Wednesday Words for April 24, 2013
From Pastor Carrie Smith
Thought for the Day:
What, do you wish to know your Lord’s meaning in this thing? Know it well, love was his meaning. Who reveals it to you? Love. What did he reveal to you? Love. Why does he reveal it to you? For love. Remain in this, and you will know more of the same.
Julian of Norwich, 14th C. mystic
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In our prayers: Carol Stupar (still in hospice care); Hannah Sorenson; Andrew Fant; Sharon Saunders; the people of Boston and of West, Texas
Tonight at Bethany: Confirmation, Choirs and Worship! Join us in Luther Hall at 6:30 pm for sharing the Word and the bread and wine.
Saturday at Bethany: Family Game Night! From 6:30-8:30 pm, bring the whole family to a night of games and snacks with your Bethany friends. All are welcome! Contact Pr. Paul with questions: paul.cannon@bethanylc.com
This Sunday at Bethany: Worship is at 7:45 am, 9 am, and 10:45 am. Don’t forget to bring a check for the ELCA Malaria campaign (made out to Bethany) because your gift will be matched until the end of the month! Jerry Shaffer will bring a Temple Talk to let you know about a ministry to support military families.
Fruits of Faith Garden Planting: Well the time has come for us to start work on the garden! Where is the garden located you ask?Good question! It is at 4522 Barreville Road. This is in the Prairie Grove area. It is east of 31 and just north of 176 about a mile.
Pending weather, work on the garden will start Saturday, April 27. Here are the items to be worked on:
1. Roto Tilling - We have a small roto tiller at the garden, but if any of you have a personal one that you would like to use that would be great. This job of course can only be done if it quits raining and the field dries out a bit.
2. Work up the soil in each of the square foot plots
3. Mark the grid work on each square according to what we will be planting
4. General clean up
5. We will start the planting process on Saturday, May 4th. We will plant every weekend until we are done. Items such as tomatoes and peppers will be planted last after we are confident there will not be a frost. Continue to watch for emails and feel free to recruit friends and neighbors that you think might like to help. Remember, all that we grow is given to the Crystal Lake Food Pantry!
In Christ, Pam Bock815-245-0087 or thebocks@prodigy.net
Bring your seeds on May 5! One way to contribute to the community garden is to bring seeds to worship on May 5! We will bless the seeds and offer them up with our financial offerings that day.
Guest Preacher from Palestine: On Sunday, May 5, we are blessed to welcome as guest preacher Fr. Jamal Khader, Dean of the Faculty of Arts at Bethlehem University.Fr. Khader, born in a Christian Palestinian Village, is one of the co-authors of the Kairos Palestine document which calls Christians to work for just peace in the Holy Land. You can read about Fr. Jamal here: Father Jamal Bio
And you can learn about the Kairos Palestine document here: Kairos Palestine
Upcoming event: “Redeeming the Past” with Father Michael Lapsley, founder of The Institute for the Healing of Memories on Monday, May 13 from noon-2 pm (Lunch provided) at First Congregational Church, 461 Pierson Street, Crystal Lake, IL 60014. Please call 815-459-6010 for reservations.
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This Week’s Texts: 5th Sunday of Easter
Prayer of the Day:
O Lord God,
you teach us that without love, our actions gain nothing.
Pour into our hearts your most excellent gift of love,
that, made alive by your Spirit, we may know goodness and peace,
through your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
| First Reading: Acts 11:1-18 |
|
Now the apostles and the believers who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also accepted the word of God. 2So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him, 3saying, "Why did you go to uncircumcised men and eat with them?" 4Then Peter began to explain it to them, step by step, saying, 5I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision. There was something like a large sheet coming down from heaven, being lowered by its four corners; and it came close to me. 6As I looked at it closely I saw four-footed animals, beasts of prey, reptiles, and birds of the air. 7I also heard a voice saying to me, 'Get up, Peter; kill and eat.' 8But I replied, 'By no means, Lord; for nothing profane or unclean has ever entered my mouth.' 9But a second time the voice answered from heaven, 'What God has made clean, you must not call profane.' 10This happened three times; then everything was pulled up again to heaven. 11At that very moment three men, sent to me from Caesarea, arrived at the house where we were. 12The Spirit told me to go with them and not to make a distinction between them and us. These six brothers also accompanied me, and we entered the man's house. 13He told us how he had seen the angel standing in his house and saying, 'Send to Joppa and bring Simon, who is called Peter; 14he will give you a message by which you and your entire household will be saved.' 15And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as it had upon us at the beginning. 16And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said, 'John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.' 17If then God gave them the same gift that he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could hinder God?" 18When they heard this, they were silenced. And they praised God, saying, "Then God has given even to the Gentiles the repentance that leads to life."
| Psalm 148 |
|
1Hallelujah! Praise the LORD | from the heavens;
praise God | in the heights.
2Praise the LORD, | all you angels;
sing praise, all you | hosts of heaven.
3Praise the LORD, | sun and moon;
sing praise, all you | shining stars.
4Praise the LORD, heav- | en of heavens,
and you waters a- | bove the heavens.
5Let them praise the name | of the LORD,
who commanded, and they | were created,
6who made them stand fast forev- | er and ever,
giving them a law that shall not | pass away. R
7Praise the LORD | from the earth,
you sea monsters | and all deeps;
8fire and hail, | snow and fog,
tempestuous wind, do- | ing God's will;
9mountains | and all hills,
fruit trees | and all cedars;
10wild beasts | and all cattle,
creeping things and | flying birds;
11sovereigns of the earth | and all peoples,
princes and all rulers | of the world;
12young | men and maidens,
old and | young together. R
13Let them praise the name | of the LORD,
whose name only is exalted, whose splendor is over | earth and heaven.
14The LORD has raised up strength for the people
and praise for all | faithful servants,
the children of Israel, a people who are near the LORD. | Hallelujah! R
| Second Reading: Revelation 21:1-6 |
|
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,
"See, the home of God is among mortals.
He will dwell with them;
they will be his peoples,
and God himself will be with them;
4he will wipe every tear from their eyes.
Death will be no more;
mourning and crying and pain will be no more,
for the first things have passed away."
5And the one who was seated on the throne said, "See, I am making all things new." Also he said, "Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true." 6Then he said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life.
| Gospel: John 13:31-35 |
|
31When he had gone out, Jesus said, "Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. 32If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. 33Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, 'Where I am going, you cannot come.' 34I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. 35By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."
Peace,
+ Pastor Carrie Smith
