Bethany Renew
Midweek Email Devotion
13 January  2016   
Greetings!

WELCOME!  
I welcome you to Bethany Renew! This is our church's weekly online spiritual connection.
Every midweek, you will receive a devotion, a prayer, or an essay that are intended to stir up conversations and ideas of how we will proceed on the path of renewal. Feel free to forward this email to anyone who you think will be interested in receiving these readings.  You are welcome to respond or make comments, or otherwise just sit back and enjoy your weekly readings and reflections!  

OFFICE DAY
CHANGE
My regular office day is now every  Saturday 
10:00 a.m-5 p.m., 
and 1 weekday (irregular days)

POTLUCK SUNDAY AND COUNCIL MEETING 
(Jan. 17)


NEW DIRECTORY 
Please talk to Jean if you need to update your contact information in our new church directory. 

LENT
Lenten Season starts next month. I will  give more details later as possible events that we can do: like Ash Wednesday, Labyrinth Walk, 40 Days of Lent, and Holy Week activities. 

COMING UP: 
We are starting a Covenant Group this month. This is a weekly meeting that values deep sharing, accountability, and prayer that is done in a small-group format. More details to follow. 

COMING SOON
"MESSY CHURCH" 
Have you ever heard of messy church? Its an alternative, intergenerational, creative, fun, monthly event for everyone! Its a great opportunity to invite friends to try church!
(More details later)  
 


WALKING WITH HESITATIONS

Explanations secure us. 
We seek to find reasons to everything that happens to us. Sometimes however we encounter the unexplainable. 
To eliminate the uneasiness that uncertainties bring, we seek solid grounds and create linear concepts.
 
And because we are bestowed with intelligence along with a comprehensible world, we are able to connect dots, formulate assumptions, and come up with effective solutions. And because the Divine is revealed through words and experiences, faith is able to claim promises of hope and salvation.
 
But there are defining moments when faith and reason stands still in the presence of mystery.
When questions are too complicated;
When the wound is too deep;
When the future is too bleak;
When the mess is too many.
 
Strangely, we are then invited to surrender. Surrender to that which we cannot fight, we cannot dissect, and prepensely lay open.
To trust when heaven is silent,
To be at peace inside a raging storm,
To walk in faith though hesitations will still be our companion.
 
Allowing fear to strengthen courage;
Doubt stretching our hope and convictions;
And faith maturing, enlarging, growing, at times when life yield no answers.
 
As we start this year, may we be willing to walk the road that is still unfolding. May we be open to face life's riddles and little surprises. 
 
And maybe that famous phrase, "walk by faith," actually means trusting a God who at times will reveal no explanation, but will be nearer as you can ever imagine...yes, to me and you, with all our hesitations.

FACEBOOK AND WEBSITE
Please like our new Facebook Page at Bethany United Methodist Church.
Please click here.
Visit our website for other church info, and you can listen to sermons: bethanytacoma.com
 
Pastor Ferdie Llenado
Bethany United Methodist Church
personal email: ferdiellenado@hotmail.com
new church email: bethanytacomaumc@gmail.com
visit us at bethanytacoma.com