Wednesday Words for July 30, 2014
From Interim Senior Pastor Len Hoffmann
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Thought for the Day:
The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, so to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
Psalm145:8
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Men’s Bible Study with Pr. Len this Saturday at 8:00 a.m. All men are invited.
September 7 is Rally Day. Watch for details of this special celebration as Bethany is W.I.R.E.D. for Outreach and Service. W.I.R.E.D. = worship, involvement, renewal, education, discipleship. Worship will be at 8:30 and 10:30 with our new schedule starting on September 14.
August 10 at 9:45 a.m. “Everything You Always Wanted to Know about Teaching Sunday School, but were Afraid to Ask”. Members of our Education Team will answer your questions about schedule and curriculum. Please join them and become involved.
Sunday at Bethany:com·pas·sion /kmpæ n. Noun /
- 1. a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering. Another definition might be “suffering with” or “suffering together”.
Compassion also has as part of the definition suggests not only sympathy or empathy towards one who is suffering, but also an accompanying action that seeks to do something about the suffering of another.
Our Psalm reminds us that God did not just suffer for us in Jesus Christ, but continues to suffer with us. God does not just feel our pain, but actually seeks through his love to heal our pain.
Furthermore we have received love from a compassionate God, and we are moved to be compassionate toward others. To walk with others in their suffering and being ready to share the ways in which God has walked with us in our suffering.
As members of the Lutheran Community we also have the opportunity to share compassion as we connect with needs around the world through Lutheran World Relief, Lutheran Disaster Response, the World Hunger Appeal, the Malaria Initiative, and LSSI.
Personally and corporately one of the marks of a disciple of Christ is to live with compassion and love toward all, as God lives with compassion and love toward us.
Pastor Len
Lectionary 18
Proper 13
Eighth Sunday after Pentecost
Prayer of the Day
Glorious God, your generosity waters the world with goodness, and you cover creation with abundance. Awaken in us a hunger for the food that satisfies both body and spirit, and with this food fill all the starving world; through your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
First Reading Isaiah 55:1-5
God invites Israel to a great feast at which both food and drink are free. God also promises to make an everlasting covenant with all the people, with promises that previously had been limited to the line of kings. As David was a witness to the nations, these nations shall now acknowledge the ways in which God has glorified Israel.
Ho, everyone who thirsts,
come to the waters;
and you that have no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without price.
2Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
and your labor for that which does not satisfy?
Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good,
and delight yourselves in rich food.
3Incline your ear, and come to me;
listen, so that you may live.
I will make with you an everlasting covenant,
my steadfast, sure love for David.
4See, I made him a witness to the peoples,
a leader and commander for the peoples.
5See, you shall call nations that you do not know,
and nations that do not know you shall run to you,
because of the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel,
for he has glorified you.
Second Reading Romans 9:1-5
This begins a new section in Paul's letter in which he will deal with the place of Israel in God's saving plan. He opens by highlighting how Israel's heritage and legacy include being God's children, having God's covenants, being given God's law, participating in worship of God, and receiving divine promises.
I am speaking the truth in Christ — I am not lying; my conscience confirms it by the Holy Spirit — 2I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my own people, my kindred according to the flesh. 4They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises; 5to them belong the patriarchs, and from them, according to the flesh, comes the Messiah, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen.
The Gospel Matthew 14:13-21
After John the Baptist is murdered, Jesus desires a time of solitude. Still, his compassion for others will not allow him to dismiss those who need him, and he is moved to perform one of his greatest miracles.
13Now when Jesus heard this, [about the beheading of John the Baptist] he withdrew from there in a boat to a deserted place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. 14When he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them and cured their sick. 15When it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, "This is a deserted place, and the hour is now late; send the crowds away so that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves." 16Jesus said to them, "They need not go away; you give them something to eat." 17They replied, "We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish." 18And he said, "Bring them here to me." 19Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. 20And all ate and were filled; and they took up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full. 21And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.
