April 12, 2018

More Parking?!

You may have noticed that some new signs went up on Barton along the church property. These are the much-anticipated residential permit and church parking signs. These are available any time you are coming to the church. They no longer have the two-hour limit. And because they are not available for people going to the beach, they are usually unoccupied. Remember though, they are only available to residents and people coming to the church, it is not beach parking for church members. People are paying attention to where the vehicle occupants are going. With these additional spots, we will use one way on Barton a little less often during the week. When Barton is not one way, only use the marked spaces, don't create your own. Also, when we do make Barton one way, pay attention to yellow curbs. Even when Barton is one way you cannot park along a curb painted yellow. In addition to the last several feet at South County, one curb on the north side of Barton, most of the way to the ocean is painted yellow. You will always get a ticket parking in front of this curb because cars parked there block the view of residents leaving their home. Remember too that we have the same parking rights on all of Barton, from Ocean to Coconut. One last thing, once you are finished at Bethesda, do not leave your car in these spaces or any of the places we get special allowances on Sunday. The town makes these allowances so we can get to church, not so we can car pool to lunch afterward.

Fred Staley
Associate for Administration
Staff update from the Rector

Renée Cheifet has decided not to come back to work full-time since giving birth to her son Maxson earlier this year. We give thanks to God for her ministry and service here at Bethesda over these last several years. We will likely see Renée and her family here on Sundays, and we will have the privilege of helping Maxson learn to know and love God and of supporting Renée and Jordan in their life.
 
We have decided to offer to Doug Kwoka, our interim Communications Coordinator, the permanent position, and he has accepted. Doug has ably filled in for Renée, he is a great fit on our team, and will provide a seamless transition in our communications office. If you have not yet had a chance, stop by and welcome Doug.

SUNDAY, APRIL 15, 2018
Preacher (8:00 a.m., & 11:00 a.m.): The Rector
Preacher (9:00 a.m.): Jessica Hitchcock

*8:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist
8:30 a.m. Fellowship Breakfast, Parish Hall West
*9:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist and Healing
9:30 a.m. Fellowship Finger Food, Parish Hall West
9:50 a.m. Spring Town Hall Meeting, 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. Holy Eucharist and Healing

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, hashbrowns, muffins, and fruit & cheese platters.

Bethesda at its Best: Sunday, April 15 | 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: Auden, the Psalms, and Me with Chester Johnson Sunday, April 15 | 9:50 a.m. | Parish Hall East

Having taught the class at last Wednesday's Middle Way on Psalmody, Chester Johnson joins us Sunday, April 15 to speak about his most recently publication. Hearing the psalms of The Book of Common Prayer 1928 as a child in Vermont, Mr. Johnson began a love affair with the lyricism of these ancient texts that has informed his life to this day, including having been called to work on The Book of Common Prayer 1979 after W.H. Auden returned to England during the revision of the prayer book. We will offer copies of the book for sale, and the author has graciously agreed to sign those copies.

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.
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: meatloaf with mashed potatoes, brown gravy, sauteed mixed vegetables, garden salad, and peanut butter cookies. 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
F or 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.
Mary Magdalene as Role Model for the Spiritual Journey
A one day retreat
At The Duncan Conference Center
15820 South Military Trail
Delray Beach, Florida
Saturday April 21 - 8:30 a.m.- 4:30 p.m.
$100 per person
Includes continental breakfast and lunch.

Reservation Deadline April 12th. 
Space is limited to 80 participants, so reserve your space early CLICK HERE

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.
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  a speech attributed to Peter in Acts in which he largely exonerates the Romans of responsibility for Jesus' death and the context in which Acts  was written. It also discusses the letters attributed to John. 

Acts 3:12-19  
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.
 
Today's reading is one of Peter's two lengthy speeches given in the Temple. Immediately before this speech, Peter healed a lame man at the Temple and people followed him and John.
 
"Peter's speech" largely exonerated the Romans for Jesus' death (v.13) and followed Luke 23:13-25 in blaming the Jewish Authorities. In the historical context of the late First Century, this shifting of blame by the Jesus Followers to these "other Jews" made sense.
 
The Jesus Followers and the Pharisees were the only Jewish sects that survived the disastrous Jewish Revolt in 66 CE that led to the destruction of the Temple in 70 CE. The Sadducees, scribes, Zealots, Herodians and the Essenes were all eliminated by the Romans by 73 CE.
 
In Christian Scriptures written after 73 CE, to avoid offending the ruling Romans, the Jesus Followers largely exonerated the Romans for Jesus' death. Simultaneously, they separated themselves from "those other Jews" responsible for the Jewish Revolt in 66 CE.
 
As the conflict between the Jesus Followers and the Pharisees for control of post-Temple Judaism intensified after 80 CE, the last three Gospels (Matthew, Luke and John) minimized Roman responsibility for the Crucifixion, blamed the Temple Authorities and the Pharisees for Jesus' death, and portrayed the Pharisees as hypocrites enslaved by the Law.
 
1 John 3:1-7  
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.
 
Scholars also conclude that the three letters attributed to "John" were written after 100 CE because they do not reflect the tense relationships found in the Fourth Gospel between the Jesus Followers and the Temple Authorities (in Jesus' lifetime and up until 70 CE) and the Pharisees (from about 70 CE until the "parting of the ways" around 100 CE).
141 South County Road · Palm Beach, FL 33480
(561) 655-4554 ·  www.bbts.org
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.

The clergy, associates, and staff are thankful to everyone who volunteered at our recent Homebound Luncheon last week. The event would not have been so well received and appreciated by our guests without the participation of each and everyone of you. Thank you.
Trivia Night
Friday, April 13 | 7:00 p.m. | Parish Hall
The Bethesda Mission Group will be hosting a Trivia Night fundraiser. Get a team of eight people together or come on your own and we'll pair you up with a team. It's going to be a night of fun trivia, silent auctions, and more. All profits from the event will go to help the Bethesda Mission Group with costs for their summer trip. For more information, contact Greg Knight at (561) 655-4555 x114 or
 e-mail  knight@bbts.org.
Bethesda at its Best
Sundays, 
April 15, 22, & 29 | 9:50 a.m. | Guild Room
C ome 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, 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.
Documentary Screening
Thursday, April 17 | 5:00 p.m. or 8:00 p.m. | Bob Carter's Actors Rep Theatre
Come support our youth mission trips this summer by attending a screening of the documentary Voices Beyond The Wall at Bob Carter's Actors Rep Theatre (1009 North Dixie Hwy., West Palm Beach)  on Tuesday, April 17 at 5:00 p.m. or 8:00 p.m. The movie will be followed by a Q&A session with volunteers who have spent time at Our Little Roses, an orphanage for girls in Honduras. Tickets are $20.
SPRING POTLUCK
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! Sign-up after the services on Sunday or email fellowship@bbts.org
Cost is $10 per person | Children 12 and under: free | Chefs bringing a dish and their families: $5 per person.
We pray for...    
Alan, Amy, Angela, Ann, Arlo, Bailey, Becky, Bill, Blair, Bob, Boylan Family, Breckenridge Family, Broberg Family, Bunny, Caraboolad Family, Carlin, Carol, Carolyn, Charles, Charlie, Chris, Cynthia, David, Debbie, Donna, Donnell Family, Dorothy, Dylan, Evan, Fred, Garcia Family, Georgette, Gisela, Glenn, Holder Family, Holly, Jack, Jackie, Jan, Jane, Jerry, John, Joyce, Katharine, Katie, Kelly, Kitty, Leanne, Leslie, Lory, Marcia, Margaret, Mark, Mary, Matthew, Melissa, Michael, Mike, Pam, Pat, Patrick, Peggy, Ralph, Rebecca, Rex, Richard, Ricky, Robbie, Robert, Sean, Sharon, Shawn, Stephen, Sylvia, Taryn, Thomas, Tina, Tom, Tylander Family, Ward, Wheldon, and those serving our country...Alex, Benjamin, Christian, Clara, Eric, Harold, Herbert, John, Lorne, Michael, Sean, and Tommy .
The Bethesda Spring Catalog is available...
The Bethesda Spring Catalog is available...
click here and mark your calendars! 
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