Beacon Newsletter February 21, 2021

Please note, this is very basic version of our newsletter. To receive a better copy, please email our church office.

Beacon News

February 21, 2021

First Sunday in Lent

Christ Has No Body

by Teresa of Avila (1515-1582)

Christ has no body but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
Compassion on this world,
Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good,
Yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world.
Yours are the hands, yours are the feet,
Yours are the eyes, you are his body.
Christ has no body now but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
compassion on this world.
Christ has no body now on earth but yours.

Our Church Calendar

Our Zoom activities and events are linked below; we also post videos on our YouTube Channel as well.

Sunday, February 21, 10 a.m. Worship on Zoom

https://zoom.us/j/602272570?pwd=VUdRVVp6NkRNczl5QjFnUkF4OGt4Zz09

Meeting ID: 602 272 570

Password: 344276

One tap mobile

+13126266799,,602272570#,,#,344276# US (Chicago)

Bay Shore’s Annual Congregational meeting and celebration will follow service!

We will resume Livestreaming Worship on Feb. 28.

Monday, February 22, 7 p.m. High School Youth Bible Study on Zoom

Tuesday, February 23. 8:30 a.m. First Word for Men Bible Study

Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81595035125

Meeting ID: 815 9503 5125

Wednesday, February 24, 7 p.m. Lenten Bible Study on Zoom.

Join Zoom Meeting Click HERE

Meeting ID: 830 3957 5321

Passcode: 536720

One tap mobile

+19292056099,,83039575321#,,,,*536720# US (New York)

+13017158592,,83039575321#,,,,*536720# US (Washington DC)

Thursday, February 25, 10 a.m. Prayer Time on Zoom Pastor Sarah will lead a brief time of prayer every Thursday at 10 a.m. via Zoom. Perfect for those of you at home or work who need a quick “lift” for the rest of the day.

Join Zoom Meeting

https://zoom.us/j/529280391

Meeting ID: 529 280 391

No password created.

Thursday, February 25, 7 p.m. “Troubling the Waters” Vital discussion regarding racism in America and what we can do as people of God.

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86714669874?pwd=akxhRW5qVGFPK3hxMzlCSWJSS2M5UT09

Meeting ID: 867 1466 9874

Password: 724958

Items are available here from our class. Click here.

Friday, February 26, 10 a.m. Coffee Chats with Pastor Sarah.

Join Pastor Sarah for relaxed conversation and catching up every Friday morning. You may drop in and leave when it’s convenient. Join Zoom Meeting https://zoom.us/j/117491031 Meeting ID: 117 491 031 No password created.

Sunday, February 28, 10 a.m. Worship with Communion

We will have our worship livestreaming on our YouTube Channel beginning at 10 a.m. The Prelude will begin at 10 a.m. You may view our worship live, or after as a recording here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8eSD2DkUpaCDCwagXnnrqw If you click on before 10 a.m., please refresh your screen until you see the livestream video.

Virtual Fellowship will follow our worship!

After our live worship is concluded, join us on Zoom for fellowship and conversation. The link below is the same one we have been using for our Sunday mornings.

https://zoom.us/j/602272570?pwd=VUdRVVp6NkRNczl5QjFnUkF4OGt4Zz09

Meeting ID: 602 272 570

Password: 344276

One tap mobile

+13126266799,,602272570#,,#,344276# US (Chicago)

Sunday, February 28, 7 p.m. ABC (Affirmation of Baptism—aka Confirmation) on Zoom

Lent is here!

Here are some updates for your calendar.

Wednesday Night Bible Studies through Lent beginning Feb. 24 at 7 p.m. on Zoom. We will walk through our Scripture readings for our Sundays.

We will not be doing a daily Lenten devotion email this year. But, if you would like that, here is a Lutheran Seminary option. You can sign up and receive their emails for Lent. Here is the link to do so: CLICK HERE.

Did you miss Ash Wednesday Service? You can still watch it on our YouTube Channel. In it, Pastor Sarah reviews the three disciplines of Lent.

Ways to Grow and Learn

The Troubling the Waters group continues the journey to understand our role and the church’s role in the ongoing racial discord that characterizes present-day America.

Thursday, February 25: Pastor Sarah will conclude the Acts study with discussion questions on our current context in the church today with those in our community who differ from us.

First Word for Men

Our bi-monthly Men’s Group will convene on Zoom Tuesday, February 23, at 8:30 a.m. See link below. For more information, connect with Bob Kattman or Reed Groethe. [email protected] [email protected]

Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/9564643799 Meeting ID: 956 464 3799

High School Youth Group Bible Study We will gather on Zoom at 7 p.m., Monday the 22^nd. Students are welcome to join Pastor Sarah on Zoom for this 1 hour study. You can invite your friends as well!

Join Zoom Meeting Click HERE

Meeting ID: 859 9183 6150 Passcode: 376963

One tap mobile

+19292056099,,85991836150#,,,,*376963# US (New York)

+13017158592,,85991836150#,,,,*376963# US (Washington DC)

Lenten Bible Study—6 weeks—will begin on Wednesday, Feb. 24 at 7 p.m. Pastor Sarah will lead us in studying the Sunday Bible Readings, and going more in depth about them. All are welcome, even if its only one evening. On March 31—Pastor Sarah will walk through the last week of Christ, and also teach about Spy Wednesday. Join Us!

Join Zoom Meeting Click HERE

Meeting ID: 830 3957 5321

Passcode: 536720

One tap mobile

+19292056099,,83039575321#,,,,*536720# US (New York)

+13017158592,,83039575321#,,,,*536720# US (Washington DC)

Some “out of the box” ways to

observe Lent this year.

Each week we will be sharing another idea to enrich your observance of the season of Lent.

1.Don’t buy anything that you don’t NEED.

If you can live without it, you don’t need it. Give it up for Lent. Put the money that you would have spent into a jar. You will be surprised at how quickly you build up your savings. Tip: Once you see how much you saved after the 40 days, split it into two groups: saving & donating.

Ways to Connect and Share

Next Soup’R Books — Breath from Salt, on March 7

The Next Soup’R Books discussion by Zoom will be held on Sunday, March 7 at 4 pm. The book is Breath from Salt: A Deadly Genetic Disease, a New Era in Science, and the Patients and Families Who Changed Medicine Forever, by Bijal P. Trivedi. We have six copies of the book left. Email or call Kate in the office to reserve a copy!

Our siblings in Christ at Hephatha Lutheran are celebrating Black History month by teaching and learning more about one another and black history in the US.

Nurse Chris has shared two video links with us. The first link is a video piece featuring Hephatha youth and adults involved in the Work Ministry. The video shares dreams inspired by Dr Martin Luther King’s famous speech, “I Have A Dream.” Click Here for that video offering.

The second link is a video piece featuring the poetry of Deanna Branch. It is a poem to her 2 sons. Deanna was on our prayer list here at Bay Shore—she went into the hospital in January 2020 and was finally able to return home in May 2020. Click Here for that video offering.

Ways to Serve and Give

Thanks to all of you who contributed to the Souper Bowl of Caring through Outreach for Hope this year.

OFH shared recently that they raised over $9,000 from churches within our synod. Thank you, Bay Shore, for participating in this special fundraiser to feed the hungry here in Milwaukee and beyond!

Yes, it’s that simple. You shop on Amazon, and Amazon gives a percentage of your purchase to the charity of your choice.

Select Bay Shore Lutheran Church as your dedicated charity choice. Then, using your computer or laptop, always use smile.amazon.com. It will tie into your Amazon shopping account and will automatically give to Bay Shore. Pastor Sarah discovered if you use your phone’s internet app—like Chrome or Safari—to open smile.amazon.com—it works, too. In fact, Bay Shore has received $107.72 since November of 2020. This is an easy way to “give” to Bay Shore. We hope that all of our members will consider doing this today!

2 Unique Opportunities to Serve Bay Shore

In case you missed it within the weekly email, we are seeking volunteers willing to serve Bay Shore in 2 unique ways.

1. We are looking for 3 individuals to serve on the Nominating Committee. The work for this committee does not begin until August, and concludes in November.

2. We are looking for 2 individuals to represent Bay Shore at our next Synod Assembly Meeting on April 30 and May 1 through Zoom. You will need to be available for both days of the Assembly. The Assembly offers a distinct picture of what our synod does in our community, and you also get to see and hear about the work of other churches.

If either of these opportunities appeals to you, please contact Pastor Sarah soon. You can email her at [email protected] and ask any questions, too.

Invite Us Deeper

Almighty and ever living God,

you invite us deeper into your world, your people, your Lent.
May this time be one of outward focus;
seeking you in those we often ignore.
Help us live a Lent focused on freedom, generosity, and encounter.
Give us hearts hungry to serve you
and those who need what we have to give. Amen

Readings for Sunday, February 21, 2021

First Reading: Genesis 9:8-17

Today’s reading is the conclusion to the flood story. Because of human sin, God destroys the earth by flood, saving only Noah, his family, and the animals on the ark. Yet divine destruction gives way to divine commitment. As in the first creation, God blesses humanity and establishes a covenant with all creatures.

⁸God said to Noah and to his sons with him, ⁹“As for me, I am establishing my covenant with you and your descendants after you, ¹⁰and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the domestic animals, and every animal of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark. ¹¹I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” ¹²God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: ¹³I have set my bow in the clouds, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. ¹⁴When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, ¹⁵I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. ¹⁶When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” ¹⁷God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth.”

Psalm 25:1-10

Your paths, O Lord, are steadfast love and faithfulness. (Ps. 25:10)

¹To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.

²My God, I put my trust in you; let me not be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me.

³Let none who look to you be put to shame; rather let those be put to shame who are treacherous.

⁴Show me your ways, O Lord, and teach me your paths.

⁵Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; in you have I trusted all the day long.

⁶Remember, O Lord, your compassion and love, for they are from everlasting.

⁷Remember not the sins of my youth and my transgressions; remember me according to your steadfast love and for the sake of your goodness, O Lord.

⁸You are gracious and upright, O Lord; therefore, you teach sinners in your way.

⁹You lead the lowly in justice and teach the lowly your way.

¹⁰All your paths, O Lord, are steadfast love and faithfulness to those who keep your covenant and your testimonies.

Second Reading: 1 Peter 3:18-22

As God acted through Christ’s suffering and death to bring us to God, so God acts through baptism to save us from a sinful existence. This spiritual cleansing marks our new life in Christ.

¹⁸Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit, ¹⁹in which also he went and made a proclamation to the spirits in prison, ²⁰who in former times did not obey, when God waited patiently in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were saved through water. ²¹And baptism, which this prefigured, now saves you—not as a removal of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, ²²who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers made subject to him.

Gospel: Mark 1:9-15

The Spirit that comes upon Jesus at his baptism sustains him when he is tested by Satan so that he might proclaim the good news of God’s reign.

⁹In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. ¹⁰And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. ¹¹And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”

¹²And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. ¹³He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him.

¹⁴Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, ¹⁵and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.”