Good Shepherd Lutheran Church ELCA

08/30/2026

All are welcome to worship and feast with us!

08/25/2026

Please, come and join us for the anniversary celebration! ❤

08/17/2026

In Bible study today, Gary Ridgway came to mind. If you recall, he is the “Green River Killer,” serving 49 consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole after being convicted of 49 first-degree murders.

Why would a serial killer come to mind during Bible study?

I remembered an interesting story about him from Sharon L. Baker’s book "Executing God".

Last week and this week, we have been studying Matthew 5:1–12, which is the Beatitudes. One of the members of our Bible study wanted to back up and dig a little deeper into verse 7:

“Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.”

She, like most of us, struggle with this when thinking about the horrible things adults sometimes do to children and other innocent people. How are we supposed to show mercy to someone who has done something truly horrific?

Gary Ridgway did terrible things to his victims. At his sentencing, family members of those victims were allowed to address him. Many expressed their visceral anger and hatred for what he had done to their loved ones. Ridgway listened with a hard, stone-cold expression.

Then the father of one of his victims spoke to him.

He said, “I forgive you.”

Ridgway’s stone-cold expression cracked, and he began to cry as he realized what he had done to not only his victims, but to their families too.

That moment has always stuck with me. The mercy of a grieving father, extended toward a man who certainly did not deserve it, reached somewhere that anger and condemnation had not. In his sentencing hearing, Ridgway read a short, handwritten apology statement.

Maybe that is precisely the point of mercy: mercy is given to someone who does not deserve it. Otherwise, it isn't mercy.

I think when Jesus tells us to forgive those who have wronged us, forgiveness isn't only something we do for them. It is also something that frees us. The rage we carry and the retribution we desire can continue hurting us long after the original wrong has been done. Forgiveness does not mean pretending the wrong never happened. It does not mean there should be no consequences or justice. Gary Ridgway belongs in prison. But mercy allows us to surrender our personal claim to vengeance.

Paul says in Romans 12:19:

“Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath; for it is written: ‘Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.’”

Perhaps mercy is not about saying that what someone did does not matter.

Perhaps it is refusing to let hatred have the final word.

08/04/2026

Please, mark your calendar for this important highlight of our year. What we make on this sale helps to fund our Food Pantry for the year and helps our neighbors in the Lakeway communities. The week before the sale, we will post photos of the items that will be set up and available. Thanks and blessings!

08/01/2026

Give thanks and praise to the Lord and I will feel alright.
- Bob Marley

07/24/2026

07/19/2026

Two things converged to inspire me to write this post:

Pastor Dave’s Bible study on Matthew
My fascination with the story of the Garden of Eden

In case you did not know, the church website has a Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Trivia page. This week, I indulged my interest in the Garden of Eden account in Genesis 2:4–3:24 and included several questions about it in the quiz.

This morning in Bible study, we focused on Matthew 4:1–11, another passage that has always fascinated me. I have often wondered what the devil’s appearance was during the temptation of Jesus. Did the devil appear in human form, as some type of creature, in a vision, or in another way? Was this a physical historical event that unfolded exactly as described, or was the encounter expressed through symbolic language?

Christians and biblical scholars have discussed these questions for centuries. I have even asked several pastors whether they believe the devil appeared as a visible physical being in this account, and I have received different answers.

I believe Jesus truly encountered the devil in the wilderness. What that encounter would have looked like had someone recorded it, I do not know. However, after listening to Pastor Dave explain the nuances of the passage, I began thinking about its connection to the Garden of Eden.

Adam was created to live in the paradise of Eden. He and Eve had food, companionship, and everything they needed. Yet even in those ideal conditions, they gave in to temptation and disobeyed God. Through humanity’s disobedience, sin and death entered the world.

Jesus came from heaven and became truly human - the second perfect man to walk the earth. But unlike Adam, Jesus did not face temptation in a garden filled with abundance. He entered the wilderness and fasted for forty days. He was hungry, physically weakened, and alone.

It is almost as though Jesus was reliving the test of Eden, but under far harsher conditions.

The devil first tempted Jesus to turn stones into bread - to use his divine power to satisfy himself rather than trust the Father. Then he tempted Jesus to throw himself from the temple and force God to prove his protection. Finally, Satan offered Jesus the kingdoms of the world without suffering or the cross, but only if Jesus would worship him.

At every temptation, Jesus answered with Scripture.

Adam failed the test in a garden of abundance. Jesus passed the test in a barren wilderness.

Jesus succeeded where Adam failed.

Worthy is Christ, the Lamb.

07/17/2026

All are welcome. Please, come and celebrate with us!