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Faith Lutheran Erie
(opens in a new tab)Service Times: Saturday 6:00 pm (outside June-Aug) ~ Sunday 8:00 am and 10:15 am ~ Sunday School 9:00
We were blessed by a wonderful presentation by Melissa from the Tamarack Wildlife Center on PA birds of prey. We got to meet Watson the American Kestrel, Ruby the Red-tailed Hawk, Luna the Barn Owl, and Bear the Eastern Screech Owl.
If Saint Francis Were HereBy Sister Mary Esther Stewart, SFOIf Saint Francis were here,he would tell us that Jesus said what he meantand meant what he said;that the Gospel was intended to be lived,not just to be read, ignored, and forgotten.If Saint Francis were here,he would tell us that to follow the Poor Christis to share with those who are in need.He would tell us that we are to simplify our lives,so that those less fortunate can have basic necessities.He would remind us that this is God's justice.If Saint Francis were here,he would tell us that he liked Christmas best of allbecause that is the day when God bent lowto walk in our skin,and to show us how much he really wants us for himself:to share his love and his happiness.He would tell us to truly celebrate Christmas!If Saint Francis were here,he would tell us that war is not holy,that it is not good for anyone,and that war does not bring peace.He would tell us about his meetingwith the Muslim Sultan of Egypt,how they both desired peaceand how they became friends.If Saint Francis were here,he would tell us about lepers.He would tell us that those we thinkare the the lowest members of societyare also God's children,and that we must accept themas we would accept Christ.And he would tell us that this is not easy!If Saint Francis were here,he would tell us that all creaturesare our brothers and sistersbecause we have the same Father.He would tell us to respect and carefor the water, the air, the wild creatures,the land, the sea, and each other.And he would tell us to sing, to sing a lot,because we are children of a Great King! Amen!
This weekend we are concluding the Season of Creation with a service of lessons and carols for creation. We will celebrate the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi.
Thanks again to our good neighbors at Fairfield Hose! The kiddos did a great job with Stop, Drop, and Roll!
One of the best days of the school year is when Fairfield Hose visits the preschool. An extra bonus this time was Luke the therapy dog.
Thank you, everyone. The Faith Lutheran team raised $815 to fight hunger in Erie County and around the world. Katie the dog celebrated afterwards with her first visit to the beach.
Here is the sermon for the Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost, on Matthew 21:23-32, for September 27, 2026: It’s time to put your toys away and get ready for bed. Why? Because it’s getting late and it’s time for bed. Why? Because we’re both tired and need our sleep. Why? Because I said so. It’s time for bed. Why? Because I’m the mom, and I said so. You have probably had a few conversations like that in your life. Or a few hundred. It is a very human thing to question authority. It is hard-wired into our developmental stages to want to push back and test boundaries. Sometimes, we’re discovering who we are and trying to make sense of the world. Other times, we’re just being willful. Questioning the rules is natural, but most of us eventually figure out that when the mom card is played, it’s time to stand down. Obedience is usually the prudent course of action. On the other hand, when those in authority are cruel or unjust, challenging that authority might just be the right thing to do. It can also be costly. Maybe you remember what happened to the civil rights marchers when they walked across that bridge in Selma, Alabama in 1965. Maybe you remember what happened to those young pro-democracy protestors in Tiananmen Square in 1989, standing bravely in front of the tanks. In the Small Catechism, this is how Martin Luther explain the fourth commandment, you shall honor your father and your mother: “We are to fear and love God, so that we neither despise nor anger our parents and others in authority, but instead honor, serve, obey, love, and respect them.” And in his letter to the church in Rome, St. Paul admonishes every person to be subject to the governing authorities—to obey the rules, to pay taxes, and so on, because good government and good order are instituted by God. This is all true enough. It is also true that parents and governments are not always good. Leaders can become corrupt or tyrannical. Parents can become broken or unfit. Those who are given authority over others have a corresponding responsibility to use their power wisely and well. In today’s gospel reading, Jesus and the religious leaders have a testy conversation about authority. The priests and elders are deeply concerned about Jesus’ recent behavior. Two days before, he had led a triumphal parade into Jerusalem, riding on a donkey. The crowds were laying their cloaks and palm branches before him and shouting hosannas, welcoming Jesus as their king. I think you can see how threatening that could be for the religious leaders who are doing their best to keep their heads down and live quietly under Roman rule. They don’t want a revolution on their hands. They don’t want Roman soldiers marching in and cracking down on a rebellion. They want to calm things down and keep the peace, such as it is. The very next day, Jesus had stormed into the temple, flipping over the tables of the money changers and the merchants. He wasn’t just causing a scene; he was disrupting the whole sacrificial system of worship. He was calling out the people who were making God’s house of prayer a den of robbers. To make matters even worse, he starts healing the blind and the lame right there in the temple, and the little children keep crying out “hosanna to the Son of David!” as if he were already king. This makes the chief priests and scribes really mad, and I can’t blame them. I wouldn’t want someone bursting into our house of worship and behaving like that. I’d be heading straight to the courthouse to get a restraining order. The day after that, when Jesus comes back to the temple, it is no surprise that they take him to task. “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” In other words, who made you the boss of us, and who in the world do you think you are? Jesus is cagy and answers their question with another question. It’s a trap, of course. They’re not willing to admit that John the Baptist was sent by God, because then they’d have to admit that he was telling the truth about Jesus. And they’re not willing to say that John was just another guy, because then they would incur the wrath of all the people who believed that John was a true prophet. So they shuffle their feet and pretend they don’t know the answer. Jesus slaps right back: If you don’t answer my question, I’m not going to answer yours. So there. Then Jesus tells them that little story about the two sons. Honestly, it’s not his best parable. Yes, the son who eventually obeys and does the work is better, but neither one is that great. Jesus uses the parable to hammer the religious authorities some more. John came, telling everyone to repent because the kingdom of heaven is near, and you didn’t believe him. You’ve had plenty of time to listen to me and see all the things I’ve been doing, but you still don’t believe. You lot are worse than the tax collectors and prostitutes who actually listened and believed; they’re going to beat you into the kingdom. Jesus is exasperated, and it shows. He’s done with arguing and is ready to move on. He knows where all this is heading; he still has things he needs to do. In just a few more days, Jesus will demonstrate his true authority by dying on a cross. He will show his ultimate power in weakness and humility, in absolute obedience to his Father’s will. The source of his authority is love. And that is the only power that can save the world. Amen. Rev. Jean N. Kuebler, September 24, 2026
Baking bread and checking out the altar things at our communion workshop this morning.
Here’s a local volunteer opportunity with Habitat. Please lend a hand if you are able.We are hoping you can assist us with completing the two houses currently under construction before winter sets in.Volunteer & build updates:* House #82 and 83 for families of 4 and 6 people are being built.Anyone 16 years and older can volunteer at our build sites.1730 East 26th Street - new build 4 or 8 hours - www.jotform.com/build/242903971179061Micro Shifts - 1730 East 26th Street - new build. 2 hours - www.jotform.com/build/251964688678178One will be a handicapped accessible house for 4-year-old Na'rael with cerebral palsy.In October, we will build another handicapped accessible house for a 16-year-old who is in a wheelchair as well. Thank you so much! Please share. 😃
Here is the sermon for the Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost, on Jonah 3:10-4:11 and Mt. 20:1-16, for September 20, 2026 (preached at St. Paul's, Erie, St. Mark's, Waterford, and Holy Trinity, Erie, for the Erie Lutheran Conference pulpit exchange): Some years ago, one of my confirmands had a good friend who came with him to all the confirmation retreats. After two years of participating in the retreat weekends, this boy asked to be baptized. I baptized him that Easter. Then a couple months later at Pentecost, I confirmed him along with his friends in the confirmation class. My, did I get in trouble for that. The boy was fine with affirming his baptismal promises. The other youth were fine with him being there. But some of the parents and council members were really mad about it. They didn’t think it was fair for him to celebrate this milestone with his peers. He hadn’t attended the two years of confirmation classes, just the retreats. He hadn’t done as much work as the others. In their eyes, he hadn’t earned the right to be included. In today’s parable, the workers who had been on their feet picking grapes since daybreak were mad at the landowner—because he paid the latecomers the same wage as he paid them. They didn’t think it was fair; they believed in equal pay for equal work, not this blatant favoritism. Friends, the master tells them, it’s no skin off your nose. I’m not doing you any harm. I paid you exactly what we agreed on this morning What’s it to you if I choose to be generous to my other workers? I wonder if his response sits well with them; I have a feeling they go home grumbling. In our first reading, the prophet Jonah is mad at God. Why? Because he knew from the start that God is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love and relenting from punishment. Jonah wanted God to smite Nineveh. He didn’t want to go and preach to these people in the first place; they were ancient archenemies and heathens besides. He had grumpily preached the shortest and apparently most effective sermon ever: Forty days more, and Nineveh will be destroyed. To Jonah’s great chagrin, the people had listened, taken the message to heart, and repented. The entire city, from the king down to the donkeys in the stalls, had fasted and put on ashes and sackcloth to demonstrate their contrition. To Jonah’s even greater annoyance, God had noticed the Ninevite’s change of heart, and decided not to obliterate them after all. Instead of being grateful for the wideness of God’s mercy, Jonah is hopping mad. Those sinners didn’t deserve such generous treatment. So Jonah sulks, hoping that maybe God will destroy Nineveh after all. Maybe the people will backslide and get what they deserve. Maybe God will come back around to Jonah’s way of thinking. Jonah waits and watches. God causes a large shrub to sprout up beside him, and Jonah is glad for the relief from the burning heat. The next day, God sends a worm to attack the bush and make it wither. Jonah is so angry about this that he wants to die. He expects God to be good to him, but doesn’t want God to be good to the people of Nineveh. God calls him out: Friend, you’re so concerned about this shrub, even though you didn’t plant it or care for it. Don’t you think I should be concerned about the tens of thousands of innocent children in that great city of Nineveh, not to mention all the innocent animals? After all, they are also my creatures and my beloved children. And this is where the book ends. It remains an open question whether Jonah will repent of his anger or persist in his grumbling. When I was in elementary school, my mother ran a nature club for the neighborhood children. For the first Earth Day in 1970 we spread mulch on trails in a local park, and we all made posters about things we could do to care for our planet. My mom gave prizes for the best posters, and I was infuriated that I didn’t get a prize. I thought it was obvious that I had made the best poster and deserved a reward. I didn’t care about my mother’s explanation that she wanted to avoid any appearance of favoring her own daughter and that she wanted to encourage some of the other children. I still didn’t think it was fair. It turns out that God is not fair. This should be good news, but we usually act like it’s a problem. We want God to think more like we do; we want our enemies to be God’s enemies too. We want everything to go according to our plans, instead of praying for the grace to accept God’s plans. It annoys us when God shows mercy to people we don’t like. We forget that we don’t deserve mercy either. It can make us resentful that God doesn’t play favorites; it can be hard to admit that the grace of God is for everybody. Salvation is just as much for the hard workers who showed up at dawn as it is for the latecomers who started work at five in the afternoon. In the parable, the latecomers are still standing around in the Home Depot parking lot waiting to be hired because no one has hired them yet. It’s no particular fault of theirs. Even if they were slackers and reprobates, salvation would still be for them too. None of us earns a place in the kingdom. We’re all here by the grace of God. And it’s no skin off our nose if God chooses to be extravagantly generous. There is always going to be enough grace to go around. And then some. Amen. Rev. Jean N. Kuebler, September 18, 2026