“The word became flesh and lived among us.” John 1:14

Among religions, Christianity alone holds that God, the larger, living good that we deeply need, happens in and through people. Christianity describes how that happened very clearly once, in the life of one person, Jesus. His life is seen as a promise that the blessed good we need in fact does exists. Christianity says that the deep, foundational good we seek, and need, God, showed up in a human being, a baby born in Bethlehem.                                                                                                                            The creator became creature. The holy became human. The immensely powerful became weak. Think about that: God who holds the whole world in his hands, became a baby people held in their hands. God upon whom the life of all people depends became totally dependent on people. Mary nursed God to keep him alive. Joseph burped God. Mary and Joseph changed God’s diapers. God learned to walk and talk from them.  God played in Joseph’s carpentry shop.                                                                                                      

Throughout Christ’s whole life people held his life in their hands. They literally held in their hands the very life of God, who holds the world in his hands. Finally, people used their hands to kill their creator.                                                                                      

So just why did God upon whom all people depend for life itself become so totally dependent on people for his life? Why? Because until we hold God in our hands, God can’t really touch us. Because we can’t really understand the life God gives us until we give God the life he truly needs from us. We can’t experience the peace of God if we don’t also give him some peace. God can’t bless us if we don’t also bless him. So people held in their hands God, who holds the whole world in his hands.                                                     

God became what we are so that we can become more of what God is. That, more than anything, reveals God to us.                                                                                                             

That larger good that we all so deeply need, God, who happened so long ago in Jesus still happens now in the same way that he happened then. The very big still becomes very small. The holy still becomes human. Great good still comes through people who are not mighty. Now it happens through people, like you and me. The great goodness that came through a person, Christ, now comes when we even temporarily put aside some comfort we hold, so that we can better hold someone who needs us. Goodness happens when we quell some fear that grips us just enough to reach out with an open hand instead of a defensive or angry fist. God happens when we refuse to let our limited knowledge about people ignore them rather than give them some necessary help that is quite possible for us to give. Great good happens when we like the innkeeper make some place inside us, and make place somewhere in our families, or school or work or community where God enter. God happens when we give safe space to people, even strangers, who are trying to escape something harsh. God happens to people through us, whenever we do things that make it possible for them to go out in turn and give birth to something new, good and necessary in someone else. The word becomes flesh and lives among us.                                                                                

Pastor Will Mowchan

Living Lutheran

As of January 1 we are no longer subscribing to "Living Lutheran." If you would like to receive the subscription please call 1517 Media at 800-328-4648 or order online at https://www.augsburgfortress.org/store/product/LUT/Living-Lutheran.

On Sunday, January 1 at 11:00 there will be one joint worship service at Immanuel with potluck brunch to follow.

Our free community pancake breakfasts will resume on Sunday, January 29 following worship. We need volunteers. Please sign up in the Narthex.

Calling All Thrivent Members!

We hope you all know what “Choice Dollars” means. It means that you can help Bethesda with the extra dollars you earn with your Thrivent accounts. It only takes a moment. Log in to your Thrivent account. Pay particular attention to clicking on My Thrivent, membership overview. Choose: Thrivent Choice; direct choice dollars; then follow the directions on the screen. It will tell you how many dollars you can direct. Then, just a few more clicks and you are done. It’s a good feeling to know that Thrivent values what choices we make for the money earned. If you have questions, please call Paul or Paula. We’ll try to answer your questions, or we will find the answers. You have until March 31, 2023 to direct 2022 dollars, but why wait???

         Minobii Niibaa Anami’e Giizhigai

     Merry Christmas

Miigwech (thank you) from everyone who lives at New Hope!

The gifts were received with smiles and gratitude. We had a pretty good turnout, only 2 families that were not able to be there. And they were by to pick up their gifts the next day. We had good food and great fun and it was a big success because of the big hearts of your congregation and the Red Cliff health center’s staff. Because of your generosity we were able to continue to put smiles on faces that may not come by easily especially this time of year.

Miigwech and happy holidays from the residents of New Hope! And thank you from Deb Morris, RCCHA ROSS resource coordinator and stability coach.

The BRICK’s Food Shelf Program focuses on providing a wide variety of food options in a range of forms (canned, frozen, fresh) to program participants; yet we want to offer more than food. Feminine hygiene products are essential to so many of our pantry shoppers. In January, The BRICK is asking for donations of tampons, menstrual pads, and menstrual cups. These are all items that our pantry shoppers need. Since many hygiene items don’t expire, The BRICK isn’t able to “rescue” them from local retailers. At the end of the month, please connect with our Food Shelf Manager Amaris Shrider to drop off your donation. Reach her by phone at 715-682-7425 or email at [email protected]. Thank you for your support!

As we start to plan for our 2023 camp season here at Luther Park Bible Camp we are hoping that we could ask each of you for your help. We are hiring staff for this coming year and the application portal for staff is now open on our website as well as camp registration. Please pass that information on. Thank you for your continued support of Luther Park Bible Camp.

CORE Friday Friends will meet on January 13 at 11:30 here at Bethesda.

CORE Community Center Open Hours

Our Community Center on Manypenny Avenue is open from 9 AM to 2 PM Mondays and Fridays! We have all sorts of fun games and puzzles, as well as free coffee and tea!

We Make the Road by Walking - Wednesday Bible Study at Bayfield Presbyterian Church



“We Make the Road by Walking” is a journey through the Bible focusing on "spiritual formation, reorientation, and activation” written by Brian D. McLaren. We will be using this as the focus for our weekly Bible study starting on Wednesday, September 7, at 1 p.m. You can join us in person at the church or by Zoom (see link below). While it’s recommended each participant have a copy of the book, “We Make the Road by Walking,” you don’t actually need it to participate in the study. The books will be available to participants free of charge from the church.

One of the great things about this study is that each week’s devotion can stand alone, so you can come and go as you need to. You can also catch up on your own. The book acts as a 52-week devotional, guiding you through themes of the Bible corresponding with the church seasons. The book is intended to start in the fall, with the beginning of the school year, so we are right on track to begin.

This study is open to anyone so invite your friends. You can pick up a book from our church or the Bayfield Pres office during normal office hours, Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., or Sunday morning. They are free for the taking, but we ask you only take what you need. If you want to make a donation, you are welcome to do so. The books cost us about $15 each.

(Zoom link)

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81683016685?pwd=TUNrbytnZzVtaEJQU3lGV242bEZsdz09

Council Meetings

There were no December council meetings.

Immanuel Council 6:00

November Draft Immanuel Council Minutes

Joint Council 6:30

November Draft Joint Council Minutes

Bethesda Council 7:00

November Draft Bethesda Council Minutes

Monday Book Club

Join us for a Book Study on Zoom

Mondays at 1:00 PM

See our website for the Zoom link

Meeting ID: 851 3905 2851

Passcode: 467574

Dial by your location

    +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)

Braiding Sweetgrass

by Robin Wall Kimmerer

Questions? Call Leanne 715.742.3553