March 30, 2022
Friends in Faith—
This coming Sunday's worship service, April 3, will be focusing on remembrance. So much has changed in our world in just the past two years because of the pandemic, but if we look back just 20 years ago, very little seems familiar any longer. Our churches are acutely aware of the fact that we aren't what we were only a handful of years ago. Membership is a thing of the past, young folks no longer participate, and we struggle to carry out our important missions or to even maintain our many costs for the facility and staff.
Our text for Sunday concerns the Israelites mourning the loss of their homeland after it was destroyed by invaders; they were carried away to Babylon and forced to survive in a challenging new reality. Psalm 137:1-6 speaks of remembering and lamentation. Join us as we spend some time reflecting over the importance of memory in our lives and in our faith. Our hymns include: "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing", "I was There to Hear Your Borning Cry", and "Take My Life." Each Sunday, pianist Natalya Amelchenko begins playing gathering music at 10:20 a.m, with the service starting at 10:30 a.m. Folks can also join from home on Facebook. (You can also watch prior services at any time here.)
Also, please note that because it is the first Sunday of the month, we'll be celebrating the Lord's Supper. If you are worshiping from home, be sure to have some bread and juice on hand. Also, the first Sunday of the month is when we collect canned/dry goods for the SSIP Food Closet. You can bring your donations this Sunday and bring them forward during the first hymn.
Once upon a time, each of our commissions had several members. Now, most are lucky to have one or two volunteers. So we are experimenting with doing the work of our church in new ways. We have a variety of sign-up sheets throughout the building. If you would like to help with worship— as a liturgist, greeter, or usher—please choose a date. If you would like to sing a song or play an instrument in worship, we are taking sign-ups for special music offerings at Bethany. We also have a sign-up sheet for folks who are willing to bring a treat for coffee hour. We are so appreciative to all of these volunteers who help enrich our collective life at Bethany! And please let us know if there are other ways that you'd like to share your gifts.
We are meeting this coming Monday, April 4, for the final part of our Lenten book study. We meet at 10 a.m. and discuss a variety of meaty questions. We then worship together and we'll be concluding with pizza this week! Please know that you can also join us for this time of sharing and fellowship even if you choose not to read the book. Those of us who have been attending have found it to be a spirit-filled time together! Join us! Click here for more details.
Wednesday, April 5th, at 11 a.m. is our "First Wednesday What's Happening" on Zoom. It's a time of conversation and catching up with Bethany friends. Click here for log-in information.
The following Sunday, April 10, is Palm Sunday! We'll begin Holy Week by waves our palms and welcoming the Prince of Peace!
On Monday, April 11, Bethany is participating in a volunteer morning at the SSIP Food Closet. Come and lend a helping hand and experience the good work of our neighbors, The SSIP Food Closet. We'll begin our work at 8:30 a.m. and finish by 11:40 a.m. If you have questions, reach out to Cathy Sapunor.
A FEW UPDATES:
On Monday, April 25, the Spiritual Formation Commission is offering a movie—"The Shack." The event begins at 10 a.m. It's a thought-provoking movie sure to generate a good faith discussion.
On Saturday, May 7, we are having our Mother's Day Tea in our Fellowship Hall! The event begins at 2 p.m. Free!
On Saturday, May 14, we'll be participating in the CROP Walk. We'll be walking at 9 a.m. and funds raised will benefit Church World Service and the SSIP Food Closet. More details coming soon.
Over the past few months, we've been busy on our campus doing repairs, cleaning and reorganizing, and even refreshing and repurposing some of our rooms. A huge thank you to Ron Carlsen, Jim Guida, Mark Strack, Maria Mar, and Rowena Frick for helping to complete these many important tasks. We have a couple of tables just outside of the kitchen/social hall full of books that are free to whoever would like them. And stop by Maria's office to see how her space has been updated!
COVID Updates:
Masks are no longer required in our building, but feel free to continue to use yours if you have concerns. We do recognize that we are vulnerable community due to our age.
Do note that if we hear of someone in our community testing positive for COVID, we will e-mail our members/friends/renters concerning the time frame of when exposure may have occurred on our campus. So if you happened to be in our building during a time frame in question, you can then feel free to take a test if you so desire. We ask that everyone continue to sign in and out when at the church so that we can help keep track of possible exposures.
We strongly recommended that all worship attendees have gotten their booster shot. If you are not feeling well, we also ask that you stay home and worship virtually. See above for the Facebook link!
CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST SESSION (BOARD OF ELDERS) UPDATE. We are so grateful for leaders who have stepped up and who are sharing their gifts to lead us into a new chapter at Bethany!
As a faith community, we have the privilege of being able to journey with one another through a chaotic and beautiful world, full of many highs and lows. We celebrate one another's victories, and we hold one another in prayer during those times of pain, fear, and loss. If you have prayers that you would like to share with our community, please contact me or Office Manager Maria Mar. Also, be sure to indicate if you'd like your prayer to be shared, or if you'd like it to be held in confidentiality.
God hears all of our prayers, and in Christ, we find healing, wholeness, and new beginnings. With each passing day, the Spirit of God is presenting us with new opportunities of love and grace. No matter what comes our way, all roads lead to Jesus—thanks be to God!
We continue to be deeply troubled by Putin's invasion of Ukraine. We are encouraged that folks from around the world, including hundreds of thousands of Russians, are denouncing this invasion and making their voices heard in the streets. Our prayers are with the people of Ukraine and for all of our global leaders that they may find ways to end this conflict soon.
We also pray for other nations immersed in bloodshed. Much instability and violence remains in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq, Honduras, Haiti, and South Sudan. May all nations be more committed to peace and justice for all.
Blessings to all,
Jesse
