Bethany Lutheran, Naperville, IL: Recent Episodes
Bethany Lutheran Church
Full services of Bethany Lutheran Church, Naperville, IL, a member of the Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod (LCMS). Our church is a confessional, liturgical Lutheran church with excellent music and preaching right doctrine focusing on Christ crucified.
For the end of the service, the congregation went outside for the ground-breaking ceremony. That portion is not part of the recording.
Bulletin
Bulletin
Due to technical difficulties, part of the service was cut off. Sorry for the inconvenience.
Bulletin
CONGREGATIONAL FAMILY CAROLING at beginning
Worship service starts at about 18 mins
Bulletin
Due to technical difficulties, part of the service was cut off. Sorry for the inconvenience.
Bulletin
Due to technical difficulties, part of the service was cut off. Sorry for the inconvenience.
Bulletin
There were some microphone issues. This podcast includes the lessons and sermon. Sorry for the inconvenience.
Bulletin
Due to some technical difficulties, the end of the service was cut off. Sorry for the inconvenience.
The libretto is not currently available, if we can get a copy we will put it up as a later post.
Update: the video's better. See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NB7NL2V9ens
Bulletin
The service began outside. This podcast will start as the congregation entered the Church on page 4 of the bulletin.
Bulletin
Readings
Isaiah 60:1-6
Ephesians 3:1-12
Matthew 2:1-12
Music
On This Day - traditional
As With Gladness Men of Old - #397 1,2
Brightest and Best of the Stars of the Morning - #400
We Three Kings of Orient Are
O Morning Star, How Fair and Bright - #395 1, 5, 6
Bulletin
Readings
Isaiah 42:1-9
Romans 6:1-11
Matthew 3:13-17
Music
Jesus, Once With Sinners Numbered - #404
Psalm 29
Celtic Alleluia - Mark 1:11b
The Only Son from Heaven - #402 1,3
I Have Put My Spirit On My Son - John Ylvisaker
Songs of Thankfulness and Praise - #394
Beautiful Savior - #537
Mark How the Lamb of God's Self-Offering - #600 1,3
Downloadable Bulletin
Readings
2 Chron 24:17-22
Acts 6:8-7:2a, 51-60
Matthew 23:34-39
Hymns
By All Your Saints In Warfare - #517 1, 7, 3
Let Our Gladness Have No End
The Son of God Goes Forth to War - #661
The Only Son From Heaven - #402 1, 3
Agnus Dei
Let All Together Praise Our God - #389
See Amid the Winter's Snow - #373
Lo, How A Rose E'er Blooming - #359
Good King Wenceslas
Bulletin
Hymns
Oh Come, All Ye Faithful - #379
Kyrie - #943
Hark, the Herald Angels Sing - #380
Let the Gladness Have No End
All My Heart Again Rejoices - #360
What Child Is This - #370
Holy, Holy - Marty Haugen
Jesus, Lamb of God - Marty Haugen
Of the Father's Love Begotten - #384
Infant Holy, Infant Lowly - #393
Silent Night, Holy Night
Readings
Isaiah 9:2-7
Titus 2:11-14
Luke 2:1-14
Bulletin
Readings (text can be found in the bulletin)
Isaiah 26:1-9
Psalm 62
Matthew 12: 9-21
Songs (words and music can be found in the bulletin)
Stay With Us - Jacques Berthier
In the Lord - Jacques Berthier
My Soul Is At Rest (Ps. 62)
Jesus, Your Spirit (from Ps. 62)
Prepare the Way - Jacques Berthier
Magnificat - Jacques Berthier
Jesus Christ - Susan Toolan
Bulletin
Lift Up Your Heads, You Everlasting Doors - #339
Kyrie I - #943
O Come, O Come Emmanuel - #357 - 1, 2, 4, 5
Jesus, Name Above All Names
Hark the Glad Sound - #349
Bulletin
Hark, a Thrilling Voice Is Sounding - #345
Kyrie I - #943
Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus - #338
Communion - The King Shall Come - #348
Communion - O Lord, How Shall I Meet You? - #334
Communion - Prepare the Royal Highway - #343
Hark the Glad Sound - #349
Bulletin
Kyrie! God the Father - #942
All Glory Be to God on High - #947
A Mighty Fortress Is Our God - #656
Lord, Help Us Ever To Retain - #865 - 1, 2, 4
Lord, Keep Us Steadfast in Your Word - #655
Salvation Unto Us Has Come - #555
Thy Strong Word - #578 - 1, 3, 5
Our hosting service has changed how things work. Until I can figure out how to get the link for the bulletin, it will have to be published as a separate posting. "Workin' on it!"
Bulletin
Our podcasting service has changed its publishing mechanism. Please let us know if you have any difficulties.
Bulletin
First service with the new recorder! This allows us to record services over 80 minutes such as this one effectively without interruption. You'll note some unpleasant overmodulation in the loudest parts, which we will adjust for in the future.
Bulletin
There was some parts of the worship that didn't record very well so this podcast ends with the prayers. The Choir is worth listening too.
I apologise that this is truncated during communion, the recording CD ran out of space. Here's the bulletin.
Here's the bulletin. Formatting is a bit squirrely, sorry, this was the best I could do.
There was an error with the recording system and a small portion after the creed was not recorded.
Bulletin
This hymnfest was held at Bethany on September 20, under the direction of Cantor Phillip Magness. Musicians included choir members from three other congregations, along with the Bethany Brass, two of Bethany's children's choirs (Schola Cantorum and Christus Choir), and various other assisting musicians on flutes, clarinet, keybaords, and percussion. Pastoral speakers were Rev. Scott Bruzek from St. John-Wheaton, Rev. David Balla from Trinity-West Chicago, and Rev. Paul Mumme from Divine Shepherd-Bolingbrook. The "new will" offering received at the concert benefitted the Expressive Arts program at LutherBrook Academy in Addison, IL.
Unfortunately there is a flaw in the recording from this week and I haven't managed to transfer the recording onto the computer, so this will be a little late. I think I can get it transferred tonight.
Sorry the recording cuts out briefly just before communion, had to switch CDs. Bulletin
An Easter liturgy with a special address to children and families, with music provided by the Schola Cantorum children's choir.
Bulletin
Pastor Schumacher sermon on "who do we listen to?". God said, "this is my beloved Son; listen to him."
Bulletin
The divine service - absolution, music, response, liturgy, readings, sermon, communion. We don't do it because it's beautiful, that's not the point. But I have never found anything so moving as a well done liturgical service. Taken from the word, it is filled with truth and meaning both sung and spoken.
This was a remarkably good liturgical service.
Pastor Todd Wilken gave an insightful talk into all things Lutheran and all thing Missouri Synod.
A nuts and bolts look at Chris Rosebrough's plan for world domination through Pirate Christian Radio
The commeration of Priscilla, Aquilla and Apollos. Phillip Magness on organ.
Great psalms. Get hymns. Great liturgy. Great sermon. This is what being a Lutheran is all about.
Chris Rosebrough speaks on Becoming a Lutheran, and runs out of time before speaking on Building a Lutheran Radio Station
Pastor Schumacher preaches on Peter's attempt to deter the Lord from what he was going to do
Bulletin
Kind of lost this week's edited service. Back to the drawing board. Sorry it's late. Save your edits frequently.
Pastor Rossow speaks on Romans 8.
Bulletin
This week's service setting was written by Cantor Magness.
From the Seventh Sunday of Pentecost, June 29, 2008 9AM.
Pastor Rossow speaks on the relationship of Christians and the law as discussed in Romans 7.
Here is the bulletin for your use.
As of right now, we have 1016 downloads of our services and bulletins, with a good majority of them going to services. This is since we started in March - three months. The first 10 days of June have also yielded 273 downloads; if we continue at this rate we will have over 800 for the month of June. And of course we have five services this month.
I'm most pleased but not terribly surprised that members and friends are interested in listening to a full liturgical service filled with the scriptures and supporting sound doctrine. I've looked at a lot of podcasts out there in promoting our service on iTunes and other podcasting sites, and full services are quite rare. Bethany's certainly seems worth it to me. And of course the price is right - free!
Oh, feel free to review us on your favorite podcasting site. Reviews can be quite helpful both in rankings and in getting people to understand what makes the services worthwhile.
Thanks be to God!
I have been "printing" the bulletins to pdf with two pages up. To me this makes it most like the bulletin as you would see it during church. Would you rather see it printed as single pages, giving a larger image? Or do you prefer it this way?
You may comment to this post and let me know your preference.
The fourth Sunday after Pentecost. Pastor Schumacher preaches on Matthew 9:9-13, the calling of Matthew.
No bulletin yet, coming soon.
Finally available! We had a tragic CDRom incident at the 9:00 service, so this is the 11:15 service instead. Pastor Schumacher preaches. Bulletin.
Are you enjoying listening the podcasts of Bethany's services? Is there an ineffable je ne sais quoi (translation: an indescribable something or other) to them that you would like to describe to the world? Do you need peripheral practice producing perfectly polished prose? Perhaps I ought to pull the plug on this painful paragraph?
What I'm trying to say is: you can both review and rate us on iTunes and on other podcast listing services. For iTunes you will need an iTunes account. Go to iTunes, search for "Bethany Naperville" (I find this the most direct route), and in the bottom you will find a link for Customer Reviews.
Reviews and ratings are helpful in a number of ways. Along with subscribing through the iTunes store, these can improve our search ranking so that we will show up higher on salient searches. Ratings and reviews also provide prospective listeners the opportunity to see if this is really what they are looking for - some may be looking for full, liturgical services from a confessing church but others may be looking instead for inspirational, purpose-driven, call-to-action sermons without the peripheral trappings of a church service. Proper reviews can help each steer in the correct direction.
So if you're literary minded, go to your favorite podcast directory and review us. If you're more up to "chicken or fish?" today, iTunes and other directories will let you do a quick 1-to-5 star rating.
Pastor Rossow preaches on the Genesis 1 creation account and on how the trinity figures into it.
Bulletin not yet available.
We lost a bit of the distribution hymns and the Proclaim choir performing "Ubi Caritas," which was very beautiful. Sorry about that.
We will be publishing the special 11:00 service - the confirmation service - real soon now. Haven't had a chance to finish it yet.
Pastor Rossow speaks on how Peter warns us that there will be much persecution for us as believers in Christ in an increasingly secular world.
Hmm. The bulletin didn't seem to end up in the announcement. Here's the bulletin for April 29, 2008, 9AM, the sixth Sunday of Easter.
We have a certain hope in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and must be prepared to give a sound defense of the faith to all who ask.
Pastor Schumacher preaches on 1 Peter 3:13-22.
The bulletin.
The fifth Sunday of Easter, April 20, 2008. Pastor Rossow preaches on Milk, Stones, and Royalty from 1 Peter 2:2-10.
Reposted.
Wow. The last few days have been a marathon. We added upload bandwidth for the podcast - pretty much necessary due to libsyn's idiosyncratic upload accounting techniques if we ever wanted to catch up. And then we ripped. And edited. And recorded. And pestered the cantor with questions. And uploaded. We also rendered bulletins to .pdfs, and uploaded them. And waited for libsyn's servers to come back on line for uploading.
Anyway, it's done and we're caught up. The good news is that I can now go to bed. The better news is that nobody will come up to me after church and ask me "when are you going to get caught up." The best news, of course, is that Jesus has taken on the consequences of our sins so that without meriting it we can experience God's pleasure for eternity rather than his wrath.
Thanks be to God!
Here is the bulletin for the fifth Sunday of Easter, April 20, 2008. The recorded service is the 9:00 service.
Full service from the fourth Sunday of Easter, April 16, 2008. Pastor Schumacher is preaching.
The third Sunday of Easter, April 6, 2008.
Our guest this morning is the Rev. Dr. James Lamb, executive director of Lutherans for Life.
We're going to try uploading the bulletins. Because they normally fall into a booklet format, they may look a little funny.
There seem to be two ways that the bulletin can be useful.
First, because the services are liturgical, they are highly interactive. The congregation is often singing or speaking in counterpoint to the cantor or pastor. In some circumstances, having the bulletin available can allow you to participate more fully with the congregation, I suppose. I find myself singing the congregational parts as I walk the streets of Chicago while listening to the service. But softly.
More importantly though, the service is built on the Bible. The confession, the psalms, the scriptures, the hymns - these are usually straight from the Bible, and when they are not, they are built on doctrines which are simply the systematization of the Bible. There is nothing that feeds us like hearing the pure word of God, and nothing that comforts us more than hearing God's word that in Christ we are rescued from our sins. Reading the words of the songs and scriptures as listed in the bulletin both feeds and comforts us.
As mentioned, there's only 12 MB left of uploads left for the next few days. Not enough to upload a service, but enough to provide 11 minutes of really great music from our Good Friday and Easter services. We have Oh Sacred Head, one that I assume is called This Lamb is Christ, and the Alleluia Chorus.
I hope you will enjoy this as much as I do.
You may be wondering why we podcast the full service rather than just the sermon.
I wondered the same thing. I'm from a non-Lutheran background and am used to listening to Todd Wilkin, John MacArthur, and sermons from other Lutheran churches where the speakers are the audio equivalent of talking heads. When the cantor said we wanted to podcast the whole service, I thought, "okay, then people will just skip to the sermon, the meat of the service." I think I understand better.
Bethany makes use of the liturgy. Liturgical services have a quality that is unique among church services. Most obvious is the musical nature of the service - much of it is sung. But more importantly, most all of the service is taken from the Bible. Everything from the confession to the benediction is taken, largely word for word, from the Bible. In addition to this, we normally sing a Psalm, and have readings from the Old testament, the gospels, and the epistles - not just a verse or two, but significant wholes. Even our prayers, though not word for word copies of prayers from the Bible, are generally based on Biblical injunctions to pray for or about certain things. And so a liturgical service is like Biblical immersion, with the congregation taking a significant part. And so the divine service becomes much more than just a sermon.
Our church is also deeply blessed musically. We have a cantor with a wonderful voice, a variety of musical talents within the congregation, and an organ to which the podcast cannot do justice.
I have the joy of editing the recordings. It is a great blessing to be able to go through the whole service once again with the congregation, and to engage in those parts of the liturgy that I remember, quietly of course when walking through Chicago.
For examples of our music, listen to the Maundy Thursday, Good Friday or Easter recordings.
Holy week and Easter pretty much used up our upload bandwidth. We should be able to upload the post-Easter services on the 17th or 18th of April, and I don't anticipate running out of uploads... until next Easter!
See you after tax day.
Recorded 16 March, 2008 & Recorded March 16, 2008 at Bethany Lutheran Church, Naperville, IL