You Are Dust

The dust of Ash Wednesday wafts through all the days of Lent. Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return. It’s a somber line, but so meaningful and beautiful. A mantra. Hearing it repeated again and again and again on Ash Wednesday, it grows in significance. Somber, but not depressing. The opposite. Reassuring. Grounding.

 

Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.

Some days carry more weight than you can bear. A relentless to-do list for work, never ending childcare duties, chronic pain that won’t relent, healthy foods you should be buying and cooking and eating and cleaning up from, the regular exercise you know is important but how can you spare the time, finding where the money will come from for repairs, and oh yes you should be praying more and volunteering and improving yourself in all kinds of ways.

 

Such a relief to remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return. Whether or not you meet every deadline, you are dust, and to dust you shall return. Such reassurance. You are mortal. You can lay down your attempt to carry the world.

 

Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.

Other days swell with the pride of your achievements. You look especially handsome or beautiful. You complete the big project. You say something witty and everyone laughs. People admire you. You’ve finally reached a point where one paycheck arrives before the previous one is exhausted. Such moments of happiness and self-confidence are wonderful to experience.

 

They become even more poignant dusted in the ashes of Lent. Beauty, health, charm, wealth, accomplishments are marvelous, temporary gifts. Achievements are not who you are. You are dust, and to dust you shall return. You can enjoy those gifts for now, without undue sadness when they end, without jealousy when they alight on someone else–some other speck of dust.

 

Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.

On one day, one horrible day, the unthinkable happens. The love of your life gets sick or gets hurt and dies. Every Lent has reminded you that this would happen, but not now. Not so soon, so suddenly. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust takes on new meaning, more sorrowful than the sorrow of all the other sentences spoken in your life. It is no consolation to remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.

 

But that word–return. Isn’t there a tiny bit of hope in that word? Your loved one has returned to the ground of all being. Not gone away, not disappeared, but returned. Returned to the same ground that holds you, since you too are dust. That’s something. Dust is something–everywhere, elemental, all its particles intermingling and swirling into the air together when blown by a breath of wind. Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return. Surely in that reminder of death lives the promise of continued existence and reunion. You are dust, your loved one is dust, and to dust you shall return.

Remember.

Sondra Gates

 

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Greetings from Pastor Anne

Lent Midweeks

God’s Story is Our Story!

Friends, God has no other story than the one you are willing to tell. God’s message of love and forgiveness and salvation is shared when you live out your Christian vocation to let your light shine! So, during Lent this year we will be sharing our stories. I shared a part of mine last Wednesday in our first Lent Midweek Worship, and Tenny Jerston, Lois Martin, Didrik Lundvedt and Sondra Gates  will be sharing their stories on Wednesday evenings at 7:00 pm.

In addition to worship we will gather to live out our faith by working on Lutheran World Relief projects, trying new ways to pray, and sharing our stories! Check out the calendar for our after-worship activities.

 

Triduum: the Three Days

Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Vigil Saturday are collectively called the Triduum. They are one liturgical movement. The worship services on those days don’t end, they just pause until we gather again. So this year we will be celebrating all three, each very differently.

Maundy Thursday

This year we will celebrate Maundy Thursday with dinner church; worship while we are eating. We’ll gather for dinner, worship and Holy Communion around tables, much like Jesus did with his disciples and followers that night more than two thousand years ago. We will gather for dinner (pasta bar) and worship at 6:00 pm on Thursday, April 2nd.

Good Friday

Our Good Friday worship will be held in sanctuary on Friday, April 3rd at 7pm. This service will be quite traditional and somber.

Vigil Saturday

The tradition of the church for thousands of years has been to gather for prayer and scripture readings on Vigil Saturday. We are going to have a prayer vigil from noon to 6:00 pm from home. You will be able to sign up for a time slot to pray from home so that collectively, as a congregation we will be praying continuously from noon to 6:00. Prayers and readings will be provided. Sign up will begin in late March.

Pastor Anne

 

 

Youth Corner

Ellen Olson, Coordinator of Youth Ministries

Sunday school

Sunday school is going well with regular classes and gathering together the first Sunday of each month for a group activity.

Noisy Offering

Thank you for your generous gifts of coins and dollars for Noisy Offering.  On February 22 we collected $232.59       for the Steele family.  Their son, Braxtyn, a junior high student in our district, has been recently diagnosed with Hodgkin Lymphoma.  Thank you for your kindness to this family.

Confirmation

Pastor met with our 4 students on Sunday, February 15 for class, communion instruction, and lunch at Pizza Ranch.  On Wednesday, February 18 Pastor and I had an acolyte training class with them.

EWALU Summer Camp

Camp brochures are available in the fellowship hall for the summer.  Scholarships are available for those interested.  Please contact Ellen Olson and she will take care of the scholarship details.

College Care Boxes

We are going to send some SUNSHINE to our college students.  Please bring 10 like items that are yellow.  An idea “sample box” is in the fellowship hall with the collection box.  Please bring your items no later than Monday, March 16.  The LYO will pack the boxes on March 18.  Thank you for your support.  Our college kids so appreciate our gifts.

 

 

Lutheran World Relief Quilts

The Bethlehem Lutheran Quilting Group is planning to meet on Saturday, March 21st, National Quilting Day at 9:00 a.m. to work on Quilts and LWR kits.  Lunch will be provided.  Please come and join us.

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Holy Week Ecumenical Services Schedule

Monday, March 30 @ 7 am: Bethlehem Lutheran Church

Tuesday, March 31 @ 7 am: Vinton Presbyterian Church

Wednesday, April 1 @ 7am: St. Mary's Catholic Church

Thursday, April 2 @ 7am: First Christian Church

Friday, April 3 @ 12 noon: Wesley United Methodist Church

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Easter Lily & Spring Flowers Donations

Easter Lilies, Yellow & Pink Tulips, and Yellow & Pink Begonias help proclaim the joy of Easter. If you would like to give a gift of Spring Flowers, fill out a form, write the check to Bethlehem for $15 each, and return to the church by Sunday, March 29th.  You can also mail it to 1206 C Avenue, Vinton, IA  52349.

Thank you for your generous donation.

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Food for Thought

Meets on the third Thursday of the month at the Brickside Brew N Chew at 12:00 noon in Vinton.

March – Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride

April – Midnight Library by Nathan Naig

May – Sophie’s Heart by Lori Wick

June – Julia’s Hope by Leisha Kelly

July – Against the Tide by Elizabeth Camden

August – Secrets by Robin Jones Gunn

September – The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhorn

October – Unplanned by Alana Terry (#1 in Kennedy Sterns series)

November – A Day to Pick Your Own Cotton by Michael Philips (#2 in the Shenandoah Sisters series)

December – Christmas in Chestnut Ridge by Nancy Naigle (#2 in the Chestnut Ridge series)

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Fellowship Volunteers

Fellowship after worship service has become a special time at Bethlehem for our church family to gather and connect with each other.  Volunteers are needed to provide and serve snacks and drinks during the fellowship time.  If you are interested, please sign up for a Sunday of your choosing.  There is an instruction sheet in the kitchen that explains how to make the drinks and where the plates, napkins, cups, and utensils are kept. If you have any questions, please contact the church office.

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Benton County Food Pantry

The Benton County Food Pantry will accept food, paper products, personal hygiene, or monetary donations.

Please send your donation to:

Benton County Food Pantry, PO Box 3, Vinton, IA  52349

Your continued support is greatly appreciated.