[Bethany Lutheran Church] Bethany February 2013 Newsletter and Calendar

This announcement is from Bethany Lutheran Church

Bethany February 2013 Newsletter and Calendar

The February 2013 newsletter and calendar are now available for reading on MemberConnect.   A link to the newsletter is on the home page of our MemberConnect site. Simply click on the link and you will be able to read the newsletter WITHOUT logging in.    However, we still encourage you to log in and check out the calendar and other areas of MemberConnect!   Paper copies of the newsletter are also available at the Hospitality Desk in the Gathering Area.

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[Bethany Lutheran Church] Bethany Lenten Education Opportunity

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[Bethany Lutheran Church] Wednesday Words for January 30, 2013

Wednesday Words for January 30, 2013
from Pastor Carrie Smith

Thought for the Day:
“A Christian is one who points at Christ and says, ‘I can’t prove a thing, but there’s something about his eyes and his voice. There’s something about the way he carries his head, his hands, the way he carries his cross—the way he carries me.”
- Frederick Buechner

In our prayers: Carol Stupar, Bruce Johnson, Bill Kohl, those who are preparing for baptism, our new members and their families, our new Council members and other new congregational leaders, missionaries around the world.

Sunday at Bethany: Oh, what a day this will be! We will celebrate our Global Mission work around the world with special music from Bethany Choir and the drumming ministry. Senior seminarian Sarah Rohde, a former ELCA Young Adult in Global Mission, will be here to preach at all three services. Susan Gavle will update us on the ELCA Malaria Campaign. The pews will be decorated with the dozens of gorgeous quilts sewn by the Piecers. New Council members and officers will be installed at the 9 am worship service.

And…we can’t forget that we will welcome a host of new members to our community, at the 9 and 10:45 services. Thanks be to God!

Baptism dates: An extra baptism date has been added to accommodate the many baptism requests we’ve had lately. If you or your child is ready for baptism, please consider these dates: March 30 (7 pm), April 7, May 19, May 26. A summer date will be chosen soon as well. A baptism preparation class will be held on Sunday, March 10th after the 3rd service, and individual classes may be arranged with the pastors as well. Contact me if you have any baptism questions: carrie.smith@bethanylc.com

Where in the world is the pastor’s spouse? For the next few weeks, Robert is traveling. These first few days he is in Jerusalem and Bethlehem for meetings with groups that coordinate the efforts of churches to help the Palestinian people. One of these groups is PIEF (Palestine-Israel Ecumenical Forum), which is a World Council of Churches movement that “rallies churches together enabling them to coordinate their efforts and initiatives for a just peace in Palestine-Israel.” Robert is co-moderator of this group: PIEF Late next week he travels to Geneva, Switzerland to the offices of the Lutheran World Federation:LWF

Theology on Tap! Join Pr. Paul and others as they gather for faith talk and beverages on Thursday, February 7th from 7:30-9 pm at Brink Street Bar and Grill in downtown Crystal Lake. Contact Pr. Paul with questions: paul.cannon@bethanylc.com

 

A Celebration of Life for Alice McDonald: Bethany member Alice McDonald passed away recently, and her family has planned a celebration of her life for Saturday, February 16th at 11 am. This celebration will be at Park Place, 406 W. Woodstock Street, Crystal Lake. A brunch will be served. If you have any memories to share with the family, you may bring them to the office and we’ll make sure they get to Alice’s family. We continue to hold the whole family in prayer.

 

On this day when former Illinois Governor George Ryan was released from prison to a halfway house, I came across this paragraph in one of my favorite books of devotions:
“In 2003, George Ryan, Republican governor of Illinois, called for a moratorium on the death penalty. Persuaded by the work of law students exposing race and class discrimination, he called for a halt on executions. Though his political career was tainted by scandal, the 2003 moratorium affirmed and fueled the fire of many Christians and other abolitionists who are working for restorative justice and for an end to the death penalty.”  (from “Common Prayer: A Book for Ordinary Radicals” by Shane Claiborne, Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove and Enuma Okoro.)

***
This Week’s Texts: 4th Sunday after Epiphany

Jeremiah 1:4-10
4Now the word of the Lord came to me saying, 5“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” 6Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! Truly I do not know how to speak, for I am only a boy.” 7But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am only a boy’; for you shall go to all to whom I send you, and you shall speak whatever I command you, 8Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, says the Lord.” 9Then the Lord put out his hand and touched my mouth; and the Lord said to me, “Now I have put my words in your mouth. 10See, today I appoint you over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to pull down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.”

Psalm 71:1-6 (Message Version)
I run for dear life to God, I’ll never live to regret it.
Do what you do so well: get me out of this mess and up on my feet.
Put your ear to the ground and listen, give me space for salvation.
Be a guest room where I can retreat; you said your door was always open!
You’re my salvation—my vast, granite fortress.
My God, free me from the grip of Wicked, from the clutch of Bad and Bully.
You keep me going when times are tough—my bedrock, God, since my childhood.
I’ve hung on you from the day of my birth, the day you took me from the cradle;
I’ll never run out of praise.

 

1 Corinthians 13:1-13
13If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. 4Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant 5or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. 7It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end. 9For we know only in part, and we prophesy only in part; 10but when the complete comes, the partial will come to an end. 11When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways. 12For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known. 13And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.

 

Luke 4:21-30

21Then he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” 22All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They said, “Is not this Joseph’s son?” 23He said to them, “Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, ‘Doctor, cure yourself!’ And you will say, ‘Do here also in your hometown the things that we have heard you did at Capernaum.’” 24And he said, “Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in the prophet’s hometown. 25But the truth is, there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a severe famine over all the land; 26yet Elijah was sent to none of them except to a widow at Zarephath in Sidon. 27There were also many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.” 28When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with rage. 29They got up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they might hurl him off the cliff. 30But he passed through the midst of them and went on his way.

 

Peace,
+ Pastor Carrie Smith
carrie.smith@bethanylc.com

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[Bethany Lutheran Church] By request: the poem from yesterday's sermon

Because many people asked about the poem I read in yesterday's sermon, here it is. Enjoy! And have a great Monday.

Pr. Carrie

 

"One Today" by Richard Blanco

One sun rose on us today, kindled over our shores,
peeking over the Smokies, greeting the faces
of the Great Lakes, spreading a simple truth
across the Great Plains, then charging across the Rockies.
One light, waking up rooftops, under each one, a story
told by our silent gestures moving behind windows.

My face, your face, millions of faces in morning's mirrors,
each one yawning to life, crescendoing into our day:
pencil-yellow school buses, the rhythm of traffic lights,
fruit stands: apples, limes, and oranges arrayed like rainbows
begging our praise. Silver trucks heavy with oil or paper—
bricks or milk, teeming over highways alongside us,
on our way to clean tables, read ledgers, or save lives—
to teach geometry, or ring-up groceries as my mother did
for twenty years, so I could write this poem.

All of us as vital as the one light we move through,
the same light on blackboards with lessons for the day:
equations to solve, history to question, or atoms imagined,
the "I have a dream" we keep dreaming,
or the impossible vocabulary of sorrow that won't explain
the empty desks of twenty children marked absent
today, and forever. Many prayers, but one light
breathing color into stained glass windows,
life into the faces of bronze statues, warmth
onto the steps of our museums and park benches
as mothers watch children slide into the day.

One ground. Our ground, rooting us to every stalk
of corn, every head of wheat sown by sweat
and hands, hands gleaning coal or planting windmills
in deserts and hilltops that keep us warm, hands
digging trenches, routing pipes and cables, hands
as worn as my father's cutting sugarcane
so my brother and I could have books and shoes.

The dust of farms and deserts, cities and plains
mingled by one wind—our breath. Breathe. Hear it
through the day's gorgeous din of honking cabs,
buses launching down avenues, the symphony
of footsteps, guitars, and screeching subways,
the unexpected song bird on your clothes line.

Hear: squeaky playground swings, trains whistling,
or whispers across café tables, Hear: the doors we open
for each other all day, saying: hello, shalom,
buon giorno, howdy, namaste, or buenos días
in the language my mother taught me—in every language
spoken into one wind carrying our lives
without prejudice, as these words break from my lips.

One sky: since the Appalachians and Sierras claimed
their majesty, and the Mississippi and Colorado worked
their way to the sea. Thank the work of our hands:
weaving steel into bridges, finishing one more report
for the boss on time, stitching another wound
or uniform, the first brush stroke on a portrait,
or the last floor on the Freedom Tower
jutting into a sky that yields to our resilience.

One sky, toward which we sometimes lift our eyes
tired from work: some days guessing at the weather
of our lives, some days giving thanks for a love
that loves you back, sometimes praising a mother
who knew how to give, or forgiving a father
who couldn't give what you wanted.

We head home: through the gloss of rain or weight
of snow, or the plum blush of dusk, but always—home,
always under one sky, our sky. And always one moon
like a silent drum tapping on every rooftop
and every window, of one country—all of us—
facing the stars
hope—a new constellation
waiting for us to map it,
waiting for us to name it—together.

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[Bethany Lutheran Church] Wednesday Words for January 23, 2013

Wednesday Words for January 23, 2013
from Pastor Carrie Smith

Thought for the Day:
Christ has no body but yours, no hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks compassion on this world,
Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good,
Yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world.
Yours are the hands, yours are the feet, yours are the eyes, you are his body.
Christ has no body now but yours, no hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks compassion on this world.
Christ has no body now on earth but yours.

— St. Teresa of Ávila

In our prayers: The family of Alice McDonald, who passed away last week; The Buettner family at the death of Grandma Regina Panek, age 102; Carol Stupar; Bill Kohl; Bruce Johnson. We pray for the safety of the middle school students who will be on a ski trip to Lutherdale this weekend. 

This week, churches around the world are participating in the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. We join them in praying that we may be one, as God is one.

Saturday at Bethany: A Worship Leaders’ workshop is being held Saturday morning. If you are interested in being a reader, an assisting minister, or a home communion minister, you’re invited to come and learn more! 9 am: Readers; 10 am: Assisting Ministers; 11 am: Home Communion Ministers.

Sunday at Bethany: During worship we will blessed with special music from the Bethany Choir at 9 am and the Sonshine Singers at 10:45 am. We’ll sing some classic hymns (The King of Love My Shepherd Is; O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing) as well as some newer favorites (One Bread, One Body). I will be preaching this week, most likely lifting up the 1 Corinthians text: “For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.”

Annual Meeting this Sunday! Please come to the annual congregational meeting after the 3rd service (around noon). We will be voting on the year’s budget and approving the annual reports from ministry teams and staff members, as well as approving the slate of new Council members. Copies of the report are still available at the information desk and on the Member Connect website (and were emailed to you as well.)

New Member Class is Sunday from 4-6 pm in Luther Hall. Current members, you are always welcome to attend these classes as well, as a way to welcome our new community members (and perhaps refresh your knowledge off Lutheran theology and church structure!)

Bethany Arts: WOW! Around 200 people came to the organ concert on Sunday to hear Dr. Craig Cramer play our fantastic instrument! Thank you to Bethany member Michelle Damico Raimont, who helped us get the word out in fresh ways.

Did you know? Around 20 Bethany members attended the MLK breakfast on Monday. Yours truly was even quoted in the Northwest Herald the next day—though the reporter quoted me as “moving here from the city.” As one Bethany member put it: “In what alternate universe is Capron considered the city?” Ha! You can check out the article here: http://www.nwherald.com/2013/01/21/many-faiths-one-people-stressed-at-interfaith-breakfast/abmtzek/

 

This Week’s Texts: 3rd Sunday after Epiphany

Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10

8all the people gathered together into the square before the Water Gate. They told the scribe Ezra to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the Lord had given to Israel. 2Accordingly, the priest Ezra brought the law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could hear with understanding. This was on the first day of the seventh month. 3He read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the book of the law. 5And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was standing above all the people; and when he opened it, all the people stood up. 6Then Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and all the people answered, “Amen, Amen,” lifting up their hands. Then they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground. 8So they read from the book, from the law of God, with interpretation. They gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading.
9And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep.” For all the people wept when they heard the words of the law. 10Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions of them to those for whom nothing is prepared, for this day is holy to our Lord; and do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

 

Psalm 19 (Message Version)
19 1-2 God’s glory is on tour in the skies, God-craft on exhibit across the horizon.
Madame Day holds classes every morning, Professor Night lectures each evening.

3-4 Their words aren’t heard, their voices aren’t recorded,
But their silence fills the earth: unspoken truth is spoken everywhere.

4-5 God makes a huge dome for the sun—a superdome!
The morning sun’s a new husband leaping from his honeymoon bed,
The daybreaking sun an athlete racing to the tape.

6 That’s how God’s Word vaults across the skies from sunrise to sunset,
Melting ice, scorching deserts, warming hearts to faith.

7-9 The revelation of God is whole and pulls our lives together.
The signposts of God are clear and point out the right road.
The life-maps of God are right, showing the way to joy.
The directions of God are plain and easy on the eyes.
God’s reputation is twenty-four-carat gold, with a lifetime guarantee.
The decisions of God are accurate down to the nth degree.

10 God’s Word is better than a diamond, better than a diamond set between emeralds.
You’ll like it better than strawberries in spring, better than red, ripe strawberries.

11-14 There’s more: God’s Word warns us of danger and directs us to hidden treasure.
Otherwise how will we find our way? Or know when we play the fool?
Clean the slate, God, so we can start the day fresh!
Keep me from stupid sins, from thinking I can take over your work;
Then I can start this day sun-washed, scrubbed clean of the grime of sin.
These are the words in my mouth; these are what I chew on and pray.
Accept them when I place them on the morning altar,
O God, my Altar-Rock, God, Priest-of-My-Altar. 

 

1 Corinthians 12:12-31

12For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. 14Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15If the foot would say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16And if the ear would say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 17If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? 18But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20As it is, there are many members, yet one body. 21The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22On the contrary, the members of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23and those members of the body that we think less honorable we clothe with greater honor, and our less respectable members are treated with greater respect; 24whereas our more respectable members do not need this. But God has so arranged the body, giving the greater honor to the inferior member, 25that there may be no dissension within the body, but the members may have the same care for one another. 26If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it.

27Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. 28And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers; then deeds of power, then gifts of healing, forms of assistance, forms of leadership, various kinds of tongues. 29Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? 31But strive for the greater gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way.

 

Luke 4:14-21

14Then Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding country. 15He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone. 16When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, 17and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written: 18“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, 19to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” 20And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21Then he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

Peace,

+Pastor Carrie Smith
carrie.smith@bethanylc.com

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[Bethany Lutheran Church] Service Opportunity: Home Communion Ministry

Do you have a few hours available each month? Do you enjoy talking with people and have a heart for the sick or homebound?

We are renewing the Home Communion Ministry at Bethany, and we need you! This is a group of specially trained members who carry the sacrament to those parishioners who, by reason of illness or infirmity, are unable to come to church to receive communion. 

A short training session will be held on Saturday morning, January 26 at 11 am. If you have questions about this ministry opportunity, or if you would like to RSVP, please contact Pr. Carrie at carrie.smith@bethanylc.com

 

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[Bethany Lutheran Church] Bethany Member, Alice McDonald

Bethany member, Alice McDonald, passed away on Thursday, January 17 after a long illness. A celebration of life will be held at a later date. 

Please join me in holding Alice's family in your prayers. May God grant her rest eternal. 

Pastor Carrie Smith

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[Bethany Lutheran Church] REMINDER: Zero waste challenge at Bethany ends this week!

 

 

Eco-Resource Challenge  at Bethany Lutheran Church!

 

Happy New Year! It's January, and that means it's time for the Eco-Resource Zero-Waste Challenge! On the first three Sundays of the month, bring these items to Luther Hall to be recycled: 

 

Cereal bags and cookie packages (wiped clean); old/used writing instruments; colored plastic bags; heavy plastic bags; heavier packaging plastic; pop tabs; and fasteners (buckles, buttons, and telephone cords).

 

These items will find another use in the world, thanks to you! While you're at the C3 table, be sure to pick up a handy fridge magnet to help you remember. 

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[Bethany Lutheran Church] Wednesday Words for January 16, 2013

Wednesday Words for January 16, 2013

from Pastor Carrie Smith

 

Thought for the Day:

“The early Christians rejoiced when they were deemed worthy to suffer for what they believed. In those days the Church was not merely a thermometer that recorded the ideas and principles of popular opinion; it was a thermostat that transformed the mores of society.”

Martin Luther King, Jr., in his “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” 

*** 

 

In our prayers: Alice McDonald, in hospice care at home; Carol Stupar; Bruce Johnson, having surgery for a recurrence of a brain tumor this morning; Malena Graddy; Rush Clinkscales (Pr. Carrie’s uncle).

Tonight at Bethany: Join us for worship at 6:30 pm in Luther Hall! We are singing Holden Evening Prayer and will have time for prayer and hearing Scripture. Take time out in the middle of the week to be renewed by the Word!

Sunday at Bethany: Representatives from our Lutheran camps (LOMC and Lutherdale) will be here to provide the Child’s Word during the 9 am worship. They will also accompany the children to Sunday School for a morning of camp songs and activities. Parents, you will have the opportunity to sign up your children for camp during coffee hour. 

This is the 2^nd Sunday after Epiphany, and we will be hearing the story of Jesus’ first miracle—turning water into wine at the wedding at Cana. We’ll be graced by special music from the Bell Canto Choir, and will sing some hymns in honor of the legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (“We’ve Come This Far By Faith” and “Lift Every Voice and Sing”).

Organ Concert and Workshop on Sunday! At 4 pm, come on back to church for a special organ concert by Craig Cramer, professor of organ at Notre Dame. The builder of our beautiful organ, Halbert Gober, will be here to provide an organ workshop at 3 pm. Admission, as always, is FREE, although a freewill offering will be received to support the Bethany Arts Series.

Monday is not just a day off of school! The 4^th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Interfaith Breakfast will take place at D’Andrea Banquet Hall at 7:30 a.m. Tickets are still available in the church office. This is a chance to hear a wonderful guest speaker and meet some of the members of other faith communities in the area. I hope to see you there!

Are you considering membership at Bethany? A New Member class will be held on Sunday, January 27^th from 4-6 pm in Luther Hall. If you’d like to register, please contact me as soon as possible: carrie.smith@bethanylc.com Right now, it looks like we have about 18 people attending. Thanks be to God!

Worship Leaders’ Workshop: On Saturday, January 26^th, I will be leading a workshop for those who are interested in being a reader, assisting minister, or home communion minister (otherwise known as a Eucharistic Minister.) 9 am is the class for readers, 10 am for assisting ministers, and 11 am for Eucharistic ministers. Please e-mail me if you plan to attend one or more of these sessions.

Pledge cards: Yes, the a budget has been prepared for 2013. No, it is not too late to turn in a pledge card! Financial pledge cards and Time and Talent sheets are on the information desk at church. Please fill one out if you have not already done so, and leave it in the offering plate or in the church office.

Annual Meeting and Annual Reports: The Annual Meeting is Sunday, January 27^th after the late service. Please pick up your reports at the church, or read the one that was emailed to you. You can print one out and bring it to the meeting to reference, if you wish.

This Week’s Texts: 2^nd Sunday after Epiphany

 

Isaiah 62:1-5

62For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until her vindication shines out like the dawn, and her salvation like a burning torch. 2The nations shall see your vindication, and all the kings your glory; and you shall be called by a new name that the mouth of the Lord will give. 3You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God. 4You shall no more be termed Forsaken, and your land shall no more be termed Desolate; but you shall be called My Delight Is in Her, and your land Married; for the Lord delights in you, and your land shall be married. 5For as a young man marries a young woman, so shall your builder marry you, and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you.

 

Psalm 36:5-10 (Message Version)

God’s love is meteoric,
    his loyalty astronomic,
His purpose titanic,
    his verdicts oceanic.
Yet in his largeness
    nothing gets lost;
Not a man, not a mouse,
    slips through the cracks.

^7-9 How exquisite your love, O God!
    How eager we are to run under your wings,
To eat our fill at the banquet you spread
    as you fill our tankards with Eden spring water.
You’re a fountain of cascading light,
    and you open our eyes to light.

^10-12 Keep on loving your friends;
    do your work in welcoming hearts.

 

1 Corinthians 12:1-11

12Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. 2You know that when you were pagans, you were enticed and led astray to idols that could not speak. 3Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking by the Spirit of God ever says “Let Jesus be cursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except by the Holy Spirit. 4Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; 6and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. 7To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses.

 

John 2:1-11

2On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” 4And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come.” 5His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” 6Now standing there were six stone water jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. 7Jesus said to them, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. 8He said to them, “Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward.” So they took it. 9When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom 10and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now.” 11Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.

 

Peace,

+ Pastor Carrie Smith

carrie.smith@bethanylc.com            

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[Bethany Lutheran Church] Annual Report 2012

Dear Bethany Lutheran Members,

Attached is the Annual Report for the year 2012 at Bethany Lutheran Church. The Annual Meeting is Sunday, January 27, after the 3rd worship service. 

Thanks to all the committees and ministry leaders who submitted reports, and a special thanks to our office manager, Kelly, for compiling all the data.

Peace,

Pr. Carrie Smith

 

 

Attachments:

Annual Report 2012.pdf

Annual Report Cover 2012.pdf

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[Bethany Lutheran Church] REMINDER: Organ concert this Sunday at 4 pm

This Sunday's organ concert and mini organ workshop for all ages are getting a lot of media attention! See the news in Crystal Lake Patch and the McHenry County Blog. Our workshop featuring the man who custom built our organ begins at 3 pm. The concert with nationally acclaimed musician Craig Cramer begins at 4. All ages are invited. Nursery care available. Hope to see you this Sunday, January 20!

Pastor Carrie 

 

 

 

http://mchenrycountyblog.com/2013/01/12/organ-workshop-and-mini-concert-at-bethany-lutheran-church-sunday-after-next/

 

http://crystallake.patch.com/events/rare-organ-recital-mini-organ-workshop-features-master-musician-craig-cramer

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[Bethany Lutheran Church] Worship Leaders' Workshop - Saturday, January 26, 9 to noon

Worship Leaders’ Workshop: Saturday, January 26 from 9-noon

  9 am                         Readers

10 am                         Assisting Ministers

11 am                         Home Communion Ministers

Come to one, two, or all three 45 minute sessions.

This is a workshop for those who have served as worship leaders for many years, as well as for those who have never served. Come and refresh your skills, or come and investigate the possibilities!

RSVP to Pastor Carrie at carrie.smith@bethanylc.com

(If you have interest in serving, but this date does not work for you, please also  email and let me know! We will be happy to offer another workshop soon.)

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[Bethany Lutheran Church] Wednesday Words for January 9, 2013

Wednesday Words for January 9, 2013

from Pastor Carrie Smith

Thought for the Day:

“Your problem is how you are going to spend this one and precious life you have been issued. Whether you're going to spend it trying to look good and creating the illusion that you have power over circumstances, or whether you are going to taste it, enjoy it and find out the truth about who you are.”

― Anne Lamott

In our prayers: Alice McDonald, in hospice care at home; the Mattick family, recuperating after a serious case of the flu; Judy Engebretsen, home after pacemaker surgery; Carol Stupar, back in the hospital with kidney issues; Sharon Saunders, respiratory infection.

Do you have a prayer request? You can submit prayers to the church office at churchoffice@bethanylc.com and they will be passed on to our Prayer Chain Ministry.

Joyful news! The Kloepfers want to share the news of the birth of a grandson, Garrison Charles Kloepfer! He was born on January 7 in Florida, weighing 9 pounds, 14 ounces. Thanks be to God!

Tonight at Bethany:Everything is back in full swing! Choirs will practice as usual. Confirmation is back in session. We will gather for worship at 6:30 pm in Luther Hall. Hope to see you there!

Sunday at Bethany:This week we will hear the story of Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan, and we will celebrate the baptism of Brock Barneveld, age 6, at the 9 am service! Pastor Paul will be preaching this week, and special music will be offered by the Sonshine Singers at the 9 and 10:45 am services.

In Sunday School, our kids are now beginning the morning with an opening—joining all ages together for songs, announcements, and sharing. Doesn’t that bring back memories?! This week, Jim Bradshaw will teach them about their new giving project. Sunday School offerings will go toward purchasing chickens, ducks, or even a cow for a family in need! You can learn more here: ELCA Good Gifts

19th Annual Bach for the Sem Benefit Concert: Jan. 13, 4:00 p.m. at St. Luke Church, 1500 West Belmont, Chicago.
A benefit concert for the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago presented by professional singers and instrumentalists. Bethany member Cathy Peters and Pastor Carrie will both be performing!

Pre-concert introduction by WFMT’s Carl Grapentine at 3:30 p.m. Meet James Nieman, the new president of LSTC, at the post-concert reception.

Adults: $20/22 at the door; Seniors and Students: $10/12 at the door; Children under 12 free. For tickets call 773-256-0712 or email Ruth Ann Deppe at rdeppe@lstc.edu

Bethany Arts Series Concert on January 20 at 4 pm: Enjoy an afternoon of beautiful and inspiring organ music performed on Bethany Lutheran Church's celebrated organ. Nationally acclaimed organ master, Professor Craig Cramer, of the University of Notre Dame, will perform music that will showcase Bethany's custom-built organ in all its musical splendor! The builder of our beautiful organ will also be in attendance. Concerts are free; a freewill offering will be collected.

Celebrate the legacy of MLK! 

4th Annual Interfaith Prayer Breakfast

Monday, January 21, 2013, 7:30-9:30 a.m.

Reverend Dr. Calvin Morris, Keynote speaker

Breakfast: Vegetarian Buffet

D’Andrea Banquet Hall: 4419 US Rte14, Crystal Lake, IL 60014

Tickets: Adults $20 Students $15 (Tickets are available in the Bethany Church Office)

 

Seniors: The Senior Breakfast Club also meets on Monday, January 21! If you are not attending the MLK Breakfast, meet at Colonial Café ta 8:30 am.

Worship Leaders’ Workshop: Saturday, January 26 from 9-noon

9 am Readers ; 10 am Assisting Ministers; 11 am Home Communion Ministers

Come to one, two, or all three sessions. This is a workshop for those who have served as worship leaders for many years, as well as for for those who have never served. Come and refresh your skills, or come and investigate the possibilities! RSVP to Pastor Carrie at carrie.smith@bethanylc.com

(If you have interest in serving, but this date does not work for you, please also email and let me know! We will be happy to offer another workshop soon.)

Stewardship: Have you turned in a pledge for 2013? It’s not too late! Out of 500 member families, around 125 have submitted financial pledges. Just think what we could do if everyone contributed! Just think of the ministry that could happen if everyone volunteered for one thing this year! Pledge cards are available at the Church Information Desk and can be turned into the office or placed in the offering plate on Sundays.

This Week’s Texts: Baptism of Our Lord

Isaiah 43:1-7

43But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. ²When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. ³For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I give Egypt as your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in exchange for you. ⁴Because you are precious in my sight, and honored, and I love you, I give people in return for you, nations in exchange for your life. ⁵Do not fear, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you; ⁶I will say to the north, “Give them up,” and to the south, “Do not withhold; bring my sons from far away and my daughters from the end of the earth— ⁷everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”

Psalm 29 (Message Version)

Bravo, God, bravo! 
    Gods and all angels shout, “Encore!”
In awe before the glory, in awe before God’s visible power.
Stand at attention! Dress your best to honor him!

God thunders across the waters,
Brilliant, his voice and his face, streaming brightness—
God, across the flood waters.

God’s thunder tympanic,
God’s thunder symphonic. God’s thunder smashes cedars,
God topples the northern cedars.

The mountain ranges skip like spring colts,
The high ridges jump like wild kid goats.

God’s thunder spits fire.
God thunders, the wilderness quakes;
He makes the desert of Kadesh shake.

God’s thunder sets the oak trees dancing
A wild dance, whirling; the pelting rain strips their branches.
We fall to our knees—we call out, “Glory!”

Above the floodwaters is God’s throne
    from which his power flows,
    from which he rules the world.

God makes his people strong. God gives his people peace.

Acts 8:14-17

¹⁴Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. ¹⁵The two went down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit ¹⁶(for as yet the Spirit had not come upon any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus). ¹⁷Then Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

Luke 3:15-17, 21-22

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.”

²¹Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, ²²and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”

 

Peace,

+ Pastor Carrie Smith 

Carrie.smith@bethanylc.com 

 

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[Bethany Lutheran Church] Wednesday Words for January 2, 2013

Wednesday Words for January 2, 2013
from Pastor Carrie Smith

Thought for the Day: In Memoriam (Ring Out, Wild Bells)
by Lord Alfred Tennyson

Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky,
  The flying cloud, the frosty light:
  The year is dying in the night;
Ring out, wild bells, and let him die.

Ring out the old, ring in the new,
  Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
  The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.

Ring out the grief that saps the mind
  For those that here we see no more;
  Ring out the feud of rich and poor,
Ring in redress to all mankind.

Ring out a slowly dying cause,
  And ancient forms of party strife;
  Ring in the nobler modes of life,
With sweeter manners, purer laws.

Ring out the want, the care, the sin,
  The faithless coldness of the times;
  Ring out, ring out my mournful rhymes
But ring the fuller minstrel in.

Ring out false pride in place and blood,
  The civic slander and the spite;
  Ring in the love of truth and right,
Ring in the common love of good.

Ring out old shapes of foul disease;
  Ring out the narrowing lust of gold;
  Ring out the thousand wars of old,
Ring in the thousand years of peace.

Ring in the valiant man and free,
  The larger heart, the kindlier hand;
  Ring out the darkness of the land,
Ring in the Christ that is to be.

***

In our prayers: Dave Sweet, on the death of his brother; Bill Kohl; Alice McDonald; and for safe travel for members who are away over the holidays.
Also in our prayers: Bishop Laiser, bishop of our companion synod in Tanzania. He has been admitted to the hospital in Arusha (India) seeking answers to some ongoing health issues.

Sunday at Bethany: It’s the Day of Epiphany! We don’t always have the opportunity to celebrate this festival on a Sunday, so we’re going all out this year! We will be blessed with special music by Mike Bagby and his trio singing “I Have Seen the Light”, as well as the Bethany Choir singing “The First Noel.” Bethany Council Member Luz Malpica will be offering the childrens’ sermon, sharing about the tradition of Three Kings’ Day in Puerto Rico. The church will still be decorated for the season, and we will sing a few Christmas carols one more time, honoring the fact that Christmas in the church lasts until the Day of Epiphany.

Parents: Yes, there is Sunday School this week!  

What is Epiphany? Epiphany is from the Greek επιφάνεια: "manifestation" or "appearance". From the ELCA website: “On the day of Epiphany, January 6, the church celebrates the revelation of Christ to all nations as represented by the magi who come to worship Jesus. The church calendar recognizes the season of Epiphany from January 6 until the last Sunday before Ash Wednesday which is celebrated as the Transfiguration of our Lord. The length of the season of Epiphany varies and is determined by working backwards through the season of Lent from the moveable date for the celebration of Easter.

Principal Themes of this season are:
The revelation of Christ to all nations
Jesus' baptism in the River Jordan
Christ as the light of the world
The public ministry of Jesus Christ, including Jesus' first miracle of turning water into wine at the wedding at Cana
Growth in a Christian's baptized identity

Happy New Year! 2013 is Bethany Lutheran Church’s 90th anniversary, and to celebrate we are embarking on a “Year of Renewal”. Our mission statement is “Gathering people together for renewal and service.” It’s important to note that renewal comes first! It’s impossible to serve others until we ourselves have been fed, nourished, and renewed by the love and grace of God.  Our theme verse for this Year of Renewal will be Romans 12:2:

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.

I encourage you to commit this verse to memory, and let it guide your meditation and prayer in 2013!

The year 2013 also happens to be the ELCA’s 25th Anniversary! You can read about how our denomination will celebrate 25 years together at the Living Lutheran Blog: 25 Years Together

Have you turned in your financial pledge for 2013? If not, please do so right away! The Finance Team is busy putting together the year’s budget for mission and ministry, and they need to know how they can count on you for support. It’s not too late!

The Texts This Week: Day of Epiphany

Isaiah 60:1-6
60Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. 2For darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will appear over you. 3Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. 4Lift up your eyes and look around; they all gather together, they come to you; your sons shall come from far away, and your daughters shall be carried on their nurses’ arms. 5Then you shall see and be radiant; your heart shall thrill and rejoice, because the abundance of the sea shall be brought to you, the wealth of the nations shall come to you. 6A multitude of camels shall cover you, the young camels of Midian and Ephah; all those from Sheba shall come. They shall bring gold and frankincense, and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord.

 

Psalm 72 (The Message Version)

Give the gift of wise rule to the king, O God,
   the gift of just rule to the crown prince.
May he judge your people rightly,
   be honorable to your meek and lowly.
Let the mountains give exuberant witness;
   shape the hills with the contours of right living.
Please stand up for the poor,
   help the children of the needy,
   come down hard on the cruel tyrants.
Outlast the sun, outlive the moon—
   age after age after age.
Be rainfall on cut grass,
   earth-refreshing rain showers.
Let righteousness burst into blossom
   and peace abound until the moon fades to nothing.
Kings remote and legendary will pay homage,
   kings rich and resplendent will turn over their wealth.
All kings will fall down and worship,
   and godless nations sign up to serve him,
Because he rescues the poor at the first sign of need,
   the destitute who have run out of luck.
He opens a place in his heart for the down-and-out,
   he restores the wretched of the earth.
He frees them from tyranny and torture—
   when they bleed, he bleeds;
   when they die, he dies.

 

Ephesians 3:1-12

3This is the reason that I Paul am a prisoner for Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles— 2for surely you have already heard of the commission of God’s grace that was given me for you, 3and how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I wrote above in a few words, 4a reading of which will enable you to perceive my understanding of the mystery of Christ. 5In former generations this mystery was not made known to humankind, as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: 6that is, the Gentiles have become fellow heirs, members of the same body, and sharers in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. 7Of this gospel I have become a servant according to the gift of God’s grace that was given me by the working of his power. 8Although I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given to me to bring to the Gentiles the news of the boundless riches of Christ, 9and to make everyone see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things; 10so that through the church the wisdom of God in its rich variety might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. 11This was in accordance with the eternal purpose that he has carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12in whom we have access to God in boldness and confidence through faith in him.

 

Matthew 2:1-12

2In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, 2asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.” 3When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; 4and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. 5They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet: 6‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.’” 7Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. 8Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.”
9When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. 11On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.

Peace,
Pastor Carrie Smith
carrie.smith@bethanylc.com

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