Beacon News
February 7, 2021
Fifth Sunday after Epiphany
February Weather
by C. Richard Miles
February sulks its shadow
Over moorland, marsh and meadow.
Dreary drizzle unabating,
Then there’s weather worse awaiting:
Fog and frost and soft snow drifted
Deep in heaps that can’t be shifted,
Rain that pours for hours and hours
Putting paid to plants and flowers,
Howling wind and gusting gale,
Slushy sleet and hammering hail.
Hopefully this woeful weather
Has to pass, not last forever.
On a brighter note, a thought:
Just be thankful February’s short.
Our Church Calendar
Our Zoom activities and events are linked below; we also post videos on our YouTube Channel as well.
Sunday, February 7, 10 a.m. Worship NEW PLEASE READ!
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
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)
Tuesday, February 9, 8:30 a.m. First Word for Men Bible Study (see link below)
Tuesday, February 9, 7:30 p.m. Finance Committee
Tuesday, February 9, 6:00 p.m. Fourth and final evening with Reggie Jackson—Shorewood Public Library (see article below)
Wednesday, February 10, 9:30 a.m. Pastor’s Bible Study—Word of the week: Fast
Join us as we gather weekly via Zoom.
Join Zoom Meeting https://zoom.us/j/568102184.
Meeting ID: 568 102 184 No password created.
Thursday, February 11, 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
Meeting ID: 529 280 391
No password created.
Thursday, February 4, 7 p.m. MICAH Zoom Event
(Milwaukee Inner-city Congregations Allied in Hope) Black History Event—see article below.)
Friday, February 12, 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
Meeting ID: 117 491 031 No password created.
Sunday, February 14, 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
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)
On Sunday, February 21, immediately following our Worship Service, we will have our Annual Congregation Meeting. On this Sunday, we will have Zoom worship to make the transition from worship to “meeting” easier for our members.
Ways to Grow and Learn
Lent is coming!
Here are some dates to save on your calendar.
Ash Wednesday Service, Feb. 17 at 7 p.m. We will livestream the service to our YouTube Channel.
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. Pastor Sarah has written a devotional that you can use on Wednesdays with the group, or on your own at home. More details will be shared next week.
To begin preparing for Lent, if you are able, we invite you to join us for our next Wednesday morning Bible Study when we look into the word “Fast” and “Fasting.”
We will not be doing a daily Lenten devotion email this year. But, if you would like that, here is a Lutheran Seminary which sends a Daily Email called “God Pause.” You can sign up and receive their emails for Lent. You can also unsubscribe at any time. Here is the link to do so: CLICK HERE.
6 Weeks, 6 Big Words
Our last Wednesday Morning Bible Study convenes at 9:30 a.m. on February 10. We will study the word “Fast.”
What does “fast” and “fasting” mean? As we prepare for the season of Lent, let’s pull apart this word in its Biblical context.
Our Morning Bible Study will suspend meeting during the season of Lent. We will move our study to Wednesday Evenings, beginning Feb. 24 at 7 p.m.
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.
We invite all of you to join us. Our schedule is changing quite a bit this month, so please note!
Many of us have joined on-line to hear Reggie Jackson discuss “Do Black Lives Matter?” on four successive Tuesday evenings. This has been through the Shorewood Public Library. The last one is February 9.
Tuesday, February 9th: Do Black Lives Matter? The Devaluation of Black Lives in the Criminal Justice System (click on this link to register)
Thursday, February 11: We invite you to attend the MICAH Event, details are shared in this newsletter.
Thursday, February 18: Pastor Sarah will lead a Bible Study on a chapter in Acts this evening. The text has us learn about how the early church confronted and worked with others different than themselves. Even if you have never attended a session before, join us for this Bible Study.
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.
MICAH is hosting its Annual Black History Month fundraiser. It is a virtual event called “Building a Healthy Community.” Together, we will connect the past work for justice to the present work by lifting the many examples of individuals and organizations who/that are working to make Milwaukee a healthier place for all, right now.
Guest Speaker for the Evening: Dr. Aronica Williams, Chief Medical Officer – Milwaukee Health Services
Spoken Word: Dasha Kelly, Wisconsin and Milwaukee Poet Laureate
You can purchase $20 single ticket at https://bit.ly/micah2021blackhistory. The zoom link will be emailed the week of the event to individuals.
And please remember, this is a fundraiser for MICAH. Thank you for your support!
February is Black History Month
Pastor Delaney Schlake-Kruse from St. Paul/Milwaukee has created a wonderful resource for church members to use, to better understand and support Black History month here in Milwaukee. With permission, we are sharing her resource as an attachment to the newsletter.
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.
Don’t be put off by the terribly long title! This book is fascinating and an easy read. It tells an engaging story of how an array of passionate people — medical researchers, philanthropists, patient advocates, and others — led a campaign to conquer cystic fibrosis, a previously deadly genetically-inherited disease. A feel-good story, proving that miracles can happen. (On the must-read list from Bill Gates). Some books will be available, without charge. Please contact Kate for arrangements.
First Word for Men
Our bi-monthly Men’s Group will convene on Zoom Tuesday, February 9, at 8:30 a.m. See link below. For more information, connect with Bob Kattman or Reed Groethe.
Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/9564643799
Meeting ID: 956 464 3799
Ways to Serve and Give
We know the Packers will not be playing this weekend, but Super Bowl Sunday is still important! As “Souper” Bowl Sunday of Caring, we join ELCA churches all across America collecting for our local food banks and ELCA World Hunger. This year, we are partnering with our synod ministry, Outreach for Hope, and collecting funds that will be directed 50% locally and 50% to ELCA World Hunger. You can give directly to Bay Shore, but please indicate that it’s a special offering for Souper Bowl, or you can give online through the OFH’s weblink here: https://outreachforhope.salsalabs.org/donatenow/index.html
Be sure to select Bay Shore as your home congregation!
AMAZON SMILE! It works! Yes, it’s that simple. You shop on Amazon, and Amazon gives a percentage of your purchase to the charity of your choice.
Please visit your Amazon account on a laptop—you can’t access it using their Amazon app on your smart devices.
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!
Altar Flower Sign up is back!
With Pastor Sarah’s good news announcement that we will be live-streaming worship from the Bay Shore sanctuary starting February 7. we will be having a flower arrangement in the sanctuary as well.
A sign-up form has been created to sign up just the same as if we were in our gathering area! There can be two names (or more if you email the office separately) for each week that flowers will be in the church. Click on the link below to go to the sign-up sheet and when we get close to the day of your donation, Kate will email you for a dedication to be in the Beacon for the week.
The cost of flowers is $35. You may send a check to the office marked “Altar Flowers.” This is one more step toward resuming our Bay Shore lives together!
For February 7,
Altar flowers are given this week
to the glory of God by Pastor Sarah and Pete Stobie
in honor of volunteers who work at our local food banks.
A Winter Prayer
Let us huddle together this morning,
our community a place of warmth in our lives
as we share the flame of hope and connection.
Let us allow the frost of isolation and bitterness to melt away
as we open ourselves to a sense of peace and spirit.
We extend our thoughts to all those who are cold this morning,
lacking shelter or love to keep them warm.
Let us wrap our prayers around them and each other like scarves,
and wish each other safe journeys through the storm.
May we be insulated from fear as the earth is insulated by the snow,
And, like bulbs, may we continue to grow and open inside, despite the cold,
Ready for the spring, to stretch and grow towards justice. Amen
Readings for Sunday, February 7, 2021
First Reading: Isaiah 40:21-31
The Judeans in exile have a good reason to be hopeful: the one who will bring them to freedom is the God who created the world, the God who subdues the rulers of the earth and gives strength to those who are weary.
21Have you not known? Have you not heard?
Has it not been told you from the beginning?
Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?
22It is he who sits above the circle of the earth,
and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers;
who stretches out the heavens like a curtain,
and spreads them like a tent to live in;
23who brings princes to naught,
and makes the rulers of the earth as nothing.
24Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown,
scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth,
when he blows upon them, and they wither,
and the tempest carries them off like stubble.
25To whom then will you compare me,
or who is my equal? says the Holy One.
26Lift up your eyes on high and see:
Who created these?
He who brings out their host and numbers them,
calling them all by name;
because he is great in strength,
mighty in power,
not one is missing.
27Why do you say, O Jacob,
and speak, O Israel,
“My way is hidden from the Lord,
and my right is disregarded by my God”?
28Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable.
29He gives power to the faint,
and strengthens the powerless.
30Even youths will faint and be weary,
and the young will fall exhausted;
31but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength,
they shall mount up with wings like eagles,
they shall run and not be weary,
they shall walk and not faint.
Psalm 147:1-11, 20c
The Lord heals the brokenhearted. (Ps. 147:3)
1Hallelujah! How good it is to sing praises to our God!
How pleasant it is to honor God with praise!
2The Lord rebuilds Jerusalem,
and gathers the exiles of Israel.
3The Lord heals the brokenhearted
and binds up their wounds.
4The Lord counts the number of the stars
and calls them all by their names.
5Great is our Lord and mighty in power;
there is no limit to God’s wisdom.
6The Lord lifts up the lowly,
but casts the wicked to the ground.
7Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;
make music upon the harp to our God,
8who covers the heavens with clouds
and prepares rain for the earth, making grass to grow upon the mountains.
9God provides food for the cattle
and for the young ravens when they cry.
10God is not impressed by the might of a horse,
and has no pleasure in the speed of a runner,
11but finds pleasure in those who fear the Lord,
in those who await God’s steadfast love. Hallelujah!
Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 9:16-23
God entrusted Paul with the responsibility of bringing the gospel to diverse people. Hence the focus of Paul’s ministry is not his own rights or privileges as an apostle but the privilege of serving God by freely sharing the good news of Christ with others.
16If I proclaim the gospel, this gives me no ground for boasting, for an obligation is laid on me, and woe to me if I do not proclaim the gospel! 17For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward; but if not of my own will, I am entrusted with a commission. 18What then is my reward? Just this: that in my proclamation I may make the gospel free of charge, so as not to make full use of my rights in the gospel
19For though I am free with respect to all, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I might win more of them. 20To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though I myself am not under the law) so that I might win those under the law. 21To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law) so that I might win those outside the law. 22To the weak I became weak, so that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that I might by all means save some. 23I do it all for the sake of the gospel, so that I may share in its blessings.
Gospel: Mark 1:29-39
Everywhere Jesus goes, many people expect him to set them free from oppression. Everywhere he goes, he heals people and sets them free. Disease, devils, and death are running for their lives. The forces that diminish human life are rendered powerless by Jesus.
29As soon as [Jesus and the disciples] left the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30Now Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told him about her at once. 31He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them.
32That evening, at sunset, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons. 33And the whole city was gathered around the door. 34And he cured many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.
35In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed. 36And Simon and his companions hunted for him. 37When they found him, they said to him, “Everyone is searching for you.” 38He answered, “Let us go on to the neighboring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came out to do.” 39And he went throughout Galilee, proclaiming the message in their synagogues and casting out demons.
Click here to see our Order of Worship including all readings, to be used at home It includes our hymns, too.
Stay in Touch
Pastor Sarah Stobie [email protected]
Kate Yelvington, Parish Admin [email protected]
Dulcie Shoener, Minister of Music [email protected]
Daniel Ellis, Choir Director [email protected]
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www.bayshorelutheran.org www.facebook.com/bayshorelutheran
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