| |
Were you there? Will you be there? The Triduum Sacrum is now upon us, and, as in the stunning anthem offered this past Sunday, we are asked, "Were you there?" The Triduum actually includes four days beginning today: Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Day. The liturgies for these days are like no others; they are holy, contemplative, unifying, penitential, joyous, and transforming. In these liturgies, we experience the fullness of our humanity and the magnitude of God's love as we participate fully in all of them. In fact, the Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Vigil services really are one liturgy that continues over these next days. And just as we are asked, "Were you there?" we are also implicitly asked, "Will you be there?" Will we step away from the demands and distractions of our lives for just a bit of time this week to walk the way of the cross with Jesus and with our sisters and brothers? I promise you, this is worth the time and effort.
Our entire schedule is in this email, on our website, and available around the church. Come to our traditional lamb stew supper and Maundy Thursday liturgy this evening. Join us midday tomorrow for meditations on several exquisite hymn texts and Fauré's
Requiem. The Great Vigil of Easter takes place on Saturday night at 6:00 p.m. and begins in darkness, then continues by candlelight. Easter Day will include our customary four services at 6:00 a.m. in the Garden Chapel, 7:30 a.m with the Cantate Choir. The 9:00 and 11:00 a.m. services will feature the Bethesda Choir with organ, brass, and percussion as usual.
In addition, everyone is encouraged to come sit watch for a half-hour or hour overnight between the Maundy Thursday liturgy and our 8:00 a.m. Good Friday service, a service that includes Communion from the reserved sacrament. The Way of the Cross will be led by our Youth Confirmation Class at 4:00 p.m. on Friday.
New this year, we will hold a Spring Carnival and Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday from 10:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m.
Please make sure to look in this email for information on traffic and parking for Sunday. We have a great plan to help everyone come and celebrate the Resurrection. Please don't let the fear of crowds keep you away. There is no better place to be on Sunday than here with our parish family and with the gift of sharing God's love with many guests.
Whew! That's a lot going on. Yet, really, it's only these few days of the year that we purpose to focus so singularly on the Paschal Mystery of Christ's life, death, and resurrection through these special, holiest liturgies of the year. So, come be a part of this sacred time and let your heart and soul be fed and lifted up by God's life-changing love in Jesus Christ.
Father James+
Rector
|
Triduum & Easter Offerings
Thursday, April 13 - Maundy Thursday
(Parking Permitted from 5:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.)
6:30 p.m. Maundy Thursday Supper, Parish Hall
[reservations required]
7:30 p.m. Holy Eucharist and Stripping of the Altars
10:00 p.m. All-Night Watch begins
Friday, April 14 - Good Friday
(Parking Permitted from 11:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.)
*8:00 a.m. Watch ends; The Good Friday Liturgy, with Holy Communion from the Reserved Sacrament
12:00 p.m. The Good Friday Liturgy with meditations by the Bethesda clergy and music by the Bethesda Choir, including the
Requiem of Gabriel Fauré with chamber orchestra
4:00 p.m. The Way of the Cross
Saturday, April 15 - Easter Eve
(Parking Permitted from 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.)
10:00 a.m. Spring Carnival and Easter Egg Hunt, Garth
6:00 p.m. The Great Vigil of Easter: Lighting of the New Fire, Holy Baptism, First Eucharist of Easter and Homily with
music by the Bethesda Choir
(with Incense)
Sunday, April 16 - Easter Day
(Parking details are included in the Fact Sheet below)
Child-care available for infants through age 2 on Easter Day.
*6:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist in the Cluett Garden
7:30 a.m. Holy Eucharist
; music by the Cantate Choir
9:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist; music by the Bethesda Choir with brass and percussion
#11:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist; music by the Bethesda Choir with brass and percussion
Overflow seating in the Parish Hall--with audio and video simulcast--is available at the 9:00 and 11:00 a.m. services.
Thursday, April 20 - Easter Homebound Holy Eucharist & Luncheon
12:05 p.m. Homebound Service with Holy Eucharist
12:45 p.m. Homebound Luncheon, Parish Hall
PARKING: Persons attending Sunday services will be allowed to park on ALL of Barton Avenue and Pendleton Avenue
without receiving a ticket.
* no music
# 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.
|
Easter Day Worship
FACT SHEET
As we prepare for the joyous resurrection of our Lord on Easter Day, below are some practical tips that will help ensure a more worshipful experience for parishioners and visitors alike this Sunday at Bethesda.
Parking for Easter Day
Similar to recent weekends in Palm Beach, there will be different traffic patterns around Bethesda as there may be around town in general. Be sure to use the middle or north bridge to come to church.
The following parking is available on Sunday:
- Pendleton Avenue (South County Road to Cocoanut Row)
- Barton Avenue, west of South County Road (but NOT east)
- All of Clarke Avenue (Ocean Boulevard to Cocoanut Row)
- South County Road
- Via Bethesda is available only for drop-off and properly- marked handicap parking
PLEASE NOTE the special parking allowance will end at 1:00 p.m. Cars will be ticketed starting at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday.
6:00 a.m. Service (in the Garden Chapel)
- Please enter the grounds from the west lawn (in front of the church).
- We encourage you to stand for the short service. For those who prefer to sit, we invite you to sit in the chapel area or request a chair from an usher.
- Flashlights will be available from an usher.
7:30 a.m. Service
- Please enter the grounds from the west lawn (in front of the church).
- The music will be provided by the Cantate Choir.
- Please help us tidy up the church by leaving your leaflet at the entrances/exits of the church and not in the pews.
9:00 a.m. Service
- Please enter the grounds from the west lawn (in front of the church).
- This service will be live-streamed at www.bbts.org/worship/live-streaming/
- Overflow seating will be available in the Parish Hall. Sitting in the Parish Hall has some advantages: cushioned seats and a great view of the liturgy from six cameras in the nave. Clergy are present in the Parish Hall to help lead the service. Best of all, those in the Parish Hall walk over to the nave to receive communion first.
- Our ushers will direct everyone who wishes to receive communion to stations. Those worshiping in the Parish Hall will come in first, followed by those in the nave. The leaflet has detailed directions that will help everyone find their way.
- Seats will be reserved in the nave for people who are serving in some capacity at that service (the lay readers assigned to that service, for example). Please understand that if no Bethesda staff or clergy has specifically told you that a seat is saved for you, there is not a seat saved for you in the church.
- The music will be provided by the Bethesda Choir with brass and percussion.
- Please help us tidy up the church by leaving your leaflet at the entrances/exits of the church and not in the pews.
11:00 a.m. Service
- Please enter the grounds from the west lawn (in front of the church).
- This service will be live-streamed at www.bbts.org/worship/live-streaming/
- Overflow seating will be available in the Parish Hall. Sitting in the Parish Hall has some advantages: cushioned seats and a great view of the liturgy from six cameras in the nave. Clergy are present in the Parish Hall to help lead the service. Best of all, those in the Parish Hall walk over to the nave to receive communion first.
- Our ushers will direct everyone who wish to receive communion to stations. Those worshiping in the Parish Hall will come in first, followed by those in the nave. The leaflet has detailed directions that will help everyone find their way.
- Seats will be reserved in the nave for people who are serving in some capacity at that service (the lay readers assigned to that service, for example). Please understand that if no Bethesda staff or clergy has specifically told you that a seat is saved for you, there is not a seat saved for you in the church.
- The music will be provided by the Bethesda Choir with brass and percussion.
- Please help us tidy up the church by leaving your leaflet at the entrances/exits of the church and not in the pews.
Most importantly, it's Easter. This is a time of great joy and festivity, rightly celebrated together in church-with friends and pilgrims unknown. Please come ready to join in and to share the joy!
|
Maundy Thursday, April 13
Lamb Stew Supper | 6:30 p.m. | Garth and Parish Hall
We serve a simple traditional Middle Eastern dinner of slow simmered spring lamb stew with vegetables, green salad, pita bread with feta cheese, assorted olives and grapes, and tea and water. Macaroni and cheese is also available. The cost is $10 for adults and $5 for children. The Maundy Thursday service follows the dinner at 7:30 p.m. RSVP to Ayana Pineiro at 655-4554 or e-mail rsvp@bbts.org.
Maundy Thursday Service | 7:30 p.m. | Church
Maundy Thursday takes its name from the Latin word mandatum, which means commandment. It reminds us that at the Last Supper Jesus gave the disciples and us a new commandment to love one another as he loves us. Our Maundy Thursday observance begins with a lamb stew supper in the Garth or Parish Hall and ends in darkness as we strip the altar and all process out of the nave in silence and darkness.
for Lent and Easter.
|
Resumes Wednesday, April 26 | 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
6:00 to 6:30 p.m. (serving starts at 5:45 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 we will serve Caesar salad, vegetable lasagna, mixed vegetables, garlic bread, and banana pudding with fresh bananas and vanilla wafers. 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.
Living the Questions
| Guild Room
Living the Questions (LTQ) is a series of informative videos in which leading scholars and theologians explore Christian beliefs and practices. Using videos produced by LTQ, Father Burl and Tom O'Brien will lead an interactive conversation with participants about the issues raised in the video presentations.
Palm Beach History-The Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach
| Library
In these final three meetings of The Middle Way this spring, staff of The Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach will join us for a conversation about the three Bethesdas and our parish's role in the larger community of Island of Palm Beach. A fitting close to the first year of The Middle Way, these evenings together will focus on our parish's past, its buildings, and the people who provided a legacy for future generations as we continue to grow into who God calls us to be in the twenty-first century.
RECURRING CLASSES
6:30 to 7:40 p.m.
Cantate Choir | Choir Room
This intergenerational choir is open to adults of all ages and to youth as young as third grade. Contact
cantate@bbts.org
for more information.
Yoga
| Parish Hall
Physical therapist and yoga instructor, Emily Large, invites all adults for an evening of yoga. A requested donation of $10 per class.
7:45 to 8:00 p.m.
Compline | Church
A fitting end to our Wednesday evenings, compline offers a peaceful and meditative sacred time in the middle of our often frenetic weeks.
|
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.
Acts 10:34-43
The book called "The Acts of the Apostles" was written by the author of the Gospel According to Luke. The first 15 chapters of Acts are a didactic "history" of the early Jesus Follower Movement starting with an account of the Ascension of Jesus and ending (in Chapter 15) at the so-called Council of Jerusalem in 49 CE. According to Acts, at the Council, it was agreed by the elders of the Jesus Follower Movement that Gentiles did not have to be circumcised or keep all the kosher dietary laws in order to become Jesus Followers.
Today's reading is a synopsis of the entire Gospel According to Luke, and is delivered by Peter when he is asked to baptize the Roman centurion, Cornelius. In the verses that follow today's reading, Peter notes that Cornelius had received the Holy Spirit. He therefore baptized him, even though he was a Gentile. At the Council of Jerusalem, the Baptism of Cornelius was referred to by Peter as a reason for permitting Gentiles to become Jesus Followers (15:7-8).
Jeremiah 31:1-6
After the righteous King Josiah was killed in battle in 609 BCE, the fortunes of Judea took a sharp downward turn. Babylon threatened Judea's existence, and Judea had a series of hapless kings from 609 until Jerusalem was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BCE. The Babylonians deported some Judean leaders in 597 and a larger number of them in 586 (the beginning of the Babylonian Exile). Jeremiah's prophesy (i.e. speaking for Yahweh) began around 609 and continued until 586 BCE when he died in Egypt.
In today's reading, the prophet speaks for YHWH to say that all the families of Israel (the 12 Tribes) will be restored, just as the Israelites were restored in the Exodus. They will again take their tambourines (v.4), just as Miriam (Moses' sister) and the women used tambourines to celebrate passing through the Sea of Reeds (Ex. 15:20).
Colossians 3:1-4
Colossae was a town in what is now western Turkey. A Jesus Follower community was founded there by Paul's associate, Epaphras (1:7). The letter is short and expresses concern about practices that were inconsistent with Paul's understanding of being a Jesus Follower. Scholars debate whether it was written by Paul or his disciples in the decade after Paul's death in 63 CE.
In today's reading, the author expresses an eschatological vision - not the end of the world, but an end of the world as the Colossians knew it. He urges the Colossians, as persons who have already "been raised with Christ," to focus on heavenly matters rather than earthly concerns. The statement "for you have died" (v.3) is a reference back to "If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the universe" (2:20) - you are no longer limited by the four primal elements.
|
|
141 South County Road · Palm Beach, FL 33480
|
|
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.
|
|
|
Spring Carnival and Easter Egg Hunt
We're bringing back our Spring Carnival on Saturday, April 15. It will be a fun-filled event for all ages. We will have inflatable games, food, an antiques/used books marketplace, and multiple Easter egg hunts for various ages. Invite your friends to come experience a wonderful Spring celebration!
|
2017 Lent and Easter Schedule
|
All-Night Watch, Maundy Thursday,
April 13 & Good
Friday, April 14
The Watch in the church begins at 10:00 p.m., continues through the night, and ends on Good Friday at the Mass of the Presanctified. We need volunteers to take turns spending an hour in quiet meditation and prayer, keeping vigil with our Lord. This devotional practice has been a part of Holy Week tradition since the early church. An hour may be kept by one or more persons. Look for the sign-up sheets in the Narthex. If you have any questions, please contact Greg at
knight@bbts.org.
|
Reception for
Mother Kimberly
Sunday, April 30
12:15 p.m. | Parish Hall
Join us following the 11:00 a.m. service to give God thanks for Mother Kimberly's faithful ministry at Bethesda as Associate for Outreach and Development. If you would like to show Kimberly your appreciation by making a monetary gift, they can be sent to the church or given at the reception, checks should be made out to her.
|
Thursday, April 20
This special event is a worship service and luncheon for those who, due to health reasons, are unable to attend the regular Easter services.
For more information or to volunteer, email ecw@bbts.org or call the church office at (561) 655-4554.
|
ECW Diocesan Annual Meeting
Saturday, April 29
We will host approximately 150 Episcopal women from our diocese for a worship service. Many hands are needed to welcome these women.
For more information or to volunteer, email
ecw@bbts.org
or call the church office at (561) 655-4554.
|
We pray for...
Andy, Angela, Bianca, Bill, Cellie, Charlene, Claudia, Dalia, David, DeShawn, Doug, Ed, Ellen, Eric, Evan, Geraldine, Ginny, Holly, Horta, Hunter, Jane, Jennifer, Jerry, Jethro, Joaquin, Joe, John, Joyce, KJ, Karen, Katarina, Kehs Family, Kimberly, Kitty, Lada, Laniyah, Lawrence Family, Leslie, Lila Ann, Lorentzen Family, Maria, Mary, Matthew, Miryam, Nancy, Oba, Pamela, Pat, Patti, Peggy, Pineiro Family, Pollard Family, Rebecca, Richard, Ricky, Rita, Robbie, Rosellen, Saliyah, Shirley, Stephen, Taryn, Taylor, Terry, Thomas, Toinette, Tonia, Trudi, Ward, Weiss Family,
and those serving our country...
Benjamin, Clara, Erik, Harold, Herbert, John, Mantis, Michael, and Tommy.
|
|
|
