Wednesday Words for November 7, 2012
from Pastor Carrie Smith
Thought for the Day: “This is My Song” (aka Finlandia)
This is my song, oh God of all the nations,
a song of peace for lands afar and mine.
This is my home, the country where my heart is;
here are my hopes, my dreams, my holy shrine;
but other hearts in other lands are beating
with hopes and dreams as true and high as mine.
My country's skies are bluer than the ocean,
and sunlight beams on clover leaf and pine.
But other lands have sunlight too and clover,
and skies are everywhere as blue as mine.
This is my song, thou God of all the nations;
a song of peace for their land and for mine.
Many choirs, bands, and soloists have performed this beautiful hymn, which appears in our hymnal. Here is one lovely version: This is My Song
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Happy 529th birthday, Martin Luther! Martin was born in Eisleben, Germany on November 10, 1483. He was named for St. Martin of Tours, on whose saint day he was baptized.
In honor of Luther’s birthday, a little fun: The Lutheran Insulter (real quotes from Luther, insulting anyone and everyone, but often the Pope or others who disagreed with him!)
In our prayers: John Michaels (in a regular hospital room now); Bonnie Domino on the death of her father; Larry Kohn, beginning cancer treatments; Gary Summers, for healing after his stem cell transplant; and all of our beloved Bethany members who are fighting cancer and chronic illnesses.
A busy weekend!
Coffee with the Bishop: Come to Luther Hall on Saturday at 10 am for an opportunity to meet Bishop Gary Wollersheim of the Northern Illinois Synod! Bishop Gary will be talking about the last 25 years of ministry in the synod, and will be available to answer your pressing theological (and fishing) questions.
Pastor Paul’s Installation: On Sunday afternoon, come to church after your early afternoon nap to attend Pr. Paul’s installation as our Associate Pastor of Youth and Family Ministries. This service of Holy Communion will be at 3 pm. Pastor Jeff Clements, assistant to the bishop, will be preaching.
Stewardship Sunday, Donor Sabbath, Honoring Veterans:
This Sunday, we will honor your generous giving of time, talents, and finances by blessing your commitment cards during the worship services. Thank you for considering how your family can contribute to God’s mission through Bethany Lutheran Church this year!
We will also lift up another kind of stewardship—stewardship of our very own bodies. Churches and synagogues all over the country set aside one day in the autumn to encourage people of faith to become organ and tissue donors. Bethany members Mike and Deb Berdis will share their story of life-giving organ donation. You can learn more here: http://donatelife.net/
Veterans: During announcement time, we will ask all veterans to stand for recognition. If you have served, in wartime or in times of peace, please plan to attend so we can honor you with a special prayer this Sunday.
Mark your calendars: Sunday, November 18th at 7 pm is the Interfaith Thanksgiving Service which is being hosted by Bethany this year. This special worship opportunity is not a replacement for our own thanksgiving service (no worries—the pie fest is still on!). Rather, this is an evening of story and song, including storyteller Jim May, musicians Ravi Subramanyan (Hindu drumming and song), Lia Nicine McCoo, and The Sisters in Spirit (of the Unity Church). We will celebrate, offer our gratitude, and hear stories and music that bring together our many and varied traditions. After the service there will be time for conversation and food (vegetarian). A free-will offering to donate local food pantries will be collected.
Opportunities to serve!
We are especially in need of:
• People who have current skills and interest who would serve on a newly-forming IT team.
• Leaders and actors who can carry on the tradition of having a drama during Wednesday Lenten Worship in 2013.
• Assisting ministers (chanting is not a necessary skill!)
• Sunday School site leaders (short term commitments are fine for this)
• Helpers for the Children’s Christmas Program (December 16th)
Email me at carrie.smith@bethanylc.com or Sandi at sandi.teiken@bethanylc.com if you are interested in any of these opportunities!
All ministry teams are in need of new members! Many of our ministry teams have been comprised of the same hard-working members for many years. No matter what your interest, there is room for YOU at the table! You can email me at carrie.smith@bethanylc.com or Sandi at sandi.teiken@bethanylc.com for more information about any Bethany ministry team. Team night in November is Tuesday, November 13th at 7:15 pm. YOU are welcome to show up and learn more!
***
This Week’s Texts
1 Kings 17:8-16
8Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, 9“Go now to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and live there; for I have commanded a widow there to feed you.” 10So he set out and went to Zarephath. When he came to the gate of the town, a widow was there gathering sticks; he called to her and said, “Bring me a little water in a vessel, so that I may drink.” 11As she was going to bring it, he called to her and said, “Bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.” 12But she said, “As the Lord your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of meal in a jar, and a little oil in a jug; I am now gathering a couple of sticks, so that I may go home and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die.” 13Elijah said to her, “Do not be afraid; go and do as you have said; but first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterwards make something for yourself and your son. 14For thus says the Lord the God of Israel: The jar of meal will not be emptied and the jug of oil will not fail until the day that the Lord sends rain on the earth.” 15She went and did as Elijah said, so that she as well as he and her household ate for many days. 16The jar of meal was not emptied, neither did the jug of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord that he spoke by Elijah.
Psalm 146 (The Message)
Hallelujah!
O my soul, praise God!
All my life long I’ll praise God,
singing songs to my God as long as I live.
Don’t put your life in the hands of experts
who know nothing of life, of salvation life.
Mere humans don’t have what it takes;
when they die, their projects die with them.
Instead, get help from the God of Jacob,
put your hope in God and know real blessing!
God made sky and soil,
sea and all the fish in it.
He always does what he says—
he defends the wronged,
he feeds the hungry.
God frees prisoners—
he gives sight to the blind,
he lifts up the fallen.
God loves good people, protects strangers,
takes the side of orphans and widows,
but makes short work of the wicked.
God’s in charge—always.
Zion’s God is God for good!
Hallelujah!
Hebrews 9:24-28
24For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made by human hands, a mere copy of the true one, but he entered into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. 25Nor was it to offer himself again and again, as the high priest enters the Holy Place year after year with blood that is not his own; 26for then he would have had to suffer again and again since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the age to remove sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27And just as it is appointed for mortals to die once, and after that the judgment, 28so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin, but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.
Mark 12:38-44
38As he taught, he said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, 39and to have the best seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets! 40They devour widows’ houses and for the sake of appearance say long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”
41He sat down opposite the treasury, and watched the crowd putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. 42A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which are worth a penny. 43Then he called his disciples and said to them, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. 44For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”
Peace,
+Pastor Carrie Smith
carrie.smith@bethanylc.com
