Faith Lutheran Church

06/07/2026

June 7, 2026, Holy Communion

Please join us this Sunday for Holy Communion at Faith Lutheran Church, Fort Valley, VA at 10:00 AM.

We will broadcast the in-person service over Zoom. Please feel free to join us there.

Faith Lutheran is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Sunday Worship
Time: Jun 7, 2026 10:00 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

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Meeting ID: 818 9972 5087
Passcode: 210471

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06/06/2026

06/06/2026

God Pause for Saturday, June 6, 2026
There's a Wideness in God's Mercy (Evangelical Lutheran Worship 588, focus on verses 1 and 2)
1 There's a wideness in God's mercy,
like the wideness of the sea;
there's a kindness in God's justice
which is more than liberty.
There is no place where earth's sorrows
are more felt than up in heav'n.
There is no place where earth's failings
have such kindly judgment giv'n.

2 There is welcome for the sinner,
and a promised grace made good;
there is mercy with the Savior;
there is healing in his blood.
There is grace enough for thousands
of new worlds as great as this;
there is room for fresh creations
in that upper home of bliss.

3 For the love of God is broader
than the measures of the mind;
and the heart of the Eternal
is most wonderfully kind.
But we make this love too narrow
by false limits of our own;
and we magnify its strictness
with a zeal God will not own.

4 'Tis not all we owe to Jesus;
it is something more than all:
greater good because of evil,
larger mercy through the fall.
Make our love, O God, more faithful;
let us take you at your word,
and our lives will be thanksgiving
for the goodness of the Lord.

Text: Frederick W. Faber; Music: North American; Public Domain

Devotion
It is tempting to think of mercy as something that has limits—something that needs to be measured out carefully. Some of us may even wonder if there is enough grace for us, or if we have somehow gone too far to receive it. This hymn reminds us that the idea of limited grace and mercy couldn’t be further from the truth. There is a wideness in God’s mercy, “like the wideness of the sea.” It is not small or scarce, but expansive beyond what we can imagine. There is welcome for the sinner, healing found in Christ, and grace enough not just for a few, but for “thousands of new worlds.” There is room, more room than we tend to believe. God’s mercy is not something we must compete for or prove ourselves worthy of. It is already given and given abundantly. Today, we are invited to trust in the wideness of God’s mercy—to receive it for ourselves, and to believe that there is more than enough to go around.

Prayer
Limitless God, daily remind us that your mercy and grace know no bounds. We are never out of the reach of your love and care. Help us to hold on to those reminders and trust deeply in your wideness. Amen.

Rev. Gabriella Conklin '21 M.Div.
Pastor, First Lutheran Church, Edinburg, TX

06/05/2026

As we prepare for the commemoration of the Emanuel Nine 🕊️ on June 17, we remember the nine faithful members of Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina, who were murdered during a Bible study in 2015.

To help mark this day of remembrance, prayer, and reflection, the ELCA has offered prayers and other worship resources for congregations, small groups, and individual devotion. 📖

May we honor their witness by continuing the work of justice, reconciliation, and love. ✨

Explore the resources and learn more through the links in the comments below.

06/05/2026

Come on down this Saturday and support the Faith Lutheran Church Youth Group!

We will be selling:
• Homemade Cookie Mix Jars — $10.00
• Homemade Cornbread Mix Jars — $6.00
• Blessing Bags — $8.00
• Beach Basket — Raffle
• Summer Basket — Raffle
• Decorative Stones — $2.00
• Plus, many other donated items!

Check out the photos below to see some of the items we've assembled and will have available for purchase.

Most importantly, remember that 100% of the proceeds will be given back to support our youth and their activities.

Thank you for your support—we hope to see you there!

06/05/2026

Sometimes the most powerful ministry isn't found in a sermon. It's found in a hug. A simple embrace can say, "I'm here." "You're not alone." "We're going to get through this together." God often comforts us through the presence of other people. “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up.” — 1 Thessalonians 5:11 🙏

In a world where so many people are carrying silent burdens, never underestimate the impact of kindness, compassion, and simply showing up for someone who needs it. May we become people who reflect the heart of Jesus... not only through our words, but through the way we love others.

Join our FREE Weekly Devotional for scripture-centered encouragement and peaceful reminders of God's presence. Explore our devotionals, faith resources, and tools designed to help you slow down and grow deeper in your walk with Christ—all linked in bio.

If Mindful Christianity has encouraged your faith journey, would you consider supporting our mission? Every prayer, share, and contribution helps us continue creating content that brings hope, peace, and encouragement to people around the world. Together, we're building a place where hearts can rest, heal, and draw closer to Jesus.

06/05/2026

God Pause for Friday, June 5, 2026
Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26 (NRSV)
Read Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26 on biblegateway.com

9As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, "Follow me." And he got up and followed him. 10And as he sat at dinner in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came and were sitting with him and his disciples. 11When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" 12But when he heard this, he said, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13Go and learn what this means, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners."

18While he was saying these things to them, suddenly a leader of the synagogue came in and knelt before him, saying, "My daughter has just died; but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live." 19And Jesus got up and followed him, with his disciples. 20Then suddenly a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his cloak, 21for she said to herself, "If I only touch his cloak, I will be made well." 22Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, "Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well." And instantly the woman was made well. 23When Jesus came to the leader's house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, 24he said, "Go away; for the girl is not dead but sleeping." And they laughed at him. 25But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl got up. 26And the report of this spread throughout that district.

Devotion
In Matthew 9:18-26, two people come to Jesus out of their desperation, having nothing else to lose. One, a leader who thinks, maybe, just maybe, Jesus could raise his little girl, and the other a woman who has known suffering for twelve long years. They do not come before Jesus with certainty. They come because they have nowhere else to go, no other options. And Jesus responds with compassion, meeting them where they are. He is quick to extend his healing power to them, restoring what once seemed lost. Jesus does not leave them untouched in their desperation and pain but answers their faithful reach with wholeness. Faith is not about clarity or certainty, as we well know, but about simply reaching out to Christ who is merciful and full of grace. As we witness the leader and woman reaching out in faith, we are invited to trust that even at the end of our options, Jesus is still at work.

Prayer
Compassionate God, we come before you today as our most authentic, vulnerable selves, with heavy burdens on our hearts. Maybe some of us have run out of options and we have nothing left to lose. Give us the courage to reach out in faith to you, trusting that you meet us there in our pain and despair. Amen.

Rev. Gabriella Conklin '21 M.Div.
Pastor, First Lutheran Church, Edinburg, TX

06/04/2026

God Pause for Thursday, June 4, 2026
Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26 (NRSV)
Read Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26 on biblegateway.com

9As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, "Follow me." And he got up and followed him. 10And as he sat at dinner in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came and were sitting with him and his disciples. 11When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" 12But when he heard this, he said, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13Go and learn what this means, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners."

18While he was saying these things to them, suddenly a leader of the synagogue came in and knelt before him, saying, "My daughter has just died; but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live." 19And Jesus got up and followed him, with his disciples. 20Then suddenly a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his cloak, 21for she said to herself, "If I only touch his cloak, I will be made well." 22Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, "Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well." And instantly the woman was made well. 23When Jesus came to the leader's house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, 24he said, "Go away; for the girl is not dead but sleeping." And they laughed at him. 25But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl got up. 26And the report of this spread throughout that district.

Devotion
The first half of the gospel reading is a source of great comfort to me, when I sometimes experience the church as a place of exclusivity, seeming to want to decide who is in and who is out. In Matthew 9:9-13, Jesus calls Matthew as he sits at his tax booth and later sits with this tax collector and many other tax collectors and “sinners” to share a meal. While others question Jesus’ choice in dinner company and discipleship, Jesus knows exactly what he’s doing. Jesus knows exactly who he is here for. He is not here for those who use scripture and the law to secure righteousness for themselves, but for those who admit that they don’t know where to even begin or if they should begin at all. Jesus is not waiting for us to become worthy, well-studied and perfectly religious. Jesus meets us where we are, just as we are. In mercy God invites us all to trust that we are not called because we are ready but because in Jesus God’s salvation comes near.

Prayer
Inclusive God, we thank you for daily reminding us of the ways we belong to you even when the world tries to tell us otherwise. You choose us in our imperfections and with our rough edges. May we use your example of love to embrace all of our siblings in Christ. Amen.

Rev. Gabriella Conklin '21 M.Div.
Pastor, First Lutheran Church, Edinburg, TX