MMC: Rain Towards the End of Summer

Good Morning Bethlehem

I hope you are remembering your baptism with all this rain we are having and hopefully not slogging through a flooded basement cursing God  instead.  

A Few Quick Announcements

• Yesterday we raised enough for 426 meals (or $106) for Kids Care Meals of Love.  If you were not able to be at our indoor picnic yesterday or did not have any money on you, we can still collect money this coming week.  All the meals will be packed by our youth and others at Hammonasset with the goal of packaging a minimum of 15,000 meals.
• A special thank you to Victor M. for being our grill chef yesterday and to the rest of the M. family, Karin & Carl R. and Ellen G. for coming early and setting up the basement for our picnic.  And Johnny, Heloisa's grandson who cut his finger yesterday, is doing just fine.  No stitches, no broken bones and as Heloisa has said, he is already on to his next adventure. 
• We are still collecting toiletries of all sizes for Americares in Danbury through the end of the month.  Any toiletry that you use on a daily basis is appreciated.
• Rally Day is September 18 and as part of our Grow 2 Gather kick off we will be making 50 health kits for Lutheran World Relief.  There is a sign up sheet in the community room to bring towels, soap, toothbrushes, nail clippers and combs with specific amounts needed.  Please bring those items to my office so they do not get confused with the items for the giving basket.  

Book of Faith Puzzler

Last week’s  question was: Jesus also performs other miracles on the Sea of Galilee,(the first being walking on water) which of these is not one of them? A) Starts up a storm  B) a miraculous catch of fish C) a coin in a fish’s mouth D) calming a storm.
A miraculous catch of fish occurs in Luke 5:1-11 and John 21:1-14.  A coin appears in a fish’s mouth in Matthew 17:24-27 and Jesus calms a storm in Mark 4:35-41, Matthew 8:23-27 and Luke 8:22-25.  Jesus never starts a storm, at least such an event was never mentioned in the gospels.Congratulations to Susan K for winning this week's puzzler. 

This week’s question: In our gospel, Matthew 15:10-28, was Jesus being rude to the Canaanite woman? A) Yes, B) No C) We really don’t know.  Think you know the answer? Well hopefully you do because it is an opinion based question.  Email me with you opinion by noon on Wednesday to be entered into the drawing. 

Yesterday's sermon

Yesterday's sermon can be found here.  How do you feel unworthy of God's grace and how have you felt unwelcomed in church?  How have you made others feel unworthy and unwelcomed.  

And for those who were in worship, what did you think of our confession yesterday?  Was it a helpful exercise?  I personally saw God in the fact that many people wrote something down to being with and full sentences that were quite honest.  And as long as I'm asking questions, honestly what did you think of the sermon, did I cross any lines for you about being too crude?

Serving this Sunday

Confession time - it is pouring out, I'm at the house and I don't feel like running next door to check the sign up sheet for worship assistants, just to run back to the house, so these is all from memory so I apologize if I forgot that you have signed up to serve this week.

But those who I remember who have signed up to serve in worship this coming Sunday are:

Worship Assistant: Mark H

Reader:: ___________

Communion Assistant: ___________

Ushers: __________ & ___________

Bread baker/bringer: __________

Communion set up & clean up ___________

Offering counter: Nancy B

Coffee Hour Host: ___________

If you would like to sign up in any of the blank spaces, please let me know. 

Sunday's Gospel

This coming Sunday the gospel text is Matthew 16:13-20.  Jesus asks his disciples who people say that the Son of Man is and who they think he is.  He also renames Peter the rock on which the church is built.  If you were to describe Jesus to someone who did not know about him, how would you describe him?  Who would you say that he is?  An how are part of the church that was built upon Peter? 

Hope you all have a great week and stay dry!

Pastor Becca