YouTube -- August 10, 2025

 Here is the Divine Service from Sunday, August 10, 2025.

Update from Good Shepherd (August 7, 2025)

Greetings!

SUMMER SCHEDULE 

Divine Service is Sunday at 10:00 AM.
Sunday School & Adult Bible Classes resume in September.

          The summer schedule will run from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend. There will be no Sunday School or Adult Bible Class. Divine Services will be at 10:00 AM.
          If you will be away for the weekend, alternative local options include St. Paul's (17810 Farmington Road, Livonia) which offers a service on Thursdays at 6:30 PM; St. Peter's (1343 Penniman Ave., Plymouth) which offers a service on Mondays at 7:00 PM; and Peace (9415 Merriman Ave., Livonia) which offers a service on Mondays at 7:00 PM.
          If you are traveling, consult the WELS Church Locator to find a WELS church near your destination. You may want to call to confirm the worship time(s) as their schedule may change for the summer months.

CALENDAR: For a calendar of events and meetings, click here.

SUMMER SERMON SERIES
          On the Sundays in July and August, we will meditate on the Lord’s Prayer.  You can find the schedule here.

BBQ THURSDAYS
          Join us for an evening of summer fun and fellowship on Thursday evenings. The host family will provide the meats of choice. Other members are encouraged to bring dishes to round out the menu. Contact the host family to indicate how you can help.
          So far, we have the following hosts:
                    August 7 (TONIGHT, 6:00-8:00 PM) -- Family Food & Fun Night at Good Shepherd. (We will have a food truck and yard games.)
                    August 14 -- Mark & Carol Camser to host. (Bring your own beverages and lawn chairs.)

ROAD CONSTRUCTION
          Be aware that west-bound traffic on 9 Mile Road is closed between Haggerty and Meadowbrook. There is no known date for the end of this project. Paving on west-bound 9 Mile Road continues.

CHURCH COUNCIL HIGHLIGHTS (July)

>    Here are some dates for upcoming events.  Please join us and invite friends to enjoy these events too.

          Family Fun Night with a Food Truck – TONIGHT!!! August 7 (6:00 – 8:00 PM)
          Church Picnic -- Sunday, September 14 (place TBD)
          BBQ Thursdays – We are looking for some people to host an evening in your backyard with members of Good Shepherd. It is a relaxing evening among friends.

We welcome members to join us and to help plan these various events. Even if you take charge of one event, that will benefit us all.

>  We will be looking for more estimates to replace the windows in the chapel. 

>  Photos for our pictorial directory will be taken on four different Sundays after church.  The dates will be: August 17; August 24; September 7; and September 21.  A sign-up sheet has been posted at church for you to select a date.  We encourage all our members to take part in this to make our pictorial directory as useful as possible.

GOOD SHEPHERD ON YOUTUBE

           Services are uploaded to YouTube each week. Feel free to share the videos. Here is the Divine Service from July 27, 2025: Good Shepherd Novi, Divine Service, July 27, 2025

SUMMER OFFICE HOURS
          The pastor will be a little looser in observing formal office hours in the summer (usually, Monday-Thursday, 9:00 AM – Noon). During the summer months, it is more enjoyable to read outside than in the office, weather permitting. Call or text to confirm any meetings with the pastor (248-719-5218).

INTRODUCTION VIDEO FOR GOOD SHEPHERD LUTHERAN CHURCH
          Here is a video to introduce people to Good Shepherd Lutheran Church of Novi. Share it as much as you can.

DO YOU LIKE US?

          Look for Good Shepherd on Facebook. Then “LIKE” us for updates and other postings. Be sure to share posts with friends.

SHARE THIS POST!
          We desire as many as possible to rejoice in the Gospel which we proclaim and confess. Share the information from our weekly email blast, links to our web page, and even to the pastor's blog to let others know that we have a space in our congregation for them!

In Christ,
Pastor Schroeder

==================

 SUMMER SCHEDULE

DIVINE SERVICES -- Sundays at 10:00 AM.

GOOD SHEPHERD’S WEBSITE
www.GoodShepherdNovi.org

PASTOR SCHROEDER’S BLOG
www.LutheranSubject.blogspot.com 

Sermon -- Summer Sermon Series: Lord's Prayer, 4th Petition (August 3, 2025)

LUKE 11:1-3

GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD.

In the name + of Jesus.

      Satan engages in a continual attack on the Scriptures, and he attacks on many fronts.  One on-going attack is against Creation.  The Bible declares, “God created the man in his own image.  In the image of God he created him.  Male and female he created them” (Genesis 1:27).  Many reject the “male and female” of God’s creation.  They insist that you can be both, or neither, or that you can change from one to the other, sometimes from day to day.

     When God created male and female, he also gave them particular roles.  To the man, he gave the role of protector and provider.  To the woman, he gave the role of helper and child-bearer.  Modern people have cast off these roles.  Instead of regarding them as blessings which God gave, people cry out, “Destroy the patriarchy!”  Women are taught that the role of man is to be despised and craved at the same time.

     Another attack on Creation is the theory of evolution.  This, we are told, is not even open to debate anymore.  The entire universe and every life in it are supposed to have happened by pure chance.  If God gets credit for anything, he is said to have given creation its start.  After that, God simply let things happen as they did.  Death, then, is not a curse, but a natural and necessary step for improvement of the species.  Sin is regarded as a societal construct, meaning that a majority decides what is sinful or not.  So, the goal is no longer to stop committing the sin which inflicts guilt, but to get more people to say it is not evil.  With evolution, the origin of mankind is murky.  When exactly did the knuckle dragging species become sentient human beings?  Adam and Eve are regarded as mythical figures, not historical people.  If so, there is no original sin.  Then sin and death have no connection.  If Genesis 1-3 (the creation of the world, the forming of the man and the woman, the fall into sin, and the promise of a Savior) is fictional, then what do we need a Savior for?  To be saved from what?  In the end, evolution makes Jesus Christ useless and unnecessary.  And that is the point of Satan’s attack on Creation.

     “(We) believe in God the Father almighty, Maker of heaven and earth” (Apostles’ Creed).  We believe it because we trust that God is telling us the truth about his Creation.  Our Lord not only created it, he still loves it, cares for it, blesses it, and sustains it.  This was all put into motion when our Lord created the world.  When God created the vegetation, he blessed it.  “God said, ‘Let the earth produce plants—vegetation that produces seed, and trees that bear fruit with its seed in it—each according to its own kind on the earth,’ and it was so” (Genesis 11:1).  This blessing assures us that seeds will continue to produce the next harvest.  We plant them, even though we have no control over how they will grow.  But God does.  So, when we pray, “Give us this day our daily bread,” we are only asking God to keep his word and to continue his blessing to provide fruits, vegetables, nuts, and berries for another season.

       When God created the animals, he blessed them as well.  “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).  Just as God blessed the fish and the birds, so he also blessed all land animals.  Year after year, the animals reproduce.  We get to marvel at their colors, speed, power, and agility.  Some we prepare in the crockpot or on the grill.  So, when we pray, “Give us this day our daily bread,” we are asking God to continue his creative blessing upon all the fish, birds, and animals.  And we acknowledge that our bacon cheeseburgers and chicken nuggets come from him.

    When you consider the individual petitions of the Lord’s Prayer, six out of seven petitions have to do with the kingdom of God and spiritual blessings.  That’s because the spiritual blessings have eternal value.  But Jesus did not dismiss our earthly needs.  He taught, “Do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’  For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.  But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:31-33). 

     Our Lord knows that we live an earthly life.  We need food, clothing, and shelter for basic survival.  But our Lord usually gives us far more than our most basic needs.  Even if our diet were limited to bread, just think of the variety God supplies.  There is wheat, rye, pumpernickel, and sourdough.  There are croissants, bagels, and doughnuts.  There are tortillas, pitas, and naan.  You get the idea.  But our Lord also provides spices and herbs, fruits and vegetables, fish and meat, and so forth.  Our Lord is most generous in how he blesses us with food.  He also provides clothing, shelter, orderly society, governmental structure, the change of seasons, art, music, laughter, and so on.  When we pray, “Give us this day our daily bread,” we are giving thanks to our Father in heaven for his fatherly goodness in all these things.  We thank him for the blessings which make life more than a matter of survival, but bring us happiness and comfort. 

     Our Father in heaven demonstrates his amazing generosity in providing daily bread to all the world.  As Martin Luther teaches us to confess about this petition, “God surely gives daily bread without our asking, even to all the wicked” (Luther’s Small Catechism: Lord’s Prayer, 4^th Petition).  Our Father is pleased to sustain the lives of all people, whether they acknowledge him or not.  Jesus said, “Your Father who is in heaven … makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust” (Matthew 5:45).  This shows just how loving and gracious our Father is.  That love and care is not limited to people, either.  God loves all that he has made.  He cares for every creature.  Psalm 145 reminds us, “The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season.  You open your hand; you satisfy the desire of every living thing” (Psalm 145:15-16, emphasis added). 

     Our Father in heaven is kind in bringing variety and generous in supplying abundance.  But mankind has often been unappreciative of God’s goodness.  What God provides is never enough or good enough.  Even in the Garden of Eden, where “God said, ‘Look, I have given you every plant that produces seed on the face of the whole earth, and every tree that bears fruit that produces seed.  It will be your food’” (Genesis 1:29), even there the man and the woman craved fruit from the one tree God had forbidden.  And so it continues.  God’s provides, but his provisions receive criticism.  When the Israelites were wandering in the wilderness for forty years, the Lord provided manna for them.  This was bread that they did not have to grow, harvest, and mill.  They simply had to collect what God miraculously provided every morning—daily bread in the truest sense of the word.  If the Lord had not provided it, the Israelites would have died.  Nevertheless, God’s gifts were not good enough.  They complained, “We are disgusted by this worthless food” (Numbers 21:5)! 

     You and I may not declare our disgust, but we are seldom content.  We envy people who have been blessed with more wealth.  We are jealous of people whose blessings are shaped differently.  This does not mean that God has failed to provide your daily bread; it means that you are not content with God’s blessings.  Or perhaps you do not trust that God will provide your needs.  Do you worry that God will fail you?  Now, if you and I pour our money into luxuries and frills—and look through your house, it is a lot of luxuries and frills—it is not God’s fault that the bills do not get paid.  Repent, because God is always faithful.  Even poor people have what they need to live.  Poor people even manage to have large families.  They may live on meager means, but they still live.  God provides daily bread, just as he promises.

     Jesus warned us, “A man’s life is not measured by how many possessions he has” (Luke 12:15).  At the same time, God’s love is not measured by how many possessions we have.  God’s love is demonstrated by the fact that God made himself part of his creation.  The Lord took on flesh and entered this world to deliver us from our sins—for our failure to give thanks, for our failure to trust him, for our coveting other people’s blessings, and for our desire to collect more and to crave what is better or even what is forbidden.  Jesus perfectly trusted his Father to provide for his needs, even though he had no place to lay his head.  Jesus went to the cross where his only possession—his garments—were stripped from him.  The only thing that Jesus had possession of when he suffered and died was our sins.  He paid for those with his life.  But in doing so, he covered the debt we owed and atoned for the obedience we had not given. 

     And now, Jesus still has connected himself to created things to bring the benefits of this salvation to us.  Jesus attaches his salvation to the waters of baptism to wash you clean of every stain of sin.  Jesus attaches himself to the bread of holy communion.  Under this bread, Jesus sustains your faith with the body that has overcome death.  Jesus attaches himself to the wine in the cup.  Under this wine, Jesus gives you the blood which purifies you of all sin.  Daily bread will sustain your life for hours, but the Bread of Life will grant you life without end.  This is what we truly hunger for, and our Lord supplies this need, too.

     “Give us this day our daily bread.”  The heavenly Father knows that you need it, and he will provide it.  But this daily bread only has value for a while.  Therefore, this is what the Lord says: “Hey, all of you who are thirsty, come to the water, even if you have no money!  Come, buy and eat!  Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.  Why do you spend money on something that is not bread?  Why do you waste your labor on something that does not satisfy?  Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good.  Satisfy your appetite with rich food.  Turn your ear toward me, and come to me.  Listen, so that you may continue to live” (Isaiah 55:1-3).  The day will come when you won’t care about what you will eat or what you will drink or what you will wear.  For, your life on earth will have come to its end. 

     Your Father in heaven provides all you need for this life.  Better, your Father in heaven supplies all that you need for eternal life.   He gives you the Bread of Life.  He clothes you in garments of salvation.  He will bring you to heavenly mansions.   Food, clothing, shelter.  It is all you need.  And your Father gives it for free.

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

Sermon -- Christian Funeral for John Melchior Vogeli V (August 2, 2025)

This sermon was preached at Harry J. Will Funeral Home in Livonia.  John received Christian burial at Glen Eden Lutheran Cemetery in Livonia.

His obituary can be found here: https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/livonia-mi/john-vogeli-12467243

Christian Funeral for John Melchior Vogeli V

July 3, 1949 – July 27, 2025

PSALM 84

JOHN HAS RECEIVED A LOVELY DWELLING PLACE.

In the name + of Jesus.

     I only got to know John Vogeli over the past few years at StoryPoint.  Obviously, those were not his best years.  I remember John showing me a drawing he had made.  It was an image for the upcoming Sunday of the Church year, including its Latin name.  That’s not what people usually draw in their spare time.  Right away, I concluded, “This guy likes church!”  I was not wrong.  His confession fits with the Psalm: “How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD of hosts!  My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the LORD; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God” (Psalm 84:1-2).  And now John has received a lovely dwelling place.

     John got to enjoy a number of dwelling places throughout his life.  He was born on July 3, 1949 in Libertyville, Illinois, but Michigan was home for most of his life.  His parents saw to it that he was born again through holy baptism.  He was marked as a child of God.  He received the gift of the Holy Spirit, which means that the Holy Spirit made his dwelling in John.  He lived with the blessing cited in Psalm 84, “Blessed are those whose strength is in you, in whose heart are the highways to Zion” (Psalm 84:5).

     John lived and worked in various places—from college at Concordia in Ann Arbor to the train yards of Pontiac, Hamtramck, and Flat Rock.  No doubt, John was especially fond of his dwelling place with Janice, wherever that happened to be.  Jan, you got to enjoy 56 years of marriage together.  It is more than most people get.  And God blessed that union with children and grandchildren.  God be praised for all of that!

     When John was confirmed, the pastor blessed him with this Scripture verse: “Jesus (said), ‘If anyone loves me, he will hold on to my word.  My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him’” (John 14:23).  The Lord made John his dwelling place throughout his life.  John’s love for God and his word was undeniable.  As I had mentioned, John liked church.  He served in many capacities—playing piano for the elderly, singing in the choir, serving as an usher, and too many more to mention.  Of course, the main thing is not that John served his Lord.  The main thing is that the Lord served him.

     John concurred with the Psalmist: “My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the LORD; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God” (Psalm 84:2).  Why did it matter that much?  Because John recognized his need for a Savior.  I never found John to be insulting, rude, perverse, or given to anger.  Of course, the only times I ever spoke with John was in connection with chapels or devotions.  People tend to behave at church.  But John never hesitated to confess his sins in our services.  He knew that all people are sinners, and he knew it was true of him.  I am sure that you choose to remember the good times and his godly examples.  But, Jan, I am willing to bet that you could recall a few times where John proved he was a sinner.  His death is evidence that he was a sinner; for “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).  John knew it.  He confessed it.  And that is why his soul longed, yes, fainted for the courts of the Lord. 

     John yearned for God’s lovely dwelling place.  “For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor.  No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly.  O LORD of hosts, blessed is the one who trusts in you” (Psalm 84:11-12)!  The Lord God is a sun, and he has shone the light of his love upon John.  God’s love is made known by his Son who was sent to redeem sinners.  God does not want sinners evicted from his mercies; he wants all to dwell in his kingdom.  So, Jesus Christ came to take away the sins of the world.

     The Lord God is a shield.  Jesus shielded John from the Father’s wrath by taking the blow for him.  At the cross, Jesus was forsaken by his Father so that John would not be forsaken in life or in death.  Jesus bore the curse so that John would have the Father’s blessing.  Jesus died in shame so that John could live in glory.  Through Jesus, the Lord bestowed favor and honor upon John.  He did not withhold from John any good thing, but poured out his mercy, grace, forgiveness, and peace.  John yearned for God’s dwelling place where he received the benefits of Jesus’ saving work.  John was absolved of his sins.  He was comforted by God’s promises.  He was strengthened and kept in the true faith by holy communion.  And now John has received a lovely dwelling place in heavenly mansions; for he is a child of God.

     The Psalmist proclaims, “A day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere” (Psalm 84:10).  Our Lord gave John over 27,000 days on earth.  No matter how great the blessings were here, he is being given so much more and so much better.  Today, it may look like death has won, but that is not true.  Jesus Christ, who shielded John from God’s wrath by his death, has conquered death.  Jesus lives.  Jesus holds authority over death and the grave.  And soon Jesus, who clothed John in garments of salvation, will raise him up to be clothed in glory.  All those who have fallen asleep in Jesus will be awakened on the Last Day with glorified and perfected bodies.  That means John will be forever free from the earaches, the lame feet, and any other weaknesses he had.  You will get him back not for a paltry 27,000 days, but forever.  John receives a lovely dwelling place, a new heaven and a new earth.  By clinging to Christ and to his promises, you will join him there.

     “Blessed are those who dwell in your house, ever singing your praise” (Psalm 84:4)!  John loved singing God’s praises.  How much greater the song and how much more joyous the celebration as he joins with angels and archangels and all the company of heaven!  Our songs may be muffled by tears today, but we still sing with confidence because of our hope.  It is the same as John’s hope for a lovely dwelling place, and it is a hope that will not be disappointed.  Jesus Christ has secured it. 

     John loved his wife, Jan.  John loved his sons, John, Michael, and Andrew.  John loved his daughters-in-law.  John loved his grandchildren.  You all know that better than I do.  What I remember about John is this: This guy loved church.  What brought us both comfort is this: Jesus loves and saves sinners.  Because of that, we will receive a lovely—and an eternal—dwelling place.  “O LORD of hosts, blessed is the one who trusts in you” (Psalm 84:4)!  John is so blessed.  John is at peace.  And, no doubt, he is singing.

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

Update from Good Shepherd (July 31, 2025)

Greetings!

SUMMER SCHEDULE 

Divine Service is Sunday at 10:00 AM.
Sunday School & Adult Bible Classes resume in September.

          The summer schedule will run from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend. There will be no Sunday School or Adult Bible Class. Divine Services will be at 10:00 AM.
          If you will be away for the weekend, alternative local options include St. Paul's (17810 Farmington Road, Livonia) which offers a service on Thursdays at 6:30 PM; St. Peter's (1343 Penniman Ave., Plymouth) which offers a service on Mondays at 7:00 PM; and Peace (9415 Merriman Ave., Livonia) which offers a service on Mondays at 7:00 PM.
          If you are traveling, consult the WELS Church Locator to find a WELS church near your destination. You may want to call to confirm the worship time(s) as their schedule may change for the summer months.

CALENDAR: For a calendar of events and meetings, click here.

SUMMER SERMON SERIES
          On the Sundays in July and August, we will meditate on the Lord’s Prayer.  You can find the schedule here.

BBQ THURSDAYS
          Join us for an evening of summer fun and fellowship on Thursday evenings. The host family will provide the meats of choice. Other members are encouraged to bring dishes to round out the menu. Contact the host family to indicate how you can help.
          So far, we have the following hosts:
                    August 7 -- Family Food & Fun Night at Good Shepherd. (We will have a food truck and yard games.)
                    August 14 -- Mark & Carol Camser to host. (Bring your own beverages and lawn chairs.)

ROAD CONSTRUCTION
          Be aware that west-bound traffic on 9 Mile Road is closed between Haggerty and Meadowbrook. There is no known date for the end of this project. Paving on west-bound 9 Mile Road continues.

CHURCH COUNCIL HIGHLIGHTS (July)

>    Here are some dates for upcoming events.  Please join us and invite friends to enjoy these events too.

          Family Fun Night with a Food Truck – August 7 (6:00 – 8:00 PM)
          Church Picnic -- Sunday, September 14 (place TBD)
          BBQ Thursdays – We are looking for some people to host an evening in your backyard with members of Good Shepherd. It is a relaxing evening among friends.

We welcome members to join us and to help plan these various events. Even if you take charge of one event, that will benefit us all.

>  We will be looking for more estimates to replace the windows in the chapel. 

>  Photos for our pictorial directory will be taken on four different Sundays after church.  The dates will be: August 17; August 24; September 7; and September 21.  A sign-up sheet has been posted at church for you to select a date.  We encourage all our members to take part in this to make our pictorial directory as useful as possible.

GOOD SHEPHERD ON YOUTUBE

           Services are uploaded to YouTube each week. Feel free to share the videos. Here is the Divine Service from July 27, 2025: Good Shepherd Novi, Divine Service, July 27, 2025

SUMMER OFFICE HOURS
          The pastor will be a little looser in observing formal office hours in the summer (usually, Monday-Thursday, 9:00 AM – Noon). During the summer months, it is more enjoyable to read outside than in the office, weather permitting. Call or text to confirm any meetings with the pastor (248-719-5218).

INTRODUCTION VIDEO FOR GOOD SHEPHERD LUTHERAN CHURCH
          Here is a video to introduce people to Good Shepherd Lutheran Church of Novi. Share it as much as you can.

DO YOU LIKE US?

          Look for Good Shepherd on Facebook. Then “LIKE” us for updates and other postings. Be sure to share posts with friends.

SHARE THIS POST!
          We desire as many as possible to rejoice in the Gospel which we proclaim and confess. Share the information from our weekly email blast, links to our web page, and even to the pastor's blog to let others know that we have a space in our congregation for them!

In Christ,
Pastor Schroeder

==================

 SUMMER SCHEDULE

DIVINE SERVICES -- Sundays at 10:00 AM.

GOOD SHEPHERD’S WEBSITE
www.GoodShepherdNovi.org

PASTOR SCHROEDER’S BLOG
www.LutheranSubject.blogspot.com 

YouTube -- Summer Sermon Series: Lord's Prayer, 3rd Petition (July 27, 2025)

Here is the Divine Service from Sunday, July 27, 2025.

Family Fun Night at Good Shepherd

Come join us on Thursday, August 7 (6:00 - 8:00 PM).