This week I received our Advent 2025 worship materials, and I came to this realization..... Can you believe it is now less than 3 months until Christmas! This year of 2025 has flown by! And while I didn't mean to panic you this morning, let's hear some words from Psalm 4....

                    "You have put more joy and rejoicing in my heart than when their wheat and new wine have yielded abundantly."    (Psalm 4:7  AMPC)

The Vanderbilt family epitomized the Gilded Age of the late nineteenth century. Descendants of "The Commodore," Cornelius Vanderbilt plowed the vast wealth he'd gained from shipping and railroads into immense homes and lavish social gatherings designed to outdo all others. Fellow Americans were stunned by their wild spending ways.
   
A century later, Arthur Vanderbilt II wrote Fortune's Children, an account of the wild spending that erased the family wealth. In one intriguing account, the author quoted a newspaper reporter's conversation with another Gilded Age figure. When the former said that the Vanderbilt's "spared no expense in the pursuit of pleasure," the latter disagreed. "No, they spared no pleasure in the pursuit of expense." 
   
Wealth is certainly a double-edged sword. Of course, it's nice not to worry about groceries or the power bill. But money can subtly become a hard taskmaster, driving us to compete with others. When that happens, pleasure gives way to pain... stresses like envy and one-upmanship. 
   
The solution is to find our wholeness in God, who can "put more joy and rejoicing" in our hearts than anyone or anything else. And why not? Having created all things, God is far beyond any amount of wealth, any person or home or experience we could ever imagine.  

                   I have vast wealth in simply knowing You, Lord. Please help me be content.  Amen. 

+++ On Sunday we gather for worship at 8:30am and 10:00am and we will hear another of Jesus' parables... this one about a man named Lazarus, a poor beggar. And we will be talking about wealth and treasures and what the valuable things in life really are. At 10:00am we will be celebrating the Sacrament of Holy Baptism once again and welcome another new member to our church family.  Our Facebook "live-stream" begins at 10:00am and, following worship we will upload the completed worship service to our YouTube page, as well. We hope to welcome you for worship on Sunday! 

+++ Following worship our Highway Cleanup crew will be heading out once again to beautify a section of Route 695! See Lynne H. for information and bring your work clothes if you'd like to join the group.  

+++ St. Michael's Lutheran Church will be offering another Grab and Go Dinner of Pasta and Meatballs on Tuesday, September 30. Serving starts at 5:00pm and goes quickly so don't be late!  
   
+++ Don't forget to sign up for our first Second Sunday Luncheon of the new school year, being held on Sunday, October 12th! Barb B. will be making us a batch of her world-famous Mac and Cheese and the fellowship and meal sure are fun. But we need you to sign up so we have enough food for all.  

+++ You can also sign up for Barb M.'s Healthy Aging class, starting on Wednesday, October 8th. The class and soup luncheon will be offered on 5 Wednesday mornings, and Barb would be glad to give you more information about it.  

+++ Have you marked your calendar for our fall Craft Fair on October 24th and 25th? It's a great chance to do some fall shopping and introduce your friends and neighbors to our church. See Betty B. for information, please. 

Make this day a great day and enjoy the wealth God has given each of us!   
​Pastor Jack 

As another great weather weekend approaches for us here in Central NY, here are some words from Psalm 107 for us to think about....

          "They rebelled against God's commands and despised the plans of the Most High. So God subjected them to bitter labor; they stumbled, and there was no one to help. Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress."      (Psalm 107: 11-13 NIV)

One thing that separates God's laws from the laws of man is that God's system is much more interested in reforming sinners than in punishing them. Sure, sin often incurs severe consequences, but these consequences are never dished out for spite or simply because God likes it. Instead, God wants his wayward children to learn from our mistakes... and sometimes that requires a bit of discomfort. Just as a loving father would never let his children get away with dangerous activities, so God will never let us stray too far from Him without letting us feel the heat of our own decisions.
   
So if you ever find yourself straying from God and experiencing the painful weight of guilt, don't use it as an excuse to distance yourself even further. Learn from the Israelites and cry out to God for forgiveness, drinking deeply from God's wellspring of mercy. Repentance will strengthen your walk with God, transforming your mistakes into stepping stones toward God's righteousness. 

        Father, may I never let my regrets become so strong that I forget the hope You provide. Thank you for always leading me home, even when the path is sometimes hard to bear.  Amen.  

+++ Worship on Sunday continues on our Fall Schedule at 8:30am and 10:00am. Using Luke's Gospel account we will hear Jesus teaching us about a manager who decides to "cook the books". What message might this parable from Jesus have for each of us? Join me as we think this through together. At the 10:00am worship we will celebrate the Sacrament of Holy Baptism and the reception of New Members as 5 new sisters and brothers join the family of Immanuel. And KIDZ CLUB is back in session and waiting for all the kids to join the fun. The Choir also returns this week to lead worship and has a wonderful anthem to share with us. Join us either in the Sanctuary or on our Facebook page for the weekly "live-stream" at 10:00am. After worship is complete we will "upload" the recorded worship service to the church YouTube channel, as well. We can't wait to see you on Sunday!

+++ Remember to sign up for the upcoming Dinner and a Movie Night being held on September 26th! Bring a dish to share and join us as we watch and discuss "A Man Called Otto" with Tom Hanks. Since seating is limited... Please sign up this week so we are prepared for the crowd. 

+++ Next Sunday, 9/28 our Highway Clean Up ministry will be heading out to do some more work on Route 695 following worship. You can also sign up for that activity outside the Fireside Room, as well.  

+++ For your planning calendars on Sunday, October 5th we will celebrate World Communion Sunday in worship and then our young people will be heading off for CROP WALK 2025. See Lorlie or one of our young people to get involved and help feed others right here in Central NY!    

+++ Barb Merckel will be offering another session of her Healthy Aging Seminar on 5 Wednesday mornings starting on October 8th. Class size is limited and the session is free... but we need you to sign up outside the Fireside Room for planning purposes. We'll learn about foods, lifestyles, and other strategies to avoid premature aging and the onset of disease. Check with Barb for more details!  

Make this day a great day and always be willing to reach out to God for restoration!
​Pastor Jack 

Happy Friday, my Friends! As we prepare to build a few beds tomorrow... Here are some words for us from 1 Chronicles...
 
              Then David said to God, "I have sinned greatly by taking this census. Please forgive my guilt for doing this foolish thing."   (1 Chronicles 21: 8  NLT)
 
Have the mistakes you've made in the past ever left you paralyzed in the present? Perhaps you truly want to move forward in your relationship with God, but memories of failure freeze up your legs, leaving you stuck in a place of spiritual stagnation. "What if it happens again?" you wonder. "How could God forgive --- let alone use --- such a broken mess as me?" 
   
But as David's plea in today's verse illustrates, the process of strengthening your faith never starts with perfection. It's precisely because we're broken, fallen masses that we have room to grow in the first place. 
   
David wasn't content to let his sin derail the well-being of his nation. He knew that in order to move forward, he needed to dig up the ugly, rotten transgressions he'd buried in his past and lay them at God's feet, begging for forgiveness. And even though his mistakes had physical consequences, as seen in the following passage, God was willing to ultimately forgive his error, allowing David to move into the future as a wiser man.  
   
Are you stewing in your past mistakes, or are you handing them to God so that God can repurpose them for good?    
 
                 Forgive me, God, for stepping out of line. Help me learn from this misstep so that I can walk Your path to a better tomorrow. Amen.  
 
+++ We gather for worship on Sunday at 8:30 and 10:00am. This week we will listen as Jesus tries to teach the Pharisees using a few parables about how God loves and cares for the lost. Have you ever been or felt lost? How did God find you? Or did you find God? We will look at how that happens on Sunday. Our Facebook "live-stream" starts at 10:00am on the church's Facebook page and, of course, after worship is completed we'll upload the recorded worship to our YouTube channel, as well. Please plan to join us for worship on Sunday. 

+++ Following the 10:00am worship this Sunday we'll gather folks planning on becoming members of Immanuel with the coffee in the church Nursery. If you are thinking about membership grab a cup of good coffee, a wonderful homemade treat from Marilyn and join me in the Nursery Room right next door to the Fireside Room!  

+++ TOMORROW is our Sleep In Heavenly Peace Bed Build in the parking lot. I hope you have signed up on the S.H.P. website through Shelley Dawson Smith and will be joining us for this exciting work tomorrow morning! 

+++ And don't forget to sign up for the upcoming Dinner and a Movie night on September 26th! "A Man Called Otto" is being watched and discussed and we hope you'll be here with us that night! But you do need to sign up please!  
 
Make this day a great day and use your past mistakes to do great things for God today!
Pastor Jack

Happy September! I pray that the first days of school were good for our students and teachers! Here are some thoughts from the Acts of the Apostles...
 
                  While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. (Acts 17:16  NIV)
 
Does your faith in Jesus cause you to be disturbed when you see people flagrantly disobeying Him? It should.
   
When Paul arrived in Athens, nothing could've prepared him for the level of debauchery and spiritual confusion he saw all around him. He'd visited some pretty ungodly cities, but the sheer number of idols in Athens struck his soul to the core. He couldn't just let these people stumble blindly in sin and ignorance -- He had to tell them the glorious truth!
   
In our "post-Christian" society, modern idols can be spotted everywhere you look. People are more enslaved than ever, yet they've convinced themselves that this slavery is actually freedom. Confusion and chaos are the new norm, and anyone who sees through the lies is discounted as a lunatic.
   
But despite how hopeless that sounds, it simply means the soil is ripe for planting the seeds of the gospel. People need to hear it, and we should be driven by our love of God to proclaim it. It's not enough to wall ourselves in and just pray -- we need to put feet on our prayers, boldly announcing our faith in this faithless generation.  
 
                      Whenever I'm discouraged by the sinfulness all around me, Lord, help me use this disappointment to fuel my passion for outreach. Help me build the world I want to see. Amen. 
 
+++ We return for worship this Sunday according to our fall schedule at 8:30am and 10:00am. Our 8:30am worship will take place in the Fireside Room, while our 10:00am worship will be in the Sanctuary. We'll be celebrating the Sacrament of Holy Communion on Sunday and we'll hear Jesus tell us about the true cost of being a disciple. My message is entitled, "Counting the Cost" and we'll be thinking about the cost of true discipleship. Our KIDZ CLUB ministry returns on Sunday, as well and the kids will be showing us what they've learned in our recent Vacation Bible School. Come and meet Navigator Jeff and his trusty dog, Scout during our Children's Moments. And if you're joining us on the church's Facebook page... our live stream moves to 10:00am this week. Following worship, we will upload the completed worship service to our YouTube channel as well.   

+++ On Sunday we will also be offering another Meal Ministry delivery. If you or someone you know could benefit from a meal delivery, please let Marilyn know as soon as possible!

+++ Next week the office will be staffed by volunteers each morning from 9:00am-12:00noon as Pam vacations.

+++ On Tuesday night, September 9th we have 3 meetings here at the church....

• Our Finance Team will meet at 6:00pm in the Fireside Room.
• Our SPRC will meet at 6:00pm in the Nursery Room.
• Our Administrative Council will meet at 6:45pm in the Fireside Room.   

+++ The Choir returns for it's first rehearsal of the new season on Thursday 9/11 at 6:30pm in the Sanctuary! 

+++ Next Saturday, September 13th is our Sleep In Heavenly Peace Bed Build in the parking lot. Please see Shelley to sign up via the web site link we have been asked to use. We look forward to another great day as we work to ensure that "no kid sleeps on the floor in our town." 
 
+++ And mark your calendars for another Dinner and a Movie Night on Friday September 26th. We'll be watching and discussing "A Man Called Otto" that evening and you can sign up outside the Fireside Room to get in on the fun and fellowship. 
 
Make this day a great day and let's get about the job of building the world God asks us to build!   
​Pastor Jack