Posted on April 23, 2013 by bethanyeldon

“I walk before the Lord in the land of the living” – Psalm 116

As God’s Easter People, we live out our lives in the land of the living. But the land of the living is not some vacation paradise. It’s more like a war zone. It’s dangerous country. A lot goes wrong. There is trouble brewing out there – and in here. But this is where we have been called to live out the Resurrection.

As Christians we are put in places like this so that we might affirm life over death, give witness to Christ, help our neighbor, and engage in the practice of resurrection.

We do this by gathering for regular worship before our life-creating Father, our death-defeating Savior, and our gift-giving Holy Spirit. We do it by reading, teaching, and preaching the Word of God revealed in Holy Scripture. We do it by baptizing men, women, and children in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and nurturing them into a resurrection life. We do it by receiving the body and blood of Jesus regularly for strength and encouragement in the bread and wine of the Sacrament. We do it by feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, welcoming the stranger, visiting the neighbor, praying for others, loving our enemies, raising our children, and doing our everyday work to the glory of God.

May the Risen Christ go with you as you walk in the land of the living.

Easter Message

Posted on April 2, 2013 by bethanyeldon

Posted on March 20, 2013 by bethanyeldon

Many people look forward to spring break this time of year, especially if a vacation or special trip is being planned. How wonderful for us to have such a gracious God, who provides us with an annual springtime journey that is well planned, totally paid for, and more rewarding than any trip you’ll ever take!

This special trip is a Journey with Jesus during Holy Week. It is a seven day all expenses paid trip that starts on Palm Sunday, continues through Holy Thursday and Good Friday, and culminates on Easter Sunday morning. How can you afford this epic journey? Your trip is already paid for! The One who paid your fare also made it possible for you to be included on this annual voyage of a lifetime. And there’s more! He is also your Host on this journey. He will travel with you each day to make sure you get everything promised in the journey’s package. Are you ready now to receive the details from Your gracious Host, so you can get onboard?

Welcome to the annual observance of Holy Week, brought to you by the Christian Church on earth. Your host is none other than Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the Savior of the world, the Eternal Word, the Second Person of the Trinity, the one true God. This journey is one of the oldest in history, dating back nearly 2,000 years, so it is well planned and well tested. Your Host promises that this journey cannot fail – even the gates of hell cannot ruin this wonderful trip! Your fare was paid for centuries ago when Jesus Himself first went on this same journey, blazing the trail that we can now joyfully follow. From His own baptism and temptation in the wilderness, to His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, to the upper room of the last supper, to the cross, and finally to the tomb, Jesus paid the price for all of us to take this journey as well. Much of the landscape has changed, but since He has gone before us, He has made these pathways of our journey safe and secure.

He will meet you when you come onboard on Palm Sunday. He will be present in all the Divine Services this week, by the work of the Holy Spirit through the means of grace as He deepens your faith, refreshes your spirit, and guides you in the joyful obedience of discipleship. You will receive such great gifts and blessings on this journey. You will be overwhelmed at how your Host makes this meaningful for you, as you receive hope, healing, comfort, and strength in preparation for the grand finale on Easter morning.

By the end of long vacations and trips, people usually experience fatigue. But on your Holy Week journey, you will grow stronger and be ready for the great and final climax of this experience. What special places in history we find ourselves! On Palm Sunday we are brought into ancient Jerusalem on at the most festive time of Passover. Our Host hands the children palm branches to wave as we are included in the narrative of the greatest story ever told. On to Holy Thursday and Good Friday, to continue the divine drama through these wonderful times and places of Holy Week, taking us on an emotional roller coaster ride, even though we already know how the journey ends at the empty tomb in victory on Easter morning! All aboard for the journey of a lifetime!

Holy Week Worship Schedule at Bethany

3/24 Palm Sunday “Facing the Road” 9am
3/28 Holy Thursday “Facing Denial” 7pm
3/29 Good Friday “Facing Death” 7:30pm
3/31 Easter Sunday “Facing the Future” 7am & 9am
Breakfast at 8am, Easter Egg Hunt at 10:30am

Join us at Bethany for Holy Week this year as we come face to face with Jesus and His Cross.

Why Worship?

Posted on February 28, 2013 by bethanyeldon

10 Reasons Why We Should Worship Weekly

#1: Because of the commandment: “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.” What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we do not despise preaching and His Word, but hold it sacred and glad hear it and learn it.

#2: Jesus taught His followers to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.” Where better can we show our love for God than in worship?

#3: To hear the Gospel, or the Good News about Jesus Christ. “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.”

#4: Because of God’s testimony: “God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.”

#5: To have our faith strengthened. Faith “comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the Word of Christ.”

#6: To confess our faith in Christ. If “you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”

#7: Because Jesus will return one day. “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing. But let us encourage one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

#8: Because of our on-going need for the Holy Spirit. The famous evangelist Dwight Moody was once asked, “Aren’t you filled with the Holy Spirit?”To which he replied, “Yes, but I leak!”

#9: Because it is in worship we receive the means of grace, the Lord’s Supper. “While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to His disciples, saying, ‘Take and eat; this is My body.’ Then He took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you. This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins’.”

#10: If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

See you in church!