Friends in Faith,
I hope you all are staying cool and enjoying a fun Memorial Day Weekend. Our heartfelt gratitude for all who are serving, who have served, or who have sacrificed their lives in efforts to protect others and our nation. May we continue to honor all active duty and veterans by dedicating ourselves to peace-making and creative solutions to armed conflict.
As we look to the coming week, we are preparing for Pentecost this coming Sunday, May 31. This is the Christian holiday that celebrates the birth of the Church. We remember that the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples in a violent rush of wind, and flaming tongues enabled them to share the Good News of Jesus Christ in a host of languages. In these strange, uncertain days in which we find ourselves, it seems as if many of these wild Bible stories are more plausible! Who knows what tomorrow will bring? But we remember that God often does amazing things in the midst of chaos and change.
We trust that, even now, in the midst of a global pandemic, that God is doing a new thing—we are still waiting to perceive it!
In Hope,
Jesse
UPDATES:
All are encouraged to wear red to our Zoom Worship service which begins at 11 a.m. Sunday, immediately following our Facebook Live service which starts at 10:30 a.m. (Sign on around 10:20 for music by Natalya). Also, please have some bread and wine/juice available for the 11 a.m. Zoom service, as we'll be celebrating the Lord's Supper.
I wanted to invite everyone to spend some time exploring our wonderful website. It is full of lots of helpful information. And now, rather than needing to search through all of your e-mails to find the links to our various Zoom meetings and worship services, the log-in info is available right in a single place. On the News page, you can simply click on the meeting or activity you want to attend.
And please be sure to consider keeping up your pledge or making a donation through our new online giving button. It’s 's easy and your gifts help with all the good work of Bethany.
God is doing a new thing—we are still waiting to perceive it!
