Wednesday Words for July 25, 2012
From Pastor Carrie Smith
Thought for the Day:
Young people say, ‘What is the sense of our small effort?’ They cannot see that we must lay one brick at a time, take one step at a time; we can be responsible only for the one action in the present moment. But we can beg for an increase of love in our hearts that will vitalize and transform all our individual actions, and know that God will take them and multiply them, as Jesus multiplied the loaves and fishes.
-- Dorothy Day
***
In our prayers: We pray for the family of John Larimer, a Crystal Lake resident who died in the movie theater shooting in Colorado. We pray also for the shooter and his family, and for all those who survived but whose emotional and physical wounds will take time to heal.
We lift up in prayer Baby Michelle Skinner, first great-grandchild of Jim and Corrine Zoellick, who was born Saturday, 11 weeks early, at 3 lbs 4 oz.
We pray for continued healing for Kaylie Quindel, who had a brain tumor removed last month; for Fred Becker, who continues to have heart issues; and for Gerda Kristensen, who is having cataract surgery on Thursday.
We give thanks to God for the ministries of Pr. Erik and Pr. Angela, and pray for them both during this time of transition.
We pray for the Tanzania Trippers, who leave for their trip tomorrow, and for Mission Save a Smile, who will travel to Panama next week.
We pray for our new brother and sister in Christ, who will be baptized this Sunday at 10 am: Joseph Karl Navta (grandchild of the Bromans and niece of the Bernhards) and Alexis Hope Neeble (whose dad, Mike, was confirmed here at Bethany.)
This Sunday at Bethany: It’sChristmas in July! All month long we have been collecting items for our local aid agencies. After all, our neighbors have needs all year long, not just at the holidays! Come prepared to sing Christmas carols—maybe it will keep us cool...
We will celebrate the baptisms of Alexis and Joseph at 10 am, and will bless the Mission Save a Smile Team and say “Farewell” to Pastor Angela at both services.
Pantry shower: August 5, 2012 Please help us stock the pantry of Pastor Paul Cannon and his wife, Kirstin. A list of registry items can be found in the Sunday bulletin or in the Documents section of MemberConnect. Please bring your donations to Bethany July 22 - August 3. Paul & Kirstin’s first Sunday at Bethany will be August 5. Please return the completed registry form to the church office to avoid duplications. Thanks!
Do you want to show your thanks for Pastor Angela’s ministry? This Sunday is Angela’s last day with us, and she is still looking for a permanent call as pastor of a congregation. If you have appreciated something about her ministry here, one of the best ways you can support her is to write a letter, a card, or an email that we can send to Bishop Wollersheim as well as her bishop in Ohio. Let’s spread the news that she has gifts to share! Letters can be emailed to me at carrie.smith@bethanylc.com or can be collected in the church office. We will send all the letters in one mailing.
Thank you to all who attended the program with the delegation of Lutheran youth from Palestine. We had a nice crowd of about 70 people, including a whole table of Presbyterians, as well as Congregational, Catholic, and Jewish friends. The stories we heard were powerful. I urge you to share them with your friends and neighbors. You can make a difference!
Mark your calendar: Sunday, August 26th will be an outdoor worship service. Please watch for more details in Wednesday Words and in your worship bulletins.
This Week’s Texts: 9th Sunday after Pentecost
2 Kings 4:42-44
42A man came from Baal-shalishah, bringing food from the first fruits to the man of God: twenty loaves of barley and fresh ears of grain in his sack. Elisha said, “Give it to the people and let them eat.” 43But his servant said, “How can I set this before a hundred people?” So he repeated, “Give it to the people and let them eat, for thus says the Lord, ‘They shall eat and have some left.’” 44He set it before them, they ate, and had some left, according to the word of the Lord.
Psalm 145:10-18 (Message Version)
10-11 Creation and creatures applaud you, God;
your holy people bless you.
They talk about the glories of your rule,
they exclaim over your splendor,
12 Letting the world know of your power for good,
the lavish splendor of your kingdom.
13 Your kingdom is a kingdom eternal;
you never get voted out of office.
God always does what he says,
and is gracious in everything he does.
14 God gives a hand to those down on their luck,
gives a fresh start to those ready to quit.
15 All eyes are on you, expectant;
you give them their meals on time.
16 Generous to a fault,
you lavish your favor on all creatures.
17 Everything God does is right—
the trademark on all his works is love.
18 God's there, listening for all who pray,
for all who pray and mean it.
Ephesians 3:14-21
14For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name. 16I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, 17and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. 18I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 20Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, 21to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
John 6:1-21
6After this Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, also called the Sea of Tiberias. 2A large crowd kept following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing for the sick. 3Jesus went up the mountain and sat down there with his disciples. 4Now the Passover, the festival of the Jews, was near. 5When he looked up and saw a large crowd coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?” 6He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he was going to do. 7Philip answered him, “Six months’ wages would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.” 8One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, 9“There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are they among so many people?” 10Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” Now there was a great deal of grass in the place; so they sat down, about five thousand in all. 11Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted. 12When they were satisfied, he told his disciples, “Gather up the fragments left over, so that nothing may be lost.” 13So they gathered them up, and from the fragments of the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten, they filled twelve baskets. 14When the people saw the sign that he had done, they began to say, “This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world.”
15When Jesus realized that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain by himself. 16When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, 17got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. 18The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing. 19When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were terrified. 20But he said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” 21Then they wanted to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the land toward which they were going.
Peace,
+ Pastor Carrie Smith
