March 12, 2023

Third Sunday in Lent

Worship at 9:30 am

Fellowship and Learning Hour following Worship

Presiding Minister: Pastor Tim Keyl

Preacher: Vicar Gabrielle Brown

Assisting Minister: Blair Goodlin

Music Director: Stephen Gamboa-Díaz

Music Intern: Ike Harijanto

Altar Guild: Clarissa Youngberg

Lectors: Chris Wigren, Don Youngberg, Richard Ford, and Dianne Witte

Ushers: Lee family

Livestream: Nora Lee

Tellers: Martin Gehner and Rachelle Goto

Bread Baker: Lee family

Coffee Hour: Chris Wigren

Stations for Anointing: Anna Franz and Elaine Ramshaw

Daylight Savings Time Begins Sunday

Don't forget that our clocks will "spring forward" one hour between Saturday night and Sunday morning this week!

Pilgrimage and Lent

Our soup suppers theme is Traveling Stories. Wow, do I have stories of my trip to Palestine, Israel, and Jordan! I always have stories, because each time I return, I am never the same person.

Maggi Dawn, former Dean of the Chapel at YDS, writes in her book The Accidental Pilgrim:

The difference between a tourist and a pilgrim is that, while a tourist travels to get away from it all before going back to reality, a pilgrim is transformed by the experience and returns home changed.

My frustration with over 75 years of military occupation denying Palestinians a return home, a recognition of sovereignty, and daily life a constant reminder of being stuck is amplified after each trip like the one I took in January and February. Many Lutherans living in the West Bank are unable to visit churches in Jerusalem because their identity papers do not permit them to cross the checkpoint into Jerusalem.  Kari and I regularly traveled back and forth with our blue American passport always in hand and never denied.

My admiration for the faithfulness and witness of Lutheran companions is also amplified after each trip. Rana, a member of the Lutheran Church in Beit Jala, began a DIAKONIA program in 2022 to assist families in crisis, to host hearing-impaired people in learning sign language, conveniently located on the West Bank so families can access these services. When Kari and I first met her, Rana exuded kindness and commitment. She asked me to begin our meeting with prayer. She spoke about her background in social work and her deep love for those she serves. She considers her work to be a valuable response to God working in her.  After that meeting, I was able to add a meeting between Rana and our companion trip group. This program fulfills one of ELCJHL’s vision to deepen DIAKONIA ministry, which is part and parcel of The Lutheran World Federation’s framework for the global church. Learn more about DIAKONIA

One doesn’t need to travel internationally to be changed and on a journey. That’s what Lent is all about, moving in faith, living in community, shaped by scripture, and discovering God’s will to change hearts toward renewal, repentance, life, and justice.

Do you have a pilgrim story about your life? I’d love to hear it!

Pastor Tim.

Coming Up at Bethesda

Worship Livestream

We stream Sunday worship services live on Bethesda’s YouTube Channel. Join us live at 9:30 am every Sunday or watch the recording afterward.

Click here to access this Sunday's bulletin.

Bible Study on Zoom

Bethesda's Bible Study continues to discuss NT Wright's Acts. The next gathering will be Wednesday, March 15 at 8:00 am.

When? Every other Wednesday at 8:00 am

Where? On Zoom, click here to join (or join by telephone: 203-432-9666; Meeting ID: 961 0888 6279)

Soup Suppers in Lent - Theme: Traveling Stories

6:00 pm every Wednesday in the Campanius Room

Sign-up to bring soup to share – one meat-based, one vegetarian. Others may sign-up to bring loaves of bread and bottles of wine to share.

This week’s traveling story will be from Jeff Hazewinkel, about his work with Lutheran congregations in Germany.

Traveling Stories

The Israelites ate manna forty years, until they came to a habitable land; they ate manna, until they came to the border of the land of Canaan (Exodus 16:35).  

The number forty is a compelling number in the Bible. The time in the wilderness, time apart, time wandering, time on the way to the land of promise each inform our own experiences, particularly in Lent. During Soup Suppers, we will reflect on traveling stories, from scripture, from authors, and from each other. Do you have a travel story to tell? To the home of your ancestors? To a far-off land? On a vacation? Sign-up to tell your stories one week at Dinner Church, or just show up. Questions? Contact Pastor Keyl at [email protected].

Lenten Book Club for Adult Forum/Confirmation Class

Join the Adult Forum and Confirmation students each Sunday in March to discuss the book The Story of More by Hope Jahren. Each Sunday we will focus on a different section of the book. Our conversations will include opening devotionals from Confirmation students. Copies of the young adult version of the book are available from Dan Cortright. We hope to donate these copies to area middle schools after our book club.

Discussion topics are 

Mar 5: Life and Earth, Ch 1-4 and 17-18

Mar 12: Food, Ch 5-9

Mar 19: Energy, Ch 10-13

Mar 26: The Story of Less, Ch 18-19, Appendix 

Sunday, April 2: Annual Intergenerational Event

Immediately following the 9:30 am Service in the Campanius Room. Palm Sunday crafts for all to enjoy including: Holy Week devotional, eggs, stamp art Easter cards, palm crosses, wooden crosses, and more. A potluck lunch will follow!

Order Olive Oil from LWF

Time to order Olive Oil through Lutheran World Federation to support the LWF Vocational Training Program and help to reduce the fees of students.

 Click here to access the on-line order form. Please place your order by April 2. Additional order forms are available in the Narthex.

 Two size options:

250mL of olive oil in a plastic bottle - Price: $15.00

750mL of olive oil in a plastic bottle - Price: $35.00

EcoSpirituality Gathering - March 12 on Zoom

Hairspray at Co-op High School

Bethesda's Matthew Judd will be a lead in the musical running March 14-16 at 6:30 pm at COOP, 177 Crown Street downtown New Haven (next to Shubert). Tickets available (cash only) at the door: $15 for adults and $10 for students.

Dr. Kathleen Burton Book Discussion at Bethesda - March 19 at 3:00 pm

The Nazi Religion and the Rise of the French Christian Resistance

Dr. Kathleen Burton will discuss her recent book with the Alliance Française of New Haven on March 19, 2023 at 3 pm at Bethesda. To register for this event, send an email to [email protected].

Dr. Kathleen Burton has a Ph.D. in theology from Laval University. She also has a Master of Arts degree in French; she studied international law at the Sorbonne University in Paris; she has a Bachelor of Arts degree from UCLA; and she studied in Bordeaux, France during her undergraduate years at the Institut d’Études Politiques de Bordeaux.

Dr. Burton has presented select portions of her book at a conference on “Germany, Its Culture and Its Identity” at Sherbrooke University in Québec, Canada. Dr. Burton has 25 years’ experience teaching French at the university level. Currently, she is a Senior Lector in the French department of Yale University, where she has taught since 2007.

Lutheran World Hunger Collection

Please return your Lutheran World Hunger barn and pig boxes (filled with change, or even dollar bills!) by Palm Sunday, April 2. Boxes are still available for pickup in the narthex.

Exciting news: a generous donor has agreed to match our donations, doubling our impact!

ELCA World Hunger Lent Study Guides

As we journey through the season of Lent, consider picking up a copy of the ELCA World Hunger Lent Study Guide: 40 Days of Giving, available in the Narthex. This resource provides prayers, devotions, and exercises for personal or communal reflection.

Congregational Watershed Discipleship

Mark your calendars - on Sunday, April 30th at 11:30 am, Bethesda will host Rev. Dr. Nancy Wright, who will preach and lead an interfaith workshop on Congregational Watershed Stewardship.

Upcoming Commemorations

Harriet Tubman, died 1913; Sojourner Truth, died 1883; renewers of society

Friday, March 10, 2023

Harriet Tubman, born into slavery, helped about 300 others to escape slavery until the institution was abolished. Sojourner Truth, whose birth name was Isabella, was freed after slavery was abolished, and discerned a call to be a preacher. Taking the name Sojourner Truth, she set out on an evangelistic journey, where people found her testimony to be deeply moving.

Gregory the Great, Bishop of Rome, died 604

Sunday, March 12, 2023

Born into wealth and power, Gregory was for a time the chief administrator of the city of Rome. Giving this up for a life in the church, he was elected pope in 590. He influenced public worship through the establishment of a lectionary and prayers to correlate with the readings. Gregorian chant is named in his honor.

Patrick, bishop, missionary to Ireland, died 461

Friday, March 17, 2023

A native of Britain, Patrick was kidnapped by pirates at age sixteen and sold into slavery in Ireland. After a few years, he escaped, returned home, and entered the ministry. Returning to Ireland, he successfully served as a bishop and missionary there.

Prayer Requests

For healing and strength: Marietta Meyer; Pastor Kari Henkelmann Keyl; Rachel, daughter of Mary Browne; Pastor Ruth Drews; John Ferreira, nephew of Chris Couture; Kathryn and Karolyn Lee, aunts of Chris Lee; George Arndt, father of Lynn Arezzini; Michelle Lee, friend of Christina Castañeda; Mark Barnett, nephew of Becky Lerud; Marie Gray; Sonja Krummrey; Maureen Anderson; Natalie Denardis, granddaughter of Gail Denardis; Shirley Farm; Anne and Lee Keck; Kay Leone; Molly Dinneen; Karen (Starbranch) Blitch, daughter of Chuck Starbranch.

For those serving in the military.

For our partners in the Gospel: the congregations and schools of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL) and LuMin Campus Ministry; for Bethesda House and Yale Divinity School students.

For Bethesda New Haven: that God continues to guide us into the future with ministries of witness, service, hospitality, and care while building up our community in all its diversity.

For those in candidacy for rostered leadership in the ELCA: Natalie Benson, Calli Micale, Vicar Gabrielle Brown, and Jeff Hazewinkel (in formation for consecration as deacon).

For those who mourn: Laura Wright, at the death of her father on March 4.