MMC: Uncouth

Good morning Bethlehem

I hope you are doing well and enjoying this wonderful humidity that we are having. 

A Few Quick Announcements

• Senior Lunch is Wednesday at noon.  We will be meeting at Heibecks/Blondie's across route 7 from Caraluzi's.  Just a reminder that this is a cash only establishment.  
• Our annual outdoor worship and picnic is Sunday!.  Bring a side dish or dessert to share for the picnic.  Hamburgers, hot dogs and veggie burgers will be provided.  Bring your lawn chairs.
• Check out the Pastor's library.  A few of my favorite or most well known books from my library are on one of the small tables in the community room.  Check them out and feel free to borrow any.  They are all ministry related but range from novels to memoirs to random musings to a summary of a national multi-year study.  

Book of Faith Puzzler

Last week’s  question was: Sunday’s gospel is Jesus feeding a large crowd of 5000 plus people.  This story is heard in multiple gospels, which is it NOT hear in? A) Matthew B) Mark, C) Luke, D) John E) it is in all 4 gospels
The feeding of the 5000 appears in Matthew 14:13-21, Mark 6:31-44, Luke 9:10-17, and John 6:5-15.  The feeding of the 4000 also appears in Mark 8:1-9 and Matthew 15:32-39. No one put in there answer for this week, so next week's winner will probably get two goodies. 
This week’s question: 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. If you know the answer or even if you cheat and look it up, get me your answer by noon on Wednesday to be entered into this week's drawing. 

Yesterday's Sermon

Have you heard the rumors?  There was a pool in the sanctuary.  Apparently we shouldn't have gone with the lowest bidder when getting the roof redone two years ago (kidding!) The pool was part of my sermon and can be found here.  In what ways do you want to be like Jesus?  In what ways are you not willing to be like Jesus?  When have you taken your eyes off of him?  When has Jesus saved you, even if you were not looking to him at the moment?

Serving this Sunday

For our outdoor worship, we don't need as many volunteers as a normal Sunday, but we still need a few.  The following people have signed up to serve as follows:

Worship Assistant: Ellen G

Reader: ____________

Greeters (aka hand out bulletins): ____________

Offering Counter: Frank C

If you would like to serve as a reader or greeter, please let me know.  We could also use a few extra hands early to set up chairs, our make/shift altar, as well as set up tables and the tent for the picnic.  

Sunday's Gospel

The gospel on Sunday is Matthew 15:[10-20], 21-28.  (The brackets mean those verses are optional and I'll decide later this week if I'll read the whole gospel or just the last few verses based on what I decide to preach on.)  The bracketed verses are of Jesus discussing that it is not what one consumes that defiles a person but what a person says.  Though through Jesus' sense of humor and blunt way of putting things this can be seen as a conversation that many 8 year old boys would love.  The unbracketed verses are of a Canaanite woman who begs Jesus to heal her daughter saying that even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table.  When have you had a conversation that seems a little uncouth or cheeky?  Have you still learned something from those conversations?  Did the fact that they were unexpected in wording help you better understand the point or at least grasp your attention more? 

Hope you all have a great week!
Blessings

Pastor Becca