Wednesday Words for September 18, 2013
from Pastor Carrie Smith
***Please scroll down to the bottom of this email for your weekly newsletter from Bethany Lutheran Church! It will appear as a link, not an attachment.***
Thought for the Day:
“I am not the only one who sees the underside and God at the same time. There are lots of us, and we are at home in the biblical stories of antiheroes and people who don’t get it; beloved prostitutes and rough fishermen. How different from that cast of characters could a manic-depressive alcoholic be? It was here in the midst of my own community of underside dwellers that I couldn’t help but begin to see the Gospel, the life-changing reality that God is not far off, but here among the brokenness of our lives.”
ELCA pastor Nadia Bolz-Weber, in her newly released book “Pastrix: The Cranky, Beautiful Faith of a Sinner & Saint”
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Tonight at Bethany: Choirs and Confirmation classes are in full swing! Remember, there are always seats available for newcomers. To enroll for Confirmation, contact Pr. Paul paul.cannon@bethanylc.com To enroll in Bethany Adult Choir, contact Andy McKay andy.mckay@bethanylc.com and for the Sonshine Singers, contact Allison Boccia Allison.boccia@bethanylc.com
Sunday at Bethany: This is a great day for celebration! We will witness two baptisms at 10:30 a.m.: Amber Sheils and Madison Behrens. We will also welcome new members! Please take the opportunity to welcome these new sisters and brothers in Christ:
Frederick, Ellen, Margot & Renee Crawley
Diane & Bob Janicki
Charlie, Stephanie, Evelyn and Colton Johnson
Beth, Mark, Courtney & Ashley Mega
Also—April & Emily Sahl, who cannot be here this week but will be welcomed into membership next Sunday.
Please look for their nametags on Sunday during the Fellowship Hour (9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m.) and welcome them to the Bethany faith community!
What will we be singing Sunday?We will continue to worship using Setting 4 of Holy Communion (an old favorite for many, as it appeared in the “green book” as well). We will also sing “Children of the Heavenly Father”, “Be Thou My Vision” and “Praise to the Lord, All of You, God’s People”. At the 8:30 service we’ll be serenaded by the Bethany Adult Choir, and at 10:30 the Sonshine Singers will make their fall 2013 debut!
CROP WALK! Don’t forget to sign up to walk, or sponsor some walkers. Bethany members have been involved in this for many years. See more details in the newsletter, attached here! The walk takes place on September 29.
Printed newsletters: Did you notice there were printed newsletters available at the doors on Sunday? We are printing 150 newsletters each Sunday for our visitors and for you to take home to share. Enjoy, and share the Good News!
Transition Team: At the June meeting, the Bethany Council voted to form a “transition team” which would prayerfully walk through about a year of planning to re-integrate our children back into worship, including discussing future worship schedules. A team has been formed, but there is room for YOU! If you would like to be involved in this process, please contact me at carrie.smith@bethanylc.com or president Bethany Gola at bethanygola@att.net
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This Week’s Texts: 18th Sunday after Pentecost
Prayer of the Day:
God among us,
we gather in the name of your Son to learn love for one another.
Keep our feet from evil paths.
Turn our minds to your wisdom
and our hearts to the grace revealed in your Son,
Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
| First Reading | Amos 8:4–7 |
4Hear this, you that trample on the needy,
and bring to ruin the poor of the land,
5saying, "When will the new moon be over
so that we may sell grain;
and the sabbath,
so that we may offer wheat for sale?
We will make the ephah small and the shekel great,
and practice deceit with false balances,
6buying the poor for silver
and the needy for a pair of sandals,
and selling the sweepings of the wheat."
7The LORD has sworn by the pride of Jacob:
Surely I will never forget any of their deeds.
| Psalm (ELW) | Psalm 113 |
1Hallelujah! Give praise, you servants | of the LORD;
praise the name | of the LORD.
2Let the name of the | LORD be blessed,
from this time forth for- | evermore.
3From the rising of the sun to its | going down
let the name of the | LORD be praised.
4The LORD is high a- | bove all nations,
God's glory a- | bove the heavens. R
5Who is like the | LORD our God,
who sits en- | throned on high,
6but stoops | to behold
the heavens | and the earth?
7The LORD takes up the weak out | of the dust
and lifts up the poor | from the ashes,
8enthroning them | with the rulers,
with the rulers | of the people.
9The LORD makes the woman of a | childless house
to be a joyful mother of children. | Hallelujah! R
| Second Reading | 1 Timothy 2:1–7 |
First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, 2for kings and all who are in high positions, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity. 3This is right and is acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4who desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5For
there is one God;
there is also one mediator between God and humankind,
Christ Jesus, himself human,
6who gave himself a ransom for all —
this was attested at the right time. 7For this I was appointed a herald and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.
| Gospel | Luke 16:1–13 |
Then Jesus said to the disciples, "There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was squandering his property. 2So he summoned him and said to him, 'What is this that I hear about you? Give me an accounting of your management, because you cannot be my manager any longer.' 3Then the manager said to himself, 'What will I do, now that my master is taking the position away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. 4I have decided what to do so that, when I am dismissed as manager, people may welcome me into their homes.' 5So, summoning his master's debtors one by one, he asked the first, 'How much do you owe my master?' 6He answered, 'A hundred jugs of olive oil.' He said to him, 'Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it fifty.' 7Then he asked another, 'And how much do you owe?' He replied, 'A hundred containers of wheat.' He said to him, 'Take your bill and make it eighty.' 8And his master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly; for the children of this age are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light. 9And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of dishonest wealth so that when it is gone, they may welcome you into the eternal homes.
10Whoever is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much; and whoever is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much. 11If then you have not been faithful with the dishonest wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? 12And if you have not been faithful with what belongs to another, who will give you what is your own? 13No slave can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth."
Peace,
+ Pastor Carrie Smith
