Bethlehem August News

Parables were the bread and butter of Jesus’ public ministry, and they are one of the reasons that his teachings are still relevant to us today. A parable is just a fancy word for a metaphor, or a story, that teaches us about something. And with Jesus, that “something” was usually the kingdom of heaven (or the kingdom of God depending on which Gospel you’re reading). And because he was tackling such a lofty and complicated topic many of the parables were somewhat confusing, and in some cases, they were downright baffling. The beauty, and sometimes annoyance, of a parable is that they do require interpretation and unpacking. And often, you’ll find that a parable has multiple different meanings when viewed from the perspective of the different characters. For example, the lessons learned from the parable of the prodigal son are very different depending on whether you view it through the eyes of the younger son, the older son, or the father. That versatility is part of what has allowed stories that were told over 2000 years ago to still be relevant today.

The gospel reading for Sunday, July 23rd from Matthew was the familiar parable of the wheat and the weeds. A man went out into his field and sowed good seed, but under cover of night, an enemy came and sowed weeds among with the wheat. This act of sabotage went undiscovered until the plants sprouted up, and the workers saw that their beautiful field of wheat was infested with weeds. They offered to pull them up, but the farmer warned against this, as pulling up the weeds would uproot the wheat up as well. Better to leave it all until the harvest, at which time the weeds will be gathered and burned, and the wheat will make its way to the granary. This is a story that is packed with layers and layers of meaning, and many different conclusions that could be drawn. So many, that were I to have tried to talk about all of them into that one sermon, we might still be sitting in the sanctuary! But luckily for all of us, I decided to restrain myself and just talk about one, which is what I’ll be doing here as well.

Jesus explains to the disciples that the wheat are the children of the kingdom, and the weeds are the children of the evil one. Now that is indeed one way of viewing this text. But we know, and Jesus knew, that life is never quite as cut and dry as that. What if instead of sweating over whether we are the wheat destined for the granary, or the weeds destined for the fiery furnace, we understood ourselves to be the field? In that line of thinking, then, the wheat and the weeds, instead of being individual people, would instead represent the good and the bad that resides within all of us. Because we know that none of us are completely good; none of us live completely virtuous lives that are beyond reproach 100% of the time. Just as no one is ever completely evil, committing nefarious deeds during every single hour that they are awake. No, instead, like Martin Luther so wisely postulated, we are both saint and sinner. We have both good and bad within us. Try as we might to live the way Jesus instructed us, to live as God intended for us to live, we will fall short, fail, mess up. And those failures don’t mean that we are inevitably headed to that fiery furnace, they just mean that we’re human. Which means, that the fiery furnace in the parable, doesn’t have to necessarily represent some Hollywood vision of eternal damnation. Instead, what if we thought about it as a refiner’s fire? A process of purification, where we are set free of the weedy parts of ourselves, leaving behind only the wheat.

This interpretation is much more comforting. To know that we don’t need to obsess over whether we are the wheat or the weeds, but to know that we contain both. And while we are called to cultivate the wheat, and to do our best to limit the spread of the weeds, our salvation isn’t dependent on how successful we are. It’s not dependent on how many bushels of wheat we produce, nor on our final wheat-to-weed ratio. It is dependent solely on the unconditional love, mercy, and grace that is offered to us by God. Who sees us weeds, wheat, and all, and loves us still.

Harvest Blessings,

Pastor Sam

August Worship Schedule

Sunday Morning Worship:

August 6, 13, 20 and 27 - 9 & 10:30 am

Worship usually takes place in the sanctuary for both services, and there is the option to sit outside in the eco-narthex as well. The livestream usually takes place during the 10:30 am or as indicated.

Learning Circles take place during the 10:30 am worship service except during the summer. We have classes for ages 3 thru 6th grade and nursery services available, too!

ERC Forums

As you are aware, Bethlehem received a substantial amount of money through the Employee Retention Credit (ERC) program following the pandemic. The Church Council has been in discussions on the best way to utilize these funds to help sustain the future ministry of Bethlehem. At this time, the Council would like to share some ideas that have developed and get congregational input. As a result, two Congregational Forums have been scheduled in August:

Sunday, August 20th at 12:00 in person
Tuesday, August 22nd at 6:30 via zoom

These forums are informational only. A full congregational meeting and vote will be scheduled for a different time. Watch for an email with further information in the coming weeks.

Music Ministry

Music Happenings - We had a successful Hymn Sing Sunday on July 16th and it went so well that we are looking to have another in the next few months.

The choirs have been off for the summer and we have been blessed with many special music ensembles the last few months. Thank you to the VBS band and all singers and instrumentalists who have shared their musical talents! The Good News Singers are regrouping to sing for Mindy Bugai's installation on Saturday, August 5th @ 2pm. Please come and support Mindy and be part of our congregation that afternoon.

This month you will hear:

8/6- Mona Goetsch/ Mike Lindberg - duet
8/13 - Skye Svenningsen/ Kelly Derouin - duet
8/20- Sherry Cass/ David Ensberg -duet
8/27- The Weeds

Regular rehearsals for all the choirs will reconvene in mid- September. We are still looking for a part time organist/ accompanist and hope to have someone in place by the end of the summer. Please contact Mona Goetsch if you have further leads.

Women of Welcome (WoW)

The 2023 Bethlehem Women’s Retreat will be held at the Luther Glen Retreat Center in Yucaipa, CA on September 8 - 10.

Join us for a weekend of faith, fellowship, and fun!

Registration will begin on August 6. The first 40 persons who register will have the option to stay in a shared room in the Retreat Center, which includes bedding and towels. Once all the spaces in the Retreat Center are full, all other registrants will be assigned to stay in the newly renovated cabins which are just a short walk from the Retreat Center. The cabins feature bunk beds and a shared bath. Persons staying in the cabin need to bring their own bedding and towels.

The cost for all participants is $225 and includes 4 meals, Saturday breakfast through Sunday breakfast. An additional $10.18 will be added to each reservation to cover transaction fees.

Sign-up will be electronic and will begin on August 6. The link to the reservation site will be available on the church website, will be sent in an eblast around August 6th, and will be printed on QR handouts and posters available at the church. Reservations for the conference center rooms will be first come first serve based on when we receive your money. Last day to sign up is August 28.

For more information about the Retreat Center, you can visit the Luther Glen website at: https://lrcchome.com/retreat-center

If you are interested in a full or partial scholarship, or, if you would like to sponsor a scholarship, please contact Pastor Laura, Laure Reynolds (laurereyn@roadrunner.com), or Rose Moldenhauer (rosemoldy@cox.net).

Church Directory

New Photo Directory! - It is about time that we create a new photo directory including the “old and new” faces of Bethlehem! Our photo session appointments will be scheduled for September 19-20, 2 to 8 pm. Please sign up now below to make sure we have time for everyone! You can also find this link on the church home page here.

Whether your family is one person or many, and of course including your pets, our directory will not be complete without YOU! Your family group may include whoever you please. Sign up your family under one name and appointment time.

Questions? Text or call Cynthia at 760-525-3519.

BLC Church Directory Sign-Up

Pajama Project

The Pajama Project will meet in the Family Center on Saturday, August 26 from 9-2. We will be cutting out pajamas and making kits to sew. Please contact Belinda Simonini with any questions at 760-822-9573 or email to belindasimonini@gmail.com

Children's Ministry

Learning Circles will begin again on September17th. All of our preschool and elementary aged children are invited to join in one of our "kid friendly" projects. We will start our regular Learning Circle Schedule on Sunday, Sept. 24th during the 10:30 service. If you are interested in finding out more about helping during Learning Circles or if you would like to volunteer starting in September, please contact Jana Hegg at childrensministry@blcenc.org.

Bethlehem Serves 2023

Bethlehem Serves will be on Sunday, September 17th. This is a Sunday where congregational members of all ages come to church and participate in a community service project for the morning. Projects will include onsite projects: School Kits, 1st Responders, Plants to the Neighbors, Car Wash, and Prayer Shawl Ministry. Offsite projects will be Community Resource Center, Ocean Knoll Children's Garden, Ocean Knoll Farm, Beach Clean-up and Chimes for the Seniors.

Signups for the various projects will be in person and online beginning in a few weeks. Watch for an email sign-up. There will be a short service at 9:00 a.m. at church before leaving for the service projects. At the end of the morning, participants are encouraged to stay for a catered lunch and some fellowship with each other! Please bring a lawn chair for lunch. If you have any questions, please contact Mona Goetsch (mona.goetsch@gmail.com) or Jana Hegg (rjjhegg@gmail.com).

Bethlehem Serves - School Kits Project - One of the projects for Bethlehem Serves will be to make 200 backpacks with school supplies for Lutheran World Relief and children in our San Diego community. Our VBS children collected almost $500 to help pay for the cost of the backpacks and now we need your help to fill them! If you are able, please pick up a few of these items to help fill our backpacks:

2½ inch eraser
30 centimeter ruler
Pencil sharpener
Blunt scissors
Unsharpened #2 pencils
Blue/Black ballpoint pens
Box of 16 or 24 crayons

Please bring items to church by August 31st and leave in the basket marked “School Kits.” Thank you!

Bethlehem Adventure Ministry (BAM)

Save the Dates! - We are planning two September adventures for your enjoyment! One this year and one in 2024.

North Coast Bike Trail Ride - Our next adventure is planned for Saturday, September 30. We will bike the North Coast Bike Trail in Cardiff. We can meet at church and ride this beautiful trail that circles the San Elijo Lagoon. All are welcome, of course. Any type of bike should be able to handle the trail, which is paved but has some hills.

If you're interested or have questions, please contact one of the BAM leaders or send an email to blcsm@outlook.com:

Dennis Astroth, Eileen Lajimodiere, Suzi Westmoreland

El Prado Camping Trip - September 2024

Your Adventure Ministry is in the early stages of planning a possible camping trip next year in September. We would be tent camping at the El Prado Group Campground which is located a few miles north of the town of Mount Laguna, just off the Sunrise Highway. We would be tent camping Friday night and Saturday night leaving Sunday morning. We would share a potluck dinner Saturday night and everyone would be responsible for the rest of their own meals. We can go hiking and/or biking, play games, relax, and just have some good outdoor fun. There are showers and flush toilets available nearby and pit toilets at each group site. Group sites can be reserved up to a year in advance and thus our need to start making plans. If you would like to join us but want to camp in your trailer or RV there are individual sites available nearby that can be reserved up to six months in advance.

If you would be interested in tent camping next September, 2024, please complete the short survey here:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ZJVS789

If there is enough interest, we will proceed to reserve a site.

Questions? Contact Dennis Astroth

Youth Ministry

Confirmation Camp 2023 - Three youth from BLC joined with over 90 others for LRCC’s annual Confirmation Camp at Luther Glen Farm. The experience included daily worship, bible studies, and fellowship times. The theme for camp was “BREAK THE MOLD” based on the scripture "Do not conform to the pattern of this world" - Romans 12:2. Students and leaders had a fun and meaningful week joining with others to learn and grow.

High School Youth Trip - On July 20th the high school youth from Bethlehem Lutheran churches and St. Andrew’s Episcopal began their summer trip. This year they travel to Las Cruces, NM spending the week with Border Service Corp. This program is a week-long immersion program to educate students on the issues surrounding immigration. The group is very grateful for the congregational support to provide this opportunity and are looking forward to sharing their experiences with the congregation.

New Columbarium Project

We are so excited to announce that plans to build our new outdoor columbarium space are underway! We are in the process of finalizing the design, contracting with a company to build both the niches and the supporting frame, and we have already begun working with a local artist who will be creating a mosaic installation to surround the columbarium.

We have also begun the presale of niches. Each niche has space for up to two urns. You do not need to be a member to purchase one - all are welcome here at Bethlehem. The price per niche is $2500. Please sign up by contacting the church office, and payments can be made via check, or online here.

If you have any questions, or would like to inquire about payment plans, please contact the church office. If you would like to simply donate to this project, but do not wish to purchase a niche, your generosity and stewardship would be so appreciated.

As Christians, we know that we are connected with all who have come before us in the faith – a great cloud of witnesses. Through this columbarium space we bear witness to that fact, and will provide a much needed place of final rest for members of our community.

Stephen Ministry

When You Need Someone to Listen… Stephen Ministers do a great job of walking alongside people going through tough times-times of grief, illness, separation, divorce, or loneliness. During these times, people often feel very alone. They may have no one to talk to who will really listen. Stephen Ministers give them a listening ear-someone who they can talk to about things they wouldn’t discuss with anyone else. Someone who will be there for them, week after week. They know, "This person has my back. They’re looking after me and helping me through."

Could you or someone you know benefit from a Stephen Minister? For more information please contact Pr. Laura or one of our Stephen Leaders; Molly Hall, or Laure Reynolds.

Stewardship Stream

Bethlehem established its Mission Endowment Fund to further the work of God by supporting and expanding the mission and ministry of Bethlehem Lutheran Church. The Fund complements and supplements the mission of Bethlehem through grants that enhance the ongoing ministry of the congregation or develop new ministry and vision. Over the years, those grants have taken the form of scholarships to seminary students and preschool students, youth programming, and pastoral sabbatical support. We have been blessed by generous legacy gifts through wills and by living donors to make all this possible.

The ELCA Foundation is a vital part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America with $1 billion of assets under management, all of which benefits the ELCA ecosystem. The ELCA Foundation can provide support for an individual’s legacy planning to Bethlehem’s Mission Endowment Fund or any ELCA-affiliated missions (Lutheran World Relief, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services, etc.) through its network of Regional Gift Planners. These professionals advise the full range of plans, from basic to sophisticated. The ELCA Foundation website also shares helpful materials tailored based on the amount of your gift, age, and asset type. In addition, you can download a comprehensive estate planning kit and read up on various planning choices.

Unlike your weekly or monthly contribution that is part of your regular pattern, legacy planning requires an extra commitment to get started. Do it today by clicking on some of the above links!

Volunteers Needed for Sat. Breakfast at St. Andrews

Volunteers Needed! Saturday Breakfast at St. Andrews - Our mission to feed the hungry a hot breakfast each Saturday is starting back up again, and the kitchen at St. Andrew’s is now open for business. Bethlehem will be preparing breakfast on the 4th Saturday of each month. We need 6 volunteers to crack and scramble 6 doz. eggs, cook 60 hash browns, 13 lbs. of bacon, make 80 pancakes and serve up plates with a smile! Click below to volunteer!

Opportunities to Engage

Qigong/Tai chi -The weekly Qigong/Tai chi practices at our church is available by Zoom. You are able to join online from your computer on Wednesdays at 6 pm. Also, Chacha is having a Friday at 9 am practice by Zoom.

These practices are moving meditation practices that focus on relaxation, breath, and visualization while carrying out gentle movements. Everyone is welcome, no previous experience is necessary. If you are interested in joining please e-mail Chacha at chachapinillap@gmail.com. Please let her know which of the practices or if you would like to be invited to both practices. She will send an e-mail invitation with the zoom link.

Scraps and Prayers - This ministry sews quilts for people in need of comfort and care. We meet each Wednesday morning from 9am-11am in the Multi-Use Room. We need your help sewing and tying quilts. No experience necessary! Stop by for an hour or stay for the whole morning; we'd love to share our scraps and prayers with you. For more information, contact Bobby Allen at roberta798@aol.com or Laure Reynolds at laurereyn@roadrunner.com.

Pastor Sam's Sermon Blog

Did you miss one of Pastor Sam's sermons? Want to double check if he actually said what you think he did? Accidentally fall asleep and want to go back and read the section you missed? Check out all of Pastor Sam's sermons on his blog at: https://sinningboldlywithsam.wordpress.com/

Global Mission "Global Links" E-Newsletter

Rooted and built in Jesus! This is the core of our work as the ELCA walks with more than 80 companion churches in other countries to participate in God's reconciling mission through proclamation and service. Participating in these relationships, ELCA members see how people's lives are touched by the gospel, how their lives are transformed and renewed, and how their communities live in hope. If you would like to receive the ELCA Global Mission e-newsletter "Global Links", please click on the following link to subscribe: https://community.elca.org/elca-email-subscriptions

Bethlehem Cares Fund

Bethlehem Cares Fund: For members of Bethlehem, we have a fund to assist you with temporary financial needs such as medical, home, family or personal needs.Contact Pastor Laura, Pastor Sam, Rose Moldenhauer or Molly Hall. If you are able to contribute to the fund please mark your gift to BLC with the notation Bethlehem Cares.

Newsletters Available on Our Website

Have you missed one of our monthly e-newsletters? Have you wished you could open up that newsletter again to get that bit of information you were looking for? Well, now you can. On our Newsletter Archive page there are links available to view current and past newsletters.

Bethlehem Lutheran Church

www.blcenc.org