Devotion for Tuesday, December 19

During this Advent season, I invite you to ponder the words of these wonderful Advent Hymns!

Peace and Blessings,

Pastor Dave  

Light One Candle to Watch for Messiah

Light one candle to watch for Messiah: 

let the light banish darkness. 

He shall bring salvation to Israel, 

God fulfills the promise.

Light two candles to watch for Messiah: 

let the light banish darkness. 

He shall feed the flock like a shepherd, 

gently lead them homeward.

Light three candles to watch for Messiah: 

let the light banish darkness. 

Lift your heads and lift high the gateway 

for the King of glory.

Light four candles to watch for Messiah: 

let the light banish darkness. 

He is coming, tell the glad tidings. 

Let your light be shining.

Text: Wayne L. Wold (b. 1954)

Tune: Yiddish folk tune

Devotion for Monday, December 18

During this Advent season, I invite you to ponder the words of these wonderful Advent Hymns!

Peace and Blessings,

Pastor Dave  

Awake, Awake and Greet the New Morn

Awake! Awake, and greet the new morn, for angels herald its dawning.

Sing out your joy, for soon he is born, behold! the Child of our longing.

Come as a baby weak and poor, to bring all hearts together,

he opens wide the heavenly door and lives now inside us forever.

To us, to all in sorrow and fear, Emmanuel comes a’singing,

His humble song is quiet and near, yet fills the earth with its ringing,

music to heal the broken soul and hymns of loving kindness,

the thunder of his anthems roll to shatter all hatred and blindness.

In darkest night his coming shall be, when all the world is despairing,

as morning light so quiet and free, so warm and gentle and caring.

Then shall the mute break forth in song, the lame shall leap in wonder,

the weak be raised above the strong, and weapons be broken asunder.

Rejoice, rejoice, take heart in the night, though dark the winter and cheerless

the rising sun shall crown you with light, be strong and loving and fearless.

Love be our song and love our prayer and love our endless story;

May God fill every day we share and bring us at last into glory.

Music and Lyrics by Marty Haugen (b. 1950)

Devotion for Friday, December 15

During this Advent season, I invite you to ponder the words of these wonderful Advent Hymns!

Peace and Blessings,

Pastor Dave  

O Lord, How Shall I Meet You

O Lord, how shall I meet you, 

How welcome you aright? 

Your people long to greet you, 

My hope, my heart's delight! 

Oh, kindle, Lord most holy,

Your lamp within my breast

To do in spirit lowly 

All that may please you best.

I lay in fetters, groaning; 

You came to set me free. 

I stood, my shame bemoaning; 

You came to honor me. 

A glorious crown you give me, 

A treasure safe on high 

That will not fail or leave me 

As earthly riches fly.

Love caused your incarnation; 

Love brought you down to me. 

Your thirst for my salvation 

Procured my liberty. 

Oh, love beyond all telling,

That led you to embrace 

In love, all love excelling, 

Our lost and fallen race.

Rejoice, then, you sad-hearted, 

Who sit in deepest gloom, 

Who mourn your joys departed 

And tremble at your doom. 

Despair not; he is near you, 

There, standing at the door,

Who best can help and cheer you 

And bids you weep no more.

Text: Paul Gerhardt (1607-1667)

Composer: Johann Cruger (1598-1662)

Devotion for Thursday, December 14

During this Advent season, I invite you to ponder the words of these wonderful Advent Hymns!

Peace and Blessings,

Pastor Dave  

Hark the Glad Sound!

Hark the glad sound! The Savior comes,
The Savior promised long;
Let every heart prepare a throne
And every voice a song.

He comes the prisoners to release,

In Satan's bondage held.

The gates of brass before Him burst,

The iron fetters yield.

He comes from thickest films of vice

To clear the mental ray

And on the eyeballs of the blind

To pour celestial day.

He comes the broken heart to bind,

The bleeding soul to cure,

And with the treasures of His grace

To enrich the humble poor.

Our glad hosannas, Prince of Peace,

Thy welcome shall proclaim

And heaven's eternal arches ring

With Thy beloved name.

Author: Philip Doddridge, 1735
Composer: Thomas Haweis, 1792

Devotion for Monday, November 13

Do not remember the former things,

   or consider the things of old. 

I am about to do a new thing;

   now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?

I will make a way in the wilderness

   and rivers in the desert. (Isaiah 43: 18-19)

Yesterday, our congregation met for one Worship Service, followed by our Fall congregational meeting as part of our Stewardship Sunday.  It was a blessed day.  We welcomed guests from our ministry in India, Bethania Kids.  We baptized a newborn from one of our new young couples. We celebrated with music and a full house in worship as well as giving thanks for the many ways we continue to serve others at Bethel.

The day also included asking some difficult, but necessary questions about our ministry together.  At our congregational meeting, we discussed some of our frustrations with declining Sunday worship attendance and continued struggles with our finances. 

Our worship attendance has been declining for several years - from a high of 272 about 5 years ago to our current level, in the 230's.  There are apparent reasons for this -- i.e. changing worship patterns for families, some people who were active have moved away, and others who have left our fellowship for other reasons.  The sense that the sanctuary is less full and the additional concern about meeting our financial realities has caused anxiety and concern within our congregation.  In fact, it has caused some anxiety and concern with me too!  

I have attempted to remain faithful to the promise that God is with us always, even to the end of the age.  And I don't believe we are at the "end of the age" quite yet.  And because "God is with us" we can dare to seek new paths and new ways that God can lead our congregation forward, albeit perhaps looking differently than before.  

My first sermon at Bethel included the above text from Isaiah.  I believe that what God does is bring new life, new hope, and new possibilities amidst dying, desperate, and uncertain moments.  This is the work of God, the purpose of Christ.

I believe yesterday, at Bethel, we took some new steps down a God-breathed path.  I am heartened by the people of God at Bethel who are willing to covenant together to be community together, even when it is hard.  As we do so, entering into our Bethel Re-Forming visioning process at the beginning of 2018, I am confident God will satisfy and nourish our parched places, and renew our life together in surprising and creative ways.  

In Jesus' name, Amen.

95 Days with the 95 Theses (Days 90-95)

The 500th Anniversary of the Reformation is being celebrated this year, 2017.  Why? Because historians acknowledge and date the beginning of the Reformation to October 31, 1517, the day Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany.

90.  To suppress these very pointed arguments of the laity by force alone and not to resolve them by providing reasons is to expose the church and the pope to ridicule by their enemies and to make Christians miserable.

91.  Therefore, if indulgences were preached according to the spirit and intention of the pope, all of these [objections] would be easily resolved -- indeed, they would not exist.

92.  And thus, away with all those prophets who say to Christ's people, "Peace, peace," and there is no peace!

93.  May it go well for all of those prophets who say to Christ's people, "Cross, cross" and there is no cross!"

94.  Christians must be encouraged diligently to follow Christ, their head, through penalties, death, and hell,

95.  ... and in this way they may be confident of "entering heaven through many tribulations" rather than through the [false] security of peace.

A Prayer of Martin Luther

Behold, Lord, an empty vessel that needs to be filled. My Lord, fill it.

   I am weak in the faith; strengthen me.

   I am cold in love; warm me and make me fervent, that my love may go out to my neighbor.

I do not have a strong and firm faith; at times I doubt and am unable to trust you altogether.

   O Lord, help me. Strengthen my faith and trust in you.

   In you I have sealed the treasure of all I have.

   I am poor; you are rich and came to be merciful to the poor.

   I am a sinner; you are upright.

With me, there is an abundance of sin; in you is the fullness of righteousness. Therefore I will remain with you, of whom I can receive, but to whom I may not give.  Amen

95 Days with the 95 Theses (Days 82-89)

The 500th Anniversary of the Reformation is being celebrated this year, 2017.  Why? Because historians acknowledge and date the beginning of the Reformation to October 31, 1517, the day Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany.

81.  This unbridled preaching makes it difficult even for learned men to defend the reverence due the pope from slander or from the truly sharp questions of the laity:

82.  Namely, "Why does the pope not empty purgatory for the sake of the holiest love and the direst need of souls as a matter of the highest justice, given that he redeems countless souls for filthy lucre to build the Basilica [of St. Peter] as a completely trivial matter?"

83.  Again, "Why continue funeral and anniversary masses for the dead instead of returning or permitting the withdrawal of the endowments founded for them, since it is against the law to pray for those already redeemed?"

84.  Again, "Why is this new piety of God and the pope that, for the sake of money, they permit someone who is impious and an enemy to redeem [from purgatory] a pious, God-pleasing soul and yet do not, for the sake of the need of that very pious and beloved soul, redeem it purely out of love?"

85.  Again, "Why are the penitential canons -- long since abrogated and dead in actual fact and through disuse -- nevertheless now bought off with money through granting indulgences, as if they were very much alive?"

86.  Again, "Why does the pope, whose riches today are more substantial than the richest Crassus, not simply construct the Basilica of St. Peter with his own money rather than with the money of the poor faithful?"

87.  Again, "What exactly does the pope 'remit' or 'allow participation in' when it comes to those who through perfect contrition have a right to full remission and a share [in the church's benefits]?"

88.  Again, Could any greater good come to the church than if the pope were to bestow these remissions and participation to each of the faithful a hundred times a day, as he now does but once?" 

89.  "Since, rather than money, the pope seeks the salvation of souls through indulgences, why does he now suspend the documents and indulgences previously granted, although they have equal efficacy?"

A Prayer of Martin Luther

Behold, Lord, an empty vessel that needs to be filled. My Lord, fill it.

   I am weak in the faith; strengthen me.

   I am cold in love; warm me and make me fervent, that my love may go out to my neighbor.

I do not have a strong and firm faith; at times I doubt and am unable to trust you altogether.

   O Lord, help me. Strengthen my faith and trust in you.

   In you I have sealed the treasure of all I have.

   I am poor; you are rich and came to be merciful to the poor.

   I am a sinner; you are upright.

With me, there is an abundance of sin; in you is the fullness of righteousness. Therefore I will remain with you, of whom I can receive, but to whom I may not give.  Amen