About Us
Our Grip On God’s Word
the History
While the presence of Lutheran Churches in Oconomowoc was fairly well established and rooted by the early 1970’s by the larger Lutheran Synods of America, there was no church in the area from the Lutheran Church in America (LCA). Through the vision of the Mission Board of the Lutheran Church in America, land was purchased in 1975 at Lord of Life’s present location on the northeast corner of Cty. Roads P & Z.
Thus, a small Lutheran Church on the northeast side of Oconomowoc was poised to strengthen it’s grip on the truth of God’s Word and the certainty of salvation and share it with the surrounding community. Because of Lord of Life’s grip on the truth of God’s Word, the congregation united around these foundational beliefs of Holy Scripture on which confessional Lutherans stand: “By Grace Alone, By Faith Alone, By Scripture Alone.”
Not long after Lord of Life’s 10th anniversary on April 5, 1987, this congregation joined the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) in 1988. The decision was later made, and we currently are, a member of the NALC, North American Lutheran Church.
Hear From Pastor Mike
December, 2025
“In His name the nations will put their hope.” –Matthew 12:21
Throughout the month of December, we will continue our theme
of “Hope for the Holidays.” The verse above is actually a quotation from the book of Isaiah, a Messianic prophecy of some future time when the God of Israel would make Himself known to other nations. Israel held a very unique place in the ancient world, being the only nation that worshiped one God. While there were some converts to Judaism throughout the centuries, Israel had never implemented an organized “evangelism program.”
We should not forget that the first Christmas was a strictly
Jewish event. Mary and Joseph were Jewish. The innkeeper with a “No Vacancy” sign was Jewish. The shepherds who came to worship the newborn were Jewish. Powerful Romans like Caesar Augustus and
Quirinius were peripheral pawns in the unfolding of divine history. It would take two years before Magi from the East would come to worship the Christ toddler. This was the first indication that Jesus had come to earth not just as a Messiah for Israel, but as the Savior for our entire world.
What you may not know is that Christmas, as wecelebrate it now, has a long and varied history. December 25th was not chosen as the date to commemorate Jesus’ birthday until 336 A.D. (no one knows the real date of His birth). The early Church existed for three centuries without celebrating the Nativity.
During the Middle Ages, Christmas got a bad reputation as a holiday of debauchery and drunkenness. It was neither a silent night nor a holy one! Things got to the point where the English parliament outlawed any Christmas celebrations, religious or secular, from 1647 until 1660. The ban was very unpopular and caused riots in several cities.
The first British colonists to the “NewWorld” followed suit. The Massachusetts Bay Colony, being made up of Puritans
who migrated from England, banned Christmas in 1659. A fine of 5
shillings was levied against anyone who was caught celebrating the
holiday. Although these harsh mandates would be repealed in
1681, businesses and schools in Massachusetts remained open
on Christmas, while most churches remained closed, well into the
mid-1800’s. Scrooge and the Grinch had nothing on these guys!
It took immigrants from other nations to introduce the Christians traditions we hold so dear today. Germans brought the tradition of decorating a tree and gingerbread houses into American culture. Victorian Britian initiated the practice of caroling during the holidays. The French brought the practices of feasting and gift-giving. The Scandinavians introduced the custom of hanging stockings to be filled with goodies. In other words, Christmas as we know it today is the result of many nations coming together.
What began in a small corner of Israel, with a cast of ragamuffin Jews, is now a birthday party celebrated worldwide. The prophecy of Isaiah has come true, with people from every nation placing their hope on the One laid in a manger. And the best news is the same promise He gave to Israel before they would enter the Promised Land: “He will never leave us, nor forsake us” (Deuteronomy 31:8).
Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year toall of you! God is with us!
Your servant in Christ,
Pastor Mike
November, 2025
“In this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope
at all. Who hopes for what they already have?”
— Romans 8:24
I have a confession to make, and I trust I am not the only
one. As a child, I knew where my parents hid the Christmas gifts
before they were wrapped. In the weeks leading up to Christmas, my sister and I would stealthily creep into my parents’ bedroom, open their closet door and stare at all the treasures that had yet to be clothed in
“swaddling wrapping paper.” Of course, we could not play with any of the
gifts; we dare not even open the boxes. But we could anticipate all
the joy we would have on Christmas Eve when this trove would officially be
ours. The surprise of what we were getting would be gone, but
the anticipation remained.
This was back in the “days of old” when department stores waited
until after Thanksgiving before they made their holiday push. By the time this is printed, you probably have seen half a dozen or more Christmas displays. Halloween is now the watershed dividing the holiday season from the rest of the year. And it doesn’t stop there. There is
a Milwaukee radio station that began interspersing Christmas songs with their regular playlist on August 29 this year! I guess some
people want to hear “Let it Snow” when the temperatures are in the high
80’s.
Our theme for the months of November and December is
“Hope for the Holidays.” I believe all of us will admit that the holidays for an adult are different than for a child. “What am I going to get?” has been replaced with “What am I going to give?” Who is going to host the Thanksgiving Dinner? Where will the family gather for Christmas? Should I put up the outdoor lights this year? Time constraints, mandatory appearances, and obligatory gifts can place us in a state of anxiety rather than anticipation. Are there no surprises left?
What we need is a change of perspective. We cannot go back in
time, but nothing prevents us from seeing the holidays through the
eyes of a child. After all, it is that kind of faith that Jesus held up as an example for all. When the first snowfall hits our area, do not grumble about the shoveling or worry about road conditions; thank the Lord for the beauty of the seasons. Go out and catch some snowflakes on your tongue!
Take your eyes off the turkey and stuffing this Thanksgiving and
look deep into the eyes of all the people God has given you to love—and who love you as well!
As the children perform their Christmas program in December, sing
with them in your heart and praise God He is carrying on the faith to the
next generation.
As Christmas nears and you see a nativity scene, take some time to meditate upon that first Christmas and the miracle of “God with us.” When the Spirit of God comes upon you, you may be shocked to find out that there are still a lot of surprises to the holidays.
Hope for the holidays means that our seasonal meals are
but a “foretaste of the feast to come.” It means that the gifts we
give and receive are but a shadow of God’s greatest gift to a waiting world.
Most importantly, from manger to cross to empty tomb, it reminds us that the
best is yet to come. Like kids who find a cache of gifts prepared
for them, but cannot quite enjoy them yet, we wait in expectant hope. We know what awaits all of God’s children but, when it is finally ours, it will be more splendid and surprising than anything we could have ever imagined.
Your servant in Christ,
Pastor Mike
October, 2025
“The righteous will live by faith.” — Romans 1:17
Most people don’t realize it, but these six words changed the world. Two years after Martin Luther had posted his 95 Theses on the church door in Wittenburg, he came across this verse in the tower of the monastery where he lived. His “95 Theses” were an attack upon the practice of selling salvation for a price, namely, indulgences. He knew this practice was wrong, but he had had still not discovered the Gospel. It would take a couple of years before he truly understood thedoctrines of grace and salvation by faith, themes that run throughout theentire Bible. To this day, every church that teaches these truths are known as“evangelical,” whether Baptist, Methodist, or Lutheran.
Once Luther read these words, he could not get them out
of his head. Having memorized large portions of the Bible, he realized that salvation by faith was taught from Genesis to Revelation. In his own words, ““I meditated night and day on those words until at last, by the mercy of God, I paid attention to their context: “The justice of God is revealed in it, as it is written: ‘The just person lives by faith.'” I began to understand that in this verse the justice of God is that by which the just person lives by a gift of God, that is by faith. I began to understand that this verse means that the justice of God is revealed through the Gospel, but it is a passive justice, i.e. that by which the merciful God justifies us by faith, as it is written: “The just person lives by faith.” All at once I felt that I had been born again and entered into paradise itself through open gates. Immediately I saw the whole of Scripture in a different light. I ran through the Scriptures from memory and found that other terms had analogous meanings, e.g., the work of God, that is, what God works in us; the power of God, by which he makes us powerful; the wisdom of God, by which he makes us wise; the strength of God, the salvation of God, the glory of God.”
On October 26th, we will be celebrating Reformation Day
at Lord of Life. This is an important day not only for Lutheran churches, but for Protestants from all denominations (and even some Roman Catholic congregations, as well!). It goes beyond the nailing of 95 theses to a church door; it is the very foundation of the Gospel message preached by all evangelical churches up to this day. Paul summed it up best in Ephesians 2:8-9: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” What makes this doctrine so essential is that it takes the burden from sinful human beings, who are apt to try to earn their salvation, and places it on the shoulders of Christ who died for our sins and was resurrected for our justification (Romans 4:25). When this salvation is taught, preached and believed, it gives God all the glory and comforts the heart weighed down with guilt and anxiety. We may be assured that our Heavenly Father accepts us just as surely as He accepts His own dear Son.
The six words at the top of this article changed the world. Have they changed you?
Your servant in Christ,
Pastor Mike
September, 2025
“I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand.” –Philemon 1:19
In a world of emails and phone texts, letter writing has almost
become a thing of the past. According to a 2021 poll, just under a third had
written a personal letter over the past twelve months. About 1 in 3 people had not written a letter in the past five years. But the statistic that really
surprised me is that 15% of people have never written a personal letter in
their entire lives! The interesting thing is that older Americans are not
significantly more likely to write letters than younger people. In fact,
stationary and “letter clubs” are gaining some momentum among America’s youth in recent years, as an alternative to scrolling on their phones or computers.
When I was in St. Louis at the seminary, my primary way of
communicating with people back home was by letters. Even though I was working full time, a telephone in my dorm room would have been too extravagant a luxury. I saved some of those letters for years. In more recent times, the only personal letters I received were from my aunt who passed away a year and a half ago. I would always take the time to write her back. But since her passing, my “letter writing” has be reduced to short thank-you notes and birthday cards.
In the early church, letters were the only way for a traveling man
like Paul to stay in touch with the congregations he had visited. 13 of the 27
books of the New Testament are attributed to this great Apostle. But they
didn’t start out as books; they were originally letters or what we technically
call “epistles.” While many of these letters were addressed to congregations to resolve problems they were experiencing, a few of these epistles were more personal, addressed to individuals.
During the month of September, we will be looking at two of these
letters. While the majority of Paul’s epistles read like sermons or theological
treatises, these are letters from the apostle’s heart. Philemon was obviously a good friend of Paul’s, and the letter addressed to him bears the fragrance of mutual respect and admiration. The second letter, written to a young pastor named Timothy, has the tone of a father writing to his beloved son. Theologians refer to these missives as “Pastoral Epistles” because they show the softer, more human side of this great Apostle.
After our deep look at Ecclesiastes over the past three months,
these letters will be a refreshing change of pace. Ecclesiastes is for people
who like to think deep thoughts; these letters are for people who long to love
with a passion. Together they stand in stark contrast, showing us the depth and range of our Scriptures. There is a proverb (often attributed to St, Augustine) that says, “The Bible is shallow enough for a child not to drown, yet deep enough for an elephant to swim.” I say, “Jump on in! The water is fine!”
Your servant in Christ,
Pastor Mike
August, 2025
“Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter..”
Ecclesiastes 12:13
When I was a young boy, I loved to read—especially comic strips and comic books. One of my favorites was Richie Rich which featured the “richest boy in the world.” Despite his opulent wealth, Richie was generous with his money and kind to others. His best friend was Freckles Friendly, a boy from a working-class family, who lived in the poorest part of town. Because of his generosity and lack of class distinction, Richie was nicknamed “the poor little rich boy.”
As we come to the close of our sermon study on Ecclesiastes, I wonder if this wasn’t King Solomon’s problem. The expression “poor little rich boy” is defined as “a sarcastic and unsympathetic label for someone, especially a young person, who has access to vast wealth but is discontent at a spiritual or existential level.” It is a familiar trope within literature and film: the kid who has it all and yet is continually unhappy. Social scientists attribute some of this phenomenon to a lack of parental love, demonstrated by an emotionally detached father or mother.
It is impossible to psychoanalyze someone who has been dead for almost 3000 years, so I’m not suggesting that this was the cause of Solomon’s melancholy. But his father, King David, was not the perfect picture of fatherhood. One online article at a website on fatherhood is titled “David: Great King, Lousy Dad.” I would say that is a fairly accurate description. He rarely disciplined his sons, who were apt to run wild. He showed inordinate favoritism toward Absalom, who rebelled against him. And Solomon seems to have gotten lost in the shuffle. It was his mother, Bathsheba, who had to advocate on her son’s behalf, reminding David of his oath to make Solomon his successor. If his mom hadn’t gone to bat on his account, Solomon might never have become king of Israel.
But I believe Solomon’s pessimistic nature had deeper roots. As evidenced in the many Psalms he wrote, David had a great love for the Lord and His Word. The longest chapter in the Bible, Psalm 119, is a love song by David dedicated to the Law of God. Solomon might have inherited his father’s throne but not his father’s faith. In good times and bad, David’s focus was on the Lord Whom he described as both a shepherd and a mighty fortress. Solomon’s perspective was earthly. David wrote songs of praise; Solomon wrote erotic love poetry. David was constantly studying the Law of Moses (God’s wisdom); Solomon collected proverbs (man’s wisdom).
In the end, perhaps God allowed Ecclesiastes to be put into the Bible as an example not to follow. Certainly, the life of Solomon was not a pattern to be imitated. The saddest part is that there is no indication that he ever repented. Instead of working on trying to find the meaning of life, Solomon should have been working on himself.
On the office wall of the church secretary at one of the churches I served, there was a plaque on the wall with these words: “When all is said and done, more gets said than done.” It is a proverb that Solomon must have missed. Wisdom, like wealth, can be squandered.
Your servant in Christ,
Pastor Mike
July, 2025
“Therefore, by their fruits you will know them.” — Matthew 7:20
Like many of you, I was shocked to hear about the murder of Minnesotan State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband on June 14th. The accused assailant, Vance Boelter, attempted to assassinate another legislator that night, resulting in serious injuries to him and his wife. He is now in custody facing a number of charges, both state and federal. As usual, both sides in our highly partisan political divide are accusing the other of inspiring this man to commit these heinous acts. I have no intention of adding fuel to that fire.
As a pastor, what interests me is the fact that Mr. Boelter says he is a Christian. In fact, he claims to be a pastor. You can still see one of his sermons on YouTube. Since the shootings, Christ for the Nations Institute (the religious school from which he received his theological degree), denounced him with the following statement: “We strongly disavow any attempt to align Mr. Boelter’s ungodly thoughts and actions with our biblical teachings. We do not wish for our good name…to be intentionally or unintentionally contextualized and consequently misinterpreted as a contributing factor to this kind of evil behavior.” In other words, “Goodbye and good luck!” Like much of Christendom, they would rather protect their good name and reputation than take the time to seek for one lone, lost sheep. Whatever happened to “innocent before proven guilty?”
Vance Boelter’s case present the Church with an interesting quandary: Is he a brother who has gone astray or a wolf in sheep’s clothing? It is not unusual for a criminal to become a Christian once he or she is incarcerated. But what do we do with a Christian who becomes a criminal? Because of the overwhelming amount of evidence, I am speaking on the presumption that Mr. Boelter is guilty of the crimes for which he is being accused.
The first thing we should do is watch and wait. In the verse above, Jesus tells us that we will know true Christians by the fruit they bear. Now, there is no doubt that murder in cold blood is a bad fruit, even among nonbelievers. But there can be forgiveness for the vilest of sins and that is where the World and the Church part company. I have heard so many people imprison themselves with the words: “I’ll never forgive him/her for what they did to me!”
In Luke 13:6-9, Jesus tells the Parable of a landowner who is frustrated by a fig tree that has not produced any fruit for three years. He orders his gardener to cut it down. But the gardener pleads on behalf of the tree, asking his employer to wait one more year. He promises to dig around the tree and fertilize it in the hopes that it will bear fruit in a year’s time. As Christians, our hope is that Mr. Boelter will express the good fruit of true remorse for the pain he has caused, especially to the children he orphaned through this treacherous act. I pray that his heart will be convicted by the truth of God’s Word: “Thou shalt not murder.” Ideology and rationale will not suffice as a defense in a matter as grave as this; heartfelt confession directed toward those he has harmed is the fruit that should be manifest.
But I will also be looking for a second fruit: confession of the harm he has done to the name of Christ and His followers. I ask you to recall another murderer by the name of King David. The Bible tells us that the Lord was displeased with David for the sins his adultery and murder, as well as the subsequent cover-up. But what really angered God was that David had tarnished the Lord’s good name. 2 Samuel 12:14 says, “Because you have caused the enemies of the Lord to treat the Lord with such contempt.” The world loves it when Christians mess up, whether it is a pastor caught in a sex scandal, or a well-known evangelist caught embezzling. God does not like His holy name being dragged through the mud by an unbelieving world that is ready to mock and deride His holy nature every time one of His children mess up. Mr. Boelter owes every Christian an apology.
Which lead me to the question: What kind of advertisement are you (and I) for the Lord? Are we the type of people who make Christianity look attractive? Obviously, I am not talking about sitting in a pew for an hour every Sunday. I am talking about how we interact with our relatives, our friends and our neighbors on a daily basis. Perhaps, Mr. Boelter is not the only one who needs to repent.
Your servant in Christ,
Pastor Mike
June, 2025
“Guard your steps when you go to the house of God.” — Ecclesiastes 5:1
Are you an optimist or a pessimist? Every one of us seems to have been born with a tendency toward one way or the another. There are people who are so optimistic that they are labelled a “Pollyanna.” Other people seem to live life as if there is a cloud over their heads, ready for disaster to strike at any moment. As in all things, to live life in either of these extremes can prove stressful and even toxic.
During the months of summer (June, July and August), I will be departing from the appointed readings for the week to concentrate on the Book of Ecclesiastes. Even though this book it only 11 chapters long, it packs a wallop! It is actually one of the most controversial books in the Bible; rabbis, pastors and theologians of all ages have wondered how this book found its way in the sacred Scriptures. It is framed by contradictions and paradoxes. It is repetitive yet poetic, containing some of Solomon’s best proverbs. Some have even felt it is heretical in places. What I find interesting is that many great minds, and even entire schools of philosophy, have come to the same conclusions as those found in this book. It even inspired a hit song in the 1960’s! You’ll have to come to church to find out which song.
Ecclesiastes is a hard book (and one of the hardest parts is learning how to spell it!). While many feel that Solomon has a hopelessly pessimistic perspective, I have a different assessment. Solomon is being realistic and because of that, also truthful. If we are going to accept the words of our Lord that “the truth will set you free,” then this book is definitely worth examining. At the seminary, I was taught every book of the Bible points to Jesus as its central figure. The challenge will be to find Him in this somewhat brutal book.
We don’t know how old Solomon was when he wrote this book; many have tried to take an educated guess, but it is impossible to know. Sometimes, he writes like a cynical adolescent. Others are of the opinion that the wise king was going through a midlife crisis when he laid down these thoughts. I am of the opinion that he wrote it late in life, after he had grown world-weary and jaded. Like a grumpy old man sitting on his porch, yelling at the neighborhood kids, Ecclesiastes is Solomon’s bully pulpit. But there is a method to his madness, and we will look for the golden lining surrounding this thunderous cloud.
The verse above issues a fair warning. Hang onto your hats; this will be a bumpy ride. I pray that at the end of it all, your faith will be strengthened, and the Lord of Life will be glorified.
Your servant in Christ,
Pastor Mike