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Mission work is foundational to the identity of Christians. It's so ingrained in who we are that it's part of our baptismal covenant: "Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself?" As we know, our neighbors are around the corner and around the globe, and our youth mission projects this summer will reflect that reality.
We are currently organizing two mission experiences for teenagers this summer. The first will be a trip to the Florida Keys to assist with Hurricane Irma recovery efforts. We are working with our diocesan partners to help however we can. The second trip later in the summer will be to Our Little Roses Home for Girls in San Pedro Sula, Honduras. Bethesda has a long history of supporting this organization over the last 15 years and we are excited to open this opportunity to include our high school youth this year.
As we teach our class, our understanding of mission work has changed since the early Church. We no longer seek to convert people to Christianity through force or rhetoric, instead we reflect the power that comes through Jesus's call to serving others. By recognizing the dignity of all human beings we claim the loving identity of Christ at work in the world around us, wherever we may go.
Please, pray for our young people on their journeys, support them through their fundraisers or by giving them words of encouragement, and know that wherever they go, the family of Bethesda-by-the-Sea and the work of the Jesus Movement goes with them.
Greg Knight
Director of Children and Youth Ministries
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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2018
Preacher (8:00 & 11:00 a.m.):
The Rector
Preacher (9:00 a.m.): The Rev. Burl Salmon
*8:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist
8:30 a.m.
Fellowship Breakfast, Parish Hall West
*9:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist
9:30 a.m.
Fellowship Finger Food,
Parish Hall West
9:50 a.m.
Adult Forum, Parish Hall East
9:50 a.m.
3 & 4 Year Old Sunday School,
Sunday School Hall
9:50 a.m.
K & 1st Grade Sunday School, Sunday School Hall
9:50 a.m.
2nd & 3rd Grade Sunday School,
Sunday School Hall
9:50 a.m. 4th & 5th Grade Sunday School,
Sunday School Hall
9:50 a.m. 6th & 7th Grade Sunday School,
Library
9:50 a.m. 8th Grade Confirmation Group,
ECW Room
9:50 a.m. 9th-12th Grade Mission Group, Youth Room
*#11:00 a.m. Morning Prayer and
Holy Eucharist
12:15 p.m. Church Tour
Fellowship Breakfast | 8:15 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. | Parish Hall West
We will have a full breakfast, with rotating menu, for $5 per person. After 10:00 a.m., a simpler fare, fellowship finger foods, will be provided until 1:00 p.m. with no cost to our parishioners.
This week's menu: scrambled sausage, hashbrowns, biscuits, muffins, and fruit & cheese platters.
Adult Forum: Lenten Series: The Work of the People | Sunday, February 25 | 9:50 a.m. | Parish Hall East
Throughout the season of Lent, join the clergy and other facilitators as we dive deeper into our faith and examine what it means to be followers of Christ in the modern world. Each session begins with a compelling video from the forward-thinking, eponymous collection of theologians and thinkers and continues with an opportunity for deep discussion and spiritual growth. Join us as we consider our faith together during this season of examination.
Church Tour | Sunday, February 25 | 12:15 p.m. | Chancel
The Church Tour begins in the Chancel (front of the church), immediately following the 11:00 a.m. service.
Given concerns over this year's flu season, the staff at Bethesda would like to offer some general, gentle reminders. During the passing of the peace, worshipers customarily greet one another with a hand-shake or hug. It's important to offer a greeting of peace in a way in which others are comfortable. Some folks find that touching elbows or forearms or greeting simply with words better protects from illness, and we can all respect each other's choices and boundaries as we delight in the peaceful presence of God among us.
- PP Parking Permitted from 3:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.-
PARKING: Persons attending Sunday services will be allowed to park on ALL of Barton Avenue and Pendleton Avenue
without receiving a ticket until 1:30 p.m.
* nursery care for infants through age 2 is
available from 7:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
# service will be live-streamed here
Click here to view the service leaflet for this Sunday.
Click here to view this week's Bethesda Happenings.
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Lenten Retreat with Rachel Held Evans
Saturday, March 3 | 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m | Parish Hall
 Raised in an Evangelical world where answers were given before the questions were asked, Rachel Held Evans has spent her life discovering that being a faithful Christian is about living the questions of faith. Central to her faith is a love of and devotion to Christian scripture, and in leaving a world where questioning scripture was unwelcome, she consistently has been drawn back to the beauty of discovery and of grace in a mature understanding of scripture that invites and gives life, rather than dictates and prohibits.
Join us for this incredible opportunity to hush the active world during Lent and to spend time with Rachel Held Evans as she invites us into our own deep and prayerful journeys with scripture, and helps us navigate biblical understanding in a contemporary world.
Cost is $40.00 per person. Full-time students with ID, $15. Includes lunch.
Click here
to register.
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Share What you Can: This Sunday, February 25, 2018
Our food drive here at Bethesda benefits C.R.O.S. Ministries Food Pantries, ensuring that families have access to healthy food.
This Sunday, February 25, please return the filled bag.
You may drop off the full bag on Barton Avenue (near the Rector's driveway) or at the circular driveway on Via Bethesda on or before the 8:00 a.m., 9:00 a.m., and 11:00 a.m. services.
Together we give thanks and "Share What You Can" with those in need. Thank you for your kind donation.
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5:45 to 6:30 p.m. | Community Supper | Parish Hall
The cost is $10 for adults; $5 for children under 12; $25 family max (payable at the door).
This week's menu: southern shrimp, cheesy grits with or without bacon, arugula salad, mixed vegetables, sliced baguettes, and chocolate cream pie. Kindly
RSVP here or call Ayana at (561) 655-4554.
*In order to properly plan and prepare the supper, we need your reservations by noon on Monday.
FEATURED CLASSES
6:30 to 7:40 p.m. |Listening to the Heartbeat of God; A Celtic Spirituality | Guild Room
We will spend these four weeks during Lent reading and discussing J. Philip Newell's seminal text describing the history and theology of Celtic spirituality. Regarded as the preeminent scholar in his field, Dr. Newell's text offers a spirituality for today drawn from the deep and rich well of Christianity from the British Isles based on the inherent principles of the goodness of creation and the
imago Dei
, that we are made in the image of God.
6:30 to 7:40 p.m. | Journey Back to God; A Lenten Discipline with the Society of St. John the Evangelist | Library
Sometimes it's difficult to slow down in these active weeks leading up to Easter, so we invite you to be a part of this weekly meditation and conversation using the Lenten curriculum from the brothers of the Society of St. John the Evangelist in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
RECURRING CLASSES
6:30 to 7:40 p.m. | Bible Study | ECW Room
From Genesis to the Revelation, reading the bible together is a meaningful way for us to deepen our faith while strengthening our ties to one another and the church community. Each Wednesday, Father Thomas and other clergy will offer an informal and instructive opportunity to study the Bible with a focus on historical perspective and scripture's meaning for us in the daily living of our lives. So, bring your bibles to the ECW Room--or use one of ours.
6:30 to 7:40 p.m. | Liturgy Group| Sunday School Hall
F
or all children in Kindergarten through 5th Grade who are interested in learning more about what we do on Sunday mornings in our worship services, the Wednesday Liturgy Class will teach them more about what we do and why. Over the course of the year we will explore elements of the Holy Eucharist more in-depth with our young people and also train them to become worship leaders for Sunday services. Topics will include communion, acolyting, music, the liturgical calendar, and saints. If you've ever wanted a class to teach your child about what we do in worship, don't miss this wonderful opportunity.
6:30 to 7:40 p.m. | Bethesda Youth Group | Youth Room
The Bethesda Youth Group will move from our traditional Thursday night meetings to Wednesday nights to join our Middle Way ministries. Come for dinner at 5:45 p.m. and stay for Youth Group until 7:40 p.m. The Bethesda Youth Group is a fellowship group open to all those in 6th through 12th Grade. Members also participate in monthly special events including our annual lock-in, service day, and camping trip to Peanut Island.
6:30 to 7:40 p.m. | Yoga | Parish Hall West
Physical therapist and yoga therapist, Emily Large, invites all adults for an evening of holistic worship through Christian yoga practice. Physical postures, relaxation, breath techniques, and mental focus create a holistic approach for worship as we will reflect on the themes associated with the liturgical calendar. A requested donation of $10 per class (payable at the door).
CLOSING PRAYER
7:45 to 8:00 p.m. | Compline | Church
An ancient, brief, and contemplative liturgy of the Christian tradition, compline offers an opportunity to give God thanks for the day behind us and pray for rest and safety in the night ahead. A fitting end to the day, compline offers a peaceful and meditative sacred time in the middle of our often frenetic weeks, as well as a beautiful conclusion to our Wednesday evenings together.
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The Vestry and Clergy of Bethesda by-the-Sea
invite you to an evening of fellowship in the Garden Chapel in celebration of the 2018 Annual Campaign.
Please choose whichever date works for you:
March 8 or 20
5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. in the Garden Chapel
Please R.S.V.P. to Turia Roebuck-Hayden
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Palm Beach Fellowship of Christians & Jews
presents
Pizza & Pathways...
in a World Turned Upside Down
Wednesday, Feb. 28 at 5:30 pm - St. Edward Parrish Hall
(165 N. County Road, Palm Beach)
Rabbi Howard Shapiro and Bethesda parishioner Tom O'Brien will screen and discuss the award-winning short film, "Veils," the first session of the Pizza & Pathways series; doors open at 5:15 p.m. and program begins 5:30 p.m. Pizza and beverages will be available at 5:15 p.m. RSVP requested at 561-833-6150 or
Click here.
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LENTEN RESOURCES IN THE SHOPPE
The festivity of Mardi Gras has come and gone, and we find Lent upon us already this year. But don't fret if you haven't located reading material to accompany your forty-day journey, because The Shoppe at Bethesda has stocked itself with several really wonderful texts specifically for Lent.
Click here for these and more
titles that you'll find on the shelves as well as short blurbs about each one. I have no doubt that you find a suitable book, guide, or bracket(!) that will be great company for you as we travel in the wilderness toward the cross. You may also click on the images of each book above to get more information.
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This Sunday's Readings in Context
Parishioner Tom O'Brien, a Canon and Examining Chaplain for Scripture of this diocese, writes brief background descriptions of the Sunday readings. We thank Tom for sharing his learning and love of Scripture with us in this way.
The reading discusses
one of the accounts of the covenant between God and Abraham and the disclosure by YHWH of the divine name as "El Shaddai." It also discusses how Paul used Abraham's faithfulness and righteousness (right relationships with God and man) as a basis to unify the Gentile Jesus Followers and the Jewish Jesus Followers in Rome in the early 60's CE.
Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16
Genesis is the first book of the Torah (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy). The Torah is also called the Pentateuch (five books) in Greek. Genesis covers the period from Creation to the deaths of Jacob and his 11th son, Joseph, in about 1,650 BCE, if the accounts are historical.
Genesis (like the Torah as a whole) is an amalgam of religious traditions, some of which are dated by scholars to about 950 BCE and some of which were developed as late as 450 BCE. Since the late 19th Century, Biblical scholars have recognized four major "strands" or sources in the Torah, and they are identified (among other ways) by their different theological emphases, names for God, names for the holy mountain, and portrayals of God's characteristics.
Today's reading is one of the three accounts of YHWH's covenant with Abraham to bless him with many descendants. It was written by the Priestly writers between 550 and 450 BCE. Although the readings today appeared to make an unconditional covenant with Abram about numerous offspring (v.2), the omitted verses (8 to 14) required Abram and his offspring to be circumcised. This made the covenant a conditional one in which both parties had obligations.
The reading is also about names. In the Hebrew Bible, one's name described who you were. Abram means "exalted ancestor" and has the same root as "Abba/father". He is renamed Abraham ("ancestor of a multitude") (v.5). Sarai's name was changed to Sarah ("princess") when Abraham was told that she (at age 90) would conceive and bear a son (v.15).
The Priestly writers took the position that the name YHWH was not known to the Israelites until the Exodus (Exodus 3 and 6). In today's reading, YHWH disclosed the divine name to Abram as "El Shaddai" - translated variously as "God Almighty" or "God of the Mountains" or even as "God with Breasts" (a fertile god).
Romans 4:13-25
Paul's letter to the Romans was his longest, last and most complex letter. It was written in the late 50s or early 60s (CE) to a Jesus Follower community that Paul did not establish. Among other messages in the letter, Paul sought to encourage respectful and supportive relationships between the Gentile Jesus Followers and the Jewish Jesus Followers in Rome.
Nero's predecessor (Claudius) expelled the Jews from Rome in 49 CE. During Nero's reign (54-68 CE), he allowed Jews (including Jewish Jesus Followers) to return, and this created tensions within the Jesus Follower Community. (They were not called "Christians" until the 80's.)
In today's reading, Paul held up Abraham as an example of "righteousness" (being in right relation with God and man) who was blessed by God, not because of the Law (which wasn't given until Sinai) but because of his faithfulness. Paul argued that through faithfulness to God who raised Jesus from the dead (v.24), both Gentile and Jewish Jesus Followers share in the faith of Abraham and are "justified" (i.e.in a righteous state with God and man as Abraham was).
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141 South County Road · Palm Beach, FL 33480
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Bethesda's Mission is to experience the clear and strong presence of God and to understand and spread Christ's teachings through collective worship, learning, and service.
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Funeral Services
Elizabeth Webb Feagans
March 17, 2018 at 10:30 a.m
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Lenten Services
Our 12:05 p.m. Wednesday
Eucharist during Lent will include congregational hymns and service music. Following each of those services, the Episcopal Church Women (ECW) will provide two homemade soups, along with salad and bread. The cost of the luncheon is $3, payable at the door.
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Music at Bethesda
Sunday, March 4 | 3:30 p.m.
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OPUS 2018 Chorale from Martin County High School with director Shane Thomas, Jr. will offer a recital at 3:30 p.m. An Evensong with The Bethesda Choir follows at 4:00 p.m. A free-will offering will be received, and a reception will follow in the Parish Hall. All are welcome and encouraged to atte
nd.
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Scholarship Grant Application
The application process for the Bethesda Memorial Scholarships is open until March 1, 2018. Further information is available on the website and application can be made via the website .
Click Here
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Calling All Knitters at Bethesda
Get those needles clicking and wrap someone in love! Parishioner Gloria McAllister is spearheading a ministry of shawls to give to our guests who come to Bethesda for our Homebound Eucharist during Easter Week. Our goal is 60 shawls, and we would love all who can to join in this beautiful and thoughtful ministry. If you are interested, please contact Father Burl at (561) 655-4554 x105 or
click here
to email him for the pattern and further instructions.
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We pray for...
Adele, Alan, Alexis, Angela, Annette, Bill, Billy, Bob, Brenda, Brittany, Carrie, Catharine, Cathy, Charlie, Debbie, Donald, Donna, Dorothy, Ellen, Enjoli, Evan, Fred, Garcia Family, Gary, Georgette, Gisela, Hadley, Holly, Huston Family, Jack, Jane, John, Katherine, Katie, Keeling, Leanne, Leslie, Lory, Mary, Matthew, Michael, Nita, Nolan Family, Pamela, Pat, Patrick, Peggy, Ralph, Rebecca, Rex, Richard, Ricky, Robbie, Robert, Sandra, Saraine, Schentrup Family, Scott, Stephen, Suzanne, Sylvia, Taryn, Teresa, Thomas, Tina, Tom, Tuske Family, Ward, Wheldon, and those serving our country...Alex, Benjamin, Christian, Clara, Eric, Harold, Herbert, John, Lorne, Michael, Sean, and Tommy.
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2017 Annual Report
now available!
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The Bethesda Spring Catalog is available...
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