Sixth Sunday after Pentecost July 16, 2017

8:30 am & 10:00 am

Bible Verse of the Month: “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free

from the law of sin and of death.” Romans 8:2 (NRSV)

Gathering

Prelude Prelude Denis Bedard Praise Dennis Eliot

Please use the prelude as a quiet time to prepare yourself for worship.

Welcome

You are invited to stand.

Confession and Forgiveness

Blessed be the holy Trinity, + one God, full of compassion and mercy, abounding in steadfast love. Amen.

Trusting God’s promise of forgiveness, let us confess our sin against God and one another.

Eternal God our creator, in you we live and move and have our being. Look upon us, your children, the work of your hands. Forgive us all our offenses, and cleanse us from proud thoughts and empty desires. By your grace draw us near to you, our refuge and our strength; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit given to us. In the mercy of almighty God, Christ died for us while we still were sinners; and for his sake, God + forgives you all your sins. Amen.

You are invited to stand and face the processional cross.

Gathering Hymn Open Now Thy Gates of Beauty Hymn #533

Greeting The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. And also with you.

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Hymn of Praise

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Prayer of the Day Almighty God, we thank you for planting in us the seed of your word. By your Holy Spirit help us to receive it with joy, live according to it, and grow in faith and hope and love, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen. Please be seated.

Community Conversation - Dr. Rich Melheim

Word Lesson Isaiah 55:10-13 Holy Bible pg. 761 (OT)

The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

You are invited to stand.

Gospel Acclamation

The Holy Gospel according to Matthew. Glory to you, O Lord.

Gospel Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23 Holy Bible pg. 14 (NT) The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ.

Sermon

Hymn of the Day Sing to the Lord of Harvest Hymn #694

Apostles’ Creed I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the father, and he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

Peace

The peace of the Lord be with you always. And also with you.

After sharing the Peace, please be seated.

Isaiah 55:10-13

God’s word to Israel’s

exiles is as sure and ef-

fective as never-failing

precipitation. Their re-

turn to the Holy Land in

a new exodus is cheered

on by singing mountains

and by trees that clap

their hands.

Matthew 13: 1-9,18-23

In Matthew’s gospel,

both Jesus and his

disciples “sow the seed”

of God’s word by pro-

claiming the good news

that “the kingdom of

heaven is near.” Now, in

a memorable parable,

Jesus explains why this

good news produces

different results in those

who hear.

Dr. Rich Melheim is an

ordained ELCA pastor

and is the founder of

Faith Inkubators which

provides curriculum for

holistic faith formation

in children and youth.

Dr. Melheim facilitated

an event at Bethany

yesterday on Cross +

Generational ministry.

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Offering

Ministry Opportunities Bishop Eaton’s visit, Sunday Morning Experience

Renewal for Growth

Offering Hope for the Hopeless C. R. Harrington & W. F. Green You are invited to stand.

Prayers Of the People Response: Lord in your mercy…Hear our prayer.

Meal

Welcome to the Lord’s Table

The Lord be with you. And also with you. Lift up your hearts. We lift them to the Lord. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is right to give our thanks and praise.

Words of Institution ...For as often as we eat of this bread and drink from this cup, we proclaim the

mystery of our faith. Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.

Lord's Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.

Please be seated.

The Distribution

Bethany welcomes all to receive the body and blood of Christ in Holy Communion. An usher will direct you forward for communion. There are several stations across the front of the seating sections. Groups are welcome to visit a communion station together. You will receive a piece of bread in your hand, please dip the bread into the cup of wine. Those who are not receiving communion are invited to receive a blessing. Note that the communion station at the center has gluten-free bread and alcohol-free wine.

The prayer that Jesus taught the disciples to pray found in Matthew 6:9-13 and Luke 11:2-4.

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Lamb of God

Communion Music Purify My Heart/Have Thine Own Way J. Nelson/A. Pollard & G. Stebbins

Communion Hymn As the Grains of Wheat Hymn #465

You are invited to stand.

Blessing

Sending Benediction

Please face the cross as it recesses.

Sending Hymn On What Has Now Been Sown Hymn #550

Dismissal Go in peace. Serve the Lord. Thanks be to God!

Postlude Final Denis Bedard

Liturgical Music: “Tree of Life – Hymn of Praise | Gospel Acclamation| Sanctus | Lamb of God” Text and Music by Marty Haugen © 2000,

2001 GIA Publications. All rights reserved. Reprinted under One License #A-705765. Liturgical Text and Worship Notes: From Sundays and

Seasons.com © 2017 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission under Augsburg Fortress Liturgies Annual License

#SAS00681.

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WORSHIP LEADERS

Pastors Pastor Gary Sandberg, Pastor Russ Britton, Pastor Brigette Weier

Guest Organist Kathy Singh

Assisting Minister Garth Englund III

Lector (Coordinator: Ron Gusé)

Don Abram (8:30 am) Elton Winters (10:00 am)

Musicians 4Praise: Darla Reeves, Paula Wills, Dave Craven, Scott Nixon

Acolytes Lucy Gray, Martha Gray (10:00 am)

Communion Assistants (Coordinators: Karen Tennien, 8:30 am Alison Betts, 10:00 am)

Don Abram, Jeanette Arps Manos, David Furgason, Janet Mortinsen, Bev Van Kirk (8:30 am)

Alison Betts, Thomas Betts, Anada Gusé (10:00 am)

Sacristan (Coordinator: Dave Malucky)

Garth Englund III (8:30 am) Laura Weber-Meyers (10:00 am)

Ushers (Coordinators: Dave Okes, 8:30 am Andy Gift, 10:00 am)

Sylvia Boedeker, Curt Boell, Ed Cleaver, Rene Crothers, Marie Friedemann, Brad Haas, Colleen Johnson,

Bill Taylor, Brian Tennien, James Thompson (8:30 am) John Beck, Mary Beck, Jim Cramer,

Olga Hellweg, Cheryl Katschke, Jim Katschke, Danielle Ludwig, Angela Tanner, Grace Tanner (10:00 am)

Sound Technicians (Coordinators: Forrest Guittar, Laura Romig) Colton Hook, Richard Romig

Altar Guild (Coordinator: Linda Sather)

Sharon Boell, Deb Distler, Gwen Grace, Helen Han, Gail Hipke, Peggy Kirchner

Nursery Attendants Kathy Shearer, Lori Braden

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Worship Schedule

Sundays: 8:30 & 10:00 am ~ Wednesdays: 6:30 pm

Also available: Watch Sunday and Wednesday services at www.BethanyLive.org.

We welcome our new worshipers today! Please fill out a Connection Card found in the pew rack and join in fellowship in the Fellowship Hall. To learn more about Bethany’s Bible studies and various ministries, pick up a Life Together at Bethany booklet at the Welcome Center or download it from our website - www.bethany-denver.org. Bethany hosts New Worshiper Information Sessions quarterly and then receives new members. The next session is October 1 at 11:30 am in Room 209. Schedule a home visit with a pastor to discuss how Bethany’s ministries might connect with your faith journey and interests. Contact Sarah at sarah@bethany-denver.org.

TODAY AT BETHANY

Cereal for a Cause! Project Angel Hear t’s annu-al Summer Cereal Drive is nearly here. PAH’s mission is to deliver nutritious meals, at no cost, to people comping with life-threatening illness. We will collect standard size boxes of healthy whole grain cereal like Cheerios, Corn Flakes and Raisin Bran. Please NO sugary cereals, hot cereals, indi-vidual or bulk sizes. Bring your cereal in all during the month of July. If you’d like to donate “virtual” boxes of cereal go to www.ProjectAngelHeart.org/cereal.

THIS WEEK

Worship on Wednesday in the Chapel at 6:30 pm. This summer we invite you to hear the call stories of several of our staff and students in or headed to semi-nary. We all have a story. Come and hear; and reflect on your own sense of call.

July 19 we will hear our Bethany Early Childhood Center Director Keith Langford’s faith journey story.

July 26 we will have a very special guest - ELCA Presiding Bishop, Elizabeth Eaton, will share her faith journey story!

To raise funds for Holy Hammers and Habitat for Hu-manity of Metro Denver, volunteers are needed to help pass out promotional items at the Rockies game on Saturday, July 22. You will receive complementary tickets to that night's Rockies game and a T Shirt. Vol-unteers must be at least 18. Please contact Kevin Dempsey at kmdmpsy@aol.com or 303-699-1629.

Mosaic in Denver (Mosaic serves people with cog-nitive disabilities) invites you to attend their Tinsel-town Production (Prom) July 22 from 6:00-9:00 pm at Augustana Lutheran Church. They also could use some support! Volunteer opportunities include: Pho-tographers, DJ, set-up and break-down help, donate corsages (150), prom attire, business sponsors for printing, memorabilia and decorations. Contact Stephanie.Webb@mosaicinfo.org Thank you!

NEXT SUNDAY, July 23

Scripture Readings Isaiah 44:6-8; Psalm 86:9-13; Romans 8:13-25; Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43.

LOOKING AHEAD

We extend blessing to the Davis family as they move to Wartburg, IA to continue their seminary education and their journeys in serving God. We will celebrate Jason’s ministry at Bethany and send him with our prayers and blessings on July 30 during the 10:00 am worship service, followed by a reception in the Fel-lowship Hall. Please be sure to come and offer your gratitude!

XYZ Lite The regular Xtra Years of Zip group for Bethany’s senior members and friends is on hiatus for the summer. But come join Mallory Kuzminski and Karen Sandberg on August 1 from 9:30 - 11:30am for food, fun, and fellowship in a “lite” version. We will have donuts, scones or coffeecake in the Fellowship Hall. Chapel and lunch will not be provided. Come, visit and play games with us this summer!

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WAYS TO CONNECT

God’s Word for the Week Bible Study, Room 2l0. Mondays at 9:00 am & Tuesdays at 7:00 am.

Centering Prayer Thursdays in the Library: at 2:00 pm or at 6:00 pm. The afternoon group is reading “The Heart of Centering Prayer” by Cynthia Bourgeault. The evening group is reading “Living Buddha Living Christ” by Thich Nhat Hanh.

Softball Come play with us! Bethany has participat-ed in a co-ed adult Sunday afternoon church softball league for the past couple of years and we would like to invite anyone 15 years or older to join in the fun. This year our season runs through August 6 with game start times between 1:15 and 4:15 pm. It's a great opportunity to get out and enjoy some Christian fellowship. If you are interested, please contact Eric Oss at eoss1964@gmail.com or 303-886-3008.

Faith Day at the Rockies Bethany has 25 tickets to the Faith Day Rockies Baseball Event. The game is scheduled for August 6 at 1:10 p.m. Ticket price is $25.00 and includes a post game concert by the News-boys. If you would like tickets there is a signup sheet at the Welcome Desk. Please pay for your tickets when you sign up.

HOW TO HELP

Lost & Found Are you missing a jacket, a glove, a water bottle, car keys? We may have them! Check out the Lost & Found coat rack and bins in the Fellowship Hall. Items left after September 15 will be donated.

Flowers Today are given by Jeff & Kim Finnin in recognition of their 29th wedding anniversary. Sign up for flowers at the Welcome Center. $35 donation.

Habitat for Humanity/Holy Hammers build dates at Sheridan Square in Sheridan are coming up! Sign up in the Fellowship Hall to work 7/21, 7/22, 8/5, 8/18 and 8/19. For questions contact Kevin at 303-699-1629 or kmdmpsy@aol.com.

Are you looking for a family-friendly volunteer op-portunity to continue to grow and teach your chil-dren about living a life of service to those in need? If so, here are several available this summer! Tuesday, July 25, 10:00 am - 3:00 pm at Lutheran Family Ser-vices. We’ll quality check and stuff school backpacks for refugee children. Saturday, August 5, 8:45 am - Noon, Urban Servant Corps (for Lutheran World Re-lief). We’ll welcome those who bring donations and help take the boxes to the basement of the Urban Servant Corps home. Wednesday, August 9, 9:00 am - 1:00 pm at DenUM & SAME. Here we’ll stock and organize pantry shelves and then enjoy a lunch & learn session at the SAME Cafe (So All May Eat).

Each of these opportunities has a max capacity for volunteers. If you are interested, please contact Tara Sawinski at 303-941-0093 or t.sawinski@comcast.net.

Rummage Sale - sponsored by XYZ. It’s time to start cleaning out your home and saving items for our Fall Rummage Sale. The sale is September 14-16. Pro-ceeds of the sale will go to refurbishment of our Fel-lowship Hall.

Food Collection Summertime is here and the living is easy - unless you don’t have enough food to feed your family. Please help Metro Caring get food to people in need. We have grocery carts at each en-trance on Sundays. Top needed items: canned fruit with low sugar, oatmeal or low sugar/high fiber cere-als, canned tuna, peanut butter and boxed shelf-stable milk. Thank you!

Life and Safety Extension Cords Needed If you are interested in “plugging in” and lighting up the lives of those you will meet and greet on a Bethany Sunday morning, then we have an outlet for you. Bethany’s Life Safety Committee volunteers meet and greet members and visitors on Sunday mornings and would like to expand their numbers. If you would like to “plug in” to this opportunity, please contact David Furgason at 303-887-2842 or Janet Mortinsen at 303-300-3317.

Bethany Lutheran's MOPS group is seeking two expe-rienced caregivers to work in the nursery during the upcoming year. We need caregivers for babies 6 months - 2 years during the morning hours on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month. Please contact Stefanie at Stefanie.Unertl@gmail.com or 920-248-6854. Thank you!

HIRING

Bethany Lutheran Church is seeking a full-time Faith Formation Director of Youth (grades 6-12) and a part-time Faith Formation Intern. The FF Director of Youth will empower and equip our youth for ministry through many varies opportuni-ties and will have five to ten years of experience in youth ministry. The FF Intern will support the Faith Formation ministry at Bethany from our youngest to our wisest members, working with Pastor Brigette. The intern position is a great op-portunity for someone who is entering or discern-ing faith formation ministry. If you would like a job description or more information, please con-tact Pastor Brigette at brigette@bethany-denver.org.

Part Time Custodian: work Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday 2:00 pm to close shift. Please contact Laura at Laura@bethany-denver.org or 303-758-2820 for more details.

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Bethany Fund Update Thank you for helping us meet our commitment for this fiscal year 2016-17! Our year-end totals will be available in a few weeks.

Hearing Assistance Please see the Sound Tech in the sound booth at the rear of the Sanctuary if you need a hearing assistant de-vice.

See Ushers for Large print bulletins.

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Sunday Morning Experience

September 10, 2017 –

May 20, 2018

The Sunday Morning Experience for the upcoming

school year will allow for intentional time for worship,

education and fellowship for all. Anticipate worship

experiences at 8:15 and 10:15 am with an intentional flow

of education and fellowship in between. Begin your Sunday

morning experience with worship, or enter the day with

education and fellowship, and then move into worship.

The worship times will shift slightly to allow for a holistic

experience for individuals and entire family units.

Several opportunities for inter-generational teaching and

learning will be offered throughout the year. Your pastors,

along with lay leaders, will be offering

education classes on Sunday mornings.

More details will come with the August/September

Beacon and in the worship bulletins

throughout the summer.

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Bethany Lutheran Church 4500 East Hampden Avenue Cherry Hills Village, CO 80113

www.bethany-denver.org 303-758-2820 12

RENEWAL FOR GROWTH UPDATE—WE’RE OVER HALFWAY THERE!

Here’s a brief update on the Renewal for Growth Campaign:

Phase 1 of the campaign resulted in our beautiful chapel Phase 2 consists of several projects needed to upgrade our facility, including:

Replacement of the organ console Cleaning of the organ pipes Upgrade and refurbish the fellowship hall Refurbishment of the sanctuary Critical maintenance needs

The church council set a goal of raising $1.6 million to complete these projects and we’re over halfway to that goal, thanks to commitments from 53 giving units within the congregation.

From these commitments, we’ve received $330,000 in cash, allowing us to already begin work on several of the projects:

West parking lot drainage project - complete New organ console ordered and to be installed - September Organ pipes cleaned - September Architect hired for design of refurbished Fellowship Hall - July

We will reach our goal, but we need your help to do so! Commitments can be made over a four-year period.

Beginning, Sunday, September 17, you’ll have an opportunity to make a commitment. Over the summer, you’ll receive more information about the campaign and we ask that you prayerfully consider your participa-tion.