| |
St. Paul tells the early Christians in the Church at Rome that God has given each of us gifts and equipped us with unique abilities to build up the Kingdom of God, and that is nowhere more evident than in the rich blessings of volunteers at Bethesda-by-the-Sea, who give of their talent and time to make this corner of the Kingdom a full and vibrant, holy place. Numbering in the hundreds, volunteers make invaluable contributions to our common life in Christ in this community in each of the core areas of ministry: Bethesda Cares, Education, Evangelism & Communications, Fellowship & Hospitality, Outreach, and Worship. Quite simply, we could not function without these many hands and feet of Christ and the gifts they bring.
This Sunday we will recognize those who have volunteered this past program year in the 66 ministries Bethesda offers. If you are one of these selfless volunteers, we encourage you to be at any of the services this Sunday and allow us to thank you for the work you do. If you do not count yourself within this number, we hope that you will look around when we recognize each ministry during the service and be inspired to join one or more, offering your own God-given talents to the glory of God's name and the building up of the Kingdom.
Father Burl+
Assistant for Christian Education and Pastoral Care
|
SUNDAY, May 14, 2017
Preacher: The Rector
*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. Adult Forum, Parish Hall
10:00 a.m. Bible Study, Guild Room
*#11:00 a.m. Morning Prayer and Holy Eucharist
12:15 p.m.
Coffee Hour, Parish Hall
12:15 p.m. Church Lecture Tour
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 3 is
available from 7:45 a.m. to 12:15 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.
|
Rector's Forum | 10:00 a.m. | Parish Hall
For the final adult forum of the program year, join Father James as we look back at the year behind and look ahead to an active summer at Bethesda and new program year in September.
Lectionary-Based Bible Study | 10:00 a.m. | Guild Room
Do you want to go deeper into the readings for today? Join us for a discussion of the collect, Old Testament, Psalm, New Testament, and Gospel readings, and how they inform our 21st century lives. Whether you've come from the service earlier in the day or are about to attend the later service, this class is sure to enhance your encounter with the holy scriptures.
Church Lecture Tour | 12:15 p.m. | Church
The tour will include 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.
|
High School and College Graduates
On Sunday, June 4, at the 10:00 a.m. service we will be recognizing young adults graduating from high school and college. If you or a family member would like to recognized in the June 4 leaflet, please e-mail the
full name to Greg at
knight@bbts.org
by noon on Monday, May 29.
|
The Feast of Pentecost |
Sunday, June 4
Holy Baptism and Holy Eucharist | 8:00 and 10:00 a.m. | Church
Holy Eucharist at 8:00 is a spoken Rite I service. New members will be baptized at the 10:00 a.m. service and music is provided by the Bethesda Choir. The Gospel will be read in many languages at both services.
Can you speak a different language?
We will read the Gospel in many languages at both services. If you are able to read the Gospel in another language and would like to participate in this service, please call Regine at the church at 655-4555 x117.
Pentecost Picnic | 11:15 a.m. | Garth and Parish Hall
At the end of the 10:00 a.m. service, the congregation is invited to our annual Pentecost Picnic in the Garth and Parish Hall. We will be serving chicken, hotdogs, hamburgers, and side dishes. Cost is $10; $5 for children under 12; Family Maximum $25.
|
about
Sunday Mornings at Bethesda
Members of the Vestry, staff, and other ministry leaders will gather again for Part 2 of our discussion and help us continue to engage in reflection and discussion about what Sunday mornings (and other times of the week) need to be for a church like Bethesda in the 21st century, in a culture that is less and less supportive of organized religion, in a setting with more and more other activities and events taking place on Sundays.
The last session of PART 2, is tonight
, May 11, at 6:30 p.m. This session will be a repeat on what we discussed on Sunday, May 7. A light dinner will be served in the Parish Hall.
|
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 7:55-60
The book, "The Acts of the Apostles," was written by the author of the Gospel According to Luke around 85 to 90 CE.
Today's reading presents the death by stoning of Stephen, the first martyr.
Stephen's story began in Chapter 6 when the apostles appointed Stephen as one of the first seven deacons (based on a Greek word "to serve") to distribute food to the widows of Jewish Jesus Followers and Gentile Jesus Followers.
Stephen is portrayed as performing signs and wonders. His opponents, however, seized him, brought him before a council, and falsely accused him of speaking against the Temple and the Law. He responded by giving a lengthy account of the stories of Ancient Israel including Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Joshua and David. (Some aspects are different from the stories in the Hebrew Bible because the author of Acts relied on the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible called the Septuagint.) Stephen concluded by accusing his opponents of being "stiff necked" and failing to follow the law.
In today's reading, as Stephen is facing death, he has a vision of "the Son of Man" standing at God's right hand. "Son of Man" is a term found both in Daniel and in Ezekiel, and is best understood as "THE Human Being" -- the best that a human can be. The reading concludes by noting that the witnesses to Stephen's death laid their coats at the feet of Saul - the Jewish version of the Roman name "Paul." Saul's "Damascus Road Experience" is recounted in Chapter 9 of Acts, and Paul is the main character in Chapters 15 to 28 of Acts. As Stephen dies, he asks God not to hold the sin against his executors, an echo of Luke 23:34 ("Father, forgive them") - words found only in the Gospel According to Luke.
1 Peter 2:2-10
In the First Century, it was not uncommon to write something in another person's name so that the writing would have extra "authority" - particularly when the writer believed he knew what the "authority" (in this case, Peter) would have said.
The First Letter of Peter was likely written in the last quarter of the First Century, long after Peter's death. It was written in sophisticated Greek and resembles the form of Paul's letters. Its focus is not on the earthly life of Jesus of Nazareth, but on the Resurrection and the affirmation that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah.
Today's reading contains the last (of five) directives to the Jesus Followers: to long for the means of spiritual nourishment. It emphasizes that we are all part of "a holy priesthood" (v.5) and that the Christian life is communal, not individual ("a chosen race, a holy nation, God's own people." (v.9)
|
|
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.
|
|
|
Please Note
On Tuesday, May 16, the majority of our staff will be attending a Planning for Wellness conference as part of our continuing education. The church will be open, however the front office will be closed and the phones will be auto-attendant.
|
Next Sunday, May 21
(Begin Two-Service Schedule, 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m.)
Bishop Peter Eaton's Visitation and Confirmation
Bishop Eaton will be at both services (8:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m.) next Sunday. He will confirm those in our Youth Confirmation Class. Bishop Eaton will join us in a reception to honor our confirmands.
|
|
Staff Update
After serving seven years at Bethesda, Sharon Lawrence McGee has resigned from her position as Financial Coordinator. We thank her for her ministry and wish her the best in this next phase of her life. Fred Staley and our Finance Subcommittee have a sound plan to ensure our ministries continue on course with proper accounting and financial management.
|
ECW Spring Annual Meeting
Celebrate "A Love of Art," with fellowship, wine, cheese, and all the trimmings at this year's Spring Annual Meeting with author, Deborah C. Pollack. Her fascinating book,
Palm Beach Visual Arts, showcases the beauty of our town. All our Parish women and their guests are welcome, and we hope our men will attend, as well. Come join the fun at our end of the year extravaganza! A $20 suggested donation is payable at the door. RSVP to
ecw@bbts.org.
|
Ascension Day
Thursday, May 25
Join us for worship with hymns at 12:05 p.m. in the Chancel.
|
The Bethesda Pilgrimage Group will be hosting a Trivia Night fundraiser. Get a team of eight people together or come on your own and we'll pair you up with a team. It's going to be a night of fun trivia, silent auctions, and more. All profits from the event will go to help the Bethesda Pilgrimage Group with costs for their summer trip. For more information, contact Greg Knight at (561) 655-4555 x114 or e-mail him at
knight@bbts.org.
|
Vacation Bible School
June 26 through June 30
This year at Bethesda's Vacation Bible School your children will explore the question "Who Is My Neighbor?" This will be an arts-based camp complete with different workshops that engage them in making their own art projects, singing songs and hymns, performing in creative drama and movement, playing games, and even having a hand in making their own snacks. VBS is open to all children age 3-9. The cost is $50 per child for the week payable at the door.
For more information, contact Greg Knight at (561) 655-4555 x114 or email him at
knight@bbts.org
.
|
The Church Mouse
Needs Your Help!
The Church Mouse is in need of your gently-used donations such as crystal, glassware, kitchen items, decorative ceramic, pottery, and art, men and women's clothing, shoes, handbags, scarves, hats, gloves, and belts.
We are always open for donations at the "Donor Door" located on the south side of the building, Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Scheduled donation pickups occur year round and can be arranged by calling us at (561) 659-2154.
|
We pray for...
Andy, Angela, Bianca, Bill, Bob, Caroline, Charlene, Claudia, Dalia,
Deborah,
Doug, Earl, Ellen, Eric, Evan, Evans, Geraldine, Greg, Holly, Jane, Jennifer, Jethro, Jill, Joaquin, John, Judith, Joy, Kathy, Karen, Katarina, Kehs Family, Kellie, Kimberly, Latta, Laniyah, Lawrence Family, Leigh, Lila Ann, Liv, Mariette, Mary, Matthew, McLeary Family, Meek Family, Michael, Mimi, Monique, Nancy, Pamela, Pat, Patti, Peggy, Penny, Pineiro Family, Plymel Family, Ralph, Rebecca, Renee, Ricky, Rita, Robert, Rosita, Saliyah, Stephen, Sylvia, Taryn, Thomas, Ward, William,
and those serving our country...
Benjamin, Clara, Erik, Harold, Herbert, John, Michael, Sean, and Tommy.
|
|
|
