As September arrives, let us be mindful of how blessed we have been as a Church.  Together we have celebrated the grace of our Lord in many ways–of course, our Sunday services, our Fellowship gatherings, and let’s not forget our Party on the Patio!  We have truly been blessed to gather as a family of faith, and to share in Christian love with one another.

We have shared in happy times, and we have mourned together.  But through it all, we did it as a family.  It is my prayer that the coming months will bring us more opportunities to come together and build upon the foundation that has been laid within the past year.  Unfortunately, we are getting to the point where we have less people either capable or willing to do many of our activities.  I assure you, though, that I will step in where I can.  We have been so blessed to have our brothers and sisters who have brought us this far, and I will do all in my power to not let their efforts be diminished.

I also invite our friends who attend our church to join our family in a more committed relationship with us. Please consider full membership of Living Lord Lutheran Church.  We love having you attend with us, but we would really love to call you our own!

I ask all to pray for the youth in our area.  It is the time of year that they will soon be returning to the classrooms.  Let us pray that God watch over them and protect them from harm and the many influences that exist that might dissuade them from embracing our faith.

As always, it is truly my privilege and honor to serve as your servant leader, and I thank God Almighty for letting me include each of you in my family.  I wish you all the best in September and all the days that follow.

Pastor Gerry

Special Congregation Meeting…Mark your calendars and plan to attend the Special Congregation Meeting on Sunday, September 14, at 10:30 am.  We will be voting on revising language in several of our founding documents and on Pastor Gammon’s continuing employment.  We hope to see everyone in attendance.

Church Information…Please remember that you can obtain church information from the monthly Lamplighter Newsletter, the Constant Contact emails you receive, on the church website (www.lllc.org), on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/Living-Lord-Lutheran-Church-493806727349110/), and postings on the church bulletin board.  Church Council Meeting minutes are posted on the bulletin board and sent out via Constant Contact.  We would like to see a better “open rate” when we send information to you via Constant Contact so that we know you are being informed of the activities that are occurring at the church.  If you have any other suggestions on how best to reach out to our parishioners, please see a Council member.

For the months of September and October, we will be collecting food items for the Howland Schools’ Paw Pantry.  The list of most requested items is posted on the narthex bulletin board.  They include:  boxes of noodles/spaghetti, jars of spaghetti sauce, mac-n-cheese, Ramen Noodles, canned items (soups, cream soups, Spaghettios), peanut butter, jelly, cereal, breakfast bars, granola bars, any individually wrapped snacks or cookies.  Thank you for your past generosity!  It is greatly appreciated!  Keep up the good work!  God bless!

Fall is around the corner with cooler temps, leaves falling, and school starting.   Where did the summer go?  I am certainly looking forward to the cooler temperatures.  Our Fellowship Sunday will be September 21.  The theme for this day is Football Fun.  We are planning some football favorites and always good fellowship.  Please wear your football shirts and support your favorite team.

Monthly Women’s Breakfast…Please join us at our monthly breakfast at Vasilio’s in Cortland on the second Thursday of every month (Sept. 11) at 10:00 am.  All are welcome!

We will be postponing the start of the Adult Forum in September as we are looking for an interested person to teach the class.  Currently that class begins at 8:45 am on Sundays.  Please contact Pastor Gerry or Pam Boothe if you would be interested in teaching that class.  Thank you.

Here we are getting ready for August of 2025!  It seems that it was just May yesterday!  This summer has been filled with unusual weather, which I feel has made my biological calendar confused.  But August is upon us and promises to be filled with activity.

On Saturday, August 2, we have the annual Party on the Patio.  This year’s theme is country and western and promises to be a good time.  The event is scheduled from 3:30 to 5:30 pm so ya’ll come wrestle up some grub and share in Fellowship!

On Saturday, August 16, the First United Church of Christ is holding their last annual picnic as a church and have invited Living Lord to attend.  The picnic will take place in the Howland Park (northwest corner pavilion) from noon to 4:00 pm.  It is suggested that place settings be brought with you.  Of course, we will continue to have our Sunday services here at the church at 9:30 am.  We sure love seeing everyone and hope that you’ll be there if you can.  Feel free to invite family members and friends to join us!

August, like most of summer, is filled with so many things to do before the more dormant weather hits us.  Please make time to enjoy some of it and to spend as much of it as you can with our creator.  Set aside some quiet time for you and the Lord each day and just enjoy each other.  Give Him thanks and praise for the beauty in creation and for always being with you in every season.

I pray that you all enjoy what we have left of summer and that you remain forever committed to our God.  For He is to you.

Blessings to one and all!
Pastor Gerry

Party on the Patio…Please mark your calendar for our annual Party on the Patio on Saturday, August 2, 3:30 to 5:30 pm.  Our theme this year is Country & Western.  The church will provide the burgers, hot dogs, and beverages.  Please bring a side dish to share.  Please see the sign-up sheet on the bulletin board.

Church Information…Please remember that you can obtain church information from the monthly Lamplighter Newsletter, the Constant Contact emails you receive, on the church website (www.lllc.org), on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/Living-Lord-Lutheran-Church-493806727349110/), and postings on the church bulletin board.  Church Council Meeting minutes are posted on the bulletin board and sent out via Constant Contact.  We would like to see a better “open rate” when we send information to you via Constant Contact so that we know you are being informed of the activities that are occurring at the church.  If you have any other suggestions on how best to reach out to our parishioners, please see a Council member.

A very hearty THANK YOU to our Living Lord members for their generous donations of personal care items to Howland Local Schools’ Paw Pantry!  The Paw Pantry services the schools in the Howland District, as well as our students attending TCTC.  Your contributions of personal care items will be distributed to those students in need and will be distributed through referrals from teachers, family members, and students (through Google Form located on the Howland School District’s website).  Your efforts and generosity are greatly appreciated!  For the months of August, September, and October, we will be collecting food items.  The list of most requested items is posted on the narthex bulletin board.  They include:  boxes of noodles/spaghetti, jars of spaghetti sauce, mac-n-cheese, Ramen Noodles, canned items (soups, cream soups, Spaghettios), peanut butter, jelly, cereal, breakfast bars, granola bars, any individually wrapped snacks or cookies.  Thank you for your past generosity!  It is greatly appreciated!  Keep up the good work!  God bless!

It is hard to believe we are talking about August already.  Summer sure has a way of moving fast.  Our Party on the Patio is planned for Saturday, August 2, from 3:30 to 5:30 pm.  We always have an abundance of food to enjoy and good conversations.  Please plan on joining us and bring a dish to share.  We have ice cream left over from our last luncheon to enjoy also.  A sign-up sheet is on the bulletin board so we can plan on the hot dogs and hamburgers.  Come have some fun!  United Church of Christ has invited us to their picnic in Howland Park on Saturday, August 16, from noon to 4:00 pm.  Another fun picnic to enjoy, so mark those calendars!

Monthly Women’s Breakfast…Please join us at our monthly breakfast at Vasilio’s in Cortland on the second Thursday of every month (Aug. 14) at 10:00 am.  All are welcome!

July!  The month of Independence Day!  We celebrate and commemorate our declaration of independence from the tyranny of the king of England on July 4^th.  What a bold move that was to make such a declaration and follow it up with a courageous battle for freedom.  We, as a nation born that day, must give our heartfelt thanks to our predecessors for waging war on our behalf.  To this very day we enjoy the freedoms that they sought and sacrificed for.

Independence is a wonderful thing!  When we are young, we can’t wait until we are old enough to be independent and on our own.  Truly accepted as an adult, setting our own path, making our own decisions, without somebody doing it for us.  (What were we thinking?)  We grow up, get to pay our own bills, must work to do so, and cook, clean, mow, rake, shovel, etc.  Who knew that being an adult came with so much baggage?

Our freedom is that we get to do these things according to how we want to live.  We can decide what value there is in what we do and how we live.  Independence, or free will, comes at a cost.  We must determine what price we are going to pay for it.  If we want to pay our bills, we need to work to earn money to do so.  If we want to eat, we must earn enough to pay for the meal.  Freedom really isn’t free!

The same is true in our spiritual life.  God has granted us free will to choose how we want to live.  We can work towards fulfilling His will or ours.  To work for His will means giving of ourselves to others, spending time with scripture, attending church, praying, repenting, seeking His forgiveness, and spreading the Gospel.  Working for our own will can either include these things or exclude these things.  If we work for His will, we benefit eternally.  If we only work for our own will, sin, desperation, and following the whims and wants of the flesh, we turn away from God and in the end we will pay for it.

Let us take a moment right now and pray to our Father in the name of Jesus, and seek His guidance, help, and strength.  Let us ask for mercy and forgiveness for those times we have chosen our way over His.  Let us ask for our independence to be free from sin, and not from God.  Let us make God-minded decisions, instead of sinful ones.

May God bless you all, and our great free nation!
Pastor Gerry