“Can we sing Sanctuary?”

This, my friends, is the church camp

worship planner nightmare ques-

tion. It creeps up out of nowhere. Just when

you think the scripture leads to singing certain

themed songs, a voice pops up asking that

question as if it has never been asked before.

You may not know the song named

“Sanctuary”. It is a simple tune with these lyrics,

“Lord, prepare me to be a sanctuary. Pure and

Holy. Tried and True. With thanksgiving, I’ll be a

living sanctuary for You.” Once you learn it, it is

in your head for days. You’ll be walking along

humming it. The song is chant like, can be sung

in a round, and always lingers in air after it is

sung. (Click here to listen to the song.)

The middle school and high school youth I’ve

worked with at church camp in the summers

declare each year this is their favorite song. The

worship-nerd inside me wants to push back

and invite them to sing new songs or old

hymns, anything but Sanctuary. As a teen, I’d

be that voice popping up to ask to sing it.

(What goes around comes around, huh?)

Today, the tune edged itself into the forefront

of my mind. My thoughts jumped here: “Ugh!

Again! I need sanctuary from that song! I don’t

want to be a sanctuary. I want God to be a

sanctuary for me!”

After living with those thoughts for a while, I re-

alized how easy it is to want things from God

that we aren’t willing to give to God. On this

hectic day, I wanted God to give me rest,

peace, sanctuary. I was unwilling to share with

God the little peace and rest I have, opening

up to see how God could use it.

Seeking God can be confusing.

Prayer and worship often focus on

sharing with God our thoughts

without asking what God’s

thoughts are for us. Sometimes, we resist God;

sometimes, we beg for connection. Each per-

son who follows Jesus is invited to turn over to

God all that we are. Often, we only turn over

to God the difficult parts of life, looking for

problems to go away. God isn’t plucking us up

like flowers in a garden. God is strengthening

our roots. God will prepare us to deal with life.

We must open up to let God do that work.

Perhaps the youthful love of that song is there

because they’ve had less time to be con-

vinced of self-reliance. Each one of us can ac-

complish much alone. God is always with us.

Our capacity to see God’s companionship

comes when prayer for what we desire and for

what God desires in us happen mutually. Then,

we shall find sanctuary in God and that we are

a sanctuary for God and others in the world.

Kelli’s Kiln

Vol. 20 Issue 11 November 1, 2012

Time will fall back an hour at

2 a.m. on Nov. 4 as

Daylight Savings Time Ends

Disciples Women

Dear Friends of

the Day Center,

This is an urgent request for

blankets, new or gently

used. Our inventory is very

low and our need is getting greater as the

temperatures drop. Any help you could

give, including passing this on to others, is

great appreciated!

Thank you for your constant support all

year long and for all you

do for those we serve to-

gether!

Sincerely,

Debra Dester

Volunteer Coordinator

ddester@tulsadaycenter.org

918-556-6418

Poinsettia Order Forms

Available soon...

We each have an opportunity to bring

beauty into our sanctuary this Advent with

the purchase of a poinsettia. They are

$10.00 each and you may purchase one

in honor or memory of someone in your

life.

Please include a check

with the order form

and place in the offer-

ing plate. Make checks

to Bethany Christian Church and note

Poinsettia on the check.

Breakfast

Club If you have not

signed up please

let Nancy know if

you are coming so that we can insure we

will have a seat for you.

You may respond to this e-mail or by phone,

918-492-2519.

When: November 17th, 9:00 a.m.

Where: Applebee’s

(location to be determined)

We hope to see you there!

Philip & Nancy Gray

philipgray@earthlink.net

Bethany

Community

School Fall

Festival

Kaleidoscope President , Elizabeth

Johnson said, “It was a great time and

we raised over $1000 from everything.

And thank you to all the church mem-

bers that helped out!!”

Bethany Christian Church Gift

Basket winner!

Please see

the NEAT’s Newsletter

posted on the Bulletin

Board. Be sure to sign

up in advance at

918-743-1303 for

most attractions!

"Joseph in Egypt"

If you were to read the story of Joseph as

told in chapters 39-49 of Genesis, you might

wonder if he was the one who first said, "When

life gives you a lemon--make lemonade." As a

boy, he thoroughly enjoyed being his father's

favorite son, and took that honor to "lord it over"

his brothers.

When they got fed up with him, they

grabbed him and sold to a caravan on its way

to Egypt.

That's where

our study for

this Sunday

begins. The

amazing story

that follows

(chapters 39-

49) tells of a

completely different Joseph, who grew up and

became a highly respected friend of the Phar-

aoh. His "lemonade" was pretty good! Join us

this Sunday at 9:30 a.m.

Disciples Women “Blizzard Bags”

The Disciples Women service project for November is collect-

ing and assembling items for “Blizzard Bags” for Meals on Wheels. A

Blizzard Bag is an emergency sack of food items which is provided

to Meals on Wheels recipients to hold in reserve for a winter day

when snow and ice make regular meal delivery impossible. The

bags contain shelf-stable, easy-to-fix items which assure that the

homebound, elderly and disabled will at least have something good

to eat until the next regular Meals on Wheels delivery day.

Blizzard Bags usually contain a quick-fix meal in a bag, such as

a can of soup, a heat-and-eat canned item like stew, spaghetti,

etc., along with crackers, peanut butter, canned fruit or canned fruit

drink, or a packet of instant hot chocolate. You can help by donat-

ing or collecting the following items for the Blizzard Bags.

♦ Single can serving of heat & serve items such as:

Soup, Beef Stew, Spaghetti, Chili, etc. (items that can be

heated to form the basis of a meal; ready to serve)

♦ or Any brand shelf-stable heat-and-serve meal

♦ or Small can of tuna fish

♦ Small, easy open can of vegetables

♦ Canned or dried fruits (small packages, or individual serv-

ing pack)

♦ Individually packaged crackers or cookies

♦ Small jar of creamy peanut butter

♦ Small can or package of non-refrigerated fruit juices

♦ Single serving dessert cup, pudding, or fruit cup (non-

refrigerated type)

♦ Instant Hot Chocolate Mix, tea, or coffee (packets)

If possible, canned food in an "easy-open" or flip-top con-

tainer is preferred. Many of our recipients have severe arthritis or

other physical problems which makes opening a can difficult. Single

serving items or items that can be easily packaged into single serv-

ings are also preferred.

A box labeled “Blizzard Bags” is available in the north entry-

way of the church. You are invited to place items in this box at any

time between now and Saturday, November 10, or bring your dona-

tions to the Disciples Women meeting on November 10. If you have

questions, please contact Myrna Jones:

(myrnajj@att.net or 918.749.6612).

Dinner at the Day Center

Volunteers from Bethany provided

the evening meal, Monday, at the Day

Center for the Homeless in downtown

Tulsa. Our dinner of baked ham, green

beans, potato salad, dinner roll, cookies,

and lemonade looked good to us, too, as

we served it up.

Thanks to Steve Bowers, Steve Fate,

Bettye Jackson, Maria Taveau, Don and

Alice Jane Lanier for helping with the din-

ner. We estimate we fed at least 125

women and men. Their gratitude told us

the meal was a hit.

Bethany Church Calendar

Elders Serving

(Bread, Wine)

Nov. 4 Steve Bowers, Geoff Brewster

Nov. 11 Toni Wine Imbler, Kelly Kirby

Nov. 18 A. J. Lanier, Marilyn Bowers

Nov. 25 Ruth Ann Fate, Tommie Kinyon

Deacons Serving (Door/Acolyte, Door/Prayer)

Nov. 4 Nick Crews, Kathy Herwig

Nov. 11 Megan Castles, Mike Cross

Nov. 18 Judy Krase, Loren Krase

Nov. 25 Kathy Herwig, Steven Fate

Nov. 4 Daylight Savings Time Ends (Fall back)

Sunday School, join us at 9:15 a.m.

Worship begins at 10:45 a.m.

Consecration Sunday

Lunch to follow Worship

Committee Meetings 5:00 p.m.

Cabinet Meeting 6:15 p.m.

Nov. 6 Election Day in Fellowship Hall 6 a.m.

Nov. 7 Elders Meeting 6:00 p.m.

Choir Practice 7:00 p.m.

Nov. 10 Disciples Women meet 10 a.m.

Nov. 11 Sunday School, join us at 9:15 a.m.

Worship begins at 10:45 a.m.

Nov. 13 Bethany Community School Committee

meeting at 1:00 p.m.

Nov. 14 Choir Practice 7:00 p.m.

Nov. 17 Breakfast Club 9 a.m.—Applebee’s (more TBA)

Nov. 18 Sunday School, join us at 9:15am

Worship begins at 10:45 a.m.

Thanksgiving Offering 18th & 25th

Thanksgiving Dinner 5:30 p.m.

Nov. 21-23 Office Closed (no Brief this week)

Nov. 25 Sunday School, join us at 9:15am

Worship begins at 10:45 a.m.

Thanksgiving Offering

Nov. 28 Choir Practice 7:00 p.m.

Dec. 1 Advent Workday (decorate) 9:00 a.m.

Dec. 2 Sunday School, join us at 9:15am

Worship begins at 10:45 a.m.

Advent 1—Hanging of the Green Service

Committee meetings 5:00 p.m.

Board Meeting to approve Budget 6:15 p.m.

Dec. 9 Congregational meeting to approve

Serenity Group: Sun., Tues., Fri. @ 7:30 p.m.

NOVEMBER BIRTHDAYS

4th Suzanne Sipes

4th Patty McLane

6th Kathy Herwig

14th Steve Bowers

17th Mary Bearden

19th Mike Cross

21st Ruth Ann Fate

24th Ray Jackson

25th Kelly Kirby

29th Barney McLaughlin