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This Sunday is The Day of Pentecost--one of the Church's Principal Feasts. Our day is chock-full of excitement! Be sure to wear RED--it's our color of the day.
The 10:00 a.m. service will feature streamers in our processions, representing the wind of Acts 2: "and suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind." A portion of the Gospel will be read in various languages; six children will be baptized; we commission our Pilgrims as they set off on their trip to England; and we recognize some of those graduating from high school and college.
In addition, Charlotte Loukola, a young violinist from Finland, will play music for the prelude and during communion. Remember, too, that this is the first Sunday of Summer Choir. If you're interested in singing, simply show up in the Choir Room promptly at 9:00 a.m., and we'll prepare music for the 10:00 a.m. service.
As if all of that is not enough, we have our Pentecost Picnic following the 10:00 a.m. service. We will be serving hotdogs, hamburgers, chicken, and all the fixings--including vegetarian and gluten-free options. Cost is $10 and $5 for children under 12, with a family maximum of $25.
What a glorious celebration this will be--you won't want to miss it!
Hal Pysher
Associate for Music and Liturgy
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(Two-Service Schedule, 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m.)
SUNDAY, JUNE 4, 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. Holy Baptism and Holy Eucharist
11:15 a.m.
Pentecost Picnic, Parish Hall
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 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.
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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.
Acts 2:1-21
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 is an account of the giving of the Holy Spirit to the disciples on Pentecost. (Another account is given in John 20.22 when the resurrected Jesus breathes the Holy Spirit upon the disciples on the evening of Easter.)
Pentecost was a well-established Jewish Feast ordained by Lev. 23 to celebrate the spring barley harvest 50 days after Passover. It was also known as the Feast of Weeks and Jewish tradition held that the gift of the Law was given on this day. It was one of the three feasts in Judaism that called for Jews to come to Jerusalem. For this reason, Jews and proselytes (full converts to Judaism) gathered in Jerusalem for the Feast.
The "violent wind" (v.2) is likely a reference to the "wind from God" that swept over the waters in the First Creation Story (Gen. 1:2) and recognizes that breath is the sign of life, as when YHWH breathed life into the earthling in the Second Creation Story (Gen. 2:7).
In describing the disciples speaking other languages, the author signifies a reversal of the confusion caused by the multiplicity of languages "resulting" from the Tower of Babel story in Genesis 11.
1 Cor. 12:3b-13
Corinth, a large port city in Greece, was among the early Jesus Follower communities that Paul founded. Its culture was Hellenistic and emphasized reason, secular wisdom and a hierarchical structure in society.
In today's reading, Paul emphasizes diversity in unity, and uses the metaphor of the body as unifying the members and their different gifts of the Spirit (vv. 12-13). This discussion is a basis for his exhortation in the verses that follow (vv. 14-20) that even an individualistic attitude by any member would not make it any less a part of the whole body.
Num. 11:24-30
Numbers is the fourth book of the Torah (Hebrew meaning "teaching" or "Law"), known in Greek as the Pentateuch ("Five Books"). It describes the time of the Israelites in the Wilderness before entering the Promised Land. If the time in the Wilderness is historical (no archeological evidence has ever been found to support it), this would have been around 1250 BCE.
Most of the book of Numbers was written by the "Priestly Source" during the Babylonian Exile (587-539 BCE) and the 100 years after the Exile.
Today's reading describes imparting the spirit of "prophesy" (ability to speak for God) on 70 elders. This sharing of the spirit causes concern among some of Moses' followers, and Moses reassures them that the spirit of YHWH may be shared. The story reflects the Hebrew Bible's ambivalence about prophesy generally.
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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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Office Closed & Summer Hours
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.).
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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
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Summer Choir begins this Sunday, June 4!
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!
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We pray for...
Andy, Angela, Annie, Barbara, Betty, Bianca, Bill, Bob, Caroline, Charlene, Claudia, David, Devon, Don, Earl, Ellen, Eric, Evan, Evans, Geraldine, Greg, Hadley, Harold, Holly, Jane, Jay, Jill, John, Kathy, Kehs Family, Kellie, Kimberly, Latta, Laniyah, Leigh, Lesley, Marcia, Mariette, Mary, Mat, Matthew, Mitchell, Monique, Nancy, Oscar, Pamela, Pat, Patti, Peggy, Penny, Pineiro Family, Ralph, Rebecca, Renee, Richard, Ricky, Robert, Rutherfurd Family, Saliyah, Shawn, Shirley, Stephen, Sylvia, Taryn, Thomas, Trish, Vince, Ward, William,
and those serving our country...
Benjamin, Clara, Erik, Harold, Herbert, John, Michael, Sean, and Tommy.
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