Wednesday Words for September 4, 2013
From Pastor Carrie Smith
Thought for the Day: A Christian response to war
Eternal God
Save us from weak resignation to violence
Teach us that restraint is the highest expression of power
That thoughtfulness and tenderness are marks of the strong.
Help us to love our enemies
Not by countenancing their sins,
But by remembering our own
And may we never for a moment forget
That they are fed by the same food,
Hurt by the same weapons,
Have children for whom they have the same high hopes as we do.
Grant us the ability
To find joy and strength not in the strident call to arms
To grasp our fellow creatures
In the striving for justice and truth.
1991 NCC Australia & Australia Catholic relief.
Prepared by a Christian, a Jew and a Muslim (Aug. 1990)
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It’s Wednesday! Attached to this email is your Bethany Weekly Newsletter. Please scroll down to the bottom of the message to find the link to the newsletter. You can also pick up a printed copy at church on Sunday.
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In our prayers: Remember to open up your newsletter to read about members who are in our prayers this week. Do you have a prayer request? Remember that you can submit a request for the prayer chain any time by emailing churchoffice@bethanylc.com You can also send them directly to one of the pastors: carrie.smith@Bethanylc.com or paul.cannon@bethanylc.com
Would you like to be on the prayer chain, sharing the ministry of prayer with this community? Please let us know that as well!
Saturday at Bethany: at 7:30 am, join the Men’s Group for a special FREE pancake breakfast and a guest speaker! Contact Dave Sweet at 815-455-1949 if you plan to attend.
Also on Saturday: It’s the Youth BBQ Kick-Off party from 4-7 pm at the home of David Sweet. Again, RSVP to Pr. Paul at paul.cannon@bethanylc.com or to Dave at 815-455-1949
Sunday at Bethany: It’s RALLY DAY! Come one, come all! Special music will be provided by Timothy Brinkman on the guitar (some of his original compositions and some favorite hymns). You can expect to sing “For the Beauty of the Earth” and “Lift High the Cross” as well as “Amazing Grace”. I can’t wait to hear the sound of all your voices, back in worship after summer vacations!
SCHEDULE:
8:30 a.m. worship
9:30 a.m. Fellowship
10:15 a.m. Sunday School opening
10:30 a.m. worship
1-4 p.m. “God’s Work, Our Hands” service projects
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This Week’s Texts: Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Prayer of the Day:
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Direct us, O Lord God, in all our doings with your continual help,
that in all our works, begun, continued, and ended in you,
we may glorify your holy name;
and finally, by your mercy, bring us to everlasting life,
through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
| First Reading | Deuteronomy 30:15–20 |
Moses speaks to the Israelites, who are about to enter the land promised to their ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. In this passage, he lays out the stark choice before them: choose life by loving and obeying the Lord; or choose death by following other gods.
15See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, death and adversity. 16If you obey the commandments of the LORD your God that I am commanding you today, by loving the LORD your God, walking in his ways, and observing his commandments, decrees, and ordinances, then you shall live and become numerous, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to possess. 17But if your heart turns away and you do not hear, but are led astray to bow down to other gods and serve them, 18I declare to you today that you shall perish; you shall not live long in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess. 19I call heaven and earth to witness against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live, 20loving the LORD your God, obeying him, and holding fast to him; for that means life to you and length of days, so that you may live in the land that the LORD swore to give to your ancestors, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.
| Psalm (ELW) | Psalm 1 |
They are like trees planted by streams of water. (Ps. 1:3)
1Happy are they who have not walked in the counsel | of the wicked,
nor lingered in the way of sinners,
nor sat in the seats | of the scornful!
2Their delight is in the law | of the LORD,
and they meditate on God's teaching | day and night. R
3They are like trees planted by streams of water,
bearing fruit in due season, with leaves that | do not wither;
everything they | do shall prosper.
4It is not so | with the wicked;
they are like chaff which the wind | blows away.
5Therefore the wicked shall not stand upright when | judgment comes,
nor the sinner in the council | of the righteous.
6For the LORD knows the way | of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked shall | be destroyed. R
| Second Reading | Philemon 1:1–21 |
While Paul was in prison, he was aided by a runaway slave named Onesimus. The slave's master, Philemon, was a Christian friend of Paul. Paul told Onesimus to return to his master and encouraged Philemon to receive Onesimus back as a Christian brother.
Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother,
To Philemon our dear friend and co-worker, 2to Apphia our sister, to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house:
3Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
4When I remember you in my prayers, I always thank my God 5because I hear of your love for all the saints and your faith toward the Lord Jesus. 6I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective when you perceive all the good that we may do for Christ. 7I have indeed received much joy and encouragement from your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, my brother.
8For this reason, though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do your duty, 9yet I would rather appeal to you on the basis of love — and I, Paul, do this as an old man, and now also as a prisoner of Christ Jesus. 10I am appealing to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I have become during my imprisonment. 11Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful both to you and to me. 12I am sending him, that is, my own heart, back to you. 13I wanted to keep him with me, so that he might be of service to me in your place during my imprisonment for the gospel; 14but I preferred to do nothing without your consent, in order that your good deed might be voluntary and not something forced. 15Perhaps this is the reason he was separated from you for a while, so that you might have him back forever, 16no longer as a slave but more than a slave, a beloved brother — especially to me but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.
17So if you consider me your partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. 18If he has wronged you in any way, or owes you anything, charge that to my account. 19I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand: I will repay it. I say nothing about your owing me even your own self. 20Yes, brother, let me have this benefit from you in the Lord! Refresh my heart in Christ. 21Confident of your obedience, I am writing to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say.
| Gospel | Luke 14:25–33 |
Jesus speaks frankly about the fearsome costs of discipleship. Those who follow him should know from the outset that completing the course of discipleship will finally mean renouncing all other allegiances.
25Now large crowds were traveling with him; and he turned and said to them, 26"Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. 27Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. 28For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it? 29Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it will begin to ridicule him, 30saying, 'This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.' 31Or what king, going out to wage war against another king, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32If he cannot, then, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for the terms of peace. 33So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions.
Peace,
+ Pr. Carrie Smith
