Wednesday Words for December 12, 2012
from Pastor Carrie Smith
Thought for the Day:
“Time always seems long to the child who is waiting - for Christmas, for next summer, for becoming a grownup: long also when he surrenders his whole soul to each moment of a happy day.”
- Dag Hammarskjold
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In our prayers: the Heisler family on the death of Dorothy; the Michaels family on the death of John; the Trebes family on the death of Aunt Ann; Cole Gaffney; the Kerrigan family at the birth of James on Dec. 5 (and for James, who has been in the hospital since birth).
Today at Bethany: A funeral for John Michaels will be held at 10 am, followed by a luncheon in Luther Hall.
Tonight: Join us for a peaceful evening of worship at 7 pm! We will gather in the sanctuary for Holden Evening Prayer and a reflection by Pastor Paul. What a good way to re-group in the middle of a busy week. I hope to see you there!
Tomorrow night: It’s time for the congregational potluck! See you at 6 pm in Luther Hall for some good food and holiday entertainment! I’ll bring the pickled herring.
This Sunday at Bethany: For this third Sunday in Advent, our theme will be “Giving Birth to Peace.” The star is guiding us, the path has been cleared, and now we prepare the manger where the Prince of Peace will be laid!
In some traditions, the 3rd Sunday of Advent is called “Gaudete Sunday” and is a day of joy in the midst of this season of waiting and expectation. We will certainly be joyous as we hear the special music of all the Bethany choirs during worship! Come and hear the Bethany Adult Choir, the Sonshine Singers, and the Bell Canto bells at the 9 am and 10:45 am services.
We will also be blessed at all services by a sermon from Felix Malpica, one of Bethany’s own youth who is now a senior at Luther Seminary in St. Paul. You won’t want to miss it!
Sunday afternoon: Come back to church at 4 pm for the Sunday school Christmas program! This year’s program is called “A Tree-mendous Gift”. Our kids and teachers have been working hard to prepare this drama, and I hope we will pack the pews to support them.
Next week: Wednesday, December 19th at 7 pm is “The Longest Night” worship service. If you are grieving, struggling with a chronic illness, undergoing chemo, missing a friend, or otherwise finding the holidays a difficult season, you are invited to join us for this worship opportunity. We will sing, hear Scripture, pray, and spend some time lifting up our concerns to God. Bring a friend who could use some encouragement, too!
Tomorrow is St. Lucia Day! What’s that, you ask? Well, if you grew up in a Swedish (or Swedish-American) household, you would know that St. Lucia was a young woman martyred for her faith in 304 A.D. It is said that she took food to persecuted Christians who were hiding in the catacombs in Rome. She wore candles on her head so she would have her hands free to carry things. There is also a somewhat gruesome story about why we often see pictures of Lucy with her eyes on a plate (eww!) Read (and see) more here: St. Lucy's Eyes
Later, monks who first brought Christianity to Sweden told her stories there, and she became a beloved Scandinavian saint. On December 13 in Sweden, the oldest girl of the family wakes up early to bring breakfast to her parents in bed, wearing a crown of candles in her hair and presenting special buns called “Lussekatter” (Lucy Cats!) In Sweden, there is a special church service for St. Lucy, and this day marks the beginning of the Christmas season.
To learn more about St. Lucy, click here: St. Lucy in Sweden
This Week’s Texts: 3rd Sunday of Advent
(notice the theme of JOY and REJOICING in these texts!)
Zephaniah 3:14-20
14Sing aloud, O daughter Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem! 15The Lord has taken away the judgments against you, he has turned away your enemies. The king of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst; you shall fear disaster no more. 16On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: Do not fear, O Zion; do not let your hands grow weak. 17The Lord, your God, is in your midst, a warrior who gives victory; he will rejoice over you with gladness, he will renew you in his love; he will exult over you with loud singing 18as on a day of festival. I will remove disaster from you, so that you will not bear reproach for it. 19I will deal with all your oppressors at that time. And I will save the lame and gather the outcast, and I will change their shame into praise and renown in all the earth. 20At that time I will bring you home, at the time when I gather you; for I will make you renowned and praised among all the peoples of the earth, when I restore your fortunes before your eyes, says the Lord.
Isaiah 12:2-6
2Surely God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid, for the Lord God is my strength and my might; he has become my salvation. 3With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.
4And you will say in that day: Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known his deeds among the nations; proclaim that his name is exalted. 5Sing praises to the Lord, for he has done gloriously; let this be known in all the earth. 6Shout aloud and sing for joy, O royal Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.
Philippians 4:4-7
4Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. 5Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. 6Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Luke 3:7-18
7John said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8Bear fruits worthy of repentance. Do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor’; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. 9Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” 10And the crowds asked him, “What then should we do?” 11In reply he said to them, “Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise.” 12Even tax collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, “Teacher, what should we do?” 13He said to them, “Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you.” 14Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what should we do?” He said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages.”
15As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, 16John answered all of them by saying, “I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” 18So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people.
Peace,
+ Pastor Carrie Smith
carrie.smith@bethanylc.com
