All Members, Winter Residents, Family and Friends,
Greetings on this Tuesday, August 4th, 2026. One week from today, the halls of Trinity Tots and all the schools here in Highlands and surrounding counties will be filled with the buzz of students returning to the classroom after summer break. Our teachers here at Trinity Tots officially returned yesterday and had their kickoff meeting, going over the expectations and opportunities of the year ahead.
While the summer months are a bit slower, it does not mean that things stop completely here at Trinity. In fact, we have seen multiple new faces attending this summer. Some have already indicated their desire to join with us in membership while others are still thinking about it.
Additionally there has been a reorganization of the Board of Elders as we have added elders and assigned families to each Elder. There will be more information about these developments in the weeks ahead.
And one more item of interest is that the Church Council has been moving forward slowly in reviewing the
Constitution of Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church before sending the revistions to the FL/GA District for approval. We are trying to get this accomplished prior to entering into the “call process.”
Last night the “Lake Placid Insider” community news outlet hosted a candidate forum here at Trinity. There were about 25 residents in attendance and it was live streamed on the “Lake Placid Insider” Facebook page. The forum is still up there. Unfortunately, only 5 candidates came, but those who did attend gave thoughtful insights into their approach to issues facing the County Commissioners and the School Board of Highlands County. Although we here in Lake Placid are in District 4 we vote for all seats that are open.
Here is a link to the Sample Ballot Primary Election 06_30_26.PDFApparently voting begins this Thursday.
I encourage all of you as responsible Christians to exercise you right to vote. If you need guidance, ask someone how they feel about the candidates. People are good at complaining about government actions, but a very low percentage of them actually get out and vote. If you desire change, then be the change; get out and vote. Below is an insight into Rev. Dr. Martin Luther on Civil Government and The Church. . .
Luther rejected the idea of a “territorial church” where the state controlled religious matters. He envisioned rulers as Notbischöfe—bishops only in times of crisis—so that the Church could remain independent in matters of faith. This meant that political leaders should not interfere in spiritual matters, and religious leaders should not dominate politics.
Luther supported the rule of law and the idea that citizens should obey lawful authority. He believed that good governance was essential for the moral and spiritual well‑being of the people. In his Bible commentaries, he often linked obedience to civil authority with obedience to God’s law
While Luther did not explicitly discuss voting as a modern democratic right, his emphasis on the legitimacy of lawful authority and the importance of civic order suggests that he would have supported mechanisms—such as elections—through which people could choose their rulers. His rejection of papal supremacy and his call for rulers to serve the people’s welfare imply a preference for political systems where leaders are accountable to the governed.
Though Luther’s own writings do not address voting rights in the modern sense, his ideas about the sovereignty of the people, the separation of church and state, and the moral duty of rulers to protect justice have been cited by later reformers and political thinkers as part of a broader tradition of civic responsibility.
In short, Luther’s political thought supports the idea that voting and other forms of civic participation are part of a healthy, God‑ordained political order, as long as they serve the common good and uphold justice.
Concordia Theological Seminary.
Well, this is enough for now. I pray you have a fantastic remainder of your week.
Please take some time this week and read through James Chapter 2 as we will be look at the second half of this chapter concerning “Faith and Works”.