Your Faith Journey

All of us are on a journey of faith in our lives. At Faith Lutheran in Okemos, Michigan we bring people one a journey of faith each week and share that journey with the world.

Sermon - Ash Wednesday - 3-5-25 03/05/2025

Sermon - Ash Wednesday - 3-5-25 Year C – Ash Wednesday – March 5, 2025 Pastor Megan Floyd Joel 2:1-2, 12-17 Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21 Remember that you are dust… and also, that you are loved. Ash Wednesday is the day we begin Lent, and we honor this day by considering our mortality… that we are made of the same dust and dirt as all the rest of Creation, and when we die… which we all will, we return to the same dust and dirt. It might seem odd to consider love, while also considering the dustiness of mortality … until you consider WHO made you from the dust and dirt… and WHY. Yes, you are dust… and dirt… but you were formed by God’s own hands… formed in love. And you live because of the first gift God gives each of us… God’s own breath… a gift given in love. God breathed into you… breathed life and love into you… so that you might live. Remembering that you are dust… also means… remembering that you are loved. And when the day comes that you return to dust… remember that you return to the presence of God… you return to the source of everlasting love. So then, it is with ashes and love that we step into Lent… a season of repentance and fasting… of giving alms and engaging in works of love that glorify our God… With ashes and love, we step into Lent, a season of preparation to behold God’s defining act of defeating death on the cross. With ashes and love, we step into Lent and we fast from the excesses in life… from whatever it is in our lives that comes between us and our God. We fast, so we can more clearly recognize that when all else is gone… when all things become irrelevant, we know that God, and God’s love, remain. Fasting, giving alms, and engaging in works of love are not about making a show of our piety… it’s about setting our hearts and minds on Christ and trusting that God is faithful and will not abandon us… because we are so deeply loved. And… because we are so deeply loved, we also repent. God, in love, calls us to return… return to me, says the Lord, with all your heart… God calls us to repent. We must repent because we live in bondage to sin and cannot free ourselves… and our sin holds us apart from God. Our repentance is an acknowledgment of the hold that sin has over our lives… and our repentance frees us to fully receive the love and forgiveness God offers. Our repentance… the kind of repentance that changes the way we live… the kind that guides us back toward God’s justice... that kind of repentance… is rooted in love. We repent… not to become worthy of God’s love, but we repent because we ARE loved. As the prophet Joel wrote…”Return to the Lord, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger… and abounding in steadfast love.” Repent… and turn your face… return your attention… back to God… turn back to God’s grace and mercy… to God’s love, and forgiveness… and remember that it was God who formed you in love. You were formed from the dust and dirt, and to the dust and dirt you will return… but you will never be without God’s love. So indeed… remember that you are dust… dust and dirt formed with love and given God’s very breath of life… and when your life is complete… remember… that to dust you shall return… called home to eternal life with your God who loves you… Remember that you are dust… and also, that you are loved. Amen. /episode/index/show/faithlutheran/id/35549890

Sermon - 3-2-25 03/02/2025

Sermon - 3-2-25 Transfiguration of Our Lord March 2, 2025 Faith, Okemos Exodus 34:27-35, Psalm 99, 2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2, Luke 9:28-43a Changed From Glory into Glory Love divine, all loves excelling, Joy of heaven to earth come down! Fix in us thy humble dwelling, all thy faithful mercies crown. Jesus, thou art all compassion, pure, unbounded love thou art; Visit us with thy salvation, enter every trembling heart. Breathe, oh, breathe thy loving Spirit into every troubled breast; let us all in thee inherit; let us find thy promised rest. Take away the love of sinning; Alpha and Omega be; End of faith as its being, set our hearts at liberty. [Today, called the Transfiguration of Our Lord, is, in the church year, the last Sunday in the season of Epiphany. Epiphany - the season of the Father revealing to us the glory of his Son, at once fully divine and fully human. Today we see Jesus, together with Peter and John and James, going up on a mountain to pray. And there Jesus is “transfigured.” ] And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed and his clothes became dazzling white. And suddenly talking with Jesus were two ancient figures, Moses, to whom, on a mountain, was entrusted with the Ten Commandments and Elijah, prophet of the Lord, who, fleeing for his life, hid in a cave on a mountain after publicly naming the gross transgressions and idol worship of King Ahab and the evil deeds of his wife, Jezebel, who had ordered the killing of the prophets of the Lord. It was there that he heard the still small voice, the sound of sheer silence calling him to rise up and continue his prophetic ministry [Moses, Elijah, and Jesus] appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem His departure… [The word “departure” in the Greek , the first language in which our New Testament was written, is the same word for “exodus.”] For the Hebrew people living centuries before, it was the absolutely pivotal moment in which God made a way for them to escape from 400 years of slavery in Egypt. For Jesus the exodus would be his suffering and death on the cross, through which God would make a way for all the world to be set free from bondage, set free from its slavery to all the false, deceitful gods that wreck our lives, that wreck our relationships with each other, that destroy our communities and God’s good creation, and yes, would wreck the very hope for justice and civility and righteousness in a nation. Jesus’ death on the cross was God taking on to himself all the suffering and barbarism, all the personal and sometimes government-sanctioned use of power to crush our very souls. In the words of scripture, Jesus became sin who knew no sin. Jesus’ departure, his exodus thus made possible our freedom, made possible our liberation from all the evil soul-destroying, community-destroying powers of this world. In his letter to the Romans, St. Paul put it this way: Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore, we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. (Romans 6:3-4) Do you not know? Do you not know that when you were baptized into Jesus’ death, into Jesus’ exodus, you were set free, free every day for the rest of your life to walk in newness of life? Listen now to these words from our Second Reading: Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. Since then, we have such a hope, we act with great boldness…all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, we are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit. In the hybrid Bible Study this past Tuesday, we reflected on the glory Peter, John, and James witnessed when they looked at Jesus, at his face, his dazzling white clothing and at the two men standing with him. They saw his glory! This is Jesus who on the day of his baptism [which we celebrated on the first Sunday in Epiphany], while he was praying, the heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended upon him…And a voice came from heaven, ”You are my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” And now on this day of the transfiguration a cloud came and overshadowed them, enveloping Jesus and his disciples and from the cloud came a voice that said, “This is my Son, my Chosen, listen to him!” During the Bible study I began to see my fellow participants a little differently. I saw all of them as “exodus” sons and daughters of God, as honest, open and freed, fully human children of God. [In our shared reflections on the Word, I saw them, in my mind if not with my physical eyes, being changed, with new insights, new understandings, moving from one degree of glory to another.] [I shared with them my father’s blessing to me one night just before his death, these words from Numbers 6:24-26: The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you; The Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.] And now I see you, all of you made in the image of God, each of you in your own distinctive way reflecting the glory of God; all of you by the grace of God being transformed from one degree of glory to another. This glory is the gift of the Holy Spirit freely given in and through you every day of your life, a life lived in words and deeds of love, until at last you and I see Jesus face to face in all his shining glory. This glory is the freedom to walk more and more in newness of life, a freedom to trust that Jesus meant it when in your baptism into his death, he was calling you and equipping you, to become a good listener, listening to the still small voice of the Holy Spirit in your very soul, gently calling and equipping you day by day to love appropriately everyone whom God brings into your mind, everyone whom God lays on your heart. But I have a confession. I don’t always listen very well, either to that quiet, gentle voice of the Spirit within me or the words of inspired wisdom coming from my sisters and brothers . So, I am very grateful for God’s patience. I know I’m not alone in my failure to listen. Peter, John, and James didn’t do so hot at listening either, even after just hearing that commanding voice from the cloud: This is my Son, listen to him! On the very next day, after coming down from the mountain they, with Jesus, encounter a father whose son, his only child, was critically and dangerously ill. He had asked the disciples for help. The 12 disciples, including the three with Jesus on the mountain, had earlier been empowered by Jesus to have authority over all demons and to cure diseases. And they had been incredibly successful. But they grew lax in their calling. They apparently forgot to listen both to the Spirit’s voice within them and to the father’s urgent plea for help. The father of the little boy said, “I begged your disciples to cast out the demon, but they could not.” Jesus is clearly frustrated, giving his disciples a holy balling out: “You faithless and perverse generation, how much longer must I be with you and bear with you?” But then moving on from his frustration, he said to the father, “Bring your son here.”…Jesus in a sign of what he would do for whole world on the cross healed the boy and gave him back to his father. Some days we too will forget to listen. And Jesus will at times be frustrated with us. But we are still and always will be his beloved sisters and brothers. By the wonderful gift and presence of the Holy Spirit in our hearts, Jesus will remind us again and again that throughout the course of our lives we are becoming more and more like him, growing from one shining, grateful, joyful degree of glory to another expression of glory. Come, Almighty, to deliver, let us all thy life receive; Suddenly return, and never, never more thy temples leave. Thee we would be always blessing, serve thee as thy hosts above, Pray and praise thee without ceasing, glory in thy perfect love. Finish then thy new creation, pure and spotless let us be; let us see thy great salvation perfectly restored in thee! Changed from glory into glory, till in heav’n we take our place, Till we cast our crowns before thee, lost in wonder, love, and praise! Amen /episode/index/show/faithlutheran/id/35500795

Special Music - We Will Glorify 03/02/2025

Special Music – Mercy 02/23/2025

Sermon - 2-23-25 02/23/2025

Sermon - 2-23-25 Year C – 7th Sunday after Epiphany Pastor Megan Floyd February 23, 2025 Grace and peace to you from God, our Creator, and from our savior, Jesus Christ, who longs for us to be consumed by love. Amen. *** This passage is remarkably beautiful for the way it draws us into Christ’s vision of justice… and of course… love. But… that doesn’t make it easy. It’s a well-known passage… love your enemies… turn the other cheek,… but it often misrepresents Christians as people who will and should continue to subject themselves to abuse. It is definitely not that. I can remember, even as a child, I would hear this and think… nope… no thanks… if someone slaps me and I turn the other cheek, then I’ll get slapped twice. No, thank you. What I have since learned is that this passage is really about justice, and holding others accountable for their abuse and harm… but doing so in a non-violent and loving way. Retaliation and violence cannot drive out evil… only love can do that. After all… even those who perpetrate harm against their neighbor, or community, or even the whole country… even those people are loved by God, who desire for their hearts to be remolded by love. Still doesn’t make it easy. *** This passage is a continuation of the sermon on the plain that we got into last week… the blessings and woes… Blessed are the poor and hungry… blessed are the powerless Woe to you who are rich and full… woe to you who are well thought of according to the world’s standards. …But I say to you that listen, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. We must read this command to love our enemies through the lens of Jesus’ flip of all we understand about the world… and about who is blessed and who is issued a warning. He says, ‘Do not judge, and you will not be judged.’ To cast judgment on another person is to view them, for whatever reason, as unworthy of God’s gifts… to consider them as less than the beloved child of God that they are. Jesus issues blessings and woes, and a call to love our enemies… as a way to call us into a more just way of living that honors all people, regardless of status or any of our human categories. And this is huge for us in our modern American culture, but it’s arguably a bigger deal for those first disciples… because the culture that Jesus is preaching in is an honor-shame culture. It’s not quite the same way here and now… but for them… To be abused was a cause for shame, but to respond the way Jesus suggests shines a light on the abuse, and holds the perpetrator accountable for their wrongful actions… To respond the way Jesus suggests is to demand justice and dignity. He says… if anyone takes away your coat, do not withhold even your shirt. In that culture, to be naked was shameful, but to be someone who caused another to be naked was more shameful. Jesus said, if anyone strikes you on the cheek – and in Matthew, he specifies, strikes you on the right cheek, offer the other. Well, most people are right-handed, so to strike someone on the right cheek would mean they back-handed them… This was how someone would strike a slave or someone so low in status that the abuser would not sully the palm of their hand. But if you then offer the other cheek for them to strike, it would require an open hand, …In doing that, they are demanding their abuser face what they did and strike them as an equal… thus throwing off the shame and exposing wrongful violence. If someone takes your goods… stealing from you… Jesus said, do not ask for them back, it is then considered a gift. The shame of being a victim is turned into honor for one who is generous. And again… it exposes the wrongful theft. Jesus is not preaching suggestions for passive weakness… not at all… To respond this way takes courage, and commitment to the way of Christ and strength in knowing that calling others back into right relationship brings healing to whole communities. Jesus is offering a way to level out power imbalance and call attention to injustice. Jesus is offering a way for us to create space for a pause… an examination of actions, a call to accountability… space for confession… forgiveness… and reconciliation. Jesus is calling us to follow a way that does not tolerate evil, but instead, it exposes the evil actions and invites the perpetrator back into right relationship with their community… using love. God does not want us to destroy our enemies… God wants us to love them. *** Earlier this week, our siblings in Christ at St. Luke’s ELCA church in Park Ridge, Illinois, experienced some of this world’s hatred and abuse. Vandals destroyed their sign, which featured the logo for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America – the ELCA – and the logo for Reconciling in Christ, which, as we know, stands for justice and inclusion of our LGBTQ+ siblings. While it may have been a random act of disrespect… which was carried out in two separate acts… we cannot ignore that our Lutheran witness and commitment to standing with the vulnerable and marginalized has recently been nationally vilified… …and our ELCA siblings across this country are feeling the effects of that from those who are motivated to intimidate based on perceived orders from their leaders. As I read about this church, I was deeply encouraged that, in the face of harm, they are leaning into Jesus’ command to love others, to be welcoming to all, and to bear witness to the Gospel. Their pastor wrote, “In a world increasingly marked by division and fear, we are called to stand firm in the radical grace of Jesus. If this was meant to discourage us, let it do the opposite. Let it strengthen our resolve to be a beacon of hope, justice, and love. We will continue to proclaim love of neighbor through word and deed, showing with our lives that love is stronger than fear.” *** Friends… this is what it looks like… to turn the other cheek. To pause… and take a breath… to call for accountability and leave room for confession, forgiveness, and reconciliation. This is what it looks like to follow in the way of Christ, to commit to love, to stand for justice, and to trust in the kind of costly grace that calls us into action. To not let the hardness of the world… harden our hearts against our enemies… or our neighbors. And no… it is not easy. And yes… there is risk. Which is why we cannot… and do not… accomplish this work on our own. It is only possible with the strength of the bonds that form within a community that follows the way of Christ together… And, most importantly, it is only possible by the will of God, who has called us to this path… and promises to accompany and guide us, to comfort us in our grief, and to transform our hearts with love. Our God, who loves us beyond measure, knows that if we hold onto fear… bitterness… suspicion… and hatred… we will be overcome… consumed by that hatred. So let us lay all that down at the foot of the cross… and in doing so, know that we cast a holy light… a loving light… onto the injustice of our world… …and, with strength that can only come from God… let us come together to call those who perpetuate evil and violence… back into love…. Let us call them back into just relationships… offering healing for our communities… and lives transformed by grace. Jesus’ sermon on the plain teaches us that what God wants for us… what Christ longs for… is for us to be consumed by mercy and compassion… consumed by love, and for that love to reshape the world. And so… though it is not easy… let us, together, love our enemies and pray for those who cause harm. Amen. /episode/index/show/faithlutheran/id/35392220

Special Music – Above All 02/16/2025

Sermon-2-16-25 02/16/2025

Sermon-2-16-25 Year C – 6th Sunday after Epiphany Grace and peace to you from God, our Creator, and from our savior, Jesus Christ, who came to bring good news to the poor. Amen. *** This one always used to make me squirm a bit… you know? No matter how much I shifted in my seat… I could not escape its conviction. We are still getting to know each other, but you have probably figured out that I love to laugh… And, of course, I like to be comfortable… and yes, I hope to maintain my good reputation. But when I read this… it’s like Jesus is standing there in front of me… shaking his head and looking disappointed. I don’t like that. But I know I’m not alone. We all like our comforts, and we all prefer financial security and a positive reputation. So why does Jesus say… woe to us... woe to us who are rich… woe to us who are filled… woe to us who are laughing and well thought of. Woe to us… who put our trust… our faith… in our earthly resources… *** I want to take a little detour and tell you about a time in my life when my faith just… exploded… my spiritual AH-HA moment! I’ve been a Lutheran all my life. My parents brought me to church every Sunday when I was little, I was baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran church. There were some years in college and as a young adult that I didn’t attend regularly… but church was my habit, and I valued the community that was available to me there. But when it came to my faith… well… I thought I had faith, but looking back, I don’t think I fully understood it… I believed in God, but I didn’t truly understand what it meant to be encountered by the living Christ… until about 12 years ago. That was when our youngest daughter was 2 years old, and I was home alone with her when she had a seizure. By the way… she is aware that I’m telling this story. I didn’t fully understand what was happening, and I was terrified… I didn’t know how to help her. I called my parents, and I called 911 We ended up at the hospital, where the seizures continued… and she was eventually diagnosed with epilepsy, but they couldn’t figure out why she had it. So for the next several months, we were in and out of the hospital… tests and specialist visits and all sorts of things were happening. And the medical bills were just… soaring… we had insurance, but it didn’t matter… the amount of the debt became comical for us… Bill was the primary earner in our family… working as a graphic designer for a tiny, struggling, family-run graphic design firm… and I worked for the church as the bookkeeper and the youth minister. We were not wealthy, but prior to this event, we were at least keeping our heads above water. And then… a few months into Kara’s medical adventures, Bill was laid off… on the day after Christmas. Suddenly, we were in deep poverty. The kind where you legitimately do not know where your next meal is coming from. It was very scary. The benefit, however, of being that deep in poverty is that Kara qualified for subsidized health insurance for children, and the amount we owed stopped ballooning. And… at least at that time, there were still social safety nets that gave us some breathing room on our mortgage, so we didn’t lose our house. And also, tending to Kara’s medical needs became a time-consuming responsibility… and since Bill wasn’t working, he was home and was able to give the extra time needed, and work with the doctors to get her stabilized. And as for our next meal… well… our church community showed up in huge ways. They brought casseroles by on hospital days… groceries would appear on our doorstep, and Meijer gift cards showed up in the mail. There was an abundance. They checked in on us… they held us… they prayed with us and for us. They surrounded us with so much love and support, that even though we felt we were free-falling, we never hit bottom. And every time I looked at them… they absolutely shined with Christ’s light… and I finally understood… this is how Christ meets us in our most difficult moments… This is how Christ ministers to us…loves us… holds us… surrounds us with peace. I didn’t recognize Christ in my community before because I was too busy with all my stuff… my hands were too full of my own earthly treasure… I was too used to being one of the helpers… I had no idea what it meant to be the one in need. Only once my hands were empty did I become ready to receive the fullness of God’s blessing… and only through God’s grace could I humble myself enough to receive it. In receiving this gift of grace, my awareness opened up, and I finally got it… that all the earthly treasure we had before, and all we have now… was always, and will always be, a gift given to us, meant to be shared… And so it is with joy that I endeavor to bring Christ’s light to others, just as others brought it to us. *** I had to learn this lesson of seeing Jesus the hard way… maybe you don’t have to – maybe you’re not as hard-headed as me… but I am forever grateful that Jesus met me where I was and showed me grace. What else could I possibly do after that… but follow him? That’s what Jesus does… he meets us exactly where we are… to call us into discipleship. And if we miss the cue… he’ll try again. Just like in our gospel text, Jesus met the people on the plain... all those people, he met them on a level place… no one higher or lower than the others. He met the very Jewish people from Jerusalem and Judea… the very Gentile people from Tyre and Sidon… disciples… followers of Jesus… those seeking healing… and all the different people in between. He meets them all… on a level place… and he heals them all. But to his disciples… to those who are following him in his mission… he explains that the kindom of God belongs to those who show up empty-handed. Blessed are you who are poor… hungry… Blessed are you who are weeping Jesus turns their understanding of the world… upside down… just like he did for me. He is… re-orienting their priorities, and not all are going to accept this new world order… But… he still healed them.... he healed them all… Because he still loves them. Because Christ is still Christ… and the invitation is always there to open our hearts and turn our minds to God’s ways… to open our hands to receive the goodness of God. But his mission is plainly stated… Jesus came to bring good news to the poor. *** That time in our life with Kara and experiencing poverty… it re-oriented our priorities and opened our eyes to see Christ all around us. In time, Kara’s epilepsy stabilized, and she’s doing great… and Bill found a new and better job. We’re doing ok… …and I don’t think Jesus is disappointed about that. Because, like I said, our priorities are different… we now consider that what we have is a gift from God, and gifts are meant to be shared. And, we understand now how much we are all connected, and how much we need each other. We understand that it is not ok for us to be satisfied in our wealth if our neighbor is starving. …what good is our freedom and privilege if our neighbor is held captive and oppressed. The blessings and woes Jesus proclaims are not two separate ideas… Jesus is not saying that God is only with the poor. God is with all the people… always… and Jesus is calling our awareness to our connection to all of them, but most especially… to those who are most in need. Those who are deeply in need or despairing are uniquely positioned to recognize that Jesus blesses them and offers encouragement… and ministers to them through others. And when we are so full of our own treasure that we have forgotten where it truly came from, Jesus brings words of challenge to remind us that we are connected and bound to all those in our community… and throughout Creation. These blessings and woes are a call into discipleship… they call us back into the way of Christ, and into a more generous, connected way of life. After all, we are… one body in Christ. And so it is with joy and delight that we care for each other and minister to each other… sharing our gifts as we are able and shining Christ’s light into the world… And trusting that when we come before God with empty hands, God will fill them with love and grace and blessing. Amen. /episode/index/show/faithlutheran/id/35303505

Sermon - 2-9-25 02/09/2025

Sermon - 2-9-25 Year C - 5th Sunday after Epiphany Grace and peace to you from God, our Creator, and from Jesus Christ, our Savior… the holy seed in whom we place our hope. Amen. *** It is a fact of life that we don’t get to choose when we live, but I think it is safe to say… we are living in challenging times. The intentional chaos and resulting uncertainty of the past month is a lot of political theater, and not entirely unexpected… but what has really thrown me for a loop are these new attacks on the faithful, steadfast work of mainstream Christians with a long history of serving the poor and vulnerable. ELCA Lutherans and our many siblings in Christ, who faithfully LIVE and PREACH God’s saving message of mercy for all people and love for all people, are being challenged as adversaries to the current cultural powers. But… Love… and mercy… caring for the vulnerable and centering those on the margins are …and have always been… central to Jesus’ teaching and contrary to cultural norms. And yet… here we are… these are challenging times. You can imagine how I felt this week when I pulled up the lectionary texts for today and read poor Isaiah’s faithful response to God’s call – Here I am, Send me! …and then… what he’s actually being sent into. God called Isaiah to preach to people who are deaf to God’s word, and blind to God’s ways… to go to a people who are so hard of heart that they turn away from those in need and turn away from God’s mercy. Isaiah was called into God’s service… in challenging times. Jesus also lived in challenging times… in Matthew chapter 13, he quotes this very passage from Isaiah to refer to the people he’s preaching to… those for whom the good seed of God’s word falls among thorns or shallow soil. And of course… Jesus preached to his neighbors in his hometown, sharing stories of God’s mercy for the foreigner and the alien… and his neighbors are so angry and offended… they are determined to throw him off a cliff. So maybe the truth is… the times really haven’t changed all that much. But thankfully, I am not Isaiah… and God has called me to preach to you, who are certainly NOT hard of heart… You are a people who have heard God’s call to love, to offer mercy, and to stand with the vulnerable… and you have poured your hearts and your treasure into this… God’s mission. And yet still… these are challenging times. *** The good news is, that true growth really only happens when we face a challenge, so maybe living in challenging times isn’t so bad. Think about this.. Giant Sequoia trees are the largest trees on earth and can live 3,000 years. There are Giant Sequoia trees that were already ancient when Jesus’ message of love and mercy got him killed 2,000 years ago. These incredible trees can only reproduce… the seeds can only germinate… if they go through fire. The seed cones have a hard resin that only melts away when exposed to the extreme temperature of fire. But the fire also clears the ground upon which the seed falls… and it clears a space in the forest canopy, to let in water and light. The only way that new growth can happen for a Giant Sequoia tree… is to endure challenging times… the fire that burns away and seems to destroy… also leads to healthy, new creation. *** For Isaiah, his people were facing the fire of God’s judgment He was called to warn his people that turning away from God would lead to their ruin… even though he knew they would not hear him or heed his words. Their actions would lead to exile… they would face… challenging times. But for God, judgement is NEVER the last word… judgement is not how it ends. For when all else is gone… a seed remains… a holy seed, the stump of Jesse… from which healthy, new, redeemed creation can and will grow. God’s promise has always been… that death does not get the final word, and all is not lost because God is faithful and true. God promised that these challenging times would lead to a new creation, and through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God has fulfilled that promise to you! God’s word of judgment reminds us how much we need God… and the love of God through Jesus assures us that, even in the darkest moments, there is light. And where there is light… there is hope. *** We need this constant reminder because we are a people who are easily swayed by the noise of society. We need the centering words of Jesus, our Good Shepherd, to remind us who we are… and whose we are. We need to come and be surrounded by our community of Faith, to remember that we belong to Christ, who claimed us with love and calls us to share that love with the whole world… not just our families and immediate communities, but the WHOLE world. We need Christ, our cornerstone, to strengthen our resolve to live according to God’s word, especially when that way is more and more counter to the way our culture seems to want to go. This is a community that gathers around the proclamation of Christ, and him crucified, and so I believe we know what to do… We lean on Jesus… In these challenging times, we lean on Jesus and immerse ourselves in his words and teachings… We lean on Jesus, and allow our God to guide and comfort us… to be our light in the darkness. *** The path forward in challenging times is never easy… but the path is clear… if we keep our focus on Christ. In George H. Martin’s commentary, he wrote that in challenging times, “the reality known to people of faith is that we walk in the way of the Lord, while others seem to walk in a different direction. We live among people who who want to hate their enemy, and yet we hang on to a message about loving not just your neighbor but your enemy as well. We live in a world of wars and rumors of wars, and yet we have a Lord who suggests that when we are weak we are strong. Such is the cross-based faith of our Christianity.” In these challenging times, when the world tells us to turn away from the vulnerable, to be suspicious of those who are different, and to show no mercy for those we’ve pushed to the margins… …these are the times when we grow. These are the times when we, faithful followers of Christ, must recommit ourselves as disciples… fishers of people… followers of Jesus. These are the times when we reaffirm our baptismal promises and renew our trust in God’s abundant mercy and grace and our assurance that this incredible mercy and grace is for ALL people, in all the world. *** So like the fire in the forest that opens the seeds of the Giant Sequoia, Lord we pray to you, let the fire of our time and the judgment of your word open our hearts to new growth, new creation, and a renewed passion for your word. Open our hearts to new expressions of love and mercy for our neighbors, especially our neighbors in need. And Lord, in this work, fill us with renewed JOY… the joy that comes from basking in your light and living in your way of peace. Because we will have joy, and yes, we will have empathy and love, because we are called and claimed by God and given grace upon grace through our Lord, Jesus Christ… And the success of God’s grace is not dependent on us, but on the steadfast faithfulness of God and God’s promise to redeem and renew the world… and usher in a new Creation. Until that day, we who follow Christ have the JOY of living in God’s light, even when we feel we are surrounded by darkness… For we know that God’s light and God’s love will always have the final word. Amen. /episode/index/show/faithlutheran/id/35211760

Special Music - Deep Water 02/09/2025

Special Music - One Step He Leads 02/02/2025

Sermon - 2-2-25 02/02/2025

Sermon - 2-2-25 If you are sitting there thinking I have heard those names before…Anna and Simeon…it’s because some years, we get this gospel reading the Sunday after Christmas, and some years when Feb 2 is a Sunday, we hear them anew…now we are not that far removed from the last Christmas, but for a variety of reasons, at least for me, it feels likes Christmas and our celebration of the birth of Jesus seems like forever ago… So it is on this somewhat chilly, very snowy Sunday morning we hear of these two figures…Anna and Simeon who further the story of the baby born in a manger no matter if that feels like just yesterday or forever ago. Some pastors may go straight for the joy that Anna and Simeon much have felt…playing up their child-like joy at seeing Jesus, face-to-face. I never want to be guilty of diminishing joy, but my own experience is that joy is often not as joyful as it could be unless it has engaged in a long, drawn-out stare down with something that threatens to push it out of sight--joy often vanquishes something as it becomes real: despair, hopelessness, physical pain, perhaps a deep, disquieting grief that one's life never lived up to expectations. We don’t know a ton about Anna or Simeon, but I would imagine that the world of Jesus time could not have been a comfortable place for the aged to persevere. No climate control, no pain relief, little capacity to mitigate the embarrassing or just plain uncomfortable effects of the body's natural process of breaking down. There was physical pain in their bodies, morning, noon, and night--a burden that grew heavier with the dawn of each day. Was there something more? Confusion, social isolation, an inability to sleep well, irritability, gaps in the memory, and delusions are all common as we age. There is this frustrating sense that you can't keep up, that the world doesn't need you, that your body and mind that have been your bread-and-butter have sold you out. I confess that I haven't always been understanding, even as a pastor. And I am sure most of us have either heard or even participated in conversations where the graying of the church is discussed like it's a mortal wound--evidence of a church's irrelevance. Let me very clear here…we all want kids and young people in the church…but at the same time, any church can be very much alive and growing with a ton of gray hair too.. Because the thing is--more times than not--when I've sat with older adults, I walk away blown away by how openhearted and faithful and even visionary they are. I spend time traveling around the synod and it is no exaggeration to say that the older folks can be just as full of vibrancy, and mission, and good news as the younger folks among us…civil rights pioneers, anti-war activists, battling the war on poverty, turning the parsonage into a home for refugees, leading the way to become and RIC congregation . Older folks like Simeon and Anna are often the soul of our church: they are the ones who keep the prayer list and pray over the names and the personal tragedies asking God for mercy upon mercy; they prepare dinners for the family where the young mother is receiving chemo; they sit quietly alongside friends when they have lost their spouse of fifty years; they attend an otherwise sparse daytime funeral for the member who suffered for years with untreated mental illness, and they sit in the pews every Sunday, whether the sermon is good or lousy or somewhere in between. As we get older and we continue in the journey of faith, there continues to be joy. There's probably more joy there than I can even imagine. Even and especially when the world seems upside down and inside out…or maybe that’s just me. And I noticed something else about Anna and Simeon. Something that many of our wise elders also have in common, that guided by the Holy Spirit, they always for their best to point to Jesus, and to share God’s love in and around the world, and in and around us. In any and all circumstances…when all seems right in the world and when everything seems so very wrong. Filled with the promise of that same Holy Spirit, we, like Anna and Simeon, can praise God and always seek God’s love and mercy in the world Today, Faith in Okemos celebrates the coming of a new messenger of the good news, the story of Jesus, our Lord and savior, some who will at times walk alongside you, sometimes run ahead of you, and sometimes try to herd you forward from behind…your new pastor, Pastor Megan. As Pastor Megan begins her ministry to and with you in this place, together, you can be Anna and Simeon for one another…praising God and sharing the story of Jesus, who brings love, grace, and mercy to all people. She will share with you how God is at work in her life, this congregation, the church at large and the world around us. She will find joy with you, and dwell with you in your grief. She will pray with you, teach you, and learn from you. She will baptize, preach, administer the sacraments, marry, and bury you. She will try to live a life worthy of her calling to be pastor here, and most importantly she will share the story of Jesus with you…from before he was born, leaping in Mary’s womb, to meeting Anna and Simeon, to the performing of miracles, the teaching of parables, the healings, wandering around in dessert, all the way to the cross and then to the empty tomb where Mary Magdalene recognized who she thought was the gardener as Jesus when he simply said her name. Pastor Megan will be her own version of Anna and Simeon, and so will all of you. She will not be perfect, no pastor is…neither is any congregation. She will forget to visit, not because she didn’t want to, but because she didn’t know you wanted or needed a visit, and she is not a mind reader. She will not always agree with you, nor you with her. And when you or she stumbles in your faith or when you all stand firm in your faith for the sake of others, we can always and forever count in God’s faithfulness to us, and continue to share the story of Jesus with a world that needs to hear it ever so much. Thanks be to God! Amen /episode/index/show/faithlutheran/id/35117325

Special Music – Total Praise 01/26/2025

Sermon - 1/26/25 01/26/2025

Sermon - 1/26/25 Wow, here we are on another precipice. When I started back on June 26, 2013, we were on a precipice ready to jump off and start our work together. When we jump off we never know where will land. Thankfully as followers of Jesus Christ we know that we are not alone. We believe the Holy Spirit is leading and guiding us. We have been through some major changes, and they all happened within 5-6 months in 2024. Walter passed away February 16. Thankfully we had a vice president in the wings to take over. In March we began counting money at the church. Our former secretary shared with members that I would not be putting my name in to be considered for your pastor. In one week in June, we essentially had 2 staff changes. That is a lot for any system to handle. We gathered our gifts and moved forward. We had a great VBS. Thankfully we found a new secretary within a relatively short amount of time. Thus, Randy and I could give up doing the bulletin and E-news. Thanks to Mark Kadrofske for planning and coordinating youth events. Sunday School is running smoothly with our gifted education people. We needed to do some reorganization with the pantry, and it now has a steering committee where the oversight is done by a group of people. They even have a job description for their committee. The finances are being monitored, and more funding is being sought. The pantry is in good shape right now. This is not about me doing all of this work. My role was to plant seeds and support the gifted people here at Faith. The council is in the midst of restructuring the operating system of the church so that the healthiest ministry can be done. This came out of the leadership workshop that we had and the work of the transition team. Today Pastor John will be sharing some thoughts on the Parish House as well as Laurie at our annual meeting. With the new administration we are very concerned about the guys and their continued ability to stay here. Now in saying that, we know of no imminent issue, but it is a concern. Things are changing every day. Michigan Refugee Hope has begun working on a safety plan and Faith will need to be a part of this. Pastor John, Laurie and I attended a zoom meeting on Tuesday with the other refugee providers in Lansing. This is to ensure that the leaders here are as up to date on what might be coming down the pike. This is what soon to be Pastor Megan is walking into. She will need your support in navigating whatever is ahead. Remembering what we have been through since I have been here. I believe that we have moved through it together with the power of the Holy Spirit. This leads us into our gospel lesson for today. After Jesus’ time in the wilderness with the devil, he returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit. Jesus gave his inaugural address to the people in attendance at the synagogue. News had spread about Jesus throughout the whole countryside. He had taught in their synagogues and was praised by everyone. He returned to Nazareth, where he had grown up. He attended the service as he normally did. The hometown boy had come home. The assistant gave him the scroll from the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where he wanted to read. As he read the passage from Isaiah, Jesus identified who he was and what his mission was. He said that God had anointed him, and the Spirit was on him. He was sent to preach good news to the poor, to proclaim release to the prisoners and recovery of sight to the blind, to liberate the oppressed and to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. As the Gospel of Luke continues we find Jesus not being liked very much. He was shaking the status quo. Neither the church leaders nor the government leaders were happy with his message through word and action. Next week the lesson would have been how even his hometown people realized they were being asked to do something that they might not be comfortable with. When I think about the fact that Jesus has asked us his followers to carry on this work, I’m just a bit taken back as were the people in his hometown. This is a great deal to do, and it has become more and more of an uphill battle. This week at the National Cathedral there was an Episcopal bishop who preached this kind of message, and she has been criticized by many people in power, even pastors. There is now a congressman who has introduced a resolution to condemn her as her message was distorted. He is saying that the sermon was not reflective of the faith community at large. As of today, I do not speak on behalf of Faith. I challenge you to consider what this means and where you stand. Is the bishop’s message in line with the welcoming statement? We can easily get bogged down in what we can’t do instead of focusing on what we can do. This was something the bishop felt she was called to do. I understand she also offered the National Cathedral as a resting place for Matthew Sheppard. I cannot cover all of these points Jesus outlined for himself in one sermon. What I would like us to briefly look at is preaching good news to the poor. You may tell me that you are not preachers and that is my job along with a few others. The Greek word for preach in this passage is euangelizō which means announcing, declaring, or telling the good news. This is for all of us including foreigners. It is what we say and do. It is the message that we present to others through our words and actions. Thus, this is what Jesus is calling all of to do in order to continue his ministry. In this passage from what we believe to be 2nd Isaiah, which is after the exile, they are reflecting on the destruction of Jerusalem and having to rebuild it. Even though the restoration has been promised it is frustrating project. A great deal of conflicted feelings are probably being felt. Could it be that Jesus was reminding the people in the synagogue what had gotten the Hebrew people that Isaiah was prophesying what had gotten them into exile? The people had been looking for a leader to bring them more power and control through acquiring more land. It was a very self-centered way of thinking and greediness. This way of thinking excluded people who were different from them. I have said it before and I am saying it again, history repeats itself if we don’t learn from it. God has been bringing the message to God’s people that God includes everyone. This is what RIC Sunday is about. It is a reminder that this is the good news that all of us have been called to announce. The good news is for all people. In my first sermon here, I thanked you for welcoming me. I was a stranger, and you welcomed me. Faith has welcomed our refugee brothers in the Parish House. We welcome people to come and take food that they need \in order to live. This is sharing or announcing the good news. In going forward, Jesus calls you and I to continue sharing the good news. You may hear voices and see things done that do not model good news. Please allow the Holy Spirit to continue guiding you. This beloved community is called to share this good news regardless of these voices. Do your best in this place and this community to not let history repeat itself. Remember the Holy spirit has led us to this day and will lead you and myself forward to continue sharing the good news where we are! Let us pray: Gracious Spirit, thank you for bringing us together to share your good news. We continue to rely on you to lead us forward and to discern how and where to share your good news, regardless. In Jesus, Name. Amen /episode/index/show/faithlutheran/id/35018150

Special Music - Good and Simple Gifts 01/21/2025

Special Music - The Heavens Declare the Glory of God 01/21/2025

Sermon - 1/19/25 01/21/2025

Sermon - 1/19/25 Many of us here know the anxiety that goes into planning a wedding. Whether large or small there are many variables. Between people, flowers, site for wedding and reception, food & drink, etc. In the end we find out that something will not be just the way we wanted it. My parents, whose wedding was on May 9, 1959, had the experience of running out of food and drink. My dad grew up out in the country, thus many of his family and friends were farmers and it took them longer to be able to get to the reception which was about 40 minutes or so away. My parents both had large families, thus what they had budgeted didn’t seem to be covering. Someone who’s family my mother lived with her senior year in high school, after her parents had divorced, provided funds to keep things going. My parents were in a bind and Elmer came through to keep things going as if nothing had had been wrong. Weddings are always hopefully joyous occasions, but with so many variables, something is bound to go wrong. Thus Elmer, behind the scenes came through and my parent’s party went on. Does this story sound a little familiar to the story that we heard in our Gospel lesson for today? Jesus came through to provide what was needed for the celebration to go on just as Elmer did. Of course he is not Jesus, but Elmer gave of himself and did not make some big announcement as to what he had done. Neither did Jesus as there were very few people who knew the wine was replenished. When things don’t go right at events, the planners often feel shame when they can’t turn it around. Elmer knew that and of course Jesus did too. I want to say it is a heart thing and in a sense a humble act. Elmer and Jesus did not want shame to come upon the planners nor did they want to be recognized. Because of the relationship that my mother had built with Elmer, he felt that he wanted to support her. While my mother lived in their home she took care of their kids while she was finishing high school. Their children who are still living, remember my mother. With Jesus, I wonder if part of it is the relationship with his mother as she is the one who informed him that the wine had run out. We don’t know how well he knew the couple who got married, but he and his disciples attended it. This celebration often lasted a week. Thus, it was quite a chore to keep food and drink going, let alone the cost. Nonetheless, Jesus felt the need to allow the celebration to continue without a hitch with the replenished wine. This was his first sign as John labels Jesus’ work. So many other signs were done, but were more public and dealt with healings and raisings, etc. This first sign was done in a common ordinary setting so the celebration of this relationship could continue. It was also done to show his disciples who he was, and it says they believed after they saw the sign done. Jesus’ mother seemed to know what he was capable of as she told the workers to do whatever he told them to. Even after he was questioning why he should get involved with it. Signs in John were about revealing Jesus’ glory, they were to help people see who he was, the Messiah. He did not do them to impress people, but to help them believe. Even in this first sign it was because he cared about the people and did not want them to be shamed. This is what we call grace. He didn’t have to do it, but he did out of love for them. When you think about this, it is a model for his disciples, to do acts out of love, out of grace. Jesus had no real obligation, maybe in a sense to his mother, but not to the couple getting married and those who were in charge of the celebration. From JB Phillips translation we hear from John chapter 1:14-18 So the word of God became a human being and lived among us. We saw his splendor (the splendor as of a father’s only son), full of grace and truth. And it was about him that John stood up and testified, exclaiming: “Here is the one I was speaking about when I said that although he would come after me he would always be in front of me; for he existed before I was born!” Indeed, every one of us has shared in his riches—there is a grace in our lives because of his grace. For while the Law was given by Moses, love and truth came through Jesus Christ. It is true that no one has ever seen God at any time. Yet the divine and only Son, who lives in the closest intimacy with the Father, has made him known. So, in this first sign in the Gospel of John, Jesus is modeling grace. This was a model for his disciples, for you and me. Jesus is already setting the tone and direction for his ministry and ultimate act of grace, his death and resurrection. We see and experience grace from Jesus through others. Without this, it would be difficult to share grace if we have not experienced it ourselves. I can say with complete certainty that everyone here in this room has received grace. Number one, our baptism is a means of grace. We have received this gift as infants or adults. As members of the beloved community, we are called to model how we share grace, as Jesus models here in our gospel lesson as well as throughout the Bible. We learn how to share or model grace by experiencing it through others. In our country and here at Faith things are changing. Through any transition grace is needed. As changes occur, we are called to respond and not react to them. There may be times that we need to step back and clear out as much of the anxiety as we can in order for grace to flow through us. I am not talking about graciously accepting everything as it is. What I am talking about is being graceful in our responses. When I hear the word reaction, I often think of no thought behind our action. In order for grace to flow through us, we need to take our anxiety to Jesus. This will allow us to think and consult with Jesus before responding. There will be anxiety. Jesus graciously walks with us and stands ready to listen to our anxieties. This is the grace that Jesus has modeled and continues to model for us through others and is ready to share with us. Once we have realized this grace and given our anxieties over to Jesus, we are ready to make graceful responses to the changes that we encounter. Just as Elmer and Jesus modeled grace, we are then called to model that grace for others. This is how people see Jesus at work within us and may be able to believe as the disciples did that day, when Jesus shared grace when he performed his first sign. Let us pray: Gracious God, you sent Jesus to model and share your graciousness. As we have read again the story of Jesus’ first sign we see your grace modeled for us. We daily ask and receive your grace, may your Holy Spirit help us to share your grace with others that more may come to believe and continue to share your grace. In Jesus’ name, Amen /episode/index/show/faithlutheran/id/34935935

Special Music - Wade In The Living Water 01/12/2025

Sermon - 1-12-25 01/12/2025

Sermon - 1-12-25 Relationship is about connection. Baptism is about a relationship or connection with God in Jesus Christ and the beloved community. Even though Jesus’ baptism was not like ours, it is still about connection. The Hebrew people had been waiting many years for the prophesied Messiah. So here was John out in the wilderness baptizing people with the baptism of repentance. He really stuck out and people came to find him in the wilderness. John was bristling the church leaders. The Hebrew people were not hearing this kind of message from them, and they were waiting in hope and expectation. John clarified for them that he was not the Messiah that they had been waiting for. The Message puts it this way: “I’m baptizing you here in the river. The main character in this drama, to whom I’m a mere stagehand, will ignite the kingdom life, a fire, the Holy Spirit within you, changing you from the inside out. She’s going to clean house—make a clean sweep of your lives. She’ll place everything true in its proper place before God; everything false she’ll put out with the trash to be burned.” Wow, so baptism is about cleansing, about cleaning our houses. It is not the kind of cleaning that we can hire someone else to do. Only the Holy Spirit can do this kind of cleaning. This is what it means to be in relationship with Jesus and to stay in right relationship with him. The theological term for this is sanctification or being made holy. We are brought into a healthy relationship with Jesus through the Holy Spirit. Martin Luther has reminded us that this is a daily process. Making the sign of the cross reminds us of this. What can we learn from Jesus’ baptism that will help us in our connection or relationship with him? Jesus waited and possibly encouraged all who were present to be baptized by John. This was really a baptism of preparation or cleansing for following Jesus. As Jesus was praying, which was a common theme in Luke, the sky opened up and the Holy Spirit or dove descended down on Jesus. Then a voice was heard, God’s, saying, “You are my beloved Son, chosen and marked by my love, with you I am well pleased.” Luke is telling us that God confirmed for Jesus that he was God’s son chosen and loved, and that God was pleased with him. Now we could gather that this voice was heard by all the people present, but we don’t know that for a fact as Luke does not tell us of their immediate response. Instead, Luke goes into a genealogy that connects Jesus back to Adam and then is followed by Jesus’ temptation story in the wilderness. Jesus waited and encouraged all to be baptized and then he was baptized as one of the people. This baptism of John was about being prepared, about being cleansed and for us keeping our relationship with Jesus healthy. Thus, Jesus was modeling for us the need for this baptism and the Holy Spirit cleansing us. Jesus waiting and encouragement also modeled humbleness and a heart for the people. This baptism of repentance and the Holy Spirit is what keeps our connection to Jesus healthy. Our connection with Jesus really begins the day we are born. Baptism recognizes this connection. It recognizes God’s grace for us. Our parents and often sponsors bring us to be baptized. Years ago, and sometimes still today, baptisms are done apart from the worship service. It is more appropriate for one’s baptism to be done in the context of worship as it is really about welcoming the child or adult into the beloved community. Also, it is the responsibility of the congregation to provide and encourage one’s growth in a person’s relationship with Jesus, just as Jesus modeled at his baptism. Today we are going to affirm our baptism. We will publicly say to God and each other that we are followers of Jesus Christ. We will be stating that we are continuing in this relationship or connection with Jesus, that we are allowing the Holy Spirit to come and clean our house. Through water and the Word, we strengthen our connection to Jesus. We are reminded that in this gift of baptism that we receive freely forgiveness, salvation and new life. Let us now affirm our baptism and the promises that go with it. AFFIRMATION OF OUR BAPTISM Pastor: God, who is rich in mercy and love, gives us a new birth into a living hope through the sacrament of baptism. By water and the Word God delivers us from sin and death and raises us to new life in Jesus Christ. We are united with all the baptized in the one body of Christ, anointed with the gift of the Holy Spirit, and joined in God's mission for the life of the world. Thanksgiving The Lord be with you. And also with you. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is right to give him thanks and praise. Holy God, mighty Lord, gracious Father: We give you thanks, for in the beginning your Spirit moved over the waters and you created heaven and earth. By the gift of water you nourish and sustain us and all living things. By the waters of the flood you condemned the wicked and saved those whom you had chosen, Noah and his family. You led Israel by the pillar of cloud and fire through the sea, out of slavery into the freedom of the promised land. In the waters of the Jordan your Son was baptized by John and anointed with the Spirit. By the baptism of his own death and resurrection your beloved Son has set us free from the bondage to sin and death, and has opened the way to the joy and freedom of everlasting life. He made water a sign of the kingdom and of cleansing and rebirth. In obedience to his command, we make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Continue to pour out your Holy Spirit on your baptized people, so that we remember the new life received at our baptism. We thank you for washing away our sings and making us inheritors of your kingdom. To you be given praise and honor and worship through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen Profession of Faith Do you renounce the devil and all the forces that defy God? Response: I renounce them. Do you renounce the powers of this world that rebel against God? Response: I renounce them. Do you renounce the ways of sin that draw you from God? Response: I renounce them. Do you believe in God the Father? I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. Do you believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God? I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the dead.* On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come to judge the living and the dead. Do you believe in God the Holy Spirit? I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. You have made public profession of your faith. Do you intend to continue in the covenant God made with you in holy baptism: to live among God’s faithful people, to hear the word of God and share in the Lord’s supper, to proclaim the good news of God in Christ through word and deed, to serve all people, following the example of Jesus, and to strive for justice and peace in all the earth? The assembly makes affirmation: I do, and I ask God to help and guide me. The minister addresses the assembly. People of God, do you promise to support and pray for one another in your life in Christ? We do, and we ask God to help and guide us. The presiding minister prays for God’s blessing. Let us pray. We give you thanks, O God, that through water and the Holy Spirit you give us new birth, cleanse us from sin, and raise us to eternal life. Stir up in your people the gift of your Holy Spirit: the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord, the spirit of joy in your presence both now and forever. Amen. Let us now make the sign of the cross remembering our Baptism. /episode/index/show/faithlutheran/id/34824320

Sermon - 1-5-25 01/05/2025

Sermon - 1-5-25 We have begun another new year, 2025. It usually takes a little while to remember this when writing the date. Some people set resolutions or goals for the year. This may help us to decide where our focus will be. Our country will be looking and run differently. There are many different views on whether it will be good or bad, healthy or unhealthy. I’m not sure how much control we have over it one way or the other. For me the bottom line is where will our focus be and whom will we trust. Today we begin a new season, Epiphany. Epiphany means manifestation. Where we place our focus and whom we trust has everything to do with how we represent or manifest Jesus in our world. God has a plan of how God wants to be represented. In our lessons today, we see contrasts and descriptions of this. Folklore has us thinking that there were three kings. In reality they were Magi or also called Wise Men, and it doesn’t really say that there were three. The Magi or Wise Men originated in Persia. They were followers of Zoroastrianism, a system of belief that was a precursor to Islam. There were most likely women in this group also. But Matthew sticks with the patriarchal context. We could easily question God how people not of the Jewish faith could be used in God’s plan. But that would be our way of thinking and not God’s. This is one thing to remember for the new year that God doesn’t follow our plans. In the Zoroastrianism religion, the primary prophet was conceived by a 15 year old Persian virgin. He predicted that other virgins would conceive additional divinely appointed prophets. They were waiting for the birth of a true Savior also, just as the Jews were. The Magi had heard of the birth of Jesus and went to Jerusalem to find out where this baby was. King Herod became frightened that this baby would be the Messiah that the Jews had been talking about and he did not want to lose the power and control that he had. He called together all of the chief priests and scribes and basically asked them, where do you think this baby that could be the Messiah, was born. They went back to the prophecy that said the baby would be born in Bethlehem of Judea. Herod called the Wise Men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem to find the baby and then let him know so that he could go and visit the baby. A frightened leader is not to be trusted. The wise men followed the star and found Jesus in Bethlehem. They arrived and were overwhelmed with joy. Upon entering the stable they knelt down to give Jesus the gifts that they had brought. Consider this, leaders in their religion kneeling in reverence before a baby and acknowledging Jesus as the king of the Jews. This title was not used again until the passion story. God was using unexpected Gentiles to identify who Jesus was. I can remember other times in Jesus’ time on earth where he was identified for who he really was, such as the demons. Again, not what we would expect. God in Jesus Christ has plans that often do not match up with ours. This is where trust enters in. Whose plan are we going to follow, ours or God’s? The Wise Men heard in a dream not to return to Herod, and they left for their country by another road. They weighed out whether they needed to in a sense collude with Herod or bypass him. They may have sensed that he was a frightened man and not to be trusted. This also contrasts the two kingdoms, Herod’s and Jesus’. Herod’s was one of power and control over others creating an atmosphere of hostility created by his insecurity. He used whatever method he could think of to keep himself in power. But what might have he sensed in a baby that would threaten him and his power and control? Jesus’ kingdom represented one of peace and love. A kingdom that was called to love neighbor. Neighbor meaning all people. The fact that God used people from Persia who were not even of the Jewish faith helps us realize that neighbor includes all. In our Old Testament lesson from Isaiah, we hear about nations coming to God’s light. When Isaiah talks about nations coming, he is talking about building a community that includes all people, foreigners and sexual minorities, at this time meaning eunuchs. At one point explicitly includes sons of foreigners. I believe it is very revealing that God has been trying to build an inclusive, diverse kingdom from the beginning. Human beings are threatened by this. God’s community is built on love and acceptance not power and control. If we know all of this, what is our role in the kingdom. How will we represent or manifest Christ in 2025? Paul in our second lesson gives us some clue. First of all, Paul says, according to The Message, This is my life work: helping people understand and respond to this Message, the good news. It came as a sheer gift to me, a real surprise, God handling all the details. This is our life work as followers of Jesus as part of God’s kingdom: helping people understand and respond to the good news of Jesus Christ. Paul is trying to tell us that he didn’t always know how he was going to do this and relied on God for the details. This is where trust comes in. This good news of God’s grace shown through Jesus is a gift to us and the invitation to help people understand and respond is a gift. As the Wise Men humbled themselves and literally knelt before Jesus is a way of representing Jesus. They acknowledged who Jesus was. We acknowledge who Jesus is when we don’t try and think we have the plan by ourselves. It is when we trust God for the details. The idea of the Magi being part of God’s plan is a surprise. Even thinking that God would use people who would be a precursor to Islam can be difficult for some people to get their head around. This is how God works. Going through this new year we are challenged to be surprised by God and trust God for the details. In the end it is about humbling ourselves before God and trusting God’s plan as we know it and not ours. I believe as we strive to do this we will manifest or represent Christ to our neighbor. Let us pray, All knowing God, we have been reminded again today that you can use all people to carry out your plan. Unfortunately, we often get in the way and try and impose our plan. In this new year, we come before you, God in Jesus Christ humbly realizing that it is not about our plan, but yours. You have the details that you reveal to us as we are able to see them. During this Epiphany season continually remind us that it is not our light that shines, but your light shining through us. You have invited us to help people hear and understand the good news. We humbly pray for the details in how to do this. In Jesus name, Amen /episode/index/show/faithlutheran/id/34726960

Special Music - Away In A Manger 12/25/2024

Special Music: Jesus, What a Wonderful Child 12/25/2024

Sermon-12-24-24 12/25/2024

Sermon-12-24-24 Christmas Eve 2024 Tonight, I would like to focus on angels. The first time that we hear about angels is back in Genesis. The angel announced to Hagar, after she ran away from Sarai, that she would bear many children. Her first child was Ishmael, Abram’s first son. Ishmael played a foundational role in the Islamic religion. Here we have an angel announcing the birth of someone who turned out to be an important prophet in the Islamic religion. It is important to remember that this was God’s messenger. Since Sarai didn’t know what to do with the fact that Abram and Hagar were going to have a child, Hagar had run away. The angel came with good news for Hagar, that she would bear a son that would produce many nations. As we gather here tonight, we can remember that the angels assisted in setting up our Christmas story. The angel Gabriel visited Mary and announced that she would be the mother of Jesus who would be the Messiah, the Savior of the world. Another angel came to visit Joseph to secure his place as the earthly father of Jesus. God used these beings as messengers to carry out the work that needed to be done in order to come to earth. So many of us have asked the question, are angels real? It seems that there are elusive. The angel Gabriel came to Mary in a sense out of thin air. The angel who spoke to Joseph came to him in a dream. What do we make of this? Then we hear of the angels coming to the shepherds to announce the good news of Jesus birth. In the case of Hagar, Mary, Joseph and the shepherds, the angels came to encourage and tell them not to be afraid and to give them good news. This message was from God and in a sense confirming their role in God’s work. Hagar became the mother of Ishmael, who was an important leader. Mary’s role was to be the mother of Jesus and raise him. Joseph became Jesus’s early father to raise him. Each angel or angels came to encourage and give good news to each person in order to fulfill God’s work. As we grow in our faith, we learn that we will not understand all of the ways that God works. I believe that what we can learn is that God will work in unexpected ways. God uses many different ways to communicate to us. What is important for me is the role of the angels. In all of these cases whether one or many, the message was one that each person needed to hear at that specific time and place. Have we not experienced that in some way? God communicates a message to us through a person, a group or a situation, how different pieces line up and then it is revealed to us. Many of us are on edge going into the new year. Are we able to hear the message of the angels tonight, Don’t be afraid? Think about the fact that none of these people knew what was ahead, but the message of the angels resonated in their hearts, and they sensed that God was speaking to them and that God would be with them. In Joseph’s dream this was part of the message that the angel reminded Joseph of the prophecy that a virgin shall conceive and bear a son. His name shall be called Emmanuel, God with us. Again, the angel is preparing Joseph for what is to come. God prepares God’s people, if we are paying attention and listening. The good news that we are hearing again tonight is relevant. There is something about this story that draws us back here. This tells me it is relevant for us in years past and yet again tonight. Angels have come again tonight to each one of us to tell us not be afraid that God is with us. We may not know what is ahead, but the good news is that we are not alone that God in Jesus Christ walks with us. Can you hear the angel’s message for you? Let us pray, God of the unexpected, we are drawn here again tonight to hear the good news that you came to earth in human form for each one of us. Even though Jesus is not physically here, you have never left us. May your Holy Spirit continue to open our ears to hear the good news that you have for us. May your Holy Spirit help us to hear the message that we do not have to be afraid. As you have sent your angels throughout all of history, we hear them again announce the good news to us. Help us to share that good news with our neighbors. In Jesus name, Amen /episode/index/show/faithlutheran/id/34612195

Sermon - 12-22-24 12/22/2024

Sermon - 12-22-24 In our gospel lesson today, we have Mary’s song of praise and gratitude, which has been given the title, The Magnificat. My soul proclaims your greatness O God, and my spirit rejoices in you my Savior. The Message, a paraphrase of the Bible, puts it this way, Mary says “I’m bursting with good news; I’m dancing the song of my Savior, God took one look at me, and look what happened- I’m the most fortunate woman on earth!” Now really, she is not even technically a woman. She’s a pregnant teenager and unmarried. She has run off out into the country to her cousin Elizabeth’s. Elizabeth is much older and also pregnant. Where is the good news? Mary must have had some fear. An angel, Gabriel had come to visit her to tell her that she would be the mother of the Savior of the world, which as a Jewish woman, would mean the messiah. Who would believe her? What were people going to say when they saw her, a pregnant, unmarried teenager carrying a baby? That must have been the reason that she ran off into the country to her cousin’s to stay at least three months. She would be a disgrace to her family, even though she had done nothing to get pregnant. Mary probably didn’t know what Joseph would do, as any other man who would be engaged and his fiancé became pregnant would normally want to disown her. Even going back after three months with Elizabeth, she had no idea how or who would receive her. Yet, despite all the shame, hardship and possibly death that she may encounter, here she is praising God. Mary can’t contain herself and it causes her to burst forth in song, singing the good news. She is looking at this as a gift from God. God has set her apart, yet no church leader would have done this. Culture would not tolerate this. Is it God that doesn’t get it, or is it human beings that really don’t understand God. God seems to enjoy role reversals and surprising us with the unexpected. It doesn’t always make us feel comfortable. It shifts where power and control are placed by God, and we want to fight it. First of all, here is a woman basically elevated above men. She is being given a role in our Christian faith that no man can hold. God has given her the mission to be the mother of God’s son, our Savior, the Messiah, as Christians understand him. We could easily say that of course she is carrying the baby as God didn’t create men to do this. Although, God could have picked a woman of nobility, but God did not. Mary was probably seen as the least of all people by society, yet for God this was the person chosen to carry out this mission. In this song of gratitude, we also find prophecy of what kind of Messiah and Savior her son, Jesus would be. Did you hear when I read it that on one hand God has already done these things and yet I believe it is giving us hope that God will continue to do these things. Mary is describing that Jesus will continue to do the work and model what God wants. God has been bringing down the powerful from their thrones, and lifting up the lowly; God has filled the hungry with good things, and sending the rich away empty. God has come to the aid of Israel, God’s servant, remembering that God is merciful as God had promised Abraham and to his descendants forever. God’s kingdom is forever in reform of bringing all people back in line. We are all made differently, and this is to be celebrated. Although not all people celebrate this, and it makes them feel uncomfortable and out of control. What God continues to do in God’s way is to bring everyone back to how God views people and that is, all people are gifted by God and important for life in the community. I don’t believe that God sets up a hierarchy in a few people. No one has all the answers, but collectively a community can produce the best options and then make choices. I don’t believe that God puts certain people in power to control others. Yet some people have less money than others, but that doesn’t mean that they should be treated differently than others who have more money. We are reminded by Mary and Elizabeth today that it doesn’t make any difference to God about age or gender who is called to do God’s work. Even in our Old Testament lesson from Micah, we are reminded that God did not choose a major city and palace for Jesus to be born in. Bethlehem was as The Message puts it, the runt of the litter. Jesus was born in a stable in the hay. The Message goes on to say, from Bethlehem will come the leader who will shepherd-rule Israel. He’ll be no upstart, no pretender. His family tree is ancient and distinguished. David was a shepherd who was born in Bethlehem. If God doesn’t see what God wants to see in our country today, these things prophesied by Mary will continue to happen. God can work through anyone to bring these things into action. But history tells us that God does not always work through those in high places. In order for human beings to see something different, God shakes it up and works through those who culture does not like to recognize as capable people. As people of God, we are called to listen and watch when people are being oppressed, when people are hungry and need care. We will be called to address these issues and thankfully we are doing some of that already. But there may be more coming where we will be called to take a stand. This is how we will continue to do God’s work modeled by Jesus. Today our model for faith is Mary who is able to embrace her mission to be the mother of Jesus amidst all of the unknowns. She is willing to put her trust in God. We have some idea of what she encountered in this role given to her by God to be the Messiah’s mother. God kept her safe as well as having the support of Joseph. This is the good news that God is always with God’s people. Are we able to sing with our whole heart in gratitude for God calling us to be followers of Jesus? We can be called by God to any role, and we can resist or with faith embrace whatever God is calling us to do. Remember the good news is that God continues to be with us. Jesus walks beside us through all of the unknowns in our life. May we sing this good news in our life shown by the way in which we connect with our neighbor! Let us pray, God who brings good news to us in so many ways, May your Holy Spirit help us to respond to your call in faith as Mary did. Mary was the least of all people who others thought would be called to this role. We know that you are calling each one of us to serve you. Help us to serve you in joy that others may hear and see the good news in us. In Jesus’ name, Amen /episode/index/show/faithlutheran/id/34570710

Special Music: People, Look East 12/22/2024

12 Symbols of Christmas - A Christmas Pageant 12/15/2024

Special Music: Angels Advent Carol 12/15/2024

Special Music – Will We Know Him 12/08/2024

Sermon - 12-8-24 12/08/2024

Sermon - 12-8-24 Sermon for Faith Lutheran Church-Okemos December 8, 2024; Advent 2 – Year C Megan Floyd Grace and peace to you from God, our Creator, and from the Lord, Jesus Christ, our Savior… the one for whom we prepare. Amen. I think we all know… babies tend to arrive without regard for whether the parents are fully ready for them… or not. In fact, I don’t know anyone who claims they were fully prepared and ready in every way for the arrival of their children. …and if they said they were, I wouldn’t have believed them. When my husband and I were awaiting the birth of our first child, we did all we believed we were supposed to do to prepare the way. We… made the soft colors bright… and the sharp edges round… we filled baskets with diapers and baby stuff… and we made the rough ways in our home smooth. And yet… we were not fully prepared. We were not prepared for how much the arrival of our child would change us… We were not prepared for the shift in our relationship and… the love! Who knew you could love someone so much? There was so much to do, and yet, an enormous amount of the preparations happened, not in our home, but in our hearts… and in our minds. Preparing for God’s arrival is much the same… it is mostly an internal, ongoing work that we must do to be ready to receive our God and Savior, who chooses to come to us as a lowly, innocent child. In our Gospel today, we hear the prophet John, crying out from the wilderness… prepare the way! This child is coming… no ordinary human child… but a savior! Prepare! This word from God does not come to us from the rulers of the day, or even the temple leaders… no. The word of God bypasses all that earthly power and authority to rest on John… ruler of no one and governor of nowhere… just… John, son of Zechariah. God’s word comes to us from out of the wild… a place unbound by time and unbidden to society… from out of the desert wilderness… we hear… Prepare the way! …for none other than the light of the world is about to break over us like the dawn… prepare! Driven by love and tender compassion, our Creator, God the Almighty… has chosen to meet us exactly where we are. Our heavenly parent has come down to meet us in the ordinary, the humble and lowly… to shine a holy light into our dark places… and guide our feet into the way of peace. But we must prepare to receive that light… we must make ready our hearts and minds… to open ourselves up to the ongoing transformation that follows when you give your life over to the way of Christ. Because God comes to us through Jesus to purify us as with the refiner’s fire… God comes to us through Jesus to wash us clean as with the fuller’s soap… to redeem us… and claim us as God’s own beloved. God comes to us through Jesus, the Christ child, to forgive our sins and offer us salvation… not only for our eternal life with God but also salvation in the here and now… salvation for this life here on earth. Prepare the way of the Lord! …for all flesh shall see the salvation of God. Prepare! …we must ready ourselves to receive our Redeemer… and know this… the work of preparation will change you… it will mold you… and shape you and draw you toward God’s justice and mercy. We are not passively waiting for Jesus to arrive – we are actively engaged in reshaping our senses to receive God in new ways. The work of preparing for God involves repentance… metanoia… a change of heart… a turning back. We turn back to Christ to be released from the captivity of our sins… so that we can recognize God with us, Emmanuel in our wilderness… Christ in the stranger… We repent and turn back to Christ… so we can be liberated from the bonds of sin and joyfully engage in the work of preparing for the arrival of our Lord. …Of making the crooked paths straight… of filling in every valley… bringing low every mountain… and making the rough ways smooth. …It really sounds like impossible landscaping. But it’s not… it’s about letting God’s love wash over you and turn you over like a stone in a river… buffing away your rough edges so you can better receive and reflect that love from God into the world around you. But we resist change… don’t we. Especially something as life-altering as the full transformation that comes from a relationship with God. We fall back into old habits… close our eyes to the needs around us …and in us… because changing the status quo is challenging work! And yet, resisting the transformational change that comes through a dynamic relationship with God is to ignore the work that God calls us into… Resisting that transformative change is to resist the work of Christ. Preparing the way for the Lord means opening our eyes to injustice and inhumanity… and then working to change those systems… so that all people will see God’s salvation. But we resist being changed, and we remain captive to our sin. It is true that through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, your sins are forgiven… you belong to Christ… and yet, we remain in bondage to our sin. And so, we must die daily to that sin through our repentance and receive the grace that comes only from Christ. We must repent… turn back to Jesus… and prepare the way for the Lord… Prepare for the Lord and participate in the in-breaking of God’s kingdom here on earth. For John proclaims, a new era of God’s peace is dawning! And we get to take part in that luminous work! This is amazing… this co-creating work with our God… it is incredible and beautiful work. But here is the best news… Christ will arrive… even if you are not prepared. Just like our ordinary human babies arrive, whether the nursery is freshly painted or not… The Christ child will arrive. Yes, God invites us to join in the incredible work of smoothing our rough edges, leveling the terrain, and shaping our world around love, justice, and mercy… But the completion of this work is not dependent on us. God calls us to prepare and participate because God loves us and desires a vibrant relationship with us… But we are not ultimately responsible for our salvation, let alone the salvation and redemption of the whole world and the bringing forth of God’s new Creation! This is God’s promise to us… that God’s got it covered. And we, faithful followers, we get to help by preparing the way for the Lord… preparing our hearts and minds, and our communities, to receive our Savior… …so we can recognize our God with us. I don’t know about you… but I hear that as good news. Out of pure and holy love, Jesus, the light of the world, will break like the dawn and shine over us, even if we are not ready. Christ will shine into the darkness and into the shadow of our death… and guide our feet into the way of peace. I want to be ready for that, and I’m certain you do, too. So… let’s prepare the way. *** Will you pray with me… Gracious and loving God, we praise you and thank you for claiming us as your own, and for not giving up on us. You are continually forming us with your mercy and guiding our feet into your way of peace. Help us, Lord, to prepare for your arrival so we might recognize you in our presence and receive you into our lives… and so we can celebrate as your light shines into the darkest valleys, so that all may see your salvation. In your holy name we pray, Amen. /episode/index/show/faithlutheran/id/34335330

Special Music - Listen Here, Listen Here 12/01/2024

Sermon - 12-1-24 12/01/2024

Sermon - 12-1-24 Advent is a season that is counter cultural. We can get busier and busier as we approach Christmas. Yet when we gather together for worship we talk and sing about slowing down and waiting. We sing those Advent hymns in minor keys, that some people don’t like. We don’t even sing a Hymn of Praise and instead we sing only a Kyrie. The ceremony of the candle lighting is added in every Sunday service as well in our Christmas Eve services. This year we are using something new that I suggested. It is entitled – “God is Near”. This may be the message that we need to hear this Advent season. In order to hear that God is near, we may have to stop and wait, to be alert and pray. No matter whether you think something good will come out of the craziness in our country or not, it can become loud. Hearing God may become more difficult. The people that Luke was writing to were probably becoming confused as to what he was talking about also. Jesus said there will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the seas and waves. The Son of Man will be coming in a cloud. Now when these things take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near. I’m sure if we saw this we would raise our heads, and our mouths would be open. Whether Jesus comes this way or not, the point is he will return. This is our future hope. He also said that heaven and earth may pass away, but his words will not pass away. Another word of hope. Jesus talks about the fig tree and the growing cycle. Things come and go. Sometimes things will be crazy and not make sense to us, but God in Jesus Christ isn’t going anywhere. God always promises to be near. Thankfully this is one part of history that does repeat itself. Thus, we know that this will not change and so we are challenged to be in the moment. Even for the people that Luke was writing to, Jesus had told them to be alert and pray for the strength to make it through their craziness. It is no different for us. Advent is about paying attention so as not to get caught up in the craziness. Be alert, wait and pray for the strength to stay focused on Jesus. Our culture for the most part does not observe Advent. I believe at least if not before Halloween, we can begin to start finding Christmas things in stores. Advent pulls in the reigns and reminds us that Jesus will return. Too often there are Christians who like to use the second coming to scare people to be a Christian their way. This is not what advent, and the second coming are about. It is to remind us that Jesus has come and on one hand is still here and also will return physically again. Jesus may have confronted people when he was here, but his goal was never to scare them. He tried to teach what God expected, but people always had a choice. Just as we do. Jesus was always teaching about how to live in community. During advent we might reflect on how we interact in the community with our neighbors. There are many scared and anxious people in our world today. What message do we hear and have that we can share with them? How do we get ready to do this? While we wait our Psalmist today prays show me your ways, O God; teach me your paths! I wrote about this in my Pastor’s Corner. Do we trust God enough to hear the answer and act on it? We will not know what God wants us to do until we ask. In my experience, God loves each one of us as individuals, but then asks us to share that love in community, in different ways. I would dare say that the answer to our petition will have something to do with how we treat our neighbor. Even the ones we don’t agree with. After the Psalmist has asked God to show them the way and teach God’s path, they ask God to remember how merciful God is and God’s steadfast love is for all people. They ask God not to remember their prior sins, but to remember them according to God’s goodness. Could it be that Psalmist is thinking even though they are asking to know God’s will, that they will probably have trouble with the answer? Thus, they are asking God to remember that they are not perfect, and that God has promised to love them and have mercy on them. Maybe we can relate? Here is the key, I believe, the Psalmist prays, you lead the humble in what is right. It is only when our I bends enough that we are able to hear God’s answer in our waiting. This is when we are ready to be taught. The Psalmist finally comes to the conclusion that all of God’s paths are steadfast love and faithfulness. We are able to see this as we keep our baptismal promise with God in Jesus Christ. In our waiting, it is only when we are able to release ourselves to God that we are able to hear and be taught how to love our neighbor. Advent may be a penitential kind of season, but it doesn’t lack hope for today and tomorrow. Hope for tomorrow is that even though things continue to turn and turn around, Jesus will return. Our hope for today is that God’s word will never pass away which means God is near. As we experience the craziness in life we are challenged not to get caught up in it, but to remain focused on Jesus. Be alert, wait and pray for wisdom with the Psalmist. This is what we are called to practice during this Advent season. This is counter cultural. Even though we are challenged to be alert, to wait and pray to hear God’s word, we are assured that we can wait in hope and that God is near. Waiting is not so bad when we know that we are not waiting in vain. We can have hope that God is near. Let us pray, God of hope, we long for your word of hope in our lives. The craziness of our world and season get in the way of being able to hear your word of hope. We ask that your Spirit help us to be alert, to wait and pray that we may be able to hear your word of hope, that you are near. In Jesus name, Amen /episode/index/show/faithlutheran/id/34217655

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