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

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

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

If you are sitting there thinking I have heard those names before…Anna and Simeon…it's because some years, we get this gospel reading the Sunday after Christmas, and some years when Feb 2 is a Sunday, we hear them anew…now we are not that far removed from the last Christmas, but for a variety of reasons, at least for me, it feels likes Christmas and our celebration of the birth of Jesus seems like forever ago…

So it is on this somewhat chilly, very snowy Sunday morning we hear of these two figures…Anna and Simeon who further the story of the baby born in a manger no matter if that feels like just yesterday or forever ago.

Some pastors may go straight for the joy that Anna and Simeon much have felt…playing up their child-like joy at seeing Jesus, face-to-face. I never want to be guilty of diminishing joy, but my own experience is that joy is often not as joyful as it could be unless it has engaged in a long, drawn-out stare down with something that threatens to push it out of sight--joy often vanquishes something as it becomes real: despair, hopelessness, physical pain, perhaps a deep, disquieting grief that one's life never lived up to expectations.

We don't know a ton about Anna or Simeon, but I would imagine that the world of Jesus time could not have been a comfortable place for the aged to persevere. No climate control, no pain relief, little capacity to mitigate the embarrassing or just plain uncomfortable effects of the body's natural process of breaking down. There was physical pain in their bodies, morning, noon, and night--a burden that grew heavier with the dawn of each day.

Was there something more? Confusion, social isolation, an inability to sleep well, irritability, gaps in the memory, and delusions are all common as we age. There is this frustrating sense that you can't keep up, that the world doesn't need you, that your body and mind that have been your bread-and-butter have sold you out. I confess that I haven't always been understanding, even as a pastor. And I am sure most of us have either heard or even participated in conversations where the graying of the church is discussed like it's a mortal wound--evidence of a church's irrelevance. Let me very clear here…we all want kids and young people in the church…but at the same time, any church can be very much alive and growing with a ton of gray hair too..

Because the thing is--more times than not--when I've sat with older adults, I walk away blown away by how openhearted and faithful and even visionary they are. I spend time traveling around the synod and it is no exaggeration to say that the older folks can be just as full of vibrancy, and mission, and good news as the younger folks among us…civil rights pioneers, anti-war activists, battling the war on poverty, turning the parsonage into a home for refugees, leading the way to become and RIC congregation . Older folks like Simeon and Anna are often the soul of our church: they are the ones who keep the prayer list and pray over the names and the personal tragedies asking God for mercy upon mercy; they prepare dinners for the family where the young mother is receiving chemo; they sit quietly alongside friends when they have lost their spouse of fifty years; they attend an otherwise sparse daytime funeral for the member who suffered for years with untreated mental illness, and they sit in the pews every Sunday, whether the sermon is good or lousy or somewhere in between.

As we get older and we continue in the journey of faith, there continues to be joy. There's probably more joy there than I can even imagine. Even and especially when the world seems upside down and inside out…or maybe that's just me.

And I noticed something else about Anna and Simeon. Something that many of our wise elders also have in common, that guided by the Holy Spirit, they always for their best to point to Jesus, and to share God's love in and around the world, and in and around us. In any and all circumstances…when all seems right in the world and when everything seems so very wrong. Filled with the promise of that same Holy Spirit, we, like Anna and Simeon, can praise God and always seek God's love and mercy in the world

Today, Faith in Okemos celebrates the coming of a new messenger of the good news, the story of Jesus, our Lord and savior, some who will at times walk alongside you, sometimes run ahead of you, and sometimes try to herd you forward from behind…your new pastor, Pastor Megan.

As Pastor Megan begins her ministry to and with you in this place, together, you can be Anna and Simeon for one another…praising God and sharing the story of Jesus, who brings love, grace, and mercy to all people.

She will share with you how God is at work in her life, this congregation, the church at large and the world around us. She will find joy with you, and dwell with you in your grief. She will pray with you, teach you, and learn from you. She will baptize, preach, administer the sacraments, marry, and bury you. She will try to live a life worthy of her calling to be pastor here, and most importantly she will share the story of Jesus with you…from before he was born, leaping in Mary's womb, to meeting Anna and Simeon, to the performing of miracles, the teaching of parables, the healings, wandering around in dessert, all the way to the cross and then to the empty tomb where Mary Magdalene recognized who she thought was the gardener as Jesus when he simply said her name. Pastor Megan will be her own version of Anna and Simeon, and so will all of you. She will not be perfect, no pastor is…neither is any congregation. She will forget to visit, not because she didn't want to, but because she didn't know you wanted or needed a visit, and she is not a mind reader. She will not always agree with you, nor you with her.

And when you or she stumbles in your faith or when you all stand firm in your faith for the sake of others, we can always and forever count in God's faithfulness to us, and continue to share the story of Jesus with a world that needs to hear it ever so much. Thanks be to God! Amen

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

Wow, here we are on another precipice. When I started back on June 26, 2013, we were on a precipice ready to jump off and start our work together. When we jump off we never know where will land. Thankfully as followers of Jesus Christ we know that we are not alone. We believe the Holy Spirit is leading and guiding us.

We have been through some major changes, and they all happened within 5-6 months in 2024. Walter passed away February 16. Thankfully we had a vice president in the wings to take over. In March we began counting money at the church. Our former secretary shared with members that I would not be putting my name in to be considered for your pastor. In one week in June, we essentially had 2 staff changes. That is a lot for any system to handle.

We gathered our gifts and moved forward. We had a great VBS. Thankfully we found a new secretary within a relatively short amount of time. Thus, Randy and I could give up doing the bulletin and E-news. Thanks to Mark Kadrofske for planning and coordinating youth events. Sunday School is running smoothly with our gifted education people.

We needed to do some reorganization with the pantry, and it now has a steering committee where the oversight is done by a group of people. They even have a job description for their committee. The finances are being monitored, and more funding is being sought. The pantry is in good shape right now.

This is not about me doing all of this work. My role was to plant seeds and support the gifted people here at Faith. The council is in the midst of restructuring the operating system of the church so that the healthiest ministry can be done. This came out of the leadership workshop that we had and the work of the transition team.

Today Pastor John will be sharing some thoughts on the Parish House as well as Laurie at our annual meeting. With the new administration we are very concerned about the guys and their continued ability to stay here. Now in saying that, we know of no imminent issue, but it is a concern. Things are changing every day. Michigan Refugee Hope has begun working on a safety plan and Faith will need to be a part of this. Pastor John, Laurie and I attended a zoom meeting on Tuesday with the other refugee providers in Lansing. This is to ensure that the leaders here are as up to date on what might be coming down the pike.

This is what soon to be Pastor Megan is walking into. She will need your support in navigating whatever is ahead. Remembering what we have been through since I have been here. I believe that we have moved through it together with the power of the Holy Spirit.

This leads us into our gospel lesson for today. After Jesus' time in the wilderness with the devil, he returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit. Jesus gave his inaugural address to the people in attendance at the synagogue.

News had spread about Jesus throughout the whole countryside. He had taught in their synagogues and was praised by everyone. He returned to Nazareth, where he had grown up. He attended the service as he normally did. The hometown boy had come home.

The assistant gave him the scroll from the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where he wanted to read. As he read the passage from Isaiah, Jesus identified who he was and what his mission was. He said that God had anointed him, and the Spirit was on him. He was sent to preach good news to the poor, to proclaim release to the prisoners and recovery of sight to the blind, to liberate the oppressed and to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.

As the Gospel of Luke continues we find Jesus not being liked very much. He was shaking the status quo. Neither the church leaders nor the government leaders were happy with his message through word and action. Next week the lesson would have been how even his hometown people realized they were being asked to do something that they might not be comfortable with.

When I think about the fact that Jesus has asked us his followers to carry on this work, I'm just a bit taken back as were the people in his hometown. This is a great deal to do, and it has become more and more of an uphill battle. This week at the National Cathedral there was an Episcopal bishop who preached this kind of message, and she has been criticized by many people in power, even pastors. There is now a congressman who has introduced a resolution to condemn her as her message was distorted. He is saying that the sermon was not reflective of the faith community at large. As of today, I do not speak on behalf of Faith. I challenge you to consider what this means and where you stand. Is the bishop's message in line with the welcoming statement? We can easily get bogged down in what we can't do instead of focusing on what we can do. This was something the bishop felt she was called to do. I understand she also offered the National Cathedral as a resting place for Matthew Sheppard.

I cannot cover all of these points Jesus outlined for himself in one sermon. What I would like us to briefly look at is preaching good news to the poor. You may tell me that you are not preachers and that is my job along with a few others. The Greek word for preach in this passage is euangelizō which means announcing, declaring, or telling the good news. This is for all of us including foreigners. It is what we say and do. It is the message that we present to others through our words and actions.

Thus, this is what Jesus is calling all of to do in order to continue his ministry. In this passage from what we believe to be 2nd Isaiah, which is after the exile, they are reflecting on the destruction of Jerusalem and having to rebuild it. Even though the restoration has been promised it is frustrating project. A great deal of conflicted feelings are probably being felt.

Could it be that Jesus was reminding the people in the synagogue what had gotten the Hebrew people that Isaiah was prophesying what had gotten them into exile? The people had been looking for a leader to bring them more power and control through acquiring more land. It was a very self-centered way of thinking and greediness. This way of thinking excluded people who were different from them.

I have said it before and I am saying it again, history repeats itself if we don't learn from it. God has been bringing the message to God's people that God includes everyone. This is what RIC Sunday is about. It is a reminder that this is the good news that all of us have been called to announce. The good news is for all people.

In my first sermon here, I thanked you for welcoming me. I was a stranger, and you welcomed me. Faith has welcomed our refugee brothers in the Parish House. We welcome people to come and take food that they need \in order to live. This is sharing or announcing the good news.

In going forward, Jesus calls you and I to continue sharing the good news. You may hear voices and see things done that do not model good news. Please allow the Holy Spirit to continue guiding you. This beloved community is called to share this good news regardless of these voices. Do your best in this place and this community to not let history repeat itself.

Remember the Holy spirit has led us to this day and will lead you and myself forward to continue sharing the good news where we are!

Let us pray: Gracious Spirit, thank you for bringing us together to share your good news. We continue to rely on you to lead us forward and to discern how and where to share your good news, regardless. In Jesus, Name. Amen

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

This is a special musical presentation of The Heavens Declare the Glory of God by the Faith Bells at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan.

Many of us here know the anxiety that goes into planning a wedding. Whether large or small there are many variables. Between people, flowers, site for wedding and reception, food & drink, etc. In the end we find out that something will not be just the way we wanted it.

My parents, whose wedding was on May 9, 1959, had the experience of running out of food and drink. My dad grew up out in the country, thus many of his family and friends were farmers and it took them longer to be able to get to the reception which was about 40 minutes or so away. My parents both had large families, thus what they had budgeted didn't seem to be covering. Someone who's family my mother lived with her senior year in high school, after her parents had divorced, provided funds to keep things going.

My parents were in a bind and Elmer came through to keep things going as if nothing had had been wrong. Weddings are always hopefully joyous occasions, but with so many variables, something is bound to go wrong. Thus Elmer, behind the scenes came through and my parent's party went on.

Does this story sound a little familiar to the story that we heard in our Gospel lesson for today? Jesus came through to provide what was needed for the celebration to go on just as Elmer did. Of course he is not Jesus, but Elmer gave of himself and did not make some big announcement as to what he had done. Neither did Jesus as there were very few people who knew the wine was replenished.

When things don't go right at events, the planners often feel shame when they can't turn it around. Elmer knew that and of course Jesus did too. I want to say it is a heart thing and in a sense a humble act. Elmer and Jesus did not want shame to come upon the planners nor did they want to be recognized.

Because of the relationship that my mother had built with Elmer, he felt that he wanted to support her. While my mother lived in their home she took care of their kids while she was finishing high school. Their children who are still living, remember my mother.

With Jesus, I wonder if part of it is the relationship with his mother as she is the one who informed him that the wine had run out. We don't know how well he knew the couple who got married, but he and his disciples attended it. This celebration often lasted a week. Thus, it was quite a chore to keep food and drink going, let alone the cost.

Nonetheless, Jesus felt the need to allow the celebration to continue without a hitch with the replenished wine. This was his first sign as John labels Jesus' work. So many other signs were done, but were more public and dealt with healings and raisings, etc. This first sign was done in a common ordinary setting so the celebration of this relationship could continue.

It was also done to show his disciples who he was, and it says they believed after they saw the sign done. Jesus' mother seemed to know what he was capable of as she told the workers to do whatever he told them to. Even after he was questioning why he should get involved with it.

Signs in John were about revealing Jesus' glory, they were to help people see who he was, the Messiah. He did not do them to impress people, but to help them believe. Even in this first sign it was because he cared about the people and did not want them to be shamed.

This is what we call grace. He didn't have to do it, but he did out of love for them. When you think about this, it is a model for his disciples, to do acts out of love, out of grace. Jesus had no real obligation, maybe in a sense to his mother, but not to the couple getting married and those who were in charge of the celebration.

From JB Phillips translation we hear from John chapter 1:14-18 So the word of God became a human being and lived among us. We saw his splendor (the splendor as of a father's only son), full of grace and truth. And it was about him that John stood up and testified, exclaiming: "Here is the one I was speaking about when I said that although he would come after me he would always be in front of me; for he existed before I was born!" Indeed, every one of us has shared in his riches—there is a grace in our lives because of his grace. For while the Law was given by Moses, love and truth came through Jesus Christ. It is true that no one has ever seen God at any time. Yet the divine and only Son, who lives in the closest intimacy with the Father, has made him known.

So, in this first sign in the Gospel of John, Jesus is modeling grace. This was a model for his disciples, for you and me. Jesus is already setting the tone and direction for his ministry and ultimate act of grace, his death and resurrection. We see and experience grace from Jesus through others. Without this, it would be difficult to share grace if we have not experienced it ourselves.

I can say with complete certainty that everyone here in this room has received grace. Number one, our baptism is a means of grace. We have received this gift as infants or adults. As members of the beloved community, we are called to model how we share grace, as Jesus models here in our gospel lesson as well as throughout the Bible. We learn how to share or model grace by experiencing it through others.

In our country and here at Faith things are changing. Through any transition grace is needed. As changes occur, we are called to respond and not react to them. There may be times that we need to step back and clear out as much of the anxiety as we can in order for grace to flow through us.

I am not talking about graciously accepting everything as it is. What I am talking about is being graceful in our responses. When I hear the word reaction, I often think of no thought behind our action. In order for grace to flow through us, we need to take our anxiety to Jesus. This will allow us to think and consult with Jesus before responding. There will be anxiety.

Jesus graciously walks with us and stands ready to listen to our anxieties. This is the grace that Jesus has modeled and continues to model for us through others and is ready to share with us. Once we have realized this grace and given our anxieties over to Jesus, we are ready to make graceful responses to the changes that we encounter.

Just as Elmer and Jesus modeled grace, we are then called to model that grace for others. This is how people see Jesus at work within us and may be able to believe as the disciples did that day, when Jesus shared grace when he performed his first sign.

Let us pray: Gracious God, you sent Jesus to model and share your graciousness. As we have read again the story of Jesus' first sign we see your grace modeled for us. We daily ask and receive your grace, may your Holy Spirit help us to share your grace with others that more may come to believe and continue to share your grace.

In Jesus' name, Amen

This is a special musical presentation of the Wade In The Living Water at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan.

Relationship is about connection. Baptism is about a relationship or connection with God in Jesus Christ and the beloved community. Even though Jesus' baptism was not like ours, it is still about connection.

The Hebrew people had been waiting many years for the prophesied Messiah. So here was John out in the wilderness baptizing people with the baptism of repentance. He really stuck out and people came to find him in the wilderness. John was bristling the church leaders. The Hebrew people were not hearing this kind of message from them, and they were waiting in hope and expectation.

John clarified for them that he was not the Messiah that they had been waiting for. The Message puts it this way: "I'm baptizing you here in the river. The main character in this drama, to whom I'm a mere stagehand, will ignite the kingdom life, a fire, the Holy Spirit within you, changing you from the inside out. She's going to clean house—make a clean sweep of your lives. She'll place everything true in its proper place before God; everything false she'll put out with the trash to be burned."

Wow, so baptism is about cleansing, about cleaning our houses. It is not the kind of cleaning that we can hire someone else to do. Only the Holy Spirit can do this kind of cleaning. This is what it means to be in relationship with Jesus and to stay in right relationship with him.

The theological term for this is sanctification or being made holy. We are brought into a healthy relationship with Jesus through the Holy Spirit. Martin Luther has reminded us that this is a daily process. Making the sign of the cross reminds us of this.

What can we learn from Jesus' baptism that will help us in our connection or relationship with him? Jesus waited and possibly encouraged all who were present to be baptized by John. This was really a baptism of preparation or cleansing for following Jesus.

As Jesus was praying, which was a common theme in Luke, the sky opened up and the Holy Spirit or dove descended down on Jesus. Then a voice was heard, God's, saying, "You are my beloved Son, chosen and marked by my love, with you I am well pleased." Luke is telling us that God confirmed for Jesus that he was God's son chosen and loved, and that God was pleased with him.

Now we could gather that this voice was heard by all the people present, but we don't know that for a fact as Luke does not tell us of their immediate response. Instead, Luke goes into a genealogy that connects Jesus back to Adam and then is followed by Jesus' temptation story in the wilderness.

Jesus waited and encouraged all to be baptized and then he was baptized as one of the people. This baptism of John was about being prepared, about being cleansed and for us keeping our relationship with Jesus healthy. Thus, Jesus was modeling for us the need for this baptism and the Holy Spirit cleansing us. Jesus waiting and encouragement also modeled humbleness and a heart for the people.

This baptism of repentance and the Holy Spirit is what keeps our connection to Jesus healthy. Our connection with Jesus really begins the day we are born. Baptism recognizes this connection. It recognizes God's grace for us.

Our parents and often sponsors bring us to be baptized. Years ago, and sometimes still today, baptisms are done apart from the worship service. It is more appropriate for one's baptism to be done in the context of worship as it is really about welcoming the child or adult into the beloved community.

Also, it is the responsibility of the congregation to provide and encourage one's growth in a person's relationship with Jesus, just as Jesus modeled at his baptism. Today we are going to affirm our baptism. We will publicly say to God and each other that we are followers of Jesus Christ.

We will be stating that we are continuing in this relationship or connection with Jesus, that we are allowing the Holy Spirit to come and clean our house. Through water and the Word, we strengthen our connection to Jesus. We are reminded that in this gift of baptism that we receive freely forgiveness, salvation and new life.

Let us now affirm our baptism and the promises that go with it.

AFFIRMATION OF OUR BAPTISM

Pastor: God, who is rich in mercy and love, gives us a new birth into a living hope through the sacrament of baptism. By water and the Word God delivers us from sin and death and raises us to new life in Jesus Christ. We are united with all the baptized in the one body of Christ, anointed with the gift of the Holy Spirit, and joined in God's mission for the life of the world.

Thanksgiving

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

It is right to give him thanks and praise.

Holy God, mighty Lord, gracious Father: We give you thanks, for in the beginning your Spirit moved over the waters and you created heaven and earth. By the gift of water you nourish and sustain us and all living things.

By the waters of the flood you condemned the wicked and saved those whom you had chosen, Noah and his family. You led Israel by the pillar of cloud and fire through the sea, out of slavery into the freedom of the promised land. In the waters of the Jordan your Son was baptized by John and anointed with the Spirit. By the baptism of his own death and resurrection your beloved Son has set us free from the bondage to sin and death, and has opened the way to the joy and freedom of everlasting life. He made water a sign of the kingdom and of cleansing and rebirth. In obedience to his command, we make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Continue to pour out your Holy Spirit on your baptized people, so that we remember the new life received at our baptism. We thank you for washing away our sings and making us inheritors of your kingdom.

To you be given praise and honor and worship through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen

Profession of Faith

Do you renounce the devil and all the forces that defy God?

Response: I renounce them.

Do you renounce the powers of this world that rebel against God?

Response: I renounce them.

Do you renounce the ways of sin that draw you from God?

Response: I renounce them.

Do you believe in God the Father?

I believe in God, the Father almighty,

creator of heaven and earth.

Do you believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God?

I believe in Jesus Christ, God's only Son, our Lord,

who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,

born of the virgin Mary,

suffered under Pontius Pilate,

was crucified, died, and was buried;

he descended to the dead.*

On the third day he rose again;

he ascended into heaven,

he is seated at the right hand of the Father,

and he will come to judge the living and the dead.

Do you believe in God the Holy Spirit?

I believe in the Holy Spirit,

the holy catholic church,

the communion of saints,

the forgiveness of sins,

the resurrection of the body,

and the life everlasting.

You have made public profession of your faith. Do you intend to continue in the covenant God made with you in holy baptism:

to live among God's faithful people,

to hear the word of God and share in the Lord's supper,

to proclaim the good news of God in Christ through word and deed,

to serve all people, following the example of Jesus,

and to strive for justice and peace in all the earth?

The assembly makes affirmation:

I do, and I ask God to help and guide me.

The minister addresses the assembly.

People of God, do you promise to support and pray for one another in your life in Christ?

We do, and we ask God to help and guide us.

The presiding minister prays for God's blessing.

Let us pray.

We give you thanks, O God, that through water and the Holy Spirit you give us new birth, cleanse us from sin, and raise us to eternal life. Stir up in your people the gift of your Holy Spirit: the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord, the spirit of joy in your presence both now and forever.

Amen.

Let us now make the sign of the cross remembering our Baptism.