Wednesday Words for November 26, 2014
From Interim Senior Pastor Len Hoffmann
Please click below to view Bethany Weekly Newsletter
Tonight at 7:00 pm
Thanksgiving Worship followed by Pie Fest 2014
Please bring a pie to share!
Sunday Worship 8:00, 9:00, and 10:30 am
Children’s Church, Sunday School and Adult Education at 9:00 am.
New Coffee and Get Acquainted Hour 10:00 am.
Worship (Third Sunday of the Month) 5:00 pm.
Large Print Bulletins and Celebrates are available from the Ushers
Sunday, November 30 - Advent 1
9:00 am Advent Fair in the Community Room for Children, Youth and Adults
10:00 am Alternative Giving Opportunities – Luther Hall
Midweek Advent Worship Begins Wednesday, December 3 at 7:00 pm
Holden Evening Prayer
Our next Fanning the Flame event will be December 3. Soup Supper 5:45 - 6:15 pm
Purpose and Planning Session 6:30 – 7:00 pm – Sharing Our Gifts-Unlocking our Potential
Congregational Update on Purpose and Planning Process at 7:30 pm following Advent Worship
Mission Support Sunday
December 7, 2014
Dedication of Estimate of Giving Cards for 2015
Help us achieve our Annual Fund Giving Goal of $145,000 by December 31.
Go to our website and click on the green “Give Online” button.
All Gifts must be given or postmarked by December 31 to be credited to your 2014 giving.
Thought for the Day:
Empowered by God — Responding by Grace
“Now as you excel in everything — in faith,
in speech, in knowledge, in utmost eagerness,
and in our love for you — so we want you to
excel also in this generous undertaking” (2 Cor. 8:7).
Sunday at Bethany:
In our first article as part of this year’s stewardship emphasis, we saw how God is our Source, how all that we have comes from God, how God empowers and enables us, and how we respond by grace through faith. We also saw that like the Macedonian Christians, we are to first give ourselves to the Lord as good stewards of the grace of God.
Sometimes, when stewardship is mentioned, people wrongly conclude that giving money is all that is involved. Not so. Giving does include our financial resources, but it goes far beyond money and actually encompasses three primary resources. These are what might be called “building blocks” in God’s “school of faith” which constitutes “lifestyle stewardship” or “total discipleship.”
The final building block in our lifestyle of stewardship is the matter of our treasure. Don’t be confused. Money cannot buy salvation. Money cannot buy eternal life. Money can’t even buy security which God alone provides. As with our time and talents, how we use money is an indication of our priorities. Think about the process: God owns everything. According to Psalm 24:1, “The earth is the Lord’s.” God has never relinquished the title deed to the world, but God enables us to enjoy that which rightfully belongs to God. God then seeks to have us return a portion of what has been entrusted to us through our giving.
Giving is not to help God or the church pay bills. Giving is not because God needs anything from us. Giving is God’s way of growing us as disciples. Every time we give for God’s glory from our hearts, which have been redeemed by God’s love and grace, we give away a little of our selfishness. Every time we give of our resources, we grow in grace and in our walk with Christ.
Writing in “Our Daily Bread,” Anne Cetas described her pastor’s way of illustrating the truths of 2 Corinthians 8 and 9. He placed an offering plate on the floor and stepped into it. He then stood there as he talked about the importance of giving our whole selves to the Lord. Anne then suggested, “The next time the offering plate comes around at church, imagine your-self stepping into it. It will help you to excel in the grace of giving.”
As you consider your life during this time of stewardship emphasis, will you — like the Macedonian Christians — excel in the “grace of giving” by first giving yourself to the Lord? Will you then respond by grace through giving your time, your talents and your treasure to be used by God in this ministry?
As you consider your response to these questions seek the Lord’s direction and excel in this generous undertaking.
Pr. Len
First Sunday in Advent
FIRST READING ISAIAH 64:l-9
This lament comes from a people who have had their hopes shattered. The visions of a rebuilt Jerusalem and a renewed people of God, spoken of in Isaiah 40—55, have not been realized. Instead, the people experience ruin, conflict, and famine. This lament calls God to account—to be the God who has brought deliverance in the past.
O that you would tear open the heavens and come down,
so that the mountains would quake at your presence —
2as when fire kindles brushwood
and the fire causes water to boil —
to make your name known to your adversaries,
so that the nations might tremble at your presence!
3When you did awesome deeds that we did not expect,
you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence.
4From ages past no one has heard,
no ear has perceived,
no eye has seen any God besides you,
who works for those who wait for him.
5You meet those who gladly do right,
those who remember you in your ways.
But you were angry, and we sinned;
because you hid yourself we transgressed.
6We have all become like one who is unclean,
and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy cloth.
We all fade like a leaf,
and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
7There is no one who calls on your name,
or attempts to take hold of you;
for you have hidden your face from us,
and have delivered us into the hand of our iniquity.
8Yet, O LORD, you are our Father;
we are the clay, and you are our potter;
we are all the work of your hand.
9Do not be exceedingly angry, O LORD,
and do not remember iniquity forever.
Now consider, we are all your people.
SECOND READING l CORINTHIANS l:3-9
As the Christians in Corinth await the advent of Jesus, Paul reminds them how the Lord has already enriched them through spiritual gifts and will continue to strengthen them until the coming day of the Lord.
3Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
4I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus, 5for in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind — 6just as the testimony of Christ has been strengthened among you — 7so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ. 8He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9God is faithful; by him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
GOSPEL MARK 13:24-37
In today's reading, Jesus encourages his followers to look forward to the day when he returns in power and glory to end all suffering.
24But in those days, after that suffering,
the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light,
25and the stars will be falling from heaven,
and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.
26Then they will see 'the Son of Man coming in clouds' with great power and glory. 27Then he will send out the angels, and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.
28From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. 29So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. 30Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. 31Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
32But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come. 34It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his slaves in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch. 35Therefore, keep awake — for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or at dawn, 36or else he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly. 37And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake."
