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Dear Bethesda Friends,
My heart is still singing with the glory of our Pentecost service, the confirmation of fourteen young people to a life in Christ, and the loving sendoff the Bishop and Bethesda congregation gave Fr. James and his family this past Sunday. No one present could doubt that the Spirit dwells joyfully at Bethesda!
I am glad for the opportunity this space gives me to share the work of the Vestry with you all, whether you are in Florida or elsewhere. Some topics discussed at last week's Vestry meeting, our last gathering before the summer break:
Audit
Audit Sub-Committee Chair, Charles McGill reported that the annual audit of Bethesda's finances is proceeding well with no concerns identified by our auditors. It will take longer than usual to complete, however, because 2017 was the year of transition from our manual internal accounting system to the more automated system supplied by GuideServe. Because there were two systems in use last year, GuideServe has had to spend extra time converting data from the old system used in the first part of the year into the new system.
The good news is that the GuideServe system represents a major improvement in efficiency and capability in day-to-day financial functions, and will also support a much easier audit process in future years.
Buildings and Grounds
Junior Warden, Connie Purcell, Buildings and Grounds Sub-Committee Chair, updated the Vestry on the progress on the chiller feed replacement project which should be coming to completion shortly.
In last month's meeting the Vestry approved funds for the preparation of designs and proposals for the Music and Lights project, and Connie reported that this work has commenced. Last week, representatives from the lighting design team visited Bethesda to work on their assessment, as did the organ control system provider. Components of the organ control boards are no longer available and our repair professional has procured all the remaining chips on the market. There is not sufficient inventory to last another year at the rate they usually need to be replaced, so our organ is at risk of losing functionality in the not-too-distant future. Design and cost information will be developed over the summer and presented to the congregation in the fall. This project represents major giving opportunities for members who care deeply about our music, organ and tower bells and sanctuary lighting. Please contact Paul Coombs, our Stewardship Chair, or Turia Roebuck-Hayden, our Outreach and Development Coordinator, if you would like to explore making a contribution.
Looking Ahead
For this last meeting before Fr. James started his sabbatical, the Vestry focused most of its time looking forward. Good progress has been made in recent years on several strategic priorities, especially the ones concerning re-evaluating our Sunday morning model and implementing changes in response; assessing the available physical space and buildings to reduce constraints imposed on ministry groups; and increasing the number of pledging households to meet the ministry needs of Bethesda. Realistically, these initiatives are never "finished;" work continues on all of these and there is still a lot of progress to be made, especially with respect to pledging. At the end of 2017 the Vestry agreed that Evangelism would be the main focus for the next few years and we have concentrated on informing all that we do in the context of that priority.
We began a substantive discussion on strategic priorities for the next five years, including consideration of the future of the Episcopal Church in the broadest sense. We considered that many modern churches, including some which are growing quickly, operate without a physical plant, worshiping together on line or by watching services on television. Do we believe that we will need our buildings going forward? We all agreed that the answer to this is YES. Bethesda's mission is supported by our core objective of "Collective Sacramental Worship" which brings us all into community, and therefore preservation of our precious buildings must always figure in our priorities.
We shared our hopes and plans for Bethesda's mission going forward and this discussion will continue in the fall and will inform planning of strategy, programs and the budget for 2019 and beyond. We encourage you to spend some time during the summer considering what you think should be Bethesda's priorities for the next five years; we will organize discussion opportunities in the fall for you to provide your thoughts and suggestions.
Lastly, Vestry members, Clergy, and Associates were grateful for the opportunity to meet with Bishop Eaton after the parish picnic on Sunday and dialogue with him about the future of the Episcopal Church and Bethesda-by-the-Sea. Bishop Eaton heartily affirmed his support of Evangelism as a necessary priority for all churches going forward in fulfilling our mission of spreading Christ's teachings. He also shared some forward thinking at the diocesan level and the national level about what kinds of strategic directions parishes will be taking to increase their relevance and impact in their communities and ensure their long-term viability.
Wishing you all a joyful summer, I am yours in Christ,
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TRINITY SUNDAY, MAY 27, 2018
Preacher (8:00 a.m. & 10:00 a.m.): The Rev. Burl Salmon
*8:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist
8:45 a.m. Coffee Hour, Parish Hall
*#10:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist and Baptism
11:15 a.m. Coffee Hour, Parish Hall
11:15 p.m. Church Tour
PARKING: Persons attending Sunday services will be allowed to park on
ALL of Barton Avenue and the south side of Pendleton Avenue
without receiving a ticket until 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
* nursery care for infants through age 2 is
available from 7:45 a.m. to 11:30 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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Pounding Party & Reception for Mother Margaret
Sunday, June 3 | Parish Hall
Join us in welcoming our new Curate,
The Rev. Margaret E. McGhee, with a reception in the Parish Hall following the 10:00 a.m. service. We invite all parishioners to take part in a Pounding Party. A Pounding Party is an English
and pioneer tradition of helping a family or new pastor of a church set up their household. Please bring a "pound" (figuratively, not literally) of any useful household item- food staples, cleaning supplies, etc. If you do not have time to shop,
gift cards are also welcomed. You may bring your gifts and/or gift cards with you to the reception on Sunday, June 3.
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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.
The reading discusses
the Call of Isaiah and Paul's juxtaposition of the Spirit (on the one hand) and "the body" or "the flesh" (on the other). "Body" and "Flesh" are Paul's verbal shorthand for the Values of the World (or "the System").
Isaiah 6:1-8
The Book of Isaiah is a composite of writings from three distinct periods in Israel's history. Chapters 1-39 are called "First Isaiah" and called for Jerusalem to repent in the 30 years before Jerusalem was under siege by the Assyrians in 701 BCE. "Second Isaiah" is Chapters 40 to 55 and brought hope to the Judeans during the Exile in Babylon (587 to 539 BCE) by telling them they had suffered enough and would return to Jerusalem. "Third Isaiah" is Chapters 56 to 66 and, for the most part, gave encouragement to Judeans who returned to Jerusalem (which had been largely destroyed by the Babylonians in 587 BCE) after the Exile.
Today's reading is usually referred to as "the Call of Isaiah." Using the reigns of kings as a way of denoting years was a common method, and King Uzziah of the Kingdom of Judea died in 733 BCE, at a time when the Assyrian Empire was dominant. The Assyrians conquered the Kingdom of Israel (the Northern 10 Tribes) in 722 BCE.
The scene of Isaiah's Call is intended to inspire awe and uses hyperbole (the hem of the Lord's robe fills the temple) (v.1) to create that sense. The Lord is surrounded by angels - seraphs (literally, "burning ones") with six wings, two of which cover their "feet" (a customary euphemism in Hebrew Scriptures for one's private parts).
Just as Samuel responded to the Lord's call in 1 Sam. 3, Isaiah responds with the same words: "Here I am; send me" (v.8).
Romans 8:12-17
Paul's letter to the Romans was his longest, last and most complex letter. It was written in the late 50s or early 60s (CE) to a Jesus Follower community that Paul did not establish. Among other messages in the letter, Paul sought to encourage respectful and supportive relationships between the Gentile Jesus Followers and the Jewish Jesus Followers in Rome.
Today's verses place in opposition "the Spirit" on the one hand and "the flesh" and "the body" on the other. In doing this, Paul was using these terms as "verbal shorthand" for concepts he developed in this and other epistles.
Paul was not denigrating human bodies as intrinsically opposed to the Spirit. Instead, he used "the flesh" and "the body" to as shorthand for the "values of the world" - or "the System" - values that exalt power, self-centeredness, autonomy, and personal achievement as a measure of a person's worth. Similarly, Paul criticized the idea that slavish obedience to the Law would enable one to "earn" or "merit" salvation or wholeness.
Salvation is a byproduct (not the goal) of living in the Spirit, and the Spirit bears witness to the fact that we are children of God and heirs of God with Christ (v.17). We only need accept that gift and live into it.
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Middle Way resumes on Wednesday, September 19.
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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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Father James' Sabbatical Blog
You can follow Father James on his
sabbatical
journey.
Subscribe to his Reflections posts for email updates.
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Memorial Day through Labor Day,
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 2018
Join us for our 2018 Vacation Bible School from Monday, June 25, through Friday, June 29, 9:00 a.m. to noon each day. Open to all children ages 3 through 9, we will be exploring Jesus' Parable of the Sower. This will be an arts-based camp complete with different workshops that engage them in making their own artwork and project, learning songs and hymns, engaging in creative drama and movement, playing games, and even having a hand in sowing their own seeds. For more information, visit bbts.org or contact Greg
Knight at
(561) 655 4555 x114.
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High School and College Graduates
On Sunday, June 3, 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 be recognized in the June 3 leaflet,
please e-mail the full name to Greg at knight@bbts.org by noon on
Monday, May 28.
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Christmas Homebound Shawl Challenge!
We asked and we received. In February, Gloria McAllister spearheaded a ministry of shawls to give to our guests who come to Bethesda for our Homebound Luncheon, Gloria and her team of knitters made over 60 shawls. We need another 60 shawls for Christmas Homebound to be done by Friday, December 14.
We will provide the pattern, needles and yarn. You may do it at home or join us in the Library with your family or friends who enjoy knitting on Saturdays, dates soon to be announced. If you are interested, please call April at 561-853-0958 or email
april@bbts.org
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Save Your Samples
As you travel, remember to save the small soaps, shampoos, conditioners, lotions, etc. found in your hotel room. Last year we made 300 gift bags for seafarers who were at sea on Christmas Day. Let's do the same this year.
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Tapestry Restoration
Within the next couple days you will notice the tapestry on the Chapel wall is missing. Thanks to funds raised by the Saint Mary's Guild the tapestry will be removed for restoration.
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The Church Mouse
Summer Hours
Beginning Tuesday, May 29, The Church Mouse hours will be Monday - Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
The Church Mouse closes on Saturday, June 23, at 12:00 p.m. However, we will be open for donations throughout the
summer, 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.
Don't miss our End of the Season Sales: Beginning Monday, June 18, we will start our week of huge savings on nearly everything with 50% off, Wednesday 75% off, and Friday 90% off!
For more information, please call The Church Mouse at
(561) 659-2154.
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We pray for...
Alan, Alex, Angela, Angie, Ann, Augusta, Bailey, Brenda, Carlin, Carolyn, Celia, Cherry Family, Chris, Christian, Chuck, Consuelo, Cynthia,
Danny, David, Dona, Donna, Dorothy, Eckberg Family, Ellen, Eric, Evan, Fred E, Fred W, Garcia Family, Gary, Gisela, Glenn, Goodhue Family, Harold, Holly, Howard, Hunter, Hurt Family, Jack, Jackie, James , Jane, Jerry H, Jo, Joe, John D, John K, John P, Kelly, Kitty, Leslie, Luca, Lorne, Lory, Lucinda, Luster, Mallory, Mark, Mary, Mary Ann, Matthew, Michael, Michelle, Miessau Family, Mike, Nancy, Pat, Patrick, Peggy, Rebecca, Rex, Rex F. Richard, Ricky, Robbie, Robert, Sean, Sharon, Shawn, Stephanie B, Stephanie G, Stephen, Susan, Sylvia, Taryn, Thomas, Tom, Tommy, Trish, Ward, and those serving our country...Alex, Benjamin, Christian, Clara, Eric, Harold, Herbert, John, Lorne, Luster, Michael, Sean, and Tommy.
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