Sermon -- 8th Sunday after Pentecost (July 19, 2026)

GOD’S WORD IS ALWAYS EFFECTIVE.

ISAIAH 55:10-11

In the name + of Jesus.

     God’s word is always effective.  We recognize this especially in connection with God’s creation.  When God created the heavens and the earth, everything appeared at God’s command.  On Day One, “God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light” (Genesis 1:3).  On Day Four, “God said, ‘Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to divide the day from the night, and let them serve as markers to indicate seasons, days, and years.’  … and it was so” (Genesis 1:14-15).  It was so because God said so.  God’s word is always effective.

     God’s word continues to sustain the universe.  Upon creating the birds and the water creatures, “God blessed them when he said, ‘Be fruitful and multiply.  Fill the waters of the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth’” (Genesis 1:22).  That word did not apply only to the initial birds and fish God created.  God’s blessing continues so that birds continue to hatch eggs and so that fish continue to spawn.  The same blessing was given to the man and the woman.  It is why people have a natural drive to produce the next generation of people.  Of course, God’s design is for that to take place within the bonds of marriage.  We are not animals.  God has a higher purpose for us than that.

     God’s word also enforces the universe to continue as God commands.  After Noah left the ark, God gave this promise: “While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease” (Genesis 8:22).  God’s word affects every aspect of his creation.  Jesus taught us, “Not one [sparrow] will fall to the ground without the knowledge and consent of your Father” (Matthew 10:29).  God’s word is always effective.  He determines the rise and fall of nations.  He commands the wind and the waves.  He determined your birthday, your parents, and your hometown.  God’s word is always effective.

     Our Lord, however, desires to have a more intimate relationship with people.  You are not impersonal seasons or stars which move at God’s command.  You are more than sparrows which God feeds and sustains as long as he wills.  God created mankind to have a special relationship with him.  Birds, badgers, and beavers do not build cathedrals.  The wind and the waves do not offer up prayers, and the planets do not confess the Creed.  God created people to know him and to be in communion with him. 

     You are God’s special creation.  You were put on this earth to receive God’s blessings and to respond to God’s love with willing obedience.  In order for you to know the blessings God gives, God has to make them known.  In order for you to know how God wants you to honor and obey him, God has to make that known too.  God does this by speaking to you in the Scriptures.  God deals with mankind with words.  And God’s word is always effective.

     Through Isaiah, God explained how he works through his word: “Just as the rain and the snow come down from the sky and do not return there unless they first water the earth, make it give birth, and cause it to sprout, so that it gives seed to the sower and bread to the eater, in the same way my word that goes out from my mouth will not return to me empty.  Rather, it will accomplish whatever I please, and it will succeed in the purpose for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:10-11). 

     God commands the rains to come down and the snow to cover the mountains.  The snow melts and fills the rivers.  The rain saturates fields, orchards, and gardens so that they produce fruits, grains, and vegetables.  At God’s command, the earth produces food to nourish us and sustain us.  In the same way, God’s word goes out to create and sustain faith in people.  As long as you are hearing his word, the Holy Spirit is working to sustain and strengthen your place in the kingdom of God.  By contrast, when God withholds the rain, the land becomes dry and barren.  So also, faith withers and may even perish when we are not hearing it.  This is our own fault.  The fault is not with God or his word.  God’s word is always effective, but it must be heard if it will have its effect.

     God’s word is always effective, but understand that this does not mean God’s word is always well-received.  The Bible reminds us, “The mind-set of the sinful flesh is hostile to God, since it does not submit to God’s law, and in fact, it cannot” (Romans 8:7).  The sinful heart resists God’s word.  Our sinful hearts despise God’s word when he commands us to do what is hard, costly, or inconvenient.  When someone sins against you, which is your desire—to forgive freely or to plot revenge?  To speak well of him or to slander him by telling others what he did to you?  It does not matter to you that you know what God wants.  The sinful heart does not want to do it.  In Jesus’ parable, the problem was never with the seed.  It was with the hardened path.  It was faith choked out by worldly cares or scorched by hardship.  Take care that your sinful heart does not rule over you. 

     If the sinful heart continues to resist God’s word, it will eventually harden itself into unbelief.  Consider Pharaoh.  Moses was sent by God to speak to Pharaoh.  No doubt, Moses told Pharaoh about the Lord, about the promise the Lord had made to the people of Israel, and about the Savior who would eventually come through them.  Based on God’s promises and the special status of the nation of Israel, Moses implored Pharaoh to let the people of Israel go.  “Pharaoh said, ‘Who is the LORD that I should listen to his voice and let Israel go?  I do not know the LORD, and I certainly will not let Israel go’” (Exodus 5:2).    

     Pharaoh repeatedly hardened his heart against God’s word.  The more Pharaoh heard God’s word, the more hardened his heart became.  God’s word is always effective.  Sometimes the effect God’s word has is that it makes sinners become more resistant, hostile, or even violent.  Eventually, God let Pharaoh have his way.  His condemnation was deserved.

     This is a warning for you.  Psalm 95 urges you to not repeat the errors of God’s people from the past.  “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as they did at Meribah, as they did that day at Massah in the wilderness, where your fathers challenged me and tested me though they had seen what I had done.  For forty years I was disgusted with that generation, and I said, ‘They are a people who have hearts that stray.  They do not acknowledge my ways.’  So I swore in my anger, ‘They shall never enter my resting place’” (Psalm 95:7-11).  They had God’s word, but they would not listen.  As a result, they forfeited God’s grace.  Once again, God’s word was effective in sentencing and condemning those who would not repent. 

     Of course, that is not the effect God wants to have on sinners.  What does God tell us his desire is?  “God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:3-4).  The truth is the word which God speaks to us in the Scriptures.  The truth is that he is our good and merciful Father in heaven who does not take delight in the death and damnation of anyone.  The truth is that God’s promises are gracious and his commands are good.  The Lord is a Savior God, and everything he says and does is to serve our good both now and into eternity. 

     God knows our nature and that we are sinners.  But rather than despise us and dispose of us, he has acted to set us free from the bondage of our sin and from the curse of death.  As soon as a Savior was needed back in the Garden of Eden, God promised one.  Despite man’s continual rebellion, the Lord never withdrew the promise of a Savior.  Even if people are not faithful to him, the Lord remains faithful to his promises.  And God’s word is always effective.  Even though many harden their hearts against God’s word, that word still produces people who delight in God’s promises and are eager to follow God’s commands.

     True to his word, God the Father sent his Son to rescue you from your sin.  Jesus Christ fulfilled all that God said he would.  Jesus was fully obedient to God’s word, gladly doing all that his Father commanded him to do.  That included exchanging his holy life for your sin.  It did not matter to Jesus that his sufferings and death would be hard and costly and inconvenient; Jesus went to the cross to lay down his life to ransom sinners.  Jesus poured out his lifeblood to atone for those who are grieved by their sins, for those who still struggle to do what is good and right and want to do better, for those who are ambivalent to God’s word, and even for those who despise God’s word.  Jesus took up the sins of everyone. Those who harden their hearts to God’s words of salvation forfeit the blessings Jesus won for them.  God desires their salvation, but he will not force himself upon anyone.  Just as God let stubborn Pharaoh go his own way, so he will let those who love their sins keep them.  But God’s word will be effective upon them.  It will justly condemn them for their stubborn unbelief.

     But for you, God’s word has a different effect.  Through his word, God absolves you of all guilt.  The Lord covers your shame with Christ’s righteousness.  The Lord enables you to take up your cross and endure whatever hardships are laid upon you.  The Lord sustains you through this life and will bring you into everlasting glory. 

     God’s word is always effective.  Through it, the Holy Spirit works in you both to desire and to do what God commands.  The Lord corrects you when you are misguided, deceived, or defiant.  He convinces you that his commands are not burdensome.  The Holy Spirit guides you by his word so that you are spared from suffering many griefs.  Instead, he produces in you a blessed life which honors God and benefits your fellowman. 

     On the Last Day, God’s word will again prove itself to be effective.  The Lord Jesus will give the command, and every grave will give up its dead.  And no matter what anyone ever thought of you or said about you, the only word that will matter is what Jesus says.  To all who believed in him, he will give this word: “Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matthew 25:34).  He whose word released you from sin will, by his word, restore you to life and raise you up to eternal glory.  This is God’s promise, and his word is always effective.

In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Worship Notes: Repetition is the Mother of Learning

Repetitio est mater studiorum (because Latin is fun!).  Repetition is the mother of learning.

The pattern of worship at St. John's has been a succession of rotating liturgies.  Sundays usually did not have liturgies repeat from week to week.  While some may appreciate the variety, it does have its drawbacks.

One change you will notice is that we will be locked in on The Common Service for many weeks to come.  The main reason is so that people learn the parts of the liturgy and memorize them.  This is especially important for people who are younger or new to the Lutheran confession.

If someone is learning to dance, he spends his time focused on his feet.  "Where does my left foot go next?  How does my right foot move?"  He does not even enjoy dancing because he is just trying to learn how to do it.  Eventually, after repetition, he no longer stumbles his way through his footing.  He actually gets to enjoy the movement of the dance.

With the liturgy repeating itself week after week, we become exceptionally familiar with the confession of sins, with the canticles, with the Apostles' or Nicene Creeds, etc...   Eventually, most will not even need to refer to a hymnal or a screen.  We can just dance through the liturgy.

For some, repetition is boring.  It is argued, "Doing the same thing over and over again will cause me to speak the liturgy mindlessly."  Perhaps.  I contend that the fault will not be with the liturgy, but with our sinful nature which always needs to be entertained.  After a while, we get bored with everything.

But consider the benefit of repetition.  Repetition leads to memorization.  As people get older, they may lose their eyesight.  But they can still participate because they remember the liturgy.  Young children can learn the canticles even before they learn to read.  This can only happen if the same liturgy is done week after week.  

Does this mean we forfeit variety?  No.  Each week, we have different hymns, different prayers, different Psalms, different readings, and a different sermon.  The Psalm can also be sung in different ways.  The choir can add anthems.  Other instruments can enhance our worship.  There is much variety that can be incorporated while still repeating the structure of the liturgy.

Repetition is the mother of learning.  What we are repeating in our liturgy reinforces what we confess and believe to be true.  That thought will be explored at a later date.

Worship Notes: Why do we do what we do?

When I was a youth, I was curious why we followed the liturgical order we did.  Why not explore other ways to worship?  I never did ask my pastor that question, fearful that even asking was disrespectful.  It was not disrespectful.  It was a good question which deserved a thoughtful answer.  I wish I had asked it.  It was a lost opportunity to gain appreciation about why we worship the way we do.

While that topic could inspire many, long paragraphs (and will likely be a Bible Class topic down the road), this blog post will simply encourage people to ask why we do what we do.

The Church does not have secrets.  Everything should have a clear explanation, an answer to the question: "Why?"  Everything we do in worship--from rites (things spoken) to ceremonies (things practiced)--is done to reinforce the faith and to teach God's people. 

Are there ways to teach the faith that are better than others?  Absolutely.  Sometimes it is a matter of right vs. wrong (such as the Roman Catholic sacrifice of the Mass or an altar call); other times it is a matter of good vs. better.  For example, we would rather have our hymns let by a pipe organ than a kazoo.

If there are better ways to conduct a Divine Service which emphasize the reverence, glory, and mercies of God, we should pursue them--not because we are disposing of what is wicked, but because we can opt for what teaches the faith better.

Not everyone will think every idea is great.  Some may resist any changes at all.  We can become slaves to the "We've always done it that way" mentality.  While it may be true that we've always done something a certain way, there should be a good reason we've always done it that way.  If that reason proves to be a good reason, we can retain what we've done.  If there are better reasons to do something different, we can introduce something different as long as it teaches and reinforces the true, Christian faith.  That is always the goal.

Being skeptical of change is natural.  We like what we know.  We prefer what we are comfortable with.  That is not necessarily bad.  Thrusting something new and revolutionary into the Divine Service should be met with skepticism.  Nothing should be foisted upon a congregation.  People need to be instructed about why we are doing what we are doing so that they can be confident that they are not being led astray and so they can appreciate a more vivid exposition of God's glory.

So, why do we do what we do?  You deserve a better answer than, "We've always done it that way."  And you certainly should not be afraid to ask for an answer.  If you don't know what the point is, ask!  If you want to know why the pastor does what he does, ask!  If you are curious about the reasoning behind some practice, ask!  

The way a pastor presides over a Divine Service is first to the glory of God and then for the edification of God's people.  The pastor should have a solid reason for whatever he does, and God's people should know it, too.

Local Tourist -- US Bank Stadium, Minneapolis

Once again, the Local Tourist is taking some liberties with the word "local."  Earlier today, the Local Tourist and his Mrs. crashed a group outing with the Roots to Wings Summer Camp to tour US Bank Stadium, home of the Minnesota Vikings.  Although our Roots to Wings overlord is a Packers fan, she told our tour guide, 'Today, we are all Vikings fans."  I disagreed.  Go, Pack, Go!

Nevertheless, US Bank Stadium is a magnificent structure.  We got to see several luxury boxes and club areas, the Gjallarhorn, the Vikings' locker room, the press room, the nose-bleed seats, and even were invited to run around on the field.  The children took full advantage of that.  I tried to kick a field goal, but without a holder, it was a pretty ugly attempt.  The Vikings are welcome to have me kick whenever they play Green Bay.

Here are some photos from today.

Installation Service at St. John's Lutheran Church, Lake City, MN

Here is the installation service at St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church from Sunday, July 12, 2026.

Pastor of St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church in Lake City, Minnesota

This is the biography which was included in the bulletin for my installation on Sunday, July 12.  The preacher for the day was my classmate and brother-in-law, Rev. Daniel Schmidt.

Pastor Schroeder’s Biography

            Thomas E. Schroeder (Come on!  His parents didn’t name him “Pastor”!) was born in Sheboygan, Wisconsin on November 28, 1967 to Earl and Mary Ellen Schroeder.  Shortly thereafter, he was reborn of water and the word at Calvary Evangelical Lutheran Church in Sheboygan.  He was raised in Sheboygan and attended grade school at Calvary.  He attended Manitowoc Lutheran High School.  His pre-ministerial training was at Northwestern College in Watertown, Wisconsin.  (Northwestern has since been amalgamated with Dr. Martin Luther College in New Ulm, Minnesota under the name of Martin Luther College.)  Upon graduation from Northwestern in 1990, he attended Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary in Mequon, Wisconsin, serving a vicar year at Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jenera, Ohio.

            In 1992, he married Laura Schmidt of Noblesville, Indiana.  Laura spent a number of years as a stay-at-home-Mom, and also spent many years teaching in Lutheran schools, specifically St. Peter’s in Plymouth, MI and St. Paul’s in Livonia, MI.  Laura and Pastor Schroeder have been blessed with six children—Faith (Milwaukee, WI), Nathanael (Bluffton, IN and to be married to Sarah Gigli in April 2027), Andrew (Shelby Twp., MI), Caleb (Saginaw, MI; married to Caitlin, who is expecting Pastor and Laura’s first grandchild in August), Philip (Lake City, MI—yeah, that’s right, there’s one in Michigan), and Peter (who will be attending Michigan Lutheran Seminary in Saginaw for his senior year).  Pastor and Laura were anticipating a seventh child, but he was stillborn.  Isaac Christopher awaits the resurrection at Glen Eden Cemetery in Livonia, MI.

From left to right: Pastor, Laura, Nathanael, Sarah, Faith, Philip, Peter, Andrew, Caitlin, Caleb

            After graduation from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary in 1994, Pastor Schroeder was assigned to be an instructor at West Lutheran High School (currently located in Plymouth, Minnesota).  He taught religion and Latin and served as Recruitment Preacher / Director.

            After two years there, he opted to be reassigned through the Seminary to be a parish pastor.  In 1996, he, Laura and, at the time, two children moved to Novi, Michigan where he was installed as the pastor at Good Shepherd Evangelical Lutheran Church.  Pastor Schroeder served at Good Shepherd for thirty years. 

            Pastor Schroeder has a blog—www.LutheranSubject.blogspot.com—mainly for posting sermons.  He also occasionally posts other items such as family events, “Local Tourist” postings, things that he finds amusing, or pastoral concerns.  Please note: If you search for Pastor Schroeder’s Facebook page, you will find it.  However, that particular Facebook page belongs to the pastor of Good Shepherd, Novi.  An attempt was made to change the name to something generic, but Facebook was not having it.  If you request Pastor Schroeder as a friend on that Facebook page, it will not be acted upon.  The account will fade and later be adopted by the next pastor at Good Shepherd.

            Pastor and Laura Schroeder like pina coladas, getting caught in the rain, and … oh, wait, wrong reference.  Pastor and Laura Schroeder enjoy camping, reading, taking walks, playing cards and board games, and exploring the area they live in.  Both have sung in choirs.  They are loyal Green Bay Packer fans (your groan here), but they are not obnoxious about it. 

            Pastor and Laura are eager to get to know the members of St. John’s and the community of Lake City.  Pastor Schroeder desires to be a faithful pastor to you.  He seeks your prayers and support so that he can fulfill his vow to be faithful to the Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions.  By exalting and proclaiming Christ, he hopes to show you the Savior to whom you can flee for comfort, hope, and peace.

Today's Earworm -- Billy Joel: Sleeping with the Television on

This earworm is a little obscure.  I think I can blame Peter for this one.  Peter's Spotify playlist includes a lot of Billy Joel, and he will play it in the car when we are out and about.  Suffice it to say, Peter does not have this song on his playlist. 

One of the drawbacks (if you want to call it that) of the modern method of collecting the work of music artists is that you select individual songs.  I bought the full album and ended up listening to all of it.  Of course, the majority of songs on these albums did not get any airplay on the radio.  You had to discover them for yourself.  Such is the case with "Sleeping with the Television on" from Glass Houses.

Thanks to Peter's Billy Joel kick, this song has been running around in my mind for a few days.  But I'm not upset about it.

A side note: The song begins with the conclusion of the Star Spangled Banner followed by the static of a station that has ended its signal for the night.  I am old enough to remember when television stations signed off for the night, follow by about six hours of static and a test pattern.  Younger people will be thoroughly confused by this, as well as Billy Joel's reference to the white noise coming from a television left on all night.

Ah!  Nostalgia!

As a bonus, here is a bootlegged live version of the song.  Some poor soul had one of the most unfortunate obstructed view seats in the arena.