This beautiful Advent season calls us to not only fill our stockings and homes with presents, or to only busy our lives with activities and events...but to prepare ourselves for the coming of Christ.  Actually, two "comings".  To ponder once again at the wonder of the Word made flesh.  The Christ of the manger.  AND the second coming of Christ...which may seem a little more mysterious and obscure.  When will that be, we ask?  Many have tried to figure that out.  Perhaps we should be asking instead, "what are we to be doing in the meantime?"  Pastor Russ gladly filled in for Pastor Diana on this first Sunday of Advent and shares his thoughts.

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Our worship for Sunday, November 23 was a bit out of the ordinary. We still had three readings: Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14; Revelation 1:4-8; and John 18:33-37 but beyond that, things were a little all over the place. As this is the last Sunday of the Church year it was a little like New Year's Eve so we walked our way through a standard church year, both so that we could remember the year gone by and look forward to the rhythm of the year to come. But since the church year doesn't quite flow like a standard church service things felt a little out of sorts. The gospel came before the second reading, communion came before the offering, there was NO SERMON, and we sang more hymns than we would sing on a month of Sundays, but it was all for a good reason: it helped us keep our eyes on the story of God. 

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Our readings for Sunday, November 16 are: Malachi 4:1-2a; Psalm 98; 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13; Luke 21:5-19.

The end is nearer than it has ever been and the times are scary. There is no doubt about it. The warnings are dire. The tone of today’s texts seems ominous. But the baptized know how to live in the meantime. The baptized are strengthened for the living of these days in word and sacrament and community. The baptized rally around the invitation of the apostle: “Do not be weary in doing what is right.” We live as the people of God, witnessing to the goodness that has been shared with us. 

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Our readings for Sunday, November 9 are: Job 19:23-27a; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17; Luke 20:27-38. 

Our reading today from the gospel of Luke sounds particularly interesting to our 21st century North American ears and sensibilities, but different cultures had rules and laws that were appropriate to them. Reading about a culture where the concept of eternal life was granted not through God but through male children who would carry on their father's lineage takes a bit of clarifying to understand. The Sadducees were using what they understood as a newfangled understanding of eternal life as a way to trick Jesus into denigrating other factions of Jewish religious hierarchy. But Jesus didn't fall for it. Instead, he revealed to the Sadducees and those around him that the reality of life eternal in God was so much deeper and fulfilling than even our best, most transcendent experiences here on earth! No one owns anyone but instead we live in love, grace, and peace. 

Share the good news!

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Our readings for All Saints Sunday, November 2 are: Daniel 7:1-3, 15-18; Ephesians 1:11-23; and Luke 6:20-31. 

In holy baptism God makes saints out of sinners. In holy communion God forgives the sins of all the saints. In worship today we give thanks for all the saints “who from their labors rest.” In the same breath we petition our God for the strength to hear and to heed the admonitions of Jesus in today’s gospel. Sealed by the Spirit and sustained by the Savior’s body and blood, we live with joy as God gives us breath, to the praise of God’s glory.

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Our texts for Reformation Sunday, October 26 are Jeremiah 31:31-34; Romans 3:19-28; and John 8:31-36.

Rooted in the past and growing into the future, the church must always be reformed in order to live out the love of Christ in an ever-changing world. We celebrate the good news of God’s grace, that Jesus Christ sets us free every day to do this life-transforming work. Trusting in the freedom given to us in baptism, we pray for the church, that Christians will unite more fully in worship and mission. The grace of God, through Christ, for our neighbor can be our focus.

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Our Bible texts for Sunday, October 19, 2025 are Genesis 32:22-31; Psalm 121; and Luke 18:1-8.

Pray always. Do not lose heart. This is Christ’s encouragement in the gospel today. Wrestle with the word. Remember your baptism again and again. Come regularly to Christ’s table. Persistence in our every encounter with the divine will be blessed.

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Our texts to Sunday, October 12, 2025 are 2 Kings 5:1-15c, 2 Timothy 2:8-15, and Luke 17:11-19.

It’s a miracle! Multiple miracles! The waters of holy baptism have healed us. The body and blood of Jesus in holy communion have made us whole. We have died with Christ and been raised with him. For all this we have returned to offer thanks. From this place, wherever we are in our wanderings between the borders and boundaries of life, we are sent on our way rejoicing to share the good news.

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Our readings for Sunday, September 28 are Amos 6:1a, 4-7; 1 Timothy 6:6-19; and Luke 16:19-31. 

Consideration of and care for those in need (especially those “at our gate,” visible to us, of whom we are aware) is an essential component of good stewardship. It is in the sharing of wealth that we avoid the snare of wealth. It is the one whom death could not hold—who comes to us risen from the dead—who can free us from the death grip of greed. We are not haunted but helped by the love and presence of a God who returned to us from the dead to welcome us into love and forgiveness for the sake of all humanity and creation.

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Our Bible readings for Sunday, September 21, 2025 are from: Amos 8:4-7;1 Timothy 2:1-7; and Luke 16:1-13.

Our text from the gospel of Luke is considered to be one of the odder sayings of Jesus. It seems to come down to the grace of our Savior who finds us, celebrates us, and welcomes us into a new relationship with God and with each other. Apart from the generosity of God we have nothing. By God's gracious favor we have everything we need and more than enough to share. 

Connect with Bethel Lutheran Church:
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• Web site: www.blctempleton.org