Wednesday Words for October 8, 2014
From Interim Senior Pastor Len Hoffmann
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Worship 8:00, 9:00, and 10:30 am
Children’s Church, Sunday School and Adult Education at 9:00 am.
9:00 am Adult Class Bad Girls of the Bible (Men are Welcome!)
New Adult Class October 12 9:20 am in the Community Room (lower level) – Stretch and Pray
New Coffee and get acquainted hour 10:00 am.
Sunday Evening Worship, October 19 at 5:00 p.m. Holden
Evening Prayer
Men’s Chili Supper 5:00 – 7:00 Support the Youth!
Thanks to all who supported the CROP Walk
Our next Fanning the Flame event will be held Thursday, October 16. Please RSVP! Soup Supper 5:45 -6:15 pm
Purpose and Planning Session 6:30 – 8:30 pm – Developing our Statement of Mission
Thought for the Day:
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters; 3 he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name's sake. 4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff--they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long. Psalm 23
Sunday at Bethany:
Our Psalm for this week provides insight into things that are at the very core of our being. It names who we are; it addresses the fear and dread that often haunts us; it assures us of God’s abundant gifts ; It convinces us that God constantly pursues us no matter what.
Who we are is the Lord’s. He invites us to take a breath and to be renewed. We can pause from the hectic pace that often defines our life-style these days and reminds us it is he who gives us our life. When we take time for worship we take that breath, we sip the cool waters of God’s love, and we are refreshed to see more clearly the path down which our Lord leads us.
Our lives are filled with things that scare us. Ebola, ISIS, Enterovirus D-68, Identity theft, cancer, Alzheimer’s, and the list goes on and on. We are assured that even though we walk through the darkest values we need not fear any evil because our shepherd is with us and walks with us through these darkest valleys, yes, even the valley of the shadow of death.
In reality it is in the midst of all of these enemies that God prepares a table of blessings. In worship that table is spread before us and in, with and under the bread and wine as we are connected to Christ’s body and blood. We are renewed, strengthen and assured that God pursues us all the days of our lives in order that we might dwell in house now and forever.
Pr. Len
Lectionary 28 - Proper 23
Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Prayer of the Day: Lord of the feast, you have prepared a table before all peoples and poured out your life with abundance. Call us again to your banquet. Strengthen us by what is honorable, just, and pure, and transform us into a people of righteousness and peace, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
First Reading Isaiah 25:1-9
After a hymn of praise acknowledging God as a shelter for the poor, the prophet portrays a wonderful victory banquet at which death—which in ancient Canaan was depicted as a monster swallowing everyone up—will be swallowed up forever. The prophet urges celebration of this victory of salvation.
O LORD, you are my God;
I will exalt you, I will praise your name;
for you have done wonderful things,
plans formed of old, faithful and sure.
2For you have made the city a heap,
the fortified city a ruin;
the palace of aliens is a city no more,
it will never be rebuilt.
3Therefore strong peoples will glorify you;
cities of ruthless nations will fear you.
4For you have been a refuge to the poor,
a refuge to the needy in their distress,
a shelter from the rainstorm and a shade from the heat.
When the blast of the ruthless was like a winter rainstorm,
5the noise of aliens like heat in a dry place,
you subdued the heat with the shade of clouds;
the song of the ruthless was stilled.
6On this mountain the LORD of hosts will make for all peoples
a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wines,
of rich food filled with marrow, of well-aged wines strained clear.
7And he will destroy on this mountain
the shroud that is cast over all peoples,
the sheet that is spread over all nations;
8he will swallow up death forever.
Then the Lord GOD will wipe away the tears from all faces,
and the disgrace of his people he will take away from all the earth,
for the LORD has spoken.
9It will be said on that day,
Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, so that he might save us.
This is the LORD for whom we have waited;
let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.
Second Reading Philippians 4:1-9
Though writing from prison and facing an uncertain future, Paul calls on the Philippians to rejoice and give thanks to God no matter what the circumstance. God's peace is with us and binds together our hearts and minds in Jesus Christ, especially when things around us do not seem peaceful.
Therefore, my brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, my beloved.
2I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. 3Yes, and I ask you also, my loyal companion, help these women, for they have struggled beside me in the work of the gospel, together with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life.
4Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. 5Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. 6Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.
The Gospel Matthew 22:1-14
Jesus tells a parable indicating that the blessings of God's kingdom are available to all, but the invitation is not to be taken lightly.
Once more Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying: 2The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son. 3He sent his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding banquet, but they would not come. 4Again he sent other slaves, saying, 'Tell those who have been invited: Look, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready; come to the wedding banquet.' 5But they made light of it and went away, one to his farm, another to his business, 6while the rest seized his slaves, mistreated them, and killed them. 7The king was enraged. He sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. 8Then he said to his slaves, 'The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy. 9Go therefore into the main streets, and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet.' 10Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both good and bad; so the wedding hall was filled with guests.
11But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing a wedding robe, 12and he said to him, 'Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding robe?' And he was speechless. 13Then the king said to the attendants, 'Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' 14For many are called, but few are chosen."
