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 27, 2009

 

Epistle:  2 Corinthians 6:1-10                Gospel: Luke 5:1-11                                                                                                   

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                     ___             September 27 – October 4 (Wed.  & Fri. Fast)

Sunday            - Teen Group – Skating    

 

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

 

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

            - Men’s Lunch, 11:45 a.m.

            - Catechumen & Inquirers Class, 7:00 p.m.

            - Choir, 7:00 p.m.

 

Wednesday     - Third Hour, 9:00 a.m.

            - Vespers, 5:30 p.m.

- Children’s reading time to follow Vespers

            - Wednesday Dinner, 6:15 p.m. Please be sure to sign-up.

            - Wednesday Teaching, 7:00 p.m. – Continuation of talks

   on the unseen world

 

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

 

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

                        - Third Hour, 9:00 a.m.

                        - Stay & Play group will meet after Third Hour in the fellowship hall.

                        - Akathist, 12:00 p.m.

                        - AWSJ First Friday Brown Bag Lunch

 

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

 

Sunday            - Orthros, 9:00 a.m.

- Divine Liturgy, 10:00 a.m.

 

 

 

Divine Liturgy                                                                Sunday, October 4, 10:00 a.m.

PRIEST:                       Fr. Basil                       HOMILY:        Fr. Basil

DEACONS:                 Dns. Tim & James        READER:        Jack Turner

HOLY BREAD:           Mindy Williams             USHER:           John Sneed

ALTAR SERVERS:     Ethan, Luke S., Luke L. Joe

COFFEE HOUR:         Nawar & Reem Mansour, Fadi & Rana Ibrahim

 

 

- ALMS-GIVING –

St. John Alms Fund   

St. John Camping Fund

St. John Food Pantry

St. John Seminarian Fund

St. Paul Mission Station, Tupelo

Rachels’ Kids, Inc.

Diocese of Miami and the Southeast Mission Fund

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

 

 

COMMEMORATIONS

 

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.

 

Sept.29: Venerable Kyriakos the hermit of Palestine; Martyr Petronia; Venerable-martyrs Malachi and those with him.

 

Sept.30: Hieromartyr Gregory, bishop and enlightener of Greater Armenia; Martyrs Rhipsime and Gaiana and companions of Armenia; Michael, first metropolitan of Kiev; Venerable Gregory of Pelshma River.

 

Oct. 1: The Protection of the Theotokos; Apostle Ananias of the Seventy, first bishop of Damascus; Martyr Domninos; Romanos the Melode; Venerable John Koukouzelis of the Great Lavra on Athos; Venerable Gregory the Domestikos of the Great Lavra on Athos; Venerable Sabbas of Vishera.

 

 

Oct. 2: Hieromartyr Cyprian the confessor; Virgin-martyr Justina; Venerable Theophilos; New-martyr George; Blessed Andrew, fool-for-Christ; David and Constantine, prince-martyrs of Georgia; Anna, princess of Kashin.

 

Oct. 3: Hieromartyr Dionysios the Areopagite, first bishop of Athens; Martyrs Eleutherios and Rustikos.

 

Oct. 4: Hieromartyr Hierotheos, bishop of Athens; Apostle Krispos of the Seventy; Martyrs Domina and her daughters of Syria; uncovering of the relics of Gurios, first archbishop of Kazan; Barsanouphios, bishop of Tver; Stephen (Stiljanovich) and Elizabeth.

 

 

DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS 

 September 27 – October 4

 

Sunday             2 Corinthians     6:1-10                           Luke                 5:1-11

Monday            Ephesians         1:22-2:3                         Luke                4:37-44

Tuesday            Ephesians         2:29-3:7                         Luke                 5:12-16

   Wednesday       Ephesians         3:8-21                           Luke              5:33-39

Thursday          Ephesians         4:14-19                         Luke                 6:12-19

Friday               Ephesians         4:17-25                         Luke                 6:17-23

Saturday           1 Corinthians     14:20-25                        Luke                 5:17-26

Sunday             2 Corinthians     6:16-7:1                         Luke                 6:31-36

 

 

 

 

 

Pray for our catechumens:  In Memphis - Maria Cartagena, Maria Brackey, Lisa Martin, Rod & Trisha Ratliff (Jake & Cailyn), Nathan Powell, Ashley Newton, Jennifer Criswell, and Michael Grossman. In Tupelo - Shane Davis, Justin & Brandy Williams, Leah Hardy, Adam Clay, Casey & Jessica Hardy (Davis). In Hernando – Donald Estes. In Henning – Bobby Johnson.

 

Please remember in your prayers: His Eminence, Metropolitan PHILIP, His Grace, Bishop ANTOUN, Buddy Taylor, Margaret Layman, Chris Hodges, Judy Smith (Julie Sanderlin’s mother), Shirley Gore (Judy Terry’s mother),  Effie Johnson (Kh. Susan’s mother), Mary Clark, Hannah Snowden (pregnant), Shanna Massouh (pregnant), Elizabeth Cameron (pregnant), Amy Gill (pregnant), Kh. Johanna Bittle (pregnant), Esther Longa (pregnant), Ann Hicks (Dianna Hildebrand’s mother), Sue Ingram, Charles Ingram, Ted & Patty Greathouse (Shelley Snowden’s parents), Laura Greathouse, Earlene Snowden (Gene’s mother), Joyce Bittle, Allen Sudduth (Paul’s father), Helen Robbins (Sheila Sudduth’s mother), Brendan Healy (Jill’s son), David Williams (Jill Healy’s son-in-law), and Eliot Twombly (David’s nephew).

 

ST. JOHN COMMUNITY:

 

Catechumen and Inquirers’ class will meet this week on Tuesday evening at 7:00 p.m.

Choir will meet Tuesday evening at 7:00

 

Worship and liturgical reminders:     We are very blessed to have so many icons on the walls of our church.  Note that there are 6 icons on the back wall of the nave.  If you choose to stand along the back wall, it is not appropriate to lean against them, as our standing in worship is purposeful and respectful, not leisurely.  Further, leaning against them will damage them over time. 

 

Welcome Team Needs Help! - St. John is adding some personal touches for welcoming our guests.  Soon we will have a couple of people in the Narthex to help welcome and orient guests, as well as a couple of people to staff a "Welcome Table" (where first-time guests will receive a gift) at Coffee Hour.  If you like to meet and welcome people, then you would be a great fit!  The Welcome Team is preparing a rotation for this ministry.  If interested, then contact Billy Scrantom.

 

2009 Parish Business Meeting & Parish Council Meeting Minutes can be found in the parish hall for your review. 

 

Sons of Thunder – Our next meeting will be October 25 at the home of Gary Karnaghon.  We will be reading The Dream Life of Sukhanov by Olga Grushin.

Children’s Clothes drive for Protection of the Theotokos Family Center in Romania – The center is a joint project of OCMC and the Orthodox Archdiocese of Cluj in Romania.  There is a flier on the Women’s bulletin board downstairs.  Especially needed are clothes for children 3 months to 4 years.  If you are interested in donating or assisting, see Kh. Jeanette.

 

Pro-Life Corner

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Remember we will participate in Memphis Life Chain next Sunday, Oct. 4, from 2:00 – 3:00 p.m.

 

 

Antiochian Women of St. John Calendar

 

   Please remember to sign up for AWSJ positions for the upcoming year.

The list can be found on the bulletin board.

 

Women’s Teaching

Our next Thursday teaching will be on October 8th, 10:00 a.m.

at the home of Anne Dugan.

 

Women’s Book Club

The next book club meeting will be on Monday, October 5 at 7:00 p.m.

We will be discussing Gaudy Night by Dorothy Sayers.

 

First Friday Lunch

Come join us this Friday, October 2. We will pray sixth hour together

and then enjoy our brown bag lunches in the fellowship hall.

 

 

Teen events

Today, September 27 – skating

Next Sunday, October 4 – game night

 

 

 

LIBRARY LINES

We commemorate three saints this week who glorified God through miraculous events in their lives; one quietly and two dramatically.

 

We often don’t associate miracles with music, but they come together in the life of St. Romanos(10/1).  The simple monk possessed a voice unfit for singing or reading in church and was made fun of by those around him. The Theotokos appeared to him and told him to eat a scroll she carried in her hand. His voice then offered beautiful praise to God. Romanos the Melodist composed nearly 1000 hymns before his repose. In fact, one of our favorite Nativity hymns, “Today the Virgin gives birth to the Transcendent One” was composed by him.

 

Sts. Cyprian and Justina(10/2) endured spells and powerful black magic. St. Cyprian was a sorcerer and used his power to help a young pagan man to court the pious Justina. She rebuffed him, and Cyprian turned the suitor into a large, black bird so he could fly into her room. Next, he conjured up demons to trick her. St. Cyprian saw the futility of his tricks, repented and struggled to live a life of virtue.  They were both eventually martyred and are intercessors for the faithful against the powers of darkness.

 

See their stories in A Child’s Paradise of Saints (KID/MCL) and in Poets and Hymnographers of the Church (HAG/---/TAR) in St. John Library.