FALL SERMON SERIES:
Contagious Gratitude
by Pastor Ben Cieslik
This Changes Everything!
There’s a radio show on NPR of which I’ve only ever heard
the end. Each time I hear it I say to myself, you really ought
to find the podcast, download it and listen to the whole
thing. It’s yet to happen. The show is called, It’s Been a
Minute with Sam Sanders, and while I’ve yet to listen to an
entire episode, I love how it ends. Sam invites his listeners
to call in over the course of week and leave him a voicemail,
bragging about the best thing that happened to them that week.
The curious thing is I’ve never heard anyone brag. I mean I’ve heard people
call in and leave voicemails, lots of them, but nobody was bragging. They were
grateful. They were expressing gratitude. Gratitude for little things and big
things in life. They were celebrating finishing school, or the birth of a child, or
encouraging test results from the doctor. Caller after caller was full of gratitude.
It is beautiful and uplifting and contagious.
These calls awaken within me a sense of my own gratitude. I can’t help but
start to think about the relationships, experiences and
challenges that continue to enrich my own life. And
I want to talk about them, but for a variety of reasons,
none of which are very good, I don’t.
Gratitude
begets
gratitude.
It’s
contagious.
But over the course of the next two months we’re going
to work on that together. On Saturday, September 22
we’ll be baking chocolate chip cookies to say thanks to
our neighbors. They tolerate increased traffic because of
us and this summer, our Minneapolis campus neighbors
have withstood rattling windows and extra noise and
dust as we complete necessary building improvements.
We’ll need bakers, packers, and ribbon tie-ers on
Saturday and LOTS of people to deliver the cookies on Sunday, September 23
after worship. This is a great opportunity for all ages to share the sweet taste of
gratitude.
We have something else for the whole congregation on the calendar too. But
you’ll have to trust us on this one. Come to worship at either campus on Sunday
September 30 to be surprised by gratitude. All ages expected and welcomed!
As a congregation we have much for which to be grateful. We’ve got a great story,
an incredible calling, and wonderful relationships that are worth being told.
Gratitude begets gratitude. It’s contagious.
Cookie Bake for the Neighborhood (BOTH)
September 22, 8:30-11 am & 23 (after you worship)
We make an impact in our neighborhoods--how we serve and what we give
makes a difference. So does the increased traffic we create and building
improvements we make. We want to thank our neighbors for sharing this corner
of the world with us and for added patience that's required.
Baking volunteers needed on Saturday, September 22 from 8:30-11 at MPLS (all
ages welcome) and then on Sunday, September 23 pick up a bag of cookies, at
either campus, on your way out of church to deliver to a neighbor. We'll provide
the address.
2
All humanity lives with core needs
that motivate our decisions and
actions. Each of us lives with unique
filters that inform our perspective. A
relationship with God through Jesus
Christ changes everything. Join us in
worship this September for stories
about the difference an encounter
with Jesus makes.
Sept. 9: Open Up
Mark 7:24-37
Sept.16: Divine Things
Mark 8: 27-38
Sept. 23: Become A Child
Mark 9: 30-37
Sept. 30: Don't Stop
Mark 9: 38-50
It's All Free!
Chances are, if it has a “free” sign on
it, you don’t want it. Most of the time
somebody is just begging you to take it
off their hands. It’s the leftovers and
the cast offs that are free. It’s the stuff
of little value that’s free. But not with
Jesus. With Jesus you get only the best.
You get the things of ultimate worth.
In Jesus God gives to us life, hope,
freedom and a future. It’s all free.
Oct. 7: Free to Love
Mark 10: 1-16
Oct. 14: Freed from Possessions
Mark 10: 17-31
Oct. 21: Free to Give
Mark 10: 35-45
Oct. 28: Freed by Truth
Jeremiah 31: 31-34,
John 8: 31-36
Next CONNECT deadline for the
November/December issue:
October 10, 2018
The format going forward will be bi-
monthly. Submissions can be sent to
Whitney Stofflet, wstofflet@bethlehem-
church.org.
CONNECT newsletter online
bethlehem-church.org