Wednesday Words for June 19, 2013
from Pastor Carrie Smith
Thought for the Day:
“See, see Who God is, see the glory of God, going up to Him out of this incomprehensible and infinite Sacrifice in which all history begins and ends, all individual lives begin and end, in which every story is told, and finished, and settled for joy or for sorrow: the one point of reference for all the truths that are outside of God, their center, their focus: Love.”
― Thomas Merton, The Seven Storey Mountain
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Happy Wednesday!
Your Bethany Weekly newsletter is attached to this email.
Please feel free to forward it, print it, and (hopefully) – READ IT! Remember that the attachment may show up at the bottom of this email as a link.
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Sunday at Bethany: This Sunday, Pastor Paul will be preaching and I will be presiding at communion. We welcome Confirmation students to the 10:30 service for a special blessing and sending before they leave for Lutherdale Camp in Elkhorn, Wisconsin!
Special music this week will be provided by Rob Boncosky! We will sing “On Eagle’s Wings”, which is a favorite of Bethany member Michelle Raemont. She says it is “Inspiring, beautiful, and always full of hope!”
We’ll end the worship service with “A Mighty Fortress” (using the “old meter”) which happens to be organist Allison Boccia’s favorite hymn!
Tomorrow evening: At Atonement Lutheran in Barrington, 7 pm, you can hear Syrian Bishop Jean Kawak speaking about the situation for Christians in Syria. I hope to see you there! 909 E. Main Street, Barrington.
Ready for baptism? If you are interested in baptism for yourself or your child, please contact me at carrie.smith@bethanylc.com. July 7th is the next baptism date, and we would love to celebrate with you and your family that day.
Check out the “new” library! You may have noticed that the church library has undergone some serious renovations in the past year. The Library Team welcomes you to check out the new paint, new furniture, new art, and new books! Please also note the beautiful hand-stitched banner hanging just outside the door (made by Sandi Hall!) Thank you, library team for your hard work. And we give thanks to God for dearly departed Bethany member and former librarian Eileen Harkins. Memorial gifts given in her memory have made this library renewal possible.
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This Week’s Texts: 5th Sunday after Pentecost
Prayer of the Day:
O Lord God,
we bring before you the cries of a sorrowing world.
In your mercy set us free from the chains that bind us,
and defend us from everything that is evil,
through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
| FIRST READING | Isaiah 65:1–9 |
I was ready to be sought out by those who did not ask,
to be found by those who did not seek me.
I said, "Here I am, here I am,"
to a nation that did not call on my name.
2I held out my hands all day long
to a rebellious people,
who walk in a way that is not good,
following their own devices;
3a people who provoke me
to my face continually,
sacrificing in gardens
and offering incense on bricks;
4who sit inside tombs,
and spend the night in secret places;
who eat swine's flesh,
with broth of abominable things in their vessels;
5who say, "Keep to yourself,
do not come near me, for I am too holy for you."
These are a smoke in my nostrils,
a fire that burns all day long.
6See, it is written before me:
I will not keep silent, but I will repay;
I will indeed repay into their laps
7their iniquities and their ancestors' iniquities together,
says the LORD;
because they offered incense on the mountains
and reviled me on the hills,
I will measure into their laps
full payment for their actions.
8Thus says the LORD:
As the wine is found in the cluster,
and they say, "Do not destroy it,
for there is a blessing in it,"
so I will do for my servants' sake,
and not destroy them all.
9I will bring forth descendants from Jacob,
and from Judah inheritors of my mountains;
my chosen shall inherit it,
and my servants shall settle there.
Psalm 22: 19-28 (Message Version)
19You, God - don't put off my rescue! Hurry and help me!20Don't let them cut my throat; don't let those mongrels devour me.21If you don't show up soon, I'm done for - gored by the bulls, meat for the lions.22Here's the story I'll tell my friends when they come to worship, and punctuate it with Hallelujahs:23Shout Hallelujah, you God-worshipers; give glory, you sons of Jacob; adore him, you daughters of Israel.24He has never let you down, never looked the other way when you were being kicked around. He has never wandered off to do his own thing; he has been right there, listening.25Here in this great gathering for worship I have discovered this praise-life. And I'll do what I promised right here in front of the God-worshipers.26Down-and-outers sit at God's table and eat their fill. Everyone on the hunt for God is here, praising him. "Live it up, from head to toe. Don't ever quit!"27From the four corners of the earth people are coming to their senses, are running back to God. Long-lost families are falling on their faces before him.28God has taken charge; from now on he has the last word.
| SECOND READING | Galatians 3:23–29 |
23Now before faith came, we were imprisoned and guarded under the law until faith would be revealed. 24Therefore the law was our disciplinarian until Christ came, so that we might be justified by faith. 25But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian, 26for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. 27As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. 29And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to the promise.
| GOSPEL | Luke 8:26–39 |
26Then they arrived at the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. 27As he stepped out on land, a man of the city who had demons met him. For a long time he had worn no clothes, and he did not live in a house but in the tombs. 28When he saw Jesus, he fell down before him and shouted at the top of his voice, "What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me" — 29for Jesus had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (For many times it had seized him; he was kept under guard and bound with chains and shackles, but he would break the bonds and be driven by the demon into the wilds.) 30Jesus then asked him, "What is your name?" He said, "Legion"; for many demons had entered him. 31They begged him not to order them to go back into the abyss.
32Now there on the hillside a large herd of swine was feeding; and the demons begged Jesus to let them enter these. So he gave them permission. 33Then the demons came out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned.
34When the swineherds saw what had happened, they ran off and told it in the city and in the country. 35Then people came out to see what had happened, and when they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. 36Those who had seen it told them how the one who had been possessed by demons had been healed. 37Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them; for they were seized with great fear. So he got into the boat and returned. 38The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him; but Jesus sent him away, saying, 39Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you. So he went away, proclaiming throughout the city how much Jesus had done for him.
Peace,
Pastor Carrie Smith
