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

Today, we had a special musical performance of Precious Jesus with a solo from Deb Borton at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan.

Published Under License From Essential Music Publishing, LLC

Year C – 12th Sunday after Pentecost; Lectionary 22 – August 31, 2025

Pastor Megan Floyd

Proverbs 25:6-7a

Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16

Luke 14:1, 7-14

Grace and peace to you from God, our Creator, and from Jesus, our Savior, who invites us to share in the gift of a meal, for which we can never repay. Amen.

***

It is remarkable to me how often the Holy Spirit swirls around us with opportunities to practice the radical love that Jesus invites us into…

And there are a couple of exciting ones that I'll tell you about in a bit…. These opportunities were awesome when I first heard about them, but even more so after thinking about how they fit with our scripture today.

The Spirit is feisty like that… I love it… but before I tell you about them… we need to talk about Jesus… and his lesson on table manners.

Drawing from the old wisdom found in Proverbs, Jesus tells these Pharisees and leaders not to claim the most prestigious spot at the table, where you might have to lower yourself if someone higher in the social hierarchy arrives.

But instead… choose the lowest spot, so that you might be honored when asked to move higher.

"For all who exalt themselves will be humbled… and all who humble themselves will be exalted."

What Jesus leaves hanging in the air… is that if they intentionally choose the lowest spot… so that the host will honor them… choosing to humble themselves so that they may be exalted among others… then they have missed the point.

…they have missed the point.

The game of honor and shame… of social hierarchy and status… of being humbled or exalted before others… is not how the kingdom of God works.

Jesus tells us to forego the shuffling around for status altogether and instead, invite those who cannot return the favor… to give to those who cannot give anything in return.

Do not invite the elite of society to your dinner party. Instead, invite those whom our society pushes to the edges… the ones whom society would like to forget exist.

Jesus' word for us today… is to step away from the cultural expectation of social climbing and quid pro quo… to stop jockeying for status and prestige…

Share a meal with those with whom no one else would dare share a meal … those who have no food to offer you in return.

This is what Jesus himself did… time and time again… revealing to us the values of God's kingdom.

When you look upon those who have nothing to offer you… and recognize that in the eyes of God, you are equal… and you are both loved beyond measure…

That is where God's blessing is revealed… that is how we glimpse the face of God in our neighbor.

Not by lording our status or privilege over them… but by recognizing that we are siblings through Christ.

And just as I am reminded today of the radical hospitality that Jesus calls us to extend…

I also remember that we are the ones who have nothing to offer… and yet, Jesus invites us to such a meal…

We are the ones… whom Jesus has invited to come and share the meal of bread and wine… a meal that comes with the promised presence of our God, and the full and great cloud of witnesses from all time.

We are the ones whom Jesus has invited to receive this incredible gift… for which we cannot ever repay, and for which we are only worthy to receive because Jesus has declared us to be worthy.

We dine on such a meal almost every time we gather for worship…

…and so, our Savior, Jesus Christ, is calling us to do for others, as he did for us… as Jesus continues to do for us.

Jesus is inviting us to live in a completely different world within our culture… inviting us to embrace the values and ideals of God's kingdom…

inviting us to claim the blessing that is found by extending grace and hospitality to those whom others would just as soon forget.

And to not only see ourselves as equal to them under God's eyes…

But to connect with them in such a way that their suffering becomes our suffering, their hunger becomes our hunger… their pain becomes our pain… so that together, we might break the causes of oppression, poverty, and harm.

Because when our neighbor is suffering… it's personal.

It was counter-cultural then, and it is counter-cultural now… Jesus has been inviting us into something new, and something better… this whole time.

Our text from Hebrews tells us to remember those in prison as if you were in prison… remember those being tortured as if you were being tortured.

That's a level of connection that most of us would rather avoid…

Yet, we are urged not to keep those in need at arm's length. They are our siblings in Christ, and God loves them as much as God loves us.

This idea… completely topples the social hierarchy… and shreds the practice of jostling for the seat at the table that will earn you the most prestige.

Invite those who cannot invite you in return… give to those who cannot repay your kindness.

This kind of generosity… is the true source of God's blessing. Still, I confess… that it's easy to say… harder to do.

However… we know that God's Holy Spirit is with us on our faith journey, and this week was no exception.

So, this is what I wanted to share with you… These opportunities seem Spirit-inspired.

The first is something that our pantry team has been working on… they have been blessed with an abundance… and have been looking for ways to bless others beyond the visitors to our pantries… with that abundance.

After much due diligence, they have connected with a group called Homeless Angels in Lansing.

Every Sunday night, all year long, they serve a dinner in a park in Lansing where anyone can come and eat.

The meals are sponsored by various organizations, and volunteers help serve the food.

Along with the meal, they often have donated hygiene products and bags with non-perishable foods that folks can take with them.

This is where our pantry team comes in. Out of their abundance, they will provide food items for our high schoolers to pack into easy-to-carry bags on September 21st, which is our first high school youth group night.

Then, on Sunday, Sept. 28th, Gretchen and I will deliver the bags and stay to help serve the meal. We want to start building a relationship with this group and the neighbors they serve.

…and by the way, this is an open invitation. If you'd like to join us, please do!

Our hope is that our new High School Youth Group will be able to come and serve with this group at some point in the future.

The other opportunity came from a conversation I had with Randy… he and Jamie volunteer at the Mission in Lansing on the fourth Thursday of every month.

I know some of you have joined them from time to time… but Randy was telling me that they have moved into their new location… and now have the capacity to serve 300 at mealtimes.

…and together, we lamented that there was a need to serve 300 at mealtimes.

But the increased capacity means an increase in the need for volunteers to help serve those meals.

And so here again… is another opportunity to serve and share a meal with those who cannot repay…

These are both opportunities to share life with those whom Jesus would have given preference to… to share in their humanity.

Jesus consistently gravitated toward those who were on the edges… toward those who are so pushed down that they couldn't see the light.

Jesus meets them in that space… and loves them… reminds them that they are beloved children of God… reminds them that they bear the image of God and they are worthy of God's love.

Jesus meets them… just as Jesus meets all of us wherever we are… and loves us… and calls us all to share God's love… to share God's invitation.

And…. to give preference to those who cannot return the favor.

For in doing so… in letting our guard down and allowing ourselves to share in the full humanity of our neighbor, whom God loves… Jesus knows that we will be blessed.

Not because we have a higher place than them or a better seat at the table… or because we can congratulate ourselves on being so generous… that's missing the point.

We are blessed because when we look into their eyes, we glimpse the face of God.

And the best news… The Holy Spirit will not stop showing up with opportunities for us to join in the work of bringing close God's Kingdom. It's an open invitation… so come to the party.

Amen.

Today, we had a special musical performance of Kum Ba Ya by the Treble Maker Singers at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan.

Published Under License From Essential Music Publishing, LLC

Year C – 11th Sunday after Pentecost; Lectionary 21 – August 24, 2025

Pastor Megan Floyd

Isaiah 58:9b-14

Luke 13:10-17

Grace and peace to you from God, our Creator, who commands us to honor a liberating Sabbath. Amen.

***

One of my colleagues shared a frustrating story this week… she has two small children who sit on the floor near the front of their sanctuary, and they quietly color while she leads worship.

They aren't making any noise or hurting anyone.

And the kids are actually paying attention… just like someone who knits a scarf during a meeting… they're just not paying attention in the same way that some of the adults think is appropriate.

So those adults are giving her a hard time about it… and they've even suggested that maybe she should tell her kids to go color in the narthex or the nursery.

These adults would rather there be no kids in worship… than to tolerate what they consider to be… the disrespectful behavior of coloring while hearing about God.

…it's almost as if the leaders from the synagogue where Jesus was teaching are now members of my colleague's church… and they still don't get it.

Now… I don't mean to throw shade over her people… because none of us are without fault. That's why we all need God's grace and mercy.

But what I hear in these texts today… from both Isaiah and the gospel, and from my colleague about her experience this past week… is that God's people have been struggling to follow God's commandments… for thousands of years.

It's not a new problem… but that's not an excuse… because we are only hurting ourselves.

How often have we given preference to rituals and traditions over radical hospitality and true welcome?

How often have we opted for the appearance of righteousness instead of doing the work of true reflection, repentance, and change?

…or opted for the appearance of clean and orderly city streets, sweeping away the problem… instead of addressing the system that created the problem?

How often do we smooth over a wound or treat only the symptoms… instead of addressing the root cause of the illness?

It's not a new problem… this failure to follow God's commandments… but we're only hurting ourselves because, as Isaiah tells us, our joy and delight in the Lord…

our joy and delight in this life… is connected to following these commandments… and to truly follow… we need each other.

And we know this… we know this deep in our core… that this is true.

God knows who we are… and knows what we need for a full and flourishing life. It's already been given to us. But we're stubborn.

I want to give you some context for our text from Isaiah… it takes place after those who had been exiled to Babylon were allowed to return home and begin rebuilding Jerusalem and the temple. …so roughly 500 BCE

If we had begun reading Isaiah 58 at verse 1, we would have heard that the people are frustrated because they have been fasting and crying out to God, but they feel God is ignoring them…

Isaiah tells them that God is not ignoring them, but has, in fact, been paying very close attention… and is… not pleased.

You see, they fast… while also committing injustice and abusing their workers, committing violence and causing harm to the poor and the oppressed.

They give the appearance of humble worship on the sabbath… while looking only to their own interests.

God… is not pleased… and declares… this is NOT the kind of fast I want! This is NOT how you honor the Sabbath!

So… starting at Isaiah 58:6 [NET version], God declares…

6 This is the kind of fast I want: I want you to remove the sinful chains, to tear away the ropes of the burdensome yoke, to set free the oppressed, and then to break every burdensome yoke.

7 I want you to share your food with the hungry and to provide homes for the homeless, oppressed people. When you see someone naked, clothe them!

8 Then your light will shine like the sunrise, your restoration will quickly arrive; your godly behavior will go before you, and the Lord's splendor will be your rear guard.

9 Then you will call out, and the Lord will respond; you will cry out, and the Lord will reply, 'Here I am.'

That… that is the kind of fast our Lord desires… that is how we honor the Sabbath… not only today, but on all days…

Not by worshiping our rituals and traditions… or by declaring that our sanctuaries are no place for creativity and color…

We honor the Sabbath by doing our best to love others as God loves them…

by loving them and working for their liberation in precisely the way that God and Jesus and the Spirit have been telling us since the time of Moses.

We don't honor the sabbath by rounding up the homeless and shipping them out to another place… we honor the sabbath by feeding and housing them… and freeing them from the burdensome yoke of poverty and oppression.

That is Sabbath liberation!

We don't honor the Sabbath by locking away everyone who breaks the law, no matter how minor the infraction. We honor the Sabbath by addressing the systems that drive someone to be desperate enough to commit crimes.

That is Sabbath liberation!

In Deuteronomy, we hear that we are to keep and honor the Sabbath… to keep it holy… for you once were slaves in Egypt, and the Lord God freed you.

The Sabbath is made for liberation… from toil, from bondage, from hunger… not only for us… but for all.

But how easily we forget… in our gospel, Jesus freed that poor woman from her infirmity that kept her bent over for 18 long years.

Jesus freed her from the infirmity that Satan used to keep her bound up and isolated from her community… alone and ashamed.

And the religious leaders have the audacity to be indignant… they don't get it…

They cannot honor Sabbath liberation for themselves… while this woman, their neighbor, is still suffering under bondage.

Our liberation… our true Sabbath liberation… is communal.

And once we understand this… once we understand that, as Dr. Lilla Watson once said, "…your liberation is bound up with mine."

…only then does our true light shine…

When we understand that our true Sabbath liberation is bound up with the liberation of the whole community… then … the Lord will guide us continually…

Then… the Lord will provide for us even in parched places, and make our bones strong, and like a spring of water that never fails…

When we understand that our true Sabbath liberation is communal… then we become repairers of broken walls… and restorers of livable streets.

When we understand that our true Sabbath liberation is communal…

Then our senses are awakened, and we recognize the work of the Holy Spirit in and through all the ways that neighbors are working together to put the needs of the full community ahead of their own selfish desires.

Communities will be rebuilt, and areas that have been impoverished and deserted will flourish. Neighbors will know and care for each other for generations.

Many in our culture today would call this some kind of woke, socialist agenda… but this way of living is much bigger than that… this way of living was God's design for us from the beginning.

When we do this… when we decide to trust the Lord, our God and really lean into what God desires for us…

Then… our Sabbath liberation becomes a delight… and a joy.

This is how God asks us to honor the Sabbath… by breaking the chains of oppression… and by not tolerating injustice.

The results are the reward.

But hear this, friends… the work of breaking the bonds of sin and injustice to bring about full and true Sabbath liberation… is ongoing work.

God knows this… and we know it, too.

And so, you must also observe Sabbath rest… a holy pause… a time to stop and reflect on all God has done, and dwell in the JOY of the Lord!

You do not honor God by making your productivity an idol… or by forgetting that this work against injustice can only be accomplished together.

You do not honor God by trying to do it all by yourself.

The Lord, your God, commands you to take a holy pause… and notice that you, and those around you, are part of a community.

So, as you rest from your labors, encourage others to rest, too. Make it possible for them to do so. Worship the Lord, your God, and give thanks for all God has done for you.

And if it would help you to feel more relaxed and connected… you are more than welcome to sit up front here and color. Amen.

_______________________________________________________________________

Dr. Lilla Watson (b. 1940) is a Murri (Indigenous Australian) artist, activist, and educator from Queensland, Australia. Her full quote is, "If you have come here to help me, you are wasting your time, but if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together."

Today, we had a special musical performance of Shout To The Lord with a solo by Zachary Hereza at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan.

Published Under License From Essential Music Publishing, LLC

Year C – 10th Sunday after Pentecost; Lectionary 20 – August 17, 2025

Pastor Megan Floyd

Jeremiah 23:23-29

Luke 12:49-56

Grace and peace to you from God, our Creator, and from Jesus Christ, who guides our feet in the way of true and costly peace. Amen.

***

So… this is a comforting gospel passage. The word of the Lord, everyone… Thanks be to God.

These words from Jesus we have read today seem so contrary to Zechariah's proclamation in the beginning of Luke, that Jesus will be the one "…to guide our feet in the way of peace." (Luke 1:79)…

They seem contrary to the words of comfort he offers his disciples… "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you…" (John 14:27)

Why then… why… does he say here that he does not come to bring peace… but rather, he comes to bring division and fire to the earth?

Why? …what happened to Jesus as our good and loving shepherd? …our strong vine… our bread of life?

I love that Jesus… but I suppose… Jesus also said he is the way… and the truth… and the life.

But following The Way… does not guarantee prosperity or health… following The Way of Christ does not ever guarantee that the path will be safe from outside harm.

But if you value truth… and life… then the Way of Jesus is worth the earthly cost… it is worth the pain that can come when those you love… choose not to join you in your discipleship…

…when they choose, rather, to cling to the systems of sin and oppression... to cling to hatred and bigotry… prejudice and violence…

When they choose to cling to the very systems that Jesus came to destroy.

Then yes… Jesus' words will cause division.

Just as the prophet Jeremiah proclaimed… "Is not my word like fire, says the Lord, and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?" (Jeremiah 23:29)

Do you trust the Lord, your God, to break what needs to be broken?

Do you trust the Lord, your God… to guide your feet in the way of costly peace?

Do you trust the Lord, your God… to break open your heart… and set your heart ablaze with the fire of the Holy Spirit?

Do you trust your Creator?

"I have come to cast fire upon the earth, and how I wish it were already ablaze!" (Luke 12:49)

These… are challenging words… but the Good News of Jesus Christ should challenge us…

The Good News of Jesus Christ should provoke us to break down the walls of sin and shame that we cling to…

The Good News of Jesus Christ must break us open so that the dawn from on high will shine upon us… and love… true love… God's true life-giving love… can grow.

Jesus knew… that this Good News… was worth dying for… surely for us, it is worth the discomfort of being re-cast… re-molded… re-formed by God's love.

Have you ever watched an artist blow glass? …whenever I have had the opportunity to witness this art, I am captivated.

It requires training, skill, and strength… an artist's eye for color, shape, and detail… and a willingness to work with materials that could destroy them… molten glass… and raging fire.

And yet, the artist knows that by pulling together all the broken pieces and subjecting them to the fire… and then by using the very breath from their own lungs… something new and beautiful will be made.

Still… nearly every time I have watched glass blowing, I have seen them also break the glass.

Sometimes on purpose because it wasn't working out like the artist intended… and sometimes it just happens. Sometimes, after hours of sweat and toil and love and care… the creation falls away and breaks.

And the artist, too, is shattered… but broken glass… is part of the art that is glass blowing. Broken pieces… are part of the process of creating.

Broken pieces are not the goal in glass blowing… they are a byproduct…

Just as division… is not Jesus's goal or purpose… but division will happen because of his mission.

Jesus' mission is to let the fires of God's justice burn… a refining fire that turns over our systems of sin and oppression… turns over our world, and upsets hierarchies we'd rather keep intact…

And for those who cling to and benefit from sinful systems… who cling to and benefit from inequality and exploitation… Jesus brings a hammer to break them into pieces.

But for those who are oppressed… hungry… exploited… victims of violence, discrimination, and abuse… Jesus brings a word of liberation and …peace.

The peace that Jesus brings… is a life-changing peace… a truth-telling peace…

It is a peace that breaks us open, so that we might be made new… refined by the fire of God's justice… and redeemed by God's love.

And… we are ALL called into this saving peace through our savior, Jesus. But make no mistake… this is not a passive or gentle peace.

It is not, in the words of Martin Luther King, Jr., "…a negative peace, which is the absence of tension…"

What Jesus calls us into is "…a positive peace, which is the presence of justice."

It's the kind of peace that comes when every mouth is fed… the kind of peace that comes when children are safe at school… the kind of peace that comes when tyrants are torn from their throne…

the kind of peace that comes when all of God's children, no matter their color or gender or identity, can live and grow and thrive, free from persecution.

Lord, "…let the fires of your justice burn… wipe away all tears, for the dawn draws near…"

And he said… "I have come to cast fire upon the earth, and how I wish it were already ablaze!" (Luke 12:49)

I said at the outset that these words seem contrary to Zechariah's proclamation in the beginning of Luke, that Jesus will be the one "…to guide our feet in the way of peace." (Luke 1:79)…

But …we often forget to include the line before it… verse 78…

"By the tender mercy of our God… the dawn from on high will break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death …to guide our feet in the way of peace." (Luke 1:78-79)

The dawn will break upon us to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death.

Perhaps Jesus' words for us today… are not so contrary after all.

For God's word and God's promises come to us all… and it is joyfully good news to those who are oppressed…

And for those who prefer a negative peace… who prefer the mere appearance of peace while others suffer… then God's word is a refining fire…

But a refining fire can purify and make new… so indeed… Jesus' words are good news… if… if we are willing to be challenged.

Jesus' words are good news… if we are willing to be provoked… if we are willing to sit in the discomfort of knowing that we have contributed to systems built on sin.

But God's word can make us new… God's word can make ALL of us… new.

So trust the Lord, your God, to break what needs to be broken…

Trust the Lord, your God… to guide your feet in the way of costly peace…

Trust the Lord, your God… to break you open and set your heart ablaze with the fire of the Holy Spirit…

Trust your Creator… and know that real peace… the real peace that Jesus died for… is, for you… and it's worth living for.

So let our prayers, both spoken and in song, be honest and true…

Receive our prayers, O God, as we call out to you to break open our hearts… and bring us face to face with the fire of your justice.

And we give you thanks, O Creator God, for your promise to pick up the pieces of our broken selves… and re-mold us into something beautiful… something crafted to shine your love upon others.

We trust you, O God, we trust you with our lives.

Amen.

_______________________________________________________________________

Written with gratitude for the theology and commentary of Debie Thomas. (2019)

MLK quote taken from "Letter from Birmingham Jail." (1963)

Today, we had a special musical performance of How Can I Keep From Singing with Men of Faith with Addie Thompson on Flute at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan.

Published Under License From Essential Music Publishing, LLC

Year C – 9th Sunday after Pentecost; Lectionary 19 – August 10, 2025

Pastor Megan Floyd

Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16

Luke 12:32-40

Grace and peace to you from our Lord, Jesus Christ, and from God, our Creator, in whose faithfulness we trust. Amen.

***

"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." (Hebrews 11:1)

Faith… is our trust that God is faithful… our trust that God is good for what God promises… it is our trust that Jesus really meant it when he said, "it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." (Luke 12:32)

Faith… is not certainty… it's an act of holy listening to what the Holy Spirit is whispering to you… and then responding accordingly… it's an act of holy acknowledgment of the nudges felt deep in your gut… and then going where you feel the Spirit guiding you.

Even when we don't know the outcome… when we can't see the final destination of the journey… we go anyway… Faith is not certainty… it's trusting that God's got you… that God loves you… and that God delights in providing for you.

This past week, I met an amazing woman named Mona… and after talking with her for a long time, I learned that she knows many of you, too.

Mona exudes joy …and hope for all that her life has been and what it will be… and gratitude to God for it all. Her energy just… sparkled!

She came to the United States as an immigrant from Namibia when she was only a teenager. I'm not the best at guessing ages, but she might be around my age now.

While I didn't catch the specifics of why she needed to immigrate, I heard in her story the struggle her family faced when it became plain that sending her to the US… far away from everything she'd known… was the best solution.

They trusted that God would be with her through it all… that no matter what, she was cradled by the Spirit.

I gathered that she was sponsored by Samaritas, and she said that her father told her… whenever you find yourself in trouble, go to the Lutherans… the Lutherans will help you.

…I love that part, obviously…

But sure enough… that's what she's done, and that's how she has come to know so many of you here!

Mona told me that Ceclia helped her with her green card paperwork, and she checked in with Pr. Ellen many times.

She was excited to share that she's graduated summa cum laude from LCC and is going to start at Cooley Law School this winter.

She's also just started a job at a hotel that she loves and will be able to work around her class schedule.

She is in a really good place and she's excited for life… but more than anything, she gives glory and praise to God for it all…

Her joy comes from trusting God's presence in her life, for guiding her when she didn't know if her needs would be met… and living every day according to God's will.

Her witness was a beautiful testament to her faith in God's promise for us all… And… she makes it look easy!

The honest truth is, that when you live as close to daily struggle and hardship as it sounded like she does, there is little confusion as to the source of all good things… the source of our daily bread.

God really does show up in profound ways when we're paying attention!

But for those who live with a fair amount of comfort… it is much easier to confuse God's provision with our own resourcefulness…

It's easier to ignore the nudging of the Spirit to follow God's way of caring for others, and instead, go our own way that cares only for ourselves.

Like the parable from last week, we are tempted to stockpile our resources… our abundance… to ensure that no matter what, OUR needs will be met… but the only way to create such a stockpile… is to ignore the needs of all those around us.

And yet… Jesus shows up and brings good news… Have no fear, he says… release your anxiety! For it is God's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

Do not be afraid! The one who created you… delights in caring for you.

Now hear this… a flock is not an individual… the "you" in this assurance from Jesus is plural.

It is God's good pleasure to give you, as a people… as a community… to give you and all your neighbors… the full body of Christ… to give you all the kingdom.

And Jesus also tells us how this will be achieved… but we tend to skip over that part.

Don't get me wrong, though… this isn't about receiving salvation… we are not responsible for earning our own salvation or redemption… for that is what Jesus has already done for us.

But we do, however, have a responsibility… our lives need to be ready to receive the good gifts that God offers, and the sooner the better!

…because the gifts are so good!

The kingdom of God is not an afterlife eventuality… it is something God is building here and now, with us, inviting us in as co-creators for God's glory!

So then… Have no fear, for it is God's good pleasure to give us the kingdom, and Jesus then tells us how we are to receive this gift…

…Sell your possessions and give alms to the poor… build up your treasure by building up those in need!

Build up your treasure… by building up those whom Jesus consistently favors…

Build up your treasure… by building up those who are cast out… by building up those who are sick… by building up those who are alone… those who are hungry… those who are strangers in a foreign land.

Build up your treasure… by directing your heart toward those whom Jesus favors… time and time again throughout scriptures…

Build up your treasure… by building a full and diverse community where all have their needs met, including you! …where all are valued and where all are loved.

THAT is the kingdom of God…

and where your treasure is… there your heart will be. Your heart.

It's not really about your treasure… although for your neighbor in need, it kind of is… but your treasure is both a means to an end… and something that can get in between you and God…

Giving of your treasure is how you train yourself to pay attention… it's how you train your heart to care… it's how you actively engage with the fullness of the community around you.

So it's not as much about your treasure… as it is about your heart… your love… Jesus wants your heart.

Giving of your treasure… is how we train our hearts to go where our human nature wouldn't normally go.

Our human nature is to look at our resources and see scarcity, and to feed our anxiety by storing up our treasure in earthly containers.

But in God's kingdom… we look out at our resources and see an abundance, enough to feed all who are hungry, and in our sharing, we are richly blessed.

So have no fear! Trust in God, your Creator, for it is God's good pleasure to give us the kingdom… and here is how we are to receive such a splendid gift…

…by letting go of our fear… by becoming more like Mona…

By trusting that God will continue to provide, and God will continue to guide us each day to those we can share our life with and build our community with… so we can delight in the ways that we bless each other, each according to their gifts…

…in the promised and ever-unfolding kingdom of God.

Our God delights in you… delights in providing for you… and God is delighted when we figure out how to receive God's blessing for us.

For it is God's good pleasure to give us the kingdom. So trust in the promises and provision of the Lord, your God… and have no fear. Amen.

Today, we had a special musical performance of Didn't My Lord Deliver Daniel by the Summer Choir at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan.

Published Under License From Essential Music Publishing, LLC

Eighth Sunday after Pentecost

August 3, 2025

Faith, Okemos

Ecclesiastes 1:2, 12-14, 2:18-23, Psalm 49:1-12, Colossians 3:1-11, Luke 12:13-21

Living Under the Sun, Living from Above

Grace to you and peace…

[Please take a few deep breaths. This will be a difficult sermon to hear, but I ask you to wait with me for the precious good news at the end…]

Vanity of vanities, says the Teacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity… it is an unhappy business that God has given to human beings to be busy with. I saw all the deeds that are done under the sun; and see, all is vanity and a chasing after the wind… What do mortals get from all the toil and strain with which we toil under the sun? For all their days are full of pain, and their work is a vexation; even at night their minds do not rest. This also is vanity. [There is nothing better for mortals than to eat and drink, and find enjoyment in their toil. This also, I saw is from the hand of God…] Ecclesiastes 1:2, 12-14, 2:22-24

In an email sent from Kalea on Wednesday, I invited you to read the entire book of Ecclesiastes. It is a sobering, largely dark assessment of the human story "under the sun." If you had time to read it, I like to take a couple of minutes now to hear a sampling of your reactions…

I think of the tens of thousands in our country whose jobs have been either completely eliminated or made more burdensome. I think of those trying to support themselves and/or their families but are paid far from sufficiently for their work, whose days, in the words of the Teacher, "are full of pain, and their work is a vexation."

Maybe you, like me, remember projects in which you passionately spent countless hours and perhaps a fair amount of money, all to see them either immediately or eventually go up in smoke. And don't we see in our own day the erosion of hard-fought protections for the poorest among us or for the people in Gaza or for the well-being of Earth itself?

I remember Dr. Leupold, an Old Testament professor at our seminary in Columbus, who reminded us of the importance of the phrase "under the sun." For him that was key to understanding the darkness and seemingly endless repetition, generation after generation, of the quest for power and the presence of insatiable greed. [Historians don't have to look far to see the parallels of the rich getting richer and poor getting poorer throughout our 250 years as a nation and throughout the thousands of years of the lives and deaths of countless empires, nations, and kingdoms.] So the perspective and wisdom of the Teacher in Ecclesiastes.

Which perspective is then enriched by Jesus' story of the rich man in our gospel for today. Jesus said: Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one's life does not consist in the abundance of possessions. For the rich man, life under the sun was going great. And yet. as Jesus told them this story [here in the Message translation often read in our Tuesday Bible Studies]: The farm of a certain rich man produced a terrific crop. He talked to himself: 'What can I do? My barn isn't big enough for this harvest.' Then he said, 'Here's what I'll do: I'll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I'll gather in all my grain and goods, and I'll say to myself. "Self, you've done well! You've got it made and can now retire. Take it easy and have the time of your life!" Just then God showed up and said, 'Fool! Tonight you die. And your barnful of goods – who gets it?' That's what happens when you fill your barn with Self and not with God."

Or this last thought in the words in the NRSV translation (in our bulletin): So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God.

Next Sunday you will hear these further precious words of Jesus: Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give alms. Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven… All of which is to say, in Jesus all is not vanity, all is not a chasing after the wind!

Which then takes us to our Second Reading from Colossians 3, words which call us to a live this vexing life above the sun. These words in Colossians don't deny how hard and painful and empty and lonely and, yes, how finite is our life on Earth, our life under the sun. The Teacher in Ecclesiastes counsels a little relief in seizing the moment [Carpe Diem] doing your best to find a measure of enjoyment in your work, in drink… in your eating… But hear again these words: Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth, for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life is revealed, the you also will be revealed with him in glory.

What does that mean, "you have died"? For me that means that in Jesus who died for me, my life is much more than my possessions, whether small or great, cheap or very expensive. My life is not about fulfilling my bucket list before I die. I have already died. My eternal life with God and with all his children has already begun, made sure for us in the gift of holy baptism. That's how powerful is his death on cross for me and for you and for all of creation.

So, the Teacher in writing the book of Ecclesiastes was only partly right. Life is filled with vanity, [we might say 'so full of s_t']. But it is so much more than that. Hidden in the midst of our trials and tribulations, in our sorrows and in our fleeting happy moments with a drink and a little food to eat, is this gracious, wonderful gift of life from above. Together with our siblings in Christ and with others of goodwill who do not yet recognize him as their Lord, we get to live an amazing life given to us from above.

For me that life is experienced in daily gratitude for the beauty of the Earth and for all who dwell therein. I'm enriched these days by the sight of countless fields of corn and soybeans, of the gladiolas in our backyard, of the swaying trees, taking in tons of excess CO2 and giving back an abundance of O2. And I think of countless very real people, including you all, who enrich my life and lift me up when I get down or hyper-critical or self-centered, when I'm like the rich man who thought only about himself.

But when our old under-the-sun-self seeks to smother our gratitude for this life from above, when that self tries to make us forget the grace-filled eternal life that Jesus won for us, the Holy Spirit, who may be especially present in the moments we need to take for quiet reflection, will prompt us to put to death that old self filled with greed and lies and malice and abusive language. Martin Luther called it "daily dying" a needful daily discipline putting to death our old self and receiving the precious gift of a new, risen life from above, putting on the clothing of compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, and patience.

I invite you to repeat after me:

In Jesus' name I put to death my old self

And, in Jesus' name, with a grateful heart, I receive today a new, risen life.

Amen.