| |
On the first and final Sundays in Lent, we begin the 11:00 a.m. service with the Great Litany, an ancient and complex series of penitential petitions that Christians have prayed since at least the fifth century. The prayers are so central to Christian liturgy, in fact, that they were the first rite translated from Latin to English by Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury under Henry VIII, in 1544, when he gathered the petitions into their present order. The Litany begins with an invocation of the Trinity and continues with petitions for deliverance from evil, spiritual harm, and natural calamities; pleas for the power of Christ's Incarnation, life, death, and resurrection for deliverance; and prayers of general intercession, concluding with both the
Agnus Dei (O Lamb of God...) and the
Kyrie (Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy, Lord have mercy).* At Bethesda, we intone (chant) the petitions while in procession, the congregation responding to each grouping of petitions with a different text. Slow, steady, and intentional, praying the Great Litany is a beautiful way to begin and end Lent, that season of penitence and introspection that leads us to Holy Week and Christ's death upon the cross for our redemption, and it is our hope that praying the Litany this Sunday will afford us each that beauty of solemn holiness at the beginning of this season.
Father Burl +
Associate for Christian Education & Pastoral Care
* From
"An Episcopal Dictionary of the Church, A User Friendly Reference for Episcopalians," Don S. Armentrout and Robert Boak Slocum, editors.
|
|
This Sunday's Offerings
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 eggs, bacon, hashbrowns, croissants, muffins, and fruit & cheese platters.
Adult Forum: Gracious Uncertainty: Faith in the Second Half of Life with The Rev. Jane Sigloh | Sunday, February 18 | 9:50 a.m. | Parish Hall East
Join retired priest, noted author, and friend of the parish, The Rev. Jane Sigloh as she discusses her most recent publication in which she grapples with the challenges (and freedoms) of aging and gracefully accepting the uncertainties that come along with that process. We will offer copies of the book for sale, and the author has graciously agreed to sign those copies.
|
FEBRUARY 18, 2018
Preacher (8:00 & 11:00 a.m.):
The Rector
Preacher (9:00 a.m.): The Rev. Thomas Morris
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.
*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. Great Litany and Holy Eucharist
- 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.
|
Share What you Can: Sunday, February 18 & 25, 2018
Our food drive here at Bethesda benefits C.R.O.S. Ministries Food Pantries, ensuring that families have access to healthy food. On Sunday, February 18, we encourage you to take home one or more grocery bags, fill them with non-perishable food and return the filled bag on Sunday, February 25. Together we give thanks and "Share What You Can" with those in need. You may drop off the full bag on Barton Avenue (near the Rector's driveway) or at the circular driveway on Via Bethesda on Sunday, February 25, before the 8:00 a.m., 9:00 a.m., and 11:00 a.m. services. Thank you for your kind donation.
|
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.
|
- Resumes Wednesday, February 21, 2018 -
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: stir fry chicken, vegetables, rice, sauteed vegetables, and chocolate cake with buttercream frosting. 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. | Pain Management without Opioids | Guild Room
Dr. Ellen Slawsby, Director of Pain Services at Benson-Henry Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital, returns and will spend this evening discussing the nature of pain, both physically and psychologically, and ways to address pain without reliance on addictive opioids. Join us as we look at how the body, the mind, and the soul all work together in healing.
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
For 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.
|
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.
|
|
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
the first covenant described in the Bible and the manner in which the author of the First Letter of Peter refers to the Flood as a prefiguring of Baptism.
Genesis 9:8-17
Genesis is the first book of the Torah (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy). The Torah 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.
The Book of 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 these sources 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 from the "Priestly" writers (550 to 450 BCE) whose name for God is translated "God" (not "LORD" as used by the Yahwistic writers). In these verses, God makes the first covenant recorded in the Bible. A "covenant" is different from a "contract" in that a covenant is a long-term continuing relationship, whereas a contract has a specific purpose and an end date. A covenant is often (but not always) between a superior party (such as God) and an inferior (Noah and humankind).
Covenants in the Bible are sometimes unconditional (such as God's promise not to destroy the earth again by flood) that do not require a reciprocal action on the part of Noah or humankind. More often, however, Biblical covenants are presented as conditional so that if the "inferior" parties fulfill their obligations, the "superior" (usually God) will provide reciprocal benefits.
1 Peter 3:18-22
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. Similarly, authorship of the Torah was historically attributed to Moses, the Psalms to David, and Wisdom Literature to Solomon.
The First Letter of Peter was likely written in the last quarter of the First Century, long after Peter's death in the 60's CE. It was written in sophisticated Greek and resembles 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, the Anointed One of God.
In today's reading, the author urges his audience to be willing to suffer for doing what is right, just as Jesus of Nazareth suffered for doing good. He notes that Jesus was "put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit" (v.18), which is not to say that "part" of Jesus survived death, but that God raised him as the Christ to a new life in the divine realm where (metaphorically) he is "at the right hand of God" (v.22).
Writers of the Christian Scriptures often looked for analogies in the Hebrew Bible to explain practices in the Jesus Follower Movement. Here, the author presents the Flood in Noah's time as prefiguring Baptism which is "an appeal to God through the resurrection of Jesus Christ" (v.21).
|
|
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.
|
|
|
2017 Annual Report
now available!
|
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.
|
Women at the Well Winter Bible Study
Wednesdays
9:00 a.m. | Parish Hall
This year we will be studying the Old Testament Book of Ruth. It is the story of God's grace and love in difficult times. Ruth's story happens in a period of disobedience, idolatry, and violence in the world. It is also a story of romance, redemption, and hope. Please join us for this women's six week study, lead by The Rev. Cecie Titcomb, Ellen Kaufmann, Georgie Skover, and Vivian Chen. For more information and sign-up please call Ayana at the church office at (561) 655-4554.
|
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.
|
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
|
We pray for...
Adele,
Alan, Angela, Annette, Bill, Billy, Bob, Brenda, Brittany, Carrie, Catharine, Cathy, Charlie, Debbie, Donald, Donna, Dorothy, Ellen, Enjoli, Evan, Garcia Family, Gary, Georgette, Gisela, Hadley, Holly, Huston Family, Jack, Jane, John, Katherine, Katie, Keeling, Leanne, Leslie, Lillian, Lory, Mary, Matthew, Michael, Nita, Nolan Family, Pamela, Pat, Patrick, Peggy, Pesetsky Family, Ralph, Rebecca, Rex, Richard, Ricky, Robbie, Robert, Sandra, Saraine, Scott, Stephen, Suzanne, Sylvia, Taryn, Teresa, Thomas, Tom, Tuske Family, Ward, Washburn Family, and those serving our country...Benjamin, Christian, Clara, Eric, Harold, Herbert, John, Lorne, Michael, Sean, and Tommy.
|
The Bethesda Spring Catalog is available...
|
|
|
