PASTOR MARTIN'S MESSGE for September, 2009

You shall put these words of mine in your hearts and soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on our hand, and fix them as an emblem on your forehead. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, so your days and the days of your children may be multiplied in the land that the Lord swore to your ancestors to give them, as long as the heavens are about the earth.

Deuteronomy 11:18-21

On August 7-8, I had the opportunity to be at the Indiana-Kentucky Synod Candidacy Retreat at the Waycross Retreat Center, which is next door to Lutheran Hills. This retreat is for those who are either considering God's call to roster leadership in the church or who are actually in the candidacy process. This particular candidacy retreat we didn't have a keynote speaker, but chose to have synod staff and representatives speak on "Every Person A Missionary", what is referred to as EPAM. You would have seen me in my EPAM t-shirt in last month's newsletter article. EPAM, which has started in the Indiana-Kentucky Synod, is exploring new ways we can look at Bible study asking the question what is God doing both in Scripture and in our lives and how we can share that as every person is called to be a missionary? As we listened to the EPAM representatives from our synod and looked at new ways for Bible study, we were taken down to the creek, where we took off our shoes and spent some time reflecting and praying with our feet in the cold water. I was amazed where I found myself and knew I wouldn't forget this candidacy retreat. We of Bethany need to be very thankful that there isn't a creek running through our property or we might experience some new ways of Bible study as well. Though we still need to ask the questions what is God doing in Scripture and in our lives and how can we share that as missionaries?

On August 17-23, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in American will gather in Minneapolis, MN for our eleventh church-wide assembly. There are many important decisions that are before this year's church-wide assembly. Decisions will be made in an election of a new vice president, the 2010-2011 Annual Budget and Amendments to ELCA Constitutions, Bylaws and Continuing Resolutions. Decisions will be made in a relationship that the ELCA can have with full communion with The United Methodist Church. Decisions will be made on the funding of HIV and AIDS, on the Lutheran Malaria Initiative, Ministry Policies and a Social Statement on Justice for Women. Finally, decisions will be made on accepting the social statement on "Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust" Each of these decisions can greatly help and better define where we go as the ELCA and how we bring everyone to the love and salvation of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though, I look forward to a church-wide assembly in hopefully the near future where we are looking at new ways for Bible study, where we ask the questions what is God doing in Scripture and in our own lives and then how do we share this as we are all called to be Missionaries? May our voting members of the ELCA Church-wide Assembly prayerfully consider the decisions that are before them to bring everyone to the love and salvation of our Lord Jesus Christ. Then finally in the years to come may we return to where we need to be in Bible Study, asking all of the important questions and then sharing the good news of Jesus' love, salvation and grace as all of us, everyone of us, are called to be Missionaries!

PASTOR MARTIN