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What is a pilgrimage? It's a little hard to explain in an elevator pitch. What I and all of our youth and chaperones who participated in our first pilgrimage walking the Camino de Santiago in northern Spain can tell you is that it's not a vacation. It's not a sight-seeing trip. And there are many times where it's not fun. Put simply, a pilgrimage is a journey. It is a religious discipline that traces its roots back many millennia and is practiced by several religious traditions. It is a literal journey in search of the Divine.
What is a pilgrimage for our high school students at Bethesda? It is a vital part of their education. Over the course of this year they have discerned a call to walk the Pilgrim's Way, a journey made famous by Chaucer in the Middle Ages and still practiced by Christians today. The route goes roughly from London to the cathedral in Canterbury. The walk will take five days, cover roughly 65-70 miles, and takes us through the southeast English countryside. We will stop for prayers six times per day. We will take only what we need. We will live off of the hospitality of those who assist us. We will support each other in Christian love and encounter the stories of other Christians from around the world who happen to be walking the path with us. We will be emptied in need of being filled by something, perhaps a great thing. We will search for God in all things, our neighbors, our hosts, our friends, the path we walk, and the cathedral we ultimately seek.
Any work that our young people do in their community or as part of their mission years, which we just had in 2016 and will do again in 2018, is predicated on understanding what it means to encounter the human condition. Often, those we serve are desperate for help, for compassion, for empathy. The pilgrimage years, like the one we are experiencing in 2017, allow our young people to experience standing in the need of prayer, hospitality, and care as they walk with sore feet carrying all their possessions on their back for hours on end each day. By experiencing need, we have a greater sense of how we meet need in the world. Pray for our young people. Ask them questions about their journey to this point. Encourage them on their way. It is the love of this community that will see them through this journey and beyond.
The Bethesda Youth Pilgrimage is June 6-13. We have 17 pilgrims this year.
Greg Knight
Director of Children & Youth Ministries
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SUNDAY, JANUARY
22, 2017
Preacher: The Rector
- Parking Permitted from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. -
*8:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist
8:45 a.m. Coffee Hour, Parish Hall
*9:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist
9:00 a.m. Children's Worship, Sunday School Hall
10:00 a.m. Pre-K Class, Sunday School Hall
10:00 a.m. Kindergarten & 1st Grade Class, Sunday School Hall
10:00 a.m. 2nd & 3rd Grade Class,
Sunday School Hall
10:00 a.m. 4th & 5th Grade Class,
Sunday School Lounge
10:00 a.m. 6th & 7th Grade Pre- Confirmation Class, Library
10:00 a.m. 8th Grade Confirmation Class,
ECW Room
10:00 a.m. 9th-12th Grade Pilgrimage Group, Youth Room
10:00 a.m. Ministry Fair, Parish Hall
*#11:00 a.m. Morning Prayer and Holy Eucharist
12:15 p.m. Coffee Hour, Parish Hall
12:15 p.m. Church Lecture Tour
* Nursery care for infants through age 3 is
available from 7:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
# These services will be live-streamed.
You may watch the service online
HERE
.
Click here to view the service leaflet for this Sunday.
Click here to view this week's Bethesda Happenings.
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.
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Ministry Fair |
10:00 a.m. | Parish Hall
If you missed Bethesda's Annual Ministry Fair in September, we encourage you to attend a smaller version this Sunday, January 22. This is the perfect opportunity to learn about and to sign-up to volunteer in our different ministries.
Church Lecture Tour | 12:15 p.m. | Church
We offer a Church Lecture Tour every second and fourth Sunday of the month. The tour includes information about architecture and the beautiful embellishments of the church. The tour is presented by Ann Elizabeth Hall and members of the Church Lecture Tour Committee. This tour is open to anyone interested in learning more about our beautiful church.
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CELEBRATE BETHESDA
Commending our Past & Embracing our Future
Annual Meeting and Parish Picnic
Sunday, January 29, 2017
- Please note there will NOT be a 9:00 a.m. service -
8:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist
9:30 a.m. Annual Meeting
including Election of Vestry members, Parish Hall
11:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist
12:15 p.m. Parish Picnic: $10 Adults; $5 Children under 12 years old; $30 Family Max.
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Nominees for Vestry
Arthur (Sandy) Burdett Michelle Diffenderfer
Paul Coombs Peggy Johnson
Click here to view the nominees' biographies and pictures or pick up a Vestry brochure in the Narthex.
Nominees for Diocesan Convention Delegates
Tom O'Brien Jan Shoobridge
Michael Smyser Ben Williams (Alternate)
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6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. | Wednesday, January 18
Community Supper
6:00 to 6:30 p.m. (serving starts at 5:45 p.m.) | Parish Hall
The cost is $10 for adults; $5 for children under 12; $25 family max (payable at the door).
This week we will serve garden salad, sausage and peppers in red sauce, white rice, sauteed vegetables, bread, and oatmeal raisin cookies. 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.
Cantate Choir
6:30 to 7:40 p.m. | Choir Room
This intergenerational choir is open to adults of all ages and to youth as young as third grade. Contact Jessica Hitchcock at hitchcock@bbts.org. Please note: We will rehearse this Wednesday, January 4.
Modern Scholarship Meets the Bible
6:30 to 7:40 p.m. | Guild Room
Do you guilt trip yourself because you think you ought to know the Bible better? Does reading the Bible intimidate you? Bore you? Then this seven-week course is for you! Using PowerPoint slides that reflect modern scholarship about the Bible (including archeology and linguistics), Tom O'Brien will help you become a more informed (and better) Bible reader.
Bethesda at Its Best!
6:30 to 7:40 p.m. | Library
Come one, come all for a behind-the-scenes look at what makes Bethesda the special place that it is. Over a series of four weeks, join the clergy and vestry as we discuss the history, mission, and organization of this remarkable parish and how each of these beautiful threads comes together into a diverse and spirit-filled tapestry. Whether you've been here for years or a couple of weeks, you're invited to join this great conversation on Wednesday evenings through February 1.
Yoga
6:30 to 7:40 p.m. | Parish Hall
Physical therapist and yoga instructor, Emily Large, invites all adults for an evening of yoga. A requested donation of $10 per class.
Compline
7:45 to 8:00 p.m. | Church
A fitting end to our Wednesday evenings, compline offers a peaceful and meditative sacred time in the middle of our often frenetic weeks.
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Three Events, One Cause:
Eat a meal - Make a meal - Share a meal
Palm Beach Empty Bowls: Friday, February 3, 2017, 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. 100% of the proceeds go directly to the Palm Beach County Food Bank. Please join the committee to put on this event or simply come and enjoy a delicious soup lunch at Bethesda (or order take out).
We REALLY need volunteers. If you can help please,
click here and fill out the form.
Palm Beach Unites: Sunday, February 12, 2017, 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Come participate in one of three, 60 minute shifts at the Palm Beach Day Academy and be a part of packaging 150,000 healthy meals for those in need.
We REALLY need volunteers. If you work one or more shifts please,
click here and fill out the form.
Share What you Can: Sunday, February 19 & 26, 2017. Our food drive here at Bethesda benefits C.R.O.S. Ministries Food Pantries, ensuring that families have access to healthy food. Together we give thanks and "Share What You Can" with those in need.
Be sure to pick up a bag and food list on February 19 and return the full bag on February 26.
Click here for more information about Feeding in February.
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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.
Isaiah 9:1-4
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 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 a seven-verse "insert" that doesn't fit well with the chapters and verses before and after it. These verses describe a new king (likely Hezekiah who overcame the Assyrian siege of Jerusalem in 701 BCE) who will restore lands of two of the Tribes of Israel (Naphtali and Zebulun) taken by the Assyrians in 733. In verse 4, the author recalls the victory of Gideon and 300 men with trumpets over the Midianites (Judges 7:15-25), and says the king will remove the yoke of military oppression imposed on Israel.
1 Corinthians 1:10-18
Corinth, a large port city in Greece, was among the early Jesus Follower communities that Paul founded. Its culture was Hellenistic and emphasized reason and secular wisdom. In addition to Paul, other Jesus Followers also taught in Corinth, sometimes in ways inconsistent with Paul's understandings of what it means to be a Jesus Follower.
Today's reading from the opening chapter of the letter follows last week's reading. In it, Paul calls for unity among the Corinthian Jesus Followers. He emphasizes that loyalty to a single teacher or to one's baptizer is not proper, and notes that Christ is not divisible. Paul identifies "eloquent wisdom" (v.17) as the cause of the divisions and a threat to the power of the cross of Christ.
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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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Blog by the Sea
Click here to read our latest blog post, A gift for his Wife by Daisy Alvarez.
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Temple Israel hosts its second of four Courageous Conversations, this one entitled "Suicide Prevention and Mental Illness Issues Facing Our Community." These four Conversations address pressing issues in Palm Beach County, and the next two, discussions about gun violence and prevention and race relations, will be held in March and May respectively. Bethesda, along with local foundations and communities of faith, have joined with Temple Israel to sponsor these conversations, and members of our parish are warmly invited to attend.
T
emple Israel is located at 1901 North Flagler Drive West Palm Beach 33407 (parking lot and entrance are on Pine Street).
For more information or to RSVP, call (561) 833-8421.
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Palm Beach Fellowship Interfaith Dialogue
Palm Beach Fellowship will present an Interfaith Dialogue on "Do Jews, Christians and Muslims Worship the Same God?" The conversations will be among Rabbi Howard Shapiro, Imam Nasir Ahmed, and Tom O'Brien, and begin at 5:30 p.m. and will end at 6:45 p.m. with time for questions and answers until 7:00 p.m. Admission is free for Fellowship Members and a $10 offering is requested from non-members to cover expenses. All are welcome to attend!
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Women at the Well Winter Bible Study
This year we will be studying the Old Testament Book of Psalms. Each week we will explore the beauty and power of the Psalms in both poetry and prayer. All women are welcome. Deacon Cecie Titcomb, Ellen Kaufman, and Vivian Chen will once again lead the group. The cost is $10. For more information and sign up please call Ayana at the church office (561) 655-4554.
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Bible Study Boot Camp (BSBC) is geared toward women 25-55 with all levels of experience in studying Scripture. The group will focus on Paul's letter to the Philippians. Feel free to drop in and bring a lunch, no RSVP required. Click here for more information or to e-mail Rachel Supple now.
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We pray for...
Andy, Antje, April, Bill, Bob, Brooks, Caroline, Carolyn, Catharine, Catherine, Chad, Chris, Claudia, David, Debbie, Della, Denny, Diana, Drew, Earl, Ed, Ellen, Eric, Eugene, Evan, Eve, Ginny, Glen, Hal, Harold, Helen, Holly, James, Jane, Janey, Janine, Jeffrey, Joan, Jodie, Joe, John, Joyce, Kehs Family, Kimberly, Kirsten, Leslie, Lois, Mandy, Mariella, Matthew, Meghan, Michael, Milton, Pat, Patti, Peg, Peggy, Pineiro Family, Ralf, Rebecca, Robin, Ryan, Sandra, Scott, Stephen, Taryn, Thomas, Tom, Vincenza, Vince, Ward, William,
and those serving our country...
Benjamin, Clara, Erik, Harold, Herbert, John, Mantis, Michael, and Tommy.
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Fall Catalog
available!
Click here to view our complete catalog for the season.
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