Pastor Joel Leyrer - The Twenty-Third Sunday After Pentecost - Sunday, November 13, 2022

Text: Luke 21:5-19

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Dear Friends in Christ, “Well, I didn’t see that coming.” We’ve all heard someone say that or said it ourselves.

Senior Vicar Christian Willick - The Twentieth Sunday After Pentecost - Sunday, October 23, 2022

Text: Luke 18:18-30

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Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Dear fellow children of God, “What is it that you need?” Some years ago I set out on a quest to ask this question to my close friends, to find out how to be a better friend to them and meet their needs. Perhaps what comes to mind first when you hear this question are the basic “needs” of life, like food, water, clothing, shelter. And while those answer the question I suppose, what I was getting at with my question for them was a bit deeper. “What is it that makes your life whole, that fills that missing piece?” As a result, the answers I got back were all quite deep too. One friend said satisfaction, the feeling that what he did mattered and made a difference to people. Another friend said her close relationships, the ability to share things about her life with certain people in a way she wouldn’t with just anybody. But there was one other friend, no matter how hard I pushed her, who kept coming back with this same answer: “I lack nothing.” She was in effect quoting the words of Psalm 23: “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want,” that is, “I lack nothing.” I told her yes, I guess that’s true from a spiritual perspective, but what about physically, emotionally, interpersonally—there has to be something you need? But she would not change her answer.

Pastor Eric Schroeder - The Nineteenth Sunday After Pentecost - Sunday, October 16, 2022

Text: Luke 18:1-8

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The strength of any relationship can often be measured by the communication within that relationship. We could be talking about children and their parents, brothers and sisters, a business partnership, a friendship, or a marriage, but wouldn’t you agree that it’s true that the strength of the relationship can be measured by the communication that is (or isn’t) taking place? If the conversations between two people are flowing on a regular basis, and the discussions that take place are healthy, and both parties generally leave with positive feelings, then that sounds like a strong relationship, doesn’t it? On the other hand, maybe the interactions are sporadic, and there is a lot of conflict, and one or both parties leave feeling defeated, then that relationship might need some work.

Pastor Joel Leyrer - The Eighteenth Sunday After Pentecost - Sunday, October 9, 2022

Text: Luke 17:11-19

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Dear Friends in Christ, At the end of his Gospel, the Apostle John tells us what we have recorded in the Bible is really only a smattering of everything Jesus did while he walked among us, including his miracles. However, of the many miracles God has preserved for us in the Gospels, it is probably safe to assume the account of Jesus healing the ten lepers would rank among those best known.

Pastor Eric Schroeder - The Seventeenth Sunday After Pentecost - Sunday, October 2, 2022

Text: Luke 17:1-10

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Sometimes we might assume that we know more about a situation than we actually do—at least until we have the details. For instance, maybe we observe someone in their occupation and conclude that we know what their job is all about. The classic example would be a teacher. The school day starts at 8 and ends at 3; weekends off, holidays off, June, July, and most of August off. Seems like a pretty sweet gig, especially if you don’t mind kids. But unless you’ve been a teacher, you might not understand or appreciate how much extra time goes into it, with all the planning, preparing lessons, correcting and meetings that it takes to do the job well.

Pastor Eric Schroeder - The Seventh Sunday After Pentecost - Sunday, July 24, 2022

Text: Micah 3:8-4:5

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“Justice” is a word that seems to mean different things to different people in a variety of situations. Every so often you might hear of someone who is “calling out for justice” and we need to hear more to know what they mean. It might be a claim that a business hasn’t treated a customer fairly. It might be an instance where a crime has clearly been committed, but no one at all has been arrested yet. These days, we hear about “social justice,” and the whole idea is based on the judgment that entire groups of people are being oppressed, and it’s time to make some big sweeping changes and do something about it.

Pastor Kyle Bitter - The Twenty-First Sunday After Pentecost - Sunday, October 17, 2021

Text: 2 Kings 5:14-27

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What would you wish for if you were given three wishes for whatever you want? That’s the premise of a number of movies – most notably Disney’s Aladdin. What would you wish for if granted three wishes for whatever you want? Maybe thinking as a kid you’d want a fun family trip, or that pet you’ve always wanted, or a new toy. Later on in life, maybe your list would include more athletic talent, smoother social skills, or the respect of your peers. Maybe it would be things with a more lasting impact on life. A better salary package. Greater satisfaction and fulfillment from your career. More time with family and friends. Relief from physical or mental health struggles. And of course, no matter what you use the first two wishes on, everyone knows that the third one should be for more wishes so you can keep on going!

Pastor Eric Schroeder - The Fourteenth Sunday After Pentecost - Sunday, August 29, 2021

Text: Psalm 71

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Some of us might remember well one of the longest running ad campaigns in the last century.  Those who are too young can still find it on YouTube… It was way back in the days before you could skip over commercials on your DVR, so anyone watching TV in those days saw them on a regular basis. From 1991-2004, an advertising agency hired by Chevrolet ran a campaign that aimed to brand Chevy trucks as dependable, reliable, strong enough for any task, powerful enough to pull any fully-loaded trailer, built for whatever one might need it for. The agency gained permission to use a song from Detroit’s own Bob Seger, and then it was easy to put it all together and remind us all time and time again that Chevy Trucks were made in America and built “Like a Rock.” 

Pastor Kyle Bitter - The Thirteenth Sunday After Pentecost - Sunday, August 22, 2021

Text: Psalm 1

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A journey starts with just one step. That’s true of just about anything you want to accomplish – starting something new, breaking an old habit – it starts with just one step. If you decide you want to kick your caffeine habit, it starts with the first cup of coffee you pass up. If you decide you want to get into better shape, it starts with that first trip to the gym or that first step out the door. If you want to eat healthier, it starts with that first changed meal. A journey starts with just one step. It sounds kind of simplistic, because one cup of coffee, one workout, one meal – none of these do much in and of themselves. But, if they’re the first steps in a new routine? You might look back in a few weeks or months and be amazed at the progress!

Pastor Kyle Bitter - The Twelfth Sunday After Pentecost - Sunday, August 15, 2021

Text: Psalm 34

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Last summer when so much of the world was going crazy in so many ways, I saw an article inviting people to get away. It described a totally self-sufficient property that had been designed for disconnecting from society and all the craziness that was going on at the time. Surprisingly it was all crammed onto a little less than an acre. Some chickens and a few other selected animals for meat, carefully divided up parcels of land for farming different kinds of fruits and vegetables, a modest home with a well for water, solar panels on the roof and couple of wind turbines for electricity. Supposedly it would allow a family of four to live independently, off the grid, separate from the rest of society.  Maybe that kind of lifestyle has some appeal to you, or maybe it seems a bit crazy, but whatever your opinion is, I’m guessing that the idea of independence and having control of your life is something you value. After all, we find ourselves looking for it throughout life. As young adults, we look forward to being independent of parents, teachers, and others in authority and free to make decisions for ourselves. On the other end of life, as senior citizens, we often desire to retain our independence as much as we can! We move into places labeled as “independent living” even as we prepare for the possibility of needing some level of assistance. None of this should be surprising, because the idea of independence and taking care of yourself is built into the fabric of our culture. What’s the real name for the fourth of July? Oh yeah, Independence Day!