ST. JOHN ORTHODOX CHURCH

 

1663 TUTWILER AVENUE

MEMPHIS, TN 38107

(901) 274-4119

www.stjohnmemphis.org

 

V. Rev. Fr. John Troy Mashburn, Jr.                                   Rev. Fr. Nicholas Meyers

Pastor                                                                                Assistant Pastor

 

    V. Rev. Fr. Basil Cushman                                                Rev. Fr. Donald Berge

Associate Pastor                                                                     Attached

 

GREAT VESPERS                       ORTHROS and CHURCH SCHOOL    DIVINE LITURGY

Saturday, 6:00 p.m.                                    Sunday, 9:00 a.m.                                    Sunday, 10:00 a.m.

 

Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America

“…the Disciples were called Christians first in Antioch!”

Acts 11:26

 

Sunday after the Elevation of the Holy Cross

September 21, 2008

Epistle: Galatians 2:16-20          Gospel: Mark 8:34-9:1

                                                                                                                               

The Holy Bread for Eucharist is offered this morning by the Turner Family.

 

Welcome to all those visiting St. John Orthodox Church.  We are honored by your presence.  It is our sincere desire that your participation today in the Divine Liturgy will draw you closer to Christ and His Church.

 

If you are from a non-Orthodox background you may see new things such as icons, incense, the sign of the cross, the veneration of saints, and a great deal of standing.  These can be perplexing to the uninitiated eye.  Rest assured that everything we do has a solid biblical foundation and a long history among Christian people.  Please feel free to participate where you feel comfortable, and feel equally as free only to observe when you prefer.

 

The Orthodox Church understands the Eucharist, or Lord’s Supper, to be – among other things – the paramount expression of Christian unity.  While it is our deepest hope that Christendom will one day fulfill Christ’s desire for true unity among all those who claim His name (John 17:21), the unfortunate reality of our day is that the various segments of Christendom are not unified with the historic Orthodox faith.  Since participation in the Eucharist expresses a unity with all the dogma and practice of the Orthodox Church, non-Orthodox guests do not receive Holy Communion.  The Holy Eucharist is reserved for those members of the Orthodox Church who have prepared themselves by prayer, fasting, and recent confession.  All visitors and unprepared Orthodox are invited to partake of the blessed bread as they come forward to venerate the cross at the end of the Liturgy.  Thank you for your understanding.

 

 

ST. JOHN CALENDAR                         September  21st – September 28th  (Wed. & Fri. Fast)

Sunday            - Teen Group – Soup Kitchen, meet at the church at 1:30 p.m.

- No Young Adult Group

Monday          - First Hour, 6:45 a.m.

Tuesday          - Third Hour, 9:00 a.m.

- Choir Practice, 7:00 p.m.

- No Catechumen/Inquirer’s Class (Classes will resume next week)

Wednesday     - Third Hour, 9:00 a.m.

- Akathist to St. John the Theologian, 6:00 p.m.

- Wednesday Dinner, 6:45 p.m. (be sure to sign-up!)

Thursday        - Third Hour, 9:00 a.m.

                        - Men’s Lunch, 12:00 p.m.

                        - Paying Vespers, 6:30 p.m.

                        - OCF will meet at St. John for the vespers service at 6:30 p.m.

Friday             - Divine Liturgy,The Repose of St. John the Evangelist, 9:00 a.m.

                                    Fasting Breakfast Coffee Hour to follow

- No Stay & Play Group

Saturday         - Ninth Hour and Great Vespers, 5:50 p.m.

Sunday            - Church School, 9:00 a.m.

- Orthros, 9:00 a.m.

                        - Divine Liturgy, 10:00 a.m.  

 

Divine Liturgy - Repose of St. John the Evangelist   Friday, September 26th, 9:00 a.m. 

PRIEST:                       Fr. John                                    HOMILY:        Fr. John

DEACONS:                 Dn. Tim & Charles                   READER:        Caleb McGee

HOLY BREAD:           Laura Graham                          ALTAR SERVERS:     Any who can

COFFEE HOUR:         Sue Ingram & Judy Terry

 

Schedule for Divine Liturgy                                                Sunday, September 28th  

PRIEST:                       Fr. John                                    HOMILY:        Fr. John

DEACONS:                 Dn. Tim & James                      READER:        Matt Spinolo

HOLY BREAD:           Sue Ingram                               USHER:           John McGee

ALTAR SERVERS:     Caleb, J. Morgan, Misha, Joe

COFFEE HOUR:         Nawar & Reem Mansour, Rawad & Shanna Massouh

TUPELO:                     Fr. Nicholas & Dn. Charles

 

Patronal Feast – Repose of St. John the Theologian – We will celebrate the Feast of St. John’s repose by praying vespers Thursday night, September 25 at 6:30 PM (not on earlier schedules) and by celebrating the Divine Liturgy Friday, September 26, at 9:00 AM.  Since this is our patronal feast, we can have fish, wine and oil that day.  Come pray and worship with us!

 

COMMEMORATIONS

 

 

Sept.21: Apostle Quadratos of the Seventy; Prophet Jonah; uncovering of the relics of Demetrios, bishop of Rostov.

 

Sept.22: Hieromartyr Phocas of Sinope the wonder-worker; New-martyrs Isaac and Martin; Twenty-six Venerable-martyrs of Zographou monastery on Athos; Venerable Cosmas the Bulgarian of Zagraphou monastery on Athos.

 

Sept. 23: The Conception of the Forerunner; Martyr Raidos; New-martyrs Nicholas and John; Venerable Xanthippa and Polyxena of Spain.

 

Sept.24: Proto-martyr Thekla, equal-to-the-Apostles; the commemoration of the wonder-working icon of the Theotokos of the Myrtle Tree; New-martyr Ahmed; Venerable Nicander of Pskov; Venerable Silouan of Athos; the synaxis of all saints of Alaska.

 

Sept.25: Venerable Euphrosyne of Alexandria; Venerable-martyr Paphnoutios and those with him; repose of Venerable Sergios of Radonezh; translation of the relics of Herman, archbishop of Kazan.

 

Sept.26: The repose of the Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian.

 

Sept. 27: Martyr Kallistratos; the Apostles Aristarchos, Zenon and Mark of the Seventy; New-martyr Aquilina; Venerable Ignatios, abbot in Asia Minor; Venerable Savvatios of Solovsky.

 

Sept.28: Venerable Chariton the Confessor, abbot of Palestine; Venerable Neophytos and Auxentios; Martyr Heliodoros; Prophet Baruch; Martyr Wenceslaus, prince of the Czechs.

 

**For reading material on the saints for this week, visit the display in the church library.

 

 

DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS       September 21 – September 28

Sunday                         I Corinthians 16:13-24              Matthew 21:33-42

Monday                       Galatians 2:11-16                     Luke 3:19-22

Tuesday                       Galatians 2:21-3:7                    Luke 3:23-4:1

Wednesday                  Galatians 3:15-22                     Luke 4:1-5

Thursday                      Galatians 3:23-4:5                    Luke 4:16-22

Friday                          Galatians 4:8-21                       Luke 4:22-30

Saturday                       I Corinthians 4:17-5:5               Luke 4:31-36

Sunday                         II Corinthians 4:6-15                Luke 5:1-11

 

Pray for our catechumens:  In Memphis - James Pritchard, Leland & Courtney Murphree (Mary Charlotte), Gary & Cindy Karnaghon, Sue Brownlow, Larry Ichniowski, and Kinney Graham. In Tupelo - Shane Davis, Justin & Tifphanie Franks (Paris), Justin & Brandy Williams, Leah Hardy and Adam Clay.

 

Please remember in your prayers: His Eminence, Metropolitan PHILIP, His Grace, Bishop ANTOUN, Archimandrite Roman Braga, Rev. Fr. Mikhail & the faithful of Spaso-Pargolovo (St. Petersburg), Buddy Taylor, Margaret Layman, Chris Hodges, Jonathan Cushman, Jason Cushman, Judy Smith (Julie Sanderlin’s mother), Shirley Gore (Judy Terry’s mother),  Stephen Wright, Linda Starr (friend of Mary Ann Coccaro), Effie Johnson (Kh. Susan’s mother), Mary Clark, Joy White (pregnant), Jodi Yzaguirre (pregnant), Alicia Stickle (pregnant), Andrew Alissandratos, Ann Hicks (Dianna Hildebrand’s mother), Sue Ingram, Alexandra Dense.

 

 

- ALMS-GIVING -

FOOD PANTRY - Please remember that we give items from the food pantry to a few specific families all year long and this is a wonderful way to give alms all throughout the year.  We will continue to keep a bin just outside the parish hall for collection of these items.

 

OTHER CONTINUING ALMS-GIVING OPPORTUNITIES

Diocese of Miami and the Southeast Mission Fund

Michael Bittle Fund – Holy Trinity Orthodox Church – Little Rock, AR

Project Mexicowww.projectmexico.org

St. Paul Mission Station – Tupelo, MS

 

 

Candles - There are now six-day candles available for purchase in the narthex in addition to the beeswax candles. They are in purple glass sleeves and are available to be offered before the icons along the side of the church. Once the six-day candle has burned out the glass sleeve will be refilled and available again in the narthex for future offerings.

 

Memorials

Today we offer Trisagion Prayers for Mary Allison Callaway. September 18 will be the 10-year anniversary of her death. She was twenty years old at her death. The last Feast she celebrated with us at St. John was the Elevation of the Cross, ten years ago today. For our newer members who didn't have the blessing of knowing Mary, there's a scrapbook with photos in the fellowship hall near the kolliva that you're welcome to look through. May her memory be eternal.

 

Upcoming Memorial ~ October 12  ~ Urania Alissandratos

 

 

Antiochian Women of St. John’s Calendar

 

Upcoming Book Club Dates:

Monday, October 6th - Diary of a Country Priest by George Bernanos

Monday, November 3rdThe Bishop’s Mantle

In October & November we will meet at the home of Kh. Pamela Mashburn

 

Women’s Teaching Dates:

10:00 a.m. on the following Thursdays at the home of Anne Dugan:

October 2  ~  November 13  ~  December 4

 

 

GOOD LIBRARY MANNERS:  Please do not put library books, tapes, CDs or DVDs back on the shelves. This applies to ones you have looked at and decided not to check out as well as returned items. Recently several new, music CDs have been placed on the wrong shelves and other parishioners have been unable to find them. Unwanted and returned items need to be placed on the second shelf of the circulation cart. 

 

 

 

OCF – Orthodox Christian Fellowship

Will meet this week at St. John for the Praying Vespers at 6:30 pm

Any questions contact Ethan vanDrimmelen

 

 

 

Soup Kitchen – We will serve at the soup kitchen TODAY, Sunday, September 21st at First Presbyterian Church.  Since we will be the only group assisting today, it is important that we have a good turnout.  We will need 24 volunteers, teens and adults.  This is a great alms activity for individuals and families.

 

 

Pro-life Corner - Mark your calendar for the annual “Life Chain,” October 5.

 

 

Wednesday Night Service and Meal - We continue our Wednesday night meals this Wednesday.  You will need to sign up on Sunday or call the office Monday and let us know how many in your family will plan to eat. The cost is $3.50.  The service begins at 6:00 pm, and we plan to eat between 6:45 and 7:00.  Come pray and eat with us!!   

 

LIBRARY LINES – Occasionally a story from the lives of the saints makes its way into our everyday vocabulary.  This whale of a tale is a story for children, sailors, gardeners, and zoologists with tremendous theological significance!

Monday we commemorate the Holy prophet Jonah (9/22).  God called him to bring His message to the wicked city of Nineveh.  He fled God’s presence on a ship caught in a great storm, and the sailors threw him overboard. (Hence another oft-heard term, a Jonah, a person believed to bring bad luck to those around him.) 

            He was swallowed by a great fish and remained in his belly for three days. God heard his cries and caused the whale to vomit him up on land.  Jonah traveled on to Nineveh and prophesied destruction of the city for their wickedness. They repented, unexpectedly by Jonah. He had looked forward to their punishment and sulked in the desert under a vine of gourds which God created solely for his shelter. God then created a worm to eat the plant.  Jonah grieved for the vine, and God chided Jonah for his folly over grief for a plant and his wish for punishment of “human beings , who do not know their right hand or their left hand-and also much cattle…”

Read this account and its picture to us of Pascha in The Book of Jonah (KID/CHO).  Of course,the book includes color illustrations of Jonah in the whale. Icons of him and other reading material about Jonah are on display in St. John Library.

 

Teen Group Events

 

This Sunday, September 21st – Soup Kitchen – 1:45 – 4:00 p.m.

We will meet at the church at 1:30 p.m.

 

Next Sunday, September 28th – Mid-South Fair

 

 

COFFEE HOUR SIGN-UP ~ Please be sure to sign-up for a week to help out with coffee hour. This is a great way to serve others in the parish. The sign-up sheet is on the table in the fellowship hall.

 

 

From the Fathers

“Watch your heart during all your life - examine it, listen to it, and see what prevents its union with the most blessed Lord. Let this be for you the science of all sciences and with God's help you will easily observe what estranges you from God and what draws you towards Him and unites you to Him.” - St. John of Kronstadt

 

“Censure from men afflicts the heart; but if patiently accepted it generates purity.” - St. Mark the Ascetic

 

“It often happens that Satan will insidiously commune with you in your heart and say: ‘Think of the evil you have done; your soul is full of lawlessness, you are weighed down by many grievous sins.’ Do not let him deceive you when he does this and do not be led to despair on the pretext that you are being humble.  You should answer: ‘I have God’s assurance, for He says: "I desire, not the sinner’s death, but that he should return through repentance and live"’ (Ezek. 33:11) What was the purpose of His descent to earth except to save sinners, to bring light to those in darkness and life to the dead?”- St. Makarios of Egypt

 

“Every genuine confession humbles the soul. When it takes the form of thanksgiving, it teaches the soul that it has been delivered by the grace of God.”              - St. Maximos the Confessor