*Be sure to read to the end - if you see "View entire message" at the bottom,
click that to see the rest of the newsletter.*
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Friday, March 29, 2024 Newsletter
For Sunday - Easter Sunday
9:00 a.m.: Holy Ground Contemporary Worship Service
in Fellowship Hall (in person only)
11:00 a.m.: Traditional Worship Service in the Sanctuary
(in person and livestreamed on Facebook and our website)
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A MESSAGE FROM THE REV. J.C. AUSTIN:
OBSERVING THE TRIDUUM
As I mentioned last week, we are now in the midst of what the medieval church began calling the Triduum (“TRID-you-um”), which is simply Latin for “three days.” The Triduum begins on Thursday evening of Holy Week with the observance of Maundy Thursday, when Jesus had his Last Supper with his disciples, washing their feet, commanding them to love each other, and instituting the sacrament of Communion.
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It continues with Good Friday, remembering the day that Jesus was executed by crucifixion by the Roman Empire. Here at First Presbyterian, we observe Good Friday with a Tenebrae Service tonight at 8 p.m., a service that tells the full story of Jesus’ arrest, trial, crucifixion, and death, with candles extinguished after each lesson to create a service with increasing shadows and darkness.
Holy Saturday, then, is a time of contemplative waiting, between Jesus’ burial on Friday and the discovery of the empty tomb on Sunday. To mark that, we have a Compline Service of contemplative sung prayer on Saturday night at 8 p.m.
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And, of course, the Triduum concludes with the joyful celebration of Christ’s resurrection on Easter, which we will have at both 9 a.m. (contemporary) and 11 a.m. (traditional).
As I write this, we are about halfway through the “three days,” in the heart of Good Friday. The end of Good Friday and Holy Saturday are all about waiting, which is often hard for us in so many ways. So one of my personal Good Friday spiritual disciplines every year is to read a section of T.S. Eliot’s poem “East Coker” from his Four Quartets. I have shared this with you several times, and want to do so again this year because I personally find it so moving and helpful:
I said to my soul, be still, and let the dark come upon you
Which shall be the darkness of God. As, in a theatre,
The lights are extinguished, for the scene to be changed
With a hollow rumble of wings, with a movement of darkness on darkness,
And we know that the hills and the trees, the distant panorama
And the bold imposing facade are all being rolled away—
Or as, when an underground train, in the tube, stops too long between stations
And the conversation rises and slowly fades into silence
And you see behind every face the mental emptiness deepen
Leaving only the growing terror of nothing to think about;
Or when, under ether, the mind is conscious but conscious of nothing—
I said to my soul, be still, and wait without hope
For hope would be hope for the wrong thing; wait without love,
For love would be love of the wrong thing; there is yet faith
But the faith and the love and the hope are all in the waiting.
Wait without thought, for you are not ready for thought:
So the darkness shall be the light, and the stillness the dancing.
I hope this helps you center yourself in the Holy Week story, and especially in the hush at the end of Good Friday and on Holy Saturday. And I look forward to celebrating the good news of the empty tomb with you on Easter morning!
Grace and Peace,
J.C.
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- This week’s sermon: Not Among the Dead by the Rev. J.C. Austin
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We post the video of each week’s services and sermon text on our website: fpc-bethlehem.org
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TO DOWNLOAD AND PRINT on 8.5" x 11" paper:
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JOIN US FOR OUR EASTER EGG HUNT & SPRING FESTIVAL |
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Saturday, March 30
10-11:30 a.m.
This family-friendly event is open to all. The event will begin in the Kirk Center and include face painting, temporary tattoos, photo booth, and other hands-on activities.
Then we’ll head outside for age-specific egg hunts (including one for adults!).
Please bring your own basket or bag for collecting eggs. Hope to see you!
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SPRING FLOWERS GRACING OUR WORSHIP |
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If you ordered spring flowers that are used for Sunday morning’s services, thank you! Please take your flowers home with you after the service you attend.
Here's the list of donors.
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LOOKING AHEAD TO SUMMER WORSHIP: GIVE US YOUR INPUT
Our Worship Committee is looking ahead to our summer worship schedule, and would like your input.
We are considering whether to continue to offer two services each Sunday during the summer, or whether to do one Combined Service at 10 a.m. And whether the Combined Service option should include an extended reflection time. You will be asked to rank your choices in order of most preferred, to least preferred.
Please complete this short survey (please limit your response to one per person). Thanks for taking some time to do this by this Sunday, March 31.
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A NEW LENTEN PRACTICE: PRAYER SQUARES |
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Prayer Squares are small pieces of colored paper in baskets in both Fellowship Hall and the Narthex. We suggest you take a moment on Sunday to write a prayer concern or a joy on one of these prayer squares, fold it and place it in the basket.
Then please consider taking someone else's folded square from the basket and praying on it throughout the week. In this way, we hope to form a prayer chain to pray for each other.
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If you are unable to visit the church building to participate in this, please contact us at info@fpc-bethlehem.org or 610-867-5865 and we can take your prayer concern and/or send one to you.
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LAST CALL FOR CONTRIBUTIONS TO
ONE GREAT HOUR OF SHARING: THIS SUNDAY
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NEW! INTERGENERATIONAL FAITH OFFERING FOR ALL AGES
The intergenerational faith formation group has begun exploring a new curriculum titled Current: Seeking Justice Together!
The curriculum includes materials and activities for ages from Preschool to adult, making this hour welcoming to all. Drop in as you are able, or join for the full series. The group meets in Fellowship Hall between the two services from 10:10 - 10:45 a.m.
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NO HEARTS N MINDS THIS SUNDAY
The Hearts N Minds adult education class will NOT meet this Sunday. We’ll gather again on Sunday, April 8 from 9:45 - 10:40 a.m. (if you attend the 9 a.m. Holy Ground service, you are welcome to leave early to attend this class).
The group will discuss Fr. Richard Rohr's Falling Upward, Chapter 8, “Amnesia and the Big Picture” (pages 97-104). All are welcome to attend – you do not have to have done the reading to enjoy the discussion.
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FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION: AN IMPORTANT ISSUE
*CLARIFICATION* If you need a handicapped parking space (and have the proper documentation), you are of course welcome to park in the designated handicapped spaces.
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We have been experiencing issues with parking in the front of the building, and ask for your cooperation. There are cars parked in the “NO PARKING” zone as well as in handicapped spaces.
A critical issue is that if there was a fire or an ambulance needed, access to the front of the church is blocked, or in the case of a fire truck, the round-about in front of the church is inaccessible to the trucks.
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HI NEIGHBORS: NO PROGRAM THIS MONDAY
Another great presentation last Monday at our popular speakers series. All are welcome to attend, and there are no registration or fees required.
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WE WILL NOT MEET THIS MONDAY, APRIL 1. For Monday, April 8: Join Charlene Donchez Mowers as she shares the progress of “Designating Bethlehem Historical Sites as a World Heritage Site.” There are just 24 such sites in the U.S., as designated by the United Nations – what is the impact of such a designation, and how will it benefit our community?
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A social time begins at 9:30 a.m. and the program starts at 10 a.m. in Fellowship Hall. Here’s the complete schedule of programs that run through Monday, May 20 - with a special "field trip" on May 13! |
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NEW EVENT: SHE NAILED IT!
She Nailed It! is an all women, nail-hammering, relay competition and one of Habitat for Humanity of the Lehigh Valley's signature fundraising events! For the first time, our church has a team of women raising funds and competing - Donna Taggart, Kari Keyock, Tracy Samuelson, and Lindsey Clifton.
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The nail-hammering competition will be held on Monday, May 6 at Dimmick Park in Hellertown. It is a fun community event with food trucks, beer tents, and raffles!
We hope lots of FPCB folks will show up to enjoy it and cheer on our team! Tailgating for the event starts at 1 p.m., and the competition begins at 4 p.m.
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To support our team - FPCB Hammering for Housing - and HabitatLV, you can make a gift online. You can also write a check to the church with "She Nailed It!" on the memo line.
We have to raise a minimum of $1,500 by Monday, April 15, but we’d love to hit $3,000 by the competition date. (Gifts beyond the initial $1,500 goal can be accepted through May 1.) Any support is much appreciated!
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A SPIRITUAL OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU
Through the Roof – And Other Moments with God: A Time for Spiritual Renewal
Saturday, May 4: 9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Parlor
You are invited to join us for a time of refreshment, renewal and spiritual nurturing as we seek to identify ways we encounter God in events and relationships in our daily lives. Long time spiritual retreat leaders, Jan Bickford, Gail Watts, the Rev. Dr. Ginny Smith, and the Rev. Dr. Richard Smith will facilitate our time together.
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Registration is due on Saturday, April 20. Use this simple online sign-up form or call the church office (number below). Paper forms will also be available at our church services.
Lunch will be served. There is a suggested donation of $10, payable by check and made out to First Presbyterian Church, Bethlehem, or pay at the door the morning of the retreat. For more information: info@fpc-bethlehem.org or call 610-867-5865.
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CARE CONCERNS AND HOSPITAL VISITS
If you are hospitalized, please tell the hospital our church code is 724. Also, please call the church office at 610-867-5865 to let us know as the hospitals do not always collect this information. After hours, leave a message or call our answering service at 610-778-7003.
PRAYER REQUESTS...
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Send us your news and photos to share:
**Deadline for the next newsletter:
WEDNESDAY at noon**
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Your likes / comments / shares help us spread the word about First Pres!
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TO JOIN OUR LIVESTREAM WORSHIP SERVICE
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Visit our Facebook page and look for the post with our live feed
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If you don’t have a Facebook account, go to our website to view the service - click on the "Watch the Service" button
- Please check in with a comment so we know you’ve joined us!
- Captions will now be available on our livestream, for those who would like to use that feature
To watch a video – available after the services have aired: Visit our website archives
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FOR SUNDAY’S IN-PERSON WORSHIP:
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Child care will be available from 8:45 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. this Sunday morning; please ask an usher for directions.
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Your children are a joy in our worship services, and should the need arise, “kid bags” are available for their use. They are in the Narthex.
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We offer nametags for folks to wear – these are for everyone! You can pick up as you enter the worship space; please clearly PRINT your first name.
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THIS SUNDAY - EASTER SUNDAY
- 8:45 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.: Child Care (ask ushers to direct you)
- 9:00 a.m.: Holy Ground Contemporary Worship service, in-person in Fellowship Hall
- 10:10-10:45 a.m.: Current: Seeking Justice Together!, an intergenerational faith formation offering, Fellowship Hall – all ages are welcome
- 11:00 a.m.: Traditional Worship service, in-person in the Sanctuary and livestreamed on Facebook and on our website
WEDNESDAYS: 7 p.m. - Overcomer’s Outreach Christian 12 Step Recovery Group weekly meeting, via Zoom.com (NEW! meeting #: 868 2214 2960; passcode: OO-Beth)
CHURCH OFFICE AND BUILDING INFO:
The offices, building and Preschool will be closed on Monday, April 1 for the Easter holiday; all will reopen on Tuesday, April 2 (the Preschool will also be closed on Thursday, March 28 and Friday, March 29).
Regular office hours are Monday - Thursday from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Many of the office staff are working remotely for some of the time, so please make an appointment if you need to see someone specific. The answering service (610-778-7003) can take your urgent pastoral concerns, 24 hours a day.
IN CASE OF BAD WEATHER: Look for updates on our website (fpc-bethlehem.org), Facebook page, and WFMZ (channel 69 and wfmz.com). We will also put the info on our church phone message, 610-867-5865.
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FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF BETHLEHEM |
First Presbyterian Church of Bethlehem, 2344 Center Street, Bethlehem, PA 18017 610-867-5865 | info@fpc-bethlehem.org
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