Poinsettia Time! It Is the Time to Order Poinsettias for Our Christmas Season

View this email in your browser

Bethlehem Lutheran Church e-Blaze for November 5, 2020 Office Hours: Tuesday - Friday 9:00am - 3:00pm 317-283-6559

Help us fill the Christmas Store again this year! Gifts to be dropped off at BLC November 29, noon-2pm. Click here for all the details!

Poinsettia Time! It is the time to order Poinsettias for our Christmas Season. We would love to "see" a few of these beauties during our church services. If you are interested in ordering, please call the Nancy in the oce or order here by November 11th. The Poinsettias are $11 each and payment can be made by mailing/dropping o cash or check, tithe.ly or your usual online banking options. Please indicate "Poinsettias" in the memo line. If you had trouble accessing the link last week, my apologies. This link has been corrected. We welcome James Clark, Kingston Queck, and Noah Tatum to the Table as they join us in Holy Communion this coming Sunday. The boys will read the Apostle's Creed during worship and will commune with their families at home.

Winter Walks at Crown Hill Starting November 11th, join us on Wednesdays 8:15-9:15am for some fresh air and fellowship. Masks Required. Meet at the Gothic Chapel Contact Katie Bredehoeft if you have any questions!

Advent begins Sunday, November 29! Check back here for more information about some of the things we have planned!

Calling all women, Yes – we WILL have our annual Advent by Candlelight albeit a bit differently. Please save the date Thursday, December 3 at 7:30pm and join us for a dessert with a devotional service – via the BLC YouTube channel. Your dessert, program, and candle will be delivered to you on Wednesday (December 2). (Sorry, you will need to make your own beverage this year.) Watch for the signup coming soon, so we know who and where to deliver desserts. More details to follow. Help is needed,

Women's Bible Study All are welcome to join us on Tuesday, November 10 at 2pm on Zoom as we begin discussing the Gospel of John. Try to read the entire gospel rst. Then re-read and be prepared to discuss the rst three chapters.

Ask the Pastor Q: "What would be the text of a prayer you would write for Vice President Biden and/or the nation, if he wins the 2020 election?"

A: Whomever is elected the next president of the United States will face enormous challenges. I cannot say that my public prayers for the next President would be much different depending on who occupies the office. The tradition in our hymnals and service books over the last 100 years is to use our prayers to call our elected leaders to perform their duties and to ask God to enable them to do so.

What are the duties of government officials from a Christian, and specifically Lutheran, perspective? Martin Luther believed that God was the ultimate authority and ruler, and that the true allegiance of a Christian was to God's rule. Whenever earthly contradictions to God's rule arose, the duty of the Christian was to side with God's rule. But, God also appointed the human institution of government/authority/rule.

In Luther's view, most notably in some of his sermons and his treatise "On Temporal Authority", governments exist for the following purposes: firstly to maintain peace, to prevent evil, and to exact restitution when wrongs are committed; and secondly, to work for justice, help the poor, and liberate the oppressed. Where government justly performs these functions, Luther exhorts Christian to obey, for government is working in accord with the will of God. It is wise for us as Christians then to pray that those we elect to lead and govern us, including the President of the United States, would govern in such a way as to fulfill God's purpose for government.

Our hymnal, Evangelical Lutheran Worship, has a section of prayers for Civic Life, Government, Nations that includes prayers for the nation, times of conflict, governments, those in civil authority, and others-- all appropriate for our current election cycle. It does not include a specific prayer for the President (and neither did its immediate predecessor, Lutheran Book of Worship (1978)), perhaps as a result of the increasingly partisan times in which the church finds itself, but the prayers for civic leaders and government officials are broad enough to be used. Earlier American Lutheran hymnals, particularly Service Book and Hymnal (1958) and Common Service Book and Hymnal (1918) did include prayers specifically for the President of the United States. Each of these prayers asks God to use Holy Spirit to inspire the President to faithfully carry out their office in accord with God's will, to take their duty seriously, to work for the good and protection of the people, and to protect the President from harm.

The question specifically asked what prayer I might write if one particular candidate, Joe Biden, is elected. Given the Lutheran view of government and the role of President of the United States, the difficulty of this election, and the tradition of prayer for the President over the last 100 years in our church, I might write a prayer that looks like this:

"Almighty God, you have ordained government and the office of the President of the United States for the good of your children in this nation, for their protection, and for help in times of trouble. We lift before you this day President Joe Biden. In the wake of his election, where anxiety is infectious and widening, grant us as a nation softened hearts for each other, peace, healing, and illumination. Drive far from us all evil thoughts and desires, especially those that lead us to cause harm to others. Repair the breaches between us, not through false peace, but through honest reconciliation. Grant President Biden the wisdom that governance is a trust from you to be used, not for personal glory or profit, but for the service of the people. Protect him from corruption, selfishness, and evil. Empower him to seek and enact your justice, your righteousness, your peace; and to serve the poor and oppressed in our nation with a caring and loving heart; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."

Got a question? Just send an email to Pastor Ken and see your question answered in an upcoming eBlaze!

BLC Members: Walter Bartz, Judy Simpson

Family of members: Jean Foster, Eric Hanson, Adam Hege, Amanda Kreppein, Jeff Moore, Michael Murdick, Heather Patrick, Jeff Schroeder, Steve Smith, Debbie Watson

Friends of members: Pastor Brad Bellah, Nicole Brown, Mark Cader, Kim Lewin, Daniel Lee, Bob Manz, Uschi & Werner Reicken, Linda Ruisz, Dawn Schmer, Eiris Wannamaker

Let us know if you'd like to add/remove someone!

Upcoming Birthdays Upcoming 11/6 Juanita Keck, Will Cummings Anniversaries 11/7 David Guth 11/9 Joel & Nancy Conner 11/8 Sarah Clark 11/11 Elliot & Stephanie Levine 11/10 Lindsay Gramlich 11/18 David & Mary Ann Michau 11/11 Kent Alder 11/19 Brian & Vicki Queck 11/13 Vivian Wilson 11/27 Micheal & Julie Smith 11/17 Joe Cummings

Sunday in-person worship at 8:00am Click here to sign up (by midnight Fridays if you can!) RSVP, masks and social distancing required.

Live-streaming: Sunday worship at 10:00am and Wednesday prayers at 6:30pm Click here to join us!

Adult Sunday School on Zoom Sundays at 9:00am Click here to join.

Children's Sunday School Sundays at 11:00am Click here to join us!

Church Calendar

[email protected]

Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.