Special music presented by Laura Nelson at the August 14, 2016 church service

This is a recording of the Race, Ethnicity, Religion, & Culture: Learning About Islam session that occurred on August 10th at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan. 

Part of our Race, Ethnicity, Religion, and Culture Series, attendees came and spent an evening learning more about the Islam Religion with Imam Sohail Chaudhry. Please listen and learn!

This is special music from service on July 31, 2016. The Tenor and Bass mens choir singing The Chariot Spiritual.

As Christians, we are called to shift our attention and emphasis away from the small, vain, egocentric self and focus outward by living into a radical trust in God.   In Jesus, we see the very heart of God, and that is where we find the ultimate and lasting treasure – the key that unlocks our hearts so we can live for others, the key that enables us to live lives that are rich toward God.

This is special music presented by Christopher Lewis today at the service at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan

Figuring out what is ultimately important and putting that first ~ that's the challenge of the Gospel. And nothing is more important than living into the Kingdom of God, wherever you are, when it comes near. Sometimes when we discern that God’s kingdom is near, the faithful thing to do is to drop everything and sit still and listen – like Mary. Other times when we discern God’s presence, the faithful thing to do is to get busy, to take on all of the organizational drive, ability and passion we can muster and work like Martha.

Fortunately, Jesus comes daily to beckon us anew to sit at his feet. As God’s people, we connect with God’s mission here first, at the feet of our Savior. Then, bound together as Christ’s Body, we go into the world, a world that will likely crucify us as it did him, to serve the ones who are broken, disconnected and as lost as we seem to be. This is the blueprint for everything we do together as God’s people. We come together at Jesus’ feet to sit and learn for a time.

Then we go out united with Jesus in Baptism and Communion, fed by his living, life-giving word, to live, not as ourselves, but as Christ. You see, it is not about hearing or doing, it is about hearing and doing that makes us faithful disciples. The good news is that when we sit down and eat our fill of the life-giving Word of God, when we have been nourished at this table, we will also be ready to put hands and feet, hearts and minds to work.

So, as I think about my relationship with my sister, I have begun to realize that I was not necessarily “right.” We both were doing necessary things. But, as we live into the dream of God, maybe I need to allow the Word to move me into greater areas of service and, just maybe, she needs to take a little time to become refreshed by God’s life-giving Word.

Today at Faith Lutheran Church, Elliot and Gwynne Kadrofske performed special music within the service with Gwynne played on flute and Elliot on Cello as they performed Air From Suite 3 by Bach.

As we think about this past week, the question for each of us is who is your neighbor and who are you called to serve and be present to as neighbor? Who has been neighbor to you? Jesus Christ has been neighbor to you. The crucified one has been neighbor to you. Have you felt God’s mercy make your own heart merciful, compassionate and loving? Then in your heart you will know what this means: Go and do likewise!

We have been called as a community of people, not individuals, a community of people to share with those around us in the greater community the good news of God’s love, grace, healing and peace. And, we do not work alone. Our mission is a shared mission. We work together as the community of Christ and our hope and welfare is inextricably linked to that of those around us. Participating in this Jesus mission means working and living together in intimate community, becoming vulnerable and giving up our need to control. And, quite frankly, that kind of vulnerability makes this work a lot more fun because it is all about what God is doing and has done and it is not about us.

Special music from the Soprano and Alto Choir of the Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan.

Adopting a life of discipleship cannot be a part-time or momentary commitment. It is a life-changing shift in direction and priorities in which our own human needs and wants become subservient to the call of our Lord, the call to share and LIVE God’s transforming love and grace in this world. And, those who embrace and are embraced by the radical love of God made known in Jesus and his cross must necessarily see this love is contrary to all human conceptions of love. Virtually everything – friendships, love of family, other people, work, community, love of country – everything looks different when viewed through the lens of God’s sacrificial love for the cosmos. And the reality is, that transforming love will sometimes take you to places where you never thought you would go, some of the toughest of places in life. It is going to take you to the toughest place where you must leave your old self behind and never be the same, the place where you will be forever changed!

No, Jesus isn’t in a bad mood. He’s focused. He’s on a mission—a mission that will end with the cross. And, those who follow him are asked to go there with him. As Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, “When Christ calls us, he bids us come and die.” Discipleship is not easy, but it takes us to a much deeper place in this faith journey. And, yes, we are reassured that that deeper place truly is a place of life – new life – and a place of deep, deep joy.

Special music by Georg Philipp Telemann performed by Sara Heft on Flute at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan.

One impact that such understanding can have is to insure that the invited guest lists at our dinner parties do not show us to be labelers! Our guest lists at this table of welcome should never show us to be condescending, prejudiced or self-righteous. In our social circles, organizations and church communities there can be no exclusive circles, only inclusive ones. There is no one to whom we can condescend. If we know that with all our shortcomings and failures God’s extravagant love is great enough to accept even us, then we also know that somewhere very close to us there are feet waiting to be washed!

A special Faith Bells performance at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan

Special Music performed by Julianne Schrote at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan.

Special Music by the Chancel Choir and Faith Bells of Faith Lutheran Church of Okemos, Music

In today's gospel Jesus' ministry bears witness to God's coming reign, where the lowly are shown mercy and the dead are raised. Here, Jesus ministers to a widow by raising her only son to life.

In Sunday's reading from Luke, the Judeans and, by extension, all of us are stopped short in our thinking because Jesus' actions and words shatter all of our efforts at "othering."

Special music by the Faith Lutheran Chancel Choir of Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan.

Special music by the Faith Lutheran church Faith Bells ensemble - You Know My Name. 

Pentecost is about God’s Spirit coming to us and that encounter is nothing less than the very presence of God in our lives. Pentecost shows us that what unites us is God’s Spirit, a Spirit that unites 6 us in love, and that is more important than anything that would divide us. And, we who follow Jesus are called and empowered by the Spirit to do nothing less than share that gospel good news and love with everyone we meet.

This is the sermon from the Church Service at Faith Lutheran Church of Okemos, Michigan. 

Special Music from the Faith Chorale of Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan. 

Sermon from May 1, 2016 based on John 14:23-29 preached by Pastor Ellen Schoepf of Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan