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

A special performance of Celebration from the Faith Bells

Special music presented by Bob Nelson at today's service at Faith Lutheran Church.

This week we had a special performance by the Faith Lutheran Chancel Choir as they performed Partnership of Faith in celebration of the 60th Anniversary of Faith Lutheran Church.

As we look to the future, we are called to live into God’s vision of peace for this world and announce the gospel good news of a God who is like the crazy manager in today's story, a God who forgives sin. And, like that crazy, shrewd manager, we are called to use our gifts, our resources, and our skills in service to the master, our gracious God. We are called to invest those gifts in returns that are priceless, not only for us, but for the sake of the world.

The cross and resurrection testify to God’s faithfulness in loving and rescuing all that are lost. This faithfulness of God, shared with overflowing grace in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus, is patient, forgiving, energetic, and ready to celebrate. And, words like “losers” are gone because all are welcomed at the party God is throwing – the party Jesus hosts where he welcomes sinners and eats with them. This is the party where we all are called “guest,” “graced,” “gifted,” “loved,” “cherished,” and “empowered.” Come to the party, celebrate and join the feast.

We follow the one who loved this world so much he went to the cross. Following Jesus is not easy, but His word is still the best news this world has ever heard for bad times or good, and that is what you and I are called to remember together. Discipleship is demanding. Discipleship is a delightful thing, and discipleship is a determined thing. If you would follow Him, come with all you are and with all you have. The promise of life, abundant life, life that truly matters is always in front of us. And, the promise of God’s unconditional love, forgiveness and grace far outweigh whatever the cost discipleship might bring. May God’s love free us to choose life and daily center our lives in Christ, beginning now.

Special Music by the family pick-up family choir at the September 4 service at Faith Lutheran church in Okemos, Michigan.

Meal-time experiences and parties were one way in which the writer of Luke described and portrayed a vision of the Christian life. And, the banquet is a symbol of the reign of God. Table fellowship becomes a metaphor for the kingdom of God, where social boundaries and unjust divisions in human community no longer exist. Jesus embodies radical hospitality. Jesus invites us to stop the bookkeeping and let go of all imposed boundaries and distinctions we try to create. Jesus invites us to be the community of God’s people we are called to be.   Jesus’ words reach across boundaries of place and time and call us to bear witness to the fellowship that exists between God and humanity. Jesus’ words call us to let go of our score keeping and live into the joy and freedom of fellowship with God and all others. Such fellowship is all about grace, the grace and love in which God holds not only us, but the entire cosmos. That is table fellowship, Jesus style!

Jesus is always calling and inviting each one of us saying, “Come forth, come and enter into life in all its fullness.” Jesus is calling each one of us to a new vision of the way things ought to be with ourselves and with the world. Jesus wants to set you free! He says to you, to me, to each one of us, “The Kingdom of God is at hand, it is within you, it is in your midst.”

This is special music from Tammy Heilman today at the Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan.

Jesus calls us to discipleship and a life of faith.  Today, his words seem harsh, but they are honest, lay it on the line words.  We are not called to live a sugar coated, comfortable life of faith. We are called to participate in Christ’s mission. And, as God works through us, Christ restructures us; Christ breaks down walls of division; Christ repairs us in order that we might become repairers of a broken world. God takes us into God’s ongoing work of reconciling, binding up, and making whole. And, yes, it is not easy, it is demanding, costly and risky. However, we do not do this alone because it is Christ who is our peace in the depth of the struggle. And, it is Christ who is with us every step of the way. This is a sermon based on the text from Luke 12:49-56 as presented on August 14, 2016 at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan.

Special music presented by Laura Nelson at the August 14, 2016 church service

This is a recording of the Race, Ethnicity, Religion, & Culture: Learning About Islam session that occurred on August 10th at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan.  Part of our Race, Ethnicity, Religion, and Culture Series, attendees came and spent an evening learning more about the Islam Religion with Imam Sohail Chaudhry. Please listen and learn!

This is special music from service on July 31, 2016. The Tenor and Bass mens choir singing The Chariot Spiritual.

As Christians, we are called to shift our attention and emphasis away from the small, vain, egocentric self and focus outward by living into a radical trust in God.   In Jesus, we see the very heart of God, and that is where we find the ultimate and lasting treasure – the key that unlocks our hearts so we can live for others, the key that enables us to live lives that are rich toward God.

This is special music presented by Christopher Lewis today at the service at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan

Figuring out what is ultimately important and putting that first ~ that's the challenge of the Gospel. And nothing is more important than living into the Kingdom of God, wherever you are, when it comes near. Sometimes when we discern that God’s kingdom is near, the faithful thing to do is to drop everything and sit still and listen – like Mary. Other times when we discern God’s presence, the faithful thing to do is to get busy, to take on all of the organizational drive, ability and passion we can muster and work like Martha. Fortunately, Jesus comes daily to beckon us anew to sit at his feet. As God’s people, we connect with God’s mission here first, at the feet of our Savior. Then, bound together as Christ’s Body, we go into the world, a world that will likely crucify us as it did him, to serve the ones who are broken, disconnected and as lost as we seem to be. This is the blueprint for everything we do together as God’s people. We come together at Jesus’ feet to sit and learn for a time. Then we go out uni

Today at Faith Lutheran Church, Elliot and Gwynne Kadrofske performed special music within the service with Gwynne played on flute and Elliot on Cello as they performed Air From Suite 3 by Bach.

As we think about this past week, the question for each of us is who is your neighbor and who are you called to serve and be present to as neighbor? Who has been neighbor to you? Jesus Christ has been neighbor to you. The crucified one has been neighbor to you. Have you felt God’s mercy make your own heart merciful, compassionate and loving? Then in your heart you will know what this means: Go and do likewise!

We have been called as a community of people, not individuals, a community of people to share with those around us in the greater community the good news of God’s love, grace, healing and peace. And, we do not work alone. Our mission is a shared mission. We work together as the community of Christ and our hope and welfare is inextricably linked to that of those around us. Participating in this Jesus mission means working and living together in intimate community, becoming vulnerable and giving up our need to control. And, quite frankly, that kind of vulnerability makes this work a lot more fun because it is all about what God is doing and has done and it is not about us.