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

This is a special musical performance of Breath of Heaven by the Faith Lutheran Church Chancel Choir, with a solo by Tammy Heilman

“In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered.”  Now, as we begin to ponder this cherished and treasured story, I am going to say something that just may shatter all your preconceived notions about this reading.  I must tell you, there is no historical evidence that this census, as told by the writer of Luke’s gospel, ever took place.  And, furthermore, unless there is something we do not know, the writer of Luke’s gospel also seems to be incorrect about Quirinius or Herod or both because the traditional dating of the birth of Jesus would locate it during the reigns of neither Herod the Great nor Quirinius.  So, what is going on here?  Well, Luke is not interested in giving us an accurate historical account of Jesus’ birth because he is interested in proclaiming a much deeper truth, a truth that is full of wonder and awe.   Luke gives us this information, not as history, but as a theological work to tell the story of One who has come into this world to change a

This is a special duet choral Christmas Eve performance of Mary Did You Know by Faith Lutheran Church's own Christopher & Paige Lewis.

This is a special trumpet Christmas Eve performance of Hark the Herald Angels Sing by Faith Lutheran Church's own Juliana Lewis.

This is a special musical performance of Climb to the Top of the Highest Mountain by the Chancel Choir of Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan.

This is a special musical performance of O Come, O Come, Emmanuel with the Joyful Noise, Tone Chimes and Gwynne Kadrofske on flute.

It has begun.  And, no, I am not talking about Advent.  I am talking about the non-stop screenings of those syrupy, sentimental Christmas movies on the Hallmark channel.  I am talking about the Disney portrayals of Happy Holidays where there is joy and happiness forever after.  I am talking about Madison Avenue advertisers telling us what Christmas should look like and what we need to have and do to make this an absolutely perfect Christmas.  I am talking about the TV specials and bill boards and radio ads that give us a distorted understanding of Christmas and a bogus version of what Christmas is all about.  I am talking about all the ways media and culture place before us an idealized version of Christmas.  We see depicted in all of these settings ideal relationships, ideal children, ideal homes and holiday gatherings, idyllic Christmas dinners where all is bliss and where everyone is all smiles and all is perfection.  And, as we look at all of this, I am talking about our tendency to seek out and try to pu

This is a special musical presentation of Alleluia! Sing to Jesus by the Chancel Choir of Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan.

This is a special violin performance by Rachael Ngasala at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan.

Today, we come to the end of the church year calendar and the end of Matthew’s version of Jesus’ ministry.  And, as we read this passage which caps the church year, we get high drama, we get harsh judgment, and we get punishment and damnation in eternal fire!  As one who stands before you to proclaim the gospel, it is hard to read about such harsh judgment and punishment and then say, “The Good News of the Lord!”  That just seems to go against the grain, especially for those of us who believe so fully and completely in a gracious God of love.  It is initially difficult to find a picture of a gracious, loving God in this passage.  However, if we dig a bit deeper, I think we discover this passage is not so much about punishment in eternal fire, and it’s not the goats or the sheep that matter in this story; it is all about how we come face to face with God every day!  And, it really is about a very loving and gracious God! To better understand this parable, Christine Chakoian, a Presbyterian pastor and theologia

Acclamation - Hallelujah Praise the Lord from Gospel Mass by Robert Ray - a live performance by the Faith Lutheran Chancel Choir.

That great theologian, Meredith Grey, a fictional character on the hit television show, Grey’s Anatomy, said in one episode, “At some point, you have to make a decision.  Boundaries don’t keep other people out.  They fence you in.  Life is messy.  That’s how we’re made.  So, you can waste your lives drawing lines and building walls.  Or, you can live your life crossing them.”  I think there is some truth to what the character of Meredith said.  And, while I believe some boundaries are necessary, very needed, and extremely healthy, I also believe far too often we impose boundaries that not only fence us in, but keep others out.  When we meet up with Jesus today he is continuing his journey to Jerusalem, his journey toward the cross.  As Jesus and his disciples continue that cross bound journey, they move into a border area, the boundary between Samaria and Galilee, a scary and uncomfortable place.  It was a boundary the Jewish people did not like to cross because it took you into the place where those hated an

This is a special musical performance of Keep Your Lamps by the Faith Lutheran Chancel Choir. 

This is a special musical performance of Open The Eyes of my Heart Lord by the Joyful Noise Childrens Choir.

Over the years, I have participated in a few hundred weddings.  For most of them I served as the musician.  And, since I have been ordained, I have officiated for several weddings.  Through this plethora of wedding experiences, there is one thing I have learned:  a wedding is one of the most emotionally charged events people ever experience.  And, quite honestly, because weddings are so loaded with emotion, they are fragile events containing great potential for mishap and disaster.  Even the smallest issue can create emotional explosions as people are stretched thin and as deep feelings and personal issues easily rise to the surface.  There are tears, profound hope, joy, and sometimes even anger, resentment and frustration.  Even buried grief often comes to the surface during wedding events.  And, when these things happen, it is always interesting to watch how people respond or react to the challenges. Frequently, in the chaos of the moment, they are simply unaware of what is really happening, unable to recog

This is a special musical performance of Blest Are They with a solo by Diane Hill.

This is a special musical performance of Special Music - Allegro from Duetto I by Mozart Amadeus Mozart performed by Sara Heft and Chelsea Thibodeau

I love the gospel of Matthew.  Matthew was written to communicate the Jesus story to early Jewish Christians and, let me tell you, the writer of this gospel really knew how to tell a story!  Beginning with Chapter one, verse one, we hear Jesus called “The Messiah.”  The writer of Matthew begins by setting us up for something amazing, something big, something life changing and something surprising by naming Jesus as the Messiah.  There had been many would-be messiahs popping up around that time in history, as there have been throughout history.  Most of them got the people hyped up about the political scene and Roman oppression.  There had been great expectation among Jewish people that a messiah would soon arrive, a messiah who would use military might and power to free them from Roman oppression.  So, Matthew’s version of the Jesus story begins by latching on to that expectation and announcing Jesus as the long promised, awaited Messiah.  The writer of Matthew continues to build on that expectation by linkin

This is a special musical performance of O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing by the Faith Lutheran Chancel Choir

I will never forget my first piano recital performance in college.   I loved to perform and really make good music, but I did NOT like performing from memory.  Performing from memory has always been a terrifying experience for me.  Anxiety would rule my entire being as I would try to perfectly remember every note on the page and all the precise fingering while implementing every little nuance to create something that sounded like real music and not just a bunch of notes.  You see, I was a perfectionist, very focused in on myself.  Anyway, there I was on stage in the performance hall playing from memory, performing the first movement of a Mozart sonata.  I will never forget the way my right foot shook as I tried to properly use the pedal the way it should be used for playing Mozart.  My foot shook terribly because fear controlled my performance.  I feared I would have a memory slip, I was fearful of what everyone was thinking, I feared making a mistake and I feared I would fail!  Fear permeated my performance