July 2, 2023
Summer Worship
Worship at 9:30 am

Presiding Minister: Paula Mehmel

Vicar & Preacher: Vicar Gabrielle Brown

Assisting Minister: Elaine Ramshaw

Organist: Maria Coffin

Lectors: Liz Harnett & Tyler Fair

Altar Guild: Clarissa Youngberg

Livestream: Miles Kirschner

Tellers: Elaine Ramshaw & Rachelle Goto

Ushers: Sue Berube & Ray Bussolini

Bread Baker: Chris Wigren

Cantors: Veronica Brisson

Coffee Hour: Leah Snavely

From the Vicar

"Whoever gives even a cup of cold water

to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple — truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward."

—Matthew 10.42

Water, everywhere!

Falling in sheets and damping down the smoke and pollen.

Ceaselessly flowing from creek to stream to river to ocean.

Splashing right where we want it at the touch of a tap.

In the sprinkle, dunk, or dribble of baptism.

Baptism - one of the miraculous means of grace through which God creates and/or strengthens the gift of faith in a person’s heart precisely so that we repent and receive forgiveness, love our neighbors, suffer for the sake of the Gospel, and witness to Christ.

Baptism is the splashy intersection between plain old ordinary water and God’s infinite grace for God’s creation.

I love this reflection of Steven Garness-Holmes - an intersection of Water and Word and Grace. Amen.

We forget how thirsty we all are

for hope and gratitude.

Don't pass up an opportunity today

to offer a cup to one of the little ones

(who of course are angels in disguise):

to encourage, to appreciate, to give thanks

to the one checking your groceries,

or delivering your mail,

or doing their best to be a decent person.

Notice how offering a cup of grace

quenches your own longing, too.

God is thirsty for our love for each other

and every little cup is a delight

that satisfies us all.

- Vicar Gabrielle

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.

We Need Volunteers for July & August

Sign up for volunteer roles here for July and August!

Email administrative assistant, Tyler Fair ([email protected]) to update your communication preferences on our volunteer platform.

If there are any tasks that you'd like to do but don't yet know how, feel free to email Tyler who can get a training coordinated. These volunteer opportunities include bread baking, coffee set-up, acolyte, altar guild, reader, and others.

Thank You!

Gratitude for Pastor Paula Mehmel, who will be serving as Presiding Minister, and for Maria Coffin, who will be our musical accompanist at Bethesda this week.

Christian Community Action (CCA) News--Let's Get to 500!

Predicted needs for July include the following: cans of fruit, jelly, juice and juice boxes, and filler items such as condiments, sugar, and seasonings.

Hi Everyone:

As of today, 277 food items have been delivered to CCA together with 2 huge pans of lettuce from the Giving Garden. CCA has been excited about all recent Food Cart donations from Bethesda. Many of the items we've donated thus far have included jams, canned fruit, children's drinks, children's snacks, mac and cheese dinners, pastas, cookies, tuna, peanut butter, soups, and baked beans. A few other items have been included. Thank you for your generosity and willingness to share your bounty with other persons in need. You are a blessing! We will continue on this designated project until 24 July so we should be able to meet the initial goal and continue to support CCA through their Food Pantry.

CCA expresses a heartfelt appreciation for all the ways Bethesda supports their ministry.

Blessed to be a blessing.

Peace,
--Martin

Thank You, Bethesda, for your Support!

Eleanor Lee sends a thank you and update to Bethesda!:

I’m Eleanor and I am so excited to return to Lutheran Summer Music at Valparaiso University this summer. I am endlessly grateful for the support from Bethesda that has allowed me to participate in this program for two years. Similar to last year, I’m excited to participate in the Festival Orchestra (playing the violin) as well as a chamber group, and I’m looking forward to adding a new ensemble this time around: the Festival Choir! I also look forward to taking various courses, including music theory and conducting, and to continue growing in my faith surrounded by people who share my values.

Again, thank you very much for your continued support in this endeavor; I can’t wait to share all of my travels with you once I return!

-Eleanor Lee

Prayers for Loved Ones of Pastor Leon Linquist

Bethesda joins family of friends of former member Pastor Luther Leon Linquist to grieve his death, which took place on June 19th in Montana. You can find his obituary and information about his upcoming funeral service here.

Mission Investment Fund (MIF) Loan Update

Look for the chimney poster in the Narthex - there you will find a QR code to give online. Let’s see how quickly we can pay back this loan!

The Chimney work has been completed and the sky is no longer falling (or should we say the bricks are no longer falling). But with that work done comes the responsibility of paying back the $92,100.00 loan. Now that sounds like a lot, but the loan is over ten years and if 50 people $5.20 a week (the cost of one fancy cup of coffee) we’d meet our monthly obligation. The cost per month for 50 people would  be $20.80 a month. That would make the monthly payment and the loan would be paid back in the allotted time and without negatively affecting Bethesda's annual budget. You can choose to contribute online here or by notation in the comment line of a check. Thank you for your generosity!

Shout Out to Worship Leaders!

Big thanks to those who bake bread, read as lectors, and provide service to altar guild, acolytes, ushers, live-streaming, offering, and as tellers! We are grateful for your participation in worship each week. You make liturgy possible.

Ministry at Bethesda

Vicar Gabrielle will be the primary contact for day to day ministry along with Leigh Cromey ([email protected]), other staff, and leadership until her last Sunday on July 9. You may reach her at her email ([email protected]).

For pastoral care, urgent or otherwise, please call or text Vicar Gabrielle at (719) 352-8918.

Elaine Ramshaw, congregation council president, is also available should you have questions or need pastoral care ([email protected], (203)747-1343)

If you are not able to reach Vicar Gabrielle, Leigh, or Elaine for pastoral care needs, Pastor Josh Sullivan at Christ the Good Shepherd will be available through the end of June at (860) 748-3837 and Deacon Jeff Hazewinkel will also be available after July 16th at (219) 929-8684.

We have a slate of preachers and presiders for Sunday mornings. Plan to greet them and thank them for their leadership.

Prayer Requests

For healing and strength: John Ferreira, nephew of Chris Couture; Kathryn and Karolyn Lee, aunts of Chris Lee; George Arndt, father of Lynn Arezzini; Marie Gray; Sonja Krummrey; Maureen Anderson; Shirley Farm; Anne and Lee Keck; Kay Leone; Molly Dinneen; Karen (Starbranch) Blitch, daughter of Chuck Starbranch.

Prayers of comfort in grief for the family of Pastor Leon Linquist, a former Bethesda member most recently living in Montana.

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 our Ecumenical Partners Worldwide: We pray for Sudan, South Sudan, Uganda. The Ecumenical Prayer Cycle takes us through every region of the world over the course of a year.

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, Tyler Fair, Calli Micale, Vicar Gabrielle Brown, and Jeff Hazewinkel (in formation for consecration as deacon).

For Pastor Tim and Pastor Kari Henkelmann Keyl on sabbatical May 22-August 21, that they may be renewed.

For Bethesda members traveling over the summer: Blair Goodlin who will be in New York around early July; Eleanor Lee who will be attending the Lutheran Summer Music in Valpro, Indiana until late July; the Lee Family will be in Indiana, Iowa, North Dakota and Minnesota mid-July through early August; Michaela Natal who will be in Argentina and Brazil in July; Maggie Astrup and Max Marmor spending time in Minnesota and Austria through August; Dianne Witte and Richard Ford traveling West for triathlon related travel through August; Ann Louise Onton headed to Japan in early August; Ike Harijanto who will be in Germany until the end of 2023.