You can find our weekly homilies (sermons, messages, etc) here.
This sermon unpacks Jesus' hard words in Luke 14:26 about “hating” family and even one's own life. It clarifies that in Hebrew idiom, “hate” means “to love less,” so Jesus is calling His followers to detachment—to love Him above all else. Too often, we cling to created things—family, success, wealth, or even our own lives—as if they could bear the weight of being God. When we do, they crack under the pressure, and both they and we suffer. Jesus asks us to “give it up”—to open our hands and hearts by setting down the false gods we cling to, so we are free to receive His love, mercy, and strength. Taking up our cross is not about needless suffering but about learning to rely on Him above all things. When we surrender, He returns our relationships and possessions as true gifts—loved and appreciated, but no longer idols. With simple prayers—“Jesus, give me your eyes to see, your heart to love, your hands to serve”—we learn to place everything in its proper place under Him. Detachment becomes freedom, and the cross becomes life. In Christ, we gain immeasurably more than we ever give up.
This sermon reflects on how modern wealth, convenience, and independence have shaped us to expect comfort and repayment, leaving little room for humility or mercy. Jesus' teaching in Luke 14 exposes our “Pharisee problem”: we grasp for the best seats and avoid the poor, crippled, lame, and blind because they cannot repay us—and because they remind us of our own dependence. Pride blinds us to God's generosity, but the truth is that we are the broken ones who cannot repay. The good news is that Jesus Himself took the lowest seat on the cross—mocked, beaten, and cast out—so that we might be raised up and seated at His eternal banquet. At His table, honor is given not to the proud but to the humble and dependent. Because we have been welcomed by sheer grace, we are freed to welcome others with the same mercy, especially the overlooked and outcast. Our acts of hospitality become a living picture of God's hospitality to us in Christ. In the end, the joy is not in repayment but in hearing the Host's words: “Friend, move up higher.”August 31, 2025
August 10, 2025
1. The Trinity Is Relational, Not Just Doctrinal The Most Holy Trinity is not a puzzle to solve but a God to know. True Christian faith involves not just understanding the doctrine but entering into relationship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 2. We Know the Persons of the Trinity Through Each Other To know the Father, we look to the Son. To know the Son, we receive the Holy Spirit. The persons of the Trinity reveal and glorify one another in perfect unity and love. 3. Knowing God Happens in Everyday Grace God draws near through simple, tangible means: reading Scripture, prayer, the Church, Baptism, Absolution, and the Lord's Supper. Through these, we are known, loved, and drawn deeper into communion with the Triune God.
3 Minute Summer Prayer:1 Minutes for our leaders: Pastors, teachers, staff, Council, School Board1 Minute for our people: your brothers and sisters in our church and school1 Minute for those who will come: in the days and years ahead
May 4, 2025
Only the Spirit of God that has filled someone with his fire can speak that way. Whoosh.
April 20, 2025
April 9, 2025
April 6, 2025
April 2, 2025
March 30, 2025
March 26, 2025
Pastor Mielke explores the concept of repentance and wholehearted living through Jesus' teachings and parables. He emphasizes that God's patience and mercy provide opportunities for spiritual growth, urging listeners to turn towards God and bear the fruits of love rather than exhausting themselves and others.March 23, 2025
March 19, 2025
Pr. Mielke explores how we can become wholehearted when we have resisted Jesus, using the metaphor of a hen gathering her chicks under her wings. He identifies five reasons why people resist Jesus' protection and love, and ultimately calls for believers to stop resisting and relent to Jesus' open arms. The sermon emphasizes that true wholeheartedness comes from allowing ourselves to be loved by Christ.March 16, 2025
March 12, 2025
This sermon on the first Sunday of Lent reflects on Jesus' temptation in the wilderness and its significance for our spiritual journey. In the desert we are not alone- Jesus is with us, calling us to something greater.
March 5, 2025
March 2, 2025
Pastor Mielke explores the concept of resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15, emphasizing that "second is best" in Christianity. He explains how our earthly bodies will be transformed into glorious, incorruptible heavenly bodies, drawing parallels between the first Adam (earthly) and the second Adam, Jesus (heavenly). The sermon concludes with a powerful reminder that the hope of resurrection triumphs over our earthly destiny of returning to dust.February 23, 2025
An introduction to the series "Rising Up" that will look at:1. Our Hope: The Resurrection of our Bodies on the Last Day - how we will be saved.2. How we are also being saved. We are Rising Up even now as we cling to this hope.
This sermon on the Feast of the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple highlights the themes of waiting and suffering, both in the lives of Simeon and Anna and in our own. Mary and Joseph bring Jesus to the temple for consecration, where they encounter Simeon, who proclaims Jesus as the fulfillment of God's promise, and Anna, who rejoices at His arrival. These two elderly prophets represent Israel's long wait for redemption, a wait filled with suffering and longing. Like them, we also experience waiting and suffering in our lives—seeking relief from sin, loneliness, grief, and brokenness. The sermon reminds us that Jesus, the Light of the world, does not stay distant from our pain but enters into it, sharing in our suffering and ultimately overcoming it through His death and resurrection. The devil tempts us to doubt God's promises, but Christ's presence—especially in the Eucharist—assures us that He is with us always. As we navigate life's challenges, we are encouraged to trust in Christ, who brings comfort and peace. The blessed candle serves as a reminder that even in darkness, Jesus is present, our light and salvation, guiding us until we rest in His eternal peace.Waiting and Suffering Are Part of Faith – Like Simeon and Anna, we often wait for God's promises to be fulfilled. Though this waiting can involve suffering, it is not in vain because God is always faithful. Jesus Enters Into Our Pain – Christ does not remain distant from our struggles but shares in our suffering. Through His life, death, and resurrection, He brings redemption and hope to those who feel lost or broken. Christ is Our Light in Darkness – Just as the blessed candle symbolizes Jesus as the Light of the World, He continues to shine in our lives. In moments of doubt and despair, we can trust that He is present, guiding us toward His peace and eternal salvation.
After the major accomplishment of rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem in 52 days, the Judahites hear the Torah. But instead of a time of celebration, they are deeply grieved and begin to weep. Nehemiah, Ezra and the Levites call to them to celebrate because the Joy of the Lord is our Strength.
January, 19, 2025
This sermon on the Baptism of the Lord emphasizes Jesus' identity as the beloved Son of God and the profound significance of His baptism. At His baptism, the heavens open, the Holy Spirit descends, and the Father declares, "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased." Jesus, though sinless, enters the waters not for His sake but to sanctify them for our salvation, cleansing and preparing them to wash away sin for generations to come. Despite this act of love, people often resist Jesus. Some desire a harsher, judgmental figure, while others feel unworthy of His compassion, expecting abandonment and condemnation. Both responses stem from fear and misunderstanding of Jesus' true nature. The sermon highlights that Jesus' baptism is a demonstration of divine love and compassion. He comes to restore the broken, free the bound, and cleanse the sinful. Through baptism, we are made beloved children of God, called to repentance, renewal, and a life of radical love and compassion for others. Jesus invites us to enter the waters of repentance, to be transformed, and to embrace our identity as God's beloved children. In this, we find freedom, renewal, and a mission to share His love with the world.
Those who are wise know they are not wise. That's why they seek wisdom. And wisdom is found in Jesus. He is wisdom. And the Wise Men find him seated on the lap of Mary. She is given the honorary title “Seat of Wisdom” because he is enthroned on her lap. Mary is also the icon of the New Jerusalem, Holy Mother Church, whose heart throbs and overflows with joy when her sons and daughters come home to her son.
This sermon reflects on the disintegration of families and communities, identifying the human heart as central to the problem. The story of Mary and Joseph anxiously searching for the boy Jesus highlights the importance of being in the Father's house, where priorities are realigned, hearts are nourished, and families are strengthened. Jesus' response, “Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?” underscores that spiritual grounding in God's presence is essential for individuals and families to flourish. The sermon challenges us to reflect on misplaced priorities—whether due to work, activities, or distractions—that pull us away from God's house. Pastor Vieth calls for repentance, reminding us that church is where we are born, fed, and reminded of our true identity in Christ. It is also where we are prepared to be sent out to extend God's love and mercy to others, strengthening our cities, neighborhoods, and families. Finally, the sermon encourages the congregation to act as a holy family, sharing Christ's love with the world and pointing others to the Father's house for healing, restoration, and peace. By reprioritizing God's mission, we are called to participate in the rebuilding of broken families and communities.
A reflection on Irish artist Adam Pomeroy's The Nativity.December 24, 2024
Where is the holiest place on earth? The womb! Of all of the places on earth, God chose to dwell in the womb of Mary. This gives us great reverence for the dignity of human life in the womb and for the dignity of all women. But the “womb” is also a way of describing the spiritual life, according to St. Maximus the Confessor.
Advent remembers the past, celebrates it in the present, and looks to the future. Jesus came, is present with us now, and will come again. While we wait for Jesus to return, we would continue to celebrate the past and share that with future generations to come.
As we close our 150th Anniversary we review and give thanks for what God has done through us and in each of us. In addition, we take a look at time and eternity and where we go from here. Time is a gift.We are priests who consecrate the time. We give it back to the Lord and use it for his purposes.
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