Wednesday Words for February 5, 2014
From Pastor Carrie Smith
The Bethany Weekly Newsletter is found at the link at the bottom of this email.
Thought for the Day: In honor of Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s birthday
“Christian love draws no distinction between one enemy and another, except that the more bitter our enemy's hatred, the greater his need of love. Be his enmity political or religious, he has nothing to expect from a follower of Jesus but unqualified love. In such love there is no inner discord between the private person and official capacity. In both we are disciples of Christ, or we are not Christians at all.”
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, born Feb. 4, 1906
Hanged at a Nazi concentration camp on April 9, 1945
From “The Cost of Discipleship”
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Sunday at Bethany: What a busy Sunday!
†We’ll be joined by the Boy Scouts at 10:30 a.m., who will serve by greeting, ushering, and reading the lessons.
†The Blood Drive will be happening in the basement (yes, walk-ins are accepted!)
†Your new Bethany Council members will be installed at both services.
†And, of course, we will hear the Good News preached and will share in the gift of Jesus’ healing and forgiveness in the bread and wine!
This week’s Gospel lesson continues the Beatitudes with the familiar words “You are the light of the world!” Therefore, we’ll be singing lots of songs about light: “Lord of Light”, “This Little Light of Mine”, and “I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light.” Bethany Choir sings at 8:30 a.m. and the Sonshine Singers will provide music at 10:30 a.m.
Next Sunday at Bethany: At the 10:30 service next week, we’ll be joined by Molasses Creek, a contemporary folk ensemble from Ocracoke Island, off the coast of North Carolina. Come back at 4 pm for a full performance from this award-winning band—admission is free, but a freewill offering will be benefiting our own Bethany PADS site!
Seeking a few actors/readers! I am in need of 3 more people, of any age, who would like to read (memorization optional) a short monologue for one of our midweek Lenten services. If you are interested, please email me at carrie.smith@bethanylc.com
What does the ELCA mean to you? Click here
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This Week’s Texts: The 5th Sunday after Epiphany
Prayer of the Day
Lord God, with endless mercy you receive the prayers of all who call upon you. By your Spirit show us the things we ought to do, and give us the grace and power to do them, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
FIRST READING Isaiah 58:1–9a [9b–12]
Shortly after the return of Israel from exile in Babylon, the people were troubled by the ineffectiveness of their fasts. God reminds them that outward observance is no substitute for genuine fasting that results in acts of justice, such as feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, and clothing the naked.
Shout out, do not hold back!
Lift up your voice like a trumpet!
Announce to my people their rebellion,
to the house of Jacob their sins.
2Yet day after day they seek me
and delight to know my ways,
as if they were a nation that practiced righteousness
and did not forsake the ordinance of their God;
they ask of me righteous judgments,
they delight to draw near to God.
3"Why do we fast, but you do not see?
Why humble ourselves, but you do not notice?"
Look, you serve your own interest on your fast day,
and oppress all your workers.
4Look, you fast only to quarrel and to fight
and to strike with a wicked fist.
Such fasting as you do today
will not make your voice heard on high.
5Is such the fast that I choose,
a day to humble oneself?
Is it to bow down the head like a bulrush,
and to lie in sackcloth and ashes?
Will you call this a fast,
a day acceptable to the LORD?
6Is not this the fast that I choose:
to loose the bonds of injustice,
to undo the thongs of the yoke,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to break every yoke?
7Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,
and bring the homeless poor into your house;
when you see the naked, to cover them,
and not to hide yourself from your own kin?
8Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,
and your healing shall spring up quickly;
your vindicator shall go before you,
the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.
9Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer;
you shall cry for help, and he will say, Here I am. 9b
If you remove the yoke from among you,
the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil,
10if you offer your food to the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the afflicted,
then your light shall rise in the darkness
and your gloom be like the noonday.
11The LORD will guide you continually,
and satisfy your needs in parched places,
and make your bones strong;
and you shall be like a watered garden,
like a spring of water,
whose waters never fail.
12Your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt;
you shall raise up the foundations of many generations;
you shall be called the repairer of the breach,
the restorer of streets to live in.
PSALM (ELW) Psalm 112:1–9 [10]
1Hallelujah! Happy are they who | fear the LORD
and have great delight in | God's commandments!
2Their descendants will be mighty | in the land;
the generation of the upright | will be blessed.
3Wealth and riches will be | in their house,
and their righteousness will | last forever.
4Light shines in the darkness | for the upright;
the righteous are merciful and full | of compassion. R
5It is good for them to be gener- | ous in lending
and to manage their af- | fairs with justice.
6For they will nev- | er be shaken;
the righteous will be kept in everlast- | ing remembrance.
7They will not be afraid of any | evil rumors;
their heart is steadfast, trusting | in the LORD.
8Their heart is established and | will not shrink,
until they see their desire up- | on their enemies.
9They have given freely to the poor,
and their righteousness stands | fast forever;
they will hold up their | head with honor. [ R] here only if the psalm ends at v. 9
[10The wicked will see it and be angry;
they will gnash their teeth and | pine away;
the desires of the wick- | ed will perish. R]
SECOND READING 1 Corinthians 2:1–12 [13–16]
Though people such as the Corinthians are enamored with human philosophy and wisdom, Paul continuously presents God’s hidden wisdom which is Jesus Christ crucified. True spiritual maturity involves judging ourselves and others in light of God’s revelation in the cross.
When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come proclaiming the mystery of God to you in lofty words or wisdom. 2For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified. 3And I came to you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. 4My speech and my proclamation were not with plausible words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God.
6Yet among the mature we do speak wisdom, though it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to perish. 7But we speak God's wisdom, secret and hidden, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. 8None of the rulers of this age understood this; for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9But, as it is written,
"What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,
nor the human heart conceived,
what God has prepared for those who love him" —
10these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. 11For what human being knows what is truly human except the human spirit that is within? So also no one comprehends what is truly God's except the Spirit of God. 12Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit that is from God, so that we may understand the gifts bestowed on us by God. 13And we speak of these things in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual things to those who are spiritual.
14Those who are unspiritual do not receive the gifts of God's Spirit, for they are foolishness to them, and they are unable to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. 15Those who are spiritual discern all things, and they are themselves subject to no one else's scrutiny.
16"For who has known the mind of the Lord
so as to instruct him?"
But we have the mind of Christ.
GOSPEL Matthew 5:13–20
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus encourages his followers to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world, doing good works and keeping God’s commandments.
13"You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot.
14"You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. 15No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.
17"Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. 18For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter will pass from the law until all is accomplished. 19Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
Peace,
+ Pastor Carrie Smith
