ST.
JOHN
ORTHODOX CHURCH
1663 TUTWILER AVENUE
(901)
274-4119
www.stjohnmemphis.org
V.
Rev.
Pastor
Assistant Pastor
V. Rev. Fr. Basil Cushman Rev. Fr. Donald Berge
Associate
Pastor Attached
GREAT
VESPERS ORTHROS and
Saturday,
Antiochian Orthodox
“…the
Disciples were called
Acts 11:26
Sunday
of the Samaritan Woman
Epistle: Acts
The Holy Bread for Eucharist is offered this morning by Sue Ingram.
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
The Orthodox Church understands the Eucharist, or
Lord’s Supper, to be – among other things – the paramount expression of
Sunday -
-
Teen Group - Meeting with Middlers at church,
Monday - First Hour,
Tuesday - Third Hour,
- Men’s Lunch,
- Catechumen & Inquirers Class,
- Choir,
Wednesday - Third Hour,
- Vespers,
- Parish Meal,
- Wednesday Teaching,
Thursday -
Third Hour,
Friday -
First Hour,
-
Third Hour,
- Stay & Play Group will meet in the
fellowship hall after third hour.
- Sixth
Hour,
Saturday -
Ninth Hour and Great Vespers,
Sunday - Orthros,
-
- Divine Liturgy,
Divine Liturgy Sunday,
May 24th,
PRIEST: Fr.
John HOMILY:
Fr. John
DEACONS: Dns. Tim & James READER:
HOLY BREAD:
ALTAR SERVERS: Ethan, J. Morgan, Alex, Benji
Dates to remember:
May 28 – Ascension – Liturgy for this feast will be May 27th
at
June 7 – Pentecost – Please watch the bulletin for services.
June 10-14 – Parish Life
Conference
FASTING NOTE: with the blessing of the Synod of Antioch, a katalysis for fish,
wine and oil is granted for all Wednesdays and Fridays of the Pentecostarion (the period between Pascha and Pentecost).
Upcoming Baptisms/Chrismations:
Misty Duke will be chrismated on Pentecost, June 7.
Maureen Grace Stickle will be baptized on July 4.
COMMEMORATIONS
May 17: Apostle Andronikos and Junia of the Seventy; Anthanasios
the New, bishop of
May 18: Martyrs Peter, Dionysios,
Andrew, Paul,
May 19: Hieromartyr Patrick,
bishop of Prussa; Martyrs Menander and Philetairos; Venerable Cornelios
of Komelsk; Grand Prince Dimitry
of Donskoy of Moscow.
May 20: Martrys Thallelaios of Cilicia, Nikostratos
and Antiochos; Venerable Nikitas,
John and Joseph of Chios; Lydia of Philippisia;
uncovering of the relics of Alexis the wonder-worker, metropolitan of
May 21: Equals-to-the-Apostles Emperor Constantine and his
mother Helena; Prince Constantine and his children, Michael and Theodore,
wonder-workers of
May 22: Martyr Basiliskos of Comana; John Vladimir, king of
May 23: Michael the Confessor, bishop of Synnada;
New-martyr Luke; Myrrh-bearer Mary, wife of Cleopas;
translation of the relics of Leontios the
wonder-worker, bishop of
**For
reading material on the saints for this week, visit the display in the church
library.
DAILY SCRIPTURE
Sunday Acts
Monday Acts 12:12-17 John 8:42-51
Tuesday Acts 12:25-13:12 John 8:51-59
Wednesday Acts 13:13-24 John 6:5-14
Thursday Acts 14:20-27 John 9:39-10:9
Friday Acts 15:5-34 John 10:17-28
Saturday Acts 15:35-41 John 10:27-38
Sunday Acts
- ALMS-GIVING –
Diocese of
Michael Bittle Fund – Holy Trinity
Orthodox Church –
Rachels’ Kids, Inc. – please see elsewhere
in the bulletin for further details
Pray for our catechumens: In
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 (
Catechumen and Inquirers’ class will meet this week on
Tuesday at
Church Website – We would like to be sure everyone knows that there is an up-to-date calendar on the church website. You can even click on a particular event and there will sometimes be additional details. http://www.stjohnmemphis.org/calendar.htm
Parish Life
Conference
– Several people are planning to attend.
It would be helpful to let Fr. John know if you are planning to do
so. If you have not contacted him
already, please let him know if you
are planning to be a participant at the conference.
Parish Life Conference assistance for Teens - As
ST. PAUL SKETE – A workday
is scheduled for Saturday, May 23rd from
Sons of
Thunder, Men’s
Book/Discussion Group – We will be meeting next on Thursday, June 4th
at
Pro-life Corner: “You shall love your neighbor more than
your own life. You shall not slay the
child by abortion. You shall not kill
that which has been generated.” Epistle of Barnabas (From the Apostolic
Fathers, First Century)
Antiochian Women of
Book Club – Upcoming Books:
June 8th ~ Hind’s
Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard
July 13th ~ The
TODAY!! Bridal Shower for Sally Elliott – May 17th,
Out
of town dates for Fr. John:
May 28 – June 6 – Wedding and vacation
June10 – June 14 – Parish life conference,
July 20 – July 25 – Archdiocese convention,
Change in upcoming festal celebration – We typically
celebrate the end of the Apostles Fast by celebrating the Feast of Ss. Peter
and
Antiochian Women of
are invited to a Bridal
Shower
for Sally Elliott
TODAY! May 17th from
at the home of
LIBRARY LINES – Today is the
movable feast of St. Photini. Her feast days are the
fourth Sunday after Pascha and February 26. She is the patron of several
parishioners and is known to all of us as the woman to whom Christ asked water
at Jacob’s well. She is commemorated with her two sons, five sisters, St.
Sebastian, and Domnina, the daughter of Nero. When
St. Photini learned that her sons and Sebastian had
been arrested by Nero, she and her sisters journeyed to
Thursday
we commemorate Sts. Helen and Constantine (5/21). St. John Library owns an excellent children’s
book by Michelle Georgiou entitled St.
Helen Finds the Cross of Jesus. Young
children will be attracted to this book because of the bright colorful
illustrations. These simple pictures face each page of easy-to-read text.
Adults will also find it appealing.
Saturday
we honor St. Mary (5/23), one of the Myrrhbearers. As with several of them,
she is identified by her husband, St. Cleopas (10/30,
one of the Seventy). All we know of this holy woman is that she was the
sister-in-law of the Theotokos and that she reposed peacefully.
See
icons of these saints as well as our beloved St. Photini
in St. John Library.
Teen Group Events
TODAY, May 17th – Meeting with Middlers,
Next Sunday, May 24th – To be announced…
New Alms opportunity – Each week we list various places alms donations (gifts beyond our
tithes and offerings) can be directed.
We have a new one for the next
several weeks. Over the past year
and a half we have done some hands-on work with Rachel’s Kids. Each year they send a number of children in
their program to summer camp. If you are
interested in supporting this, the following gives more details:
“Dear Friends, Yes, it's now an annual event! We’re
making plans to get as many of our Kids to summer camps as we can again this
year. These inner city kids’ camp experiences make such a difference! These
experiences are just unbelievable to them, and we're able to provide for them
because of your generosity. You can see some pictures of happy kids at our
website, www.rachelskidsinc.org.
100% of your dollars go to the kids’ programs. Last year we sent over 60
kids to camps. This year the average cost per camper is $325.00 per child.
Here’s a chance to make a difference in the life of urban youth. These week
long camps are packed with fun, and exciting activities. They have swimming
pools, climbing towers, mud holes and a whole lot more. We are an accredited 501 (c) (3), our EIN# is
20-1035690, so anything you send is tax deductible. Checks should be payable
to: Rachel's Kids, Inc.,
From
the Fathers
“Prayer is a ladder leading
up to God; for there is nothing more powerful than prayer. There is no sin
which cannot be forgiven by means of prayers, and there is no sentence of
punishment which it cannot undo.” -
St. Hilary of
“An old man said, "Every
time a thought of superiority or vanity moves you, examine your conscience to
see if you have kept all the commandments, if you love your enemies and are
grieved at their sins, if you consider yourself as an unprofitable servant and
the greatest sinner of all. Even then, do not pretend to great ideas as
though you were perfectly right, for this thought destroys everything.” - On humility,
Anonymous
“The evil one cannot
comprehend the joy we receive from the spiritual life; for this reason he is
jealous of us, he envies us and sets traps for us, and we become grieved and
fall. We must struggle, because without struggles we do not obtain virtues.”
- Elder Ieronymos of
“The heart can change several
times in one moment to good or evil, to faith or unbelief, to simplicity or
cunning, to love or hatred, to benevolence or envy, to generosity or avarice,
to chastity or fornication. O, what inconstancy! O, how many dangers! O, how
sober and watchful we must be!” -
“The key to Divine gifts is
given to the heart by love of neighbor, and, in proportion to the heart's
freedom from the bonds of the flesh, the door of
knowledge begins to open before it.”
-
Saint Isaac of