July 20, 2017


Sunday Conversations Update: The Results
 
Get ready folks, we are on the brink of a new season! Not just a new season this calendar year, but a new season at Bethesda. We are embarking on a new approach to the core of our community life: Sunday mornings.
 
As you may recall, we held a series of Sunday Morning Conversations this past spring as a result of our strategic planning and of feedback from other parish gatherings over the past several years. It became clear that we share several longings for our Sunday morning together, though we did not see the same clarity regarding how best to address those longings. The principal longings expressed throughout this process are:
  1. Greater opportunity on Sunday morning for fellowship (with good food). People want to get to know each other better.
    Following that...
  2. More time for Christian education, Bible study, spiritual discussion, testimonials.
  3. Need to attract more younger members, get their participation in the service.
  4. More personal connection with the clergy. Clergy need to be available during fellowship time.
  5. A desire for a less congested timetable.
  6. Shorter services.
We considered different schedules, types of content, and approaches to our various liturgies. In the end, we felt it too big a change to modify the basic schedule; so we will continue with our three-service Sunday morning beginning in September as we have in the past.
 
HOWEVER, that does not mean that we will not see a different Sunday morning. Oh no. We are significantly re-working our plans for fellowship and food, the scheduling of our clergy, the Education hour, and the 9:00 a.m. service to address as faithfully as we can those longings. We also intend to make smaller adjustments to other aspects of our Sunday offerings as well.
 
In the coming weeks, we will present various aspects of our new Sunday mornings in this weekly e-mail. We will also send a parish letter in the first part of August that will detail this as well. We want everyone to look forward with excitement and readiness to the fresh start we will experience when we begin this season in September. We as human beings and as children of God are always growing in our faith, and our parish life must also grow and evolve along with us and the world around us. This work, faithfully led by Vestry member Barbara Callahan and a diverse team of parishioners and staff, will enable just that: our growth and vibrant life as Christians, full of the joy of loving and serving our Lord.
 
Father James+
Rector

SUNDAY, JULY 23, 2017
Preacher: The Rector

*8:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist
8:45 a.m. Coffee Hour, Parish Hall
9:00 a.m. Summer Choir, Choir Room
*#10:00 a.m. Morning Prayer and Holy Eucharist
11:15 a.m. Coffee Hour, Parish Hall
11:15 a.m. Church Tour

PARKING: Persons attending Sunday services will be allowed to park on ALL of Barton Avenue and Pendleton Avenue
without receiving a ticket until 12:30 p.m.

* nursery care for infants through age 3 is
available from 7:45 a.m. to 11:15 a.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. 

Summertime Luncheon
Tuesday, August 8 | 12:00 p.m. | The Chesterfield
During the summer, the Episcopal Church Women (ECW) arrange Summertime Luncheons so that all men and women of Bethesda can get together to relax and enjoy being together. The final luncheon of the summer will be on Tuesday, August 8, at noon at The Chesterfield located at 363 Cocoanut Row, Palm Beach. The cost is $25 for the prix fixe menu which includes a non-alcoholic drink and tip, payable at the door. You may sign up on Sunday in the Cloister or during the week by calling Ayana at (561) 655-4554, or e-mailing ecw@bbts.org.
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.

During the 2017 Pentecost Season, alternative readings from the Hebrew Bible are offered.  Scripture in Context will discuss both readings and the reading from the Christian Scriptures.
 
Genesis 28:10-19a
Today's story occurred after Jacob (with Rebekah's connivance) tricked Isaac into giving him the blessing that should have gone to Jacob's older twin brother, Esau.  Jacob and Esau parted company, and Isaac directed Jacob to go to Haran (where Abraham came from) to find a suitable (i.e. non-Canaanite) wife.
 
Enroute, Jacob dreamt of a ladder (or stairway) with angels descending and ascending from heaven to earth. In Jacob's dream, YHWH stood beside Jacob and reaffirmed the promise of extensive lands and many offspring that was made to Abraham in various forms in Genesis 12.
 
When Jacob awoke, he said this was a holy place and the "house of God" (v.19).  He named the place "Bethel" because in Hebrew, "Beth" means house (as in "Bethlehem" - house of bread), and "el" is the most ancient name for God.  The suffix "el" appears in many names that have meanings "of God" such as Gabriel (God is my strength), Daniel (God is my judge) and the like.   
 
Isaiah 44:6-8
The Book of Isaiah is a composite of writings from three distinct periods in Israel's history.  Chapters 1-39 are called "First Isaiah" and were written by "Isaiah of Jerusalem" in the 20 years before Jerusalem was under direct siege by the Assyrians in 701 BCE.  "Second Isaiah" is Chapters 40 to 55 and brings hope to the Judeans during the time of the Exile in Babylon (587 to 539 BCE) by telling them they have suffered enough and will return to Jerusalem. "Third Isaiah" is Chapters 56 to 66 and gives encouragement to the Judeans who returned to Jerusalem after the Exile.
 
Today's reading is part of Second Isaiah in which the prophet speaks for YHWH to the Judeans in Exile and reassures them that YHWH is "first and last" (v.6), unique (v.7) and the "rock" upon which they can rely (v.8).
 
Romans 8:12-25
Paul's letter to the Romans is his longest, last, and theologically most complex letter. It was written in the late 50s or early 60s (CE) - about ten years before the first Gospel (Mark) was written.
 
Today's reading continues Paul's extended discussion of sin, the flesh, and the Spirit. For Paul, "the flesh" is our human tendency towards self-centeredness and self-interest. "Sin" is our personal egoism that leads to "death" (both spiritual and physical). Life in the Spirit of God (or the Spirit of Christ Jesus) leads to wholeness and life. Paul emphasizes that as children of God, we are heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ - if we suffer with him.  This suffering can take many forms, including rejection by those who embrace the values of the world/the flesh.  Paul also introduces the sense of "now, but not yet" in terms of the glory to be revealed, and that God's purposes for us are greater than the present time would indicate. 
141 South County Road · Palm Beach, FL 33480
(561) 655-4554 ·  www.bbts.org
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.
Save Your Samples
As you travel, remember to save the small soaps, shampoos, conditioners, lotions, etc. found in your hotel room. Every year Bethesda's Port Ministry arranges a 200+ gift bags for sailors who are at sea on Christmas Day. We will be collecting your items in fall.
Summer Choir
There's no need to be a professional singer; all you need is a pleasant voice and some basic music-reading ability. Rehearsals begin in the Choir Room promptly at 9:00 a.m. on Sunday mornings as the choir prepares music for the 10:00 a.m. service. This choir continues through the second Sunday of September. Please join us when you can!
Our office hours will be  9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. 
Monday through Thursday and  9:00 a.m. to noon on Fridays  (church and grounds will remain open until 5:00 p.m.).
We pray for...  
Alex, Andy, Angela, Ann Marie, Ann, Annie, Ava, Betty, Bill, Bob, Brooklyn, Chris, Cindy, Claudia, Debbie, Don, Edward, Ellen, Eric, Feldeisen Family, Fritz, Gene, Geraldine, Greg, Grier, Holly, Jane, Jerry, John, Justin, Kehs Family, Kimberly, Laniyah, Lee, Leigh, Lesley, Linda, Marcia, Mary, Mat, Matthew, Miessau Family, Mitchell, Moseley Family, Pam, Pat, Patricia, Patti, Paulette, Peggy, Phyllis, Pineiro Family, Ralph, Rebecca, Renée, Richard, Ricky, Robert, Saliyah, Sandra, Sharon, Stephen, Stuart, Sylvia, Tamara, Taryn, Thomas, Trish, Ward, William and those serving our country... Benjamin, Clara, Eric, Erik, Harold, Herbert, John, Michael, Sean, and Tommy.
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