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www.blcfamily.org 1 [email protected] www.blpaloha.com [email protected]
August 2020 volume 10 • number 8
The STAR 2 Sermons
3 School News
4 Youth & Children
7 How to “InReach” from
home
13 Birthdays/Anniv.
A publication of Bethlehem Lutheran Church of Aloha, OR
The Unexpected Gospel of the Fiery Furnace Taken from 1517.0rg https://www.1517.org/articles/the-unexpected-gospel-of-the-fiery-furnace By Chad Bird The well-known Sunday School story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego is far from a simple account of three brave and faithful Israelites. It’s a mini-story with a mega-story tucked inside it—a story that links it (backward) to Exodus and (forward) to the Gospels. My earliest memories revolve around Looney Tunes, Roger Staubach, and three young Israelites thrown into a fiery furnace. Being a 1970’s kid, cinched tight in the Texas Bible Belt, those defined a typical weekend. Mesmerized by cartoons on Saturday morning. Cheering on the Cowboys on Sunday afternoon (believe it or not, they won Superbowls back then!). And, in our little Sunday School room, trying to fathom just how red-hot that blazing furnace of Nebuchadnezzar must have been. Back then, and for some years later, I assumed the account of Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego was a captivating but also fairly straightforward story. Three stouthearted, steel-spined young men, strangers in a strange land, would rather be burnt to a crisp than bend the knee before the bad king’s golden statue.
I was right and I was wrong. On the one hand, it is indeed a narrative of three faithful young Jews. But it’s also more. It’s a mini-story with a mega-story tucked inside it—a story with ramifications far beyond the horizon of Daniel 3. Perhaps we can call it, “The
(Continued on page 2)
What’s INSIDE
Bethlehem Lutheran Church & Preschool
Phone: 503.649.3380
BLCfamily.org
Scripture of the Month
Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility,
meekness, and patience... Colossians 3:12
Pastor
Youth & Children
Worship & Music
Preschool Dir.
Rev. Jeff Shearier
Eric Oswald
Kerry Bauer
Laiva Hoffman
Bethlehem Mission Statement
“Building the family of God through
relationship with Jesus Christ.”
“Only by reading the Babylonian-furnace story alongside the
Egyptian-furnace story are we able to fully hear what God is promising.”
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Unexpected Gospel of the Fiery Furnace.” Corporate Personality
The deeper you dive into the biblical pool, the more you begin to pick up on instances where individuals are more than individuals. They represent larger realities. One person stands for a whole group of people. Scholars sometimes call this “corporate personality.” For instance, Abraham embodied all subsequent Israel. We see this pointedly in his mini-exodus in Genesis 12, which is a sort of “movie trailer” for what the whole nation will later enact on the stage of Egypt. David, too, is a “corporate personality” for all his sons who will sit on the throne after him. In the New Testament, Paul reflects this same all-in-one concept when he says that “in Adam all die” (1 Cor. 15:22), meaning, squeezed into the first man was the whole human race.
The basic Bible lesson is this: by looking at individuals—how they suffer, sin, or succeed—we are looking through a small, one-person window into a grander, many-peopled vista. Okay, so what does this have to do with our famous trio of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego? The Furnace of Egypt and Babylon
First, consider these seven parallels between the situations, characters, and actions in the books of Exodus and Daniel:
1. Both occur when Israel is in exile—
first in Egypt, then in Babylon.
2. Both involve hostile foreign kings
who persecute God’s people—Pharaoh and Nebuchadnezzar.
3. Both revolve around idolatry, for
Pharaoh was considered the
(Continued from page 1)
The Unexpected Gospel of the Fiery Furnace
The STAR volume 10 • number 8
incarnation of a god and Nebuchadnezzar had erected a golden image before which he commanded all to bow.
4. Both kings initially mock the God of Israel. Pharaoh asks, “Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice and let Israel go?” (Exod. 5:2). And Nebuchadnezzar asks, “Who is the god who will deliver you out of my hands?” (Dan. 3:16).
5. Both involve furnaces of fire. The three men are cast “into the burning fiery furnace” (Dan. 3:23) and Egypt is called the “iron furnace” (Deut. 4:20; 1 Kgs. 8:51; Jer. 11:4).
6. In both stories, God sends “his angel” (lit. “his messenger”) to rescue his people and lead them out of the furnace (Exod. 23:20-21; Dan. 3:28).
7. Both narratives conclude with the king, overcome by the display of divine power, forced to confess
the superiority of the God of Israel (Exod. 12:31-32; Dan. 3:28-30).
These parallels are too many and too convincing to shrug off. The story of the three young men was composed with exodus melodies woven throughout it. To read Daniel without the Exodus in mind is like listening to lyrics shorn of music. It falls flat. Only
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August 2 Isaiah 55:1-5
Come, Everyone! Isaiah 55:1-5 Romans 9:1-8
Matthew 14:13-21
August 9 Matthew 14:22-33
A Heart to Heart with Jesus Job 38:4-18
Romans 10:5-13 Matthew 14:22-33
August 16 Romans 10:14-17 The Word of Christ
Isaiah 56:1,6-8 Romans 10:14-17 Matthew 15:21-28
August 23
Romans 11:33-12:8 Sometimes, Just Stop and
Praise the LORD Isaiah 51:1-6
Romans 11:33-12:8 Matthew 16:13-20
August 30 Romans 12:9-21
What Does Love Look Like? Jeremiah 15:15-21 Romans 12:9-21
Matthew 16:21-28
August Readings
& Themes
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Hello everyone! I wanted to let you know we are still intending on having preschool in the fall. The State has just released a draft of requirements and recommendations for us to be able to operate. The staff and the board are currently figuring out how to implement them all for safety and peace of mind of the families we serve and our staff members. This year at preschool will look different than in the years past but the staff and preschool board feel it's important for us to keep this ministry going as it is a great way to share the love and care that Jesus has for us all. Despite some of the restrictions, we will continue to provide a great education in the Christian faith as well as academically and helping children with their social-emotional skills so
that children will be better equipped to show love and care to others. If you know someone with a child who is 3-4 years old? Please refer them to us! We are offering two 3-year-old classes which meet 9-11:30 am Tuesdays and Thursdays; and two 4-year-old classes which meet 9-11:30 am Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays. To qualify, students need to be potty-trained and be 3 or 4 by September 1st. Again, for more information people may visit our website at: blpaloha.com, contact Mary at [email protected], or by calling the church office at 503-649-3380.
Preschool News
Bethlehem Lutheran Preschool
503.649.3380
blpaloha.com
Forest Hills Lutheran Christian School 503.359.4853
www.fhls.org
4221 SW Golf Course Rd
Cornelius, OR 97113
The STAR volume 10 • number 8 School News
Registration is now open for all grades from Kindergarten – eighth. Some of these classes are already at or near capacity. If you would like more information about these grades, contact the school office at 503-359-4853 or [email protected].
There are only 30 Kindergarten spaces available, and registration is on a first-come, first-serve basis, with classes already beginning to fill.
To register, click here. Once you follow the instructions on this page, it will take you to our school’s registration and student management site.
FHLCS publishes its’ curricular standards, and these documents can be found here. When it comes to certain topics around health issues, FHLCS encourages families to have certain discussions at home with their children
and equips parents to have these talks when they and their children are ready.
We look forward to serving your family as you join our family at Forest Hills!
Forest Hills News
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Dear Bethlehem,
We're at about 4 and
a half months of
quarantine. It's
gotten old. I was
listening to some one
describe a mental health check known
as HALT. It's a way to check your
mental health vitals to see if you're
functioning properly. HALT stands for
hungry, angry, lonely, or tired. If you
feel those four things you probably
shouldn't make any life decisions nor
discuss hot topics with a spouse.
Literally everyone in Washington,
Multnomah, and Clackamas county is
feeling that right now and we've felt
that way for four months. Can't say
I'm hungry means I've been involved
in 4 months of the eat and sit, as my
brother likes to call it, but everyone
you meet is hurting. Everyone is
lonely, angry, and the heat is making
me tired. It's no surprise we're also a
little testy.
Reach out, get help, make time for
prayer. Pray with a friend. Stop. Take
some time off and if you can figure
out how to get away, get away. We
need sabbath. It’s easy to forget
others and how to be humane when
the only voice you’re hearing is your
own, myself included. It's also easy for
that voice to start telling you negative
thoughts. So before speaking-listen.
Before reacting-pray. Before posting-
ask how this will help. Treat each
person with honor and respect as they
are a child of God.
What's the solution? I've grown more certain a political one won't come. I think we need to halt and find ways to sabbath. Put down the phone and the technology and simply. Pray for our nations faith. Pray for your neighbors faith, and yes pray for your own. This passage from Ephesians 1 has been speaking to me lately. "I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit[a] of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe." We may be hungry, angry, lonely and
tired. But our God is hungry to spend
time with you, angry at our sin so much
that He took it upon His Son instead of
us, lonely enough to think you know
what the world needs? One more soul,
so then He made you, and our God
never gets tired of us even though too
(Continued on page 9)
Rest in Him Trivia Night Need for Youth Ministry: Based
on changes to our budget this year- in order to do youth ministry effectively we have to take money from the youth ministry checking account to pay for youth ministry functions in the coming year. Most of that money was given at trivia night with the intent that it be used on summer trips, especially this s u m m e r ’ s t h a t d i d n ’ t happen. We don’t feel comfortable using that money without your permission towards other youth ministry needs- so if you the donor are fine with that then and let us know- it can be used for other youth ministry needs. So if you donated to the youth group at trivia night over the last two years and are fine with your donation being used towards other youth ministry needs besides summer trips please let Eric know and how much you gave that will allow us to fund our youth ministry especially for this year but into the future as well. Please e-mail Eric at [email protected]
Youth & Children’s Ministry
The STAR volume 10 • number 8
Youth & Children
Youth: We continue to have zoom calls on Sunday nights! We will be prepping for VBS soon every Sunday night at 5:30pm! Join us by e-mailing [email protected]
Children: See the fliers for all the VBS info but every Sunday we do have Sunday school materials that go along with the service. Feel free to e-mail [email protected] to be part of the e-mail list
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The STAR volume 10 • number 8
a kid's Bible with all the stories from the week, and so much more! Kit pick up will be Thur. Aug. 13th from 4-6pm. Sat. Aug. 15th from 10-noon or Sun. Aug. 16th from 11am to 1pm. From age 3 to 6th grade you can all be a part! Have questions or want to make a video to be in it? E-mail [email protected] . Thank you much!
This year you can do Vacation Bible School at home! How could you possibly do that? That sounds like a lot of work! Fear not! We've got you covered! Most of it will be online with all the singing, dancing, praising and Bible stories you can muster! Tina will tell us about Daniel and Grandma Chris will teach us about Shadrach, Meshack, and Abendigo. Miss Carolyn Maier will teach us all about Esther! And we will all learn: "Don’t fear, because I am with you... I am your God.I will make you strong and will help you. I will support you with my right hand that saves you." Isaiah 41:10 If you
haven't figured it out yet- Fear not is our theme! That's what the angels always said to God's people. Knowing that God and all His angels and all His power are with us helps us to be brave and fear not! The VBS will be Monday through Friday August 17th-21st on Youtube and in your home! Feel free to invite friends to join you as well if you feel comfortable and safe doing so! We ask that you start at 9am but you can do it anytime after that as well. You will get a kit with all kinds of fun activities including coloring sheets,
VBS At Home!
Day 1: Fear not: Beginning- God leads us through the first steps!
Luke 1 and 2 Gabriel meets Mary and Joseph
Angel meets shepherds
Day 2: Fear not: Stepping in Prayer and worship
helps us to not be afraid!
Day 3: Esther- the whole story- taking one small
scary step of faith
Day 4: Jesus walks with us through storms.
Fear not: Stepping through the storm-
Calming it Mark 4:35-41
Walking through it
Matthew 14:22-33
Day 5: Armor Of God Ephesians 6 We make
shields!
Click Here To Register
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Nan, Diane and I were able to serve the one referred client from Love INC-Hillsboro. We tried the "new" curbside pickup/delivery system and all went well. The client showed up a few minutes after 10 AM (her designated time) and we were ready to serve her. Love INC will be reminded that we are open from 10 AM - Noon and that we need some time to be able to gather the requested items and take them downstairs to be ready to hand to the client/s. Nan and I arrived at 9:30 AM to complete that process today. As long as the client shows up at her/his scheduled time, we are sure all
The STAR volume 10 • number 8 News
will go smoothly. The balcony, bathroom and COH general areas were all cleaned and tidied. It was fantastic to be sorting, shelving, and cleaning again as the last time COH served clients was the middle of March - due to the Covid 19 virus pandemic. Knowing that the need is great in our communities makes our vo l unt ee r wor k mo st important. Let's pray that we will be able to serve many more families as time goes by. God is great!
Comforts of Home August Update
We are looking for several more volunteers to help going forward. We will meet one Friday
a month for two hours and would welcome your being part of this very helpful ministry. Please, if you are interested – contact one of our current volunteers – Marjie Johnson, Kelly Hjelmeland, Lorna Zimbrick, Nan Dubberke, Shelly Allen or Lesley Weichbrodt. Or feel free to join us on one of our Friday serving dates to gain an overview of our ministry. Thank you for considering!
by reading the Babylonian-furnace story alongside the Egyptian-furnace story are we able to fully hear what God is promising. What is that promise? Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego stand for all the people of God. They are a sort of tri-corporate personality. All three together represent the fulness of the people of God. Just as the Lord brought Israel out of the furnace of Egypt, and just as he brought these young men out of the furnace of Babylon, so he will bring his nation once more into liberation and joy. Another exodus is dawning on the horizon. The Jesus Furnace
When you stand on Daniel 3, your eyes can see far behind you and far ahead of you. Far behind you, to the exodus
(Continued from page 2) of Israel from Egypt. And far ahead of you, to the return from Babylon. But rise to your tiptoes and you can see still farther, all the way to the distant border of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. This single episode in the lives of three young Jews is part of the long drama of exile-and-return theology that binds the Bible’s story together. Time and again, God is bringing his people back home—Abraham and Israel from Egypt, Jacob from Paddan-aram, David from the wilderness, Judah from Babylon, the prodigal son from a distant country. And the dénouement of all these? The return of the Son from the land of darkness and death on the day of his resurrection. Jesus the Messiah, the Messenger of the Father, who brought Israel out of the iron furnace and rescued Shadrach and his friends from the
fiery furnace, vacated his own furnace of death. He experienced his own exile and return that we, in him, might experience it as well. All these stories are woven together in the life of Jesus. Ultimately, Daniel 3 is about Christ, as are Exodus and every other book of the Scriptures. He is their fulness and fulfillment. To read the Scriptures aright, we ask of every chapter, "How in these words is Christ speaking of himself to the church?" So, the next time you read about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, smile a knowing smile as you reflect upon the joyous message of “The Unexpected Gospel of the Fiery Furnace.”
The Unexpected Gospel of the Fiery Furnace
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The STAR volume 10 • number 8
We will continue to have Holy Communion
on Thursdays by appointment.
Please email or call to make an appointment:
[email protected] [email protected]
503.649.3380
How to “Inreach” from home
1) Watch the online services and participate from home
2) Reach out (text, call, email) your Bethlehem family members, especially those that usually sit near you in church
3) Join our private Bethlehem members Facebook group and be active in it.
4) Continue to tithe—you can give online at www.blcfamily.org/give
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The STAR volume 10 • number 8
Do you need help with anything?
(Shopping, etc?)
Contact the office and we will do our best to find help.
Covid 19 Information Click Here
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The STAR volume 10 • number 8
often we get tired and forget about
Him.
When the pity party comes, halt, take
sabbath, rest in Him. Rest in His love
and his power.
God bless,
Eric Oswald DCE
(Continued from page 4)
Rest In Him
Food Bank is a clearing house for information about neighborhood food pantries and food assistance and volunteer opportunities. If you are looking for food resources for yourself or to help out a friend or neighbor check out https://www.oregonfoodbank.org/; and if you would like to become involved and are looking for a place to volunteer check out h t t p s : / /ofbvolunteers.civicore.com/offsite . If you know of an opportunity that would be of interest to Bethlehem Members, please Contact Greg Geist, Barb Bernard or Mary Loseky. Once Again thanks to all our volunteers and remember-- Service is Worship …Worship brings Gladness. The Lords Peace be With You,
Your Service Team
Men’s Bible Study
We received a note from the Red Cross to let us know that the majority of the blood donated at our May drive went to help patients at the following hospitals: KAISER SUNNYSIDE HOSPITAL
R O G U E R E G I O N A L MEDICAL CTR LABORATORY
THREE RIVERS MEDICAL CENTER
MID-COLUMBIA MEDICAL CENTER
K I T T I T A S V A L L E Y HEALTHCARE
On behalf of the hospitals and patients served, The Red Cross thanks all who donated and volunteered for your continuing support!
Many service groups and agencies have responded to the COVID crisis by reorganizing programs to comply with social distancing guidelines, and are seeking individual volunteers. We wanted to remind our Bethlehem Members that Oregon
Men's Bible Study is continuing on Mondays at 7 p.m. via Zoom. We are currently studying selected chapters regarding the life of King David. If interested in joining us, please contact Kevin Harding.
Service Team Notes
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Turn this coloring page in to the office for a sweet treat!
Name:
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The STAR volume 10 • number 8
Anniversaries
Birthdays
Aug 4 Andrew and Diane Knutson (20)
Aug 4 Clarence and Ruby Twenhafel (59)
Aug 6 Tom and Nancy Henderson (54)
Aug 8 Gary and Georganne Hanson (33)
Aug 13 Richard and Karen Danielson (9)
Aug 13 Greg and Kelly Hjelmeland (26)
Aug 14 Ralph and Diane Riley (54)
Aug 16 Scott and Kathy Gray (40)
Aug 17 Steve and Pam Finney (46)
Aug 18 Zane and Becky Healy (20)
Aug 18 Bill and Sally Weber (41)
Aug 23 Greg and MaryAnn Dent (51)
Aug 26 Steve and Dena Bindewald (25)
Aug 1 Keith Sanders
Aug 3 Steve Finney
Aug 4 Jean Faszholz
Aug 5 Jaylynn Bernhardt
Aug 6 Grace Herinckx
Aug 6 Natalie Temme
Aug 7 Carl Huth
Aug 7 Audrey Kuhl
Aug 7 Trish Trump
Aug 8 Mary Buehler
Aug 8 Keith Preston
Aug 9 Kevin Cullen
Aug 10 Ava Buehler
Aug 11 Gary Hanson
Aug 13 Karyn Buehler
Aug 13 Ella Hoffman
Aug 13 Hollee McLaughlin Aug 14 Tom Welch Aug 17 Herman Fierro Aug 19 Joanne Iserloth Aug 19 Kyle Temme Aug 19 Kohl Weichbrodt Aug 20 Chris Cullen Aug 20 Alyssa Nelson Aug 21 Marjorie Johnson Aug 22 Rachel Starts Aug 24 Joel Hoffman Aug 24 Carissa Meier
Aug 27 Eric Godsey Aug 29 Megan Hoffman Aug 29 Sean Weichbrodt Aug 30 Kirsten Hagen Aug 30 Kristen Schlottmann
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Bethlehem Lutheran
Church & Preschool 18865 SW Johnson St. Aloha, OR 97003-3164 www.blcfamily.org
The STAR volume 10 • number 8
We Worship
Online, Sundays at 10 am www.BLCfamily.org/bethlehem-online
www.BLCfamily.org/bethlehem-online
