Bethesda is a Recognized Service Organization of the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod that has been actively sharing the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord with people who have developmental disabilities and their families since 1904.
Bethesda's Mission
To enhance the lives of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities through services that share the good news of Jesus Christ.
Bethesda's Vision
To be the foremost provider of supports and services to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Bethesda's Values
Christ is preeminent in all that we do.
All people are inherently valuable to God and deserve to be treated with dignity and respect.
People are empowered to realize their personal goals through the discovery, development and use of their skills and talents.
People direct decisions that affect their lives, positively impact the communities in which they live, and are supported in living life to the full.
The Alaska Mission for Christ is a non-profit corporation organized and directed by the churches of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod in Alaska. Their goal is to reach the small and often remote settlements and villages of Alaska with the message of the Gospel. They are mission-oriented and Gospel centered. Nearly a hundred sites across Alaska are served by trained lay ministers and volunteer teams to provide worship services, summer Bible school and studies, basketball camps and service projects.
Their mission statement is:
"The mission of the Alaska Mission for Christ is to share Christ in the Last Frontier (Alaska), its neighboring areas in the LCMS, and throughout the world."
Recently they announced a new member of their team. David Grosz has accepted Alaska Mission for Christ's invitation to serve as Missionary to Southwest Alaska. David and his family have served as missionaries with World Mission Prayer League in Nepal and Mongolia. David is presently serving with World Vision. Praise God for leading David to serve in Alaska. They ask for our prayers for him as he and his family start the transition to Alaska.
This coming Sunday is the Seventh Sunday after Pentecost. The epistle lessons for the next four Sundays all come from Colossians. This short letter of Paul’s (only 95 verses) is packed with great spiritual treasure. For each of the next four Sundays I will be using the Colossians’ readings for my text, making this a “series.” The “Preview of the Lessons” will provide information that I will not be able to cover in the sermons. Even then this “series” will be more like skimming the cream off the top of Colossians.
We will be using the third setting of the morning service (page 184) for our liturgy. We will be celebrating the Lord’s Supper. The appointed lessons are Leviticus 19:9-18, Colossians 1:1-14, and Luke 10:25-37. The sermon text is Colossians 1:13. The sermon is titled “You’re in the Son’s Kingdom.” The opening hymn is “Open Now Thy Gates of Beauty” (LSB 901). The sermon hymn is “I Love Your Kingdom, Lord” (LSB 651). The distribution hymns are “O Jesus So Sweet, O Jesus So Mild” (LSB 546), “Jesus Comes Today with Healing” (LSB 620), and “Lord, Keep Us Steadfast in Your Word” (LSB 655). Our closing hymn is “Sent Forth by God’s Blessing” (LSB 643).
The following video is of a church as its members are leaving. The tune being played is our closing hymn, “Sent Forth by God’s Blessings.” The words of the first verse are included. To hear the music of some of the other hymns go to Better Noise; the link is on the right hand side of this page.
Preview of the Lessons
Leviticus 19:9-18: If one took a survey to determine which book in the Bible was the favorite in America, I am quite certain Leviticus would not win. In some ways, that is a shame. Sunday’s reading is an example of why. This text is an application of loving your neighbor as yourself. As such we see a picture of Jesus, who indeed loved his neighbor as himself, even being willing to die for his neighbor, as we are willing to die for ourselves. Here we see modeled in the Old Testament compassion, fairness, honesty, and forgiveness in concrete ways. Often we need concrete examples. It is easy to give lip-service to compassion, fairness, honesty, and forgiveness, without actually demonstrating these traits in our lives. God calls us to not only honor such things with our words, but also with our lives.
Colossians 1:1-14: Colossae was in Asia Minor (modern Turkey). The church there was founded by Epaphras (co-worker of Paul’s) while Paul was in Ephesus. Paul felt responsible for them like a bishop feels responsible for all the churches under his care. While the church at Colossae had a good beginning and a good pastor, it was troubled by false teachers. What they taught today is called the “Colossian Heresy.” Scholars identify it as “proto-Gnosticism” or “insipient-Gnosticism.” “Gnosticism” (meaning “knowledge”) is a second and third century heresy. It denied most of the fundamental teachings of the Bible (the Trinity, the incarnation, the resurrection, the substitutionary death of Jesus, salvation by grace through faith, the goodness of God’s creation, to name a few). Salvation was obtained by acquiring knowledge of the convoluted spiritual world they imagined. Key terms for the Colossian heretics, like “light,” “darkness,” “knowledge,” “wisdom,” “understanding,” and “power,” are found throughout the letter. Because they were leading the people away from Christ by the supposed authority of the Holy Spirit, and because Paul seeks to point the Colossians squarely to Jesus, the only clear reference to the Holy Spirit is found in verse 7. Nonetheless, this reference firmly grounds the letter in Trinitarian doctrine. The heretics were promising more, but what the people were getting was just smoke and mirrors.
Luke 10:25-37: Jesus tells the now well known story of the Good Samaritan in answering a “lawyer’s” question, “Who is my neighbor?” The Samaritan shows a Christ-like love, even though he was an outsider. So Christ, who is the ultimate outsider, shows his unsurpassed love for us in dieing for us. Luke doesn’t tell us how the lawyer responded. Certainly he felt the demands of the Law and saw that he fell short. Hopefully he came to trust in he to whom the Good Samaritan pointed, Jesus Christ. Jesus did what we could not. Not only in paying for our sins on the cross, but also by keeping the Law perfectly for us. His righteousness is “imputed” to us (that is, assigned, ascribed, attributed, accredited to us) when we come to faith in him.
Sunday’s Collect
Lord Jesus Christ, in Your deep compassion You rescue us from whatever may hurt us. Teach us to love You above all things and to love our neibhbors as ourselves; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Gradual (Romans 10:15b; Isaiah 52:7b, alt.)
How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news, who publish peace and bring good news of salvation. Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.
Verse (Luke 10:27)
Alleluia. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself. Alleluia.
Introit
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever. It is he who remembered us in our low estate, for his steadfast love endures forever. and rescued us from our foes, for his steadfast love endures forever. he who gives food to all flesh, for his steadfast love endures forever. Give thanks to the God of heaven, for his steadfast love endures forever. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.
Adult Bible Study
We continue our series “Puzzlers and Questions about the Bible.” This week’s question is: “I might be wrong, but I think Lutheran beliefs do not demonize the use of alcoholic beverages – only the “over-use” of them. Yet, they don’t seem to have the same sense of moderation regarding gambling, marijuana, or pornography. Why or why not? Couldn’t these three be no more harmful than a glass of wine, if enjoyed moderately?” As a theme verse I’ve selected 1 Corinthians 10:23.
There is good news in Circuit 18 of the Southeastern District of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. Rev. Larry Eckart has accepted the Divine Call from our Lord through Island Lutheran Church (Hilton Head Island, SC) to be their called and ordained pastor. He will probably not arrive until August and be installed in September. By the grace of our Lord Pastor Eckart will be a part of an exciting future as Island reaches out with the saving Gospel. Please keep in your prayers Pastor Eckart, Island Lutheran, and Pastor Eckart’s current congregation of Hope Lutheran in Linden, Michigan.
Commemoration of Isaiah July 6, 2010 The Lord be with you
July 6 is set aside on our Liturgical Calendar to remember the prophet Isaiah. He was the son of Amoz and considered to be the greatest of the writing prophets. He is quoted in the New Testament more than any other Old Testament prophet. Isaiah means “Yahweh [the LORD] saves.” He prophesied to the people of Jerusalem and Judah form about 740 BC to 700 BC and was a contemporary of the prophets Amos, Hosea, and Micah. Isaiah was a fierce preacher of God’s Law, condemning the sin of idolatry. He was also a comforting proclaimer of the Gospel, repeatedly emphasizing God’s grace and forgiveness. For this he is sometimes called the Evangelist of the Old Testament. No prophet more clearly prophesized about the coming Messiah and His saving kingdom. Isaiah foretold not only the Messiah’s miraculous birth (Isaiah 7:14; 9:6), His endless reign (Isaiah 2:1-5; 11:1-16), and His public ministry (Isaiah 61:1-3), but most notably his Suffering Servant role and atoning death (Isaiah 52:13-53:12). The apostle John’s description of Isaiah, that Isaiah saw Jesus’ glory and spoke of Him (John 12:41), is an apt summary of his prophetic ministry.
The picture is of Isaiah as depicted on the fresco at the Sistine Chapel ceiling by Michelangelo in 1509.
Lutherans, it seems, by nature are modest people. The American way of “blowing your own horn” just doesn’t seem to fit with giving God all the glory, at least for us. What this means is that what is accomplished by the Lord through Lutherans often goes unnoticed, even by other Lutherans. Let me give you a list of Lutheran groups to substantiate my point. Some you may well have heard about. Many, I suspect, you have not. All are reaching out with the love of Christ Jesus to a sin-damaged world.
Alaska Mission for Christ ALPHA Course (opps, this group is Anglican, not Lutheran) Apple of His Eye Bethesda Lutheran Homes and Services Bible Outreach ACTS Center for Asian Missions & Evangelism Can-Do Missions Creator’s Praise Ministries Christian Friends of New Americans Crossways International Cross Country Mission Society Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch Evangelgram God’s Word to the Nations Groups Ablaze! Harvest Mission International International Student Ministry Japanese Mission Society Koinoneo Independent Mission Agency Lift High the Cross Ongoing Ambassadors for Christ Lutheran Blind Mission Society Lutheran Lay Renewal Lutheran Association of Missionaries and Pilots U.S. Lutheran Laymen’s League (Lutheran Hour Ministries) Lutheran Women’s Missionary League Lutheran Deaf Mission Society Lutheran Association of Missionaries Pilots, Canada LATINO Mission Society Lutheran Braille Workers Lutheran Campus Mission Association Lutheran City Ministries The Lutheran Evangelism Association Lutheran Mission of the Good Shepherd Lutheran Prison Ministry Lutheran Society for Missiology Lutherans in Jewish Evangelism Mill Neck Family of Organizations MOST Ministries Open Door Ministries of the High Plains Orphan Grain Train Oswald Hoffmann School of Christian Outreach Peace Officer Ministries People of the Book Lutheran Outreach The Missio Dei Network Recovery Assistance, Inc. Ministries Transorming Churches Network World Mission Prayer League 72 – Partners on the Road
How many do you recognize?
Some of these groups are Recognized Service Organizations (RSO) of the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod, some are sponsored by a District of the LC-MS, still others are Lutherans in a specific area that have banded together, and some are efforts made by an individual local congregation. Some of these groups have a global focus, others have a regional focus, and still others have a specific slice of the demographic pie in mind. Some of these groups I am rather well informed about, others I know very little about. Due to the modest nature of Lutherans I mentioned earlier, I’m rather sure that I have only a small percentage of Lutheran groups that are reaching out with the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
To help us become better acquainted with what Lutherans are doing, and perhaps even provide my readers with volunteer opportunities, I plan to post reviews of each of these groups on my blog. If you know of a Lutheran group sharing Christ that is not on the above list, you can post their name in a comment on this post, and I will see what I can do to post a review of them. Each of the above groups does have an internet presence and it is from that internet presence that I will draw most of my information.
This coming Sunday is the Sixth Sunday after Pentecost. It also happens to be Independence Day (Fourth of July). Independence Day is a strictly American national holiday and does not appear on liturgical calendars (which are used by Christians around the world). The appointed lessons in the liturgical year reflect the liturgical calendar and not any given nation’s special days. Consequently this Sunday’s service will not be a glorification of being American. That being said, government is a gift from God (Romans 13:1) to which we owe obedience and for which we should thank and praise God. This will be reflected in the sermon (“So Many Blessings!”) as well as our opening hymn, “Before You, Lord, We Bow” (LSB 966).
We will be using the service of Prayer and Preaching (page 260) for our liturgy. The appointed lessons are Isaiah 66:10-14; Galatians 6:1-10, 14-18; and Luke 10:1-20. The appointed Psalm is Psalm 66:1-7, the antiphon is verses 8 and 9. The sermon text is Luke 10:20. Aside from singing “Before You, Lord, We Bow” as our opening hymn, we will also be singing “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” (LSB 425) and “O Jesus So Sweet, O Jesus So Mild” (LSB 546).
Following the worship service we will have an ice-cream social, a traditional way of celebrating our nation’s birth.
Preview of the Lessons
Isaiah 66:10-14: Some people say they take the Bible “literally,” by which they mean that they think the Bible has no symbolic use of language. While some people say this, no one really approaches the Bible this way. This passage is a perfect example of what I mean. Literally Jerusalem is a city. However in this passage Jerusalem is described as having breasts on which children nurse, bouncing her children on her knee and carrying her children on her hip. Clearly this is a symbolic description. Jerusalem is not to be thought of as a place with stone and mortar, but where you find true believers; in other words, the Church. The Church gives birth, so to speak, through the word and sacraments. Through those same means believers are nurtured and comforted.
Galatians 6:1-10, 14-18: Paul’s letters can generally be divided into two parts. Part A is the foundational theology of the letter. Part B is the application of that theology. If you don’t “get” part A you will never “get” part B. In fact you will probably draw conclusions that are the opposite of what Paul intended. In Galatians the key theological message and guiding principle in understanding the letter is found in 2:15-16. It is salvation by grace through faith in Jesus. So this reading from Galatians 6 is not so much a list of dos and don’ts, but application of salvation by grace through faith. How will we see it working out in the lives of people? We see compassion for those who are not saved, we see support for the spreading of the Gospel, we see humility, we see the exaltation of the cross of Christ, and we see a freedom from legalism and a life lived as a new creation.
Luke 10:1-20: Jesus sends seventy-two disciples ahead of him as he travels to Jerusalem. They are to proclaim the Gospel and minister to the people as they prepare the people for Jesus' arrival. Jesus assures them that they speak with his authority. Those who reject their message reject Christ. Jesus then laments over cities that have rejected him and therefore rejected eternal life. The seventy-two return, rejoicing because of all that has happened. Jesus, though, directs them to the real reason we rejoice.
Sunday’s Collect
Lord of all power and might, author and giver of all good things, graft into our hearts the love of Your name and nourish us with all goodness that we may love and serve our neighbor; through Jesus Christ, Your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Gradual (Romans 10:15b; Isaiah 52:7b, alt.)
How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news, who publish peace and bring good news of salvation. Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.
Verse (Luke 9:51)
Alleluia. When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. Alleluia.
Introit
We will be using the appointed Psalm instead of the appointed Introit this coming Sunday.
Adult Bible Study
We continue our series “Puzzlers and Questions about the Bible.” This week’s question was not really submitted as a question. It is: “Genesis 32:22 Jacob wrestle with God”. I assume what is desired is a careful treatment of the text/story. The whole story is found in Genesis 32:22-32, and we will examine it Sunday.
