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A Lavish Gift
These are the words the Venerable Bede uses to describe the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and in our lives: a lavish gift given "to everyone in every place, regardless of sex, state of life or position"
(Commentary on the Acts of the Apostles 2.17). This Sunday we celebrate this lavish gift from God, given to each of us. God's Holy Spirit, that descended on the disciples at Pentecost and is given to us at our baptism, empowers us for the life and ministry for which we were created.
This Sunday, with Bishop Eaton presiding, we will celebrate with the members of our youth confirmation class who have decided to make a personal commitment to God and the Church. As they do so, we all renew our baptismal covenant. We renew our desire to know deeply this lavish gift in our lives. We relish the knowledge that God shares this gift indiscriminately, even with the likes of us as well as with the faithful of every generation and nation.
I am so grateful for this lavish gift as I embark on a time of rest and renewal this summer, and as Eli, Hannah, and I get to experience the myriad ways God's people have lived and shared their spirit-filled giftedness in other times and places, especially in the time of Bede and the Celtic saints in Britain.
As we part company for a season and I get on a plane Monday, we can all be mindful that the Holy Spirit binds us together in a mystical unity of grace and mission. We can hold one another in prayer and look forward with eager anticipation to all that God has in store for us during this sabbatical time and beyond.
Know that even as we are excited for the adventure and discovery in store for us this summer, Eli, Hannah, and I will miss you. We will miss our glorious worship, our warm fellowship, and our faithful service (though perhaps not the hot, humid summer weather). I am confident that this sabbatical will deepen our appreciation for the life and ministry we share at Bethesda and will strengthen us for the work to which God calls us in the coming years.
Blessings to you all. I'll see you soon!
James+
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Begin Two-Service Schedule
SUNDAY, MAY 20, 2018
Preacher (8:00 a.m. & 10:00 a.m.): The Bishop
*8:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist
8:30 a.m. Fellowship Breakfast, Parish Hall West
*10:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist and Youth Confirmation
11:15 p.m. Pentecost Picnic, Garth, Parish Hall
The Feast of Pentecost
Sunday, May 20
Bishop Eaton's Visitation and Confirmation at 10:00 a.m. | Church
Bishop Eaton will be at both services (8:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m.) Sunday, May 20.
He will confirm those in our Youth Confirmation Class.
Can you speak a different language?
We will read the Gospel in many languages at both services. If you are able to read the Gospel in another language and would like to participate in this service, please call Ayana at the church at (561) 655-4554.
Pentecost Picnic | Garth and Parish Hall
At the end of the 10:00 a.m. service, the congregation is invited to our annual Pentecost Picnic in the Garth and Parish Hall. We will be serving chicken, hot dogs, hamburgers, and side dishes. Cost is $10; $5 for children under 12; Family Maximum $25.
Wear Red For Pentecost
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 3:00 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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Middle Way resumes on Wednesday, September 19.
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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 describes
the Coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, a pre-existing Jewish Feast. It also discusses Paul's apocalyptic sense of the "glory to be revealed to us."
Acts 2:1-21
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.
The Gospel According to Luke and Acts of the Apostles see the Holy Spirit as the driving force for all that happens. The events of today's reading exemplify this.
Pentecost (also known in Judaism as Shavuot and the Feast of Weeks) celebrated the Spring Harvest 50 days after Passover. It was observed in Ancient Israel from at least the Fifth Century BCE and was one of three feasts in which Jews came to the Temple in Jerusalem to make offerings. It is therefore not surprising that Acts reports that there were large numbers of devout Jews in Jerusalem (v.5) for Pentecost.
After the Destruction of the Temple in 70 CE, offerings could no longer be made there. The feast then became a celebration of the giving of the Torah 50 days after (according to the Book of Exodus) the Israelites celebrated the First Passover and left Egypt.
Today's Pentecost Story contains images of fire and wind - common "descriptions" of the Spirit that knows no boundaries.
Many Bible scholars note that persons' hearing the disciples speaking their own languages (v.11) is seen as the Spirit's reversal of the Tower of Babel Story in which YHWH confused the languages of the earth (Gen.11:9). The Babel Story is generally considered an "etiology" (a myth-story of origins) rather than a literal account about the multiplicity of languages on earth.
Romans 8:22-27
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.
Paul died in 62 or 63 CE. Accordingly, the Temple in Jerusalem (which was destroyed in 70) was in full operation all during Paul's life. As a Jew who was also a Jesus Follower, Paul continued to have expectations about the fullness of the Coming of the Messiah. This is the "glory about to be revealed to us" (v.18).
Paul's views were "apocalyptic" (anticipating a breakthrough from the current time to a new and better age). In today's reading, he used the image of "freedom of the glory of God" to represent the new age, and metaphors of labor pains (v.22) and waiting for adoption and redemption (v.23) as characteristics of the transitional time to this fullness.
Like most apocalyptic writers, Paul sees God as the moving force for this change (v.27) by God's willing that the Spirit help us to pray (v. 26).
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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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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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St. George's Sandwich Making
Friday's | 8:00 a.m. |
Kitchen
Every Friday people of all ages meet in the kitchen to make sandwiches for the St. George's Community Center in Riviera Beach. The Center serves over 1,900 meals a week. This is a fun opportunity to help feed those in need in our community while getting to know fellow parishioners.
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Nautical Knitters
Saturday's | 10:30 a.m. | Library
Nautical Knitters are a group of knitters who provide handmade watch caps and scarves for the Port Ministry. These necessities are then blessed and given to mariners at the Port of Palm Beach. All-including beginners-are welcome to attend this fun and free activity.
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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, 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, John D, John K, John P, Kelly, Kitty, Leslie, 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, Shawn, Stephanie B, Stephanie G, Stephen, Susan, Sylvia, Taryn, Thomas, Tom, Tommy , Ward, and those serving our country...
Alex, Benjamin, Christian, Clara, Eric, Harold, Herbert, John, Lorne, Luster, Michael, Sean, and Tommy.
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The Bethesda Spring Catalog is available...
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