Working Together for the Common Good

¹⁷ Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in, how Jerusalem lies in ruins with its gates burned. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, so that we may no longer suffer disgrace.” ¹⁸ I told them that the hand of my God had been gracious upon me, and also the words that the king had spoken to me. Then they said, “Let us start building!” So they committed themselves to the common good.

~ Nehemiah 2:17-18

Nehemiah 2 is a chapter I find myself returning to quite often. You may recall that Nehemiah returned from Babylon to rebuild Jerusalem. Jerusalem had been destroyed about 40 years earlier and the city wall was merely a pile of rubble. I can imagine standing in the ruins of this once great and powerful city feeling utterly defeated and hopeless. And yet, Nehemiah declared that God is gracious, and, in spite of feeling abandoned by God, God’s hand was upon him. With an insurmountable task before them, they – the leaders of the city – said “Let us start building!” And the committed themselves to the common good.

As fall begins, all that stands before each of us can seem insurmountable. It may be overwhelming. However, God’s gracious hand is upon us calling each of us to work together for the common good – the common good in our families, our church, and our community. And so we step forward together in hope and confidence.

As you read through the pages of this issue of the Bell Tower, you’ll see some very familiar events, such as our annual Rally Day worship and picnic on September 10 (worship is at one service at 10:00am with the picnic following). You will also see some new events and new emphases. Specifically, we’ll use the theme “All God’s children have a place” to focus on how Bethel welcomes and involves children throughout our ministry. Be sure to note the beginning of Music Mondays on September 11, which involves adult faith formation as well as handbell practice and children’s music classes. The Bethel Mission & Ministry Discernment Event on September 16 from 9:00am – 1:00pm. This event is for the entire congregation as we work together to discern God’s call for Bethel over the next 10 years – building on the 2014 Long Range Plan. And, we end the month with Bethel’s Fall Festival on September 30.

This is a lot of activity to lead into the fall, and it takes a lot of people to make these things happen – both leading and participating. I invite you to join in where you are able as together we continue building and committing ourselves to the common good.

In Christ,

Pastor Jeff