Bethany 365 Daily Devotionals

Click to watch video Holy Week isn't a tidy story. It is raw and emotional and full of tension. That's why I originally created these spoken word poems that I'm sharing this year as our 365 devotionals for each day of Holy Week. Spoken word poetry has a way of helping us h...

Staying with the Story Lent has been a season of unlearning. Through this devotional series we have named the stories of fear and control and worth that we carry.   And hopefully, through this season of self-examination and prayer, we've begun to loosen our grip and unlearn these stories.   And now we find ourselves entering Holy Week, which invites something different. This week is not about figuring everything out, instead Holy Week invites us to simply stay with the story. To walk with Jes...

By: Janet Mortinsen As Holy Week approaches, the March whole person health suggestions reflect an attention to this sacred time. Again, this touches on mind, body and spirit. Mind: Reflect on the meaning of new life. Certainly, the image of Jesus rising from the tomb is a powerful reminder of the wonder of Easter. This can be the impetus for us to be transformed in a variety of ways. It can motivate us to "spring" forth to a new start or to reflect on our lives and what this gift has given u...

The Book of Hosea – God's Unfailing Love "I will heal their waywardness and love them freely, for my anger has turned away from them." – Hosea 14:4 The Book of Hosea is one of the most powerful examples of God's unyielding love for God's people. Hosea, a prophet in the Northern Kingdom of Israel, was called to marry an unfaithful woman, Gomer, as a symbolic act of God's relationship with Israel. Just as Gomer repeatedly betrayed Hosea, so too had Israel turned away from God, worshiping idols and breaking the covenant. Throughout the book, Hosea uses his personal life to show the depth of Israel's unfaithfulness. Yet, the...

Throughout our lives we absorb stories about God, about ourselves, and about the world. Lent invites us to gently lay some of these stories down. In each post in this Lenten series, Pastor Nate will name one belief that may no longer be serving our faith and explore how Christ reshapes it. We are taught, sometimes directly and sometimes subtly, that faith should be certain. That strong belief leaves no room for questions. I understand that a firm faith like these can be reassuring, the problem is that...

There is a kind of exhaustion that comes from carrying too much for too long. We carry worries we cannot fix, and responsibilities that stretch us thin, and we carry grief, expectations, and quiet pressures no one else can see. And somewhere along the way, we begin to believe that all of this is ours to hold.   I love how this hymn specifically undermines that assumption and then directs us toward a more faithful approach.   It is a privilege to be able to let go of all these pressures and to...

Throughout our lives we absorb stories about God, about ourselves, and about the world. Lent invites us to gently lay some of these stories down. In each post in this Lenten series, Pastor Nate will name one belief that may no longer be serving our faith and explore how Christ reshapes it. Sometimes it shows up quietly.   This nagging sense that no one really understands.   It's a gut-level feeling that we have to carry everything on our own. Even in a room full of people, it can feel like we...