Wednesday Words for June 26, 2013
from Pastor Carrie Smith
Thought for the Day:
“If the gospel isn't good news for everybody, then it isn't good news for anybody.”
― Rob Bell, Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith
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Your Bethany Weekly Newsletter is attached to this email. Please remember that it may show up as a link at the bottom of this email, rather than as a regular attachment. Enjoy!
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Tonight is Theology on Tap: I hope to see some of you in the “upper room” at Duke’s Alehouse tonight at 7:30 pm for some casual “God-talk”. Our topic tonight is “Interfaith Dialogue: what is it? why do it?” See you tonight!
Sunday at Bethany: This week we will once again be blessed with the musical talents of Kristin Lundine on the piano! Special music will be provided by a trombone trio of Rich Nielsen, Frank Zimmerman, and Kristin Lundine. What amazing talent we have at Bethany!
During communion we will sing Greg Cole’s favorite hymn: “What a Friend We Have in Jesus”. Worship will also include “Be Thou My Vision” and “Lead Me, Guide Me” which are favorites of many.
At the 8:30 a.m. service, we will welcome George Stupar as a “new” member. This may come as a surprise to many of you, since George has been here for roughly 30 years ( J ) but he’s finally decided to take the plunge! Please join me in welcoming George as an “official” member of the Bethany community.
Vacation Bible School is just around the corner! The VBS Team has a few needs. If you have any of these to donate or lend, please bring them to church (and label those which should be returned) :
- Large stuffed woodland animals
- toy binoculars and magnifying glasses
- coffee cans with lids, oatmeal canisters and the like
- big flat magnets
- 1 inch thick, 8-9 inch long sticks
- camping equipment (pup tent, hiker’s backpack, kayak)
Mental Health Board: Yep, it’s true: your senior pastor is now vice president of the McHenry County Mental Health Board. I am excited to have an opportunity to be part of ensuring there are quality mental health services in our county. I hope you will pray for me in this new role, and I welcome comments and input from those of you who have received mental health services in the county. How can services and access be improved? How can I represent the needs of you or your family?
Update from last Sunday:If you missed last Sunday’s sermon, you should know that Pr. Paul used a visual aid: the special shoes and “twister cables” that he wore on his legs as a child, to correct his crooked feet. Thanks for a great sermon, Pr. Paul! After the service, the Heisler family determined that these shoes were in fact made at Heisler’s Bootery here in Crystal Lake!
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This Week’s Texts: 6th Sunday after Pentecost
PRAYER OF THE DAY
Sovereign God, ruler of all hearts,
you call us to obey you, and you favor us with true freedom.
Keep us faithful to the ways of your Son,
that, leaving behind all that hinders us,
we may steadfastly follow your paths,
through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
| FIRST READING | 1 Kings 19:15–16, 19–21 |
15Then the LORD said to him, "Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus; when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael as king over Aram. 16Also you shall anoint Jehu son of Nimshi as king over Israel; and you shall anoint Elisha son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah as prophet in your place. 19So he set out from there, and found Elisha son of Shaphat, who was plowing. There were twelve yoke of oxen ahead of him, and he was with the twelfth. Elijah passed by him and threw his mantle over him. 20He left the oxen, ran after Elijah, and said, "Let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you." Then Elijah said to him, "Go back again; for what have I done to you?" 21He returned from following him, took the yoke of oxen, and slaughtered them; using the equipment from the oxen, he boiled their flesh, and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out and followed Elijah, and became his servant.
| PSALM (ELW) | Psalm 16 |
1Protect me, O God, for I take ref- | uge in you;
I have said to the LORD, "You are my Lord, my good a- | bove all other."
2All my delight is in the godly that are | in the land,
upon those who are noble a- | mong the people.
3But those who run after | other gods
shall have their troubles | multiplied.
4I will not pour out drink offerings | to such gods,
never take their names up- | on my lips. R
5O LORD, you are my portion | and my cup;
it is you who up- | hold my lot.
6My boundaries enclose a | pleasant land;
indeed, I have a | rich inheritance.
7I will bless the LORD who | gives me counsel;
my heart teaches me night | after night.
8I have set the LORD al- | ways before me;
because God is at my right hand, I shall | not be shaken. R
9My heart, therefore, is glad, and my spir- | it rejoices;
my body also shall | rest in hope.
10For you will not abandon me | to the grave,
nor let your holy one | see the pit.
11You will show me the | path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy,
and in your right hand are pleasures for- | evermore. R
| SECOND READING | Galatians 5:1, 13–25 |
For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.
13For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love become slaves to one another. 14For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." 15If, however, you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another.
16Live by the Spirit, I say, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17For what the flesh desires is opposed to the Spirit, and what the Spirit desires is opposed to the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you want. 18But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not subject to the law. 19Now the works of the flesh are obvious: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, 20idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, 21envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these. I am warning you, as I warned you before: those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, 23gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things. 24And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit.
| GOSPEL | Luke 9:51–62 |
51When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. 52And he sent messengers ahead of him. On their way they entered a village of the Samaritans to make ready for him; 53but they did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. 54When his disciples James and John saw it, they said, "Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?" 55But he turned and rebuked them. 56Then they went on to another village.
57As they were going along the road, someone said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go." 58And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head." 59To another he said, "Follow me." But he said, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father." 60But Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God." 61Another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but let me first say farewell to those at my home." 62Jesus said to him, "No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God."
Peace,
+ Pastor Carrie Smith
