Wednesday Words for August 7, 2013
From Pastor Carrie Smith
Thought for the Day:
“Be good, keep your feet dry, your eyes open, your heart at peace and your soul in the joy of Christ.”
Thomas Merton
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Happy Wednesday! Your Bethany Weekly Newsletter is attached to this email. Please scroll down to the bottom of the message to find it. Remember: it most likely appears as a link. If you should have any trouble with this, contact the church office for help!
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Sunday at Bethany: Can you believe it’s the middle of August already? Pr. Paul will be preaching and presiding at 8:30 am and 10:30 am. Hymns for the day will include some real favorites: “O God, Our Help in Ages Past,” “Have No Fear, Little Flock,” “How Great Thou Art” and “God Be With You ‘Til We Meet Again.” Come and make a joyful noise with your Bethany family this week!
Magic Waters Day, Tuesday, August 13 sponsored by the Bethany Youth Team: Admission to Magic Waters is $12/person. Please RSVP via MemberConnect or e-mail Pr. Paul (paul.cannon@bethanylc.com) if you would like to attend. All families and individuals of all ages are welcome! Meet at 10 am at the Magic Waters Main Entrance Gate. Hope to see you there!
During Sunday Coffee Time: Watch for a table of information from CASA McHenry County. CASA stands for “Court Appointed Special Advocates.” Every day, abused and neglected children in our community are taken from their homes and placed into temporary foster care because their parents cannot - or will not - take care of them. Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of McHenry County works to help these children find safe, permanent homes where they can thrive. CASA volunteers make a life-long difference for children, one child at a time. Jorie Siemens, Advocate Manager, will be here to answer your questions. Bethany member Debbie Groat is also quite involved in this program. You can learn more at: http://www.casamchenrycounty.org/
ELCA Churchwide Assembly: August 12-17 in Pittsburgh, members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America will be meeting to conduct important business including the election of a presiding bishop and a secretary. You can watch the live feed of sessions at this link: http://www.ELCA.org/assembly
And you can learn more about the agenda of the meeting here: http://www.elca.org/Who-We-Are/Our-Three-Expressions/Churchwide-Organization/Communication-Services/News/Releases.aspx?a=5324
Please pray for the voting members, volunteers, workers, and others gathered next week. Pray for discernment as our church considers various proposals on topics such as criminal justice, the Middle East, hydraulic fracturing, and ministering to same-sex couples and their families.
O God, you open the hearts of your faithful people by sending into us the light of the Holy Spirit. Direct the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America by the light of that Spirit, that we might have a right judgment in all things and rejoice at all times in your peace; through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord. Amen.
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This Week’s Texts: 12th Sunday after Pentecost
Prayer of the Day:
Almighty God,
you sent your Holy Spirit to be the life and light of your church.
Open our hearts to the riches of your grace,
that we may be ready to receive you wherever you appear,
through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
| First Reading | Genesis 15:1–6 |
God promises childless and aging Abram that a child of his own will be his heir and that his descendants will number as many as the stars. Abram trusts God's promise, and through this faith he is considered righteous.
After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, "Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great." 2But Abram said, "O Lord GOD, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?" 3And Abram said, "You have given me no offspring, and so a slave born in my house is to be my heir." 4But the word of the LORD came to him, "This man shall not be your heir; no one but your very own issue shall be your heir." 5He brought him outside and said, "Look toward heaven and count the stars, if you are able to count them." Then he said to him, "So shall your descendants be." 6And he believed the LORD; and the LORD reckoned it to him as righteousness.
| Psalm (ELW) | Psalm 33:12–22 |
Let your lovingkindness be upon us, as we place our hope in you. (Ps. 33:22)
12Happy is the nation whose God | is the LORD!
Happy the people chosen to | be God's heritage!
13The LORD looks | down from heaven,
and sees all | humankind.
14God sits firmly en- | throned and watches
all who dwell | on the earth.
15God fashions | all their hearts
and observes | all their deeds. R
16A king is not saved by the size | of the army,
nor are warriors rescued by | their great strength.
17The horse gives vain | hope for victory;
despite its great strength it | cannot save.
18Truly, your eye is upon those who fear | you, O LORD,
upon those who wait for your | steadfast love,
19to deliver their | lives from death,
and to keep them alive in | time of famine. R
20Our innermost being waits for | you, O LORD,
our helper | and our shield.
21Surely, our heart rejoic- | es in you,
for in your holy name we | put our trust.
22Let your lovingkindness, O LORD, | be upon us,
even as we place our | hope in you. R
| Second Reading | Hebrews 11:1–3, 8–16 |
Abraham and Sarah exemplify the vision of faith that people of God enact in every age. Their hope and trust in God's promise allowed them to face an unknown future and to receive the promise of God.
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2Indeed, by faith our ancestors received approval. 3By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible.
8By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to set out for a place that he was to receive as an inheritance; and he set out, not knowing where he was going. 9By faith he stayed for a time in the land he had been promised, as in a foreign land, living in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10For he looked forward to the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. 11By faith he received power of procreation, even though he was too old — and Sarah herself was barren — because he considered him faithful who had promised. 12Therefore from one person, and this one as good as dead, descendants were born, "as many as the stars of heaven and as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore."
13All of these died in faith without having received the promises, but from a distance they saw and greeted them. They confessed that they were strangers and foreigners on the earth, 14for people who speak in this way make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. 15If they had been thinking of the land that they had left behind, they would have had opportunity to return. 16But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; indeed, he has prepared a city for them.
| Gospel | Luke 12:32–40 |
Jesus encourages disciples to invest their hearts and live fully into God's reign. Instead of facing life with fear, those who know God's generosity are always ready to receive from God and to give to others.
32Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33Sell your possessions, and give alms. Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. 34For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
35Be dressed for action and have your lamps lit; 36be like those who are waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet, so that they may open the door for him as soon as he comes and knocks. 37Blessed are those slaves whom the master finds alert when he comes; truly I tell you, he will fasten his belt and have them sit down to eat, and he will come and serve them. 38If he comes during the middle of the night, or near dawn, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves.
39But know this: if the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. 40You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour."
Peace,
+ Pastor Carrie Smith
