Free Store Raises Over $15,000 During Lent

As the Free Store grows, so grows the generosity of the Bethany Lutheran congregation. We have once again knocked it out of the park with our generous monetary and in-kind donations. This year’s Lenten fundraiser brought in $15,290.93 in monetary donations.

Our combined efforts of our noisy offering, online contributions, and just plain ol’ giving brought in $9,290.93. On top of that, another $6,000.00 was donated by one of our very generous Bethany families.

It doesn’t end there. Our in-kind donations brought in over 500 products. We proudly displayed these items on our altar for all to see. Way to go, Bethany! It truly was a sight to behold.

But wait, there’s more. Bellin of Green Bay and Escanaba is committed to supporting the communities that they service. Most times the support is in the Green Bay area as that is where most of their clinics and hospital are. This year, the Bellin RN Care Coordinator Program got word of our wonderful Free Store and decided to support our mission. Both Escanaba and Green Bay set up donation boxes and ended up bringing in over 500 additional in-kind donations.

Thank you to everyone for your generous donations, your time (no easy task lugging, shelving, and counting donations), your monthly volunteering commitment, and your willingness to be a positive in our community.

Please reach out to the office if you would like to volunteer at the Free Store. We would love to have your help!

Voices of Bethany: Celebrating 145 Years of Worship!

Today marks 145 years of worship at Bethany Lutheran Church! Bethany was started in 1879 with 35 members, originally called the Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Congregation of Escanaba.

In honor of these 35 founding members, we asked 35 current members to tell us their favorite thing about Bethany.

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What is your favorite thing about Bethany?

1. "The communion with people!" - Suzy Decker

2. "The Sunday service, the Bible study group, and the circles." - Jean Bourassa

3. "The caring community." - Ralph B.K. Peterson

4. "The gathering of families and how I feel at home here." - Sara Beck

5. "The welcoming spirit and caretaking love of members, and the stained glass windows during peak illumination time." - Marcie Kaven

6. "There are so many favorites! The beauty of the church building, the members, and our wonderful pastor." - Norma Hopkins

7. "I can’t pick THE favorite thing about Bethany for me but ONE favorite thing is our music and singing - it feeds my soul." - Sue Roll

8. "All of the people of Bethany and their welcoming nature." - Alex Brondyke Bridges

9. "The history of people, and their world champion softball team of 1988." - John Beck

10. "The worship service." - Dan Johnson

11. "My church family, they're special!" - Char Cavadeas

12. "One is: how Bethany decorates with flowers." - Ardith Paarni

13. "My favorite thing about Bethany is probably when we have confirmation and I can hang out with my friends, or when we have dinners in the basement!" - Anna Bouche

14. "My favorite thing about Bethany would be the wonderful people." - Jean Sovey

15. "The years of working with the youth." - Don Nyquist

16. "The beautiful church. The congregation. The PASTOR! The ministries that Bethany does to share the Grace of GOD!" - Lee Anne Strand

17. "My favorite thing is how much I've learned and grown by being a part of Bethany and getting to know the congregation over the years. Bethany continues to bring together so many wonderful people, and I'm so grateful for each and every one of them!" - Kyra Beck

18. "The fellowship!" - Christian Gabler

19. "My favorite thing about Bethany is the willingness to change once the reasons for change are explained." - Gayle Bradley

20. "My favorite thing about Bethany is the people! I absolutely love the strong sense of community I have found within Bethany’s congregation. Whenever something happened in my life both good or bad the people of Bethany were always quick to share any words of support or offer help if they could.  I have loved growing up as a member of Bethany Lutheran and am so thankful for the people who make it so special!" - Maia Roll

21. "The friendships and fellowship – new Pastor Lily (& Alex!). My husband's family (Alice side) were one of the founding families, so generations!" - Karen Marie Mokszycke

22. "How it brings everyone together for a 'recharge' and positive start to the week!" - Brian Kaven

23. "Being a part of our church family – the hands and feet of Jesus to others." - Kim Beck

24. "Pastor Lily is the best thing. Next best thing are the children who participate, and also wonderful members." - Elaine Klasell

25. "The people!" - Jackie Porath

26. "I have been a member of Bethany for 58 years. In that time I have witnessed many changes in the church, but the one thing that remains the same to me is the feeling of belonging to the Bethany family." - Alisa Madden

27. "Music and tradition." - Mary Jo Roll

28. "The sense of community." - Kelly Blake

29. "The friendly faces I meet every Sunday." - Christina Christenson

30. "One of my favorite parts of Bethany is its creativity. Recent traditions like the Color Run/Walk and Free Store show how we adapt to serve our community in new ways." - Michael Kaven

31. "The people and the outreach." - Carole Beck

32. "Pastor Lily!" - Julia Porath

33. "It’s a place where people come together who might not otherwise know each other! We worship, we eat, we serve, we mourn, and we celebrate together!" - Pastor Lily Brondyke

34. "The people." - Rodney Spence

35. "Everything!" - Don Hopkins

Thank you to those who contributed to this article and to everyone who has helped make Bethany what it is today! We are so grateful for you!

February Ponderings: Ash Wednesday and Lent

Greetings Friends!

On February 14th, we begin our journey through the season of Lent. Ash Wednesday prepares us for the forty days of Lent and culminates it’s the three days of Holy Week. We hear, ‘Remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return’ and we mark our foreheads with ashes as a symbol of our need for God’s grace and love in our lives.

Ashes symbolize multiple aspects of being human:

1. An ancient symbol of repentance, ashes mark our foreheads as a sign of our need for God’s forgiveness.

2. Ashes remind us of our own human fragility and the shortness of human life. One day we will all return to dust.

3. Ashes symbolize cleansing and renewal. On Ash Wednesday our foreheads are marked with the sign of the cross—the mark of our baptism! Even in our ‘dustiness’ we remember the hope and the promise of Easter!

4. Our ashes represent our need for repentance, confessions, and for God’s forgiveness.

Ash Wednesday is full of ritual and symbolism to remind us of our need for the cross, the center of God’s love, in our lives. Lent is a journey to the cross, centered on the cross. On February 14th, and throughout Lent we will hear Psalm 51.

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me. Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your holy spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and sustain in me a willing spirit.”

— Psalm 51:10-12

We pray for God’s transformative love in our own lives. “Create in me a clean heart, O God.” God’s love changes the world, and it changes us. Our own will and hearts become God’s medium for life-changing love and service. As we journey through Lent, we focus on the cross where God reveals this life-changing love. We center ourselves on the cross of Christ, trusting in the promise of Easter hope.

This Lent Bethany is full of opportunities to worship, to engage in faith formation, to share in fellowship, and to join in communal spiritual practices. Be sure to read announcements, The Echo, and The Monday Messenger for all these opportunities.
 
And if you’re thinking of asking someone to join you for worship on Ash Wednesday/Valentine’s Day this year you can invite them with this lovely poem.
 

Roses are red, violets are blue.
I want to remember my mortality with you.

 
Peace,
Pastor Lily

From Generation to Generation

In our house, we have a monthly finance meeting. Yes, Alex and I call our conversations about our household budget finance meetings. Any member of the household can call a finance meeting to talk about anything. While the meeting agenda can be flexible, our rules of procedure are not.

Rule #1) Finance meetings are allowed to last up to 15 minutes.

Rule #2) Bring a refreshing drink to the finance meeting. Whether it be hot tea or a favorite beer, we come to the meeting with hydration.

We like to keep it light. Household finances can be stressful conversations. Planning for your future financially can be scary and be filled with uncertainty. Money is not our favorite thing to talk about, but in these conversations, we have developed a spiritual practice for ourselves. We ask ourselves, “Where are we giving our money?”

As people, called by God through the waters of baptism, it’s as important of a question as, “How much money will we spend on food?” or “What work does the house need next year?” How do we live out our calling to love our neighbor, serve God, and welcome all people through our financial habits? Everything we have, whether it feels like too little or too much, comes from God. We are stewards of these gifts. How do we steward God’s generosity in our lives?

Perhaps your household doesn’t have finance meetings. What time do you take to sit down with yourself or with your family to reflect on your role as stewards of God’s generosity? Our stewardship verse for reflection this season comes from Matthew 6:21.

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

— Matthew 6:21

The treasure of our time, talent, and resources guide our devotion, passion, and care. Where is God calling you? Where do your gifts align with the needs of our world? I encourage you to ask some of these questions as you go about your day-to-day life. From making household budgets to grocery shopping to picking up kids from school: how is God’s generosity present in your life?

Peace,

Pastor Lily

All are welcome to worship with us!

Worship with us on Sunday mornings at 10:45 a.m. in-person, or worship remotely via Facebook Live, AM600, or FM93.5.

Why the Reformation? What Does It Mean for Us Today?

Lucas Cranach the Elder Martin Luther 1528

© Luther Memorials Foundation of Saxony- Anhalt

On October 31st, 1517, a young theology professor changed the Christian church and world history forever. Well, maybe not all in one day, but on that day a series of events were set into motion that changed everything. Brother Martin Luther, a friar of the Augustinian order, sent his work, Disputation of the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences, in the mail to Archbishop Albrecht of Mainz. You might know this work better as the 95 Theses.

These events set into motion a movement we refer to today as the Reformation. Martin Luther never set out to begin a movement, nor divide the church. To Luther, these 95 Theses addressed necessary concerns of his time and his place. Luther believed that ‘justification’, or being ‘right with God’ happened through faith alone. It couldn’t be bought or achieved or worked toward, rather God’s grace only came through trusting God. 

Why did Luther write these 95 Theses? In Luther’s time and place, indulgences were becoming a more common practice in the church. These indulgences were a part of the theological understanding of the world in the Middle Ages. While they believed God forgave all spiritual sin, it was taught that indulgences were a way to pay back the earthly penalty of sin. Luther saw a way to talk about God’s faithfulness in his critique of indulgences. He used his time and place to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ for all people. 

He began a tradition of reformation that we continue today. 

We don’t live in the Middle Ages of Western Europe. Our time and place is different than Martin Luther’s, yet our faith tradition asks us to look with a discerning eye. How do we practice and proclaim that faith alone is what God requires? In what ways do we turn faith into work that seeks to prove our worth, rather than trusting that God finds us worthy? 

On October 29th we will celebrate the tradition of the Reformation and the confirmation of our students. The question of faith continues to permeate through our own time and place. We celebrate what Martin Luther began so many years ago. We remember through God all things are being made new. We are called to continue to discern the ways we are church in the world. Through God’s grace we are free to question and to change. We are called to trust in God alone for all life, healing, and wholeness.

This is what Luther began so long ago, and it’s a tradition we continue today.

Peace,

Pastor Lily

All are welcome to worship with us!

Worship with us on Sunday mornings at 10:45 a.m. in-person, or worship remotely via Facebook Live, AM600, or FM93.5.

Faith Formation Is For Kids Big and Small!

“Then children were being brought to him in order that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples spoke sternly to those who brought them, but Jesus said, “Let the children come to me, and do not stop them, for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.””

— Matthew 19:13-14

Do you know the expression, “kid at heart”? It could be an important one to keep in mind this time of the year. On September 10th, we are rallying together to begin a new year of faith formation! On Rally Day, we celebrate the ways we equip young people to have a relationship with God. At Bethany we have Sunday School and Confirmation programs that meet the needs of students ages 4-15. But that is by no means where faith formation stops.

We know that God walks alongside us our whole life. From the cradle to our deathbed and beyond, we are accompanied by a God who loves us beyond measure. It’s the great and mysterious confession of our faith that Jesus is the good news of God’s love for all people! Faith formation is a means through which we can acquire tools and friends to ask the hard questions of our life and our faith.

Where is God when the person I love most in the world dies? (God is crying with you. You are not alone in grief.)

Am I good enough? Have I done enough for God’s love? (Yes. You don’t have to do anything for God’s love.)

But what about when I have a hard time believing it’s true?

But what does it mean for me to live as a disciple of Jesus?

Did the unicorns just not make it on the ark? (I wonder?)

Following Jesus changes everything about our life. It’s not easy. It’s often challenging and frustrating. Yet, Jesus beckons, “Let the children come to me!” We are all, big and small, invited to go to Jesus with wonder and curiosity! Worship, Bible studies, retreats, and fellowship give us opportunities to wonder and to form our faith. It may not always give answers, but better questions. It may not solve our problems, but it may comfort us in our suffering.

We celebrate faith formation not only for young people but for all people. It’s a lifelong journey. I challenge you to try something new this year. Try a Bible study or a retreat. Volunteer with a new group. Try serving sometime in worship - we always need more help. Try something new. God’s world is big and God’s love is even bigger. There’s much to learn and much to explore.

Jesus says, “To such as these, the kingdom of heaven belongs.” Stay curious, beloved people!

Love,

Pastor Lily

Click here to learn more about faith formation opportunities this fall!

All are welcome to worship with us!

Worship with us on Sunday mornings at 10:45 a.m. in-person, or worship remotely via Facebook Live, AM600, or FM93.5.

August Ponderings with Pastor Lily

Dear Friends in Christ,

It is that time again. Stores are filled with backpacks, pencils, and folders. Teachers are counting down on the calendar, with mixed emotions, the days until in-service. You know families squeezing last-minute vacations into a long weekend. You are trying to squeeze the last bit of summer fun into your schedule. School is just around the corner. Summer days are growing shorter.

It is a time of preparation and expectation. Whether this time is filled with joyful anticipation or with heavy dread it can’t be avoided. We even feel it at church! As we gear up for another year of Sunday School, confirmation classes, and faith formation of all kinds we see the schedule fill. How will it all be done? Will there be enough teachers? Is there enough time in people’s schedules for faith formation?

I wonder, do you find yourself worrying about what is to come? As we anticipate the changing of the seasons, are you worried about what will be? Will there be enough for everyone’s school supplies? How are we going to make everyone’s schedules work?

Our first Sunday in August featured a story in the Gospel where the disciples have similar concerns. A large crowd has gathered to hear Jesus teach. But it’s lunch time and there’s not enough food for the thousands. Some call it a miracle. Some call it the contagion of sharing. But, by the end of the day, there’s enough food for everyone. Actually, there’s more than enough food for everyone.

In the month ahead I hope your planning goes well. But, I also hope you find time to enjoy the fleeting moments of summer. We can ask the question, will there be enough? We can make plans to ensure our needs are met. But, behind it all is God who provides what we need. Perhaps it’s a miracle. Perhaps it’s people gathered together sharing what they have with their neighbors.

We share our burdens and our joys. We share our scarcity and abundance, trusting that it all comes from God. We are all one in our need for Jesus. That meal that Jesus gives to us chases us down our whole lives. In times of rest and in times of preparation, you will be fed. There’s more than enough.

Peace to you,

Pastor Lily

All are welcome to worship with us!

Worship with us on Sunday mornings at 10:45 a.m. in-person, or worship remotely via Facebook Live, AM600, or FM93.5.

Defiant Rest: Reclaiming Sabbath

Do you feel rested? We live in a culture more than willing to fill our calendars; asking us for just a little more of our time, promising satisfaction and progress for the sake of an hour in our calendars. As if being overworked, over-scheduled, and anxious is a badge to mark our worthiness. I’m sure I’m not alone in seeing a blank spot on the calendar as an opportunity for activity. But have you ever bumped against the wall? Have you ever felt anxiety or thoughts or exhaustion crash around you?

It’s so easy to be overworked. It’s so easy for our kids to be overscheduled. It’s so easy to forget that we were made for rest. God creates a space meant for our rest.

“On the sixth day God finished the work that God had done, and God rested on the seventh day from all the work that God had done. So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all the work that God had done in creation.”

— Genesis 2:2-3

Have you heard the word sabbath before? In Christianity, we most often hear the word Sabbath mentioned in The Ten Commandments. Martin Luther explains this commandment by saying, “God invites us to rest.” Sabbath brings us back to this story in Genesis. God rests. God sabbaths in the Hebrew. After the work of creating a whole world from nothing, God takes time away from that work. God calls that time holy. 

As we walk in the days of Easter, think about how rest is a defiant declaration of resurrection hope. You do not work for your salvation. You do not labor for your place at the table. You do not need to overwork yourself for the sake of anything. Jesus gives us hope that a new creation is being born. From the emptiness of a tomb, hope shines forth in this world. In the midst of society’s desperation for your exhaustion and your time, God beckons you to take your rest. 

Remember what God is doing for you. God names rest as holy. As tempting as the business and the labor and the stress can be, do not forget that through the waters of baptism you have been claimed for life with God through Jesus. The Holy Spirit guides you to moments that restore and renew your soul. You are made for rest. In order to remember to whom we belong, and in whom we have our very being we have to remember how we were made. 

Rest is holy and sacred. God made rest holy for the very sake of you. In order to reclaim the hope of resurrection in our busy world and in order to reclaim our relationships with God and with another, we must reclaim rest. 

Peace,

Pastor Lily

All are welcome to worship with us!

Worship with us on Sunday mornings at 10:45 a.m. in-person, or worship remotely via Facebook Live, AM600, or FM93.5.

April Ponderings with Pastor Lily

Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! 

During the Easter season we greet each other in worship with this celebration of what God has done through Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit, through the resurrection, breathes new life into all of creation. What we believe was dead, what we believe was withered, and without hope is new. Jesus is not dead. Jesus is alive!   

“Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said.”

— Matthew 28:5b-6

When Jesus’ two friends, Mary and Mary, were at the tomb that morning they expected to honor their friend in death. Instead they meet an angel who offers them comfort, “Do not be afraid.” We don’t often think of Easter as a scary season. But, how unsettling must have been to go to the tomb, and to find it empty. What happened? Where is the body? Where is our friend? 

This new life promised to us in Jesus’ resurrection changes everything and it is terrifying. Change is scary. Newness is scary. What is unknown and unexpected is scary. Scary is okay. It is okay to be afraid of this new life around us. 

“Go and tell.”

As they return from the tomb, the Marys encounter Jesus on the road. He comforts them, “Do not be afraid.” and gives them this command. “Go and tell.” 

It is okay to be afraid of what change might mean. It is okay to wonder and to be a little bit skeptical of what this new life might mean. Jesus comforts us in our anxiety. Where Jesus comforts, Jesus also guides. The news of the resurrection is here and now. The world needs to know just what God’s love can do. The world needs to know that the old has passed away and that new life emerges. 

The world needs to know God’s promise of hope. It’s blooming all around us. Go and share this good news with all the world! 

Easter is a season of fifty days. Maybe you want to adopt a spiritual practice for these fifty days. Try noticing signs of a sign of new life around you each day. Are the daffodils popping up through the snow? Did you see a neighbor do something kind and life-giving for someone else? Make a note of the ways Jesus’ resurrection changes our world.

Can you hear Jesus calling out to comfort and to guide? Go and tell someone about it. 

Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! 

Pastor Lily

All are welcome to worship with us!

Worship with us on Sunday mornings at 10:45 a.m. in-person, or worship remotely via Facebook Live, AM600, or FM93.5.

Celebrating One Year of the Free Store

Today is a special day - we're celebrating an entire year of operation of the Bethany Lutheran Free Store!

The Bethany Lutheran Free Store allows those who are lower-income and/or eligible for Michigan Bridge cards to receive non-food items that cannot be purchased with their Bridge Cards. The Free Store served 30 households in its first month last March. Now, a year later, we've served over 250 households!

We are so grateful to all those who have supported the Free Store in its first year. Thank you to everyone who has made a donation, volunteered their time, or helped to spread the word within our community. A special thank-you goes out to Sue Miller for all of the incredible work she's done to keep our Free Store running smoothly!

To learn more about how you can support this ministry, visit the Free Store page of our website. A Bethany family has generously offered to match up to $5,000 of Free Store donations during this Lenten season, so all fundraising activities during Lent (including our Sunday spare change “noisy offerings,” our midweek service offerings, and any other donations designated to the Free Store) will go towards our goal!

You can also give to the Free Store online by clicking the button below and designating your donation in the Free Store box.

Here's to a successful first year, and many more to come!