Looking for strength, healing and peace in your heart, join us at Bethlehem Lutheran in the Midway. We are a community of believers who come together to worship our Lord and Savior. We believe in the power of prayer.
Worship
Worship on Sunday mornings at 9:30 am, in the sanctuary or via livestream. COVID restrictions are in place for all those in the building–everyone (including those fully vaccinated) must wear a mask covering nose and mouth at all times and maintain physical distancing.
On Wednesdays at 9:00 pm, join us for Selah. During the winter months, it will be held online only, streamed to our Facebook page. All services are also available in the archive (posted about 30 minutes following the end of the service). Selah is a musical witness to the creative Word of God – ancient, eternal, and always with us. The lyrics come directly from ancient scripture, the melody newly composed, accompanied by spontaneous improvisation in strings: God’s ancient, new, and creative Word embodied in healing music. You are welcome to meditate on the words, or simply let the music wash over you like a sound bath. Once finished, the musicians will stop playing and someone will read a prayer to close. A time of silence will be observed.
All of our services are available in the video archive. The most recent service comes up first and you can scroll to earlier services (both Sunday and Selah) by clicking the down arrow in the upper left hand corner of your screen. You can also find our video services on our Facebook page: Bethlehem Lutheran In-The-Midway or on the Worship page. You are invited, you are welcome, and we’re glad you’re here!
Please call the church at 651-646-6549 to reach the pastor.
Our Mission
Bethlehem Lutheran Church in-the-Midway is a community of believers created by God, redeemed by Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit. As the body of Christ we worship joyfully, witness faithfully and serve compassionately through word and deed among God’s people.
Covid Precautions
For worship in the building:
-Due to the ongoing pandemic realities, we ask that everyone attending worship, meeting, or other event in the building wears a mask, regardless of vaccination status. We do this out of love for our neighbor and care for those who are unable to be vaccinated.
-Fellowship is held following worship, subject to current guidelines.
-Anyone experiencing new symptoms common to COVID-19 infection should not attend in person worship, meetings, or other events held in or sponsored by the church.
Building the Beloved Community Public Safety Project
In cooperation with Interfaith Action of Greater St. Paul, Bethlehem is among thirty congregations from across Minnesota joining together for intentional conversation with Minnesota’s Commissioner of Public Safety John Harrington. In January, March, and May, Commissioner Harrington will meet with participating clergy and presents a hypothetical moral dilemma that deals with a serious challenge likely to be faced by public safety officers. The group discusses possible solutions, responses, and challenges in each scenario. Then, the group is presented with a sacred text, which is discussed. Finally, the public safety scenario is discussed again, in light of the sacred text.
Following these conversations with Commissioner Harrington, we bring the scenarios back to our congregations and follow the same process. After reexamination of the dilemma in light of the congregation’s sacred tradition, congregants assist in composing a report to Commissioner Harrington on issues raised by and reflections on the dilemma. A collective report is shared with Commissioner Harrington, who will use these reflections to shape policy and recommendations that come from his office.
Goals of this project include:
Reasoning together
To provide a platform for diverse faith communities to engage in thoughtful reflection on how best to approach current issues in public safety in light of their own experience, their best judgment, and their particular faith tradition;
Listening to our faith traditions as we listen to one another
To bring the faith communities’ distinctive values and text-based input to the civic table shared by all Minnesotans;
You can learn more about the project at https://interfaithaction.org/get-involved/buildingbeloved/
This is an opportunity to lean into what it means to love God and love neighbor, and to think deeply about how our faith shapes our responses to life in the world. the second scenario will be presented and discussed at Bethlehem on Wednesday, April 20 at 6:30 pm. (Content warning: This scenario involves domestic abuse and a situation involving an unhoused family.) We will announce the dates for the other scenarios at at later date. We will meet at Bethlehem, with a Zoom option available for those who cannot come to the building. If you are interested in participating in this discussion (you can attend any or all of the conversations), please contact Pastor Kirsten Fryer at blcpastor@bethlehem-midway.org or 651-646-6549.