Bits from Beth

March 18, 2026

Dear Friends,

This Sunday is the Fifth Sunday of Lent and the last Sunday before Palm Sunday and Holy Week. We will finish the 6th Chapter of Matthew this Sunday and will put aside the Sermon on the Mount until after Easter. On Palm Sunday our children will lead us as we remember Jesus triumphant entry into Jerusalem. Before the sun went down on that joyful day, the mood had changed. Jesus caused a scene at the Temple when he overturned the tables of the money changers. John the Baptist called the religious leaders vipers but on that day, Jesus referred to them as thieves. The religious leaders had made a deal with the Roman Empire and while they believed they were protecting the people, they were actually seizing power and wealth for themselves. The Romans knew it. Jesus called them out. His message was radical and if the people truly listened to him, the religious leaders would lose power and we just cannot have that.

We will have our seventh Annual Berg Egg Hunt on Sunday afternoon of Palm Sunday. We started this as a way to have fun during the Pandemic but it has become a favorite activity for our children and youth. The Egg hunt is open to all, not just people in our church. Please invite your neighbors and friends!

I read an article this morning noting it was the 58th anniversary of the My Lai massacre in Vietnam. We do not like to acknowledge the horrors of our history. We would prefer to tell the stories that always make us heroes. There was a hero that day. His name was Major Hugh Thompson, Jr. He was the pilot of a gunner helicopter who saw 504 defenseless and unarmed Vietnamese being tortured and killed and he chose to land the copter and stop the violence. For many years, the story was covered up. As it slowly came to light, one of the soldiers involved in the massacre became a hero in the eyes of many while Major Thompson and whistleblower, Ron Ridenhour, were despised. Those who have returned to My Lai to pay their respects have met survivors who show these strangers from America what grace and forgiveness looks like. As our country engages in war once again, let us be clear eyed about the horrors of war, the need for humility, and the courage to be accountable when we have made a mistake that costs the lives of the innocent. Let us pray for the families of those who have died and let us also remember that many veterans return home with invisible scars.

Our prayer list is long but I hope you take time to lift up so many in prayer.

Have a blessed week. We hope to see you Sunday!

Grace and peace,

Beth