM Radio 88.3.  In the near future both the Saturday evening 5:30 PM and Sunday morning 10:00 AM worship services will also be broadcast on our FM Radio station.

PLEASE GO TO SERMON SNIPPETS TO SEE PASTOR JEN'S FULL WORSHIP MESSAGES.

Sixth Sunday After Pentecost July 11-12, 2020   

Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ at Hope Lutheran Church,   Blessings and God’s love to each and every one of you!  We are now in the middle of summer here in Florida, and while this is usually a very quiet time of year, there’s a lot going on in the world around us that certainly impacts us in the church.  We are all in the midst seeing a re-opening of things in the state, while at the same time individual locations are shutting down because of increased numbers due to Covid 19 infection rates.  We are seeing schools set for re-opening as directed by Executive Order in early August, with teachers and staff returning the week before without any specific protocols in place to ensure safety for all.  We are seeing law enforcement officers, most of whom are heroes among us as they serve and protect, in a very difficult position as they try to do their job in the midst of fear, anxiety, and a questioning of their authority because of those among them who have not lived up to their duty.  We are hearing loud political rhetoric from both sides being ugly and promoting hate rather than unity.  It’s kind of a mess out there, my friends.  It really is.  But here’s the thing-our first allegiance is as citizens of heaven, members of God’s family as the Baptized people of God.  The One to whom we need to listen is Jesus-Jesus who calls us to love one another as we show our love for God.  This, in the midst of a changing, loud world, is a bold, unshakable truth-Jesus calls us to love.  Jesus calls us as his hands and feet and heart and voice to share love in a world that needs it now as much as ever.

So what can we do?  We can wear masks to share our love and not our germs.  We can be extra vigilant as we try to protect those around us from illness in the-off-chance we are exposed without knowing it.  Most importantly, we can pray, my friends.  Prayer is a very loving, intentional act.  We can pray for our community and the fear that is spread as so many work hard to combat a virus to which many of us are vulnerable.  We can pray for teachers and staff and students as they face returning to school in a few weeks without a clear direction for protecting them.  We can pray for law enforcement that those who serve will be protected and that wise policies and decisions can be made so that all our people may be treated with dignity, compassion, equality, and respect.  We can pray for political leaders to speak truth with love and to make wise and just policies for the benefit of all of us living in the United States.  We can pray for unity so that we as a nation can re-discover what it means to be “we, the people…”  We can pray that God will direct and guide us to be the loving and caring disciples we are called to be-all in Jesus’ name. I am praying for YOU!

In Christ’s love, Pr. Jen+