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Thoughts on the Celtic Spirituality Retreat
The world is too much with us; late and soon,
Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers;-
Little we see in Nature that is ours;
We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon!
William Wordsworth
This opening quatrain of Wordsworth's 1807 sonnet, penned five years earlier in response to the deafening progress of England's Industrial Revolution, captures how I feel so often amidst the gyre of our present world that is relentless, frenetic, intrusive, acrimonious, and inescapable. It seems as if collectively we have given our hearts away to an insatiable lifestyle of concentrated individualism and spiritual amnesia that asks faith to find a place amidst the whirlwinds that are our lives and to grow amidst the storms without the necessary nurture.
As Anglicans, we are heirs of an ancient and deep spirituality that answers this very chaos, a spirituality uniquely found in the British Isles, that distinguishes us from our sisters and brothers in faith around the globe. Our understanding of our place within and reverence for the natural world and the created order, the insistence on the wholeness of one in relationship to a larger and encompassing community, our high valuation of art and music as expressions of a grounded and earthy holiness, and even our respect for a wide breadth of spiritual experiences, are Celtic. Each of these qualities, while not peculiar only to Anglican spirituality, are the characteristic marks of Celtic Christianity and, therefore, the filter through which we as Episcopalians view the world and our faith.
This weekend, Fr. James Reho will lead the Bethesda community in an immersion into Celtic Spirituality with conversation, music, worship, meditation, prayer, indoors and around the campus, and we invite you to come and be a part of this return to wholeness Friday evening and Saturday. We invite you to take the time to have peace and to join others this weekend in an exploration of the Celtic roots of our own faith tradition. We invite you into intentionality and into sacred retreat space and hope you will accept our invitation. We invite you to take the time to care for yourself, so that in caring for yourself you may care for others.
The retreat begins at 6:00 p.m. Friday evening and closes that evening at 8:30 p.m. after prayers. It resumes at 9:00 a.m. Saturday morning, includes lunch, and concludes after prayers at 3:00 p.m. The cost is $25, and scholarships are available. Please click here for more information.
Associate for Christian Education & Pastoral Care
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Many people have asked to have a copy of the questions Father James asked in his sermon last Sunday, so that they can pray over them and think about them more. Here they are:
- How enlightened by the Gospel is my moral thinking?
- How deeply grounded in the presence of the Holy Spirit is my prayer?
- How closely aligned with God's will are my actions?
- How reflective of the Reign of God are my relationships?
- How tempered in compassion for others are my appetites and wants?
- How peaceful and hopeful is my disposition toward the world and toward others?
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NOVEMBER 19, 2017
Preacher (8:00 & 11:00 a.m.): The Rev. James Reho
Preacher (9:00 a.m.): The Rector
*8:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist
8:15 a.m. Fellowship Breakfast, Parish Hall West
*9:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist and Healing
9:50 a.m. Pray and Play Group (ages 3 & 4), Sunday School Hall
9:50 a.m. Story Group (K and 1st grade), Sunday School Hall
9:50 a.m. Arts Group (2nd to 5th grade), Sunday School Hall
9:50 a.m. Service Group (2nd to 5th grade), Sunday School Hall
9:50 a.m. Explorers Group (2nd to 5th grade), Sunday School Hall
9:50 a.m. Questions Group (6th & 7th grade), Library
9:50 a.m. Confirmation Group (8th Grade), ECW Room
9:50 a.m. Mission Group (9th-12th Grade), Youth Room
9:50 a.m. Adult Forum, Parish Hall East
10:00 a.m. Fellowship Finger Food, Parish Hall West
*#11:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist and Healing
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 12:30 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.
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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, sausage links, biscuits, and hash browns.
Adult Forum: Celtic Spiritual Connections|
9:50 a.m. to 10:50 a.m. | Parish Hall East
This morning's guest is The Rev. James Reho, noted author of studies in
transformative spirituality and Senior Minister of Lamb of God Church, a Lutheran/Episcopal congregation in Fort Myers. Plan to join Father Reho as he guides the Bethesda community deeper into what it means to explore Celtic spirituality.
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Listening for the Divine Heartbeat:
A Celtic Spirituality Immersion Retreat
Introduction to Celtic Spirituality
Friday, November 17 | 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. | Parish Hall
Saturday, November 18 | 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. | Parish Hall
More important and timely than ever, the insights of the Celtic Church-grounded in the goodness of the human person and the presence of God in all creation-offer us ways to engage our selves, our world, and one another that are both relevant and revelatory, and form part of our Anglican tradition. Together we will engage the thought of the great teachers of Celtic spirituality and enliven these explorations with discussion, spiritual practice, silent reflection, and Celtic worship with live music. You will come away with new perspectives, understandings, and practices to enrich your life!
The Rev. James Reho is an Episcopal priest, author, retreat and workshop leader, and a direct student of the Celtic teacher John Philip Newell. James blends depth, humor, scholarship, and the arts together to offer a balanced, holistic experience of the Celtic path.
Cost is $25 per person and includes lunch on Saturday. Registration is required.
Click here for more information, or contact Ayana at (561) 655-4554 or e-mail her at
ayana@bbts.org.
Optional preparatory reading: Listening for the Heartbeat of God by J. Philip Newell, a short work emphasizing "the presence of God at the heart of all life and within all people..."
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Interfaith Thanksgiving Service
Wednesday, November 22 | 6:30 p.m. | Temple Emanu-El
Worship with us at a 6:30 p.m. Interfaith Service at Temple Emanu-El located at 190 North County Road in Palm Beach.
Thanksgiving Eucharist
Thursday, November 23 | 8:00 a.m. | Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea
Fellowship Friday
Friday, November 24 | 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. | Temple Emanu-El
Give back to the community on the morning after Thanksgiving, a great family activity. Following breakfast at Temple Emanu-El (190 North County Road, Palm Beach), volunteers will head out to their choice from among several area venues to lend a hand. Donations of toys, toiletries, and nonperishable foods are also accepted for distribution to area agencies. Community service hours given. Advance registration requested. Downloadable registration brochure available at
www.palmbeachfellowship.net. For more information, call (561) 833-6150 or e-mail us at
info@palmbeachfellowship.net
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ADVENT RETREAT
Know Your Number:
An Introduction to the Enneagram
Introduction to the Enneagram
Friday, December 1 | 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. | Parish Hall
Advent Retreat Continues
Saturday, December 2 | 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. | Parish Hall
Know Your Number is a foundational course and is the first step in working
with the Enneagram, an ancient personality typing system that will profoundly
deepen your understanding and love for yourself, others, and God. In this
retreat, Joey Stabile Schewee of Life in the Trinity Ministry (Dallas, Texas)
introduces the nine Enneagram Types:
Challenger, Peacemaker, Perfectionist, Helper, Performer, Romantic,
Investigator, Loyalist, Enthusiast
Each personality type is reviewed in detail, including an evaluation of the
strengths and weaknesses of the Types, and the likely interpersonal challenges
that may be involved in an unhealthy expression of the Type.
Cost is $60 per person (
scholarships are available) and includes lunch on Saturday. Registration is required--
click here to register now, or contact Ayana at (561) 655-4554 or e-mail her at
ayana@bbts.org
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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.
During the 2017 Pentecost Season, alternative readings from the Hebrew Bible are offered. Scripture in Context will discuss both readings and the reading from the Christian Scriptures.
The Book of Judges is part of the "Deuteronomic History" consisting of Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Samuel and Kings. The over-all message of these books is that the fortunes of Ancient Israel depended on faithfulness of the people and their kings in worshiping YHWH. The Deuteronomists were generally opposed to Israel's having a temporal king, and there are numerous statements in favor of a theocracy, in which the king of Israel is YHWH (8.23).
This Book "recounted" the "history" of Israel from the death of Joshua to the time of Samuel. If it is historical, the time would have been from about 1,200 to 1,050 BCE. The Book of Judges described a downward spiral in the moral, religious and political fortunes of Israel. The recurring pattern was one of worshiping false gods, enemies overcoming the Israelites, a "judge" (a person who sets things right) arising, and after the time of the judge, the people backsliding into false worship, and the cycle repeating itself. The book has six major judge cycles, and the judgeship of Samson is seen as the moral nadir of the period of the Judges.
Today's reading begins of the story of the third judge, Deborah, who commanded the general Barak to assemble an army to defeat King Jabin of Canaan and his general, Sisera, notwithstanding the enormity of Jabin's forces (900 iron chariots). Sisera was defeated and died a graphically wretched death at the hands of a woman (4.21).
Zephaniah is another of the "Minor" Prophets. He was a prophet to Judea during the reign of the good King Josiah (640-609 BCE). Because Zephaniah prophesied against many of the practices prohibited by the Book of Deuteronomy, his prophesy is generally dated to the time just before Josiah's reforms began in 621 BCE. (The Book of Deuteronomy was "discovered" in 622 BCE according to 2 Kings 22). Zephaniah is only three chapters, and most of the Book concerns the Day of the LORD/YHWH in which YHWH will pour out anger on the people. In today's reading, the prophet (speaking for YHWH) described punishments for those who rely on their wealth (v.18) or do not recognize the power of YHWH (v.12). In the last part of Chapter 3, however, the message shifts to oracles of salvation so that the "proudly exultant ones" will be removed and only the humble and lowly will be left.
The letter to the Thessalonians was Paul's first letter and was written around 50 CE. Thessaloniki is a seaport and was the capital of Macedonia. The letter encouraged the community to be steadfast in the face of persecution. Paul expected the Parousia (Second Coming of Christ) to be immanent, and emphasized that it would be sudden and unexpected. For this reason, he urged them to be ready for it at all times. Paul reassured the Thessalonians, however, that they were destined for salvation (v.9).
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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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Funeral Service
Patricia Adele Jonas Handtman
Tuesday, November 21
10:00 a.m.
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Middle Way
will resume on Wednesday, November 29.
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2017 Boar's Head
Hear ye, Hear ye! This year we are celebrating the 40th anniversary of our annual Boar's Head and Yule Log Festival, and WE NEED YOU--both cast and crew--for performances on January 6 and 7! To learn more or to sign up, please go to the Boar's Head table in the Cloister after this Sunday's services.
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Advent Lessons and Carols
Sunday, December 3
4:00 p.m. | Church
The First Sunday of Advent is celebrated with
our annual Service of Advent Lessons and
Carols. Sixteen years after introducing the now famous
Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols to
King's College, Cambridge, the Dean of King's College created this service
for Advent. He stated that the purpose of the service was "not to celebrate
Christmas, but to expect it." The Bethesda Choir leads the service and offers
Advent carols and anthems. Some of the greatest hymns of the church year
are in the Advent section of our hymnal, and the congregation sings many
of them in this service--
enhanced this year by the glorious sounds of a brass
sextet. There is no recital preceding the service, but Prelude music begins at
approximately 3:50 p.m. Please come and bring your friends.
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Since God created us with hearts to help
those in need, will you give something to
make a child's Christmas brighter? This
Christmas season we are gathering gifts
for children of veterans in Palm Beach
County who lack a permanent or stable
home. We need 100 gifts, which will be distributed to these children
through
Faith*Hope*Love*Charity, Inc.-an organization that works
exclusively with veterans and their families. Gifts should not exceed
$25 in value.
The Angel Tree will be in the Narthex on Sunday, December 3
.
Please take an Angel from the tree for a deserving child and
return your
gift to the Narthex (gift-wrapped and with the angel tag attached) on
Sunday, December 10, so
Faith*Hope*Love*Charity, Inc. can deliver the
gifts by Christmas Day. On behalf of these children, thank you!
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Wine and Fellowship Under the Stars
Friday, December 8 | 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. | Cluett Garden
Join us for a special cocktail party of fellowship, wine, and appetizers
hosted by the Episcopal Church Women. All are invited and encouraged
to attend! A contribution of $10 per person is suggested. You can RSVP in
the Cloister on Sundays or by sending an e-mail to ayana@bbts.org.
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Silver Sneakers
Tuesdays and Thursdays
9:00 a.m. | Parish Hall West
This program promotes a healthy, active lifestyle, and it's free for SilverSneakers members. The classes combine cardio, strength, and balance. Experience is not at all necessary. These classes are for beginners as well as more experienced exercisers. We will meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. in the Parish Hall West. Please wear comfortable clothing and shoes.
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We pray for...
Angela, Angelica, Anne, Anthony, Arthur, Bianca, Bill, Bob, Carolyn, Connie, Conway Family, David, Denise, Dylan, Ellen, Fred, Garcia Family, Gary, Gavin, Geoff, Gerry, Grier, Holly, Isabel, Jack, James, Jane, Jerry, Jim, Joann, John, Katie, Kimberly, Lawrence Family, Lesley, Lillian, Lloyd, Mariette, Mary, Matthew, Michael, Michelle, Midialys, Mildred, Miryam, Molly, Norma, Pat, Peggy, Ralph, Rebecca, Regine, Renée, Rick, Ricky, Rivera Family, Rogers Family, Rosie, Schumacher Family, Shawn, Sheri, Stanley, Stephen, Susan, Suzanne, Sylvia, Taryn, Ted, Theresa, Thomas, Ward, William, and those serving our country... Benjamin, Christian, Clara, Eric, Erik, Harold, Herbert, John, Lorne, Michael, Sean, and Tommy
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The Bethesda Fall Catalog is now available...
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