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

Year C – Pentecost – June 8, 2025

Pastor Megan Floyd

Acts 2:1-21

Grace and peace to you in the name of our Advocate, God's Holy Spirit, who walks alongside us every day. Amen.

***

God doesn't create in half measures… ya know?

Think about our planet… and all the intricate details included on every level of life… from whole eco-systems down to tiny microbes.

Think about… us…you and me… There is no one else quite like you. You are unique and beloved… God knit you together after God's own image, gave you life with God's own breath… and loves you fully…

God doesn't create in half-measures… and all that God creates is precious and loved, including you…

And since the beginning of humanity, God has invited us to be in relationship with God… never forcing the relationship, but giving us that choice… because we are loved.

A choice to respond to the presence of God in our lives… in our world… in each other… and within our very own bodies.

What began as God's breath across the face of the waters, bringing forth life… guiding us as a pillar of smoke… a burning bush… a booming thunder… and a still, small voice…

Always speaking… if we are willing to listen… always guiding… if we are willing to follow… always inviting… if we are willing to respond.

Becoming human in the person of Jesus… entering our lives in the most humble way… teaching… loving… inviting… suffering… dying… forgiving and still loving… still inviting.

The presence of God around us and in us, in countless ways, reminding us that God's Holy Spirit… has been with us from the beginning, and God's Holy Spirit will be with us to the end…

Reminding us that God's Spirit was with us, and is with us, and that even though God in Jesus must ascend to the Creator, we have another advocate… the one who has been with us all along.

God's Spirit… the pneuma in Greek… the ruach in Hebrew… God's holy breath that fills your lungs and gives you life… is with you always.

God does not create in half measures… and God does not abandon God's creation.

But as with all things that are constant in our lives… we often overlook this continual holy presence with us… take it for granted… after all… how often have you stopped to consider the air in your lungs?

So, this was the scene in Jerusalem that day… Jesus had ascended, and now it was time to share the gospel story… time to witness to all that had occurred… time to light a fire under this message of good news!

God's Spirit… our constant companion… needed to get those disciples moving.

What better chance than to cause a holy disruption during Shavuot… the Festival of Weeks… the Pentecost festival in Jerusalem, which happens 50 days after Passover, commemorating the giving of the Torah to the Jewish people…

A time when Jewish people from all around the known world would have made a pilgrimage to the city to celebrate and honor God's word.

A mass of people… diverse and inclusive… together… for God.

This is the moment… this is the time… God's Spirit moves through… and causes a scene…

Like I said… God doesn't really act in half-measures.

The Spirit of God comes upon these people as a great, roaring sound like a violent rushing wind…

Filling the room and appearing among them like divided tongues, as of fire, and resting upon each of them…

And giving them the ability to proclaim the Gospel in whatever language it needed to be heard…

The Holy Spirit is in the house, demanding attention, engaging every one of their senses… for the Gospel must be heard.

The Gospel… must be experienced.

What a moment! A dramatic onslaught of action and motion… of speaking… and of hearing… confusion… and… of understanding.

Hearing the proclamation of the gospel… hearing the good news of salvation… of love and forgiveness.

Hearing, each in their native language… the message that Love has come and is making all things new.

Death is overcome and new life is born... new breath… new growth.

We are gathered by this swirling wind, but also provoked and pushed to give our witness… to tell our story…

For the Gospel must be heard… and God doesn't do with half-measures.

Pentecost is only the beginning… the fire that was ignited on that day burns within you still… guiding you toward God's love… and empowering you to share your story.

God's Holy Spirit… your constant companion… your ever-present connection to Christ within yourself and in others… is guiding you daily toward God's love.

And occasionally causing a holy disruption… either as that still, small voice that insists on being heard, or as a roaring wind… a sensory disruption that demands attention and cannot be ignored.

God's Spirit doesn't do with half-measures.

Shaking us out of our complacency… our routine… giving us the courage to speak up when our words are necessary… and the wisdom to be silent and listen, when our understanding is required.

God's Holy Spirit is igniting within us… attuning our senses toward God's will.

Whenever we feel that push… or pull… a gentle nudge or maybe a hard shove… toward loving more widely, sharing more generously… welcoming more inclusively…

Whenever we feel that call inside our hearts to extend and receive grace and forgiveness more openly… and freely…

That is God's Holy Spirit igniting within you… that is a Pentecost moment.

What happened to those disciples in Jerusalem on that festival day so long ago was amazing… incredible…

It gave birth to the church and lit a fire under the message, spreading the Gospel to the corners of the world…

For the Gospel must be heard, and God doesn't do with half-measures.

That experience taught them, and us, that God is doing a new thing… that the Good News of Jesus's death and resurrection must be heard, and that this is a message for all people, everywhere…

that there are no boundaries around God's love.

This experience connected them… connected them to the presence of God within themselves and within each other.

It reminded them, and us… that what began as God's holy breath across the face of the waters… still fills our lungs.

That our Creator, in whose image we are made, filled us with holy breath… guided us through wind, fire, thunder, and silence… loved us through Jesus and inspires us still as our advocate.

The experience of Pentecost is that God doesn't act in half-measures, and that God's message of love must be heard.

And so God's Holy Spirit… the pneuma… the ruach… is within you… sometimes whispering to you, and sometimes shouting… that you are loved…

You are loved with so much abundance that you cannot help but to share that love with others in the name of the one who is, who was, and who is yet to come… Our God and Creator, our Savior, and our Advocate.

You are loved with so much abundance… because God doesn't create in half-measures. And that… is a message that must be heard.

Amen.

Today we had a special musical performance from members of the Faith Bell Choir, Brenda Kopf, Elaine Harrison, Ann Mayer, and Addie Thompson as they played How Firm A Foundation at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan.

John 17:20-26; Pride Sunday; 7 Easter; June 1, 2025

Additional texts: Acts 16:16-34; Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21

Rich Weingartner

Grace to you and peace from God our parent, Jesus our Savior, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

I'm scared. We live in a scary time. When I went up to the UP to visit my parents and family for Easter, I brought my passport with me. No real reason, just some fear that I might be in a situation where I'll have to try to prove that I'm a US citizen. I hear of friends traveling to foreign countries, some of them who are part of the LGBTQIA+ community. I fear that they won't be able to come back into our country. I'm afraid to leave the United States for concern that I'll be stopped at the border and end up being detained and not let back into our country. It is an unsettling time for LGBTQIA+ or Queer people these days. We hear constant attacks on people as things are said or laws are introduced or passed that try to declare our Queer siblings as "other" or to make it sound like there is something wrong with them.

I also know others are scared. The queer community aren't the only ones being attacked and put down. I know my Black, Indigenous, and People of Color community have been attacked for centuries in various ways. Our siblings of hispanic heritage are facing struggles and threats as well. Asian and Pacific Islanders as well. Immigrants, including refugees and asylum seekers, including the young men in our parish house. There are a lot of people who are apprehensive and concerned now - and for many this is just a continuation of decades or centuries of being treated like "others" and that they don't really belong and aren't valid as a human being.

However, God, through Jesus and the bible, tells us a different story. A story that declares that we are all children of God and we can be proud of who God made us to be. A story of love that knows no bounds and never ends. Which brings us to our readings for today that show that God is always with us, even in times of trouble.

We start with the reading from Acts where we find Paul and Silas thrown in jail. While they may have been feeling scared and worried - they didn't show it by just sitting around and moping and blaming God for their troubles. Instead, we find them praying and singing hymns and connecting with the other prisoners. In the midst of it all, they kept faithful to God. Then the earthquake happens. Since, at the time, if a guard lost prisoners, it was custom that he would pay for the loss with his life, the guard had assumed that everyone would have fled and thus was about to kill himself. However, Paul and Silas kept faith and stayed where they were and saved the guard's life - not only physically but also spiritually through their witness to the power of God. This serves not only as a reminder that God will never leave us, but also that we can serve as witnesses to the power and love of God just through who we are and doing what is right - doesn't take anything special - just through our actions and love they can know God's love. Just like yesterday and the pride festival. We may think we were just there at a booth, talking to people, and handing out items - but we were witnesses to the love of Christ through our actions of acceptance, welcome, and love, to the LGBTQIA+ community and their allies.

Then we move to the concluding verses of Revelation. From verse 13, "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end" (Rev. 22:13) While this passage refers to the extremes of the beginning and the end; and the first and the last - we need to remember that God isn't just there at the extreme ends, but everywhere in between. Just like all of creation, God isn't just at one point or another - God is everywhere in between. Not just light and dark, but in all the shades in between - not just day and night but at sunrise and sunset, the dawn and twilight. In all creatures that live in the waters, on the land, and in the sky - and all of those that live in multiple places. And thus God has created all of us - in our many different varied ways - there is no binary in creation - everything spans a wide range to create the beautiful diversity of God's creation - something to be proud of and celebrate. God is ever present across all time, all places, and all creation - the entire Cosmos from the very beginning of creation until the very end.

And not only do we have this promise of God being ever present with us always, we are invited. As it says in Revelation 22:17 - all are invited to come to the Lord and His promises. Everyone who is thirsty and wishes to take the water of life as a GIFT is invited to come. This is a great reminder that God wants us to be in God's presence and love - we are invited to receive the gift. We do not earn it, we do not have to work for it - it is a gift, a most wondrous gift from God for all.

Then we turn to today's Gospel from John. When I was preparing and first read the Gospel for today - the very first thing I noticed was how this passage starts. It wasn't the words that I noticed - it was that it started with a quotation mark. Now, you'll notice that in the reading we used in our service, a helpful prompt is added at the beginning in brackets to guide the reader, but in the Bible that prompt isn't there. Since I didn't have that prompt and the passage starts with a quotation mark, I knew we were joining in, right in the middle of something, so I backed up to get the context. And then I also remembered this is the time of the church year I tend to get confused.

Just a few weeks ago we experienced the passion story and then the joyful Easter Resurrection. In fact, we are still in the season of Easter. However, for our Gospel readings for a few weeks, we have jumped back in time to hear stories from Jesus and his disciples during Jesus' last evening with them at the last supper. So that is where we are with today's Gospel. Jesus is giving his farewell speech and then praying for his disciples. That is where today's Gospel is from - part of the prayer Jesus shared with his disciples that evening.

While Jesus is praying with and for his disciples, we find that the prayer isn't just for his disciples, as this part of the prayer starts with "I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word". The "behalf of these" is referring to the disciples and "behalf of those" is referring to us, today, and past and future. All of us who believe. You and me and all of God's beloved. Take a moment and let that sink in - Jesus around 2000 years ago was praying for you and me, everyone alive today, and in the past and in the future. I don't know about you, but I find it pretty awesome and also comforting to know that Jesus was praying for all of us - so long ago. In times when we are often scared and facing uncertainty it certainly is a good reminder to know that Jesus and God are on our side and that we are not alone.

So, yes, it is awesome that Jesus is praying for us - but what did he pray for? He prays that we all may be one. Not only that we are one together with each other, but that also we are one together with Christ. We live in a world that wants to label us and put us in many different categories to separate us. However, that is completely opposite of what God wants, which is for all of us to be one in Christ. We have been given God's glory so that we can all be together as one.

While we need to celebrate and take pride in being called together as one in Christ Jesus - we are also given some work to do in this prayer - a reason for us all being called together as one. We are called to act together so that the world, through us, might believe that Jesus was sent from God. Not only to believe that Jesus is God's son, but that God loved the entire cosmos so much that God sent Jesus for us, so that we may experience the grace, love, and forgiveness of God - given to us as a gift. It is this unconditional grace, love, and forgiveness that we are called to share with the world - just like we did yesterday at the pride festival.

So, during Pride month, and always, today's readings remind us we are never alone - no matter what we are going through or who we are. We are not alone for two reasons. First, we, through the examples of so many stories in the Bible, are not alone because we live in community with each other. God clearly sets an example that we are meant to be in community with each other (and with the entire creation) to support and build up each other - to be one together with each other. Not to divide and label, but to support and uplift each other.

Second, we are not alone because we have been promised and reminded time and time again that God is always with us. God is the alpha and the omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end. And more importantly God is also everything in between. God never ends - and is always with us - and loves all of us exactly for who we are - children of God created in God's image. Or in the words of a hymn.

Have good cheer, little flock; have good cheer, little flock,

for the Father will keep you in his love forever;

have good cheer, little flock!

May we all learn from the example and prayer of Jesus and work to be united as one with each other and with God and Jesus Christ. Not just to be with each other but also to share God's love with all of creation. From the waters and sky to the grass, trees, and plants, to all the animals that live in the water, on land, or in the sky. And to all of God's beloved children - every one of the LGBTQIA+ community, all our BIPOC siblings, people with every different ability, immigrants seeking safety and shelter, those who are hungry, everyone, especially those that society often shuns, calls an "other" or "less than", and pushes to the margins. Through our words and actions, we can help bring this unity to creation, so we all can be one in Christ.

We do this through the help of God who is always coming to us, every day, not just at the end of times. As it says in Revelation 22:20-21 "'Surely I am coming soon.' Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all the saints." and let the entire church say "AMEN!".

Year C – Fourth Sunday in Easter – May 25, 2025

Pastor Megan Floyd

John 14:23-29

Grace and peace to you in the name of our risen savior, Jesus Christ, who gives us his peace. Amen.

***

If you haven't already heard… we elected a new bishop this past week at our synod assembly.

Bishop-elect Julie Schneider-Thomas comes from the outskirts of the Grand Rapids area, where she served two congregations that are in a formal paired relationship.

In church lingo… we call that a 2-point, and she has been with them for nearly 30 years.

As excited as the assembly was that the Holy Spirit was calling us into something new… there were those for whom Pr Julie's election was a cause for grieving… a cause for troubled hearts.

Among them, of course, are our outgoing bishop, Criag Satterlee, and those who serve on his staff, Pr Chrisy Bright and Pr Kjersten Sullivan… also Bp. Satterlee's wife and daughter.

The Holy Spirit is now calling all of them forward into something new, but to what… they don't yet know.

It's understandably disorienting.

And at the end of Bishop-elect Julie's acceptance speech, she left the podium… but then came running back to say one last thing…

She said she saw the wide eyes of her people… people from not only one congregation, but from two… who just realized they have lost their pastor… their leader and shepherd… of 30 years.

She saw their wide, troubled eyes… and her heart just broke.

I felt that ache with her.

In just a few short months, I have fallen deeply in love with this congregation… and with joy in my heart, I'm excited to share my life with you for years to come… to deepen our relationship over the gift of time.

And so, I can only imagine what they all must have felt in that moment…

The thrill of hope for where a new leader might guide our synod… a leader they know and love… up against the terrible ache of loss, knowing that their stability… and the patterns of life in those congregations are suddenly upended.

The truth is… life could change for any of us in a moment's notice… disorienting us… and challenging what we thought we knew.

Leaving our hearts… troubled, and afraid.

And into this disorientation, Jesus arrives with a word of peace.

Do not let your hearts be troubled, he says… and do not be afraid.

He tells them that yes, he is leaving them… but he is not leaving them alone.

So be at peace…

Jesus is going back to the Father, but we have the Holy Spirit… our advocate… our God with us.

The Holy Spirit is with us always, to guide us… and to remind us of what Jesus taught us… to pour God's love into us so we can share that love with the world.

The Holy Spirit is with us… to ease our troubled hearts… and to give us… peace.

Jesus tells his disciples this before his death and resurrection…

This particular passage takes place after their last supper… after Judas has betrayed Jesus and gone out into the night… and after Jesus predicts Peter's denial of him…

He's telling them this now… so that when the moment comes, they will remember his words.

He's trying to prepare them as best he can for what is to come…

Imploring them to remember… remember that when you feel troubled… when you are afraid… I am still with you.

Our advocate… God's Holy Spirit… is still with us… always with us.

These words are for us, as well… remember what Jesus promised us… we will never be abandoned.

***

Our election for bishop went all the way to the fifth and final ballot… the field narrowing with each round.

And before each round of voting… after passing out the ballots, we prayed together as an assembly.

We prayed for the Holy Spirit to be present in our choice, and we breathed in that breath of God around us…

The intention of this prayer was not to call the Holy Spirit to us… we were not imploring the Holy Spirit to come and be by our side.

This prayer was for us… it was for our understanding… it was so that WE would become aware of the presence of God… that was already there.

This prayer… was to help us remember Jesus' promise.

This prayer was intended to help us open our hearts to God in the Spirit… our Advocate… who is with us always.

…our Christ, by our side… giving us peace… not as the world gives, but as Jesus gives… the peace that comes from remembering Jesus's promise that we would never be abandoned by God.

It was only after giving thanks for the Spirit of God with us, that we cast each vote.

And so, while the results mean there are changes ahead… we know that Christ is with us through them all.

***

There was another story I wanted to share with you today… another example of how present the Spirit of God is with us in our troubling, disorienting moments.

…those moments when we might be tempted to feel that God has abandoned us.

This happened just a couple of days ago… and I want to start by saying that no one was hurt…

But my friend and colleague, Pastor Kara of Trinity Lutheran in Hillsdale, lost her home, her camper, and her husband's truck in a fire on Thursday.

Like I said, everyone is ok… unharmed… physically, at least, including their dog… no one was home at the time.

But their property is a total loss.

And just as Rich recently experienced after the storms, they have been showered with offers to help in whatever way they might need.

And to everyone, she has the same response… She is beyond thankful that no one was hurt, and they have insurance.

She is shocked, for sure… no one expects this… but she is absolutely grounded by Christ's peace and presence.

So, her request to everyone who offers is that they refocus their intentions toward the youth and young adults of our synod.

You see… at the assembly, after we elected the new bishop, we also had to pass the new budget.

The synod council put forward a budget that cut the amounts allocated for nearly all of our ministries, including support for the synod Youth & Young Adult Table, our Campus Ministries, and Living Water Ministries.

Pastor Kara had moved for an addendum to the budget to reinstate the financial support for our youth and young adult ministry programs.

She argued that we cannot claim the importance of youth and young adults in our church while also cutting our support for them.

After much debate, the addendum passed… which reinstated the $14,000 cut from the lines supporting youth and young adult ministries…

It was… a leap of faith…

Because it came without any recent historical pattern of mission support from congregations to justify that extra spending.

She was pretty much on edge after pushing the synod into possible debt.

Still, Pastor Kara knew the Holy Spirit was with us in that room, guiding our decisions and moving our hearts toward God's will.

She trusted that when we follow God's call, God will provide.

She could not have known, however, that in less than a week, her faith in God's provision would be put to the test.

But I hear her… I hear the ache in her voice. She pushed for the assembly to do the right thing, even before knowing how we would accomplish it.

She knew that her heart was troubled, but that the Spirit of Christ was with us…

So, when facing a life-altering event… the kind of event that might leave one feeling abandoned… her faith and her resolve became stronger.

They are unharmed, and they will recover… and so she is redirecting all the attention back toward the movement of the Holy Spirit at the assembly.

And she is at peace.

We'll be talking more about this call to support youth and young adult ministries in the months to come… but as we have these conversations, I want you to remember…

Remember Jesus' words to us… his promise…

Jesus said to his disciples… as he says to us…

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.

Christ is with us always, through good times and challenging times… in happy times and in sorrow.

The promise of Jesus is that God's Spirit is with us always, surrounding us with peace, and equipping us for the work ahead.

So we will not let our hearts be troubled… and we will not be afraid.

Amen.

Today we had a special musical performance from the Faith Bell Choir as they played Let us Talents and Tongues Employ at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan.

This is a special musical performance of True Light by the Faith Lutheran Chancel Choir with a solo by Chris Lewis at Faith Lutheran Church of Okemos, Michigan.

Year C – Fourth Sunday in Easter – May 18, 2025

Pastor Megan Floyd

John 13:31-35; Acts 11:1-18

Grace and peace to you in the name of our risen savior, Jesus Christ, who commands us to love more widely than we can imagine. Amen.

***

What an incredible day of celebration! So beautiful and fun!

And yet… some of us are still reeling from that storm that crossed our state on Thursday night and into Friday.

There's been damage here in our community, but also extensively across the state.

Recovery and repair efforts are underway… and in Christ's love, we hold those most affected in the embrace and prayers of our community… helping where we can through our prayers… and our actions.

We do this… because it's who we are as disciples of Jesus… we love our neighbors as Christ loves us… and sometimes that love looks like cutting up fallen trees and cleaning up broken glass.

Life is better for everyone when we let our love for others guide us…

And that, too, is worth celebrating.

So, this is, indeed, a Celebration Sunday!

And the Holy Spirit has gifted us with some beautiful scripture to accompany our celebration.

We hear in our Gospel today, our Lord Jesus, commanding us to love each other as Christ loves us.

If you were here on Maundy Thursday, you would have heard this text then as well. It's very important, and so we hear it again.

Jesus said to us… Love one another as I have loved you.

Let your love for others be a defining characteristic of who you are… be known for it… and let your radically abundant love identify you as one of my disciples.

And know that the love you have does not originate with you… it comes from Christ and flows through you… This is how we love.

***

And from Acts, we have an important vision… Peter is deep in prayer while he's waiting for lunch… he's hungry…

And he sees a large sheet being lowered in front of him, and on it, he sees all manner of animals that, as a Jewish man, he would have been prohibited from eating because it would have rendered him unclean.

Along with the vision comes a voice from God telling him to kill and eat…

Peter would have been horrified… maybe even repulsed… because he had been taught all his life that these animals were not for eating… they were common… profane.

But the voice insisted… and said that what God has made clean, he must not call profane.

God is doing a new thing here.

And then, the Holy Spirit tells him to go to the home of a Roman centurion – a commander in the Roman army who was also a follower of Jesus – but… this man was a Gentile.

The Jewish people kept themselves apart and would have avoided mixing with the Gentiles…

And even those who followed Jesus… well, they thought they had something of a special club, exclusive to those who also follow Jewish law.

…they certainly would not have accepted an invitation to a meal in the home of a Roman for many reasons, but foremost, there would have been no way to confirm that it was in accordance with their dietary rules.

So… trusting in the Holy Spirit… Peter goes to Cornelius' home, where he learns that he, too, was visited by God and told to invite Peter to come to his home… to hear what Peter could teach him.

Peter begins to speak… to share the good news… and he witnesses the Holy Spirit fall upon this Gentile and his household

And in that moment, Peter understood that God shows no partiality, and that the gift of this life with Christ… the saving love and grace that is Christ's alone to give… is meant for all people.

It certainly seems… that God is doing a new thing.

But our passage is actually from Peter's retelling of these incredible events… he is recounting the story for the others because they are upset with him for going.

They are criticizing him for going to Cornelius' home and eating with him… he is being called forward to explain why he would do such an unlawful thing.

And we can hardly blame them… their rules and way of life, given to them by God, have governed their lives for thousands of years.

They are known to others by these rules.

And yet… it was clear that God is doing a new thing. God is not saying that the former rules were bad, or wrong…

Only that it is time for something new… It's time to eliminate the exclusivity of their religious club and accept people whom they would not have previously accepted.

It's time to break down the barriers and welcome all… to allow all their different cultures and backgrounds to become part of the beautiful tapestry of life that belongs to Jesus Christ…

To celebrate… that there is no one beyond God's love, and therefore no one should be excluded from our love.

***

Do we think this was easy for them to do? Absolutely not!!

These folks were human… and they were pretty set in their ways… and just like us today, they had prejudices and aversions…

There's a reason we are still talking about Jesus's command to love others as Christ loves them…

We still struggle… we still put up barriers around ourselves to keep out those who are different… those who will disrupt our ways.

We push back against God's call to open our hearts, our minds, and our communities to those who are different… different habits, different foods, different ages… different ways of worship… anything…

Difference is disruptive, and we like things to be the same… set… calm.

But God is always making things new… all around us, God is always renewing us … always calling upon us to love more… and to welcome those who are not already in the room…

to not just widen our boundaries around who we love but to eliminate the boundaries altogether.

…because we are called to love as Christ loves us, and we will never meet another person whom God does not love.

We come together as a community of faith, because we seek to know Jesus… to follow Jesus and to conform ourselves to the ways of Jesus…

And so we must love like Jesus.

We must love others and welcome others in such a radical way that we become known for our love…

Love in such a way that we can overcome the discomfort of difference…

Love in such an open way that we leave room in our hearts to be surprised by the gift that the Holy Spirit has for us in our newfound relationships.

Loving this way will change you… it will renew you… every day

***

Peter did not insist that Cornelius and his household convert to Judaism before agreeing to meet with him… before agreeing to include them in the Way of Christ.

No… Peter saw that God was including Cornelius and his household exactly as they were… and so very wisely, Peter observed… who am I, that I could hinder God?

Who are we… that we could hinder God?

When we exclude other people because they aren't like us… we cause harm…

We hurt those we have excluded… but we also harm our own hearts by rejecting the gift of relationship that is offered through Christ's command to be loving and inclusive.

And so, we love in such a way that leaves room for others to become the fullest, most beautiful version of themselves…

And in so doing, we are also made new… drawn closer to the heart of Christ… closer to the love that Christ has for all the world.

And we give our thanks and praise… for in our becoming new… in our blooming… our God is glorified.

This is truly something we can celebrate today!

***

In a short while, Abby, Isaak, Kara, and Maddie will publicly affirm their baptismal promises.

They are proclaiming that they choose to continue in their journey with Christ… the journey that began with their baptism.

But… then what… what does that really mean?

Well, it means… that you will be known for your love… for the way you include those who are excluded…

…for the way you lift others up so they can see themselves, and love themselves, as Christ sees and loves them…

It means that you will let the love of Christ shine through you… that you'll be Christ's light in the darkness, and no darkness will overcome it.

It means that by this love, you and all around you will know that you belong to Jesus, and that every day, Jesus is doing a new thing… through you.

Do I think this will always be easy?

Nope… it won't…

But that's why we come back together again and again, to receive Christ's forgiveness and grace, and be renewed by Christ's love through all these folks around you.

…We come together to remember how much we are loved… to see ourselves as God sees us, and allow God's vision to work in us… so we, too, can become the fullest, most beautiful version of ourselves.

Because the truth is… God is always doing a new thing… making all things new, including you.

That's definitely something to celebrate today! Amen.

This is a special musical performance of All My Days by the Faith Lutheran Chancel Choir with a duet by Ryan and Addie Thompson of Faith Lutheran Church of Okemos, Michigan.

Year C – Fourth Sunday in Easter – May 11, 2025

Pastor Megan Floyd

John 10:22-30; Acts 9:36-43

Grace and peace to you in the name of our risen savior, Jesus Christ, who consistently shows us how great God's love is for those we have pushed aside. Amen.

***

Earlier this week, at our Tuesday Bible Study, we took a deeper look at this passage we heard today from Acts.

It's always fun when a story we may have overlooked surprises us with details that seem to rise to the surface… in a new way.

For us, this week… it was this beautiful story about this disciple… Tabitha.

She is the only woman in scripture to be specifically named a disciple, even though some translations have converted the word 'disciple' into 'woman.'

She was, in fact, a named disciple of Jesus.

And she cared for those who were vulnerable and marginalized… she cared for them out of her own resources… the widows and the poor.

She cared for them with love and offered them dignity in a very practical way… by weaving and sewing their clothes.

This is significant. In first-century Rome, a person might only have one or two pieces of clothing at a time, and those pieces likely would have been made for them.

So, the making, washing, and repair of clothing – a basic human need – was a serious business in the ancient world.

Through giving of her time and skill, Tabitha was able to elevate her community of widows into a community that clearly cared for and supported each other

…while surrounded by a society that would sooner have them pushed aside as objects.

We are familiar with the social hierarchy of first-century Rome.

A widow without a son was at the very bottom… they were the most vulnerable, and it is a recurring theme in scripture and Christian history that we, who follow Christ, must care for them.

I have seen many examples of ministries that go above and beyond to care for those who are incredibly vulnerable and in need… the widows of our time.

I would say our Parish House is one example of a ministry that goes above and beyond to restore life and dignity to those who are so incredibly vulnerable.

And yet… how often do we encounter aid and ministry that assumes the ones being served will always depend on that aid?

How often do we evaluate programs… and find that they consider those they serve to be objects of charity, rather than potential agents of ministry?

Why do the stories of helping widows tend to fall short of imagining ways for them to become prosperous… or even simply… ways to reduce their vulnerability?

You see… I think this was what was so special about the disciple, Tabitha.

She understood Jesus' command to love and care for others, especially those who are vulnerable…

She understood this to be a mission to not only provide for basic needs but also elevate them and restore their humanity and dignity.

She understood the command to love those on the margins as a command to bring those who have been pushed aside… back into the center.

This is what Jesus did. Again and again.

Jesus healed people by restoring them to their community… and he usually did this by curing the illnesses that kept them apart.

This is what Jesus did, he loved people and restored their dignity… and so this is what his disciple, Tabitha, did.

Jesus, our Good Shepherd, loves us so deeply that we are more than mere objects of charity.

Jesus' love for us is so abundant that we are restored… renewed… and transformed… and commissioned to carry that love forward to others.

This kind of love not only sees and cares for the vulnerable on the margins, but it pulls them back into the community and calls them beloved and valuable.

***

There is a community of women living near Guatemala City. They are the widows of those men who were disappeared during the great wave of violence and terror that the Guatemalan government perpetrated against the indigenous population in the 1980s.

The community is called La Esperanza, which means "hope."

The women came together to offer mutual support and care for each other and their children.

They would not accept direct charity, but they did accept funds from a Presbyterian program to build one durable building in the center of their community, which houses a day care center, a preschool, a health clinic, and a weaving cooperative.

They have divided the responsibilities necessary for running their community, such as caring for the children, cooking, cleaning, sewing, and weaving clothes for themselves and to sell for income.

Some have trained as dental hygienists and nurse practitioners to care for the community's health needs.

These women have a dignified life… they were cast aside, but through love and care for each other, the kind of love that comes from Christ, their lives are renewed.

***

I imagine that if the disciple, Tabitha, lived today… we might find her in a community like La Esperanza.

…we would find her in a community centered around hope.

We would find the disciple, Tabitha, where we find other disciples… in places where hope in the risen Christ is transformed into loving action for those in need.

The kind of loving action that transforms a person from an object of ministry, into an agent of ministry…

Transforming people who have been lifted up into those who can, in turn, lift others.

This is the power of Christ's love working through us… through Christ's disciples.

And all of this is remarkable… but we haven't even reached the most remarkable part of the story.

The disciple, Tabitha, was so important to the community of widows… and so important to the community of Jesus' disciples… that when they sent for Peter after her death, he came immediately.

And through Peter… Jesus restored Tabitha, back to life.

Because she lived, the community of widows would not be left alone.

This story about the disciple, Tabitha, teaches us something about the nature of Jesus… about the nature of God…

That God's love for those on the margins is so great, that God will not leave them abandoned.

And yet there is more…

Because Tabitha lived, the community of widows understood firsthand that with Jesus, death does not have the final say.

Reality is no longer bound to life and death, but rather, by Jesus' promise that through him, all things are made new.

Those widows in Tabitha's community were no longer beholden to society's vision for them at the bottom of the social hierarchy… they were newly caught up in Christ's vision for them… as valuable, worthy, and beloved.

A legacy that was surely carried forward into the community at La Esperanza.

Through the resurrection power and love of Christ, we, too, are always being made new… remolded and remade… reminded that we are worthy and beloved.

Through Christ's love… we are transformed. Amen.

This is a special musical performance of River in Judea by the Faith Bells of Faith Lutheran Church of Okemos, Michigan.