Your Faith Journey - Finding God Through Words, Song And Praise

This is a special musical presentation of Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone), performed today by Deb Borton-McDonough and Bob Nelson at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan.

This is a special musical presentation of Holy Manna, performed today by the Singing Sinners Choir at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan.

Pride Sunday – 08/27/2023 Today is Pride Sunday. You have had this celebration here before, but I don’t ever remember participating in a Pride Sunday. Thus, for me, this is a blessing. Pride is often thought of in a negative sense as to why do you think you are better than anyone else. Of course, it is quite the opposite, as it is about recognizing that every person is a child of God. This is regardless of anything. In many churches and with a number of people we in the LGBTQIA+ community have been seen as less than, committing some kind of great sin for being who God created us to be. We at Faith Lutheran church do not believe that. Our welcoming statement spells out many groups who are often excluded, where we are here to welcome and include. For me today is about celebrating diversity and inclusivity. God did not create us all alike and that is a beautiful thing. In Psalm 139 we read from the New Living Translation: O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down o

If this were the only Bible passage you had heard about Jesus, you might question for a bit who Jesus is. Even from everything that we have heard about Jesus this doesn’t fully sound like him, does it? Everything else that we have heard and read about Jesus had him holding up women with respect and loving all people. But that is not what we hear initially in this Gospel lesson. ]Jesus basically calls the woman a dog and he doesn’t have time for her. She comes to Jesus out of concern for her daughter who is tormented by a demon. We don’t know what the demon was, but the Canaanite woman came pleading to Jesus for help. Out of respect for who she knew him to be, she addresses him Lord, Son of David. ]Jesus ignored her and did not answer her. His disciples got into it and said send her away for she keeps shouting at us. Then Jesus finally answered and basically said that I am not here for you, “I was sent only to the people of Israel! They are like a flock of lost sheep.”. ]The woman further acknowledged Jesus by

This is a special musical presentation of The Quiet Heart, performed today by Chris Lewis at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan.

This is a special musical presentation of Brethren, We Have Come to Worship, performed today by Elaine Harrison, Brenda Kopf, Megan Nyquist, Gretchen Paige at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan.

Prayer of the day : "O God our defender, storms rage around and within us and cause us to be afraid. Rescue your people from despair, deliver your sons and daughters from fear, and preserve us in the faith of your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.  Amen."   Sermon I Kings 19: 9-18, Psalm 85:8-13, Romans 10:5-15, Matthew 14:22-33           Now the Silence   [God] said, “Go out and stand on the mountain before the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.”  Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind; and after the wind, an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence.  When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave.  Then there came a voice to him that said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”   This reading from I Kings is paire

This is a special musical presentation of Beautiful Savior, performed today by Emily Brown at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan.

This is a special musical presentation of Didn't My Lord Deliver Daniel, performed today by the Singing Sinners Summer Choir at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan.  

The kingdom of heaven is like….. In Matthew we continue to hear this phrase completed by Jesus in his parables. During this sermon, I would like you to think about how you would complete this phrase. Jesus goes back and forth between the crowds and his disciples. Usually telling a parable that describes what the kingdom is like and then explaining it to his disciples. How Jesus described the kingdom is not always how the church leaders described it. Jesus of course has expectations, but he was graceful. Often church leaders were only about telling people how they were not keeping the law as they understood it. I believe the kingdom is about stating the truth, but gracefully. In my work with the developmentally disabled we taught the staff about positive approaches. It was important to look at limitations as well as potential. One received more cooperation when asking as opposed to telling them what to do. Potential and limitations were truth, just as it is with everyone of us. The kingdom is about realizi

This is a special musical presentation of Be Thou My Vision, performed today by Fath Bells Members, Annie Mayer, Matt Schnizlein, Addie Thompson, Rich Weingartner and Deb Borton-McDonough at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan.

Jesus brings us back to farming again. He again gives us a head scratcher. Leaving weeds in the ground for us would mean for us that it would choke out the vegetables and/or flowers. This is where most of our experience is in farming. Jesus uses wheat which is probably not somethings most of us have planted. We were informed in our Bible study this past week that what Jesus is talking about with wheat is actually how it works. The roots of the wheat and the weeds intertwine and if you pull out the weeds, the wheat will come out also. What we have here is Jesus telling those gathered that the kingdom and life in general is a bit complicated. It is so easy to get distracted into the complexity of life. What is healthy for me, may not be healthy for you. It is sometimes difficult to see where God is at work and where God isn’t at work. This is where it is so easy, as we are figuring this out to start getting off course and pointing fingers. It would be so much easier if all Christians interpreted the Bible i

The 7th Sunday after Pentecost – A 07/16/2023             If you have planted a garden, this is the time of year that you would begin watching for growth and in some case ripe vegetables. Depending on where you live, it is important to determine when to plant what vegetables. In the UP you have to wait a little longer than probably down here.           Wherever you are planting there will be a different type of soil. It may be better for some vegetables than others. Some soil may need some help, extra fertilizer, and even healthier soil to add to what is in the ground. To have any kind of yield will take work and patience.           There are so many variables that put seeds at risk. Water is needed, but every summer is different with varying amounts of rain. The temperature plays a big role and that varies from summer to summer. We can’t forget the animals who like to feed on what has been planted. There are always weeds that need tending too.           When working hard and with varying degree of pa

This is a special musical presentation of Feeling Better by Ivan Trevino, performed today by Calvin Kadrofske on Marimba at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan

Every time we encounter change in our lives there are expectations, written and unwritten. It is the unwritten ones that can get us into trouble. The written ones, the ones that are directly communicated can definitely make us feel uncomfortable, but if they are put on the table at least we know where each other is at. It is much easier to deal with expectations that are communicated.           I can be an exuberant person with many ideas. Unfortunately, that can put people off as I may not have fully stated my expectations. I want to state that I will make suggestions and there will be few times that I expect those suggestions to happen. I give you permission to ask me what my expectations are. This is the only way that we will be able to get to know each other and work together.           In our Gospel lesson today people had many expectations and they were not met. The church and governmental leaders had expectations to maintain the status quo as it benefited them. Those who oversaw the keeping of the l

This is a special musical presentation of The Gift of Love sung by Mike Eschelbach, Diane Hill, and Linda and Rich Triemer at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan

This is a special musical presentation of Grace Alone sung by Tammy Heilman at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan.

The 5th Sunday after Pentecost 07/02/2023 It is good to be here with you. The last few weeks have been a whirlwind and there is more to come. I could not be here preaching this morning without your help. You have made me feel welcome by extending your hospitality. You have shared the marks of the kingdom – hospitality and the down-home cup of water, cleaning my new house and painting it. I have received great hospitality from Mike who has welcomed me into his home and provided me with food and fellowship. Mike is a good cook too. My challenge this week has been to receive it. In our Gospel lesson today, we are at the end of Matthew’s discourse on discipleship. We hear Jesus saying to his disciples, “Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.” Think about that for a moment, when we welcome someone we are welcoming Jesus and God. This is not only about welcoming someone, but it is also about receiving someone’s welcome. Giving and receiving Jesus and God. Jesus is te

This is a special musical presentation of I Can Only Imagine sung by Deb Borton at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan.

Faith Lutheran Church (Okemos), Pastor Julie Winklepleck Pr. 7A, L12, P+4, June 25, 2023 Matthew 10   Grace, mercy, and peace are yours, through God our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. I begin this morning by quoting that great princess, Carrie Fisher, who said: “Stay afraid, but do it anyway.” We are going to be afraid. That’s human. Someone who is brave…it doesn’t mean they are not afraid… it means they hold their fear in tension with their ability keep moving, and to do what they need to do. Jesus is sending us out to proclaim God’s love, to proclaim the kin-dom. Last week, God told us through Jesus to be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. That means to go out, and share God’s love, and be prepared for anything. You can’t prepare yourself for anything, right? But God can prepare you for anything. God prepares us for the jobs God gives us to do. This kin-dom, which God forms out of us, it is an upside-down world in which sparrows matter, and we are valued even more. Even though the wor