December 3, 2023
First Sunday of Advent Worship at 9:30 am
Followed by Congregational Meeting and Intergenerational Pot-Luck and Crafts

Presiding Minister: Pastor Tim Keyl
Assisting Minister: Priscilla Melendez
Organist & Music Director: Isaac Lee
Lectors: Anibal Gonzalez & Blair Goodlin
Altar Guild: Tyler Fair
Livestream: Miles Kirschner
Tellers: Martin Gehner & Richard Ford
Ushers: Linda and Dan Cortright
Bread Baker: Lee Family
Coffee Set-Up: Ray Bussolini

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 for the bulletin

From the Pastor

Adventing

With inward pain my heartstrings sound,
My soul dissolves away;
Dear Sovereign, whirl the seasons round,
Dear Sovereign, whirl the seasons round,
And bring, and bring the promised day.
and bring the promised day.

 - Early American hymn

Advent honors human longing for the world to change and the faithful longing for God to break in. In a big way.

The Prayer of the Day for Sundays includes the phrase Stir up your power, O Lord, and come. That’s an active longing. That’s an active God. (Imagine God with a giant spoon stirring the world to a better place!)

The hymn referenced above uses imaginative and more active verb whirl. (Imagine God spinning the creation to clean it up and bring justice, like a top or a dancer!)

I think of this time as a time of active waiting. Not passive, but expectant. Not just sitting back, but sitting up straight and forward.

I think using our religious imagination in contemplation, prayer, singing, and praying is linked to concrete action in caring for our neighbor who might be lonely this Advent, writing letters to elected officials to advocate for a ceasefire in Gaza, donating to the ELCJHL, Bethesda, and other organizations in lieu of extravagant gift-giving are great Advent practices.

Get active in Advent!
Pastor Tim Keyl

Notice of Special Congregational Meeting on December 3, 2023

UPDATE: Sunday’s Special Congregational Meeting

Sunday’s Special Meeting will be a review only of the proposed constitutional changes. Just this week we realized the congregation is required to have more time to consider the changes – 30 days, not just the 17 days since the official notice – prior to formal approval. So we’ll go over the changes this Sunday and hold the actual approval vote on Sunday, January 7.

PREVIOUS OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

Bethesda’s Council is calling a special congregational meeting on Sunday, December 3, 2023. The only agenda item is approval of proposed updates to Bethesda’s constitution. There will also be a verbal report on the status of activity related to Bethesda’s Sustainable Future. The meeting will immediately follow the worship service.

A list of all the proposed amendments, how they change Bethesda’s current constitution, and the reasons for them are available online HERE. Printed copies are available upon request to Administrator Leigh Cromey in the church office.

SUNDAY - Bethesda Music Series Holiday Concert
Livestreamed at: bethesdanewhaven.org

Our Lutheran campus ministry, LuMin at Yale, is welcoming you to attend our annual Service of Lessons and Carols, coming up soon, Sunday, Dec. 3, at 5:00pm! Come to beautiful Battell Chapel to revel in Advent/Christmas wonders and worship our God who comes in Jesus... with incredible choirs, caroling singing, candles, and a wonderful student community! You may stay afterward for cookies and warm drinks. Please email Pastor Kari at [email protected]  if you'd like to contribute some of your home-baked delights!

Council Corner Dec. 2023

Council met at the end of November to hear about and discuss several important topics for our congregation.  First, we were grateful for Ian Bjorkman’s time and expertise as he walked us through next steps from a legal perspective regarding our ongoing conversations with potential property partners. We heard updates from the three nonprofit organizations who have expressed interest in moving forward with repurposing our campus to varying degrees.  All are still on the table.

We considered the agenda for the Dec. 3 Special Meeting of the Congregation and reviewed the proposed amendments to the constitution.  We thoughtfully reviewed a summary to be shared with members at this meeting pertaining to our ongoing conversations with potential partners who may assume ownership of our buildings and grounds while allowing Bethesda to continue to worship in this place.  Eager to hear from the congregation, we prepared talking points for the potluck on Sunday following the meeting.

We looked ahead to the annual meeting at the end of January and planned for the budget approval process.  We will be inviting the nominating committee to begin their work and we encourage you to prayerfully consider any request to serve on our leadership team in these important months ahead.

We gratefully accepted reports from our staff and committees outlining the good and continuing work of our lives together as Bethesda Lutheran Church.

Nora Lee, Secretary

Cynthia Jones, Office Assistant

Cynthia Jones recently moved to New Haven, which is a return to her home state after 30 years of living in Pittsburgh, PA, and Knoxville, TN. She is a licensed massage therapist specializing in Thai massage. She loves working with various crafts including crochet and leatherwork, and has grand ideals of starting to sew. Cynthia joins the community at Bethesda with her partner, Jordan Baker.

Her email address is [email protected]. 

Advent at Bethesda

First Sunday of Advent December 3

Congregational Meeting in the sanctuary immediately following worship Potluck and Intergenerational Craft-Making (Campanius Room) following the meeting Bring food to share and see tables with various craft activities

Weekday Soup Supper and Prayer Thursday, December 7 and 14
6:00 pm Soup Supper (Campanius Room)

Offered: one meat-based and one vegetarian soup, bread, and wine
(see sign-up or bring some to share; set-up at 5:45 pm)

6:40 pm Contemplative Prayer (Bethesda’s Chapel)
Twenty-minutes of reading, song, and silence

Second Sunday of Advent December 10

Fellowship and Learning Hour following worship
Parish House Living Room forum on the Gospel of Mark

Third Sunday of Advent December 17

Tree decorating during the postlude
Dessert Potluck following worship
Bring desserts to share
Caroling to a few homes
Bring lunch to eat before we carpool

Christmas and the Sundays of Christmas at Bethesda

Christmas Eve Sunday, December 24 at 7:30 pm (NOTE THE NEW TIME!)
Carols, Choir song, Candlelighting, Eucharist,
Refreshments following worship in the narthex

Christmas Day Monday, December 25 at 10 am in the Sanctuary

More carols, The Prologue of John (Gospel), Eucharist
Refreshments following worship in the narthex

First Sunday of Christmas December 31 9:30 am

Even more carols, The Presentation our Lord (Gospel), Eucharist
Refreshments following worship in the narthex

Devotions in the Home

Take home limited copies of Come, Lord Jesus: Devotions for the Home Advent Christmas Epiphany
Take home limited copies of Bread for the Day: Daily Readings and Prayers for 2024
Take home The Word in Season Daily Readings and Prayers

Bible Study - December 6

Bible Study will resume on Wednesday, December 6 at 8:00am.on Zoom to discuss The Letter to the Romans. We will pick up at chapter 6, page 36, #7 of N. T. Wright's Romans which corresponds to: The Letter to the Romans 5:1-21. If we finish we will continue with Wright's chapter 7 which corresponds to The Letter to the Romans 6:1-23.

To access the call on Zoom, join from PC,Mac, Linux, IOS or Android: https://yale.zoom.us/j/96108886279

or Telephone: 203 432 9666
Meeting ID:  961 0888 6279

We Are Called Stewardship Update as of 11/29:

Out of 37 pledges received, 24 increased their pledge, 5 decreased their pledge, and 8 did not change their pledge from last year.

Pledge total is $180,848, 92% of our goal of $196,000. That pledge total, $180,848, is $19,805 above what those 37 pledgers pledged last year ($161,043), a 12% increase.

We are following up with people who pledged for 2023 but have yet to submit a pledge for 2024. There are also a number of members who contribute, but do not pledge. If you are one of them, we would welcome the opportunity to discuss with you the spiritual advantages of pledging to Bethesda.

If you haven't already, share your intention for giving in 2024 using online or hard copy (paper) forms (Stewardship Pledge Form 2024.pdf; Online Stewardship Pledge Form 2024). Mail (305 St. Ronan Street, New Haven CT 06511) or email the hard copies ([email protected]).

Order Your Poinsettias!

It is that time of year again! As we prepare for Christ’s birth, you can help decorate the chancel area of the Sanctuary for Christmas Eve by sponsoring a poinsettia! This year, they are $12 each. Simply fill out the form linked below to confirm your order, specify your designation for your poinsettia, and then either pay online or select Pay by check and drop your check in the offering basket on Sundays or mail it to the church. There will also be paper forms available in the Narthex after worship.

Please place your orders by December 17th

Click here to order

Year-End Gift to Bethesda

We give our time, our talent, and our treasure to many places, year-round. But the profound hope of Advent engenders a sharper sense of gratitude for all we have received from God through our beloved faith community, Bethesda. We ask that your reflection results in consideration of a special, year-end gift, even as it coincides with your financial planning for tax purposes. A donation beyond a pledge or regular gift can be made in many ways besides cash: an IRA distribution; appreciated stock (don’t sell it first!); the pile of coins collecting dust on your dresser. Thank you for thinking about making a special gift to Bethesda by December 31.

Calumet Retreat MLK Weekend January 12-15, 2024

Confirmation Youth and families will be spending Martin Luther King Weekend at New England’s Outdoor Ministries Center in New Hampshire, otherwise known as Camp Calumet. Due to unforeseen circumstances, spaces in the Conference Center are full for 2024, and a more global Bethesda Retreat will be postponed until 2025. There are a limited number of other spaces available, including a heated cabin with bunk beds and access to bathrooms from the outdoors. For more information, contact Linda Cortright or Pastor Keyl.

Pastoral Care

If you’d like to meet with Pastor Keyl, please make an appointment through Bethesda’s administrator Leigh Cromey [email protected]  or by calling (203) 787-2346 most weekday mornings. Pastor Keyl can meet at your home, at Bethesda, or over a cup of coffee somewhere.

Prayer Requests

For healing and strength: Michele Meyer, daughter-in-law of Marietta Meyer; Linda Johnson; John Ferreira, nephew of Chris Couture; Marie Gray; Sonja Krummrey; Maureen Anderson; Shirley Farm; Anne and Lee Keck; Kay Leone; Molly Dinneen; Matthew H., cousin of Tyler Fair, Doug Johnson, the younger sibling of Katie Gehner.

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: Myanmar, Thailand. The Ecumenical Prayer Cycle takes us through every region of the world over the course of a year.

Pray for an end to violence in the Middle East: Donations are being received from Lutheran Disaster Response, or you may give through Bethesda, memo: “ELCJHL”.

For the family and friends of Betsy Williams, who died on November 16.

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 or seeking candidacy for rostered leadership in the ELCA: Natalie Benson, Gabrielle Brown, Tyler Fair, Calli Micale, Tim Bergeland, Jordan Baker, Eric Pitts.