Friday, January 6, 2023 Newsletter
SUNDAY SERVICES
9:00 a.m. ‘Holy Ground’ Contemporary Worship in Fellowship Hall
(in person only)
11:00 a.m. Traditional Worship in the Sanctuary - Communion
(in person and livestreamed on Facebook and our website, and audio via phone)
|
|
A MESSAGE FROM THE REV. J.C. AUSTIN: CELEBRATING THE EPIPHANY
Epiphany is often, at best, an afterthought among U.S. Protestant Christians. If you asked most people about the Twelve Days of Christmas, almost all of them would say something about the song that immortalizes perhaps the most notoriously over-the-top series of grand romantic gestures in popular culture.
Did you know the song ends up naming 364 gifts that would cost well over $100,000 in today’s economy? And 184 of those gifts are birds?!? I hope the recipient has a big backyard…
|
|
Well, suffice it to say, the point of the Twelve Days of Christmas is not for toxic potential lovers to fill your house with enough birds to make a Hitchcock movie.
The point of the Christmas season was to ensure that there was an extended time of sacred festivities to commemorate the Incarnation of God in the birth of Jesus Christ, and that season then came to an end with the celebration of Epiphany on January 6.
|
|
|
Both the Twelve Days of Christmas and Epiphany have all but disappeared as sacred celebrations in the United States, but Epiphany is still a major Christian holiday in many other cultures, and historically, it was behind only Easter and Christmas in terms of religious significance for Christians.
The reason for this is not simply because it commemorates the visit of the Magi to pay homage to the Christ child, though that is the main narrative of the story. But the real point is celebrating the manifestation of God in Jesus; the word “epiphany” literally means “manifestation” or “appearance.” In common usage, it has been adopted to refer to a sudden insight or realization, and there are some good reasons for that, too.
So we will be exploring that and what it means for us as a congregation for the next few Sundays in a sermon series that I am simply entitling, “Eureka!” As I will explain on Sunday, that expression comes from a famous non-religious epiphany, and it means, “I found it!”
Over the next few weeks, we’ll be looking at different epiphanies, or manifestations of God’s will and character, in Scripture and considering what they mean for us in terms of discerning our mission as a congregation in 2023 and beyond.
I look forward to being with you in this season of exploration, inspiration, consideration, and celebration!
Grace and peace,
J.C.
|
|
FOR THIS SUNDAY
Click the link to read the verses
|
|
- This week’s sermon: Eureka - Finding Another Way by The Rev. J.C. Austin
- We post the video of each week’s
services and sermon text and audio
|
|
TO DOWNLOAD AND PRINT on 8.5" x 11" paper for Sunday
|
|
FOR SUNDAY’S IN-PERSON WORSHIP:
-
Child care will be available from 8:45 a.m.-12:15 p.m. on Sunday mornings; please ask an usher for directions.
-
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.
|
|
COMMUNION SUNDAY
Communion is celebrated each week in our 9 a.m. Holy Ground service. It will be celebrated this Sunday at the 11 a.m. Traditional service.
If you are worshipping via the livestream, you can prepare
your own elements: bread or a bread-like item (cracker, pita, bagel)
and grape juice, wine or water.
|
|
IMPORTANT UPDATE FROM THE BUILDING REOPENING TASK FORCE:
The Task Force is reminding you that there is a “triple-demic” of three dangerous viruses in the Lehigh Valley: Covid, influenza, and RSV.
There are rising case numbers for all three of these viruses both in the community and among our own church congregation and staff. We strongly encourage people to wear masks. Most importantly, if you are not feeling well, even if you have a “cold,” please attend digitally. What seems like a mild cold could be the predecessor to one of these serious viral infections. We need to protect those members and their families who are immune-compromised or vaccine ineligible.
If you have not been boosted with the bivalent Covid vaccine or have not had your flu shot, please consider attending digitally. Flu is raging now in the community. If you get it, you should ask your doctor for one of the flu drugs such as Tamiflu that, if taken early, moderate your illness. For Covid, the Pfizer drug, Paxlovid, is prescribed for high risk people. If you get Covid, we recommend that you consult the CDC website to help you determine when you can end isolation.
In order to reduce contact and possible virus spread, we will mark every other pew in the Sanctuary with a yellow post it note. Please don’t sit in these rows. If we all work together we can reduce the impact of these viruses on our vulnerable members and ourselves.
|
|
HEARTS N MINDS ADULT ED: NEW YEAR, NEW BOOK, NEW LOCATION |
|
The Hearts N Minds classes resume this Sunday, January 8; they will meet from 9:45 – 10:40 a.m. in the Parlor (upstairs above the main church office). Please feel free to come even if you have not read the book. This adult ed class is open to all!
The group will study a new book, Elusive Grace: Loving Your Enemies While Striving for God’s Justice by Pastor Scott Black Johnson, senior pastor at Fifth Avenue Presbyterian in Manhattan. It is on sale through the PCUSA bookstore; we also encourage you to check online used book stores.
|
|
|
For this first discussion, please read the Foreword by Barbara Brown Taylor (page xi) and the Introduction, to the end of page 10. You may also want to read through the reviews at the beginning of the book. |
|
SOME REMINDERS FOR YOU…
IN CASE OF BAD WEATHER: Look for updates on our website (fpc-bethlehem.org), Facebook page, and WFMZ (channel 69 and wfmz.com). We’ll also put a message on our church phone, 610-867-5865.
PLEDGE ENVELOPES: If you ordered pledge envelopes, they will be mailed directly to you from the envelope company. Because of supply chain issues, they will be shipped in the next couple of weeks.
|
|
FPCB will be cooking and serving dinner for the guests at Bethlehem Emergency Sheltering on Wednesday, January 25. We need volunteers to help cook and serve dinner, clean up during service and after the meal, and serve as shower monitor (which is just a simple check-in process).
If you’re interested in volunteering, please sign up using this easy online form. You can also sign up with Pastor Lindsey on Sunday, or call the church office at 610-867-5865.
|
|
|
If you’re not available this time, please save the date for our next BES dinner later in the shelter season: Wednesday, March 29.
Looking for other ways to support BES? Check their other volunteer opportunties - some of the groups providing dinners need help for particular jobs, and they also need help picking up food donations around our community. |
|
LOOKING AHEAD…
On Sunday, January 29, we will offer one Combined Service at 10 a.m. in the Sanctuary, followed by our Annual Meeting of the Congregation and Corporation.
This will be followed by a Pasta Lunch at 12:30 p.m. in Fellowship Hall – this is a fundraiser put on by Boy Scout Troop 302. It will feature baked ziti, meatballs, and all the trimmings for a suggested donation of $12 for adults, and $6 for kids 10 and under. More details to come!
|
|
IF YOU ARE HOSPITALIZED…
We would like to know when our members are entering the hospital. Please tell the hospital that your church ID is 724 and they will contact us. You can also contact Phil
PRAYER REQUESTS...
|
|
Send us your news and photos to share:
**Deadline for the next week's newsletter:
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11 at noon**
* * *
Your likes / comments / shares help us spread the word about First Pres!
|
|
TO JOIN OUR LIVESTREAM WORSHIP SERVICES
-
Visit our Facebook page and look for the post with our live feed
-
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
|
|
IF YOU DO NOT HAVE INTERNET ACCESS: You can participate on your phone to listen to the Christmas Eve and Sunday services
To listen on the phone (audio only): Call 929-205-6099; when prompted enter the Meeting ID: 848 4170 9518, followed by the # key. You will be asked for the participant ID – press the # key again.
|
|
THIS SUNDAY – COMMUNION SUNDAY
- 8:45 a.m.-12:15 p.m.: Child Care (ask ushers to direct you)
- 9:00 a.m.: “Holy Ground” Contemporary service, Fellowship Hall (in person only)
- 9:45 a.m.: Hearts N Minds adult ed class, Parlor – all are welcome
- 10:00 a.m.: Hospitality Time & Intergenerational Faith Formation, Fellowship Hall – all are welcome
-
11:00 a.m.: Traditional Worship Service, in-person in the Sanctuary AND livestream on Facebook Live and our website; below, to join us online
WEDNESDAYS: 7 p.m. - Overcomer’s Outreach Christian 12 Step Recovery Group weekly meeting, via Zoom (Meeting # 380 435 9056 / Password: overcomer)
THURSDAYS: 7 p.m. - Chancel Choir Rehearsal, Sanctuary
CHURCH OFFICE AND BUILDING INFO:
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.
CARE CONCERNS AND HOSPITAL VISITS: If members of the FPCB congregation are hospitalized and would welcome pastoral and hospital ministrant visitors and/or prayers, please contact: Phil Fair, Prayer Ministrant (prayer@fpc-bethlehem.org).
|
|
FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF BETHLEHEM |
First Presbyterian Church of Bethlehem, 2344 Center Street, Bethlehem, PA 18017 610-867-5865 | info@fpc-bethlehem.org
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
