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As we anticipate Sunday, September 1, 2024 When Thanksgiving rolls around on November 28, you might be reminded to “count your blessings.” Irving Berlin wrote a song for the 1954 film White Christmas that encourages people to count their blessings instead of sheep. The story goes that Mr. Berlin was encouraged to give counting his blessings a try since Mr. Berlin was struggling with insomnia. Imagine if I or anyone else encouraged you to count your sins. Yikes! That could not only cause insomnia, it might lead to absolute despair! In our reading this Sunday from Mark 7:14-23 Jesus, again, is dealing with what the Pharisees were all in a twist over—handwashing. (Trivia – does the translation you use have a verse 16?) Not only are we free to eat anything (read again Acts 10:9-16 to refresh your memory of God declaring all animals fit to be eaten), but we are freed from our sins. We are freed not by washing our hands or observing other rituals, but by the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. Mark 7:21 and 22 have a list of sins—not for us to count—but for to know our sins and our need to be forgiven. Forgiveness through Jesus is an incredible gift for which we can give thanks! Sermon: Blessed and Purified THIS AND THAT NEW! Thanks to Hasina Sabar, Operations Manager, for setting up a Facebook account for the church portion of Bethany Lutheran Ministries. If you have a Facebook account, have a look by clicking here. Check back from time to time to see things for in-the-moment news and pictures about our ministry. POSTED Thanks to a kind people who bless through taking the initiative to get something done. While we talk about “posting” on Facebook or on a bulletin board, the “Bethany Lutheran Church” sign has been “posted!” What a nice gift to arrive on Tuesday and see the sign up on posts ready to greet people. Check out our Facebook page to see the newly posted sign. REAL Thanks be to God for clearly giving us His message. Everything we read in the Holy Bible is real. I personally like when I’m reading and think, “Wow! Even (insert person from the Bible) had that experience or felt that way. On Sunday, we will hear how the writer of Psalm 120 was baring his soul to the Lord even before he was all the way into the temple! HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS WEEK • Seeing the Body of Christ gathered on Sunday for the installation of the faculty and staff of Bethany Lutheran School. • The blessings as people from Church blessed people from School with some refreshments as the school year begins. • Children going from chapel to their classroom to organize their toy animals in a reenactment of Noah’s ark! • Being invited to walk through a grove of plums that are being harvested this week and will become prunes. 
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