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, November 19

“And as some spoke of the temple, how it was adorned with noble stones and offerings, [Jesus] said, ‘As for these things which you see, the days will come when there shall not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down,” (Luke 21:5-6)

We will soon embark on the “high holy days” of shopping in our nation. Early Black Friday sales are already imploring us to make our purchases NOW.

However, this past Sunday in worship, we heard words from Jesus that stand in contrast to these marketing slogans, in effect reminding us that what we "buy, buy" will eventually go “bye bye.”

It can be exhausting to live in a culture that is predicated upon consumerism. Consumerism drives our economic engine. To be sure, purchasing is necessary for our basic needs. And purchasing other goods, items, or experiences that make life more enjoyable, efficient, or as a gift for others can bring their own blessings.

Yet, we must never equate a fulfilling life with the acquisition of goods. Jesus knew that the pieces that adorned the Temple were finite objects of fascination. The temple ornamentation, as grand as it was, would not last.

Instead, it is knowing and being known by the love, mercy, and grace of God, embodied by Jesus himself, that is and will forever remain the truest and most everlasting treasure of life and living.