THE BETHANY LETTERApril 24, 2007 Volume 2007, Issue No. 15 | |
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What to Say, What to Pray, What to Do? Our hearts go out to the families and loved ones of those who died in the terrible tragedy last week in Virginia. This violence cries out for a response. As I struggled with what to write, it became clear to me that something needs to be said about God. First, we must affirm that great as our grief may be, God, who as the hymn says, "art all compassion, pure unbounded love thou art," grieves even more. God loves more deeply and perfectly, than we can grasp, so God's grief and sadness is deep and profound beyond all our imagining. He was the first One to grieve and the One whose grief is greatest. Given that love and grief, we should know and trust that God never, ever "ordains" such horrors. Second, we need to affirm something about God and ourselves – that we have been created in God's image, to be God's image, to represent God, and God's love to all creation. The horror and sadness we feel at this event expresses the capacity for compassion that is ours because we are created in God's image. Yet, because we are created in God's image, and gifted with God's Spirit, God expects us to be God's image, to represent God's compassion and love in response to such terrible events. What does that mean? It means, first of all, that we don't allow our compassion to be limited any more than God's compassion is limited; God grieves just as much for those who die from the horrors that occur daily in Darfur or Iraq; so should we. It also means that we're called do more than feel; we're called to respond, first with prayer and then with action. We're called to look hard and honestly at all the factors that make for such horrors and do what we can, where we are, to prevent them – everything from looking at how we treat outsiders, to what we allow in regard to access to guns, to our nation's foreign policy in places where genocide or war are going on. In last Sunday's Gospel, the risen Jesus asked Simon Peter three times, if he loved him. Each time Simon Peter answered he told him that if so, he must do something – care for his sheep. Since prayer can often be a prelude to action, I'd like to share one written by John Thomas that both reflects on that scripture and lifts up this terrible tragedy.
Through the ages we hear the Risen Christ: "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my lambs." Yet today we grieve for precious lambs, not fed, but slaughtered. For those sons and daughters, students and classmates, colleagues and friends whose lives we cherish, whose loss we mourn, we pray, Through the ages we hear the Risen Christ: "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Tend my sheep." Yet today your flock is scattered by fear at Virginia Tech and throughout the world where guns and bombs kill and maim. For those paralyzed by fear in Blacksburg and Baghdad, Kabul and Karachi, Gaza and the Golan Heights, we pray, Through the ages we hear the Risen Christ, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" "Yes, Lord, you know every thing, you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my sheep." Yet today we are hungry – hungry for peace, hungry for justice, hungry for security, hungry for hope. For children who look for bread but are given the crushing stone of violence, often with our complicity, we pray, Take us, O God, to places we are reluctant to go, to the wounded places, the shattered places, the terrified places. There may we feed your lambs with compassion, tend your sheep with healing, feed your flock with hope. There, with Peter, may we move from denial to discipleship, and thus find strength in the midst of this week's sorrow and rage, to sing again the Easter song, "Alleluia, Christ is risen! Christ is risen indeed. Alleluia!" Amen.*************************** Family Sunday - April 29, 2007 Scripture: John 10:22-30
Sunday Morning Opportunities 8:30 a.m. Worship (Traditional)/ Chancel Choir 9:00 a.m. 5th Sunday Brunch – Mission Committee 9:15 a.m. Church School for Children 10:30 a.m. Worship/ 7th Day, Son Singers, Young Shepherds Choirs
No Adult Classes - Please attend the 5th Sunday Brunch hosted by the Mission Committee
Fifth Sunday Celebration There are so many ways to worship God. One of the Holy Spirit's greatest gifts to the church is the rich variety of worship styles and music which God's people have developed to give their thanks and praise. One of the greatest gifts the church can offer its members is a chance to be blessed by that diversity. The Fifth Sunday worship celebration is that opportunity. This Fifth Sunday, April 29th, will be Family Sunday, with liturgies that younger worshippers can more readily share, both in regard to words and music, but also in leading the service. All of the service music will be done with keyboard, guitar and drums in a lively, contemporary style. We hope that this opportunity will provide a joyful, worshipful experience with rhythm and melodies that will make your heart sing! Seventh Day, the Son Singers and the Young Shepherds Choirs will all be sharing their music and members of the Youth Fellowship will be leading the liturgy at the 10:30 service. We hope you will be there to join in the celebration.
Fifth Sunday "Supper on Us" YOU – are invited to a Fifth Sunday "Supper On Us" celebration at Miller Ave. UCC in Akron. We will gather at 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, April 29th, for worship followed by a community meal with our covenant partners and folks from the Summit Lake Neighborhood of Akron. Please come and learn more about this UCC mission church and celebrate our mission covenant with other area UCC churches. Miller Ave. Mission Church is located at 1095 Edison Ave. (corner of West Miller Ave.). Happy Birthday to Interfaith Hospitality Network of Summit CountyN ext week we will be celebrating the third birthday of IHN. The Mission Committee will be hosting the 5th Sunday Brunch beginning at 9:00 a.m. in the Social Hall. They will be serving pancakes, juice and assorted coffee cakes - birthday cake! Part of the free-will offering received will be used to purchase a gift for the moms in the program for Mother's Day. IHN guests will be at Bethany the week of May 6th and will be leaving on the morning of Mother's Day. Mission will also be sharing updates on IHN and showing a new video from the national office of IHN. If you have not been involved in this worthwhile mission that helps homeless families in our community, here is an opportunity to learn more about how you can volunteer. We hope you will consider volunteering along with a fellow Bethany member and learn more about how this mission works. We hope to see you for breakfast on April 29th.W e are in need of volunteers for van driving, meal preparation, overnight hosts, and laundry crew. Please consider donating a few hours of your week to help our IHN families. Please call Carolyn Hofmann to volunteer.Learn more about Fair Trade CoffeeA Fair Trade Coffee video will be shown during the brunch between services his Sunday, April 29th. The cost of the coffee is increased slightly and proceeds are used to cover the cost of the coffee used at our weekly social hours. We have several drip varieties ($7): Breakfast Blend, Café Salvador, Columbian, Ethiopian, French Roast, Hazel Nut Cream, Mind, Body, and Soul and Columbian Decaf drip. We also carry tea, hot chocolate, chocolate bars, and Travel Mugs.
Buckeyes Our next meeting of the Bethany Buckeyes will be on Friday, May 4th 6:00 p.m. For reservations, call the office or note so on your Sunday attendance card. Interfaith Hospitality Network Our next IHN host week is May 6-12. We are in need of volunteers for van driving, meal preparation, overnight hosts, and laundry crew. Please consider donating a few hours of your week to help our IHN families. Please call Carolyn Hofmann to volunteer.
Bethany Church Nurse Program The first Sunday of each month, Bethany's volunteer Nurses, Linda Goodwin and Holly Keenan, offer blood pressure tests during social hour. If you are interested in having your BP checked, look for them in the library. International Nurses Day is celebrated around the world every May 12th, the anniversary of Florence Nightingale's birth. Please be sure to thank Linda and Holly for their time and talent!
An Invitation to Adult Sunday School Now that you know someone who is doing an internship as part of the Partner-in-Ministry Program, I hope you also want to find out more about this exciting offering from your Eastern Ohio Association. On May 20th during the regular Sunday school time 9:30-10:20, I will be meeting with all of the adult classes in the Social Hall and anyone else who's interested. The purpose of the gathering is for me to share some of my experiences in the program, tell you more about the program and what it has to offer, and to encourage some to try it themselves. I feel it is a program that has something to offer any church member regardless of their age. You do not need to be in a Sunday school class to participate, so I hope to see many of you there on May 20th. - Don Evans, Partner-in Ministry Intern
Paper-recycling receptacle We now possess our paper-recycling receptacle. Thanks for your patience. More information next week.
Young Mission Trippers Looking for WorkWe have even more young people who hope to go on the Esperanza Mission Trip next year. They are looking for work to help reduce the cost of the trip. If you have a job that you need help with, just give one of them a call, then, instead of paying her or him directly, make out a check to Bethany, to their Esperanza account. The hopeful Esperanza Mission Trippers are: Taylor Giffin, Emma Jensen, Keith McDevitt,Ariel Myers, Alex Wachovec, Anna & Caitlin Zeller.
News from Bethany Kitchen Last Saturday, Bethany Kitchen served 72 guests. Thanks to our crew of 13 and a ham donated by Cathy Crabtree and Olive Devine, we prepared a lunch featuring homemade vegetable soup, hot ham and cheese sandwiches and assorted desserts providing 108 meals. We would like to remind and invite any Bethany member to join us for lunch on the 3rd Saturday of EACH month – no cooking required! However, if you would like to "don" an apron and join the crew, call Gail and Harry Cool. Lunch is always included!!!!
Flowers given in April by: 4/01 Kathe Kirstein and family in memory of husband/father Fritz Kirstein 4/08 Members in celebration of Easter! 4/15 Ralph and Mary Bowmaster 4/22 Dale and Betty Pickard in honor of family 4/24 Carolyn B. Hofmann in celebration of IHN's third birthday. Thanks to our many volunteers who make this mission possible!
Vacation Bible School - July 9th to 13th Take the Plunge … Make a Splash with Jesus!
Bethany's Web Page We have a wonderful tool available for telling the world about our church life. It's our web page! Find it at http://www.bethany.ald.net. Think about how you depend upon the Internet to find information that interests you, and you will understand how important an accurate web page can be. It is our face forward to the community and world. In order to present a positive impression of our church, we need to keep the info on the page as complete and up-to-date as possible. This is where you come in! Please check the website often and when you notice something incomplete or missing, write something up and send it to webmaster@bethany.ald.net. Don't assume someone else has already done it; we will catch duplicated info, but we need YOU to help. As Webmaster, I do not create content - I just format and post it when it comes in. Some particulars: Send plain text with no special formatting. Pictures that show church life are valuable too; send separately, not within a document. Do NOT include personal email addresses, home addresses, or phone numbers (whenever received, I remove them for the sake of privacy). There's a website mailbox in the hall for pictures or anything that cannot be emailed. Thanks! Also, remember…if you did not receive your newsletter, you can find it on our web page. –Debra Ocepek, Webmaster Thank you Thank you for the beautiful flowers. Thanks also to Sally Mellott who delivered them. - Jean Pekar Thanks to Doris Brubaker for delivering the beautiful pink hyacinth plant to me for Easter. The fragrance is so sweet. Will plant the bulbs in the fall. Sincerely, Ellen Limbach Dear Friends, A special thanks to all who sent prayers, cards and called me during this long trip I've been on. Welcome, Don Evans! Received a long letter from Rev. Mark; so glad he's doing better. I finally have the cast off my left arm and am writing again. Love, Mary Coffield Remember in your prayers… Evelyn Vance, Akron City Hospital
Global Ministries Lesotho's greatest natural resource is water. Unfortunately, most of it is where the people are not. In the past 15 years, two huge dams have been constructed in the mountains that now channel water through underground tunnels to neighboring South Africa. This export of water brings Lesotho $50 million a year; but much of Lesotho suffers from severe water shortages during most of the year. The government is now making plans for another dam to serve the needs of the people in Lesotho. Besides providing water for household purposes, there are plans to develop irrigation projects to help Lesotho grow the food it needs.
Prayer for this week: God of comfort and compassion, through Jesus, your Son, you lead us to the water of life and the table of your bounty. May we who have received the tender love of our Good Shepherd be strengthened by your grace to care for your flock. Amen.
Calendar April 18th to April 29th Treasures Sale Set-up All Week 4/25 10:00a Bible Study (CE) 7:00p COMMITTEE NIGHT 7:30p Music Committee 4/26 7:30p Choir Practice4/27 4/28 9:00a -TREASURES & BAKE SALE- 2:00p
Family Sunday - April 29, 2007 Nursery Available - 9:15 – 11:30 a.m. Miller Ave. Sunday Children remain in worship 8:30a Worship (Traditional) 9:15a Church School for Children 9:15a 5th Sunday BRUNCH (Mission) 10:30a Worship/ Children remain in worship 11:30a 7th Day Practice 4:30p Camp Planning 6:30p Mission Trip Planning 4/30 9:00a Quilters 9:30a Shawl Ministry (L) 10:00a Newsletter Deadline 5/01 8:15a Staff Meeting (L)10:00a Sponsors Meeting 5/02 7:30p Motet Choir Practice 5/03 7:30p Choir Practice 5/04 6:00p Buckeyes (SH) 5/05
Sunday - May 6, 2007 Nursery Available - 9:15 – 11:30 a.m. Don Evans, Guest Preacher IHN Guest Week
8:30a Worship/ (Communion) 9:15a Church School for All Ages 10:30a Worship/ Children's Sunday School 11:30a Social Hour 11:30a Bethany Nurse BP Check (L) 11:30a 7th Day Practice (last one) 6:00p IHN Meal 6:30p YF – Hike at Gorge
Volunteers - Names of Sunday Volunteers are published AHEAD of the scheduled Sunday as a kindly reminder & an early thank you! If you are unable to volunteer the day you are scheduled, please remember to 1) find someone to take your place and then 2) call the church office so we may make necessary revisions.Volunteers for April 29th Greeters: Ken and Linda Smith, Gary and Carol Eiber Music: Chancel Choir/ 7th Day, Son Singers, Young Shepherds Nursery: A. Lorentz, E. Jensen, A. McVan, V. McVan, A. Wachovec Ushers: L. Luginbill, F. Read, J. Grazulis, J. Seymour, J. Williams, L. Short, K. Fratz, E. Cool Van Driver: Linda Goodwin Visitor Outlook: Jennifer France Volunteers for May 6th Greeters: Bob and Carole Pletzer, Dale and Maurine Renner Music: Donna and Tim duo/ Chancel Choir Nursery: Martha Peyak, Kim Miller, Tracy Ocepek, Anna Zeller Social Hour: Perspectives Class Ushers: Carolyn Hofmann, Bob Charton, Marilyn Seguin, Mary Seymour, Jack and Judy Ingram, Marcia Spring, Eddie Frederick Van Driver: Carol Frederick Visitor Outlook: Carole Pletzer
Bakers Needed Please donate a baked good item for the Treasures-Bake Sale! Bring in your goodies on Friday, April 27th. There will be a table set up in the social hall. If you have not heard from Linda Read about donating an item, please call her and save her a call! Your goodies are greatly appreciated and will benefit a Bethany Mission. Questions? Call Linda Read.
SALE DAY Saturday, April 28th 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.Homemade goodies you won't be able to resist! Treasures galore! Treasures for everyone! The last hour will be "dollar a bag" sale! Help our missions and find some great deals! Tell your family, friends and neighbors about the Sale! A change: You may bring in your treasures starting NOW! Please put them in the lower level in the Seekers Room. This will help Kim as the Boy Scouts help set-up the Friday night before the sale. The only day for furniture / large item pick-up is Sunday, April 22nd. To get on this schedule (12:00 to 6:00 p.m. for large item pick-up) contact Kim Wurgler. Anything and everything (okay, EXCEPT clothes) is greatly appreciated. Thanks for all of your help!
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