Wednesday Words for October 2, 2013
From Pastor Carrie Smith
Scroll to the bottom to find your weekly Bethany newsletter! Remember that it appears as a link at the bottom of this e-mail. You can also pick up a printed copy at church on Sunday.
Enjoy!
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Thought for the Day:
“’The times are bad! The times are troublesome!’ This is what humans say. But we are our times. Let us live well and our times will be good. Such as we are, such are our times.”
- Church father Augustine of Hippo
Sunday at Bethany: This Sunday at 10:30 a.m. we will witness 2 more baptisms: Oliver Johansen and Jordyn Carpenter. Oliver and Jordyn are baptisms #26 & 27 since Easter! Thanks be to God!
This is Global Church Sunday! At both services we will honor the 10th anniversary of our partnership with the Kiutu Lutheran Parish in Tanzania, by re-affirming our covenant with them. Pr. Robert Smith (my spouse, and a part of the ELCA Global Mission Unit) will be the guest preacher at both services.
We’ll begin the worship services by singing “God is Here!”, which speaks of how we find God in this sacred place, Bethany Lutheran. We’ll then end the service by singing “This Little Light of Mine”, sending us out to share that light with the rest of the world. At 8:30 a.m. we’ll be serenaded by the SonShine singers, and at 10:30 a.m. we’ll hear from the Bethany Adult choir.
Coffee hour will feature guests from Thrivent Financial, with information for you as well as some extra snacks. See you on Sunday!
Saturday at 2:30 p.m. is the installation of Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton. The Rev. Jessica R. Crist, bishop of the ELCA Montana Synod and chair of the ELCA Conference of Bishops, will preach the sermon. Scripture texts for the installation service are Isaiah 42:5-9, 2 Corinthians 4:1-12 and Mark 4:1-9. Among the guests attending are representatives from the ELCA’s full communion partners, members from The Lutheran World Federation, ELCA companions from around the world, members of this church and others. The liturgy will include a diversity of music led by organ, piano, bagpipes, brass, choir, soloists, drum, guitar and more. You can watch the live stream of this event
And you can read more about Bishop Eaton here.
Candlelight Vigil: On Wednesday, October 9 at 6 pm is a candlelight vigil in honor of the survivors and families of domestic violence. This vigil is sponsored by Turning Point, Direct Services, and Mathers Clinic, and will take place in the Historic Woodstock Square.
Do you read Sojourners? I have been a subscriber to this Christian magazine for more than 20 years. Here’s an interesting article called “Stop Blaming Youth for Christianity’s ‘Demise’”
http://sojo.net/blogs/2013/09/30/stop-blaming-youth-christianity%E2%80%99s-demise
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This Week’s Texts: 20th Sunday after Pentecost
| Prayer of the Day |
Benevolent, merciful God:
When we are empty, fill us.
When we are weak in faith, strengthen us.
When we are cold in love, warm us,
that with fervor we may love our neighbors
and serve them for the sake of your Son,
Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
| First Reading | Habakkuk 1:1–4; 2:1–4 |
Injustice and violence in the time leading up to the Babylonian exile move this prophet to lament: How can a good and all-powerful God see evil in the world and seemingly remain indifferent? God answers by proclaiming that the wicked will perish, but the righteous will live by faith.
Chapter 1
The oracle that the prophet Habakkuk saw.
2O LORD, how long shall I cry for help,
and you will not listen?
Or cry to you "Violence!"
and you will not save?
3Why do you make me see wrongdoing
and look at trouble?
Destruction and violence are before me;
strife and contention arise.
4So the law becomes slack
and justice never prevails.
The wicked surround the righteous —
therefore judgment comes forth perverted.
Chapter 2
I will stand at my watchpost,
and station myself on the rampart;
I will keep watch to see what he will say to me,
and what he will answer concerning my complaint.
2Then the LORD answered me and said:
Write the vision;
make it plain on tablets,
so that a runner may read it.
3For there is still a vision for the appointed time;
it speaks of the end, and does not lie.
If it seems to tarry, wait for it;
it will surely come, it will not delay.
4Look at the proud!
Their spirit is not right in them,
but the righteous live by their faith.
| Psalm (ELW) | Psalm 37:1–9 |
Commit your way to the LORD; put your trust in the LORD. (Ps. 37:5)
1Do not be provoked by | evildoers;
do not be jealous of those | who do wrong.
2For they shall soon wither | like the grass,
and like the green grass | fade away.
3Put your trust in the LORD | and do good;
dwell in the land and | find safe pasture.
4Take delight | in the LORD,
who shall give you your | heart's desire. R
5Commit your way to the LORD; put your trust | in the LORD,
and see what | God will do.
6The LORD will make your vindication as clear | as the light
and the justice of your case like the | noonday sun.
7Be still before the LORD and wait | patiently.
Do not be provoked by the one who prospers,
the one who succeeds in | evil schemes.
8Refrain from anger, leave | rage alone;
do not be provoked; it leads on- | ly to evil.
9For evildoers shall | be cut off,
but those who hope in the LORD shall pos- | sess the land. R
| Second Reading | 2 Timothy 1:1–14 |
This message written from Paul to Timothy is a personal message of encouragement. In the face of hardship and persecution, Timothy is reminded that his faith is a gift of God. He is encouraged to exercise that faith with the help of the Holy Spirit.
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, for the sake of the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus,
2To Timothy, my beloved child:
Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
3I am grateful to God — whom I worship with a clear conscience, as my ancestors did — when I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day. 4Recalling your tears, I long to see you so that I may be filled with joy. 5I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that lived first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, lives in you. 6For this reason I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands; 7for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline.
8Do not be ashamed, then, of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel, relying on the power of God, 9who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace. This grace was given to us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, 10but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. 11For this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher, 12and for this reason I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know the one in whom I have put my trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard until that day what I have entrusted to him. 13Hold to the standard of sound teaching that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 14Guard the good treasure entrusted to you, with the help of the Holy Spirit living in us.
| Gospel | Luke 17:5–10 |
On the way to Jerusalem, Jesus instructs his followers about the power of faith and the duties of discipleship. He calls his disciples to adopt the attitude of servants whose actions are responses to their identity rather than works seeking reward.
5The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!" 6The Lord replied, "If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you.
7Who among you would say to your slave who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, 'Come here at once and take your place at the table'? 8Would you not rather say to him, 'Prepare supper for me, put on your apron and serve me while I eat and drink; later you may eat and drink'? 9Do you thank the slave for doing what was commanded? 10So you also, when you have done all that you were ordered to do, say, 'We are worthless slaves; we have done only what we ought to have done!'"
Peace,
+ Pastor Carrie Smith
