Evangelism. So much is packed into this one word - centuries of Christian history, our own experiences, confusion, and sometimes fear. What is it? Why is Bethesda suddenly focusing on evangelism, and why am I being asked to participate?
Evangelism simply means 'sharing the good news', but it's not so simple, is it? At the heart of this sharing lies one penetrating question - what is the good news for me? Where has God been at work in my life? Do I know?
And therein lies the rub, I believe. To share our own story, first we must know what it is! How might we go about this? We can begin to live in the awe and mystery of the God who loves us and never leaves us, no matter what. The God who is at work in our lives every day. We can begin to see the world through the God lens, the Jesus lens of life-giving, liberating love. Undergirded by prayer, new vistas will open up for us and our lives will be forever changed.
At the same time, we can begin to discern where God is at work in the world about us. God is at work everywhere! Our role is to Seek, Name, and Celebrate Jesus' loving presence in the stories of all people - then invite them to MORE!
When we see a neighbor donating goods to the Church Mouse, participating in one of Palm Beach's philanthropic organizations, visiting the sick, listening to a hurting friend, we can share, - "When I see you doing this, I see Jesus!" When we discover good news, we name it, celebrate it, and share it. They may never have seen God, but we see God in them and name it.
This can be followed by an invitation to coffee, a movie, and to Bethesda, if that feels right.
So what do we do as evangelists? We seek, name, and celebrate what God is already doing - in our own lives and in those around us, then we invite them to more.
What joy awaits us as we embark on this ministry together!
The Rev. Canon Elizabeth Geitz
Non-Stipendiary Assisting Clergy
SPRING POTLUCK
This Friday, April 20| 6:00 p.m.|Garth
Join us for our first Spring Potluck from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Bring your Grandma's favorite dish to share with your Bethesda Family!
Cost is $10 per person | Children 12 and under: free | Chefs bringing a dish and their families: $5 per person.
SUNDAY, APRIL 22, 2018
Preacher (8:00 a.m., & 11:00 a.m.):
The Rev. Burl Salmon
Preacher (9:00 a.m.):
Greg Knight
*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. Bethesda at its Best, Guild Room
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. Morning Prayer and Holy Eucharist
12:15 p.m. Church Tour
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, muffins, and fruit & cheese platters.
Bethesda at its Best | Sunday, April 22 | 9:50 a.m. | Guild Room
Come one, come all for a behind-the-scenes look at what makes Bethesda the special place that it is. Over a series of three weeks, join the clergy and vestry as we discuss the history, mission, and organization of this remarkable parish and how each of these beautiful threads comes together into a diverse and spirit-filled tapestry. Whether you've been here for years or a couple of weeks, you're invited to join this great conversation.
Adult Forum: Building up the Kingdom of God: Bethesda Outreach | Sunday, April 22 | 9:50 a.m. | Parish Hall East Have you ever wondered how Bethesda reaches into the community and contributes to outreach efforts that build up the Kingdom of God? Join us as we share how Bethesda views its commitment to the world beyond our walls and the good ways in which we lead that work
Church Tour | Sunday, April 22, following the 11:00 a.m. service.
Tours begin in the Chancel (front of the church), immediately following the service
PARKING: Persons attending Sunday services will be allowed to park on ALL of Barton Avenue and Pendleton Avenue
Click hereto view the service leaflet for this Sunday.
Click here to view this week's Bethesda Happenings.
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: vegetable lasagna, garlic bread, Caesar salad, mixed vegetables, banana pudding 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. | The Enneagram in Life | Guild Room
In this dynamic five session workshop led by Certified Teacher Paul Van der Grift, we will explore each of the nine Enneagram types through the use of type specific panel discussions. As we hear the stories and anecdotes from each type, the fundamental similarities of their personality type structure will begin to emerge. What is the core motivation for their type? What causes them stress? What makes them angry? What are their strengths? What are their challenges? How does their faith help them deal with their personality? How can we support them in their personal and spiritual development? By hearing the testimony of others, and maybe sitting on a panel yourself, you will have the opportunity to learn how to be more compassionate and empathetic with yourself and others.
6:30 to 7:40 p.m. | The Divine Dance, a study of the Holy Trinity | Library Challenging the notion of an aloof and distant God, Franciscan brother Richard Rohr invites us into an intimate experience with the Trinity. During this four-week study of Rohr's most recent text,
The Divine Dance: The Trinity and Your Transformation, facilitators Kenlynne Mulroy and Tom O'Brien will lead a conversation about Rohr's beautiful ways of understanding the Trinity, using scripture, theology, and the insights of holy women and men throughout the history of the Church. Texts will be available in The Shop.
RECURRING CLASSES
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.
Welcoming the Stranger Workshop
with The Rev. Canon Elizabeth R. Geitz
Saturday, May 5 | 9:30 a.m.-2:00 p.m. | Parish Hall
"Let mutual love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it." - Hebrews 13:1-2
We need your input! Join us for a workshop with Canon Geitz on welcoming the stranger to Bethesda. Seven aspects of Welcoming Ministry will be discussed: Praying, Attracting (Website, Social Media, Print Media), Greeting, Tracking, Contacting, Orienting, Incorporating. Come learn new ideas and share yours for welcoming others into the Body of Christ known as Bethesda-by-the-Sea. Your input is vital in shaping our program going forward!
Please Click Here to register or call (561) 655-4554. A light lunch will be served (donations gratefully accepted).
Mary Magdalene as Role Model for the Spiritual Journey
Join Heather Sisk in a one-day retreat exploring Mary Magdalene's transformative spiritual journey as an archetype for our individual path. This retreat is not designed to uncover Mary Magdalene's historical identity, but to explore her Spiritual identity. Mary Magdalene as disciple, witness, and prophet is one of our strongest role models for understanding the elements that emerge as one enters into a spiritual journey. These elements do not follow in a necessary order but cycle within us as we grow into deeper awareness of the movement of the divine encounter. Through lecture and reflection we will consider Healing & Forgiveness, Discernment, Witness, Abiding, and Transformation.
The day is accompanied by 3-D icons for contemplation, and includes a continental breakfast and lunch. The Retreat has traveled since 2012.
Click here for her page dedicated to this retreat.
Heather Sisk, is a spiritual director and retreat leader. She earned her MA in Theology and Spiritual Direction from The General Theological Seminary of the Episcopal Church, NYC in 2010.
Please note that the retreat date has changed to Saturday, May 19.
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
another instance in Acts in which blame for the Crucifixion of Jesus is placed on the Temple Authorities rather than on the Romans, and the reasons the Jesus Followers shifted blame from the Romans.
It also discusses the first of the three letters attributed to John, written in fact by a follower of John's around 100 CE.
Acts 4:5-12
The book called "The Acts of the Apostles" was written around 85 to 90 CE by the anonymous 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 the Ascension. The last 13 chapters describe Paul's Missionary Journeys - not always consistently with Paul's letters.
As a background story to today's reading, Peter healed a lame man in the Temple (3:6). After Peter made a long speech to the observers (3:12-26), the Temple Authorities (including the Sadducees -- who denied resurrection for anyone) took Peter and John into custody. Next day, they brought Peter and John before the High Priestly family (4:6). Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit (v. 8), made another speech and stated the lame man was cured in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. He blamed the Temple Authorities for crucifying Jesus and said God raised Jesus from the dead (v.10).
In the late First Century, for their own self-protection, the Jesus Followers' writings largely exonerated the Romans for Jesus' death and instead blamed the Temple Authorities and the Pharisees for the Crucifixion. In fact, the Romans crucified Jesus as an insurrectionist.
This shift of blame also allowed the Jesus Followers (who continued to see themselves as Jews) to separate themselves from the other Jewish sects that were responsible for the Jewish Revolt against the Romans that began in 66 CE. These including the Sadducees, scribes, Zealots, Herodians and Essenes - all of whom were eliminated by the Romans in either the destruction of the Temple in 70 CE or the killing of the Essenes at Masada in 73CE.
After the Revolt, the Jesus Followers and the Pharisees were the only surviving Jewish sects. From 70 to 100 CE, the Jesus Followers and the Pharisees contended with each other for control of post-Temple Judaism until the "parting of the ways" around 100 CE. By that time, the Jesus Follower Movement had evolved into an early form of Christianity and the Pharisaic Movement had evolved into an early form of Rabbinic Judaism.
1 John 3:16-24
Today's reading is from the first of three letters attributed to "John" - an attribution that was given to the letters in the late 2nd Century about the same time the four canonical Gospels were attributed to Mark, Matthew, Luke and John. (We do not know the actual authors of any of the Gospels.)
The author of 1 John was likely an individual speaking on behalf of a community of followers of the author of the Fourth Gospel.
Today's reading and its emphasis on love follows the theology of the Fourth Gospel. It adds the moral imperative that persons who have the world's goods must help their brothers and sisters in need (v.17).
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.
Bethesda at its Best
Sunday,
April 22 & 29 | 9:50 a.m. | Guild Room
Come one, come all for a behind-the-scenes look at what makes Bethesda the special place that it is. Over a series of two weeks, join the clergy, associates, vestry, and ministry leaders as we discuss the history, mission, and organization of this remarkable parish and how each of these beautiful threads comes together into a diverse and spirit-filled tapestry. Whether you've been here for years or a couple of weeks, you're invited to join this great conversation.
Music at Bethesda
Sunday, May 6 | 3:30 p.m. | Church
Julia Gill, trumpeter, will play a recital at 3:30 p.m. Evensong with The Bethesda Choir follows at 4:00 p.m. A free-will offering will be received, and a reception will follow in the Parish Hall. All are welcome and encouraged to attend.
Sunday School Cupcake Party
Sunday, May 6 | 9:50 a.m. | Garth
To celebrate all of our programs from this past year we're bringing back one of our best events from last year, the ultimate cupcake coffee hour. We'll have games, prizes, and all the cupcakes you can eat. Bring your own baked goods to share. Also, this will be our awards event where we recognize every single child and youth who participated in all of our Sunday School classes, Pre-Confirmation and Confirmation classes, and our Mission Group. We have special gifts for EVERY child and youth! This is the one day not to sleep in!
The Rector's Forum
Sunday, May 13 | 9:50 a.m. | Parish Hall
Grab breakfast and come into the forum this morning for a year-end conversation with Fr. James Harlan, Rector of Bethesda-by-the-Sea, and final forum of the year. Father James will share his sabbatical plans and itinerary with us as he makes final arrangements for his departure. He will also be ready to answer questions about parish programs and activities during those months.
Bethesda at its Best
