Pastor's Blog

Dearest Members of Bethlehem, “…Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them, for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.’” -Matthew 19:14 The week of vacation Bible School truly is a marvelous time. The children, the volunteers, the music, lessons, games, and time in scripture are such a blessing. It’s only once a year, but to have a full week, day in and day out, during which we can devote ourselves to the faith formation of our y

Dearest Members of Bethlehem, “Therefore, you also must be ready, for the son of man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” Matthew 24:44 I distinctly remember the fireworks displays of my childhood, these were stirring spectacles of sight and sound; they were the excuse to stay up late and relish a summer evening. But it didn’t take very long to catch on to the rhythm of the fireworks display. There were be a couple of loud booms to let folks know things were about to begi

Dearest Members of Bethlehem, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” The passage above comes straight from scripture, quoted exactly from the NRSVue edition. If you had to guess, from where in the Bible does that passage come? It certainly does appear in the New Testament; you might have pointed to Matthew 22:39, or perhaps Mark 12:31. Both would be correct. However, for the sake of this brief devotion, I would like to note that this glorious bit of wisdom also appears i

“Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. If you have ears, hear!” Matthew 13:8-9- (NRSVue) Not long after receiving this newsletter you may be celebrating our country’s semiquincentennial; that’s a fancy way of saying 250th birthday. I am all for recognizing the milestone, and I will certainly be enjoying the festivities taking shape in the days ahead. I am a patriotic person. I love our country and remain deeply c

Dearest Members of Bethlehem, “Let’s see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out, not avoiding worshipping together as some do but spurring each other on, especially as we see the big day approaching.” -Hebrews 10:25, The Message Worship is such a regular and important part of my life, and has been for such a long time, that it is easy for me to take my time in the sanctuary for granted. I shouldn’t. In fact, I want to take a moment today to celebrate and

Dearest Members of Bethlehem, “…with all humility, and gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” -Ephesians 4:2-3 Most of the time when we talk about “patience,” we’re talking about keeping our cool while we stand in line at the DMV. People who are patient, have no problem at all waiting for their meal to arrive at a restaurant. Bumper to bumper traffic, or even gridlock, no probl

Dearest Members of Bethlehem, “So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day.” -2 Corinthians 4:16 Every once in a while a bright red notification will appear on my computer or phone screen indicating to me that it is time for an “update.” And now, the deliberation begins! Should I do it? Will the update introduce too many new changes into my life? Do I really want to sit around and wait for a fu

Tidings from Bethlehem-June 2026 A word from our Associate Pastor June, 2026 Dear friends in Christ, Blessings this June! June means ma ny things for our community. Remember that worship times have shifted to our Summer Schedule: Saturday 6 pm, Sunday 8 am and 9:30 am. Our summer Bible Study will feature a look at And look! We Li

Dearest Members of Bethlehem, “Our life is not only a great deal of trouble and hard work; it is also refreshment and joy in God’s goodness. We labor, but God nourishes and sustains us. That is reason to celebrate.” -Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together I don’t know about you, but I am always looking for a reason to celebrate. I greatly appreciate the insight from Bonhoeffer that appears above. Ever the realist, he acknowledges the truth; our lives involve ups and downs,

Dearest Members of Bethlehem, “A threefold cord is not quickly broken.” -Ecclesiastes 4:12 As of today, May 19, 2026, Kari and I have been married for 25 years. This is our “silver anniversary,” and this email is being sent to you from the Gettysburg Campus of United Lutheran Seminary; where we began our relationship all those years ago. I can honestly say that I have been grateful for every day we have shared together. Those of you who know her, know that Kari truly is a tr