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Tuesday 9am - 1pm Sunday 9am - 11am

Risen Christ Lutheran Church, Plymouth MI, 46250 Ann Arbor Road W, Plymouth, MI (2026)

03/03/2026

THIS FRIDAY NIGHT! Come on out... Let us know you're coming and how many...

02/28/2026

WE ALL NEED HEART SURGERY - There was a boy in Ethiopia whose heart was failing. Not metaphorically. Literally. Rheumatic fever had eaten away at his valves. With every beat, his heart was losing the ability to push life through his body. Without surgery, he would die. But there were no surgeons in his village. No machines. No way forward. Until one day, mercy intervened.
After a heart surgery in Ethiopia that was failing due to infection, another heart surgeon opened his chest here in the United States. That heart surgeon ended up adopting the young boy. During that surgery, a heart-lung machine took over. Blood was rerouted. Skilled hands repaired what disease had destroyed and he lived. Years later, he would stand in an operating room operating the very machine that once kept him alive.

It’s a powerful story. But here is why I tell it: Scripture says every one of us has a failing heart. Not the muscle in your chest - the heart the Bible speaks about. “The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately sick.” That is not exaggeration. That is diagnosis.
We are not spiritually bruised. We are not merely misdirected. We are not slightly off course. We are born spiritually dead to God... and through life, dealing with deadly, rebellious sin. Dead hearts do not cooperate. Dead hearts do not assist. Dead hearts do not improve.

And that is where the Gospel enters. Christ is not a therapist giving advice to the morally struggling. He is the Divine Surgeon.
On the cross, He entered the operating room of judgment. He allowed His own heart to be pierced. He took into Himself the infection of our sin. He let the wrath of God fall on Him.
And for three days, His heart lay still. But on the third day, it beat again. Resurrection. Not repair, but victory. And here is the miracle: That victory is delivered to you.

In Baptism, the old failing heart is drowned and a new one rises with Christ. In Absolution, the verdict is spoken: forgiven. In the Supper, Christ places His living body and blood into hearts that would otherwise collapse.

This is not religious symbolism. This is divine intervention.
You have been on the table. You have been cut open by grace. You have been given a heart that beats because Christ’s heart beats.
And now here is the question that presses on my soul as a pastor: How can we who have been raised from death be indifferent to the dying? How can we debate endlessly and never weep for every neighbor... every co-worker... every ideological opponent... every person posting something that makes your blood boil... every hard-to-love, EGR person ("Extra Grace Required")?

Behind the anger... behind the pride... behind the confusion... There is a failing heart... and only one Physician.

Church, may we never forget what it felt like when we received our fatal diagnosis under the Law, then to be under the knife of grace and mercy of the Gospel. May we never forget the stillness of our own spiritual death before our own surgery... when and where we were saved and made alive.

Oh, God give us holy urgency... to speak clearly, to love boldly, and to point relentlessly to the One who alone can make the heart new. Amen. - Pr. Rennie Kaufmann

02/24/2026

THIS SUNDAY: THE EVENING ENCOUNTER WITH NICODEMUS. Our congregation will be hearing a script (not a drama... just a different way with the sermon) Pr. Rennie wrote based on the Gospel... and what could have been going through his head that night... tied in with strong LAW-GOSPEL stuff from the other readings... And then, they'll hear something along these lines --- Nicodemus came at night, burdened by religion. You and I come burdened by different things... sin and its effects... guilt, pride, fear, fatigue, doubt. But we do not need another voice telling us what to do. We need the Son of Man lifted up for us. And He has been. For you. That whoever believes --- not whoever performs --- whoever believes --- shall not perish but have eternal life. ❤

02/22/2026

MY CONGREGATION WILL BASICALLY HEAR THIS TOMORROW...

His obedience counts as yours. His record replaces yours. His righteousness covers yours. His victory is credited to you.

And that means this: When the devil whispers, “Did God really say?” you answer, “Yes. And Christ has already answered for me.” - Pr. Rennie

02/02/2026

Compassion, Justice, and the Danger of Untethered Faith - by Pr. Rennie Kaufmann

Trying to make sense of the arguments for and against ICE, Border Patrol, Immigration Law Enforcement, and more...? This is for you. Think about this -- "Who gets to define compassion, justice, and love -- and by what authority?"

In recent weeks, I’ve watched friends quote Scripture, hymns, post prayers, and images shared with great emotional force -- all in the name of "justice," "compassion," "peacemaking" (from the Gospel reading of the Beatitudes), and being Christ-like. Much of it sounds beautiful. Much of it feels urgent, and much of it, I believe, is sincere. But sincerity is not the same as faithfulness.

What concerns me is not compassion itself. Hey, Christians are commanded to love their neighbor. Right? What concerns me is compassion untethered from truth, empathy severed from repentance, and biblical language repurposed to support conclusions Scripture itself does not teach.

We all see Scriptures misapplied and cherry-picked... and reduced to slogans... (I pulled these from friends' pages and posted videos and memes) such as... “Blessed are the peacemakers”... “He does not heap contempt upon his neighbor”... “Do justice, love mercy, walk humbly”... “When cruelty becomes normal, compassion looks radical”... “Power without compassion walks a crooked trail”...

All of these sound compassionate and even biblical, because some of them are biblical -- at least in part. But when verses are lifted out of their context and flattened into slogans, they stop proclaiming God’s Word and start serving an ideology rather than Biblical truth and faith.

As I preached yesterday, the Beatitudes, for example, are not instructions for how to earn God’s favor. Jesus is not saying, “If you want to be blessed, be a peacemaker.” He is describing what life looks like when God’s reign breaks into a sinful world -- when mercy, meekness, and peace appear because Christ is present.
But so many turn the Beatitudes into moral marching orders. When that's done, unfortunately, it quietly replaces Gospel with Law -- and usually with a Law that no one can clearly define or consistently apply.

A recent message in posts and reels circulating online insists, “Jesus is not neutral. He doesn’t begin with who is right, but with who is hurting. He is loyal to suffering.” There is a crucial truth hidden here -- and a serious error wrapped around it. You see, yes, Jesus is not neutral -->> but He Is also not undefined!

In a video, an Episcopal priest reduces Jesus' baptism by John into a mere being present and standing with suffering humanity. Yes, Jesus stands in the waters of the Jordan with the suffering... but the crucial distinction is missed -- He stands among sinners. And He does not do so merely to demonstrate solidarity with pain and suffering. He shows God's complete, holy intolerance of sin and perfect love for sinners. He enters those waters because they are filled with those who are repentant and confess sin... And it is for those sins that He has come to carry them to the cross and die.
“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” When Scripture shows Jesus among sinners, it is never an end in itself. It is always a step toward the cross.

To say that Jesus prioritizes suffering over truth subtly detaches pain from sin, as though hurt itself were the primary problem. But Scripture teaches otherwise. Suffering exists because sin exists, and Christ does not merely accompany us in our pain -- He calls for repentance as He desires to redeem us from its cause and save us from sin's curse and penalty.

Jesus is not loyal to suffering as such. He is loyal to sinners by fulfilling God’s Law on their behalf. He does not suspend truth to be present -- He brings truth so that mercy can be real.
I read and hear about "compassion" from those who stand against our laws and Law Enforcement. But compassion untethered from truth and Law and Order is not compassion. We are repeatedly told that to support immigration law enforcement, to insist on boundaries, or to affirm the rule of law -->> is “cruel,” “un-Christlike,” or evidence of moral failure. But Biblical compassion does not erase distinctions God Himself makes.

Love has boundaries. Mercy has form. Justice is not defined by feelings or slogans, but by God’s revealed will.

The same Scriptures that command neighbor-love also affirm lawful authority, accountability, and order. To collapse all moral reasoning into “stand with the hurting” is not Christian discernment -- it is sentimentality baptized in religious language.

Empathy detached from truth becomes toxic. It demands perpetual accommodation, refuses judgment of actions, and ultimately protects neither the vulnerable nor the common good.

A recurring refrain I read and hear insists that we should abandon labels -- Republican, Democrat -- and “just be good humans.” Other nice-sounding phrases that go along with this are, “Just be nice”... "Just be kind"... Being nice and kind is not the Gospel and not why Jesus came. He came, not to make people nice and kind, but to make dead people alive! And sometimes being nice, kind, loving, compassionate, etc. is being informed and standing on solid truth... which may lead us to taking a side.

True Christian niceness, kindness, love, and compassion must be tethered to and framed by Biblical truth. Christianity has never taught that morality floats above belief. Faith shapes conscience, and conscience informs action -- including political judgment. Yes, faith informs and frames politics - because politics IS IN GOD'S DOMAIN.

The problem is not that Christians land on different policy conclusions. The problem is pretending faith should remain abstract and cost-free, never pressing us to make hard distinctions or uncomfortable stands. Christian love is not sloppy. Christian justice is not vague. Christian compassion is not allergic to truth.
Folks, we can stand with people while we stand on true Christian principles. We can grieve real suffering. We can reject abuse, name-calling, and cruelty. We can insist on dignity and affirm infinite worth for every human being. We can do all of that without surrendering biblical clarity, without turning Jesus into a mascot for our preferred causes, and without confusing emotional intensity for moral insight.

Yes, standing with people matters, but it only means something when we are first standing on God’s Word. If we do not know God's Word - what we believe and why we believe it -- then we risk transforming Christianity into compassion without redemption, presence without forgiveness, and justice without truth -- which is a faith that comforts but does not save.

Jesus stands in the water -- yes, but He does so with His face already set toward the cross.

Biblical love of neighbor does not pit compassion against law and order. God’s Word holds them together. Law exists not to erase mercy, but to protect the neighbor from chaos, exploitation, and harm. To love the neighbor is not only to feel concern for those who suffer, but also to uphold the structures that restrain evil, preserve peace, and safeguard the vulnerable. A society without law is not more compassionate -- it is more dangerous. True Christian love, therefore, neither worships power nor despises authority, but recognizes both as gifts meant to serve human flourishing under God. We love our neighbor best not by dismantling order in the name of compassion, but by insisting that justice, mercy, and truth walk together.

(In anticipation of some push-back, or clarification, I offer a comment below)

01/31/2026

"WE DO CARE that many illegal aliens/"undocumented immigrants" are hardworking, tax-paying, church-attending people who came here out of desperation, not malice. I’ve met them and helped them. I've prayed with them and served alongside them. Their innate human dignity and infinite worth is not in question at all.

But caring about people and insisting on the rule of law ARE NOT OPPOSITES. A society that refuses to enforce its laws eventually stops being compassionate to anyone, especially the most vulnerable, here and those on the way!

Two things can be true at the same time: 1. Many illegal immigrants are good neighbors and good people, and 2. Immigration law still exists and must be enforced in an ordered, humane way.

The concern many thoughtful and compassionate people are raising isn’t about demonizing migrants — it’s about whether laws passed by Congress mean ANYTHING at all if states or cities simply decide they won’t cooperate with Federal Authority. That isn’t compassion; it’s selective obedience, which is divisive and destructive. And historically, that kind of nullification creates chaos, not justice.

As for motives or personalities of presidents and other leaders -- administrations come and go. LAWS REMAIN. For example, immigration enforcement didn’t begin with Trump, nor did deportations. Obama deported millions as others have done. Under Obama, there were tragedies and deaths. The real question isn’t ego or optics, but whether a nation governed by laws can survive when enforcement itself becomes optional based on ideology.

If we want reform, the solution is LEGISLATIVE CHANGE — not obstruction, impeding Law Enforcement, storming churches... not slogans, and not pretending enforcement itself is immoral! A broken system needs fixing, but a lawless system helps no one.

We can — and must — speak about immigrants as neighbors -- AND -->> speak honestly about borders, law, and accountability. Those conversations are harder than slogans, but they’re the only ones that actually lead somewhere." - Rev. Rennie Kaufmann

01/24/2026

CHRIST'S DESCENT INTO HELL (from the Apostles' Creed)... Visitors, new members, and long-time members are asking about how we are to understand this phrase.

Well... we embrace the historical, orthodox understanding... We'll be going through this and related issues and Scriptures in our studies next week with a few groups I have the pleasure of teaching here. We'll look at:

Peter 3:18–19 “He was put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, in which He went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison…”

Ephesians 4:8–10 “He descended into the lower parts of the earth…”

Acts 2:27 (Psalm 16) “You will not abandon my soul to Hades…”

Colossians 2:15 “He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, triumphing over them.”

Scripture tells us that Christ descended, but it does not give us a timeline, geography, or detailed mechanics. Lutheran theology is content to stop where Scripture stops.

We'll chat about what Scripture DOES NOT SAY... That Jesus suffered further... That He was punished by the Father after the cross... That redemption was incomplete at Calvary...

So, no, He didn't suffer in hell. It was part of His exaltation as He was on the way to proclaim victory, then rising from the dead... It is a profound mystery. I'm good with that!

We find comfort in this teaching that death is no longer uncharted territory... Christ has been where you fear to go... and the grave is occupied territory—claimed by Christ! Amen and amen. So, a key takeaway is -->> there is no depth of death, of despair, or darkness where Christ is not already Lord!!

So, we repentant Believers can say with St. Paul -- "For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Servant of Christ,

Pr. Rennie Kaufmann

01/16/2026

Confusing Compassion for Chaos

Christian faith has an object — the Truth — Jesus Christ and His Inerrant Word. Faith grounded in The Truth is not merely a private comfort, a philosophy, or a set of abstract beliefs; it is meant to inform and frame every aspect of our lives, including how we view the world and the issues affecting our communities, nation, and world. That includes complex and emotionally charged matters such as immigration, border security, and the work of federal law enforcement. So, a Christian's witness, being “Salt and Light,” continually asks what faithfulness looks like in one's life. It shouldn't be defined by reactionary slogans and selective outrage, but with truth - informed by Scripture and shaped by humility - with love for neighbor - rightly understood.

Every person we encounter descends from Adam, who alone was created in the perfect image of God; that image is now marred and distorted in all of us, yet each life remains God-created and someone for whom Christ died and for whom God calls us to love as neighbors. And God's Word repeatedly urges care for the vulnerable and those in genuine need. So, Christian compassion should be evident, especially when human suffering is visible and close to home. But when compassion is untethered from truth, compassion veers off course. Compassion must not be confused with chaos. Compassion, mercy, and zeal, if they are to remain faithful, have to be grounded in truth.

There are many Christians today who seem to believe that faithfulness requires open borders and hands-off policies, regardless of whether people enter a country illegally. That view detaches mercy from truth and can become dangerous, toxic, and in the end – it is not mercy. While such views are often sincere, good intentions do not automatically produce good outcomes. When zeal is detached from truth, it easily becomes destructive.

God isn't the author of confusion and chaos. Practicing Christ-like mercy shouldn't come at the cost of the rule of law. Civil authority is delegated by God and is not an enemy of love. It is how God designed human governance to restrain evil and preserve peace (Romans 13). This includes those tasked with enforcing immigration law. Federal law enforcement officers are not faceless agents of oppression; they are men and women doing the work entrusted to them within the limits of the law. Illegally impeding them or speaking of them as though their very work was immoral does not advance justice. Yet, tragically, we are seeing disobedience take the wheel where careful discernment and critical thinking used to be, and raw impulse subordinating Biblically grounded justice and theology.

Following Christ and truth means cherishing all human life, from womb to tomb, while respecting the law and those who serve it. Compassion and order can coexist. One doesn't cancel out the other. Pursuing mercy doesn't negate responsibility. Rejecting cruelty doesn't mean embracing chaos.

Mankind is often quick to shout and slow to listen, yelling for "Social Justice." We are not to be shaped by this world's slogans, but by God's Word of Truth, which informs Biblical Justice.

As Salt and Light in this temporary nation within this passing world, we are to speak clearly, act wisely, and refuse to let feelings and emotions trump truth. True peace and compassion are never grounded in chaos but grounded in God's Word!

By Rev. Rennie Kaufmann, Pastor of Risen Christ Lutheran Church, Plymouth, Michigan

12/12/2025

Advent Vigilance: Christian Hope Amid Cultural Shifts

ADVENT DRAWS US - Advent is more than a season of tradition—we are drawn into a season of hope, preparation, and sober reflection, anticipating the coming of Christ, both in remembrance of His first coming in humility and in expectation of His return in glory. Against this backdrop of watchful preparation, we should consider our calling as Christian Citizens in an ever-changing world.

In a world experiencing increased paganism and a growing Islamic presence, as faithful stewards and neighbors, we should thoughtfully and prayerfully engage with these realities. We acknowledge the positive steps by many Muslims who desire to assimilate, distancing themselves from certain historical teachings and practices. At the same time, we also recognize that others, here and abroad, express views contrary to our nation's founding principles that challenge peace, unity, and social cohesion. These complexities call for prayerfulness, vigilance, and hope — not fear — as we live as Salt and Light, engaging the world while awaiting our Savior’s coming.

ADVENT CALLS US - Our vocation as Christian citizens (Salt and Light) is to be more than passive observation; it calls us into active community life, letting our light shine in words and deeds. Surrounded by neighbors of diverse backgrounds, including many Muslims, we must approach our neighbors leading with curiosity and compassion, not suspicion. Many Muslims in America are deeply committed to their families, value hard work and hospitality, and share dreams of stability and prosperity. Many uphold similar aspects of traditional morality, such as support for natural marriage and opposition to abortion. These points of connection can serve as starting points for understanding and even meaningful friendship, as we seek to embody Christ’s love and welcome, and share His Gospel.

ADVENT INVITES US - Advent invites discernment about cultural and demographic changes. Reports suggest that by 2040, Islam may be the second-largest U.S. religion, with regions like Michigan already home to significant Muslim populations. Some label this trend “demographic jihad,” pointing to shifts impacting dialogue, policy, and law. Our response is not alarm, but informed commitment to truth and neighborliness, grounded in our faith. Being grounded in our own faith – what we believe and why – is crucial. Then, understanding Islam’s origins, its history, and its intertwined theological and political perspectives enables us to respond to current events — whether protests, conflicts in the Middle East, questions of immigration, or religious debates — with wisdom shaped by both Scripture and our confessions. Our goal is not to stoke division, but to be effective witnesses and thoughtful participants in society.

ADVENT CENTERS US - Advent centers us on the hope that Christ has come for all and desires all to trust in Him and His saving work. Every person we meet — regardless of background, belief, or heritage — is someone for whom Jesus lived, died, and rose again. We carry this hope not only for ourselves but as a gift to be shared. As we interact with Muslims and neighbors of other cultures and faiths, and as we engage in civic life, let us do so with humility, courage, and readiness to speak of Christ’s love. This season and into the future, let us be faithful in prayer, diligent in learning, and persistent in love for others, so that the light of Jesus would shine in our communities and our participation in public life would be worthy of those awaiting the return of the King. In all things, may Advent’s message of expectation and hope shape our witness and our work for the good of our neighbors and the glory of God.

By Rev. Rennie Kaufmann
Pastor of Risen Christ Lutheran Church, Plymouth, Michigan

11/12/2025

OUR FAITH SHAPES AND FRAMES OUR POLITICS... Politics God's Domain (tell me what is NOT in God's Domain ;) ). Just because something is politicized it doesn't mean it's primarily about politics. Pastors --> don't lean into winsomeness and niceness. Lean into God's Truth in Love. Address the lies being told to your flock about abortion, human sexuality, marriage, the Nuclear Family, Free Exercise of Religion and conscience outside the walls of home and church informing how we live and do work in the Public Square... Talk about the lies of WOKE, BLM, LGBT Ideologies, Socialist and Marxist Ideologies, open borders, Mohammedanism/Islamism... all contrasted with Biblical Truth with both The Law and Gospel...

Risen Christ Lutheran Church, Plymouth MI

03/03/2026

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01/31/2026

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