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

Today, we had a special musical performance of Michi, a solo on Marimba by Calvin Kadrofske at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan. Published Under License From Essential Music Publishing, LLC

Year A – Pentecost 9; Lectionary 17 – July 26, 2026 Pastor Megan Floyd               Romans 8:26-39               Matthew 13:31-33,44-52   Grace and peace to you from God, who calls us beloved, from the Holy Spirit who intercedes for us, and from Jesus Christ, who guides us ever closer to the kingdom of heaven. Amen. *** The kingdom of heaven is like a Little Free Library. It sits quietly on an ordinary neighborhood street, right in front of Kathy and Carl Richardson's house… right across the street from mine. It isn't grand or flashy... it's not the sort of thing that attracts headlines. And yet, almost every day, I see people stop. Some open the little door just to see what is there. Some leave with a novel tucked under their arm. Others arrive carrying books they have already loved, hoping someone else will discover them. I overheard one of my neighbors say the other day, "I love stopping here," …They didn't know I could hear them. They simply delight in this small gift that is quietly part of the life of our neighborhood. Kathy and Carl didn't build a whole library system. They built a little box. And somehow, that little box has become a place of generosity, curiosity, connection, and delight. The kingdom of heaven is like that… a Little Free Library. Jesus says, "The kingdom of heaven is like..." and then he tells stories that must have disappointed almost everyone listening. No kings… No armies… No great battles between good and evil, or glorious temples. Instead... He tells of… a mustard seed… a woman baking bread… a farmer in a field… a merchant searching for a pearl… and fishermen sorting through their catch. It is almost as if Jesus is saying, "If you're looking for God's kingdom in the places where the world expects to find power, you're looking in the wrong direction." Because that was certainly true in his own day. The Roman Empire wanted everyone to believe that power lived in marble palaces, military parades, and the emperor's throne. Rome announced its greatness from monuments that reached toward the sky. And yet… Jesus pointed toward weeds. Rome celebrated conquest… while Jesus talked about yeast. Rome believed greatness was measured by how many people you ruled. And Jesus said… the kingdom comes quietly, patiently, almost unnoticed, until one day you realize everything has changed. The kingdom of heaven is not what we expect… but perhaps that is because God is not where we expect. As one commentator beautifully observes, Jesus transforms human life not by helping us escape this world, but by helping us see heaven close at hand. That has always been difficult for us to believe. It was difficult then… and it is still difficult now... because we have been shaped by kingdoms that tell us a different story. Our world tells us that what matters is what is impressive, and successful… what is profitable… what can be measured… and what can be earned. And if we're honest, we often begin to believe that God must work the same way. Surely God's grace belongs to those who have somehow earned it. But Paul writes to the Romans as though he knows every one of those fears before we can even speak them aloud. "What will separate us from the love of Christ?" Will it be hardship… or distress? …Persecution or famine? …Danger or death? Paul's answer is breathtakingly simple. Nothing. Nothing in your past or in your present… Nothing waiting for you tomorrow. Nothing in all of creation. …Nothing. …Not because life is easy… Paul knows life isn't easy. …He names suffering honestly. But suffering is never stronger than God's love. The kingdom has come near because God has come near… and God remains near. …Always. That is harder to receive than we often admit. Many of us have spent our lives believing that love must be earned… That acceptance has conditions… That belonging has requirements. Our culture teaches us this every day. It says… Produce more… Achieve more… Be more… Prove yourself… Only then perhaps you will be enough. And when we have lived inside that story long enough, we begin telling it to ourselves. We even imagine that… God must be telling the same story. But Jesus… tells another story. The kingdom of heaven is like a micro food pantry standing quietly beside our church… and at the public library. There are no office hours… no applications… no identification cards… no interview. No one stands at the door asking whether you've earned the right to have food. No one asks whether your need is great enough… no one asks whether your generosity is large enough. If you need something, you take it… If you have something to share, you leave it. Sometimes the shelves are filled by someone whose name no one knows. Sometimes they are emptied by someone carrying burdens no one else can see. And then, quietly… without fanfare… they are filled again. Every single day. Yeah. The kingdom of heaven is like that. Grace flows in… and grace flows out. No one owns it… Everyone receives it… Everyone is invited to participate. That, I think, is what Jesus wants us to see. God's grace is not found by escaping the ordinary but by discovering that the ordinary has become the dwelling place of the extraordinary. Not somewhere else… but here. Not someday… but today. Not after we've finally become the people we think God wants us to be… but now. Because the kingdom of heaven has already come near, and that is good news not only for us as individuals, but for the whole Church. The Church is not called to manufacture God's kingdom. We are called to notice it. …To join it! …and to participate in what God is already doing! Every can of tuna shared… and every hungry neighbor fed… every book that finds its way into the Little Free Library… and every conversation shared across it… these are the little things that build the connection between our neighbors. Every prayer whispered beside a hospital bed… every act of forgiveness. Every quiet act of kindness that no one else notices… these are the signs that the kingdom of heaven has come near. Sometimes we imagine that changing the world requires extraordinary people doing extraordinary things. Jesus seems to think otherwise. …He speaks of tiny seeds… a handful of yeast… a hidden treasure… a simple fishing net. Little things… ordinary things. Things that hardly seem important until, somehow, they become places where God's abundance begins overflowing into the lives of others. Perhaps that is why Paul can say with such confidence that nothing can separate us from God's love. Because God's love is already closer than we imagined… Closer than our successes and our failures. Closer than our doubts… and our fears. …Closer than our next breath. The kingdom is not waiting somewhere beyond the horizon. It is already breaking into the ordinary places of our lives. Into neighborhood sidewalks… Into little wooden libraries. …Into food pantries… and kitchen tables… Into conversations. The kingdom of heaven is breaking into this table, where ordinary bread and ordinary wine become for us the extraordinary gift of Christ's presence. I believe that has been God's way all along. …Choosing what the world overlooks… offering blessing to what the world dismisses. Drawing near where no one expects heaven to appear. And so, this week, I wonder what parables Jesus might tell if he were walking through our neighborhoods. I think he would point to Kathy and Carl's house and say, "The kingdom of heaven is like a Little Free Library." And I think perhaps he would point toward our food pantries and say, "The kingdom of heaven is like this." And then perhaps he would look at us—not because we are impressive, or because we have earned anything special, but simply because we are beloved—and he would remind us that the kingdom of heaven has already come near. Near enough to feed us… near enough to forgive us… near enough to transform us. Near enough that nothing—not hardship or grief, not failure or fear, not life or death, nor anything else in all creation—will ever separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Today, we had a special musical performance of PSALM 139, a duet by Andy Bpyan and John Schleicher at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan. Published Under License From Essential Music Publishing, LLC

Eighth Sunday after Pentecost Faith Lutheran, Okemos July 19, 2026 Isaiah 44:6-8, Psalm 86:11-17, Romans 8:12-25, Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43   [Hear Matthew 13:24-30:  the parable of the darnel and vss. 36-43: the parable explained…                                                                                                                                  from The Jerusalem Bible ] Grace to you and peace…   Last Sunday afternoon I walked the sidewalks on Artisan St. and Provincial House Drive in south Lansing, urging folks to vote for one of the congressional candidates, a friend and longtime ardent advocate addressing the growing climate crisis.  My first visit was with a devout Christian who wasn't sure she'd vote at all.  She was done with so much corruption and broken promises she experienced in politicians of all stripes.  She believed we are in the "end times," and longed for the soon return of her Lord, her only hope.   Though not her words, I'm sure she could relate to words of this parable of Jesus, the wheat and the weeds.  In some translations these weeds are called "tares" or "darnel", poisonous plants that until fully matured look very much like wheat.  If inadvertently mixed in with wheat flour to make bread, these seeds can cause dizziness, trembling, and vomiting and in extreme cases unconsciousness or death…   At another home on my walk that afternoon, I met a young couple.  One told me he had chosen to remain neutral, chosen not to get involved in politics.  But his partner said she'd already voted and was passionately involved in trying to make things better, more just, more caring, more honest: "I want to do everything I can to help."   Both visits were very moving for me, a microcosm of the landscape where many of us may find ourselves, especially as the primaries and mid-terms draw near, and especially as the climate crisis deepens, most notably for us on Thursday and Friday with the pervasive and hazardous smoke caused by increasingly frequent and rampant wildfires, this time more than 800 in Canada and Minnesota.    These visits last Sunday spoke to me of resignation, withdrawal, maybe indifference, and yes, hope; hope, for the person in my first visit, that will only be realized when Jesus (in our text, the Son of Man) returns, she fervently hopes soon in both judgment and glory.  And in another "I want to do everything I can" person an implicit hope that Jesus is already here, inviting us, through and with the Holy Spirit, to commit our lives to work and struggle and suffer with others to make things better for the most fragile and vulnerable of all our kin, people, animals, and, yes, plants.   The wheat and the weeds.  In our Bible Study on Tuesday, we talked about the reality of the "wheat and weeds." Both are in every community, perhaps in every congregation, and more broadly these days in every political party.  Weeds are people we don't trust, people who "bother" us, people we find very hard to love. We may wish we could "uproot" them, and in our darkest moments, just dispose of them. And yes, perhaps at times they are the noxious weeds in our own souls.   But alas, Jesus says "no."   God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, revealed in all of our texts today, the God of mercy and steadfast love, including for sure the God Incarnate, our Lord and Savior, Jesus, says "no!"  No, because until we die, the Holy Spirit continues to work in ways only she can do in all people "good" and "bad", both life-giving and loving folks and death-dealing, oppressive, and hateful souls.  Do not move with haste, says Jesus, to uproot and cast away anyone, both the "righteous" and the "unrighteous," all for whom Jesus died and rose again.   As we confess in the Apostles' Creed, Jesus will come to judge the living and the dead.  In the bolder and more severe words of our text today, Jesus, the Son of Man, will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom, all causes of sin and all evil doers, and they will throw them into the furnace of fire… Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.   It is so important to remember, to take seriously this parable and its meaning, as disturbing and as reassuring as it can be.  But we also need to remember it in context, what can we do while we wait for Jesus to come in glory.  In Matthew 18:15-18 Jesus gives us a step-by-step process whereby chronically unrepentant, very needy, self-centered trouble-makers can be excluded from the fellowship of the church.  But nowhere are we to condemn these controlling, hate-filled trouble-makers to hell.  Our Lord alone is their judge.    It may be that given the very essence of God, the mercy and love of Christ Jesus, of the Holy Trinity, we may well imagine that after a time in the furnace of fire, all the dross, all the unrepented, arrogant, narcissistic sin will be burned away and the newly cleansed persons will be welcomed into the gracious embrace of God, seated with all the saints at God's table of love.    And, while this a bit of a leap, in our life as citizens of our 250-year-old country, in our government, both state and federal, with due process, we too have the right to exclude from leadership those whose behaviors are abhorrent, hateful, and unjust.  That is why it is so important that we, whether young adult and old, take seriously our responsibility to vote.  Still, even if in rare situations like for my new friend on Artisan St., our faith in people is so deeply shattered, leading some like her to not vote at all, we all must pray for our leaders, knowing that God steadfastly loves even the worst and most toxic of our sisters and brothers.   Please listen now to these words from The Message, a contemporary rendering of a portion of Romans 8: But if God has taken residence in your life, you can hardly be thinking more of yourself than of him.  (Anyone, of course, who has not welcomed this invisible but clearly present God, the Spirit of Christ, won't know what we're talking about.  But for you who welcome him, in whom he dwells – even though you still experience all the limitations of sin – you yourself experience life on God's terms.  It stands to reason, doesn't it, that if the alive-and-present God who raised Jesus from the dead moves into your life, he'll do the same thing in you that he did in Jesus, bringing you alive to himself?)  When God lives and breaths in you, you are delivered from that dead life.  With his Spirit living in you, your body will be as alive as Christ's!   So don't you see that we don't owe this old do-it-yourself life one red cent.  The best thing to do is to give it a decent burial and get on with your new life.  God's Spirit beckons.  There are things to do and places to go!  This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It's adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike "What's next, Papa?"  God's Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are.  We know who he is, and we know who we are: Father and children.  And, we know we are going to get what's coming to us – an unbelievable inheritance!  We go through exactly what Christ goes through.  If we go through the hard times with him, then we're certainly going to go through the good times with him!   That's why I [Paul] don't think there's any comparison between the present hard times and the coming good times.  The created world itself can hardly wait for what's coming next.  Everything in creation is being more or less held back.  God reins it in until both creation and all the creatures are ready and can be released at the same moment into the glorious times ahead…      All around us we observe a pregnant creation.  The difficult times of pain throughout the world are simply birth pangs.  But it's not only around us; it's within us.  The Spirit of God is arousing us within.  We're feeling the birth pangs…  That is why waiting does not diminish us, any more than waiting diminishes a pregnant mother.  We are enlarged in the waiting.  We, of course, don't see what is enlarging us.  But the longer we wait, the larger we become, and the more joyful our expectancy.   Let us pray. Lord Jesus, dwelling in our hearts and minds and hands and feet, help us to wait.  Help us to wait patiently even as we ourselves, with you and with all of creation, groan and suffer so deeply.  Help us to wait expectantly for that glorious day when all will be made new, when peace and honesty and compassion will reign.  God, our Papa, dwelling in our pregnant souls, lift us up when we are down, when so much is getting too hard to bear.  Indwelling Holy Spirit, empower us to overflow with love for each other, and perhaps especially, dear Lord, for those so hard to love, those "weeds" whom we perceive so wrong-headed, some so full of evil.    Holy Trinity, we praise you, we bless you, we thank you for your abiding and steadfast love.    Amen.                                                                                                                     JDS 

Today, we had a special musical performance of He's Always Been Faithful, a solo by Janie Durga at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan. Published Under License From Essential Music Publishing, LLC

GOSPEL: Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23 In Matthew's gospel, both Jesus and his disciples "sow the seed" of God's word by proclaiming the good news that "the kingdom of heaven is near." Now, in a memorable parable, Jesus explains why this good news produces different results in those who hear. Pastor: The holy gospel according to Matthew. All: Glory to you, O Lord. 1.That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. 2. Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. 3. And he told them many things in parables, saying: "Listen! A sower went out to sow. 4. And as he sowed, some seeds fell on a path, and the birds came and ate them up. 5. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. 6. But when the sun rose, they were scorched, and since they had no root, they withered away. 7. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. 8. Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9.  If you have ears, hear!" 18. "Hear, then, the parable of the sower. 19. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in the heart; this is what was sown on the path. 20. As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, 21. yet such a person has no root but endures only for a while, and when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, that person immediately falls away. 22. As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of this age and the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing. 23. But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty." Pastor: The gospel of the Lord. All: Praise to you, O Christ. The assembly may be seated. Scenes from the Parable of the Sower by Peter Vasilenko Edited by Pastor Megan Floyd Jesus: Owen Thompson First Seed: Louisa Fawcett Second Seed: Oliver Thompson Third Seed: Louisa Fawcett Fourth Seeds: Edison Robinson, Andrew Herek & Tabitha Richardson Additional Fourth Seeds: Rosie Brown, Penny Fawcett & Charlie Herek Audience: Megan Floyd

Today, we had a special musical performance of Holy God, We Praise Your Name, a handbell quartet with Deb Borton-McDonough, Elaine Harrison, Megan Nyquist, & Addie Thompson at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan. Published Under License From Essential Music Publishing, LLC

Year A – Pentecost 6; Lectionary 14 – July 5, 2026 Pastor Megan Floyd               Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30   Grace and peace to you from God our Creator, from the Holy Spirit, our Sustainer, and from Jesus Christ, who invites all who are weary to come to him, and he will give you rest. *** "Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?" That is the question hanging over our Gospel today. John the Baptist sends his disciples to Jesus with that question because uncertainty has crept in. John had announced a Messiah who would bring justice with fire and power. He had imagined the great turning point of history arriving with unmistakable force. And now John sits in prison while Jesus spends his days eating with, connecting with, and healing the kind of people everyone else avoids… and offering mercy in ordinary places. Are you really the one? I think John and others expected something bigger… and perhaps… sometimes… we do, as well. We live in a world obsessed with the big and the dramatic. We look for the movement that changes everything overnight. We want the speech that fixes society or the election that solves all our problems. Even around this holiday weekend, with freedom in the air and national stories all around us, we are reminded how much we love grand narratives. We love decisive moments. We love fireworks. And yet Jesus answers John's question in a very different way. Theologian and Luther Seminary professor, Dr. Matt Skinner, writes that Jesus answers by showing how he is changing the world… "not in an immediate broadscale manner, but through one act of mercy at a time." One act of mercy at a time. The blind see. The lame walk… The sick are healed… The poor receive good news… Not one giant spectacle, or one dramatic takeover. Just… mercy. Mercy upon mercy upon mercy. And that seems almost too small, doesn't it? Jesus himself sounds frustrated in today's text because people keep missing what God is doing. John comes fasting and preaching judgment, and people reject him. …Jesus comes eating and celebrating and extending welcome, and people reject him too. Nothing satisfies them… Because they are looking for the wrong things. They are waiting for a Messiah who conquers through power and force… while God is sending liberation through compassion… and relationship. They are looking for grandness… while God keeps showing up in small acts of mercy. And perhaps that is still our temptation. We tend to believe that justice comes only through massive effort and enormous change… We can think that if we are not changing everything, then we are changing nothing. Except… God's work has always begun among those the world overlooks. God acts among the poor, the excluded, the burdened, the people whose lives society tries to render invisible. And God often shows up exactly where dominant voices would have us believe that nothing important is happening there… God shows up in bodies and in stories and in communities that others dismiss. God keeps revealing holy truth from the margins. Because God has this habit of beginning with what appears small. A manger… A handful of disciples… Bread and wine… Water poured over a child's head… A cross that looked like defeat. Small things that become life for the world. I was reminded of this a few days ago while talking with Rich. He shared a story from when he was in high school. One of his classmates became pregnant. And as you might imagine, people talked. There was gossip and judgment, and unfair assumptions. But Rich looked at the situation differently. He thought, regardless of everything else, a baby is coming, and a baby deserves a gift. So… he crocheted her a pair of baby booties. That was it… No grand speech… No dramatic intervention. Just a pair of baby booties. He said that, decades later… she told him that she had never forgotten that small act of kindness… Never forgotten it. And… I have been thinking about that story all week. Because that is exactly how Jesus seems to work. One small act of mercy… One person seeing another person's humanity. One interruption in the cycle of shame… One reminder that love still exists, and that a person is still deserving of dignity, even when everyone else says they do not. One pair of baby booties. We often underestimate what mercy does. Mercy changes the person receiving it, yes… but… mercy also changes the person giving it because mercy begins reshaping our hearts. Jesus says, "Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me." Now, a yoke is not exactly an inspiring image. It sounds heavy and restrictive. And it is true… that the way of Christ is not always easy because carrying this yoke guides us to keep choosing mercy in a world that often rewards cruelty. Carrying the yoke of Christ guides us to stand beside burdened people and help them bear the weight. Carrying the yoke of Christ guides us to love people others have decided are unlovable… and… to keep showing up for our neighbors, especially those who have been excluded. That can be hard… Sometimes it is easier to stay distant… and keep our heads down. Sometimes it is easier to let systems keep grinding people down because confronting those systems will cost us something. The yoke of Christ is not freedom from responsibility. But strangely, Jesus says that this yoke is easy and this burden is light. And you may wonder, how can that be? …it is because the yoke of Christ is carried together. You see, a yoke is designed for two… Jesus is not handing us a burden and sending us off alone… Jesus is carrying it with us. He says, "Learn from me" …walk beside me… stay near me… watch where I go. And where does Jesus go? …He goes toward burdened people… toward weary people… hurting people… toward those who have been pushed aside. And this is where freedom becomes important… not the freedom that we celebrated as a country this weekend, but our freedom in Christ… because our freedom in Christ is not the freedom to separate ourselves from one another. Christian freedom has never meant, "I can do whatever I want." Christian freedom means being set free for love… set free for relationship… set free for one another. Liberation through Christ… is always communal. Because if my neighbor is still carrying crushing burdens, if they remain chained by poverty or prejudice or fear or loneliness, then Christ will keep calling me toward them. Our freedom in Christ frees us to help the one still in chains. And that is where the joy is… not in standing apart, but in joining Christ where Christ already is. Because Jesus says: Come to me… Come to me weary… come to me burdened… come to me while you are still uncertain and carrying... everything. And Christ will receive you with mercy, and give you rest. Jesus says, "Come to me," and he places his yoke upon us—not the crushing yoke of shame or fear or impossible expectations—but the yoke of shared love. And then Christ teaches us to walk. One small act of mercy at a time. One kind word… One meal shared… One hand extended… One pair of baby booties. And slowly, mysteriously, the kingdom of God keeps breaking in. Not with fireworks… but with love. Not with domination… but with mercy. Not through power over people… but through liberation with people. And one day we look back and realize that Christ was the one who was foretold all along… the one who was to come. Because wherever burdens are lifted, wherever dignity is restored, wherever mercy reaches someone who thought they had been forgotten, Christ is there. Still changing the world… one small act of mercy at a time. Amen.

Today, we had a special musical performance of This is My Father's World, a solo by Janie Durga at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan. Published Under License From Essential Music Publishing, LLC

Year A – Pentecost 4; Lectionary 12 – June 21, 2026 Pastor Megan Floyd Matthew 10:24-39 Grace and peace to you from God, our Creator, from the Holy Spirit, our Sustainer, and from Jesus Christ, to whom we belong. Amen. Year A – Pentecost 4; Lectionary 12 – June 21, 2026 Pastor Megan Floyd               Matthew 10:24-39 Grace and peace to you from God, our Creator, from the Holy Spirit, our Sustainer, and from Jesus Christ, to whom we belong. Amen. *** Happy Father's Day! …this is not the text I would have chosen for this day, but that is the beauty and challenge of following the lectionary. …we don't get to shy away from the hard texts. …and we trust that even the hard truths carry good news. So here we are… following Jesus will cause division, even among families. It is uncomfortable… but I think we all know that it is true… and perhaps, I am sure… some of us have experienced this in our own lives. Discipleship will cost us all something, but it never costs us God's love. That is also true. Our text today is the very next lines from the same missionary discourse we began reading last week. Jesus is sending his disciples out to share the good news that the kingdom of heaven has come near… sending them out with compassion to bring peace and healing. And yet, Jesus is honest… he is sending them out like sheep among wolves. Not all will accept this invitation of love and light. This mission is not without tension. It wasn't then… and it isn't now. Jesus states it plainly… following him will create conflict in our lives. Even if you are blessed with a family that all follows the way of Christ together, you are still at odds with much of our culture today. Following the way of Christ means to honor and cherish the inherent value and worth of every living thing… while our culture teaches that greed and personal wants and needs supersede the needs of others, and that some people are disposable… unwanted… and unwelcome. Following the way of Christ and bringing close the kingdom of heaven means we are to be especially compassionate for those who are pushed down and exploited by our systems, while also working to break those systems… and yet… our culture celebrates systems of exploitation where one person can become a trillionaire while millions are starving. Remember what God said in Isaiah 58:6-7… "Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover them and not to hide yourself from your own kin?" …your own kin. This is the way of Christ… to recognize that the other person, no matter how different… is your own kin. This is the way that puts us at odds with our culture because it disrupts systems of power… …it can put us at odds with our families because it places God and love for others as our priority… Jesus isn't glorifying division or the power of the sword… he is saying that sometimes faithfulness has consequences. This is the way of Christ… it is contrary to the powers of empire… contrary to the powers of domination… this is the way of living that landed Jesus on that cross. I think it's pretty rational to look at Jesus on the cross and say… nope… no thank you. I understand… when some turn away in despair… and say it is too hard… it costs… too much. Going against the grain is not easy… it is not irrational to be afraid of the consequences, but Jesus names that fear out loud… and up front… Fear becomes powerful when it stays hidden, but Jesus names the cost of following him so that fear can lose some of its grip… so that the disciples can go… and share the good news that the kingdom of heaven has come near in the person of Jesus. But… it is Father's Day… and this message does not wrap us in cozy familial images… so I want to say this clearly… Jesus is not attacking family. He is, however, reordering our lives… and our priorities. No family, however loving, can ultimately bear the weight of being our deepest source of identity. Our children do not complete us… our salvation does not come from our parents… and no earthly relationship can tell us what only God can tell us… who we are… and whose we are. Jesus has just laid out the hard truth, but in his compassion, he reminds them… he reminds us… that God has his eye on the sparrow, and yet, we are more valuable to God than many sparrows. In the ancient world, sparrows were nearly worthless in the marketplace. They were the cheapest meat the poor could buy. And yet, Jesus says that not one of them escapes God's attention. So do not be afraid… you are a child of God, and loved beyond measure. After September 11, attorney Kenneth Feinberg led the fund that compensated victims' families. Formulas were used – income, age, earning potential. Some lives were assigned values many times larger than others." Later, he reflected that his legal training collided with something growing in him… the conviction that all lives carry equal worth. But our world still measures people that way… measures productivity and achievement… income and status… usefulness to others. Even on a day like today, we measure ourselves as parents… children… providers… Am I successful enough? …Did I do enough? …and I enough? But Jesus has an entirely different system of measurement. Simply put… we have value because we are creatures… just like sparrows… we belong to God. We matter because God made us… and loves us… and because we bear God's image. Our value is not earned… it can never be earned… it simply… is. We are valuable and beloved to God. And because we have God's attention, we will never be abandoned… for even the hairs of your head are all counted. Notice… however… that despite God's attention, Jesus doesn't promise safety… he doesn't claim that discipleship will never come with pain. He is up front about the cost. He says, "Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it." (Matt. 10:39) What Jesus promises… is holy attention… divine presence in our lives… he promises that, in a world where no one can ever possibly, fully know another person completely… that God does… God fully knows you better than you know yourself… right down to the number of hairs on your head. And Jesus promises that there is nothing in our lives that falls outside of the circle of God's care… not our joys… not our grief… our failures or our fears. Not even the small, sparrow-sized things… God cares about it all. For God has spoken to us before we could speak ourselves… and claimed us as God's beloved children. Before we could prove anything… earn anything… fail or succeed at anything… God said, "You are mine, and I love you." So, when we know that our Creator holds us so closely in love, then we can venture out with courage into a difficult world. We can remain faithful disciples, even when it costs us something… we can carry crosses. We can lean into the way of Christ when the path would have us go another way… even if that causes strain on our relationships. Because discipleship will, indeed, cost us all something, but it never costs us God's love… God's love is assured. Sparrows and disciples alike – we know God watches us, and in God's sight, there are no unimportant lives. Amen.  

Today, we had a special musical performance of Down To The River at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan. Published Under License From Essential Music Publishing, LLC

Year A – Pentecost 3; Lectionary 11 – June 14, 2026 Pastor Megan Floyd             Matthew 9:35 - - 10:23   Grace and peace to you from God, our Creator, from the Holy Spirit, our Sustainer, and from Jesus Christ, who sends us out with compassion to welcome and serve. Amen. *** Last weekend was one of those weekends that reminds me why I love the church. On Saturday, many of us gathered with our neighbors to first worship, and then celebrate at the Pride Festival. We shared smiles, conversations, and reminders that God's love is for all people. Then, on Sunday, we worshiped together here in celebration of Pride Month, giving thanks for the beautiful diversity of God's creation and for the truth that every person bears the image of God. Then this past week, our congregation joined with three other churches for Vacation Bible School. Children filled the church with laughter… and a bit of chaos. Friendships were formed. Stories were shared. Meals were served. New faces became familiar faces. On the surface, Pride celebrations and Vacation Bible School might seem like very different events. But as I reflected on today's Gospel from Matthew, I realized they share something important. Both were acts of hospitality.Both were ways of saying, "There is a place for you here." …and both were opportunities to share the good news of God's love. And that is exactly what Jesus is talking about in today's Gospel. Matthew tells us that Jesus went throughout the cities and villages, teaching, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and curing every disease and sickness. Then comes one of the most moving descriptions in all of Scripture: "When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd." Everything that follows… flows from that compassion. Jesus does not look at the crowds and see problems to be solved. He does not see enemies to defeat. He does not see people to judge. He sees people who are hurting. …People who are exhausted. …He sees people who have been pushed aside and wounded by systems of power and oppression. And his heart breaks for them. Jesus was moved by his compassion… to act. And you see, that is where the mission of the church begins. Not with strategy or plans for growth. Nope. The mission of the church… begins with compassion. Except… this is often where we get things wrong. We hear Jesus sending the disciples out… and we immediately think of evangelism as persuasion or recruitment. We imagine that our job is to convince people to come to our church and be part of our community. And this isn't a bad thing… I think our community is absolutely wonderful and I definitely think people should come check us out! But that is not what Jesus sends the disciples to do. In the Roman world, people would have immediately recognized the language of "proclaiming good news." When Rome conquered a territory, messengers would arrive announcing the "good news" that Caesar was now in charge. And… they came backed by military force… carrying the power of empire. …They came with the expectation that everyone would submit. Jesus… sends his followers out in exactly the opposite way. They carry no weapons, and they bring no wealth. …They travel with almost nothing so they must depend on the hospitality of strangers. They cannot force anyone to listen or compel anyone to receive them. They simply arrive… bearing peace… and offer healing. They proclaim that the kingdom of heaven has come near… And then they leave the response up to others. If people receive them, they stay, but if people reject them, they move on. This is such a radically different vision of God's kingdom. …The kingdom of God advances not through coercion but through compassion. Not through domination and force… but through love and hospitality. And perhaps that is why Jesus' words about shaking the dust from their feet can sound so startling. When a town refuses to receive the message, Jesus tells the disciples not to stay and argue. Not to keep fighting. Not to force the issue. Just move on. The good news must be shared. There are too many hurting people to spend all our energy trying to convince those who have already closed their hearts. And then Jesus invokes Sodom and Gomorrah. Now, those names carry a lot of baggage… but I think, especially so, during Pride Month. Many people immediately assume that Sodom and Gomorrah represent God's judgment against LGBTQ+ people. …But Scripture itself tells a different story. The prophet Ezekiel says in chapter 16:49, "This was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had arrogance, excess of food, and prosperous ease but did not aid the poor and needy." The sin of Sodom was not love… It was violence… and exploitation. It was the refusal of hospitality. It was the failure to welcome and care for strangers. It was the absence of compassion. In other words, it was the very opposite of the kingdom Jesus proclaims. Wherever people are dehumanized or rejected… wherever power is used to exclude rather than welcome… in those places… it is appropriate to invoke Sodom and Gomorrah. But wherever compassion, hospitality, and love flourish… in those places… the kingdom of God is drawing near. This week, as many of us celebrated the start of Pride Month, I saw glimpses of that kingdom. I saw people who felt safe and seen. …I saw people free to celebrate who God created them to be. I saw joy… and love and community… I saw reminders that every human being bears the Imago Dei—the image of God. And that matters. Especially in a week when the Southern Baptist Convention voted to further restrict women's leadership in ministry. Such actions stand in stark contrast to the expansive movement of God's Spirit throughout Scripture. After all, look at the people Jesus called. …Fishermen… Tax collectors… Political zealots… men AND women. Jesus called the powerful and the powerless… the respectable and the overlooked. Jesus gathered an astonishingly diverse community of disciples. It matters… not because diversity just is a modern value… but because God's kingdom has always been larger than our categories… and the church is at its best when it reflects the wideness of God's embrace. Because the good news is that God's grace is for ALL people, and that Christ's love is wider than our fears and our divisions. The good news is that every person is created in God's image and invited into God's beloved community. The good news is that wherever there is genuine love, God is already at work. That is the Gospel… and that is why it matters. Because there are still crowds all around us who are harassed and helpless. People longing for belonging… carrying wounds and wondering if they matter… wondering if they are loved… People searching for peace. And Jesus still sees them. …Jesus still has compassion… and Jesus still sends disciples to greet them… disciples of all colors, genders, and sexualities… Jesus still calls them… and sends them to greet the people that Jesus loves. My hope and prayer is that we become the kind of church that reflects the heart of Christ so clearly that people encounter that compassion through us. And honestly, I already see that here… I saw it at Pride… I saw it at Vacation Bible School… I saw it in the friendships that were formed… the meals shared… the laughter all around… and the welcome extended. Every act of hospitality becomes a witness to the kingdom… Every gesture of welcome becomes an act of evangelism… Every reminder that someone is beloved becomes a proclamation of the Gospel. Because evangelism is not primarily about getting people into church. It is about helping people encounter the love of God. And so… Jesus' invitation today is both simple and challenging. …Go… Go with compassion and humility… Go without needing to control the outcome. Go willing to offer hospitality and… and also… Go willing to receive it. Go… and be ready to recognize the image of God in every person you meet. Go beyond the boundaries of your comfort… beyond the limits of your assumptions. Go… trusting that the Holy Spirit is already at work ahead of you. The harvest is still plentiful. There are still people longing for good news. There are still opportunities to embody Christ's love. There are still communities waiting to experience the transforming power of hospitality. And so let us say yes to this mission… yes to compassion. Let us say yes to welcome… and yes to the delight God takes in the diversity of creation. Let us say yes to sharing the good news that God's love is for all people. For the kingdom of heaven has come near. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Today, we had a special musical performance of Lord, I Need You with a solo by Bob Nelson at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan. Published Under License From Essential Music Publishing, LLC

Matthew 9:9-13, 18-16; Pride Sunday; Pentecost 2 (Lectionary 10); June 7, 2026 Additional texts: Hosea 5:15-6:6; Psalm 50:7-15; Romans 4:13-25 Rich Weingartner Grace to you and peace from God our parent, Jesus our Savior, and the Holy Spirit. Amen. Each year ReconcilingWorks, the organization that coordinates and provides resources for the RIC program, provides materials for both RIC Sunday and for a Pride Sunday service. The theme they picked this year for Pride Sunday is "Reframing our Resistance: Lament, Foundation, Joy, and Courage" On this theme they share: As faith communities in a society that is becoming less affirming and inclusive of anyone who is marginalized, for Pride in 2026 we step up as allies, collaborators, and co-conspirators in the proclamation of the Gospel of an inclusive love for all God's beloveds. Our resistance can make time and space for lamenting, for reclaiming our foundation, for sharing our joy, and building up our courage. We need all of those pieces in our lives and worship during this season of our church's life. So, first, let's look at what we are resisting. When thinking of the word "resist" another word came to mind "renounce." Exploring how they are connected, we find that "renounce" means to reject and stop using or doing something, while "resist" means to try to prevent by action or argument, or to struggle or fight back when pressured or attacked. In short, "renounce" is more about declaring what is acceptable and unacceptable, while "resist" is the action you carry out to defend and fight against what you have declared as unacceptable. If you are sitting there thinking "Hmmm - 'renounce' that word feels like I've heard it in church before as part of a service" you would be correct. In the typical liturgy for both baptism and affirmation of baptism, aka confirmation, three questions are asked before we share the Apostle's Creed. These questions are: ●    Do you renounce the devil and all the forces that defy God? ●    Do you renounce the powers of this world that rebel against God? ●    Do you renounce the ways of sin that draw you from God? So that is what we have renounced and thus what we are resisting. Anything that tries to separate us from God or separate any of God's creation from God. That is part of what Pride month is - resisting homophobia, transphobia, queerphobia, and anything else that would separate our LGBTQIA+ and other marginalized siblings from being their true selves that God gave them and to deny or separate them from God's love. This resistance isn't just for this month, but for our entire lives, that is what we are called to be and do as Christians, which we proclaim in our baptismal vows. This resistance is for anything that denies people full access to be themselves, live their life how they want, and to experience God's love. So now that we know what we are resisting, let's go on a journey together. A journey through the four aspects that we can bring into this resistance - lament, foundation, joy, and courage. When thinking about these four aspects, another common structure to us that has four parts came to mind - the structure of our worship service: Gathering, Word, Meal, and Sending. Along this journey we'll have time to reflect. I know silence can be uncomfortable, but also silence gives us time to reflect and think. After each stop on our journey, we'll pause for a moment to give you time to reflect. I'll give some questions to ponder during the silence. Feel free to just think about them, maybe jot some notes down if you like writing out your thoughts, or if you feel compelled to share out loud - that is fine too. Stop one on our journey - Lament, which can be a passionate expression of grief or sorrow. Lament comes in many different forms. We can lament by ourselves - and this lament can be for ourselves as well - for our sins we have done, ways we have failed to resist the things that separate us and the world from God. We can lament for others or the world either by ourselves or in community. Also, God can lament. This is what we find happening in the words of the prophet Hosea. In the reading today we find God lamenting that God's people have turned from God. The focus here is that God wants the people of Israel to have steadfast love toward God, and toward each other, instead of focusing on sacrifice and burnt offerings.  This theme is repeated again in Psalm 50 where God reminds us that God has everything they need, so burnt offerings and physical sacrifices aren't what is needed, but instead we should offer sacrifices of thanksgiving and to keep our close connection with God. Turning to our worship structure, we start with the Gathering where the Holy Spirit calls us together as the people of God. When we use confession and forgiveness as part of the Gathering portion of our service, this can be a form of lament, we are lamenting all the things we have done wrong where we gave in to the forces that defy God and the powers of the world that rebel against God. In the Kyrie we are praying to our Lord for the world, our community, and for us, which can have tones of lament if we are asking for God's presence to help us while we lament the things that are wrong in the world. Time to pause and reflect on our first stop on our journey of resistance - Lament. What do you lament? What do we ask marginalized people to sacrifice or change about themselves to fit in? How can we lament with them over the harms we have caused to bring them back into God's fully inclusive love? Stop number two - Foundation - an underlying basis or principle. For us as Christians, our foundation in one word is "God". Our reading from Romans is a good reminder that we are called to God through faith, not through following laws. In the story of Abraham we are reminded of his great faith and that through God all things are possible. God often calls the unexpected to accomplish God's work. As Lutherans another underlying principle is that we are saved by grace through faith, and this is a gift given freely to us from God. Another core foundation is to love your neighbor as yourself. All these are about building a true connection with God - through relationships, love, and mercy; not through sacrifices and following strict laws.  The next portion of our worship service that helps us build our foundation is the Word section where God speaks to us in scripture reading, preaching, and song. This is a core part of our service where we receive God's word through the various readings, learn more about it and how it can apply to our lives, and then help cement that message through song. This portion of the service also includes the creed and prayers of intercession. These also help us cement our foundation in our core beliefs that give us the basis and reminder for what we are resisting. Time to pause and reflect on our second stop on our journey of resistance - Foundation. What are your core beliefs as part of your foundation? Do we stray from our foundation and focus instead on cultural, institutional, or false religious laws and rules, that separate us and others from God's love? How can we help each other in keeping a firm foundation? Stop number three - Joy - a feeling of great pleasure and happiness. In the first part of our reading from Matthew today we find Jesus having dinner with Matthew, a tax collector, and other sinners. The commentary for the Lutheran Study Bible says this about the "sinners": "Social and moral outcasts, many of whom would have been enslaved in this part of the Roman Empire. By eating with such people, Jesus bestows honor upon them, in keeping with the blessings he bestowed on the unfortunate in the beatitudes" So they were sinners as viewed by others and not because of who they were. Jesus saw them as fellow humans and people that deserve to be treated as any other person and not as some social outcast simply because that is what society says. Imagine the joy they have when Jesus resists societal norms and joyfully eats with them. Jesus does not diminish this joy when questioned by the Pharisees. He lets the joy continue and says this meal and being with the societal outcasts is what God wants - followed by a reminder, tying back to our previous readings, that God desires this mercy and kindness, not sacrifice.  This brings us to the third part of our worship service - the Meal where God feeds us with the presence of Jesus Christ. This part of the service starts with the offering - where, with joy, we can offer back to God what we have to allow the work of God to be accomplished. We don't do this because we are called to sacrifice, instead we are joyful in what God has provided to us, so we want to return a portion so that we can spread that joy. We then share a meal together, holy communion, just as Jesus shared a meal with the societal outcasts of his day - we are all invited, regardless of how society views us, as children of God to have a meal where we receive Christ. What joy we receive in this meal. Time to pause and reflect on our third stop on our journey of resistance - Joy. What brings you joy? How can we bring joy to those society wants to take joy away from?   Our final stop - stop number four - Courage - mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty. In the second part of today's Gospel reading, we find two examples of courage. First for the person to come in, interrupt the gathering, and basically demand that Jesus come and lay his hand on the daughter so that she will live. Then for the woman, which society would have deemed unclean and an outcast, to come up in public to dare to touch Jesus's cloak, which would have also made Jesus unclean. Then, in an act of resistance to society norms, Jesus doesn't ignore these people and tell them to go away, he responds out of compassion and love and lets them know they are healed and made alive. These two people took great courage, based on their faith, to take action for what they believed in. The final part of our worship service is the Sending where God blesses us and sends us in mission to the world. In this section we receive the blessing, sing a sending song, and have the dismissal. All of these are designed to give us courage to know God is with us always. Through this courage we are called to go out into the world to proclaim God's message of radical love and continue our resistance to everything in the world that draws us and others away from God. We aren't called to simply renounce them for our own personal beliefs, but actively resist the powers of the world that rebel against God for ourselves and others. We are called to actively resist anytime we find society or people causing pain and suffering to anyone, especially those marginalized in our society - our LGBTQIA+ siblings, our Black, Indigenous, and People of Color siblings, our siblings with differing abilities - either mental or physical, those who are hungry or lack adequate housing, and so many more. Time to pause and reflect on our final stop on our journey of resistance - Courage. What brings you courage? How can you help give others courage? Our journey in today's message has come to an end, but our journey of resistance continues on. May we all take these pieces, so that in our own lives, in our church's work, and in our worship make time and space for lamenting, for reclaiming our foundation, for sharing our joy, and building up our courage. So that together we may renounce and resist all the ways of this world that draw us away from God and prevent God's message of radical love for all and unconditional forgiveness, from being fully realized. Amen.

Today, we had a special musical performance of Softly and Tenderly with a flute solo by Gwynne Kadrofske at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan. Published Under License From Essential Music Publishing, LLC

Year A – Holy Trinity – May 31, 2026 Pastor Megan Floyd Matthew 28:16-20 Grace and peace to you from God our Creator, from Jesus Christ our Redeemer, and from the Holy Spirit our Sustainer; one God in three persons, the blessed Trinity. Amen. *** I'm sure you're well aware… but this coming Independence Day… 4th of July… well… it's a big one… 250 years… that's big! But… I have to say… the preparations underway for these unprecedented celebrations in our nation's capital… and all the conversations and news coverage surrounding them… have given me pause. I find it all… unsettling… and not just because I'm not a fan of fighting for sport. To each their own. But I think that… it is because the new backdrop for our lives is this intense nationalism …and it's because of this intensity… that I think I could not tear my heart away from the words of the Great Commission from our gospel reading today. These are words that I've heard and read countless times… I've taken them to heart as inspiration and instruction in my life of following Christ… and yet… they sit differently with me now. Jesus tells his disciples… "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." And we hear this text on this day in particular because it is Holy Trinity Sunday, and it is here where Jesus names the three persons of the Trinity. So today, we are supposed to celebrate and wrestle with how our God shows up for us in these three expressions… but I'd rather save that kind of wrestling for another day. Now… if you're disappointed about that, I'd love to meet for a beverage and geek out over trinitarian theology. That is fun… but… for today… I want to address… I need to address… this Great Commission, because it's so very relevant for the age we are living in. "…make disciples of all nations…" is a command from Jesus that has been taken in dramatically harmful ways across the years, from the Crusades 1,000 years ago, to the current rise of Christian Nationalism. Jesus tells us to go make disciples… and that he is with us to the end of the age… and then, pumped up on this mission with Jesus in our corner… [big breath] …we forget what discipleship is all about… we forget… and go straight for coercion and violence.  …in the name of Jesus, of course. But no one can force love… and coercion has no place in a life shaped by mercy and grace. And yet, these are the basic tenets of the Way of Christ… these attributes of love, mercy, and grace… are what shape a life of discipleship. To be a disciple is to be in relationship with God… and with Jesus… and with the Holy Spirit, and to celebrate the enduring and borderless love that our God-in-three has for all people in every nation. And yes, Jesus calls upon us to go… and share this life of discipleship with everyone in every nation, multiplying ourselves and creating more followers of Christ… but our translation does us a disservice by choosing to say, "…make disciples OF all nations…" because a "nation" cannot be a disciple. A nation isn't a person… we cannot be a Christian nation… and even to proclaim that this is, or hope for this to be a "Christian nation," is wrong… it would dissolve… because it puts patriotic nationalism into the ring with devotion to God… and the patriotic nationalism would have to stand down… …because a disciple's primary allegiance will always be to God… and so a disciple should therefore obey God's primary commandment, which is above all commandments… and that primary command is to love God, and love others as we love ourselves. This kind of love has no borders… and no national identity. … and we cannot force another into a relationship shaped by love. …Love can only invite. Furthermore, proponents of Christian Nationalism, and those who desire to rebrand and reform the United States into a Christian nation, seem overwhelmingly drawn to models that would eliminate people they find unworthy… eliminate those who don't look like them and whose lives don't conform to their own. Except none of us are truly worthy of God's forgiveness… we are all of us in need of a savior… all in need of grace and mercy, and therefore… redeemed by Christ's love, we are sent forth to be gracious and merciful in the name of the one who loves us beyond measure. And despite all this, these Christian Nationalists believe that Christ is on their side in this endeavor to force conversion to discipleship, or at least compliance… because Christ promised to be with them to the end of the age… And while, yes, I do not dispute that Christ is with us always, as Christ promised to be… this does not mean that Jesus fully supports all our actions taken in his name… Jesus states that all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to him… but too many skew this into a conquering Christ… a version of the Messiah which doesn't appear in scripture, except as the previously hoped-for Messiah that would overthrow Rome. That is not the person of Jesus who was born to a humble family surrounded by livestock, who rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. And yet… Jesus DOES have all authority in heaven and on earth… and what did he do with it? He did not force or coerce… but instead, he embraced non-violent love and vulnerability… even unto death on a cross… then he defeated that death, because he is God… and instead of retribution, he offered forgiveness and a continual invitation to come and see… come and experience a different way… a way of love… of mercy… grace and compassion. This is how the God of love chose to exercise his total authority in heaven and on earth. …not to annihilate those who don't follow the way… or force them into compliance…  but to offer grace and mercy… and to never shut the door on the invitation to come and experience God's love. Jesus invited us into his mission of sharing the love and light of God in all places and for all people… and this is an important mission… making disciples in all nations. We are co-collaborators with Christ on this mission of sharing the good news… of sharing this life-changing Way of Christ. But making disciples is not actually about converting others… or saving their souls… only God saves souls… Making disciples is about converting our own lives… every single day… it's about choosing every single day to live according to the love and grace that we have first received… it's about letting our lives be a testimony for others… witnessing to God's love and grace. And when that love and light shine out from our lives, which it most certainly does, it will reshape communities and the people in them around the Way of Christ. As disciples… as part of the body of Christ… our part of this mission is to shine and invite others to come and experience this light… to witness what God's love does for us and for the whole world. That is how we make disciples… by being one ourselves. We can only demonstrate how we ourselves are changed by this love and communion with the full body of Christ, and trust in the Holy Spirit… to do the Holy Spirit's thing of encountering us and moving us always toward love for others. So yes, we will go and make disciples in all nations… we will participate in this Great Commission… and we will do so, by starting first with ourselves… trusting that Christ is with us in this mission, always, to the end of the age. Amen.

Year A – Pentecost – May 24, 2026 Pastor Megan Floyd Acts 2:1-21 1 Corinthians 12:3b-13 John 20:19-23 Grace and peace to you from God, our Creator, and from Jesus Christ, our redeemer, who poured out their Spirit upon all flesh, blessing us to the end of days. Amen. *** Yes, Pentecost …is the birthday of the Church! Happy Birthday, Church! For our Jewish ancestors and siblings, Pentecost was part of the Festival of Weeks, or Shavuot… it was celebrated 50 days after Passover. This is why there were so many pilgrims in Jerusalem on that day… the day the Spirit blew through town. These pilgrims were there for this harvest festival, and it was during this time that they celebrated God's gift of the Torah to Moses at Mount Sinai. It's not the whole Hebrew Bible, or Old Testament… It's just the first five books, also called the Pentateuch: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. The Torah contains the historical narrative of what God had done for God's people… it holds the stories of creation… and the stories of the matriarchs and patriarchs, and of the Exodus from Egypt. The Torah also contains the law… the holy teaching… 613 commandments given by God at Mount Sinai… the divine instructions for how to live according to God's will for humanity. And so then… on this festival day celebrating God's gift of the law to God's people, God gave another gift of blessing… God poured out God's Spirit upon them, inaugurating a new era! On this day, the same Spirit that rested on Jesus at the Jordan River was poured out on them… and that same Spirit… has been poured out upon you. Yes, this is the Church's birthday! It is OUR birthday! And in thinking about this celebration today, it is worth considering what it means to be the Church… and what it means to be the Church together. In what ways are we still shaped by that first community of believers… and how have we grown in the Spirit since then? Because Pentecost was only the beginning… a great reversal of the ancient story of the Tower of Babel… when humanity, in their arrogance, wanted to reach God, and so they began building a tower so great that they might ascend to heaven from earth. And God scattered them by diversifying their language. …but on this day, God's Spirit graciously descended to the earth, to us… to swirl through and around God's people… bringing them together… not by reintegrating the language, but by preserving that diversity and instead giving each the ability to share the good news of Jesus in as many different languages and cultures as there are. The Holy Spirit blew through and moved those frightened disciples out of the locked, upper room… moved them outside and into the crowd… into their community. The Spirit gathers people… gathers us… across difference and across fear… it does not gather us into sameness, but rather… into beloved community… into the living body of Christ. The Spirit gathers us in… and… the Spirit also sends us out… out to continue Jesus' mission and ministry… out into the world… to be church together… to be the whole body of Christ. And this is where we are today… a diverse and beautiful tapestry of humanity. We don't all worship the same… or sing and pray the same… and we may disagree on theological points, but… if we are following Jesus's mission and ministry, and loving the way Christ taught us to love, then… we are still… one body. I was blessed this week with the perfect example of this diversity in the body of Christ… Mike Nussdofer introduced me to Shari Montgomery, the founder of The House of Promise in Lansing, which helps women escape trafficking and rebuild their lives. I had a lovely morning with her as she showed me around the campus… it was beautiful and peaceful… and I couldn't imagine a more loving way to care for these women who have been so brutally harmed. And yet, throughout the morning, I gathered from our conversation that she and I likely have some pronounced theological differences. And yet, as I took in the larger context of her work… the fruits of her labor… I saw that it was good… and full of love… and there was no doubt in my mind that the fire of this woman's passion to serve others came from the Holy Spirit. And so, I give thanks for her… for her passion and her ministry to care for the most broken and abused among us … and for being part of this body that is… the Church. And I give thanks for the Holy Spirit for giving us each different passions… different gifts and abilities, so that together, we can address the needs of all. And I give thanks that God continues to guide us… continues to show up for us, sometimes as a rushing wind, or a fire that burns and does not consume… or sometimes… as still, small voice… God's Holy Spirit is still with us. And because we still have God's Holy Spirit… we still have the Church… a community of believers who come together to discern what this voice of God is calling us to do… …and how this Spirit is calling us to move and act in the world… guiding us to those who need us and our particular gifts, the most. I give thanks that the Holy Spirit still strengthens weary hearts… still illuminates difficult decisions… and still gives courage when faith feels costly. I give thanks… thanks for God's Holy Spirit… and how it called me into pastoral ministry… and brought me to you! Pentecost is not merely the story of what happened long ago in Jerusalem. The Holy Spirit is still blowing through this place… still gathering us in… still creating faith… and still ushering in new life out of death. The Holy Spirit is still breathing peace into troubled hearts... and I for that I give thanks. And so, on this day of Pentecost… we celebrate with our Jewish ancestors that God's law was given to Moses on Mount Sinai…  But God does not discard the first gift in order to give the second. God who gave the Torah at Sinai is the same God who pours out the Spirit at Pentecost. Just as Jesus did not abolish God's law, neither does the Holy Spirit… but instead… the Spirit writes God's love upon human hearts and empowers us to live it. So, we now also celebrate our Advocate in the Holy Spirit, who guides us always in the way of love and grace and gives us the power and strength to share the good news of God's forgiveness and salvation through Jesus… This is a celebration, indeed! Therefore, on this day, I pray… may the Spirit transform the way we love across difference… transform the way we forgive those who have hurt us… and guide us to seek reconciliation when we have caused the hurt. May the Spirit light a fire in us that sends us to serve and live according to the will of Christ. …and may we carry this fire of Pentecost into our homes… into our workplaces, our families, and into our communities… so that the world may encounter, through us, the living and enduring presence of God. This day, and always. Amen.

Today, we had a special musical performance of Shut Amen!! by the Chancel Choir at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan. Published Under License From Essential Music Publishing, LLC

Year A – Seventh Sunday of Easter and Ascension Sunday – May 17, 2026 Pastor Megan Floyd Acts 1:1-11 Luke 24:44-53 Grace and peace to you from God and the Holy Spirit, and from Jesus Christ, who ascended to the Father, and has therefore blessed us to go into the world, for the love of the world. Amen. *** Allow me to set the scene… We have been in the Easter season, called Eastertide, now for seven weeks… which is poetically… one more week than Lent. And Bethany was a village about two miles east of Jerusalem, on the lower slopes of the Mount of Olives. It is the same place from which Jesus began his Palm Sunday procession into Jerusalem. …and, the Mount of Olives was the place where, according to the prophets, God was expected to appear to reign in love and mercy over all the earth. The place… it carries weight… and expectation. On the day of his ascension… a day that the disciples would not have known was different from the day before… the resurrected Jesus opened their minds to understand the scriptures… telling them once again that while God's mercy originates in Jerusalem, it is destined for the whole world. Then he led his disciples out of Jerusalem, toward Bethany… toward the Mount of Olives. They have heard… but still… do not know what to expect. And that is where we find ourselves today… I'd like to share a poem with you from Pr. Steve Garnaas-Holmes… it's called:                      Ascension As we walk out of the city (why are we leaving?) the day feels fresh and open, green blades springing up (the sower knows not how), songs of birds we hear but can't see. Thomas stops to blow dandelion seeds into the breeze. To our questions, the rabbi frames his answers in more silence than usual. The wind wraps its soft baby arms around our necks, whispering. We walk on grass;  behind us it springs back up. Then words not of departure but of sending. Dispersal. Then he isn't there. Stunned, silent emptiness. (The wondergrief. The traumajoy. The un-knowing.) Our cherished certainties  float away on the wind. A space between us so real, it seems full of something. No one speaks. On the way back it does not surprise me when Thomas, without asking, reaches out, takes my hand. I appreciate Pr. Garnaas-Holmes' poetry… his imaging of what it must have been for them… to witness such a thing. A departure with echoes of Elijah… yet this time, there were no chariots or horses or fire, but instead… an enveloping cloud, and then…Jesus is gone. And then just as at the tomb… two figures in dazzling white call out to them… why do you stand looking up toward heaven? …he is not here… a new era has begun! Jesus, who has been taken up into heaven, now reigns over all of Creation… Just as all things came into being through him, Creation… all of Creation is his. And his disciples obey his word and go back to Jerusalem… and there they wait… they wait and pray… and grow in their understanding that they are to be a community that responds to God's action. Elijah passed his mantle to his disciple, Elisha… but Jesus passes his mantle to all of us. We… are to carry out the mission that Jesus began. You see, the world was waiting for a Messiah who would save them from oppression and trouble, but Jesus… in typical Jesus fashion, flips that all around. We can almost hear him say… "you may have heard it said 'wait for a Messiah,' …but I say to you, take up my mantle, for you too, have a role to play in God's story of redemption." "You are witnesses of these things, and so you shall proclaim the good news with your words… and especially with your lives!" There's a learning model that's rooted in medical training… it goes, 'See one, do one, teach one." And I see that model demonstrated in grand scale with Jesus and the disciples… and ultimately… us. Jesus came, and showed us the way… showed us what it truly meant to live in a way that brings close God's kingdom… a way that brings abundant life to all… Then Jesus guided them to do this themselves… to experience the joy as they worked together to follow this new way. And then… Jesus told them… it's time for you… for us to teach this way to others, as we ourselves continue to learn more each day. But even though Jesus ascended, we are not alone… for in his ascension is the promise of another Advocate… the Spirit of truth… the Spirit of God… to be connected to us for all time, and our ever-present guide in this holy mission. We are still… very much connected to our Christ. This is work we do together… beautifully demonstrated in our synod assembly this past weekend… we are connected, and because we nurture that connection, we will continue to grow and thrive as those who are sent into the world… for the love of the world. I'll leave you with the words from Dr. Rick Mixon: "Jesus gathered them as a community, taught them as a community, and left from the midst of their little community. The Spirit was promised to them in community. Of course, individuals can and do have experiences of the Spirit, but Jesus makes it clear that it is the Spirit, working in the community, that will spread the good news around the world and bring in the reign of God. That reality has not changed in two millennia. It still takes a community of faith, Spirit-filled, to spread the good news and bring in the reign of God. That is our challenge and our commission as the body of Christ, followers of the Way." And to that, I would add… that is our joy… and our blessing… as a body of Christ that is connected and willing to nurture those connections into a love that can grow until the end of time. Amen.

Today, we had a special musical performance of Wade in the Living Water by the Chancel Choir at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan. Published Under License From Essential Music Publishing, LLC

Year A – Sixth Sunday of Easter – May 10, 2026 Pastor Megan Floyd Acts 17:22-31 John 14:15-21 Grace and peace to you from God and the Holy Spirit, who, together with Jesus Christ, abides with us, and in us, and we in them. Amen. *** Just a year ago, Robert Francis Prevost became Leo XIV and… the first American Pope. Now, I do have great respect for the Pope in general, but… as a Lutheran, I don't subscribe to the idea of Popes. However, as an American who started life in Chicago, I have been rather delighted by Leo's election. I kinda love that the pope is one of us, and in more ways than I could have predicted. Just this past week, a story came out about Pope Leo… and I promise, this is not a set up for a joke… It seems that Leo was doing some household financial oversight, and he realized he needed to update his address and phone number… new job and everything… it's natural to get behind on those things. So Leo called the customer service line for his bank, gave his name, Robert Francis Prevost, and answered all the security questions. It might have been one thing if he were just moving his address from one side of Chicago to the other, but… to Vatican City?? The bank representative said that she couldn't help over the phone… "Even though I gave you all the right passwords?" the pope asked. "No," she said, "you'll have to come in." "That's just not possible" he replied… "Why?" she asked. "Well… because I'm the pope." Leo said. …And she hung up on him. It turns out that once again, the pope is just like us… he also needs an Advocate! And as it happens, our Holy Advocate… is just what we're talking about this week… Our Gospel text today continues from last week… we are still in Jesus' "farewell discourse," …his lengthy 'goodbye' to his disciples… his friends… on the evening of their last supper. He is consoling and encouraging them… they are understandably distraught. But Jesus assures them that his departure is not abandonment… they will still be together as long as they keep going along the Way … the Way that they've all been traveling… They will still be together, since Jesus IS "the Way." …and even though he must leave, in his place, God will send them "another Advocate" who will be with us forever. Indeed… our God knows… we all need an Advocate… even the pope! …We all need a guide, a teacher, a helper… an intercessor, a companion, and a comforter. However we translate the word… Paracletos… it means, 'one who comes alongside.' And so, Jesus promises his followers that we will never be abandoned… never left to figure this all out ourselves… never left to navigate the Way alone. And as we know… Jesus is the Way... the truth… and the life… and as we follow that Way, we have the Holy Spirit alongside us to sustain us… counsel us… and guide us along right pathways for the sake of the one who created us in love. Jesus is the Way… and the Way of Jesus is always and ever… love. And so the Holy Spirit is with us to guide us in the ways of love… love for God, love for our neighbor… and love for ourselves. For everything, Jesus said, can be summed up by love. And yet, as I shared last week… love is not always easy to feel. Sometimes, it's about the last emotion we might be able to produce, despite God's holy command. And again this week, we are reminded that love is not a passive emotion… love is an action. Love is how we live, and move and have our being… in God, and for our neighbors. And that is why Jesus says, "If you love me, you will keep my commandments." If you love me, it will show through in how you treat the least among you… If you love me, it will be evident in how you work to break the chains of injustice… If you love me, it will be clear in how you are… in this world. Not by how often you claim to love me… but in how often it shows through your actions. Jesus says… "If you love me… you will keep my commandments." "If you love me…" It's also an open-ended phrase that really invites us to think about how our lives of faith intersect with a world that doesn't always recognize God. Like Paul, in our reading from Acts… challenged to proclaim the gospel to Greeks who knew nothing about Jewish or Christian traditions. He was willing to meet them where they were… not offering condescension or judgment for their ways, but rather… invitation. Paul fully encapsulated their spirituality by expressing that God, who made the whole world, is the same God who made them… and that God lives in them, and they in God, and through God, we all have our very being. God is present… everywhere… even in places that do not call upon God's holy name… even in places that take God's holy name in vain. God… is still there. And so Jesus' words to us… "If you love me..." leaves us with the very real question… how do we show our love by keeping Jesus' commandments when we are faced with people and policies that cause harm, or promote injustice and inequality? How do we embody Jesus' love in places that are decidedly antithetical to the Way of Christ? Are we really called to love all people, regardless of whether they value the Way of Christ that we strive to follow? I'm sorry to be the bearer of difficult news, but… yes. Yes, we are called to love them… love them as a piece of God's good Creation that bears both the image of God, and the same promise of ultimate redemption that we ourselves carry. For God promised that ultimately all of Creation would be redeemed… and all things would be made new. And I trust… I trust God's promise. So yes, we are called to love them… but we do not have to manufacture that love on our own. For as Jesus promised, we have our Advocate… the Holy Spirit… the one who intercedes for us… the presence of God who comes alongside us to give us strength, instruction, and courage to follow the Way of love… the Way of Christ. This is the Spirit of truth who continuously reveals to us God and God's ways… and holds fast to us in that mutual abiding… of Christ in us and us in Christ, and together we are in and with God and the Spirit. Mutual abiding… held together with love. And so, we are called to show our love for Jesus by loving others in active ways… by following Jesus' commandments… with the help of our Advocate. We show that love by finding ways to show hospitality to all, but especially the marginalized, just as Jesus did… and loving others by speaking up for those who are being mistreated… those who are being harmed, just as Jesus did. Because even though we are called to love those who act in ways that are adversarial to God's Way… causing harm to others… truly loving someone often means that we do what we can to interrupt that which drives them to cause harm… Truly loving another can look like interrupting patterns that drive them away from God's desire for abundant life for all… and showing them that there is another way to live… a way of life that transforms the whole world, and brings us just a little closer to the kingdom of God. Only love can that. And with each interaction, if we succeed, then not only does the harm cease, but the one who was causing that harm is moved closer to the Way of Christ… the Way of love. Both oppressor and oppressed can be returned to the center of community, and closer to the wholeness that God desires for us all. And so when we stand with those who are cast out… and also when we disrupt sinful ways that cause harm and restore people to life… that is the holy work of the Spirit who lives in us… The Spirit who calls us to travel alongside others… image bearers for God… disciples, who are following the Way of Jesus… which is always the Way of love. These actions of love, though… they don't always have to be grand gestures. The Holy Spirit, our intercessor, is also very present in the daily, simple ways that we show up for others… small ways that reinforce that we all belong to each other… and that life is better when we look out for each other. As I mentioned in the beginning… even the pope needed an Advocate. After hearing about his customer service troubles with the bank, a priest on the South Side of Chicago, who had the bank's president as a member of his parish, called him up …and vouched for Pope Leo. Problem solved! A small, simple gesture that reinforced our shared need for each other… a mutuality that is reflected in the Divine that is both in us, and all around us. So may we all lean into our call to follow the Way of Christ… to recognize the presence of our Advocate, God's Holy Spirit, guiding us always… down paths of love for all people… for in all people… is the presence of God. Amen.

Today, we had a special musical performance of Standin' In the Need of Prayer by the Chancel Choir at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan. Published Under License From Essential Music Publishing, LLC

Year A – Fourth Sunday of Easter – April 26, 2026 Pastor Megan Floyd John 14:1-14 Grace and peace to you from God and the Holy Spirit, and from Jesus Christ, who is the way, the truth, and the life. Amen. *** Several years ago, I was at my parents' home, and we were excitedly awaiting my aunt and uncle, who were coming to visit. My dad was talking to my uncle on the phone, who had called for the address so he could plug it into his GPS and be on his way. My dad, however, being more comfortable giving directions than trusting an app on the phone, was instead directing my uncle using landmarks and compass directions… I'll never forget overhearing him tell my uncle to… just feel your way around the airport. Feel your way around the airport. If you are ever curious about something that might make me lose my mind… it would be to give me driving directions to a place without giving me the address, and instead, instruct me to… feel my way there. Stressful! … fortunately, I was not the one driving, and my aunt and uncle eventually arrived, so perhaps he is more in tune than I am with his …emotional sense of direction. I prefer the straightforward approach. Just tell me where we're going… I'll use GPS or a map… I don't want to feel my way to a place… I like to be prepared, and I do not like to be lost. Feel my way there… how does one do that? So… I deeply empathize with the disciple, Thomas, when he says, "Lord, we do not know where you are going… how can we know the way?" I might be projecting… but when I read that, I can hear the strain and tension in his voice… maybe even a hint of panic. Our gospel takes us back again to the night of their last supper. Jesus has just washed their feet and commanded them to love… and he told them to remember him when they gather around bread and wine… and he promised he would be with them whenever they do. But then… they just watched Judas abandon their group… and they just heard Jesus tell Peter that he would betray him… not once, but three times! And Jesus has been telling them he must die. The world as they know it is falling apart… and into their stress and anxiety… Jesus assures them… Do not let your hearts be troubled… do not be afraid. These are words for us, too… Our world is in an upheaval… and Jesus assures us, as well… Do not let your hearts be troubled. (x2) Jesus has prepared us to live in this world… Jesus has already given us our directions… a way of living that is God's will for us… a way life that brings close the kingdom of God. A way of living that transforms our hearts and turns us back to God, again and again. Jesus… is that way… and the truth… and the life. And the way of Jesus is always… love. The way of Christ… is love. A way that… actually does require us to feel our way to our destination. But also… a way that has concrete, and written directions for when we can't muster up that feeling. It's love… Love God… and love your neighbor as you love yourself. Love. And when you don't know how to feel your way to loving your neighbor… or loving the stranger in your country… or how to feel your way to loving the needy person who is pleading for you to help them… when maybe… you'd rather judge them… When our own baggage gets in the way, and we can't seem to recognize the light of Christ in this other person… we can get there another way. When we can't envision what the final destination looks like, or the vagueness of the emotional sense of direction is just too stressful… You can start with the turn-by-turn directions that Jesus gave us… Just start by feeding the hungry. Then clothe the naked. And then… welcome the immigrant and the stranger. Care for the sick and any among you who have need. Look for those whom our society has pushed to the edges… those who are marginalized… those who are suffering under oppression… those who are treated with contempt… and warmly invite them into the fold. And when it is our own selves whom we are struggling to love, try wrapping your heart with grace… and let it work its way through you. That is how we find our way through Jesus. For the least among us are the ones Jesus directed us to love first… and the way, truth, and life of Jesus is always the way of love. So we can feel our way there… and when that is just too abstract, or when we are legitimately struggling to manifest love for our neighbor… or… love for God… yes, there are those days… days when we are more angry at God than loving… Or days when we are struggling to manifest love for ourselves… yes, total honesty here… there are those days, too… Because yes, we are human, and even though love is a divine command from our God… that doesn't mean we can just force ourselves to feel it. I'm being real with you… and Jesus knows this about our humanness… knows that we can't always feel our way there. So even though we are commanded to love… commanded to feel our way… Jesus also showed us how to follow the turn-by-turn directions to get there… showed us how to follow our way through the way of Jesus. We follow the way Jesus taught us, and little by little, this way of love will transform our own hearts into ones more capable of loving… and then, little by little, our loving hearts will transform the world around us. Love is a way of life… it is a daily discipline… a habit we form… a guiding light. Love doesn't have to be sporadic, grand, and glorious gestures… in fact, I think love is better expressed in the daily, reliable series of little things that shape our whole lives… around love. Because ultimately, for love – the kind of love that transforms – for this kind of love to become action, it must first begin with relationship… and it begins with abiding in the source of all love. For we cannot give what we have not received… and so we must return again and again to the love of Jesus. Because Jesus… is the way, and the truth, and the life… "and all things came into being through him, and without him, not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life… and the life was the light of the world. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overtake it. (John 1:3-5) Jesus… is the source of abiding love… of love that transforms… love that liberates… love that makes all things new. And so Jesus tells his disciples that if they cannot believe that he and the Father are one, then believe because you see how the way of love transforms the world… He tells them that those who follow the way of light and love will do greater works than he did… because he is going to the Father, but we are still here. Jesus fed the five thousand… how many people have his disciples fed since then? Jesus cared for the sick… how many people have his disciples cared for since then? Jesus welcomed the stranger… how many people have his disciples welcomed since then? Indeed, across millennia, the works of love in the name of Jesus… have done so much more. And the light of the world continues to shape us… and to guide us… through love… and that way of love, draws us all back to Jesus. So we do know the way… we know the way by how love feels… and we know the way by following the directions. We do know the way… and the truth… and the life… we know that it is Jesus, who is the light of the world… and the way of Jesus is always… love. Amen.

Today, we had a special musical performance of Praise My Soul, The King of Heaven by the Faith Bells at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan. Published Under License From Essential Music Publishing, LLC

Earth Sunday/Third Sunday of Easter April 19, 2026 Faith Okemos I Peter 1:17-23, Psalm 104, Romans 8:18-27, Luke 24:13-35   Because the World Is About to Turn   My soul cries out with a joyful shout that the God of my heart is great, and my spirit sings of the wondrous things that you bring to the ones who wait.  You fixed your sight on your servant's plight, and my weakness you did not spurn, so from east to west shall my name be blest. Could the world be about to turn?    My heart shall sing of the day you bring. Let the fires of your justice burn.  Wipe away all tears, for the dawn draws near, and the world is about to turn.   From the halls of power to the fortress tower, not a stone will be left on stone.  Let the king beware for your justice tears every tyrant from his throne.  The hungry poor shall weep no more, for the food they can never earn; there are tables spread, every mouth be fed, for the world is about to turn…                                                  ELW 723   When Victor Orban, the authoritarian prime minister of Hungary, was soundly defeated a week ago today, it did seem another sign that our world was about to turn.  Increasingly throughout the world more and more nations have been led by far-right dictators.  They and their cronies have amassed for themselves enormous wealth at the expense of the health and well-being of those citizens they were elected to lead and of the Earth itself.  But on this Earth Sunday 2026, we see signs of hope, signs of resurrection that God is birthing in the hearts and actions of millions of people throughout the world, including millions in our own country…Signs of hope and resurrection through the forthright words of religious leaders like our own Bishop Julie and like Pope Leo.   Could it be that the world is about to turn?  I think of all the money given in recent weeks (including from us) to fully fund the purchase and installation of a solar array, a project co-sponsored by Michigan Interfaith Power and Light for a Habitat for Humanity home near Sparrow Hospital, now a home for adults with autism and for their support staff, a home that will receive much of its power directly from the sun.      This "great turning" looks like the 900 people (including several of us from Faith) who journeyed from Pilgrim Congregational Church on Pennsylvania Ave. to the Capitol four Sundays ago, pledging anew to see Jesus in feeding the hungry, healing the sick, and welcoming the stranger.     In a book titled Active Hope, the authors share this poem about grace and trust and courage in a world about to turn:  When you act on behalf of something greater than yourself, you begin to feel it acting through you with a power greater than you own. This is grace. Today, as we take risks for the something greater than our separate, individual lives, we are feeling graced by other beings and by Earth itself. Those with whom and on whose behalf we act give us strength and eloquence and staying power we didn't know we had. We just need to practice knowing that and remembering that we are sustained by each other in the web of life.  Our true power comes as a gift, like grace, because in truth it is sustained by others. If we practice drawing on the wisdom and beauty and strengths of our fellow humans and our fellow species, we can go into any situation and trust that the courage and intelligence required will be supplied.      In our beautiful gospel for today (a favorite of Pastor Megan's), Jesus our risen Lord and a "fellow human," walks with Cleopas and another disciple (likely his wife, one of the Mary's who followed Jesus on his earthly journey), albeit incognito, unrecognized… until in their home Jesus takes and blesses and breaks and gives them the bread at supper in their home.    A word I've been living with all this past week is a Greek word, panentheism, that literally means "all in God, God in all."  I thought of these words in Ephesians 4: There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your call, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.   Panentheism, all in God, God in all.  For me this radically changes everything and everyone I see.  When I look at Ray and Tabitha and each of you… and when I look at the daffodils in our backyard, or when I look at the food and juice or coffee I will drink after worship, I see God, I see Jesus!   I saw God when I was with Ledith on Thursday evening.  Ledith, long-time member of Faith and beloved child of God, is now at the precipice of her death.  When we softly sang together a verse of "Holy, Holy, Holy" and of "Beautiful Savior" and her favorite, all the verses of "How Great Thou Art," I saw God.   What a difference it makes when you and I look at any and all of the peoples and creatures of the Earth, all the vast and varied combinations of elements and molecules that comprise our common home.  Above all, through all, and in all is our crucified and risen Lord and God.  How could we not cherish and love and respect all of it?  How could we not think twice about trashing or misusing or exploiting any of it when we know that Jesus is in it?   So important that together we think and celebrate that Greek word, panentheism, all in God, God in all, God in everything.   But so important too that we mourn creation's brokenness together with God and with each other… If we felt the pain of loss each time an ecosystem was destroyed, a species wiped out, or a child killed by war or starvation, we wouldn't be able to continue living the way we do.  It would tear us apart inside…By speaking our concerns and giving voice to our feelings [to each other], we make them more visible not just to others but also to ourselves.  The more we draw issues into the open, the more inclined we become to tackle them…Rather than attempting to fix feelings of distress, we accept their validity and significance.  Doing this is in itself an act for the Great Turning. Active Hope, page 77   And these words from Archbishop Desmond Tutu: [Jesus'] supreme work is to reconcile us to God and to one another and, indeed, to all of God's creation.  It is possible to have a new kind of world where there will be more compassion, more gentleness, more caring, more laughter, more joy for all of God's creation, because that is God's dream.  And God says, "Help me. Help me, help me realize my dream."   And from Jim Antel, a public theologian and pastor in the United Church of Christ:  God is calling all of us to unleash our imaginations, unmuzzle our mouths, unbind our hands, unshackle our feet, and open our wallets.  Each of us must use our unique God-given gifts to hasten the day when each human heart is governed not by grief but by hope…not by selfishness but by sharing.  Yes—God still has a dream…As we live into God's dream, we will rediscover who we truly are and all of creation will be singing.                      Climate Church, Climate World,  pages 168-169   Because the world is about to turn… St. Peter writes, Make your minds ready for action…   Put your hope in nothing but the grace that will be given when Jesus Christ is revealed.  Be children of obedience…It is through Christ that you are believers in God, the God who raised Jesus from the dead into glory…Therefore, love one another constantly, from the heart.  [I Peter 1:13,21-22] By the grace and great mercy of God we are born anew every day into a living hope because Jesus lives "above all and through all and in all."  Jesus walks with us.  Everything changes when you and I see him in every thing and every one.  Therefore, love one another constantly, from the depths of your hearts.   Daniel Erlander in a little book entitled Baptized, We Live, writes, "The ruler of the universe hides himself in the common, in the stuff of this earth.  God lives in creation; he lives in all… Here is God… in the home, in the forest, in the face of a child, in the sunset, in human love, in the enemy, in the mountains, in the cry of the poor, in the sea, in the sharing of food,  in the prison, in the sunshine, in the hospital, in the rain, in the aged, in governments, in the dying, in the air, in the broken home, in the stranger, in outer space, in the third world, in death."    Daniel writes:  Because of Jesus, we see God in all, weeping where there is pain and alienation, rejoicing where there is wholeness and love.     So, because God in Jesus is with and in us and all of creation, albeit often incognito as on the road to Emmaus, we may dare to believe that the world is about to turn, that other powerful autocrats and dictators besides Prime Minister Orban will soon be brought low.  We can live with hope that soon compassion and respect and a just peace will rise up, albeit imperfectly, in the Middle East, in Eastern Europe, in Africa, and, yes, in our own country.   Imagine that one day, maybe 50 or 60 years from now, our descendants asked us three questions about when in our day there was a great turning: 1.    "Ancestor, I hear stories about the period you are living in, with wars and preparations for wars, with some people absurdly rich while huge numbers are starving and homeless, with poisons in the seas and soil and air, and with the dying of many species.  We are still experiencing the effects of all that.  What was it like for you to live with this knowledge?" 2.    "Ancestor, we have songs and stories that tell of what you and your friends did back then for the Great Turning… You must have felt lonely and confused at times, especially at the beginning.  What were some of the first steps you took?" 3.    "Ancestor, I know you didn't stop with those first actions on behalf of life on Earth.  Where did you find the strength to continue working so hard, despite all the obstacles and discouragement?"                                          Active Hope, page 155   Let us sing "God Bestows on Every Sense," a song of hope and of "signs of what the earth will be."   Amen.

Today, we had a special musical performance of the Land of Rest by the Faith Lutheran Handbell Choir, including Megan Nyquist, Addie Thompson, Matt Schnizlein, and Rich Weingartner at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan. Published Under License From Essential Music Publishing, LLC

Year A – Second Sunday of Easter – April 12, 2026 Pastor Megan Floyd John 20:19-31 Grace and peace to you from God and the Holy Spirit, and from Jesus Christ, our risen and wounded Savior. Amen. This past week, I've been thoroughly enjoying the dispatches from Artemis II… seeing the pictures and hearing the interviews with the astronauts who have now traveled farther than any human has ever traveled. These four amazing humans gave us all a bright flame of hope for the future of humanity and our ability to come together across borders for collaboration… to wonder enough about what's just beyond our reach that they were willing to risk exploring. On Friday, I felt tense, thinking about and praying for their safe return to this planet we call home, and I have felt such joy seeing them now safe. They gave us images of our world, and our Moon, that we've never seen before… incredible images of an in-space lunar eclipse, and the dark side of our cratered Moon… I imagine God's delight in our discovery… and celebration of our newfound ability to explore God's awesome Creation. It is also incredible, in this moment in history and profound discovery, that today – April 12th - is the anniversary of Galileo being brought before the Inquisition in the year 1633… for supporting the idea that the Earth revolves around the Sun, rather than the other way around. Galileo insisted that scientific research and Christian faith are entirely compatible, and that study of the universe would promote a more proper interpretation of Scripture. And he was right! …we know that now… even if it took some longer than others to come to that conclusion. …and yes, there are still those fringe few who would deny all of this… and that is their loss. But to allow our new discoveries to shape our ongoing understanding of Scripture, and of God in, with, and among us, means that we must let go of certainty… and approach Scripture, and God's continued revelation …with a healthy amount of wiggle room in our own conclusions and understanding. We must always leave room for wonder… and for new encounters with the Divine… That's a challenging stance to take… it's one that would have me thrown out of some churches… especially those that place a heavy stake in "religious authority" …but I stand by it. …I personally prefer to hold the position of "religious wonder," because faith… for it to truly be faith… will always be just beyond the edge of what we know for certain. And holding onto "religious wonder" rather than certainty… requires an even stronger… more robust faith in the saving power of the living God… than any kind of certainty could ever have. Which brings me… to Thomas. Poor Thomas… forever labeled "Doubting Thomas." He's really gotten a bad rap that I don't think he deserves. Thomas wasn't there in that room on that first Easter evening… all the other disciples were locked away for fear of the religious authorities… but not Thomas. It's quite possible that he alone dared to hope in Mary's testimony and was out looking for his Lord… hoping to encounter Jesus himself. We don't know why he wasn't with them. But while he was away, the others were met by Jesus, who showed them his wounds… and he gave them the Holy Spirit. I can only imagine Thomas' frustration… and how hurt he must have been. This is… a traumatic story… and being the one left out of receiving a glimmer of hope from Jesus… must have cut him to the core. So, when we hear Thomas declare, "Unless I see the mark of the nails… and put my hand in his side, I will not believe" …I hear him declare this through tears and anguish. He is not doubting… he is devastated… and he is only demanding what his companions have already received… he is trying, just as they are, to understand this new information… this new encounter… trying to understand what it means for them moving forward. I also appreciate that Thomas doesn't want to see Jesus in an unmarked and perfect body… perfection will not convince him… because for Thomas, Jesus' woundedness is what will make him real… it's what will prove that this resurrected body is that of his Lord, Jesus. Our imperfections… our flaws… our wounds and our scars… are what make us human… and authentic… and Jesus' wounds are what keep him connected to our imperfect humanity. So Jesus meets Thomas… exactly where he is… Jesus meets him and shares his vulnerability with him… his open wounds… his marked body. Jesus shows Thomas that doubt and fear will not keep Jesus away… nor will sin or shame… Jesus meets us where we are, and though he is wounded, he is not delicate. And met with this authentic and wounded Jesus, who defeated sin, death, and the devil and has come back to them… Thomas… is the one who puts it all together. "My Lord… and my God." Jesus is more than the Messiah who saves… Jesus is God, who meets us in our pain… our sin and our suffering… meets us in our messy lives… and still claims us… and loves us. Jesus faces our doubts and our questions… even our anger… and our rage … Jesus faces our best… and our worst… by coming closer to us… by sharing in our authentic humanity… and offering us the peace of the Holy Spirit. And yet… Jesus tells Thomas, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen… and yet have come to believe." Seeing is believing… or so they say… but Jesus invites us into a far more robust relationship than one that relies on physical signs. Jesus invites us to go beyond our certainty… beyond what we think we know… and step into what is now made possible in the light of a crucified and risen Lord… and God. Jesus invites us to lean into… faith… a faith that is not delicate… a faith that withstands all our humanity can throw at it… and yet, remains because it comes from God. Our faith… does not originate within us… our faith is a gift from our wounded and risen Lord. And Jesus invites us to receive this faith that will continually draw us into a state of wonder… and amazement… at all God has done for us… a faith that knows that God is not done with us yet. Belief that relies on seeing and certainty is weak… but faith… faith leads to hope in the coming fulfillment of God's promises… and faith leads to the incredible power of love to bring healing and wholeness to a broken world. Yes, faith… is trust in the things we cannot see… it is our comfort for our deepest hurts… it is the flickering flame of hope when all seems lost… and it is our guiding light… through life's darkest valleys. Faith… leaves room for wonder… room for new discovery… room for hope in the redeeming power of God's love. Jesus walked among his disciples after his resurrection and gave them a new vision of what was possible… a new vision of hope… he showed them his wounds… and told them… this is only the beginning. Over the past 10 days, the crew of Artemis II gave us a new vision of the Universe and our world… a planet that all humans call home… and they gave us a new understanding of what is possible for humanity. But, of course… that mission started with concrete facts… and math… and prior experience. It's ok to start with what you know, but we can't get stuck there. Don't ever be ashamed to ask God for what you need, to bring you back to Christ… for we know that Jesus meets us where we are… but… Be prepared for Jesus to show up… to greet you with love… and then call you into a deeper relationship… to receive something stronger and more daring… that relies on trust in God's promises that are still in the making. Yes… be prepared for Jesus to call you to receive the faith of Christ… for it is so much stronger than a belief that relies only on seeing and certainty. Blessed are those who have not seen… and yet have come to believe. Amen.  

Today, we had a special musical performance of the Hallelujah Chorus by the Faith Chancel Choir at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan. Published Under License From Essential Music Publishing, LLC

Today, we had a special musical performance of See, What a Morning by the Faith Chancel Choir at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan. Published Under License From Essential Music Publishing, LLC

Year A – Easter Sunday – April 5, 2026 Pastor Megan Floyd Acts 10:34-43 Colossians 3:1-4 Matthew 28:1-10 Grace and peace to you from God and the Holy Spirit, and from Jesus Christ, our Savior. Christ is Risen! He is risen, indeed! Alleluia! *** This past Holy Week has been… really something special. Last week, on Palm Sunday, many of us here participated in the Palm Sunday March in Lansing. We were surrounded by a crowd of about 800 people from various denominations, who came together to march with palms in hand, bound by our shared commitment to the foundational teachings of Jesus. We marched to share our commitment to love our neighbors… to feed the hungry, clothe the naked… to care for the sick, and the poor… and those who are outcast… and to welcome the stranger. And our group here in Michigan was part of a larger movement across at least sixteen other states… thousands and thousands of Christians showed up… disciples of Jesus… marching to proclaim the saving words and promise of Christ. Jesus Christ is not dead and gone… he is alive! And then on Thursday, I had the profound honor to care for you by washing and anointing your feet… and by allowing my own feet to be washed and anointed. We do this because Christ did this for his disciples… and told us to continue the practice, and so trusting in the words of our teacher, we wash… There's a closeness there, in that simple and ancient practice, that just cannot be replicated any other way… and when sharing this practice, Jesus is profoundly close. And then we shared our meal of Holy Communion together… and yes, we do that every week in remembrance of Christ… but on Maundy Thursday, we recall why we celebrate this meal… and we recall together the grace, love, and inclusion that Jesus demonstrated for all, even those who would later betray and deny him. And so, we share our meal with all who are gathered… more than just trusting and hoping that Christ will show up… we expect our Christ to show up. Jesus Christ is not dead and gone… he is alive! And then on Friday… on Good Friday… we gathered with our siblings from All Saints Lutheran and St Paul Lutheran, and with our bishop… we gathered together as one community… to remember and honor Christ's death on the cross. Even as we acknowledge that Christ is with us, always, we know that we cannot get to the Resurrection without going through death and the cross… and so we gathered …as one body… and honored the presence of Christ that was there with us… and in each of us… it was, so very holy… and special. And still we proclaim… Jesus Christ is not dead and gone… he is alive! Jesus Christ is risen today! Alleluia!! Alleluia!! I came here today… knowing that I would meet Christ… I expect him to show up because Christ promised to show up… and I know Christ lives in you… and in me… and so wherever we gather… Christ is there… alive… and with us. That expectation of meeting Jesus everywhere we go… that's what it means to follow Jesus… to follow our God who became human… who defeated death and the grave… That's what it means to follow a crucified and risen Lord… it means that we show up in the world expecting to meet Christ there. We expect to meet Jesus… because we trust the Word of our God… we trust… and we dare to hope. Just like Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of James and Joseph, who showed up at the tomb on the third day… I believe they showed up expecting to meet Jesus! …or at least, daring to hope they would. Now, I know that in the gospels of Mark and Luke, they write that the women showed up at the tomb with spices to anoint his body. But not in Matthew… The Marys have been disciples of Jesus all along, following him and hearing his teaching… hearing him proclaim that he must die, but would rise again on the third day. And all four gospels record that Jesus was anointed for his burial before he was crucified. The women did not desert him or betray him… they stayed near… and watched. They felt the earth shake at the moment he died and heard the Roman Centurion proclaim that, truly, this man was the Son of God. The Marys stayed… and on the third day… they came to the tomb… not carrying spices for anointing… but coming with fear… and outrageous hope… that death did not win. They came… at the dawning of that new day… expecting to meet their risen Lord! And the earth shook for the second time in three days as the stone was thunderously rolled aside… and the angel of the Lord descended from heaven to meet them. The Roman guards fainted with terror, but the women stood strong, and they witnessed with awe and wonder that the tomb was empty. They stood strong because they expected something wonderful… Jesus Christ is not dead and gone… he is alive! The angel sent them on to meet Jesus, and they go with great fear and joy… but Jesus doesn't wait… he finds them and greets them with love… and they worship him… and bless his resurrected body. And then, full of grace and forgiveness, Jesus instructs the women to gather those who deserted him… gather together those who fled… so he can be reunited with them… to remind them of his love… and to mercifully commission them to witness to his resurrection. For the dawn from on high has broken upon us, and a new day has begun. Alleluia!! Alleluia!! But Easter morning… is only the beginning. Just as those first disciples had to decide, we, too, must decide who we are now… and who we must become… in the light of the risen Christ? But do not be afraid… Easter faith does not mean perfect faith… not for the first disciples, and not for us …our faith is almost always a mixture of trust and doubt… of belief and unbelief. Jesus knows… this is what we have… an imperfect faith… and yet, he still calls us to be with him… and to celebrate with him… on this new day. And if we dare to hope in the promise of the resurrection… then we can show up, expecting Christ to meet us… trusting that God's grace precedes us wherever we go. We can rest in the promise that Christ not only lives in you and me… but Christ also lives in the stranger whom we welcome… in the sick whom we minister to… in the hungry whom we feed… in the naked whom we clothe. We expect Christ to meet us… and we rejoice in his presence. If we dare to hope in the promise of the resurrection, then we can draw on the strength of Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of James and Joseph, and resist the powers of this world that would pull us toward greed and violence… toward bigotry and corruption. If we dare to hope in the promise of the resurrection, then we expect Christ to be here, and we can shape our lives around Christ's way of enduring love… and grace… and mercy. Because Easter is not an event that we remember and celebrate only once a year. Easter is a way of living… it's a way of loving… a way of shaping our communities in such a way that don't bend to the wills of the powerful… to the wills of greed and Empire… But instead… Easter is a way of living that glorifies God through loving the least among us, as Christ loved us… and knowing that there is nothing in the world stronger than God's love. Yes, we are Easter people. We are children of God who dare to hope in the promise of the resurrection, and we expect to meet our living Christ wherever we go, and in all whom we meet. For Jesus Christ is not dead and gone… he is alive! Alleluia!! Alleluia!!  

Year A – Maundy Thursday – April 2, 2026 Pastor Megan Floyd John 13:1-17, 31b-35 Grace and peace to you from God and the Holy Spirit, and from Jesus Christ, who loves us to the end. Amen. *** This is a somber night… somber for us, because we know what's coming. We are bracing ourselves for the wave of grief… over what we have done… and what we have left undone. We are bracing ourselves for the final moments before the cross… and we gather this evening to willingly dwell in that place of grief with Jesus, our Savior. And yet, let us also remember… that our story with Jesus is ultimately… a love story. It's a story so personal… so intimate… a story of our God who created us in love… and refused to allow us to drift away… and so, our God emptied themselves into the form of a slave… being born into human weakness… into the person of Jesus. And at every turn of his life on earth… Jesus subverted the usual power structures. On this night… we gather… we gather with the disciples around the table… a table of celebration… they don't know what's coming, but Jesus does. We gather around the table with Jesus, as Jesus does his very best to say farewell to his disciples… to his friends… whom he loves… completely. Jesus is imploring them to understand what he has taught them through his preaching… and shown them with his actions. Jesus is intent… and they can feel the tension… the heaviness in the air… the importance of their meal together… even if they don't fully understand why. This night… it feels different. And yet… how could they have known it was their last night with Jesus as he was? And then… "Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end." …to the end… not only a great, heavenly love, but… he loved them to completion… Jesus loves them… and loves us… with a fullness that began with the creation of the world… and continues to the end of the ages… Jesus loves them to the end. And knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, Jesus took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself… He poured water into a basin… and began to wash his disciples' feet. I can imagine the silent wonder of those whose feet Jesus washed first… not daring to say a word. But I think… I think I would have reacted like Peter… horrified at the idea of Jesus lowering himself to wash my feet! Having our feet exposed… and washed by another… it's vulnerable and awkward…  and if you feel that way, too, you're not alone! And yet… this is what Jesus does. Jesus… our God incarnate… through his life and ministry… through his actions and his love… gives us a vision and an understanding of who God is. Our God is one who loves us enough to come close to us… who shows us how to love each other through humble service… but also… how to receive love in return. And as Jesus also washed the feet of Judas… he shows us how to even love those who would betray us… that is how deeply we are called to love. On this special night… we are called by Jesus… commanded… to not only love and serve others… but to allow ourselves to be loved… to both give and receive… service and care… and love. This life as a disciple… it's not all toil and suffering… it is a life of reciprocal love… and in that mutuality… in that holy community with others… there is joy! The kind of joy that bubbles up from the relief of bearing the weight of our shared need… of daring to be vulnerable with another, and being met with love, just as Christ has loved us. That is what Christ Jesus has shown us… this life of discipleship… is full of wonder… and love… and joy. And every day we live into this truth… every day we are made clean… and sent again by Jesus to walk in the world… to walk in the light of this commandment to love others as we ourselves are loved. However, the commandment to love others is not itself new… it is ancient and foundational for our relationship with God. But what is new… on this night… is how we now understand this command through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus… through how he cared for others, especially those who were most vulnerable… the outcast… the sick… the poor… the widows and children. And how through Jesus, God revealed the depth and strength of this love that we both receive and share. For as we practice bearing one another in love, we also practice receiving love from God. And as we practice humble service for one another, we also practice receiving what we need from the Holy Spirit. As we practice bearing another's vulnerability with tender loving care, we practice allowing our spirit to be vulnerable and true with our Creator, who loves us to the end… who loves us… to completion. This is the beauty and joy in Jesus' commandment to love… that as we practice this love for others, we grow in love for both ourselves… and for God. And as we practice loving others as we love ourselves, we more fully recognize the presence of God in each person, and the light of Christ that dwells in ourselves. So on this night… this somber and beautiful night… let us remember that practicing the vulnerability of having our feet washed… is to practice the necessary vulnerability to receive love and care. …not only from others, but from Christ himself. And then later, as we gather around the table to share Christ's promised presence in the bread and wine… remember that we gather with amazement and joy as those who are loved beyond the violence of cross…  We gather as those who are loved… to the end. Amen.

Today, we had a special musical performance of Hosana, Hosana! by the Faith Chancel Choir at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan. Published Under License From Essential Music Publishing, LLC

Today, we had a special musical performance of Jesus Walked this Lonesome Valley/Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen by the Faith Chancel Choir at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan. Published Under License From Essential Music Publishing, LLC

Year A – Fifth Sunday in Lent– March 22, 2026 Pastor Megan Floyd John 11:1-45 Grace and peace to you from God and the Holy Spirit, and from Jesus Christ, who liberates us from our bindings, and redeems us through God's love and grace. Amen. *** "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died."  …both sisters launch this statement at Jesus… this accusation… this plea. Did you not care… did you not love him enough? Did we not love you enough? Why… why did you let him die? Their words cut into my heart… I feel their grief… and I imagine you do, too.  None of us need reach very far to grasp the pain of a loss that we wished our Lord could have prevented. This past week, I learned that the father of an old high school friend died after suffering for many years with cancer. They are devastated and broken… and yet, clinging now to the promise that Jesus gave us… that her dad is now rejoicing with God, free of his earthly pain. But… four years ago… when he was first diagnosed, they were sure that their faith would deliver him from his illness. …and I was angry at their pastor for having the audacity to proclaim that if they prayed the right way… loved God the right way… that if they could somehow have the most perfect faith… that his cancer would go away. That kind of theology… is cruel and abusive… and I wish it wasn't so prevalent in our American spiritual culture… It adds a layer of shame and guilt on top of the bodily suffering that one is already enduring and creates impossible standards. …yeah, I was angry, and I grieved for them. But this text is tricky… Jesus is the resurrection and the life, and whatever he asks for will be given. So, the temptation is there… to hope that we can somehow compel Jesus to take away our illness… or to prevent the death of our loved one… or to reverse the accident… or to repair that which was lost. We focus on the sign… on the miracle that Jesus performed of bringing Lazarus back to life… something he did so that those who witnessed and testified to it would understand and believe that Jesus was sent from God. But if we are so focused on the miraculous raising of Lazarus… we may miss the beautiful truth that Jesus was there with them… he was with them in their sorrow… very much so… just as Jesus is with us in our pain… and in our grief… Jesus, in his compassion and empathy... weeps with us when we weep. Jesus, who is sent from God… who is God… came to share life with us… all of our life experiences… our joy and our love… as well as our pain and our grief. And we all know… that love and loss are intertwined, and that grief is a natural part of our lives. In the face of grief and loss, it is also tempting to rush into the promised joy of eternal life with Christ… to gloss over the pain of death and skip into rejoicing… but does that honor the source of our grief? At this point in Lent… in our steady march toward Jesus' betrayal and the cross… we, too, might be tempted to skip past the hard parts and move directly into our Easter celebration. …but does skipping the discomfort of Holy Week honor Jesus and the sacrifice he made for us? Does that honor the fullness of life that Jesus spent with us? Can we not dwell for a time with Jesus… in his grief? When Jesus went to Bethany, he knew what he was going to do… he knew that he would raise Lazarus… not so that Lazarus could have more earthly life, but so that we might believe in Jesus. And yet, even knowing what he went there to do… Jesus was still deeply moved… by their grief… and he wept with them. We don't know exactly why Jesus wept… I imagine it was complicated, as our tears so often are. Perhaps he was angry at death itself… and the pain it always brings… or perhaps he was feeling the weight of his own impending death, and how this sign of raising Lazurus would be the act that would set things in motion for his arrest. Just as the crowd speculated on his tears, we do not have a clear understanding of his grief… only that he grieved. But you know… grief does not need a clear explanation to be valid. Jesus, our God with us… grieves with us in the face of death and suffering… Jesus shares our sorrow that we must face this pain as part of the cycle of life. And yet… Jesus is still Lord over all that binds us, including death… but also… so much more. And so, just as Jesus calls to Lazarus to come out… he calls to us… Jesus calls to us not only at the end of our earthly lives, but he calls to us every day… to leave behind the things that bind us and chose life with Christ. Jesus calls to us who are dead and bound in our sin… calls to us when we are crippled with guilt and shame… he calls to us when we feel isolated and alone… he calls to us when we turn a blind eye to the pain of our neighbors… and invites us to actively participate in our own renewal. Hear the words of our Lord calling to you… come out… and… Unbind him… let him go… Unbind her… be free from the power of sin… Unbind them… be liberated to see the Glory of God at work in yourself, for you are deeply loved. Let your bindings go… so that you might be fully present in God's love and light… and feel it's warmth. Let your bindings go… so you are able to fully receive the grace and mercy Christ has freely laid before you. Let your bindings go… and know that you are always and forever, forgiven and redeemed. Christ is calling to you… to come out and join him. And yet, he knows… we all know… this life is a work in progress. Some days are better than others, and my friends… that's why there is grace. Jesus' love is not dependent on you praying the right way, or loving Jesus the right way, or having the perfect faith… Jesus loves you. Full stop. And because of that love, he calls you to come out and live your life with him… This world around us will still have brokenness and failing… we will still have pain and grief… and Christ weeps with us in our grief, and we place our pain in God's loving care and know that on the other side of death… there is life. It can be challenging to let go of that which binds us, for sure… to let the old pass away and trust our God who calls to us into something new. But hold fast to the promise that our journey is not just to the grave, but through it… and there is new life on the other side. Amen.

Today, we had a special musical performance of A Communion Meditation by the Faith Chancel Choir at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan. Published Under License From Essential Music Publishing, LLC

Year A – Fourth Sunday in Lent– March 15, 2026 Pastor Megan Floyd John 9:1-41 Grace and peace to you from God and the Holy Spirit, and from Jesus Christ, who finds us where we are, and calls us to be his own. Amen. *** Just a couple of days ago, on Thursday, nearly 30 people from across lower Michigan came here to Faith for a mini retreat focused on ministry with youth and young adults. When we first started planning, I expected about eight people to come… so the fact that it became a room full of people was amazing and so incredible. These folks were pastors, lay ministers, and synod staff who chose to spend their day together because they value the place of youth and young adults in the church… and each of them knew, on some level… that this is work we need to do together. We are all aware that the programs and platforms from the 90s don't work like they used to… and that life together in a faith community is ever-changing… especially for our young people… and it's not always abundantly clear what shape it will take next. So, we came together, and trusted that God's Spirit would find us here… and guide us… and inspire us… to discern the way forward. It was really awesome! And God's Spirit did find us, and reminded us that we need each other in the body of Christ… We need to hear the testimonies and witness of our neighbors beyond our church walls, so that we can better equip ourselves… and our communities to recognize how and where God shows up… Because Christ is always seeking us… God's Spirit is always swirling around, so close, it's blowing our hair back… but if we are blind to it, we might just think it's windy. So… in our gospel story today… we are blessed to hear the testimony of a man whom Jesus found… He's a poor man, desperately poor – a beggar. It's all he can be… because he was born blind. And no one, in all of history, had ever managed to heal a person born blind. So this man is an outcast in his community. Jesus and his disciples are walking along. They walk past this blind man who is begging. The disciples are eager to learn from their Rabbi, so they ask Jesus… Whose sin caused this beggar to be blind? They don't really see the man... They don't address him… but they talk about him. They assume that his situation is a lesson on the consequences of sin. But Jesus saw him. Jesus saw that beloved man… and… he DID take the opportunity to teach his disciples a lesson. He applied spit and mud to the man's eyes and sent him away to wash. The man obeyed Jesus's command… and it was at that moment that this man became a disciple… the moment that he chose to trust Jesus… and do as Jesus commanded… and then for the first time in his life, he could see! So naturally, he's amazed and… not really sure what to do next except tell others what happened to him. But his neighbors can't believe it – some don't even recognize him. How could he possibly see? How could this possibly be the same person? No way. And the Pharisees… are blind to the miracle and solely focused on the fact that Jesus healed on the Sabbath, so Jesus must be a sinner. However, the man doesn't have a deep theological explanation for what happened… he only gives his honest answer… "I don't know whether he is a sinner. One thing I do know, that through I was blind, now I see." And the man… this guy that Jesus found, continues to tell his story. He continues to testify to what Jesus has done for him… and each time he does… he grows in his understanding of who this man, Jesus, must be. But the religious leaders are stuck… they can't see past that Jesus violated their religious laws… they are stuck in how things have always been. They cannot see that God is doing something new through Jesus… and showing them that God's kingdom is bigger than what they ever imagined. The man continues to testify… continues to give witness to his encounter… growing bolder in the dawning of his understanding. The religious leaders choose the dark confinement of the law over the light of the world shining around them. And yet, the man is working it all out, and finally… he confidently proclaims that Jesus could only be from God. …but unfortunately… that was so offensive, they cast him out of the community… again. And again, Jesus finds him. The Lord found him, and the man recognized his God! How could he possibly do anything but give thanks and praise… that he was found…he was claimed. …he was loved …and through Christ, he was given abundant life… grace upon grace. We also suffer from blindness to what the Lord has done. Not always, ok… but we're generally out of practice. We have these moments where we're sure that the Spirit just washed over us… but then we write it off… or …we marvel at the moment, and give our thanks… but then… we forget. We don't run through the town telling others what the Lord has done! But you know what? I wanna hear about it! I DO! …I want to know what God is up to in your life! I wanna know how Jesus is finding you day after day. Just like how I was excited to tell you about how God found us this past week in our retreat… How Christ found us… and blessed us with the guiding presence of the Spirit. When you share your testimony about the moments when Christ finds you… even if you don't have a full theological explanation… only that you feel it happened… that's enough… that is sharing the Gospel! Because the first step to sharing your witness with others is to acknowledge that Christ found you… that the Spirit showed up in your life! So… the Spirit blows your hair back, and you think it's just windy …but then you pause… maybe it's more. …Maybe. …maybe write it down… and pray over it later… see what God reveals to you. See what God might be doing …through you. Your testimony not only opens your eyes to see Christ, but your testimony opens the eyes of others as well, so they can see Christ. Just like our retreat this past week… this work is better when we do it together… when we trust that our God will find us… wherever we are… and we share those experiences and help each other understand them… This brings us all closer to God and closer to each other as the full Body of Christ. The good news today is that just as Jesus found that man… an outcast from his community… and brought him into the fold, Jesus will find you… call you and claim you… and bring you under his protection… and his love. It's not a one-time thing… it's every day… the Lord finds you. And each of us is here today because the Lord found us… and because we are found… because we have been given grace upon grace …we can go to those whom God sends us… and proclaim this good news! We go confidently with a word from the Lord. …a word of love. …a word of welcome… a word of invitation… to work together… to collaborate in our ministries and in our lives… and join together in God's abundance …of grace upon grace …that we ourselves have received from the Lord. It's too good not to share! The miracle that Jesus offers in our gospel today is an invitation into abundant life, and it comes to you exactly as you are. You have been found …and you are beloved and worthy. So remember that God continues to call us into this joy of sharing our testimony… the Holy Spirit continues to invite us to share our experiences of how God is showing up for us in our families, and in our faith communities. We can boldly trust that the Spirit will guide us… and that others need this word… they need to hear that God does, indeed, find us and love us. You don't have to have it all figured out… just trust your story… and rejoice in Christ's presence. Amen.

Today, we had a special musical performance of Lord Jesus You Shall Be My Song by the Faith Chancel Choir with Ariella VanderLaan on oboe at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan. Published Under License From Essential Music Publishing, LLC

Year A – Third Sunday in Lent– March 8, 2026 Pastor Megan Floyd Exodus 17:1-7 John 4:1-42 Grace and peace to you from God and the Holy Spirit, and from Jesus Christ, who is truly the Savior of the world. Amen. *** Many… many years ago, Bill and I had the privilege of attending my friend's wedding… she and her partner got married in the Valley of Fire in the Grand Canyon… at sunset. It was… spectacular!   Our little party was delivered to this magical location on helicopters, which flew us through the Canyon, across the incredible landscape that just… stretched on for as far as I could see.   As we flew, the walls of the Canyon were on either side of us, and yet, my brain couldn't make sense of the scale. Then the pilot pointed out a little dark spec that was way under us… he said, "That's the other helicopter."   Those four words… radically changed my perspective. I mean… sure, I could see that the place was well worth the title of 'Grand,' …but suddenly, 'Grand' couldn't even contain the full scope of where we were.   Nothing could… I don't think there is any word in our language that can truly encapsulate the landscape… the magnitude… of what we call… The Grand Canyon.   And the same is true… about God's love.   God's love is so grand… so deep and wide and never ending… that we bump up against the same inability to fully wrap our minds around the full scope… the full scale of what it really means… that God so loved the world.   On that helicopter… I didn't even begin to understand how big that landscape was until the pilot showed me what it meant… until he gave me a new perspective and showed me how Grand it really was.   And that's what's happening in our text today… Jesus is showing the disciples what it means… that God so loved the world.   Telling them isn't going to be enough… he must show them… which is why it was necessary for them to go through Samaria. Verse 4.   Our translation reads, "But he had to go through Samaria." …the Greek word is stronger than that, though… It was 'necessary' …it was imperative that he go through Samaria.   Why? …they were traveling north from Judea to Galilee… and Samaria is between those two places. But, as the text points out… something that everyone at the time would have understood… very clearly… the Jews and the Samaritans do not associate with each other.   It was an ancient family feud… they have the same ancestors… but different theology around the critical question of… where is God found?   For the Jewish people, God was found in the Temple in Jerusalem… in the Holy of Holies. That's where they went to worship.   For the Samaritans, God was found high on the top of Mount Gerizim. That's where they went to worship.   They had other differences as well, but this was the most pressing theological question of their time... the question that went back to the time of Moses, in the wilderness of Sin, when they were dying of thirst… Where is God? Is the Lord among us or not?   These are heavy questions… and modern denominations have split apart for less.   So, to avoid the tension and the feud, Jewish people traveling from Judea to Galilee would have taken the road that ran along the Jordan River Valley. They would not have climbed through the mountains of Samaria.   So why… why was it necessary for them to go through Samaria?   It was necessary… because Jesus needed to show his disciples the full scale and scope of his ministry… he needed to give them a new perspective.   Jesus needed to challenge their assumptions about who is in and who is out… he needed to widen their understanding of what sort of people Jesus was seeking… about whom he loved.   So he took them to the very place they would have assumed was excluded. Samaria.   Jesus needs to go there to find his first witness… he needs to find her… the unnamed, unmarried, powerless, Samaritan woman… discarded or widowed five times over… now living with the brother of her late husband in a Levirate marriage.   She is a nobody… an outsider among religious outsiders… visiting the well when no one else would have been there… at the hottest… and brightest time of the day.   Remember what I said about day and night in the Gospel of John?   She's there when the sun is at its brightest… and with this woman… Jesus proceeds to have the longest recorded conversation that he has with anybody… in any of the four gospels.   It was necessary for him to go through Samaria… to find… her.   Now, like anyone who talks to Jesus, she doesn't fully understand him at first, but she sticks with it… and she trusts him with her truth.   So, in response to her faith and her growing understanding around the coming Messiah… he shares his truth… He is… the I AM… the Great I AM… the same I AM from the burning bush and Moses…   I know our translation says that Jesus replies, "I am he" …but that's just added grammar for verbal flow. Jesus' response to her is only… I AM. …and his statement holds the power and weight of all the other I AM statements.   He reveals his true identity to her… before any of the disciples figured it out. And in her joy, she left her water jar at the well to run to share the good news with her neighbors…   She told them of her experience… of her encounter with this man… she shared her wondering… "He cannot be the Messiah, can he?"   And she invited them to come and see… come and meet him… come, and hear from him yourself. She shared her witness… her testimony… and then invited them to come and experience him for themselves.   And because of her witness, her town became followers of Jesus… and were the first to recognize that he was truly… the Savior of the world.   This… out-of-the-way place… in Samaria.   Its… incredible. And this is only chapter four! Jesus hasn't hardly done anything yet!   He was identified by John the Baptist as the Lamb of God, come to take away the sin of the world. …then he called his first disciples…   …and they enjoyed a party at the Wedding at Cana, where, thanks to some strong encouragement from his mother, Mary, Jesus ensured there would be plenty of the very best wine for the happy couple and their guests.   After that, Jesus went to the Temple, where he… caused a scene. The other gospels have this Temple scene happening at the end of his ministry.   John, however, has it at the beginning… it gives Jesus quite the reputation.   And then Nicodemus came to visit him… at night. That's really all that has happened until this point, when he started heading back to Galilee and said it was necessary for them to go through Samaria.   Jesus was still seeking someone he could entrust his identity to… so he went to find this woman.   She taught the disciples… as she teaches us… how to be a witness… how to share our stories of encounter with God… with our Savior, Jesus Christ.   We don't need to fully understand every moment of meaning… only that meeting Jesus is to encounter God… the Holy Spirit… the Divine among us… and to be in relationship with him brings salvation.   We don't have to convince others… Jesus can do that… we just need to invite people to come and see… come and encounter a love so pure and inclusive, that it's hard to wrap our minds around.   Jesus was also seeking to demonstrate to his disciples… to give them a new perspective of just how grand God's love really was.   He needed to push all the boundaries and prejudices they held… and choose the most unlikely person to be the first one with whom he shared his truth.   She was his first witness… the first evangelist… starting the first church… first worshipping community… who understood that the answer to the most pressing theological question of their time… Where is God?   …that the answer was, God is with us, wherever we are.   Jesus needed to give them all some perspective… and we still need that today.   We like to draw boundaries… we like to know who's in and who's out… We like to think that this is all something we can fully wrap our minds around and have some certainty about it. …especially when it comes to God's approval… and God's love.   But it's hard to hold that kind of scope and scale in our minds… so we need this constant reminder… this continual renewal of our perspective… this pointing out of those people that we might be tempted to exclude…   God's love includes them, too.   For God so loved the world… will always be so much bigger than we can imagine, which is good news… because it means that no matter what, everyone is in.   Amen.      

Today, we had a special musical performance of Lenten Meditation by the Faith Chancel Choir at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan. Published Under License From Essential Music Publishing, LLC

Year A – Second Sunday in Lent– March 1, 2026 Pastor Megan Floyd Genesis 12:1-4a John 3:1-17 Grace and peace to you from God and the Holy Spirit, and from Jesus Christ, who came, not to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Amen. *** Can I just tell you… I deeply appreciate Nicodemus. He is a religious leader among the Jews… a Pharisee… he's a scholar of the scriptures… he knows the law of Moses through and through… the Pharisees were very strict in their law-abiding ways. He is well known with an excellent reputation… one whom others came to for advice and leadership. And yet… he is brave enough… he is brave enough to wonder… to ask… what if this man Jesus really is something more? Nicodemus has the courage to ask if maybe he missed something… he has the strength of character to observe what is taking place around him… and consider that he may have been wrong. We have all been wrong from time to time… we've all made mistakes… and we know that being wrong is no joke… …the realization that we are wrong about something… especially something really big… can actually trigger intense psychological discomfort… and sometimes even physical pain.   These feelings can manifest as shame or guilt… and lead to cognitive dissonance in the struggle to reconcile the reality around us with our long-held position on something … and it only becomes more difficult as that reality becomes increasingly unmistakable. It's why some people will double down on their position… on their interpretation of things… why they will insist that reality isn't actually what we perceive with our eyes, but only what they, instead, insist it must be. It's all about avoiding the pain of being wrong… maybe they think it makes them look tough… or strong… except… that avoidance is the weaker approach. Avoidance and refusal to take in new information may protect our psyche in the short-term, but it cuts us off from the potential to learn and grow. …And in strictly Christian terms, it prevents us from the healing that occurs when we face our mistakes or errors, and we confess them… and change our ways through repentance… so that we can receive forgiveness with a clean heart… and begin repairing the relationships that may have been harmed. I've always deeply appreciated Nicodemus… but in these times, when our country is so divided… when the testimonies of our neighbors to what they have seen and experienced go ignored… because their testimony challenges the positions that some will not allow to be challenged… …well, I find that in these days… I appreciate Nicodemus even more. I appreciate that Nicodemus is willing to leave room for wonder… leave room for new information… he's willing to allow his position to be challenged, even though his position is one around which he has built his entire life. Do you know anyone like that? …I do. I appreciate Nicodemus' strength… what must it have taken for him to come to Jesus to ask… to learn? …I certainly don't fault him for coming to Jesus at night! I probably would have as well, were I in Nicodemus' place… it was safer for him than to risk everything… to wonder enough to ask. Also… it's worth noting… because we're in the gospel of John now for the next four weeks…that in the gospel of John, the use of day and night is a thematic revelation of being in relationship with Jesus. Not to say that darkness is evil, because far too much modern bias has taken that wrong turn… but… Jesus is the light of the world, and so to be in relationship with him… to have an understanding of who and what Jesus is… in the gospel of John… is to be in the light… it is… to greet him in the day. I want you to hold on to that theme over the rest of Lent because we'll hear much more from John in the coming weeks… you'll find how often it comes into the description of a scene, and gives clues to where they are in relationship with Jesus. So… Nicodemus… he arrives at night… so he's not so sure… but he can't deny that what he has seen is amazing, and he knows that these wonders could only come from God. And in his secret conversation… we learn something very important about the nature of God through Jesus. We learn… that Jesus is going to meet us wherever we are on our spiritual journey… even if it is from a place of doubt. We learn that Jesus is going to come to us… to meet us in that space… he's going to receive our questions and our doubts with love and compassion… along with some healthy accountability… and he's going to guide us into a deeper understanding of who he is. It is a journey we all must take… a journey Christ invites us all to take. We don't hear about Nicodemus again in our lectionary texts, but his story continues… he's one of the few people, other than the disciples, whom we are blessed to return to and catch glimpses of his spiritual growth. In John 7, Nicodemus speaks up against his colleagues and peers to defend Jesus' right to justice under the law… a position that puts him at odds with those who just want Jesus gone. And then he shows up again… at the foot of the cross. In John 19, Nicodemus brings myrrh and aloes, weighing around 100 pounds… an abundance… and he, along with Joseph of Arimathea, wrapped Jesus' body with the spices in linen cloth, and buried him in the tomb. I take Nicodemus' actions to mean… he figured it out… he understood that Jesus was God, who came to save us, and that this salvation occurs through Jesus drawing close to us… and loving us. Because being in relationship with Jesus is the ultimate goal… not just for Nicodemus, but for all people… for the whole kosmos. "For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish, but have eternal life." John 3:16 …it's arguably the most famous verse in the Bible. But it is so incredibly important to hear the context, and to follow it up with the next verse… "Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world but in order that the world might be saved through him." John 3:17   God does not desire for us to perish in our unknowing… in our faults… our mistakes… or our sin.   On the contrary… Jesus, in complete love, will make space for us so that we can authentically open our hearts to him… not just for our sake, but for the sake of the world.   So that we, as part of the covenant God made with Abraham, our spiritual father… and in our obedience and devotion to Christ, we might become a blessing to others… shining the light of Christ… the light of the world… to all who need it, wherever they are…   …and sharing our testimony of the Good News of all that Jesus has done.   For God so loved the whole world… and that means everyone.   So as the world around us continues to be fraught with division and violence against those who disagree… and as we possibly face another war in the aftermath of our country bombing Iran… Lord, we ask you to meet us where we are.   Give us the courage of Nicodemus… to question what we are told if it feels contrary to how you call us to live. Let us be brave enough to admit when we are wrong, to stay true in our following of you, and to receive your forgiveness daily with a clean heart.   And Lord, give us your compassion and guidance to meet others where they are… to not hold them in contempt if they are just waking up to the reality we are in, or even if they remain asleep to it.   Help us to hold them in your love, as you love us… and to freely share the grace that you so freely give us. Guide us so that we may be daily reborn and transformed through your Spirit and your love.   We need you now, O Christ… in these challenging times. Amen

Today, we had a special musical performance of O Love, How Deep, How Broad, How High by the Faith Chancel Choir at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan. Published Under License From Essential Music Publishing, LLC

Year A – First Sunday in Lent– February 22, 2026 Pastor Megan Floyd Matthew 4:1-11 Grace and peace to you from God and the Holy Spirit, and from Jesus Christ, who loves us and claims us as his own. Amen. *** I grew up watching Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood… Looking back over my life, I'm pretty sure that's what radicalized me. In Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood, you knew you belonged, and that who you were… was good… and that… the other people around you… well, they might be different from you… look different from you… but… they were good, too. In that neighborhood, there was an overwhelming sense that we belonged to each other… there was shared love and respect for other people, even when they made mistakes. In Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood, each person… or character… was valued… seen… and supported. This is something that everyone of us needs, not just children… and we need this throughout our whole lives. Mr. Rogers was not just the face and creator of the children's show… he was also a Presbyterian pastor… so it's not surprising at all… that his neighborhood intentionally reflected… the beloved community that we, who are followers of Jesus, work to build. Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood was a little taste of what God's vision for us might look like when we take seriously the ways of living that Jesus called us to practice. It was a little sample of living in the promised kingdom of God… for 30 minutes at a time. Those of us who were raised in Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood know that a better, more beautiful, and beloved neighborhood is possible… if we choose to live that way. Growing up with a show like this… it's no wonder that I feel so strongly that compassion for others is healthy… that empathy can heal divides… and that love and support should not have conditions. It's no wonder… that I don't want to bend to the unjust power systems in this world… in this country… even though… I could work the system to bend in my favor. I could! …it is, after all, set up for me to do so… it's tempting to take advantage of that. Case in point… I am a white, cisgender, heterosexual woman, wife, and mother, from a middle-class family… and my husband does not suffer from the delusion that I am merely an accessory to his lifestyle. I have a world-class education that was mostly achieved without debt, I do not suffer from debilitating diseases like addiction or depression, and… at least at this moment, I am still able-bodied… most of the time. It is tempting… it's tempting… to sink into the power structures that privilege nearly all of my life's characteristics. But to do so… would mean to accept an unjust and unequal community… it would mean giving up on the better way that I know is possible… not just because Mr. Rogers showed me that way when I was a child… but because Jesus was super clear about it. Embracing a privilege that marginalizes others is not part of God's vision for us… for humanity… it does not ask us to become the best version of ourselves… or call us into a more beloved community. But… when power and privilege are laid out before you for the taking… it's tempting… to reach out and take it, no matter who it harms. This is, of course… what Jesus himself… faced in the wilderness immediately following his baptism… immediately after hearing the voice of God claiming him as God's beloved, in whom God was well pleased. The Spirit led him out there…  into the desert… where he fasted for 40 days… facing spiritual and physical challenges… he was famished, and weak… and at his most vulnerable moment, the devil stepped in… as the devil is wont to do. We all have experience with the devil… with the voice of the accuser… whether you believe the devil to be an actual being… or the shadow side of our own human self… it doesn't matter. In whatever shape it takes on… the accuser… the devil… is the one who whispers lies in our ear… lies about ourselves and others. It's the voice of shame… the voice that isolates and diminishes… That is the voice of the accuser. God's voice is the one who declares us worthy and loved… while the voice of the accuser, on the other hand… is the one who pulls us away from God's purpose… and from God's vision for us. The voice of the accuser is the one who would have us forget our identity as beloved… as children of God… and who offers only empty promises. It's what the devil tried to offer Jesus… he tried to entice him to reject his identity and grasp at empty promises… to wield power that would serve only himself… instead of those he came to serve. Because… Jesus does have the power to do what the devil suggests… but he chooses not to use it. He chooses not to become an agent for the accuser, because he knows that he is… an agent of God. And Jesus knows… that empires are not eternal… and nations are not sovereign over God… and earthly power is not permanent. What the devil offers are false promises and lies, and what is built on false promises will fall… but what is rooted in God's love and in God's vision… will grow. Jesus, in this most vulnerable moment, holds fast to his identity… and to his purpose… and calls us to do the same, even though it's tempting to follow the lies. Our God, who was made human in Jesus… knows this temptation we face. God's unconditional love for us is grounded in a personal experience of the temptations and suffering that we experience all the time. So when we cry out… in our moments of weakness… when we face temptation… whether we falter or hold fast… we remain beloved… we are still washed with grace, redeemed, and claimed as God's own… We are always being made new and always being called into a vision for a beloved community that is bigger than our own wants and needs… a vision that includes flourishing not only for ourselves but for all our neighbors. This time in the season of Lent offers us the opportunity for our own spiritual growth… a time for reflection, repentance, and renewal… a time to practice resilience in the face of temptation… a time to remember who we are as followers of our God in Christ Jesus. This is a time to reestablish our footing… to ground ourselves in God's love and grace and mercy… and in our place of belonging in God's community… God's kingdom… God's new creation that is arriving but not yet here. It is okay… to be tested… it is okay to face temptation… to face our devils… we all do. It is part of the human experience… there's no shame in it. The devil will tell you to isolate… to pull you away from others…because when you are alone, it's easier to forget who you are, and whose you are. But when we are grounded in God's neighborhood… God's loving community… that calls us each to be our best selves… rooted in the body of Christ and committed to living in ways that reflect that love… then we know we will not have to try and overcome those lies alone. The season of Lent calls us back into God's love… back to that which sustains and supports us on our spiritual journey. This vision of beloved community that Jesus invites us into… well, it may sound like the land of make-believe from Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood, but truly… this beloved community… God's neighborhood… comes a little closer each time we live into God's vision for us… …each time we honor the inherent value and dignity of all our neighbors, as well as our own… and hold them, and ourselves, with the same love that God holds for us. It's not the land of make-believe… it is who we are created to be. Amen.

Today, we had a special musical performance of Heavenly Sunlight by the Faith Chancel Choir at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan. Published Under License From Essential Music Publishing, LLC

Year A – Transfiguration– February 15, 2026 Pastor Megan Floyd Exodus 24:12-18 Matthew 17:1-9 Grace and peace to you from God and the Holy Spirit, and from Jesus Christ, who reveals to us God's glory. Amen. *** In 2012, I had the privilege of leading my congregation's youth group to the ELCA Youth Gathering in New Orleans. The week was filled with joys and challenges, and stories that still make me laugh. But one of the most incredible, mountain-top experiences I had there… was a story of divine encounter… a story of being washed over by the Holy Spirit. It was the night of closing worship, so all of the more than 33,000 participants were gathered in the Superdome to sing and praise God, to listen to inspiring speakers, and to hear the word of God proclaimed. We worshipped each night we gathered, but this one was special… It was special because during the closing worship, we would share holy communion together… as one church… 33,000+ members… one body of Christ. I don't know if you've ever been inside the Superdome in New Orleans, but it is very steep, so there's really not a bad seat in the house, so long as you don't mind heights. My youth wanted to sit at the very top of the arena for this worship experience, so we made our way up the mountain of levels and escalators and found some seats where we could take in the entire scene below. Once we settled in, we were treated to an incredible view… a view of the church… thousands of teenagers and their adult leaders sat below, all eager to begin worship. The excitement and the buzz were intoxicating… as we watched the tiny people way down on the floor bring us together in song and worship. Now you would think that communing over 33,000 people would take all day, but… the organizers have this down to a science, and it actually runs quite smoothly and quickly. Given our location, we watched below as people moved to receive the elements, and then to be anointed… they all received a cross of oil on their foreheads to remind each and every person that they were sealed by the Holy Spirit and marked with the cross of Christ forever. I watched this all take place, and at some point, our group moved to receive the elements as well, and to be anointed with oil… and then we sat back down to wait while the rest were served. And as I sat, I recall feeling a shift in the air… almost like a fullness surrounding me… as when a heavy fog rolls in and you can sense the weight of the space around you. I recall feeling this shift in the air begin at my feet, and then start moving up my legs… I could feel the new air rising, until it suddenly washed up and over my head, and… I just wept. I felt so completely surrounded by the Spirit… so completely held… claimed… and loved… so completely assured of God's faithful presence. It was remarkable… and it is an experience that has stayed with me for all these years. I know… that it changed my relationship with God to one that was no longer distant, but now… more personal… close. We call these kinds of moments… these encounters… mountain-top moments… moments of encountering God… moments of profound closeness with our Creator and source of everlasting love. And of course, we call them mountain-top moments… because in scripture, God's people often seem to meet God on the mountain… as with Moses in our reading from Exodus… and, of course, the Transfiguration of Jesus. Encountering God's full glory is disarming… scary even… and can leave us unsure of exactly how to respond. For me… it left me weeping, which really alarmed the youth. Peter, James, and John head up the mountain with Jesus, and are witnesses to a dazzling display and blinding light… and Moses and Elijah, together with Jesus… And Peter… sweet Peter… he thinks this is great, and offers to set up tents for them… he assumes this is a moment they'll dwell in for some time. We can hardly blame him. And then the voice from God thunders out… with the words we heard at Jesus' baptism. "This is my son, the beloved… with whom I am well pleased…" …but then God adds… Listen to him. Listen. Peter… man… stop talking and take in the moment… just absorb the light of God for a second… let it change you… let it alter your understanding of who this Jesus really is. I understand Peter's desire to stay in that moment… I really do… it's normal. But we don't live on the mountain… we don't get to spend all our time in those incredible moments of clarity with God. We can, and should, bask in the glory of God's light when it is there, but we can't stay there all the time… life continues… and so… warmed from the light of those experiences, we keep moving… And yes, of course, we allow our mountain-top experiences to transform us, to shape our hearts, but then we make our way back down the mountain, to live our lives of faith in the day-to-day. I've asked Raymond to share this photo with you… Last week, I was at a preaching retreat in a little place near Phoenix, and on the property, there was this massive labyrinth. My colleagues and I joked that walking a labyrinth is to intentionally take the most inefficient path toward a destination… but I suppose that's only if you consider the center to be a destination, and not simply part of the journey. I spent some time praying my way through the labyrinth and marveling at how each turn gave me a new perspective on my surroundings… pointing me toward new plants and new views… how each path brought me toward a new understanding of the landscape. In the background, though… was this mountain, with the sun shining so incredibly brightly over it. It felt so present and so close… like I could reach out and touch it… even though it was in the distance… it was an ever-present backdrop for the whole weekend. As I worked my way around the labyrinth, I was sometimes facing away from the light of the sun and from the mountain, but then I would follow the curve of the path and turn a corner… and suddenly the sun would be shining in my face, blinding me… and I would continue walking and soaking in the warmth of the light… and the glory of the mountain, and I felt so incredibly close to God. Peter faced this bright light around Jesus, on the mountain… and he wanted to stay there. We can hardly blame him. Leading up to that moment, they had been climbing through Jesus' liberating ministry of teaching and healing… it was all so amazing… and then Jesus hits them with the shocking revelation that he must suffer and die. …and that any who want to become his followers must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow him. They must be prepared to lose their life for his sake… in order to save it. So yes… I understand why Peter wanted to stay in that glorious moment, soaking in the light and warmth… he was not ready to face the ashes and sorrow that awaited them as they turned toward Jerusalem and the cross. Are any of us ever really ready for that? And yet, they must descend… but that is the blessing of this life of faith… we get to carry God's light forward… we get to experience these moments of encounter… of revelation… these mountain-top moments… and carry them out into the world around us. Remember, you are the light of the world… and it is the light of God's glory with which you shine. This is what it means to walk with Jesus… to walk in the highs and lows and of this life of faith… we have these moments of profound encounter… like at the Superdome in New Orleans… and like this labyrinth at the foot of the mountain… these moments fill us with God's Holy Spirit and shape our lives around God's glory. They help us remember who we are and whose we are… and remind us that we are claimed and redeemed through grace and mercy… and they give us strength for the journey, when the journey takes us through ashes and sorrow. When we find ourselves walking through the shadow of death, these moments help us to keep walking… keep walking… because on the other side is resurrection and new life. And to stay on the mountain… would mean to miss out on all the ways that God continues to show up. If we only ever lived for the grand, mountain-top moments… we would miss all the ways that God reveals God's self to us in small ways… the everyday, ordinary ways. So, we must remember… that mountain-top encounters with God are amazing… awe-inspiring… but we don't need to stay on the mountain… because the promise of transfiguration is that the glory of God transforms every corner of our whole world… and us… along with it, everyday… and always. Amen.    

Today, we had a special musical performance of Offertory by the Faith Chancel Choir at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan. Published Under License From Essential Music Publishing, LLC

Fourth Sunday after Epiphany February 1, 2026 Faith Lutheran, Okemos Micah 6:1-8, Psalm 1, I Corinthians 1:18-31, Matthew 5:1-12   Your Kingdom Come, Your Will Be Done, On Earth as in Heaven…   Our Father in heaven, in each moment, in each day we pray your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as in heaven.   Your kingdom come, your will be done…  I been thinking about our sister congregation, Immanuel Lutheran in Grand Ledge.  Their pastor, Chuck Forrester, has been on leave from call for several months because of a serious medical condition.  For the last five months, God provided Pastor Chrisy Bright to serve Immanuel.  Chrisy, a young pastor, most recently served as an assistant to former Bishop Satterlee, and now for at least the next three months is Immanuel's contracted pastor.  In this present moment this morning she is preaching the good news of God's love in Jesus Christ to the people of Immanuel. God provided both work for a gifted pastor now without a letter of call, and pastoral leadership for a congregation whose called pastor's return remains uncertain.  An answer to most powerful of all prayers: Your kingdom come, your will be done…   One year ago today, Pastor Megan was ordained, and the very next day, she served as our pastor.  Surely, in this moment in the story of Faith Lutheran Church, God provided for us a shepherd abounding in compassion and joy in a time in our society when so much is uncertain.    Both Immanuel and Faith have been blessed too with exceptionally wise lay leaders and brilliant musicians, so reassuring during this past tumultuous, fear-filled year in our country when the foundations of our democracy seem very tenuous.  In ways we may not have readily recognized, our praying the Lord's prayer week after week did not go unheard.  In both congregations, in this fragile time for all of us, signs of the kingdom, signs of the reign of our Father and his Son, signs of God's steadfast, faithful, loving presence…  We are so blessed.   [In a Zoom call on Wednesday with three other former bishops, Floyd, Marcus, and Jerry, Floyd proclaimed that, for him. these readings for today from Micah, Psalm 15, I Corinthians, and Matthew were maybe the best ones in all of our three-year cycle of biblical texts.  Surely, they all are very beautiful and challenging and powerful as such a time as this.]   Many of us know by heart, or have at least heard these famous words from the prophet Micah, plain-spoken words we are called to live out until we take our last earthly breath: He [God] has told you, O mortal, what is good, and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God?     Less familiar, but no less powerful and reassuring are the words of Psalm 15, words for each of us in each moment of each day, for all of us who are daily bathed in God's forgiving love.  Please read them with me in their entirety:  LORD, who may dwell in your tabernacle… [vs.4b:  They are willing to do the right thing, to stand by their oath even to their own hurt.]   And then these opening words from I Corinthians 1:18 revealing the  seemingly contradictory way God has chosen to save us:  The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us [most of whom are probably not all that worldly wise or powerful] to us who are being saved it is the power of God.  How ludicrous to worldly wisdom and worldly power and might to believe that a man accused of treason, who dies on a cross, would thereby takes away the sin of the world.  But it is God's wisdom that Jesus' cruel death would be the very way God would save us from our deep brokenness and alienation from each other and from the One who so loves us, so heals us, so day by day rekindles our faith in and hope and love for our Maker and Redeemer and for our friends and enemies alike.        And then, even more, the beatitudes in Matthew 5 as Jesus sat down and to his disciples long ago and to us this morning began his sermon on the mount.    Hear the beatitudes, these blessings in a translation, a rendering by Steve Garnaas-Holmes, a friend of Pastor Megan's:   Blessed are you who have nothing to offer,         for you are offered everything. Blessed are you who are broken-hearted for the world,         for God weeps with you, and will rejoice with you. Blessed are you who do not seek to dominate,         for love dominates your life. Blessed are you who sacrifice for the sake of justice,         for you will know victory. Blessed are you who are gentle,         for God's gentleness enfolds you. Blessed are you who seek only love,         for God will be everywhere for you. Blessed are you who remain peaceful in conflict,         for so you reveal God. Blessed are you who are treated harshly,         for God treats you to the entire realm of God. Blessed are you who are punished for your compassion,         for this is the way of the cross.  These beatitudes are not commands. They are not orders for how we should live our lives.  Rather they are promises to us when our spirits are weak and pretty much exhausted, when we mourn the injustices and the acts of violence in words and deeds against our brothers and sisters.  The beatitudes are promises that when we hunger for, yearn for, work for respectful, kind, and honest relationships in our own lives and in our communities and in our country, they are promises that already God has begun to fill our hearts with hope.  We see God already exposing the abuses of power and the violation of basic human rights so contrary to the way of our gentle Lord, even now calling tens of thousands of protesters to speak up for those who are treated harshly.    "Your kingdom come, your will be done."  It is already coming, our Father's will already being done.  So, blessed are we, members and friends of Faith, when in each moment and each day, the Holy Spirit moves us to perform simple acts of kindness, simple acts of gentleness, simple acts of mercy.  Blessed are we when that same Holy Spirit enables us to see injustices to the poor and to boldly resist in words and actions those in power who would crush and destroy the lives of those the Bible calls "resident aliens."  And blessed are we if we "take a hit," if we a maligned for the simple acts of compassion we are called to take for the oppressed in our midst, the acts of compassion we take for Jesus who was maligned for all of us, who will always be our Immanuel, God with us, God in the very depths of our hearts…   Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.  Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven…in each of our lives, in each of our hearts, in each of our actions, in each moment of each day.  Amen.                                                                                                                         JDS     *or "kindom," the latter word, recently coined and offered in the Apostles' Creed as an understanding of God's kingdom as a beloved community of siblings, all of us as beloved sisters and brothers with Jesus as our Lord.

Today, we had a special musical performance of We Are A Rainbow by the Faith Chancel Choir (with the Congregation as well) at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan. Published Under License From Essential Music Publishing, LLC

Matthew 4:12-23; RIC Sunday; January 28, 2024 Rich Weingartner Grace to you and peace from God our parent, Jesus our Savior, and the Holy Spirit. Amen. Living in a world where politicians want more and more power. Minorities are treated as "others" and are not safe. Children aren't valued. The hungry are told to fend for themselves. Being judged by where you were born or grew up. Being condemned if you aren't the right religion. Dangerous to hang out with the "wrong crowd." Religious people who seek more power and control. A world where people cry "O God, How Long?!" Before we look more at that world - let's take a look at our readings for today. First, the people of Zebulun and Naphtali receive a message of promise and hope from the prophet Isiah. A promise that God will provide a glorious future. To learn more about this promise, if we read a bit further in chapter 9 of Isiah, we find a familiar text starting at verse 6: "For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders, and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." This isn't just a message of promise and hope for the people of Zebulun and Naphtali, but for us as well. Our psalm today is considered a Trust Psalm.  There are different types of psalms, like songs of thanksgiving, hymns of praise, prayers for help, and trust psalms.  The Lutheran Study Bible says that the "trust psalms express faith and confidence in God amid great difficulties, threats, and dangers." (Lutheran Study Bible, page 776) The psalm is a story of the psalmist expressing desires to God and knowing that God will deliver on the promises. So far we've had a message of hope and promise, and then a reminder to trust in God.  I don't know about you, but these are certainly messages I need to be reminded of on a daily basis. Today's new testament reading was picked specifically to tie in with today's RIC Sunday's theme of "Celebrating Diversity as God's Children." Once a year we celebrate RIC Sunday to remind ourselves of the public promise and commitment we've made as a congregation through our public welcome statement. Just like God constantly reminds us of God's love, we need to be constantly reminded of our commitment to our LGBTQIA+ siblings, our black and brown siblings, people of every age, marital status, neurodivergent status, political leanings, and people of all abilities. It can be easy to get into a routine and forget about the work we do as a congregation of being radically welcoming and inclusive. I remember back to our Diversity Sunday service when we received official recognition as an RIC congregation. It was so wonderful to see everyone celebrating what makes them unique as a diverse child of God. To be featured as the lead story on the 6 o'clock news and, based on the comments on Facebook, see people get riled up about our radical message of inclusive love. So, in case you haven't heard it today or in a while, here is your reminder.  You, yes you, are a vital part of God's diversity - you are a beloved child of God - exactly as you are. You don't need to change to receive God's love - God loves you unconditionally. Through this love you will find yourself changing in ways that bring you closer to the fullness of God's vision for us and the cosmos - the vision of radical and inclusive love. While we may feel lost in the world and not seen as important - remember that God sees us and we will see God's glory revealed. When I read today's Gospel, I started thinking about how this is the launching point of Jesus' ministry. If the Gospel was a TV show like the shows that had theme songs and images that basically set the scene for the entire series - a quick montage of how it all began, I think this would be the imagery that would be used for the TV show of Jesus.  Of course, the TV show "Jesus" would be the much more successful spin off of the prior series "John: Locust Eater". There are two parts of today's Gospel that I want to focus on.  The first is the phrase "fishers of people".  A phrase that many of us are familiar with and have heard many times - but have you thought about what it really means?  Putting a cookie at the end of a fishing line in hopes that someone will eat it and then you can reel them in? This may be an interesting way to try to bring people to the church, but probably not very effective.  When Jesus called his disciples, they weren't people out fishing as a hobby and catching a few fish for themselves or their family, no, they were in the business of fishing, bringing in large quantities of fish. To do this they used nets. When they used nets, they weren't selective in what fish ended up in the net - no, it collected a wide range of fish. The Lutheran Study Bible shares this comment about this passage: "This odd metaphor plays on the notion of a net collecting different types of fish. These disciples will become founders of a church that 'catches' people of all sorts (that is, attracts people who are diverse with regard to nationality, ethnicity, and social class.)" (Lutheran Study Bible, p. 1526)  Sound familiar?  It should - it is very similar to our welcome statement about who we welcome, or hope to "catch" with our work as a congregation. We don't want to selectively share the message of God's love to only certain select people - no - we want to share that message with the world as we celebrate the diversity of God's children. This is where the phrase "cast a wide net" comes from - the wider your net, the more fish, or people, you can "catch" or reach to share God's message with. Speaking of sharing God's message, the next part of the Gospel I want to look at is verse 23, where it states that "Jesus went throughout all of Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news." The "good news" or looking at the Greek –  "gospel".  So often we hear "preach the Gospel" or "share the Gospel".  After all we are part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America - Evangelical meaning to share the Gospel or the good news.  I don't know about you - but often when I think about sharing the gospel, I think about sharing the story OF Jesus - about his birth, death, and resurrection.  However, here we have Jesus starting to proclaim the gospel, the good news.  Now certainly Jesus made references to his birth, death, and eventual resurrection, but that wasn't the core of his teachings. No, Jesus mainly preached the good news of God's inclusive, radical, and counter-cultural love and belonging. That is the heart of the gospel, the message Jesus brought, not about Jesus himself. So, back to the world I described at the beginning.  A world that sounds pretty bleak and depressing. A world that might be struggling and losing hope. A world with downtrodden that are struggling against the government, or as Pastor Megan referred to it last week, the empire. Is this world I describe the world of today?  Is it the world at Jesus' time?  Yes.  And just like back then, we too continue to need the message of Good News that Jesus brings.  A message that runs against the norms, a message that brings a unique perspective to the world, a message that provides a promise - a message I know I'm longing to hear and need to hear these days - yes, Jesus' message brings A New Hope. After events of the past week and yesterday, it can be hard to want to hear a message of hope.  I know it isn't easy preaching about hope and good news amidst what is going on in our world, in our country, in Minneapolis and Minnesota. So be assured, that while I'm preaching on the message of hope - that doesn't mean that feelings of anger, fear, despair, and sadness aren't valid - those are valid and know that God is with you in all your feelings. Also know that the message of hope is there as well - just as the message ran counter cultural during Jesus' time - it does now as well. Back on Christ the King Sunday in November, the service spoke to me and I immediately knew I had to include part of it in my sermon today, as it summarized the message of Christ very well.  This was the Sunday when we were taken on a tour of the church calendar, exploring each of the seasons of the church year.  We are currently in the Time after Epiphany. Here is part of what was shared about Epiphany and the time after. In Epiphany, we look to that ancient star, and we see that the message of God's love knows no bounds: it is a message for people of every color and every tongue, every race and every nation. In the time after Epiphany, we remember that because of Jesus, the divisions that you and I create in our lives will someday be erased by God, who comes to make us all one. Love has come to let us know that there is no such thing as a people from the east or west or north or south. There are only people of God, all created by God, all loved by God, all within the realm of God's redemption through Jesus Christ. The light of the star brought the sages to Jesus, and Jesus is the light that brings God's love to all - to the poor, the lame, the sick, the hurting, the sorrowful, the outcast, those rejected by the world - even to you, in your own joy and sadness, goodness and brokenness, hope and challenges. That is Epiphany. It is the fulfillment of God's love-filled promise extended beyond all human boundaries. It is the light of God that breaks down walls and unites the human family. So, like Jesus, we are called to proclaim this Good News. Part of that Good News is that preaching the message from a pulpit isn't the only way to share the Good News. Just as Pastor Megan has shared, and based on what the Bible says, we are all called in our own diverse ways, based on our own diverse skills, to share the Good News in wide diverse ways. Simply being an RIC congregation is a way we show God's radical love - by emphatically stating that God's love belongs to all, to everyone, especially those that society wants to call "other" or "less than". You help proclaim the Gospel by simply being here - as part of a church that proudly proclaims to our queer siblings, our black and brown siblings, and anyone that society calls "others", that God loves them and they are part of the beautiful diversity of God's children. Some of the other ways we declare God's love include filling the micro pantries every day - where people have access to what they need - with no questions asked, no tests to pass - just God's love through food and personal care items. And it isn't just the people who actually put the items in the pantries, but everyone who buys or donates the items, those who package oatmeal to be ready to go out, those who coordinate it all.  Everyone who works with the young men in the parish house - you are proclaiming God's good news through your actions. Donating items or money to support them, driving them to where they need to go, providing connections in the community so they can get jobs, praying for them - all are part of being a proclaimer of the good news. When society might want to call them less than or unwanted - we, at Faith, proudly say that they are welcome and are loved by God and are part of the wonderful diversity of God's children.   There are so many ways we all partake in proclaiming the gospel - whether you do it through music, through education, through a hug or a meal to someone who is struggling, through just checking in with people to see if they are OK. So while often, we hear of people doing more noticeable or newsworthy things like being part of a large protest in Minneapolis, skipping school or work, or being clergy that go and take action to bring awareness and end up getting arrested for civil disobedience; we have to remember that all ways that proclaim the radical message of God's all inclusive love and redemption to all people, the message of A New Hope, are not only valid, but much needed in this world that is struggling.  So while "we are God's children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed" (1 John 3:2) we strive to continue to live into the message of hope and promise. We work together, as God's wonderfully diverse children, to proclaim the message that Christ shared, until we can all revel in the fullness of God's love revealed to us. Until then, we work together, as fishers of people, to cast a very wide net to proclaim and live into God's radical message of all-inclusive love and redemption for all people. We do all this through the freedom given to us by the death and resurrection of Jesus. Since God has declared that we are fully loved and included and nothing we can do can separate us from the love of God, we can boldly be proclaimers of Christ. We must always remember that when the Empire gets us down, we need to cling to the message of A New Hope, and even when the Empire strikes back because of our radical message of inclusion for the entirety of the diversity of God's Children, that in the end, we can rely on The Return of the Jesus to carry us through.  Amen.