Bethlehem Lutheran Church

Most of us have taken trips at which there is a point at which home seems very far away.  In fact, when people share their travel journeys, the stories they often tell are not about what they have seen but what they have endured.

Some of the most enlightening travel stories come from people who have been welcomed into people's homes in the countries they've visited.  What better way to get to know a culture than to see how they live: how they cook, what they eat and how they relate to each other?

Little is known of Lydia, the hero in today's sermon. She was a businesswoman. She dealt in purple cloth, which meant she must have had dealings with the wealthy. She had servants.

Yet, on the Sabbath, she gathered with other women outside the walls of the city to worship God. After listening to the words of Paul, she and her household accepted Jesus and were baptized. Then she opened her home to Paul and the other weary travelers.

Consider

• Have you had any travel experiences that involved being helped by a stranger? How do you think Paul and the others, who had left their homes behind for an uncertain journey based on faith, felt upon being welcomed into a stranger's home? 
• Lydia was a woman who at the very least dealt with the wealthy, and may have been wealthy herself. What kind of a position did she put herself in when, as a resident of Rome, she not only embraced the new gospel of Jesus but brought the message, and the messengers, to her household?

Grow

In Sunday's Bible readings, we have the story of Paul meeting Lydia (Act 16: 9-15), and also the gospel from Matthew ( 5:13-16) which talks about not hiding your light under a bushel basket but letting your light shine before other so that they may "see your good work and give glory to your Father in Heaven".  Pastor Mary talked about using our gifts. It appears that Lydia's gifts are not only hospitality but possibly, courage. Given the culture, she may have put many things at risk when she became baptized and brought Christ to her household.

During the American Revolution, Culper's spy ring, based on Long Island, started after the hero Nathan Hale was executed. It had several female members, including one woman whose husband was imprisoned. She used her clothesline to communicate messages which kept track of the movements of the British sailors--- depending on which color petticoat she hung on the line, and how many handkerchiefs were hung out to dry, the Americans could figure out where the British were located and which cove was safe to land in. Though she wasn't suspected because she was merely doing her household duties, some others, including at least one woman, weren't so lucky, and a number of Culper's ring were captured, imprisoned and executed. 

Read:

Act 16: 9-15
Matthew 5: 13-16

Sermon

Consider:

• In Lydia's era, was Christianity perceived as a threat? What role do you think that women may have played in the advancement of the Christian message during that era? And what roles can women best develop today?

• What are your gifts? Have you considered taking an "inventory" to find out where they lie?  Consider asking friends and fellow church members what they feel you do best.

• Sometimes, our spiritual gifts can be those things from which we derive the most enjoyment. What activities --- at church and at home and at work- --- give you the most satisfaction?

Close

A few weeks ago, we had the Monroe Crossing bluegrass group play at the church.  One of the tunes they played is one of my favorite songs. It's a traditional folk song that you are probably familiar with, called "Poor Wayfaring Stranger". Here are the words.

I am a poor wayfaring stranger,
Wandering through this world of woe.
But there's no sickness, toil or danger
In that bright land to which I go.

I'm goin' home to see my Father,
I'm goin' home No more to roam.
I'm only going over Jordan,
I'm just a going over home.

I know dark clouds will gather 'round me
I know my way is rough and steep,
But beauteous fields lie just before me
Where them redeemed their vigils keep.

I'm goin' home to see my Mother,
She said she'd meet me when I come.
I'm just a goin' over Jordan,
I'm just a goin' over home.

I am a poor wayfaring stranger
Wandering through this world of woe.
But there's no sickness, toil or danger
In that bright land to which I go.

I'm going home to see my Savior.
I'm going home no more to roam.
I'm just a goin' over Jordan,
I'm just a goin' over home.

Words for the Week

Try this contemplative approach to reading scripture called lectio divina.
Take a deep breath and find a little silence within yourself. Then:
Read the verse a few times with a listening heart filled with unhurried expectation.
Reflect on this question, "What are you saying to me in this verse today, God?"
Respond by talking to God about your real feelings, thoughts, questions, and doubts.
Rest by simply being with God who knows you and loves you.

Monday: Psalm 139:1-3

Tuesday: Psalm 139 4:6

Wednesday: Psalm 139: 7-10

Thursday: Psalm 139:11-12

Friday: Psalm 139:13-14

Saturday: Psalm 139:23-24