Article 7

Pentecost was a day of miracles, including the miracle of understanding given to peopel who spoke many different languages but understood the proclamation of the Apostles. It was the opposite of the language confusion that took place at the Tower of Babel and it was the beginning of a great sending of the church to every tribe, nation and tounge.  In addition to the Pentecost sermon from Bethany Lutheran, there is a song performed by C2W (Created 2 Worship) at the end of the episode. 

Before a rocket launch, there is a great deal of preparation and just before there is a series of final systems checks. In this sermon from Bethany Lutheran's Ascension Sunday, I am connecting that image with the Apostles who waited for the coming of the Holy Spirit. This episode also features special music from Linda and Lindsay Hemphill. 

This holiday podcast includes music from many of Bethany's choirs recorded during the Advent and Christmas seasons, with special thanks to Linda Hemphill our Music Director and "Team Roadie" our sound board operators who have been providing some very good material for me to share! I pray the readings and music in this podcast helps you to celebrate the coming our Savior. Merry Christmas! 

This podcast was recorded in the summer of 2021 after Bethany Lutheran finished a challenging season for our children's choirs.  At the start, I'll talk a bit about the name of this podcast and how it relates to what I am thinking about for the future of our church during and after the current pandemic. The sermon and the song after are all about Daniel and the Lion's Den, plus there is a bonus hand bell anthem, "Holy, Holy, Holy".  

In the introduction, I share some news about worship at Bethany in Alexandria, Virginia for the summer of 2021. There are also a few facts about Daniel before the sermon that was recorded on June 6. At the end, enjoy getting your "Marching Orders" from organist, Linda Hemphill. 

31 sermons later, I got to finally say "the end"!  Except that it is not really the end because there is so much of "The Story" that we are a part of right now, and even more that is "not yet." It is better to say "Amen!" It shall be so! This podcast includes the final sermon in the spiritual growth series called "The Story" as well as a special Mother's Day music offering by mother/daughter duo Linda and Lindsay Hemphill. 

The second last chapter of "The Story" gives us some encouragement from the Apostle Paul to Timothy. As a church, we heard this while going through our pandemic self-quarantine when most of our members were worshiping at home. The music at the end is J.S. Bach's "Sheep Will Safely Graze" played by Linda and Lindsay Hemphill. 

This chapter of "The Story" is all about the missionary journeys of Paul. The sermon zooms in on Philippi where the the church starts with a merchant, a slave girl and a jailer's family. This gives us a glimpse of how the Body of Christ comes together and is sent out by the power of the Holy Spirit.  The music in this podcast is performed by the praise team at Bethany Lutheran, Created 2 Worship (C2W). At the beginning and at the end, there are two songs used in our Easter season worship. 

Chapter 28 of "The Story" takes us to the birth of the church after the Resurrection of Jesus. The title of my sermon is "They Never Stopped".  At the time this was preached (one year ago) we were learning terms like "lock down" and "social distance" and dealing with the fact that the church could not hold public worship. Still, "we never stopped" trying to connect with as many people as possible. And today, we are thinking about what will happen post-pandemic. I think the attitude is the same as the Apostles in Acts. May it be said of us that we "never stopped." 

One year ago, I was wondering what would become of Easter during quarantine! As I continue to collect the remaining sermons of "The Story" for this podcast, I reflect a little on how things have changed over this past year. The sermon from Easter Sunday latches onto two phrases in the Gospel of Matthew and "The Story" chapter 27. Finally, listen to an instrumental of "The Hallelujah Chorus" from Handel's "Messiah" performed by the organ and trumpet. 

At the Last Supper, a cup is passed after Jesus says words of blessing and then pronounces, “This is my blood of the new covenant…”.  Later, in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prays that “this cup” may be taken away. Cups are used in different ways throughout the Bible, and in this chapter, we see a cup of blessing and a cup of wrath. Both are significant to know the depths of God’s love for us and our salvation.  This sermon is from last year's Good Friday service. At the end, there is an organ postlude, "Echo" by J.S. Bach, performed by Linda Hemphill. 

"The Story" reaches a climax with God's decisive action to overcome our sinful nature and even death itself. The sermon on this podcast was preached one year ago when we only had a small group in church broadcasting online. You will hear some of what we were all going through, including our (no) communion practices at the time. There is also a hymn sung by our small group that began our Maundy Thursday service.  

This podcast collects some of the readings and music you are likely to hear at Bethany Lutheran around Christmas time. Merry Christmas! And my God bless us, every one. 

“You are the messiah,” Peter confesses. What is a messiah? The title connects us to the kingdoms of David and Solomon and the expectation of God’s people to be saved from their enemies. People in the days of Jesus debated what signs to look for to know that God has sent the Messiah. As Jesus approaches the end of His earthly mission, He gives a sign to the people and to us that identifies who He is and what He has come to do. This podcast includes the organ piece, "Rhosymedre" by John D. Edwards (1805 - 1885) played by Linda Hemphill. 

Powerful words and powerful miracles astonish those around Jesus of Nazareth in chapter 24 of “The Story”. Jesus gives the greatest commandment, He finds the lost, He silences the wind with a word, and beats back the devil’s hold on this world by banishing demons, sicknesses and blindness. Then there comes the moment when one of His disciples is sinking and shouts, “Lord, save me!”  Jesus reaches out His hand. Through all these words and actions of our savior, we may begin to understand the meaning of the word “salvation” and why the ongoing work of Jesus through the church is so important.

Water is very prevalent in chapter 23 of “The Story”. We begin with the ministry of John the Baptist by the Jordan River and then water is turned to wine at a wedding, and that is followed with a discussion about being born again through “water and the Spirit.” Where is all this water leading us? Jesus discusses “Living Water” at a well in Samaria and the mission and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth starts to come into focus for His disciples and also for us.

 This sermon was recorded at a special "Christmas in the Spring" service where we marked God's entrance into "The Story" with chapter 22.  The mission of Jesus includes adopting us into His family and that gives us something to celebrate! Going with the "Christmas" theme, C2W (Created 2 Worship) offers the instrumental "I Wonder as I Wander." 

“He was a teacher well versed in the Law of Moses, which the Lord, the God of Israel, had given.” – Ezra 7:6 “Let us start rebuilding!” – Nehemiah 2:18 God provides for the exiles who were returning from the east. Two men who were instrumental in rebuilding – one, a person who was an effective and canny leader who helped to defend the Jews from the enemies that surrounded them. The other one “devoted himself to study and observance of the Law of the Lord.” One helped the physical rebuilding, while the other helped the spiritual rebuilding. When the bottom falls out, how does God help us and equip us to rebuild both physically and spiritually?  

The year 2020 has not been good for podcasting, so far, but this sermon I felt I had to get out because I feel it is an important message. Do you belong at our church? Who are the little ones in Matthew 18? Listen to the sermon from this past Labor Day weekend along with music from our Summer Singers performing "Teach Me, O Lord, the Way of Thy Statutes" by Attwood and the hymn "Rock of Ages."  

“…who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” – Esther 4:14 (ESV) “And the city of Susa held a joyous celebration” – Esther 8:15 (NIV) There are quite a few banquets in the book of Esther, but no mention of God’s name. This story takes place in the city of Susa, which was very far away from Jerusalem. God’s name is never mentioned in this story, but God was still present with His people. With each banquet in the book of Esther, we see His power at work. How do these banquets help us to see God’s work in our time, as well? Who else might be raised up as a hero, called upon for “such a time as this?”