Wednesday, January 23, 2013

[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


This email sent by: