Rise Up! - May 2022 Monthly Newsletter

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One of my favorite months of the year is here! May is my birth month and after the turbulent weather throughout April, hopefully it will stabilize and just keep getting warmer! Since the weather is getting nice outside, I know I’ll be rising up out of my chair and trying to get outside more often. 


Rising up could just be the act of changing from a sitting position to a standing one. It could also mean asserting one’s rights against injustice. A third definition is that it could be coming together to support one another in a time of crisis. 


The verse that I chose this from is Acts 9:40, where Peter is bringing Tabitha back from the dead and he says to her, in the King James’ version, “Tabitha, arise!” And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up. 


God wants us to be partners, not puppets. As much as our lives belong to God, we are working together for the glory of the Kingdom. We need to have a relationship to be partners though. Could you imagine how business partners would work together if they never spoke? It’d be like two independent decision makers crossing back and forth! They could not thrive unless there was communication and a UNIFIED vision of how to move forward. To partner with God is to be humble and faithful with what God needs from each of us. 


So, we need to unite and look at what Bethany Church can do in the midst of such times as these. We have seen loss in our world, and continue to do so. Our world seems to have closed down against these tough conditions. But as writer Frederick Buechner put it, “The trouble with steeling yourself against the harshness of reality is that the same steel that secures your life against being destroyed secures your life also against being opened up and transformed by the holy power that life itself comes from.” (The Sacred Journey, 46) 


Join us as we band together and rise up to the words of the New Testament through the Book of Acts, telling the stories of who God is, opening our hearts to the beauty of God and amazing possibilities of transformation. 



Pastor Dan





Pastor’s Picks


LISTEN: Shane & Shane - “Psalms, Hymns, & Spiritual Songs, Vol.1” - this is a collection that I’ve been listening to this month that has been uplifting my spirit. Favorite song: “Living Water” 


WATCH: Risen 

This movie is the story of crucifixion and resurrection of Christ told from a Roman soldier’s perspective. Powerful to see from someone who was not deeply involved with Christ, as told from the Gospels. 


READ: The Divine Conspiracy by Dallas Willard

This was a hard book to read, but so deep and fulfilling. I would recommend it for anyone who needs a refreshing reset in their faith. 

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