MMC: Tuesday Edition

Good Morning Bethlehem

I hope you all had a wonderful Memorial Day, filled with fun and our gorgeous weather, and a few moments to remember those who have died in war, our troops, our enemies and civilian casualties.  

And thank you to everyone who help me celebrate my birthday this weekend.  Especially Becky P for putting together such a fantastic coffee hour and Karin R for making 2am brownies to make sure that I had a cake. 

A few quick announcements

June is a busy month for Bethlehem, especially on Sundays.

• Sunday, June 5.  Last Sunday School of the year will start at 9am - an intergenerational program on the Holy Spirit.  10am is Youth Sunday with Ryan H as our preacher.
• Sunday June 12 is Pentecost.  Wear red, support Aidan and Dylan C as they are baptized into Christ's family, and afterwards spend some time at all the festivities of Georgetown Day 
• Sunday June 19 is Holy Trinity Sunday.  The C and C families will affirm their baptisms and become members of Bethlehem and afterwards we will celebrate Father's Day with a coffee hour of beer, pretzels and hot dogs.

A few calls for help

• Sunday technically was the last day to order flowers for Pentecost, but if you call Becky P ASAP you will probably still be able to put in an order.
• On Pentecost, as we hear the list of nationalities that people heard the apostles speak in their own languages, we will add modern nationalities and languages.  If you are willing to read John 3:16 in a language other than English, please let me know.  Thus far people have volunteered to read in Akkadian, Finnish, German, Japanese, Russian, Summarian, and Swedish. 

Book of Faith Puzzler

Last week’s  question was: In Sunday’s Gospel, we hear one of Jesus’ famous I am sayings “I am the way, the truth and the life”, which of these does Jesus NOT call himself? A) I am the light of the world.  B) I am the boat. C) I am the door.  D) I am the vine  Jesus has many I am statements, especially in the gospel of John.  He says “I am the light of the world” in John 8:12. In John 10:9 he says “I am the door” referring to the door or gate to the sheep pen.  In John 15:1 he calls himself the vine.  So Jesus never calls himself the boat. Congratulations to Frank C for winning this week's puzzler.  But since he wasn't in worship, I gave a loaf of bread to the first person who could tell me another "I am" statement of Jesus.  That winner was Nancy B for knowing Jesus said "I am the good shepherd." 

This week’s question: In today’s gospel, Jesus calls the Holy Spirit the Advocate.  Which is not another  name for the Holy Spirit? A) Spirit of Understanding, B) the Counselor C) Breath of God, D) Wave of God.  Email me the answer by noon tomorrow to be entered into this week's drawing.  

Sunday's Sermon

You can read the sermon here if you missed it.  What does the Holy Spirit look like?  Did you see the Holy Spirit in the mirror as you left the sanctuary on Sunday? Have you seen the Holy Spirit in the mirror since? 

Assisting this Sunday

For Youth Sunday, our middle school and high school students are taking on many roles

Preacher: Ryan H

Worship leaders: Ryan H and Tori M

Readers: Anna R & Nini C

Communion Assistant: Emma B

Ushers: Rebecca A & Dylan R

Bread baker/bringer: Regina B

Communion set up: Becky P

Offering Counter: ________

Coffee Hour Host: R family

This Sunday's Readings

The first lesson is Acts 1:6-14.  This reading both has Jesus ascension and is an introduction to the following week's reading of the Pentecost.  What does it mean to you that Jesus was lifted up to heaven after his resurrection?  Do you think about this that often?  The last verse, verse 14, says some women were with the disciples as they devoted themselves in prayer an when Jesus first appeared to the disciples after his resurrection.  What does it mean that this community was more than the 11 disciples, especially one that included both men and women?  Does this community look like our modern church? 

The second lesson is 1 Peter 4:12-14; 5:6-11.  The section from chapter 4 tells the reader that believers will face suffering and scorn as a result of their faith. The section from chapter 5 gives us commands for how we should handle suffering by humbling ourselves, giving up our anxieties, keeping alert from evil and resist it.  Have you ever been mocked because of your faith?  How have you relied on your faith to help you in such a situation? How have you followed those commands?

The gospel is John 17:1-11.  This is part of a prayer that Jesus prays the night before his crucifixion.  He is asking God that those who will continue in his work may continue in unity.  There is far from unity in Christianity today with hundreds of denominations (not ever all Lutherans can get along).  In recent decades there have been major steps to bring denominations closer together including full communion partnerships (including between the ELCA, Episcopal, Methodist and UCC churches) but there has also been more denominations formed (including congregations leaving the ELCA to form the North American Lutheran Church).  What are some ways that we are working towards unity?  What are some things that keep us from unity?

Hope you all have a blessed week!

What Does God Look Like?

So I pretty much ripped off greatly leaned upon David Lose's article from Working Preacher this past week because well he almost always has great insight into the text with a good twist on how to relate it to a congregation in the sermon.  The two texts I used were the first lesson, Acts 17:22-31, and the gospel, John 14:15-21.  


Enjoy the sermon!

Does it ever bother you that you can’t see God?  That we don’t have a good image for what God looks like?  Yes we have some artist depictions of God such as Michelangelo’s from the Sistine Chapel, but most of us realize that God probably does not look like an old man with long flowy white hair.  In fact, even though we often use the pronouns “he” or “him” for God, we realize that God is not technically a male.  So really we have no clue what God looks like.

Nor do we know what the Holy Spirit looks like.  We use symbols such as flames and doves to represent the Spirit as the Holy Spirit came to Jesus in the form of a dove and to the disciples as tongues of fire.  But again we don’t know exactly what the Holy Spirit looks like.

Even Jesus we have questions about what he looks like.  Yes we have depictions of Jesus, even here in this sanctuary, and often those pictures have Jesus with a beard, and shoulder length brown hair of some shade.  But if you scourer the bible, there is never a single description of what Jesus looks like.  Not his hair color, eye color, if he was short or tall, muscular or fat, we aren’t even told if Jesus had a beard.  And the earliest surviving drawings of Jesus are from 200 years after his death. 

Paul reminds us in our first reading from Acts that we ought not to think of God as an image formed by the art and imagination of mortals, that no matter how skilled the artist is, a human cannot accurately draw, sculpt, paint or otherwise depict what God looks like.  And Jesus told his disciples that the world does not see or know the Holy Spirit.   

And yet Jesus also give his disciples, gives us, two big clues about what the Holy Spirit looks like and what God looks like.  First he calls the Holy Spirit the Advocate.  An advocate is someone who stands up for another, who speaks on another’s behalf when they are not able to.  An advocate is someone who lends a hand and takes a person’s side and doesn’t leave them.  So therefore the Holy Spirit advocates on behalf of God, on behalf of Jesus. 

And we are told that the Spirit abides in us and will be in us.  So what does the Holy Spirit look like?  It looks like us!  The Holy Spirit looks like us when we stand up for Jesus and tell others about Christ.  The Holy Spirit looks like us when we care for the least in this world by caring for the sick, feeding the hungry, supporting the orphaned and the widowed, clothing the naked and visiting the imprisoned.  The Holy Spirit looks like us when we obey Jesus’ commandments to love God with all of our heart, soul and mind and love our neighbors as ourselves. 

So when do you see the Holy Spirit?  We see the Holy Spirit whenever we see a fellow member of the body of Christ.  We see the Holy Spirit whenever we see our fellow human beings doing good in this world, advocating on behalf of God or on behalf of God’s children.  We see the Holy Spirit whenever we see ourselves.  Whenever you look in the mirror, realize that you are seeing the Holy Spirit that abides in you. 

Yes normally when you look in a mirror we see our imperfections, our flaws.  We focus on the fact that our hair is a mess today, or our nose is slightly crooked, or we don’t like our eyes, or the wrinkles that have developed.  Either that or we get so focused on the amazing gift of beauty that we are that you become narcissistic and can’t take our eyes off ourselves.  But God has created us, in God’s image, flaws and all.  So when you look into a mirror, realize that the Holy Spirit lives in you.  That Jesus lives in you.  That God lives in you. 

I’m going to put this mirror on the door to the sanctuary so that when you leave here today, you can see the Holy Spirit going out into the world.  

MMC: The Spirit is Coming

Good Morning Bethlehem

I hope you all are doing well on this not so lovely Monday morning. And we pray for the people of Missouri and Minnesota who were affected by yesterdays tornadoes. 

A Few Quick Announcements

• Thank you to everyone who helped with the tag sale both this past two Sundays but also in the weeks leading up to the sales pricing items, organizing and advertising.  The total as of Saturday is over $2,400!  
• We have some busy Sundays coming up so please plan on attending worship and following events:
• Sunday June 5 is Youth Sunday, Ryan Hawley will be preaching, and the other middle school and high school youth will be leading us in worship
• June 12 is Pentecost Sunday and the baptism of Aidan and Dylan Cooke.  Wear red!  And if you speak a foreign language are willing to read John 3:16 in that language on Pentecost, please let me know!  Afterwards join the festivities at Georgetown Day, especially by bringing baked goods for our booth or volunteering to serve at it. 
• June 19 is Holy Trinity Sunday and Father's Day.  During worship the Cooke & Constable families will affirm their baptism and become members of Bethlehem and after worship we will celebrate Father's Day with a special coffee hour with hot dogs, pretzels and beer (both root and non-root varieties)

Book of Faith Puzzler

 Last week’s  question was: Our worship service is broken up into four main parts, what are they?

A) Gathering, Word, Meal, Sending.

B) Gathering, Hearing, Tasting, Sending

C) Bell, Font, Table, Pew.

D) Peace, Love, Hope, Charity

E) Gossip, Boredom, Snack Time, Yay we get to leave now 

The ELW specifically separates the parts of the worship service into Gathering (we come together to worship), Word (we hear God’s word through scripture and reflection), Meal (we partake of the Lord’s Supper) and Sending (we go out into the world).  Though this pattern has been similar throughout the life of the church.  Congratulations to Frank C for winning this week's puzzler

This week’s question:  In Sunday’s Gospel, we heard one of Jesus’ famous I am sayings “I am the way, the truth and the life”, which of these does Jesus NOT call himself? A) I am the light of the world.  B) I am the boat. C) I am the door.  D) I am the vine  If you know the answer or willing to google it, email me by noon on Wednesday to be entered into this week's drawing.

Yesterday's Sermon

The sermon is up on my blog along with a picture of a drawing from the Roman catacombs of a woman in the orans posture.  How do you pray?  Do you pray while doing other things: driving, the dishes, working out, etc?  What do you pray for?  Do you pray confidently or meekly?  For those in worship yesterday, what was it like to pray in orans during communion?

Sunday's Worship

The following people are signed up to help lead us in worship on Sunday.

Worship assistant: Ryan H
Reader: Bob M-C
Communion Assistant: _____
Ushers: _____ & ______
Communion Set up: ________
Bread baker/bringer: _________
Offering Counter: Nancy B
Coffee Hour Host: Becky P
If you would like to sign up to serve in one of the areas that are currently blank, please let me know

Sunday's Text

The first lesson on Sunday is Act 17:22-31.  Paul spoke in Athens about altars and idols to other gods and told his hearers that God does not live shrines made by human hands nor need to rely on humans to serve him. Nor should we think of God as something that can imagined in a statue, painting or other artwork.    How do you picture God?  If this is what Paul says about God - that we cannot picture what God looks like - then why did Michelangelo pain God to look like the image below which is similar to many other paintings of God?

The second lesson is 1 Peter 3:13-22.  The author tells us that if we do good people will not harm us and even if we are harmed we are still blessed.  When have you been harmed for doing good?  Would you rather be harmed for doing good than be left alone and do evil?  If it is the later, how can the congregation help support you when you good?

The gospel is John 14:15-21.  Jesus tells his disciples that if we love him then we should keep his commandments because we are not left alone because the Holy Spirit or Advocate will be with us.  When do you feel the Holy Spirit with you?  Is it easier to love God and one another when you know the Holy Spirit is with you or when you are able to see God in the other?

Hope you all have a wonderful week

Blessings
Pastor Becca

Pray Confidently

Today's gospel was John 14:1-14.  It is one of those texts that I could preach 600 different on 60 different general topics.  This week I decided to focus on prayer and how Jesus tells us to pray confidently because whatever we ask in his name will be given to us.  


I was really excited for today's sermon, yeah I thought it was a good sermon, so hopefully you do too.

Enjoy!

What do you look like when you pray?  What is your posture like?  How many of you fold your hands, bow your head and close your eyes?  Why do you do that? 

Many of us were told to fold our hands, bow our head and close our eyes as we pray when we were young children but why?   Does it help us pray?  Does it make us more confident in our prayers?  Does it help us receive the Holy Spirit anymore?  Or does it just keep kids from hitting their siblings during the middle of a prayer? 

This posture of bowing out head, keeping our hands in towards ourselves and closing our eyes keeps us closed off during prayer.  We become like an armadillo curled up, waiting for the attack to be over, or a turtle that is tucked into its shell.  When we pray that way we are being passive, waiting for things to be done to us, waiting for God’s will to happen to us, and in many ways we become indifferent. 

And then because of this posture, we have taken on a new meaning to a phrase of the Lord’s Prayer.  “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” 

Have you ever heard after someone has died “It was God’s will.”  Or after being laid off “it was God’s will.”  Or after someone received a diagnosis for a serious life-threatening disease “it is God’s will, whatever happens, whether a cure or death, it will be God’s will.”  WHAT!

It is not God’s will that we die or we under go pain and suffering, whether mental, emotional or physical.  God doesn’t want such things for our lives. 

Instead Jesus told his disciples that whatever they ask for in his name will be given to them so that the Father may be glorified.  And that all who believe in him will do greater works that Jesus himself. 

That doesn’t sound like pain and suffering to me.  It also doesn’t sound like anything to be meek, passive or indifferent about.  Jesus is asking us, telling us to pray with confidence.  Jesus is telling us that we will do great things, that we are agents of God’s will.

“Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” doesn’t mean “God we will begrudgingly accept whatever crap that is given to us in life, because it must be your will and we must therefore accept it even if well frankly it sucks.”   And as we pray it we must look down and passively receive whatever happens to us.

Instead we are to pray all prayers, especially the Lord’s Prayer with confidence, not with the “fold your hands, bow your heads and close your eyes” mentality.  The early church didn't pray in this way, with head bow, hands folded.  Instead their heads were facing God, arms reaching out to God and at the same time open to receiving God’s grace and love.  This is a position call orans.  It is the posture that pastors and other worship leaders still use today.  It is a posture that is both filled with confidence in what we pray and yet opened to receive gifts.  Think of a child reaching her hands up to a parent asking "up!"  The child is both confident that the parent will pick them up but she also has to rely on the parent to pick her up.  We should pray with confidence that God will answer our prayers and rely on God to answer those prayers. 

And when we pray with confidence, Jesus has told us that we will do great things.  When we pray with confidence, Jesus told us that whatever we ask in his name will be given to us so that the Father may be glorified.  When we pray with confidence “your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” means that we become agents of God’s will.  We are asking to be part of God’s will, to show God to others in this world.  We are asking for God’s will on this earth to be done through us.  When we pray with confidence we do not sit back passively and think that whatever is happens to us must be part of God’s will, but that God is working in us, to change this world, to make it a better place, to allow good to over come evil, to allow everyone to see God, even if they do not believe.  And that is God’s will for this world. 

MMC: Faith and Forgiveness

Good Morning Bethlehem

I hope this deary weather is not getting to you and instead you are dreaming of the nice vegetables, flowers and lush lawns that will benefit from so much rain.  

A few quick announcements

• Wednesday at noon is Senior's Lunch.  We will be meeting at the New Station House Restaurant near the Redding train station.  All are invited to join us for good food and conversation
• Saturday from 10am to 2pm will be a half price tag sale to sell the remaining tag sale items in the church basement.  If you are available to help out between 9:30 and 2:30 you assistance will be greatly appreciated.
• Sunday after worship a group will be playing laser tag.  If you are interested in joining us, please let me know, or just stick around after worship.
• The giving basket will be collecting supplies for babies and mothers throughout May & June to be donated to the Women's Center of Danbury.  Please bring baby food, formula, diapers, wipes, baby clothing, sanitary supplies, baby shampoo or the like. 

Book of Faith Puzzler

Last week’s  question was: On Sunday, we heard about Jesus coming to people on the road to Emmaus.  The apostle Paul was converted when a vision of Jesus appeared to him while he was on a road.  Where was he headed? A) Jericho B) Jerusalem C) Calvary D) Damascus.  Multiple times in his letters, Paul talks about his conversion experience including in 1 Corinthians 15:3-8 and Galatians 1:11-16.  But in Acts 9 the author tells of Paul’s conversion which took place on as Paul was traveling to Damascus. Congratulations to Barbara C. for winning this week's puzzler.  

This week’s question:  Our worship service is broken up into four main parts, what are they?

A) Gathering, Word, Meal, Sending.

B) Gathering, Hearing, Tasting, Sending

C) Bell, Font, Table, Pew.

D) Peace, Love, Hope, Charity

E) Gossip, Boredom, Snack Time, Yay we get to leave now  

If you know the answer or willing to look it up (hint it is in both the bulletins and the hymnals), email me by noon on Wednesday to be entered into this week's drawing. 

Yesterday's Sermon

You can read it here if you missed it or what to look back on it.  When have you experienced awe, especially church related?  Do you currently feel like awe has come upon you?  If not, how can I help you re-experience awe?

Sunday's Worship

The following people have signed up to help lead worship this week:

Worship Assistant: Mark H

Reader: ______

Communion Assistant:_______

Usher: Bob MC & _______

Bread baker/bringer: Regina B

Offering Counter: _______

Altar Set up & clean up: _________

Coffee Hour host: _________

If you are willing to serve in one of open positions, please let me know. 

Sunday's Text

The first lesson is Acts 7:55-60, the death of Stephen.  Stephen is the first martyr of the Christian faith.  Are you willing to die for you faith?  Have you even been persecuted because of your faith?  Stephen dies praying that God will not hold his murder again those who killed him, would you be willing to forgive such a sin?  What can Stephen's death teach us about both the strengthen of our faith and forgiveness?

The second lesson is 1 Peter 2:2-10.  The author reminds us that Christ is the cornerstone of our faith and should be the cornerstone of our lives.  What is the cornerstone, the thing that the rest of our life revolves around or is built upon?  Has it changed during different periods of your life?  What is the cornerstone of your faith?  Is it the same as the cornerstone of our faith?

The gospel text is John 14:1-14.  This text is used often during funerals as we are reminded that God has prepared a place for us in heaven.  What do you believe your place in heaven is like?  Do you believe there is a place for you in heaven?  Jesus also tells us that anything you ask for in his name will be given to us. Do you pray with such confidence?  Do you pray expecting that your prayers will be answered as you ask?  

Hope you all have a wonderful week (even with all the forecasted rain)

Pastor Becca

Awe-----some

Today I did not preach on the gospel, I preached on the first lesson Act 2:42-47.  


Yes that made things a little odd as the Fourth Sunday in Easter is Good Shepherd Sunday and therefore 2 out of the 3 hymns were about sheep and shepherds and I did not mention sheep once during my sermon but oh well.


This reading from Acts is probably an idealized version on the early church but it is also one that our modern churches have much in common with and can learn from that I just felt compelled to preach on it instead of the gospel. Plus this year's Good Shepherd Sunday gospel text wasn't on the shepherd but on the door so it really should be Good Door Sunday.


Enjoy!

Normally I preach on the gospel text but this week I want to put our focus instead on the first lesson, that reading from Acts.  See there was something that struck me about this description of the early church and how it compares to our congregation, to Bethlehem today.  And it is this phrase, verse 43 “Awe came upon everyone.” 

Now not everyone has experienced awe in this community.  Maybe you have lost your awe.  Maybe you have never had it.  Maybe you don’t realize that is it missing. 

Previously the early church did not have awe.  It was not until they committed themselves to the apostle’s teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and prayers that awe came upon them. 

And that is exactly what we are doing here in worship and in this congregation.  Each week we dedicate our worship to gathering together (fellowship), hearing the scripture (the teachings), breaking bread together in communion and praying for each other and the all the people of the world.  And that is what we do in just about everything we do.  Bible study, Worship Together and Sunday School are all ways of learning the teachings of the apostles.  Coffee hour, tag sales and laser tag are all ways of building relationships and sharing in fellowship.  We try to begin and end all meetings in prayer (though to be honest occasionally we forget). 

Yes we can get better about concentrating on these four area, and spend less time worry about money or discussing which liturgical setting to use for the season but I’m pretty sure that this vision of Acts is probably an idealized version of the early church because you know even then people were discussing money or which prayers should be said or if someone needs to bow or stand or kneel or be prostrate while hearing scripture or entering the room. 

And yet when they focused on teaching, fellowship, the breaking of bread and prayer, awe cam upon them.

When we focus on these four areas, teaching, fellowship, communion and prayer we too receive the same awe that came upon everyone in the early church.  I personally have experienced awe here in this congregation and I hope that you have too.  I have experienced awe when I hear people share how they have seen God.  I have experienced awe when kids run up to the communion rail, excited to receive Christ’s body and blood.  I have experienced awe when I see guest warmly invited to join senior lunch or stick around for coffee hour.  I have experienced awe when leaders in this congregation came together to organize a wonderful tag sale and all I did for it was paint the sign. 

I’m not alone here I hope.  Have some of you experienced awe when you have gathered with this community?

And when you are in awe, you want to share it.  When you are awe, there is something about you that makes other curious and want to have what you have. 

This is why the Lord added to the early church’s number day by day – they were not just coming to worship together and leaving the building unchanged.  Instead they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people.  They took God with them, their awe with them, out into their daily lives.  They shared their awe with others in the fields while they worked, in the market place while they shopped, in their homes with their families. 

And we too are bringing awe into the world to others.  It is hard not to.  Didn’t you want to tell others, family, co-workers, friends, strangers at the grocery store, about the joy that was in this place on Easter, about how the children lead us in worship on Palm Sunday, about how you see God? 

Yes it is scary, yes it makes you vulnerable to say these things, don’t you think the people of the early church thought the exact same thing?  But when awe has come upon you, you have been changed by the Holy Spirit and it becomes contagious. 

When we have received awe, we are receiving the Holy Spirit, God is opening our eyes to how and where Christ is in this world.

When we have received awe, we see Christ in each other, in our neighbors, and in strangers and we fell compelled to care for the poor, the sick, the homeless, the elderly, the immigrant and the disenfranchised.

And so as we gather here to focus on the teachings, fellowship, the breaking of bread and prayer, I ask God, I pray, that awe may come upon everyone in this place.  

MMC: Adding to the Sheep

Good Morning Bethlehem

I hope you all are able to spend a little bit of time outside today and enjoy this gorgeous spring day.  It is so easy to see God in beautiful days like today. 

A few announcements

• Council is meeting tonight at 7:30pm, all are invited to attend
• The church tag sale is Saturday from 9-4.  Please see Ellen's recent email about volunteering, but also come on Saturday to volunteer and buy.
• This Sunday, May 15, after worship, there will be an informational meeting for youth and parents about the upcoming National Youth Gathering (July 2012) and Hammonassett Gathering (Sept 2011) .  
• An intergenerational group from Bethlehem is going Laser Tagging on May 22 after worship.  Please let me know if you plan on attending.
• The giving basket is collecting baby items throughout the month of May.  All items are needed, especially food, diapers and formula. 

Book of Faith Puzzler

Last week’s  question was: Last Sunday’s gospel was about “Doubting Thomas,” which is NOT one of the disciples nicknames? A)Thomas “the Twin” B) Peter “the Rock” C) James “Lightning” D) John “Son of Thunder” Thomas is call “the Twin” multiple times in the gospel of John, including in last week’s gospel, (John 20:24).  Peter was originally named Simon but Jesus renamed him Peter, which means rock (Matthew 16:18).  James and John were the sons of Zebedee which means thunder (Mark 3:17) so they were both called the Sons of Thunder.  Therefore James “lightning” is not the nickname. Congratulations to Cheryl M for winning this week's puzzler. 

This week’s question: Today we hear about Jesus coming to people on the road to Emmaus.  The apostle Paul was converted when a vision of Jesus appeared to him while he was on a road. Where was he headed? A) Jericho B) Jerusalem C) Calvary D) Damascus  Think you know the answer? Willing to Google it? Email me by noon on Wednesday.  A winner will be chosen from all correct answers received.  The winner will be announced in worship next week. 

Yesterday's Sermon

If you missed it or would like to read it again it can be found here.  What do you hope for?  How has some of your hopes been fulfilled? When have your hopes been dashed?  How was Jesus with you in both cases?

Sunday's Worship

Serving this week are:

Worship Assistant: Mark H

Reader ______

Usher ______ & _______

Communion Assistant ________

Bread baker: Jennifer C

Offering counter: Frank C

Altar Set-up & clean up ________

Coffee Hour _______

If you would like to serve in any of the ways that are currently open, please let me know.  

Sunday's text

The first lesson is Acts 2:42-47.  The reading refers to what the newly baptized in the early church did as a community including teaching, fellowship, eating together, communion, prayers and selling their possessions and giving the proceeds to those in need. The church today still does these things (though we could get better about giving our possessions to the poor, myself included).  Which on this list do you think you do best?  Which on the list do you think Bethlehem does best?  Is there one particular thing that you think allowed the Lord to add to the early church's number?  Or was it the overall mindset?  What does that mean for us today?

The second lesson is 1 Peter 2:19-25.  The author tells the reader something that is well known to most people - doing the right thing is not always easy.  But the author encourages people to do the right thing even in the face of suffering for Jesus did not return violence with violence.  When has doing the right thing caused you suffering?  How did you endure?  When have you been tempted to do or done the wrong thing because it was easier. 

The gospel lesson is John 10:1-10.  Jesus calls himself the gate for the sheep and whoever enters by him will be saved.  What does it mean to you to be called a sheep?  In our non-agrarian culture, does a sheep metaphor make sense to you?  What would be a better modern day metaphor for Jesus being the gate to the sheep?

Hope you all have a blessed week!
Pastor Becca

Hope

Today's sermon was based on the gospel, Luke 24:13-35, the Road to Emmaus. It was also one of those difficult weeks for a preacher, a week when there has been a significant news event (Osama Bin Laden being killed) that really should be addressed from the pulpit and also Mother's Day.  So how do you connect these three events?  Well I connected them by using the sentence in verse 31 "We had hoped Jesus was the one who would redeem Israel" 


What do you hope for?


Enjoy!

Are you the only one in the whole world that does not know the things that have taken place these last few days?  Osama Bin Laden has been killed.  Storms have ravaged the south.  Prince William and Kate Middleton were married last week.  Oh and today we are celebrating mother’s who have given us life, love and so much more. 

It has been an eventful news week, to say the least.  And with each of these stories there has also been an idea of hope.  Hope that Bin Laden’s death will lead to the end of terrorism or at least quicker lines at airport security.  Hope that families and friends of the people who died in the terror attacks on September 11, 2001 and the many soldiers and innocent people who have died as a result of war Iraq and Afghanistan since then will now feel a sense of closure.  Hope that towns in the south, especially ones that were devastated like Tuscaloosa, will be able to rebuild.  Hope that William and Kate’s marriage will not end in divorce like William’s parents.

And those hopes also reach into our personal lived.  Hope that our own marriage will be full of love and happiness.  Hope that we will not face such tragedy and loose all of our earthly possessions or worse, a loved one, as the result of natural disaster or terrorism.  And as we celebrate Mother’s Day today, mothers hope that their children will never have to experience pain.  That their children will grow up to be healthy, active and well adjusted members of society.  Children hope that they will be able to provide and care for their aging mothers.  And other children hope that their mother’s will just leave them alone so that they can make their own decisions. 

In today’s gospel after the two disciples chastised Jesus for not knowing about his own death, they then start to explain to him what the news networks of Jerusalem were buzzing about 24 hours a day for the last three days.  And then they said one sentence that probably summarizes not just what they were feeling but also what all of Jesus’ followers were feeling in the days after his death:  We had hope that Jesus was the one to redeem Israel. 

We had hoped.  How often have we said that?  We had hoped. 

We had hoped our marriage would work out.  We had hoped that our loved one would have survived his battle with cancer.  We had hoped that terrorism would end.  We had hoped that the storm would not be as bad as forecasters were predicting.  We had hoped that once the condos were built next door, church membership would increase.

Unfortunately our hopes are not always fulfilled.  Sometimes our hopes are dashed.  Sometimes we are left in the ruins of our hopes.  Sometimes we are left like those two disciples, walking away from the epicenter of our hopes, returning to our home, to a point of comfort. 

And yet it was Jesus who meets these disciples on the road.  It was Jesus who they told this profound statement: We had hoped.  It was Jesus who was revealed to them in the breaking of the bread.  It was Jesus who made their hearts burn.  It was Jesus who they went to proclaim to other disciples. It is in Jesus that their hopes had been fulfilled.

Jesus is there for us, to listen to our hopes, our dreams, our desires for the future.  And while those hopes are not always fulfilled, Jesus is still with us, meeting us on the road where we are at.  It is Jesus who we can confess to our deepest longings.  It is Jesus who is revealed to us in the breaking of the bread.  It is Jesus who makes our hearts burn.  It is Jesus who we are sent to proclaim to others in this world.  And it is in Jesus that our hopes are fulfilled.  All our hopes will not be fulfilled, but Jesus is always with us, uplifting us in joy and supporting us in sorrows.  Jesus is always with us, walking on the road of life with us, together on this journey, in the midst of hectic weeks and calm retreats, constantly being revealed to us so that we may continue to hope. 

MMC: Death and New Life

Good Morning

As we went to bed last night or woke up this morning hearing the news about Osama Bin Laden, I'm sure many of us have mixed feelings: joy and pride for our nation; hope that his death might bring an end to wars in Iraq and Afghanistan; fear that a reprisal attack may occur; and also ill-at-ease that we are celebrating someone's death, regardless of who it might be; just to name a few.  Tonight starting at 7:30pm I will be in the sanctuary praying for peace, praying for our military, praying for all those who will be persecuted as a result of Bin Laden's death both in America and abroad.  I invite you to join me.  But the church will also be open all day if you would like to stop by and pray.

It also feels odd to continue this email with the normal Monday Morning Church information but the purpose of these emails is to pass on information and to allow us all some time to think about scripture. So with that in mind, I continue. 

Announcements

• Peter Johnson, son of Miriam Johnson and a former member of Bethlehem, died on Friday after a brief but devastating illness. His funeral will be at Bethlehem on Thursday at 11am and calling hours will be held at Bouton Funeral Home on Wednesday from 7-9pm. 
• Tag sale items can be dropped off at the church on Thursday from 6-8pm, Saturdays from 10:30-noon or Sunday morning
• The giving basket is collecting baby items for the Women's Center in Danbury.  Especially needed are baby food, formula, diapers, wipes, diaper cream, baby clothes and feminine hygiene products.
• LASER TAG - a group of all ages from Bethlehem will be going Laser tagging on Sunday May 22 after worship,  Cost is $9.50 or less per game, please let me know if you are planning on attending or sign up in the community room.  

Book of Faith Puzzler

Last week's question was: How many days was Jesus dead?  A) 1 B) 3 C) 7 D) 40.  Jesus was dead for 3 days.  The Jewish cultural idea for when a day begins is at sunset (think back to Genesis chapter 1 “there was evening, there was morning the __ day.”)  Jesus died before sunset on Friday (day 1), sunset on Friday through sunset on Saturday (day 2) and he rose after sunset on Saturday (day 3).  It you want to get technical Jesus was dead for less than 48 hours, however it was over a three day span. Congratulations to Dan R for winning this week's puzzler. 

This week’s question: Today’s gospel is about “Doubting Thomas,” which is NOT one of the disciples nicknames? A)Thomas “the Twin” B) Peter “the Rock” C) James “Lighting” D) John “Son of Thunder”  If you know the answer or are willing to google it, email me by noon on Wednesday with the correct answer to be entered into this week's puzzler. 

Yesterday's sermon

You can read it here.  Do you think "Doubting Thomas" is a deserved nickname?  When have you not be able to experience something that others have?  How did that feel?  How have you experienced God for yourself?

Sunday's worship

Serving this week are:

Worship assistant: Tori M

Reader: Paul D

Communion Assistant: Cheryl M

Ushers _______ &_______
Bread Baker ______

Altar set up & clean up ______

Counter: Frank C
Coffee Hour Host: ______

If you would like to serve in any of the ways that are currently open, please send me an email.  

Sunday's text

The old testament reading is Acts 2:14a, 36-41, the conclusion of Peter's Pentecost sermon. Peter calls for the listeners to repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of sins and to receive the Holy Spirit.  How do you repent?  What have you repented for?  How have you received the Holy Spirit?  Do you feel the Holy Spirit with you?

The second reading is 1 Peter 1:17-23.  We are reminded that we were ransomed from sin not with perishable things like silver and gold but with Jesus' blood.  How does this make you feel? Does this make sense to you?  What would you be willing to give up for a child, spouse, parent or other loved one?

The gospel reading is Luke 24:13-35, Jesus on the road to Emmaus.  The men on the road told Jesus about Jesus' death and the rumors of his resurrection but it was not until Jesus broke bread with them that they realized it was Jesus.  When have you learned something remarkably new about a friend?  When have you learned something new about Jesus or about faith that made you see things completely differently?  

Hope you all have a blessed week

But you got to see Jesus!

Yesterday's gospel was the story of "doubting Thomas" found in John 20:19-31.  I focused on the idea that Thomas just wanted an equal opportunity experience to see Jesus.  And apparently I'm getting into even shorter sermons, as this one along with my three Holy Week sermons, are each under a page in length.  


Enjoy!

We all know Thomas’ nickname:  Doubting Thomas.  But it is a pretty undeserved nickname.  Yes Thomas said “unless I see the mark of nails in his hands and place my finger in them and my hand in his side, I will not believe.”  But Thomas was not asking for anything different than what the rest of the disciples got. 

It was Easter evening, Mary Magdalene had come flying in the house that morning telling the disciples “I have seen the Lord,” and yet here they were in a locked room, fearful that the Jewish and Romans leaders would crucify them next.  They had not believed Mary and yet we do not call them “Doubting Peter” or “Doubting James”

Thomas was not asking for anything more than the other disciples and Mary had received, a time to see Jesus, alive again, risen indeed.  And it was not until Jesus proved to the disciples who he was, by showing them his hands and his side that the disciples rejoiced for they had seen the Lord.  Thomas wanted to experience the risen Lord for himself.

And isn’t that really what we all want?  Isn’t that really want is at the heart of our faith?  What forms it and makes it a tangible thing?  We all want to see and experience the risen Christ.  Without those experiences we do not have faith, at least not for long.  It is the God moments, moments when we see God in our lives, times when we have seen the Lord, or have felt the Holy Spirit’s presences that keep us in faith. 

And when you hear someone else’s story about how they have seen God and you have never experience God for yourself, or have never seen the Lord, or have never felt the Holy Spirit, you feel left out.  You yearn to experience it your self.  You desire to have your own encounter with the Word made flesh. 

We are exactly like Thomas and the rest of the disciples, not wanting to just hear about other people’s experiences but we want to experience them for ourselves. 

And yet Jesus came back for Thomas.  Jesus came back to the disciples, he appeared for the third time now, this time when Thomas was present so Thomas could see for himself.  So comes could touch Jesus’ hands and side and not just hear what the others had to say but also experience the Risen Christ for himself.

And Jesus comes to us as well.  We might not always realize it.  We might not be able to name our experiences as times when Jesus has acted in our lives.  We might not always be able to comprehend that it was God who was working in our lives or that it was the Holy Spirit who was causing us to feel such great emotions.  But it is!  God is with us wherever we go, whenever we go there.  Some times we just have to pay attention so that we no longer have to just rely on others telling us “We have seen the Lord” and instead can say with confidence “I have see my Lord, and my God!”