Wednesday Words for February 12, 2104
From Pastor Carrie Smith
Your Bethany Weekly Newsletter can be found by scrolling down to the bottom of this email –just click the link to open it!
Thought for the Day:
Teresa of Avila, a 16th century mystic, said, “Let nothing disturb you, nothing dismay you. All things are passing, God never changes. Patient endurance attains all things. God alone suffices.”
***
Thursday at Bethany: At 7 pm, gather in Luther Hall to hear a Healthcare Navigator explain about the health care options that may be available to you through the Affordable Care Act. This is a free workshop, and registration is not required.
Or…at 7:30 pm you can gather at Duke’s Alehouse for the next meeting of Theology on Tap! The topic this month is TBD. All are welcome! The group will be meeting in the “upper room.” Beverages are optional. Good conversation is mandatory!
Sunday at Bethany: Worship is at 8:30 am and 10:30 am. We will welcome guest musicians Molasses Creek at the 10:30 am service. We’ll be singing a fairly new hymn (“Gather Us In”) and an old hymn (“O Jesus, Joy of Loving Hearts”) plus some favorites for all generations (“Jesus Loves Me” and “Precious Lord, Take My Hand.”) We’ll be sent out on Pastor Carrie’s favorite hymn (“The King of Love My Shepherd Is”) J
At both services, we’ll welcome up everyone involved in one of these Caring Ministries for a special blessing: Home Communion Ministers, Prayer Shawl Ministry, Stephens Ministry, and Prayer Chain. Thank you for loving your neighbors as yourself!
Between services, grab coffee and then come back to the sanctuary for a presentation by Beth Chase of Bright Stars of Bethlehem. You will see a short (11 minute) video about the work of Pr. Mitri Raheb in Bethlehem and Beth will talk about how you can be involved.
At 4 pm, come back to church for a concert to benefit our very own PADS site! Molasses Creek, from Ocracoke Island off the coast of North Carolina, will be performing their lively contemporary folk music. Invite your friends!
Spaghetti Dinner tickets are for sale NOW! Mark your calendars for the dinner on Sunday, March 2, and get your tickets between worship services this Sunday. All proceeds go to support our Youth Program!
Blood Drive Update: Thank you, Bethany! The blood drive collected 21 units of blood plus 1 double red cell donor, which saves 63 lives! Thanks be to God!
Do you have a recliner (or a chair with an ottoman) to donate? We have a member who is in need of one. Please contact Pr. Carrie at carrie.smith@Bethanylc.com if you can help out.
Don’t forget: help the Sunday School students build a diaper mountain for the Diaper Bank ! Bring a pack of any size to church to help us help moms and babies!
***
This Week’s Texts: The 6th Sunday after Epiphany
Prayer of the Day:
O God, the strength of all who hope in you,
because we are weak mortals we accomplish nothing good without you.
Help us to see and understand the things we ought to do,
and give us grace and power to do them,
through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
FIRST READING Deuteronomy 30:15–20
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 119:1–8
1Happy are they whose | way is blameless,
who follow the teaching | of the LORD!
2Happy are they who observe | your decrees
and seek you with | all their hearts,
3who never do | any wrong,
but always walk | in your ways.
4You laid down | your commandments,
that we should | fully keep them. R
5Oh, that my ways were made | so direct
that I might | keep your statutes!
6Then I should not be | put to shame,
when I regard all | your commandments.
7I will thank you with | a true heart,
when I have learned your | righteous judgments.
8I will | keep your statutes;
do not utter- | ly forsake me. R
SECOND READING 1 Corinthians 3:1–9
And so, brothers and sisters, I could not speak to you as spiritual people, but rather as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. 2I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for solid food. Even now you are still not ready, 3for you are still of the flesh. For as long as there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not of the flesh, and behaving according to human inclinations? 4For when one says, "I belong to Paul," and another, "I belong to Apollos," are you not merely human?
5What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you came to believe, as the Lord assigned to each. 6I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. 7So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. 8The one who plants and the one who waters have a common purpose, and each will receive wages according to the labor of each. 9For we are God's servants, working together; you are God's field, God's building.
GOSPEL Matthew 5:21–37
21"You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, 'You shall not murder'; and 'whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.' 22But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, 'You fool,' you will be liable to the hell of fire. 23So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift. 25Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way to court with him, or your accuser may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. 26Truly I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.
27"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery.' 28But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to go into hell.
31"It was also said, 'Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.' 32But I say to you that anyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of unchastity, causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
33"Again, you have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, 'You shall not swear falsely, but carry out the vows you have made to the Lord.' 34But I say to you, Do not swear at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 35or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. 37Let your word be 'Yes, Yes' or 'No, No'; anything more than this comes from the evil one.
Peace,
Pr. Carrie Smith
