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

Manudy Thursday – 03/28/2024             Tonight, I am going to wash at least one foot symbolizing Jesus washing his disciples’ feet. Thus, it is important for us to understand at least partially why Jesus may have washed his disciples’ feet. This is not a practice at all churches on this night. Many people say, “I don’t want people seeing my feet”.           I had never done it until I went to Ishpeming a few years ago. Tonight, I will invite anyone who wants to come up. Jesus’ disciples were not too sure about Jesus washing their feet either as it was not really appropriate for a Teacher, their leader to wash their feet. It was the custom to wash one’s feet when coming into a home as they normally wore sandals, and their feet were dirty. In some homes there were servants who did this.           This whole scene took place before the Passover, Jesus knew his hour had come to soon depart from this world and go back to his father. There was a lot going on in that room and only Jesus knew all of it. He k

This is a special musical presentation of All the Room Was Hushed and Still by Ryan Thompson at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan.

This is a special musical presentation of Hosanna, Hosanna! by the Faith Lutheran Chancel Choir at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan.

Last time I was here was the weekend of the birth of my Grandson – 6 years ago. So much has happened since then. Covid – change in pastors, and so much more. Through it all we pray and hope that Jesus has walked with you and me and that we have noticed his presence and we have shared him with others. I don’t often share personal memories in sermons but today there is a relevant thread. I started seminary in the fall of 1976. Young, newly married, first apartment, and starting seminary. Preaching Class. I had grown up my whole life in the church and heard sermons every Sunday. (cause I had to be dying to not go to church) But now I was to be the preacher and say something profound in a sermon. My first sermon - I was assigned Jeremiah 31:31-34 for Lent 5 I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, “Know the LORD,” for they shall all know me, from the least of them to

This is a special musical presentation of Mercy by the Faith Lutheran Chancel Choir at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan.

Join us for the Lenten Service this evening.  

What Wondrous Love Is This?! “This is the day, this is the day that the Lord has made, that the Lord has made, we will rejoice, we will rejoice and be glad in it, and be glad in it…” For me singing this simple song is sometimes a helpful antidote in the days when my mind and heart seems dominated by harsh, sorrowful, cynical, judgmental, or angry thoughts and emotions.  Sometimes my thoughts and feelings about myself or about my family, or about our governmental leaders, or about pretty much everybody else are more negative than positive.  Sometimes that has included my thoughts and feelings about God.  I can be pretty good at grumbling.    The story of the Israelites in the wilderness is one of four ancient stories of God’s children grumbling, murmuring, complaining about how tough they had it on their long journey to the promised land.  Though God had provided water to quench their thirst, manna and quail to satisfy their hunger, a cloud to guide them during the day and a fire to guide them during the night

Join us for our Lenten Service at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan

This is a special musical presentation of There Is A Green Hill Far Away by the Faith Lutheran Chancel Choir at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan.

Worship is about connecting with God in Jesus Christ. In the Old Testament there were a number of temples in Jerusalem. God gave King Solomon the task of building the first temple. It was a sacred place that specific sacrifices were carried out to God by a priest. It was where God was believed to be present, where God wanted to connect with people. As temples were demolished and built up God’s presence was not confined to the temple. The temple of course was still a meeting place for God’s people, and they still did sacrifices, but as we heard in today’s lesson, they were using it to make money. Jesus was not happy about it and this is one of the only times in scripture that we see Jesus angry. Can you imagine Jesus with a whip of cords chasing the merchants out of the temple? On one hand it was customary for people to buy animals for a sacrifice, but they were extorting people. Jesus tried to tell them that this system was not what God wanted anymore. Jesus was God’s presence. Of course, the Jewish leaders t

This is a special musical presentation of Lord, Who Throughout These Forty Days by the Faith Lutheran Chancel Choir at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan.

Lent 2 – B 02/25/2024 Most of us have played the game, “Follow the Leader”. It involves making choices whether to follow a person or not over and through things. There are some whom you can trust to keep you safe, there are others whom you need to be careful with. We have many people today who say, come, follow me.   What kind of criteria do we set up for whom we decide to follow? Number one, it is a good idea to look at their history and what kind of choices they have made in the past. Number two, how have they treated people especially those who have little. Number three what have they gained, knowledge or money, power and control.   There are no perfect human leaders. This week we will be the site for 3 precincts for the presidential primary elections, even though we probably know who the candidates are. As I said last Sunday, I would not tell you who to vote for, but these are criteria that I would use in making a decision. Above all ask God.   Healthy leadership in our work places are more and more

Join us for the Lenten Service this evening.

This is a special musical presentation of Jesus Walked This Lonesome Valley / Nobody Knows The Trouble I've Seen by the Faith Lutheran Chancel Choir at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan

Lent I – B 02/18/24 Our Gospel lesson today puts Jesus in the wilderness. It is not a wilderness that we are used to in our part of the country. In our wilderness we think of different kinds of trees, streams or lakes. It is a place where hopefully we can experience peace and calmness. This is not the wilderness that Jesus was experiencing. His wilderness is often described as a desert with probably only small bushes, if even that and little to no water close by. It also says in our Gospel lesson that Jesus was tested or tempted by satan. It doesn’t sound like peace and calmness to me. Instead, it sounds like constant agitation and a climate that can be difficult to survive in. So then, how can we relate to this type of wilderness, where there was probably no snow. One of my Old Testament professors at the Moravian Seminary suggested that this wilderness is akin to the world we live in. Not the physical climate necessarily, but the cultural and political climate that we have today. The division in our co

This is a special musical presentation of A Clean Heart by the Faith Lutheran Chancel Choir at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan.

Ash Wednesday 02/14/2024 How can this be, Valentine’s Day and Ash Wednesday on the same day? The last time it happened was 2018. At first they really don’t seem like they go together. Valentine’s Day is supposed to be affirming love to people on all different levels of relationships. Ash Wednesday seems to be dark and gloomy and dealing true reality that we are sinners. We hear the words, “Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return”. Some people choose not to deal with this day. Not all people come up for ashes. It is looked at by many as the beginning of a dark and dreary season called Lent. Yes, tonight we begin the season of Lent. We do hear the words, “Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return”. Well then, how does this fit into Valentines Day. We think of this day as a day that we share love in many different ways to many different people. There are often cards given, candy, special meals, etc. In elementary schools, boxes are decorated, and valentines and candy are shared with

This is a special musical presentation of He Knows My Name by the Singing Sinners at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan.