Latest News
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An Opportunity to Share – A Sermon on Luke 21:5-19
Last week Dave Foslien and I attended the first of six retreats for congregations looking towards renewal, these conferences are hosted by our synod, and are aimed at helping congregations work towards growth, diversity, and engaging in God’s work in our communities. Our synod is just beginning this process with 13 congregations, and they are…
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My Thanks-giving
O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever. ~Psalm 107:1 This week we celebrate Thanksgiving, we gather together in families and friend groups to break bread, to laugh, to share a meal, and to give thanks. This year I have so much to be thankful for.
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Do Not Be Weary
Brothers and sisters, do not be weary in doing what is right. ~ 2 Thessalonians 3:13 As I’m writing this post, it is six more days until November 8th. I don’t know what has happened yet, but when reading the text for this Sunday, all I could think about was my own weariness with this…
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Daniel, Lectionary, and Hope
In the first year of King Belshazzar of Babylon, Daniel had a dream and visions of his head as he lay in bed. Then he wrote down the dream ~ Daniel 7:1 Each week, Bethany, like many churches, uses the Revised Common Lectionary in order to choose the readings for Sunday Worship. This calendar of…
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A Prayer of Reformation
With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness and your every deed prompted by faith. ~ 2 Thessalonians 1:11 Paul writes to the church in Thessalonica, giving thanks for…
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Pastor Explains: Liturgical Seasons
Most of you know that my hair changes with the liturgical (church) season. On Sunday I can point at the paraments (the fabric decorations on the alter) and my stole (the sash I wear), and say “you see, my hair matches!” Which is all well and good – unless the phrase “liturgical season” is totally foreign…
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Wrestling with God
Then the man said, “You shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with humans, and have prevailed.” ~Genesis 32:28 Genesis 32:22-31 is one of my favorite stories from Scripture – mainly because I like Jacob, I find myself wrestling with God often. When I was younger, I…
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Remembering to Praise
Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. ~Luke 17:15 How often are we healed by God? How often are we blessed by God in our lives? How often do we miss the mark when it comes to giving thanks?
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Blessed by Giving
“She opens her hand to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy.” ~Proverbs 31:20 We talk a lot about giving in the church, giving financially, giving our time, giving our gifts, etc. And part of that is for good reason – giving is part of our call as members of the Body…
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Unpacking
For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. ~ 1 Timothy 6:7 My husband and I have spent the last few weeks unpacking all of our belongings into our new apartment.