July 3, 2024

Genesis 19:15-17, 24-26

Scripture readings

for Sunday, July 7

Ezekiel 2:1-5

Psalm 123

2 Corinthians 12:2-10

Mark 6:1-13

15When morning dawned, the angels urged Lot, saying, “Get up, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or else you will be consumed in the punishment of the city.” 16But he lingered; so the men seized him and his wife and his two daughters by the hand, the Lord being merciful to him, and they brought him out and left him outside the city. 17When they had brought them outside, they said, “Flee for your life; do not look back or stop anywhere in the Plain; flee to the hills, or else you will be consumed.”

24Then the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah sulfur and fire from the Lord out of heaven; 25and he overthrew those cities, and all the Plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground.

26But Lot’s wife, behind him, looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.

• For our community of faith as we seek to do God’s work in the world.

• For those in our congregation and community who suffer silently with illness, financial burdens, and family obligation.

• For people affected by coronavirus, their families, essential workers, doctors, nurses, aides, those working in nursing homes, etc.

• For Ann Saar, Kay Marker Magneson, Roy Pihl, George Balcom, Thom Shagla, Norm Wolff, Deb Pierce, Father/Pastor RichardElberfeld, Lois Rumfelt, Nick Johnson, Eileen Beichner, Tom Dellapenta, Pastor Karen Larson, Pastor Gerry Zimmerman (Bethel, Portville and Shepherd of the Valley, Wellsville), James Dieter, Joe Gauvin, Emerson Allaby, John Gingrass, those serving in the military and law enforcement and their families, including Sean Pecuch, and Ben Wickerham, those caught up in violence and war who have no safe home in which to live.

• For the ELCZ Evangelical Lutheran Church in Zimbabwe and ELCZa Evangelical Lutheran Church in Zambia.

PRAYER REQUESTS

Names will remain of the Prayer List for a month - at which

time it will be taken off unless, or course, there is still a continued need

for our prayers and we’re asked to keep the name on.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

CALENDAR

July 7 Worship wih communion

July 8 Dog Lessons 4:30 pm

July 11 Ladies Day Out, Bemus Inn 11:45

Tai Chi 9:30 am & 12:00 pm

July 12 Movie Night 6:30 pm - Operation Mincemeat

Here’s a bit about this Sunday’s text I’m preaching from

S is for Salt -

● Theme: Empathy and Compassion

● Scripture: Genesis 19:15-17, 24-26

● Historically, interpreters haven’t had much grace for Lot’s wife. We’ve made a lot of assumptions about her, without stopping to ask why she may have looked back. And that’s something we can all relate to: a time when we made assumptions about others, without taking the time to dig deeper. But what if we did? We might find we have a lot in common with one another and with characters in Scripture, too. Why did Lot’s wife look back? Maybe for the same reasons we do–and maybe her story can be an invitation to move forward.

Pastor Ivy Gauvin

St. Timothy Lutheran Church

Ladies Day Out

Thursday, July 11

11:45 am at Bemus Inn

Friday Night

at the Movies

We are going to take advantage of our new big-screen TV to have a monthly movie night.

The next movie is Operation Mincemeat, based on a true story. Two British Intelligent Officers with help from James Bond creator, Ian Fleming, plot 1 of the most daring deceptions in military history.

*** Plastic cap and lid collection. We have offered to help Love School collect plastic lids, container tops and pill bottles for a Buddy Bench designed by the students. Please review the insert for what is acceptable and join in the effort to help out the students. A container will be available in the Narthex and also in the entryway marked BUDDY BENCH PROJECT. Thank you!

NEW June 10 through July 22 Dog Lessons with Chq. Dogs

Mondays at 4:30 pm

Contact Carly Davis at (716) 268-1421

5 Loaves & 2 Fish Backpack Ministry

24/25 School Year

We contiuously collect food items for the 5 & 2 Ministry. Bring your donations and place in the black bin in church narthex. Lists detailing items needed are also available in the narthex. Monetary donations welcome! Contact Gale-Svenson-Campbell for details gales1949@gmail.com

If you can volunteer, please contace Gale Svenson-Campbell at the link below. Thank you!!

ONLINE GIVING at St. Timothy for Debit/Credit cards

Three ways to give:

- Go directly to our website at www.sttimothybemus.com.

- Use our QR code with the QR reader on your smartphone.

- Download the app ‘GivePlus Church’. Create an account.

For further information, see Kathy Carlson on Sundays or call her at 485-1316.

JOURNALING IN JULY

Have you ever done journaling? I have in the past and it really helped me to focus my ideas and I could better hear God’s voice. If you’re interested, here is a resource from WELCA.

https://www.womenoftheelca.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Journaling.pdf

Peace,

Pastor Ivy Gauvin

St. Timothy Lutheran Church

Anyone that has any pictures or stories that they would like to share? Send them to sttimothy2015@gmail.com

REFLECTIONS

Pr. Ivy Gauvin

God was ready to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. However, earlier, Abraham bargained with God to spare the lives of his nephew Lot and his family. But they were in no hurry to leave. Lot’s wife was raised there. It was her home. The family had built a life there, so they were dragging their heels.

But God is ever merciful and escorted the family out of the city. They couldn’t manage this on their own. God works in us, doing what we cannot do.

All the blue symbolizes God’s action, whether directly or through angels, God’s messengers. God’s activity takes center stage. The “men” referred to in verse 16 were the angels, who looked like ordinary people.

It’s as if God carried Lot and his family out of Sodom. This is so we can rely on God’s grace to help us today in the toughest situations in our lives.

A couple of side notes about Lot's wife. Firstly, history has been harsh in its view of her. Can we stop being so harsh in our views? God is much more gracious than we are.

Secondly, it was not just a quick look back on the part of Lot’s wife. The Hebrew verb means “to look intently; to gaze” (New English Translation, notes). This reminds me of the Israelites grumbling after God had delivered them from Egypt. In hindsight, they said, “We remember the fish we used to eat in Egypt for nothing, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic” (Numbers 11:5). Their “for nothing” was slavery.

Anna Carter Florence, in her book A is for Alabaster, is trying to help us see Lot’s wife more charitably. Here is a poem she includes in her writing:

Of Course She Looked Back

This could have been any of us.

It might still be any of us.

And looking back at burning ruins,

At destruction and holocaust,

Looking back at what we loved as it is utterly destroyed,

Is never weakness, but resistance;

Never sin, but benediction:

A way to bless, and then go,

So we can honor what we must leave behind. Natalie Diaz

Are there any thoughts you have?