April 2, 2023
Sunday of the Passion / Palm Sunday
Worship at 9:30 am
Intergenerational Event and Potluck following Worship

Presiding Minister: Pastor Tim Keyl

Assisting Minister: Vicar Gabrielle Brown

Music Director: Stephen Gamboa-Díaz

Music Intern: Ike Harijanto

Altar Guild: John Aden

Lectors: Riley Erlandson, Brook Smith, Cortright family

Communion Assistants: Lauren Delwiche and Henri Santelman

Ushers: Ray Bussolini and Linda Cortright

Livestream: Miles Kirschner

Tellers: Blair Goodlin and Dianne Witte

Acolytes: Eleanor Lee, Greta Lee, Lily Micale

Bread Baker: Lee family

Coffee Hour: Richard Ford

From the Pastor

Our Place in Holy Week

Holy Week is the most important time in the church year. St. Augustine called it “The Great Week.” It deserves our attention, contemplation, and worship.

I’m hosting Zoom prayer at 8 pm Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of Holy Week (see below).

The Three Days–Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Vigil–are seen as one continuous liturgy, which is why there is no blessing and dismissal on Thursday or Friday. Each have their own focus and ritual actions. (NOTE: plan to wear appropriate footwear to participate in footwashing on Maundy Thursday.)  Maundy Thursday and Good Friday will offer noon time prayer in the chapel, in addition to the 7:30 pm fuller liturgies.

Bethesda’s Easter Vigil has evolved into a glorious celebration of Easter at night, reclaiming the ancient practice begun to fully welcome those new to the faith in baptism. Beginning at 8 pm with a bonfire in the Whitney Avenue paved circle, so many from our Bethesda community will share lively storytelling from the Hebrew scriptures, and we will announce resurrection throughout, at the fire, through the reading, at baptismal affirmation, and at eucharist!

Please make an effort to honor this week as a time of renewal in community, even if all that you do is to pause in prayer at home.

And as we have been benefiting from Dramatic Gospel readings these past weeks, we will hear the Passion of Matthew on Palm/Passion Sunday April 2 and the Passion of John on Good Friday April 7.  One question to ask throughout Holy Week and especially at the Passion readings is: Where am I?

Biblical scholar Raymond Brown says this:

We readers or hearers are meant to participate by asking ourselves how we would have stood in relation to the trial and crucifixion of Jesus. With which character in the narrative would I identify with? The distribution of palms in church may too quickly assure me that I would have been among the crowd that hailed Jesus appreciatively. Is it not more likely that I might have been among the disciples who fled from danger, abandoning him? Or at moments in my life have I not played the role of Peter, denying Jesus, or even of Judas, betraying him? Have I not found myself like the Johannine Pilate, trying to avoid a decision between good and evil? Or like the Matthean Pilate, have I made a bad decision and then washed my hands so that the record could show that I was blameless?

Or even most likely of all, might I have not stood among the religious leaders who condemned Jesus?
–from A Crucified Christ in Holy Week.

So looking forward to this Holy Week.

Pastor Tim Keyl

Worship Livestream

We stream Sunday worship services live on Bethesda’s YouTube Channel. Join us live at 9:30 am every Sunday or watch the recording afterward.

Click here to access this Sunday's bulletin.

Palm/Passion Sunday, April 2

The Palm Sunday liturgy will begin outdoors on the St. Ronan side bridge to the narthex, weather permitting, by 9:30 am. The Passion Reading for that Sunday will include a dramatic reading from Matthew’s Gospel. Following worship, there will be craft-making stations for all ages and a potluck luncheon with food that you bring.

Welcome, LuMin friends
We welcome LuMin friends as worship leaders this Sunday, especially Riley Erlandson, Brook Smith, Lauren Delwiche, and Henri Santelman. Following the potluck LuMin will host a study day at Bethesda.

Holy Week Daily Night Prayer at 8 pm Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday via Zoom

Join others on Zoom on Holy Week for half an hour of prayer beginning at 8 pm April 3, 4, and 5. Log on before 8 pm if you can. We will include prayers of lament and the framework of Compline, or Night Prayer. Click here to join.

Holy Week Services

See the schedule for the Three Days’ liturgy on Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Easter Vigil, with noon and evening services on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday.

Easter Vigil on Saturday, April 8 will continue with Bethesda’s most creative and dramatic liturgy of the year

All are welcome to gather in the paved circle by 8 pm for the Easter fire and the lighting of the Paschal Candle. Participation at the service will be from a variety of people from the greater Bethesda community: children, Bethesda’s choir, LuMin campus ministry, Yale Divinity School, and Bethesda House. Joining us this will also be friends at St. Thomas’s Episcopal Church and its choir. Following this feast of feasts, a reception will be held in the Paris House Living Room. If you’d like to help set-up beginning at 10 am, help with stage crew, or help in any other way, contact Pastor Keyl at [email protected]. Breakfast and lunch will be provided, courtesy of a Thrivent Action Team grant.

Easter Sunday, April 9

Easter Sunday will begin with breakfast at 8:30 am. This year, we are inviting you to bring some dishes to share and also inviting a prep crew for Saturday morning the day before and Sunday the day of. Caretakers Leah Snavely and Cameron Kritikos will be coordinating the breakfast. To help, contact them at [email protected].

Easter Eucharist will begin at 10 am. Children are invited to gather in the narthex at 9:50 am to hold bells and join in the procession at the Gathering Hymn to ring at the return of the Alleluia. 

Easter Prep - Families Welcome!

Calling all children and their grownups! Saturday, April 8 at 10 am meet in the Campanius room to color eggs and help with Easter basket preparation. No experience necessary!

Return Lutheran World Hunger Boxes This Sunday!

Please return your Lutheran World Hunger barn and pig boxes (filled with change, or even dollar bills!) by next Sunday, April 2. Boxes are still available for pickup in the narthex.

Exciting news: a generous donor has agreed to match our donations, doubling our impact!

Order Olive Oil from LWF

Time to order Olive Oil through Lutheran World Federation to support the LWF Vocational Training Program and help to reduce the fees of students.

Click here to access the on-line order form. Please place your order by April 2. Additional order forms are available in the narthex.

Two size options:

250mL of olive oil in a plastic bottle - Price: $15.00

750mL of olive oil in a plastic bottle - Price: $35.00

Order Easter Flowers

It is the time to order flowers (tulips or daffodils)! Order using the link below and pick them up after worship on Easter Sunday. There are forms in the narthex or click here to order flowers.

Bethesda Nursery School Plant Sale

It's Plant Sale time again! Help us fundraise for Bethesda Nursery School by purchasing beautiful hanging baskets, flowers, vegetables and herbs, all available again this year thanks to Hamden’s own Paradise Nursery. Paradise is a high quality, family run business, and we’re sure you’ll love these plants. 

Your plants will be ready for pick up at Bethesda from Wednesday, May 10 through Friday, May 12.

Order here!

Constitution Review

Those who attended the annual meeting approved amendments to Bethesda's constitution that were passed at the 2022 ELCA Churchwide Assembly. The preparation for that vote prompted the Council to review sections of our constitution that we could amend to align better with our current ministry. Ian Bjorkman, Ellen Doon, Dianne Witte, and Clarissa Wylie Youngberg have agreed to serve on a task force to undertake that review this spring. Their first meeting will be next Thursday, March 30, on Zoom. If you are interested in joining the task force, please contact Dianne. Click on the link to access Bethesda's constitution as approved on February 19, 2023.

Looking for a Calligrapher

Until we get a plaque where we can inscribe the names of those whose ashes are interred in the memorial garden, we’d like to record those names in the memorial book which sits under glass in the narthex. Is there anyone who does calligraphy or has really beautiful handwriting who would be willing to do this small but significant artistic task? If you could do this yourself, or know someone who can, please contact Elaine: [email protected]

Congregational Watershed Discipleship
Mark your calendars - on Sunday, April 30th at 11:30 am, Bethesda will host Rev. Dr. Nancy Wright, who will preach and lead an interfaith workshop on Congregational Watershed Stewardship.

Upcoming Commemorations

John Donne, poet, died 1631

Friday, March 31, 2023

After finishing his education at Oxford University, Donne seemed headed for a career in the English public service. But a series of circumstances led him into the ordained ministry. He is well known as a writer of both secular and sacred poetry.

Benedict the African, confessor, died 1589

Tuesday, April 4, 2023

Born into slavery on the island of Sicily, Benedict lived as a hermit until the pope ordered all hermits to attach themselves to a monastery, at which time Benedict joined the Franciscans. Though illiterate, he was highly respected as a confessor and later superior of his community.

Albrecht Dürer, died 1528; Matthias Grünewald, died 1529; Lucas Cranach, died 1553; artists

Thursday, April 6, 2023

These great artists revealed through their work the mystery of salvation and the wonder of creation. Dürer's work reflected the apocalyptic spirit of his time. Though he remained a Roman Catholic, he was sympathetic to Martin Luther's reforming work. Grünewald's paintings are known for their dramatic forms, vivid colors, and depiction of light. Cranach's work includes many fine religious examples and several portraits of Martin Luther. Cranach was also widely known for his woodcuts.

Prayer Requests

For healing and strength: Lynn Arezzini; Pastor Kari Henkelmann Keyl; Rachel, daughter of Mary Browne; Pastor Ruth Drews; John Ferreira, nephew of Chris Couture; Kathryn and Karolyn Lee, aunts of Chris Lee; George Arndt, father of Lynn Arezzini; Michelle Lee, friend of Christina Castañeda; Mark Barnett, nephew of Becky Lerud; Marie Gray; Sonja Krummrey; Maureen Anderson; Natalie Denardis, granddaughter of Gail Denardis; Shirley Farm; Anne and Lee Keck; Kay Leone; Molly Dinneen; Karen (Starbranch) Blitch, daughter of Chuck Starbranch.

For our partners in the Gospel: the congregations and schools of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL) and LuMin Campus Ministry; for Bethesda House and Yale Divinity School students.

For Bethesda New Haven: that God continues to guide us into the future with ministries of witness, service, hospitality, and care while building up our community in all its diversity.

For those in candidacy for rostered leadership in the ELCA: Natalie Benson, Calli Micale, Vicar Gabrielle Brown, and Jeff Hazewinkel (in formation for consecration as deacon).

Those preparing for baptism: Karim Ibrahim