Bethel Lutheran Church

Welcome to Bethel Evangelical Lutheran Church!

A community growing deeper in faith and wider in love!

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Welcome Statement

As followers of Jesus, we are called to love God and one another, practice liberating hospitality and serve others with humility and generosity. We strive to welcome everyone: believers, questioners, and questioning believers. We commit ourselves to welcoming people of every race, culture, age, ethnicity, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, physical and mental ability, socioeconomic position, marital status, family structure, citizenship and veteran status. Likewise, we commit ourselves to embracing the work of racial equity, social and economic justice, and environmental care.

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Pastor Dave's Weekly Devotions

Pastor Dave's Devotions
Wednesday, October 29

Pictured: Castle Church (Wittenberg)

How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts (Psalm 84:1)

I've been in any number of church buildings and sanctuaries in my ministry. I've worshipped in large, ornate churches in Europe, simple sanctuaries on the North Dakota plains, open air gatherings in Tanzania and the Bahamas, sacred dark ancient spaces in the Holy Land, auditoriums and movie theatres, converted strip malls, and each year in a decorated barn!

What I have found is that while I may prefer a particular style or decor, the one constant in all of these places is the promised presence of the Word of God. Jesus says that where "two or more are gathered" in His name, then He is with us. This makes each and every place where I have worshipped in my life a "lovely dwelling place" of the Lord. The "where" of worship matters little when compared to the "who" we worship.

The Lord promises to be there. Period. That's enough for us.

So, the next time your find yourself worshiping in a setting not to your particular liking, remember that God dwells there with the same life-giving, efficacious Word you experience in your preferred dwelling place. Give thanks that the people who worship with you on any given Sunday, in any given sanctuary, in any given part of the globe, are loved children of God just like you. And as you focus on this, you will most definitely come to find that lovely dwelling places of the Lord abound; and what a precious and awesome gift this is for us all!