Monday, September 19, 2011

MMC: Great News!

Good Morning Bethlehem

I hope you all are enjoying this beautiful Monday morning.  

A Few Quick Announcements
  • Join us this Friday for Family Fun Night.  If you are available at 4pm, meet at the church and we will go apple picking at Blue Jay Orchard in Bethel. If not come at 6:30 for a light dinner, and apple related fun: apple treats will be made and we will bob for apples and play Apples to Apples.
  • Grow 2 Gather will be meeting on Sunday at 9am.  We will hear about the life of Abraham and then you can either play a game, participate in a small service project or help prepare the church grounds for fall.
  • All men are invited for the first meeting of the men's group this coming Sunday at 6pm for a grill out.
  • Thank you to everyone who donated items for the health kits.  All 50 kits were put together yesterday and will be shipped off shortly to Lutheran World Relief.
Book of Faith Puzzler
The last weeks question was: The first lesson starts after Joseph’s father had died.  Who was Joseph’s (from the Genesis) father?  A) Noah B) Isaac C) Jacob D) Joshua
Jacob, Joseph’s father, had 12 sons of which Joseph was the favored being the first born of his favorite wife, Rachel.  You can read about Jacob & Joseph’s lives in Genesis starting at the 37th chapter.  Congratulations to Nancy Beck for winning this week's puzzler
This week’s question:  What did God create on the 4th day?  A)light B)animals C) sun, stars and moon, D) land  If you know the answer, email me your answer by noon on Wednesday to be entered into this week's drawing.

A Personal Announcement
As Bob announced in worship yesterday, he has received a fellowship to study cuneiform math in a PhD program at University of Paris Diderot.  I am so proud of my husband and look forward to all that he will be able to accomplish.  However we are both committed to the ministry at Bethlehem, so I will be staying here in Connecticut and remain serving as Bethlehem's pastor but you can probably guess where I'll be taking my vacations.  

Serving this Sunday
The following people have signed up to help lead worship in the following ways this coming Sunday:
Worship Assistant: Ellen Grunsell
Reader: Paul Degener
Communion Assistant: _________
Usher: Bob Middeke-Conlin & ______
Bread Baker:____________
Offering Counter:__________
Communion set up & clean up:_______
Coffee Hour Host:  Apparently there is going to be some celebration for the 2nd anniversary of my ordination

If you would like to sign up for one of the areas currently blank, please let me know.

Sunday's Texts:
The first lesson is Ezekiel 18:1-4, 25-32.  Ezekiel challenges his hears who think that they cannot change to change because God is constantly inviting us to turn from our sin.  When have you done something that you thought you could not do?  Is there a certain sin that you would find especially hard to stop committing?  How can you use the first experience to help you find strength to stop sinning?

The second lesson is Philippians 2:1-13.  This reading includes one of the earliest Christian hymns (verses 6-11) which talks about Jesus humbling himself and being obedient to the point of death.  What can we learn from Christ's selflessness?  As of the result of Jesus' death, he was also exalted, when have you been praised for doing what is naturally in you to do?

The gospel lesson is Matthew 21:23-32.  The gospel starts with the religious leaders asking Jesus what authority he has for teaching and he turns it back on them by asking if John's baptism came from heaven or from human origin.  Answering questions with questions, is older than Socrates and can be quiet effective in getting people to think in a different mindset, but it can also be unnerving to others.  When have you been pushed to answer your own question?  Were you flustered like these religious leaders or were you able to answer yourself?  Jesus then tells a parable about 2 sons, one who tells his father he will not work but changes his mind and does, the other tells his father he will work but does not.  We all have been both sons at points in our lives.  When have you said one thing but done the opposite?  Why did you change your mind?


Hope you all have a great week and see you on Friday
~Pastor Becca

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