From the Music Intern

Hello Bethesda,

I have been with you for a semester now, and here’s an update on what I’ve been learning so far at Bethesda. YDS music internship is a first with me, and this means that there is no model on what this role should look like, and much less, where it would lead to. Together with YDS and Bethesda I am figuring this out as I am doing it. As much as I love music and want to improve my liturgical music skills—and many invaluable opportunities have come my way here—from the start I also sensed that I was seeking something more than music. Though not all the answers, I have gotten some clarity.

Nora Lee said in her stewardship speech, and here I paraphrase: “The people we have are the people we need.” That was one of my earliest clues. It woke me up to see that before coming to Bethesda, my notion of a church was primarily a building where people go to worship, and that was based on some actual experiences of churches.

Bethesda has shown me the reality of what I learned in my early Christianity class, that a church is primarily an assembly of people, just like St. Paul called his fellow followers of Christ “ekkl?sia,” a word we translate today as ‘church’, long before they had buildings specially designated to worship.

I returned to Christianity only recently, bringing minimal experience being in a church community. The entire Bethesda choir and many of you in the congregation have spent longer than me integrating Christian faith, church community, and music in your lives. It was music that brought me back to the Church, but now I realize that once I was ushered to the door, I have to enter and learn to live within a “church.” The path has not been smooth, as I had found mostly buildings. What I find at Bethesda is a family, a church that can be addressed and can respond (in his Christmas eve sermon Pastor Keyl greeted us, “Merry Christmas, dear church.” Somehow it was mind-blowing to me).

What fortune it is to be brought into a church like Paul may have understood it, and what privilege to be part of it. I’d known that music is for me a calling; I didn’t know that community was necessary to answer that calling. You’ve been here longer than me, so you are all my teachers (yes, including you, children). Please approach me if you’d like to chat about this; I’d be so grateful. Thank you so much for opening your door for my learning.

Ike Harijanto

Save the Dates
Sunday, February 19: Annual Meeting and Potluck following worship
Tuesday, February 21: Mardi Gras Pancake Supper, 6:00-7:30 pm in the Campanius room
Sunday, February 26: St. Luke’s Steel Band Concert, 4:30 pm in the sanctuary

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.

Greetings from Bethlehem Part 2 

Come to [Christ], a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God's sight, and like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 2:4-5)

Experiencing the topography, geography, hills, desert, olive trees, and buildings dedicated to scripture are very cool indeed. St. Jerome called the Holy Land “the fifth Gospel.” Pilgrimage is a time-honored tradition that does something to your insides.

But what I’m most moved by in my promoting our companion synod is not dead stones but living ones. The church is first and foremost the people.

So in our second week here, Kari and I have have kept company with those who serve the church like Fadi who works for The Lutheran World Federation in monitoring finance for the humanitarian work of the global church. And his family is delightful. And we were fed fukhara, a Palestinian stew made in a clay pot!

We met with Mays, who is the deputy principal at the Lutheran School of Hope in Ramallah, who is working to revise the curriculum to bring students to universities and serve the Palestinian community. And her family is delightful, And we ate chicken shawarma, Rukab Ice Cream.

Are you sensing a theme here, with a circle of relationship connected by faith, service, families, and food? Do you know that we have had more knafeh than ever before, and people argue like New Havenites do over pizza which knafeh is the best?

We cannot solve injustices without connecting them to the human lives that are impacted. All our friends want is to live in peace, with opportunities to find meaningful work and be able to celebrate their culture without the threat of a military presence that is part of everyday life here.

So pray for the coming companion synod trip group, who will be amazed by what they see and experience, both in the land and in the people of the land.

We will be cared for while tensions also are on the rise.

God keep you and God keep us.

Pastor Tim Keyl

Pastoral Care While Pastor Tim and Vicar Gabrielle are Away
Pastor Tim and Vicar Gabrielle are on a companion synod trip in the Holy Land and return on February 15. Until then, you can reach out to Pastor Kari (603-533-5274) or Pastor Josh Sullivan from Christ the Good Shepherd in Hamden (860-748-3837).

Dinner Church

Every Wednesday at 6:00 pm on Zoom

Zoom in from your kitchen or dinner table for conversation, prayer, and reflection. We will be reading the upcoming Sunday morning Bible texts as our scripture. Have a Bible on hand. Look for the texts each week in the enews.

First Reading: Deuteronomy 30:15-20

Psalm: Psalm 119:1-8

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 3:1-9

Gospel: Matthew 5:21-37

Click here to join on Zoom

Upcoming Forum Schedule

February 5: Energy Efficiency at Bethesda with caretakers Leah Snavely and Cameron Kritikos
February 12: Finances and Budget with Linda Cortright (important annual meeting info!)
February 19: Annual Meeting, no learning hour
February 26: Report from Vicar Gabrielle, Kari, and Pr. Tim about their trip to the Holy Land

Bible Study on Zoom

Bethesda's Bible Study continues to discuss NT Wright's Acts. The next gathering will be Wednesday, February 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)

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 

Mardi Gras Pancake Supper
We hope you come to support our confirmation class as they prepare a yummy Pancake Supper on Mardi Gras - Tuesday, February 21 - from 6:00-7:30pm in the Campanius room. Proceeds from this event will help our youth attend the 2024 ELCA Youth Gathering in New Orleans. So bring your appetite as we let the good times roll one last time before Lent!

St. Luke’s Steel Band Concert to Benefit Christian Community Action

Sunday, Feb. 26, 4:30PM

On Sunday, Feb. 26 at 4:30 p.m., Bethesda’s sanctuary will ring with the soul-filling sounds of St. Luke’s Steel Band in a concert to benefit Christian Community Action (CCA). Admission is FREE; free-will donations will be taken to benefit CCA. Reception to follow.

Under the direction of Kenneth Joseph, St. Luke's Steel Band has a reputation as one of the area's most exciting performing ensembles. Their repertoire includes soca, calypso, reggae, classical, sacred, jazz, popular and island folk music.

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

Giving Garden
The Giving Garden is fallow, but spring is just around the corner. If you'd like to play a part in this ministry, we could use your help! Please reach out to Vicar Gabrielle [email protected] or 719-352-8918 or even in person if interested.

Twenty Years of Reconciling in Christ

Bethesda celebrates twenty years as a Reconciling in Christ community - affirming inclusivity and full participation for all - since January 26, 2003 when Bethesda committed to becoming an RIC by vote at the Congregation Annual Meeting.

Updates to Bethesda's Constitution

Bethesda's constitution conforms to the ELCA Model Constitution for Congregations. The model constitution is amended at the ELCA's triennial Churchwide Assembly. Amendments approved at the 2022 Churchwide Assembly will be brought forth for approval for our constitution at our February 19 annual meeting. You can see the changes HERE. Once approved, they will go into effect immediately. The Council is considering further amendments to areas where the model constitution allows congregations to fit the document to their circumstances. Stay tuned!

Annual Meeting Scheduled for February 19

Bethesda’s Annual Congregational Meeting is scheduled for Sunday, February 19, 2023. The meeting will be held in the Campanius Room following the worship service. The agenda for this meeting will include reports of ministry in 2022, adoption of the 2023 budget, elections for new members of Council and the Nominating Committee, and adoption of changes to Bethesda’s Constitution based on updates to the ELCA Model Constitution. As always, there will be a potluck meal and lots of coffee to keep everyone sustained through the meeting.

Upcoming Commemorations

Ansgar, Bishop of Hamburg, missionary to Denmark and Sweden, died 865

Friday, February 3, 2023

A monk who helped bring Christianity to Scandinavia, Ansgar returned to Germany where he was named bishop of Hamburg. He is remembered for his love for poor people.

The Martyrs of Japan, died 1597

Sunday, February 5, 2023

Christianity was brought to Japan in the sixteenth century by Jesuit and Franciscan missionaries. The religion was suppressed, however, and in 1597 twenty-six missionaries and converts were crucified. Nevertheless, Christianity survived and later prospered.

Prayer Requests

For healing and strength: 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 the ELCJHL and those traveling on the companion synod trip in the Holy Land, including Pastor Tim and Vicar Gabrielle.