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

 

Holy Fathers of the Seventh Ecumenical Council

October 12, 2008

Epistle:  Titus 3:8-15     Gospel: Luke 8:5-15

                                                                                                                               

The Holy Bread for Eucharist is offered this morning by Christi Yadron.

 

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                                   October 12th – October 19th (Wed. & Fri. Fast)

Sunday            -  No Teen Group today

- Young Adult Group, at Memphis Pizza Cafe, 7:00 p.m.

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

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

                        - Men’s Lunch, 11:45 a.m.

- Choir Practice, 7:00 p.m.

- Catechumen/Inquirer’s Class, 7:00 p.m.

Wednesday     - Third Hour, 9:00 a.m.

- Vespers, 6:00 p.m.

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

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

                        - OCF will meet at Barth House, 7:00 p.m.

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

- Third Hour, 9:00 a.m.

- Stay & Play Group will meet in the fellowship hall after third hour.

- Sixth Hour, 12:00 p.m.

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.  

 

Schedule for Divine Liturgy                                                    Sunday, October 19th

PRIEST:                       Fr. Nicholas                             HOMILY:        Fr. Nicholas

DEACONS:                 Dn. Tim & James                      READER:        John McGee

HOLY BREAD:           Reem Mansour                         USHER:           Aaron White

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

COFFEE HOUR:         Mary Ann Coccaro & Frank & Betsy Larker

TUPELO:                     Fr. John

 

 

WELCOME TEAM

Upcoming meeting dates: Mondays, October 20th & November 10th at 7:00 p.m.

 

 

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.

 

COMMEMORATIONS

 

Oct. 12: Martyrs Probos, Andronikos and Tarachos at Tarsus; Cosmas the hymnographer, bishop of Maiuma.

 

Oct. 13: Marytrs Karpos, Papylos, Agathodoros, and Agathonika at Pergamos; Martyr Benjamin the deacon; Martyr Florentios of Thesalonika; New Virgin-martyr Chrissa (Zlata) of Meglin in Bulgaria.

 

Oct. 14: Martyrs Nazarios, Gervase, Protase and Kelsos of Milan; Venerable Kosmas and Nicholas; Venerable Paraskeva of Epivat; Ignatios the wonder-worker, archbishop of Methymna; Venerable Nicholas Sviatosha, prince of Chernigov and wonder-worker of the Kiev Caves.

 

Oct. 15: Hieromartyr Lucian of Antioch; Venerable Euthymios the Younger of Athos; Savvinos, bishop of Catania; Venerable Varsos.

 

Oct. 16: Martyr Longinos the centurion who stood at the cross of the Lord; Gall, enlightener of Switzerland.

 

Oct. 17: Prophet Hosea; Venerable-martyr Andrew of Crete.

 

Oct. 18: Apostle Luke the Evangelist; Martyr Marinos the Elder at Anazarbos; Venerable Theodore and Simeon; New-martyr Gabriel of Egypt; Peter of Cetinje.

 

Oct. 19: Prophet Joel; Martyr Varos; Mnason, Bishop of Cyprus; Venerable John of Rila and Prochoros of Pchinja.

 

 

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

 

 

DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS       October 12 – October 19

Sunday                         Titus 3:8-15                              Luke 8:5-15

Monday                       Ephesians 4:25-32                    Luke 7:36-50

Tuesday                       Ephesians 5:20-26                    Luke 8:1-3

Wednesday                  Ephesians 5:25-33                    Luke 8:22-25

Thursday                      Ephesians 5:33-6:9                   Luke 9:7-11

Friday                          Ephesians 6:18-24                    Luke 9:12-18

Saturday                       I Corinthians 15:39-45              Luke 6:1-10

Sunday                         II Corinthians 9:6-11                Luke 7:11-16

 

 

 

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

 

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, 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), 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. If you currently have any hotel-type toiletries accumulating in your bathroom closets, please bring them in...they are of great help to those we give bags of food to.

 

OTHER CONTINUING ALMS-GIVING OPPORTUNITIES

Diocese of Miami and the Southeast Mission Fund

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

St. Paul Mission Station – Tupelo, MS

St. John’s Alms Fund

St. John’s Camping Fund

 

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.

 

Pledge Cards – If you have not already done so, please turn in your pledge cards to the church office by October 15th.

 

Memorial Today  ~  Urania Alissandratos

Coffee Hour - Tene, George, Theresa, and Julia Alissandratos are sponsoring the coffee hour today.  They would very much like visit with people since three of the four no longer live here.  Please feel free to stay for good “Greek fare” and conviviality in coffee hour.

 

 

 

Antiochian Women of St. John’s Calendar

 

Upcoming Showers:

Baby Shower for Jodi Yzaguirre ~ Sunday, October 19th ~ 1:30 – 3:30 p.m.

 

Bridal Shower for Gigi Snowden ~ Sunday, November 9th

 

Upcoming Book Club Dates:

Monday, November 3rdThe Bishop’s Mantle

 

Women’s Teaching:

Upcoming Dates: November 13  ~  December 4

 

Apartment for Rent - At the beginning of November the first-level apartment in the duplex next door will be available for rent. It has two bedrooms, an office and one bathroom. If you are interested or have any questions, please contact the church office.

 

New Church Directories – There have been new church directories available in the fellowship hall for the past few weeks. Please pick up a copy if you have not yet done so. (We ran out last week, if you did not get one, there are additional copies downstairs today).

 

OCF – Orthodox Christian Fellowship

Will meet this at the CORN MAZE, (behind the Agricenter) at 7:00 pm

Any questions contact Ethan vanDrimmelen - 901.517.8520

 

Wednesday nights – It is our plan to begin Wednesday night teachings on October 29.  The revised schedule for Wednesdays will be as follows:

                        Vespers                        5:30 PM

                        Dinner                          6:15 PM

                        Teaching                       7:00 PM

The teaching time will be limited to no more than 45 minutes, so we plan to be finished at 7:45 PM, which we hope will work well for families.  We also plan to post the teaching topics beforehand.  This is a great opportunity for all of us to pray and learn together – I hope many of you will take advantage of it!

 

LIBRARY LINES – This week we commemorate three who lived during Christ’s lifetime. Thursday we honor St. Longinus (10/16), the centurion who stood at the foot of the Cross. Tradition says that he was cured of an eye ailment when water and blood poured out of the wound inflicted by Longinus in Christ’s side.  He was later baptized by the Apostles and martyred by Pilate.

  Hardly a week goes by that we don’t commemorate the uncovering or translation of a saint’s relics. So, what’s so important about it? The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (HIS/CRO) donates a page to this practice explaining that it is even practiced in Buddhism and is “based on the natural instinct of men to treat with reverence what is left of the dead they loved.”

  A more readable explanation is given in The Pearl by Whelton.  (CAT/GEN/WHE) Chapter VI gives us his answers to questions frequently asked by Protestants, or former ones like many of us.  His concise answer concerning relics begins on page 139. Kallistos Ware connects this practice with the theology of the body in The Orthodox Church (CAT/GEN/WAR). See chapter 11. See also Holy Relics by T. L. Frazier (CAT/SPEC/FRA)

  Friday we celebrate the translation of the relics of The Righteous Lazarus.  He lived thirty years after Christ called him forth from the tomb as the bishop of Crete. His relics were discovered in a marble coffin inscribed with the words, “Lazarus of the four days, the friend of Christ.” They were transferred to Byzantium around the year 900 .

  We know that St. Luke (10/18) shows us the beauty of  the Church in words and images.  However, fewer may realize that he was one of the Seventy. He accompanied St. Paul on his journeys and painted the first icons of the Mother of God.

  See the icons, accounts of these saint’s lives and the translation of relics on the bulletin board.

 

 

Teen Group Events

 

Today – No meeting – Fall Break Camping Trip

 

Sunday, October 19th – Meeting FOR ALL TEENS at the church, 5PM

 

 

 

Coffee hour – Since we initiated our Small changes in Coffee Hour” as I termed them, we have had many comments, mostly negative.  To that end, we are putting together another revision which we hope will better match the desires and needs of our parishioners.  Thanks to everyone who offered your thoughts.  If you have additional thoughts or suggestions, please feel free to forward them to me.  Obviously it is impossible to please everyone completely, but we hope to structure coffee hour to best facilitate hospitality for our visitors and fellowship for our parishioners.

 

 

 

 

Please join us for a

BABY SHOWER

for Jodi Yzaguirre

 

Sunday, October 19th from 1:30 – 3:30 p.m.

at the home of Esther Longa,

5637 Morning Flower Drive, Bartlett

to RSVP please contact Esther Longa

 

if you are interested in the group gift

please contact Kh. Martha Berge

Jodi is registered at Target & Babies R Us

 

 

 

Mark your calendars!

Sunday, November 9th after coffee hour

 

A Bridal Shower for Gigi Snowden

 

at the home of Fran Tylavsky

 

Gigi & Chase are registered at Bed, Bath & Beyond

If you are interested in participating in the group gift,

please contact Shanna Massouh

 

 

 

Get ready to have some FUN!

 

Saturday, October 18th 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

 

ST.  JOHN PICNIC

 

WHAT TO BRING:

·        BYOE (bring your own everything) Food, drinks (non-alcoholic) & paper goods for your family. (Please do not bring any glass containers).

·        Games, balls, bats, Frisbees – anything that can be translated into FUN for all!

·        Guitars or other musical instruments for a sing-a-long for the children led by Bill Stanek.

·        Cookies for the COOKIE CONTEST that will be judged by Anne Schommer.

 

WHERE TO GO:

The Germantown Municipal Park is located at the corner of Farmington Road and Exeter Road, beside the Germantown Performing Arts Center.  

 

If anyone is interested in volunteering for the picnic planning committee, (organizing group games/activities for children & adults, decorations, set-up/clean-up, etc.) please contact Karen Bell.

 

Come join your St. John Family for an afternoon of

FUN, FOOD & FELLOWSHIP!!