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

17^th Sunday after Pentecost

October 4, 2009

Epistle: 2 Corinthians 6:16-7:1 Gospel: Luke 6:31-36

The Holy Bread for Eucharist is offered this morning by Mindy Williams.

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 4 – October 11 (Wed. & Fri. Fast)

Sunday - Life Chain, 2:00-3:00 p.m.

- Teen Group, 5:00 p.m., Game Night

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

- Women’s Book Club, 7:00 p.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., Continuing the unseen world

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

- Women’s Teaching, 10:00 a.m., Anne Dugan’s home

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.

- Paraklesis, 12:00 p.m.

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 11, 10:00 a.m.

PRIEST: Fr. John HOMILY: Fr. John

DEACONS: Dns. Charles &Tim READER: Owen White

HOLY BREAD: Mary Ann Coccaro USHER: John McGee

ALTAR SERVERS: Caleb, J. Morgan, Alex, Deon

COFFEE HOUR: Keith & Sarah Parker, Sue Brownlow

- 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

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.

Oct. 5: Martyr Charitina; John, bishop of Euchaita; Venerable Eudokimos of Vatopedi monastery on Athos; uncovering of the relics of the wonder-workers Peter, Alexis, Jonah, Philip and Hermogenes, metropolitans of Moscow.

Oct. 6: Apostle Thomas; Venerable Kendea; Venerable-martyr Makarios of St. Anne Skete on Athos; Innocent, metropolitan of Moscow, enlightener of the Aleuts and apostle to America.

Oct. 7: Martyrs Sergios and Bacchos in Syria; Hieromartyr Polykhronios; Priest Julian; Venerable John the Hermit and those with him; Venerable Sergios of Nurma.

Oct. 8: Venerable Pelagia the penitent; Virgin-martyr Pelagia of Antioch; Martyr Taisia of Egypt; Hieromartyr Artemon; Venerable-martyr Ignatios of Prodromou Skete on Athos; Venerable Philotheos, patriarch of Constantinople; Martyr Ignatios of Bulgaria.

Oct. 9: Apostle James, son of Alpheos; Venerable Andronikos and Athanasia of Egypt; Venerable Poplia the confessor of Antioch; Righteous Forefather Abraham and his nephew the Righteous Lot; Stephen the Younger, king of Serbia; Dionysios, bishop of Paris.

Oct. 10: Martyrs Eulampios and Eulampia at Nicomedia; Venerable Theophilos the confessor of Bulgaria; Venerable Ambrose of Optina.

Oct. 11: Apostle Philip, the deacon, of the Seventy; Venerable Theophanes the branded; Nektarios, Arsakios, Philotheos and Sisinios, patriarchs of Constantinople; Venerable Jonah.

Teen Group Events

TODAY, October 4 – game night

Next Saturday, October 10 – heritage festival at ames plantation

DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS October 4 – October 11

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

Monday Ephesians 4:25-32 Luke 6:24-30

Tuesday Ephesians 5:20-26 Luke 6:37-45

Wednesday Ephesians 5:25-33 Luke 6:46-7:1

Thursday Ephesians 5:33-6:9 Luke 7:17-30

Friday Ephesians 6:18-24 Luke 7:31-35

Saturday 1 Corinthians 15:39-45 Luke 5:27-32

Sunday 2 Corinthians 9:6-11 Luke 7:11-16

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), Estha 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.

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.

Welcome committee – This committee will be meeting during coffee hour today. Anyone and everyone is welcome to come to the meeting to hear what it’s about. There are no commitments involved in coming to the meeting.

Melanie Stanek is a star! Using her talents as a vocalist, Melanie is a finalist in the 2009 Orpheum Star Search competition which is just around the corner – October 17! “We have one of the most talented groups of finalists we’ve ever had…” to quote one reviewer. We wish the best to her!

Antiochian Women of St. John Calendar

Women’s Teaching

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

at the home of Anne Dugan.

Women’s Book Club

The book club will meet at Kh. Pamela’s home tomorrow,

Monday, October 5 at 7:00 p.m.

We will be discussing Gaudy Night by Dorothy Sayers.

LIBRARY LINES

Time is one of the great mysteries of our life on earth. We cannot imagine living outside of it, yet the fathers tell us that there is no time in eternity. Most of our commemorated saints lived after Christ but this week we commemorate two who lived before, one during His lifetime and two afterward.

Tuesday we honor St. Thomas(10/6) who is remembered by the world as a doubter. Sometimes even we forget that after Jesus was threatened in Judea and he then enjoined his disciples to accompany Him there to raise Lazarus, St. Thomas said, “Then let us also go that we may die with Him.” The Church praises Thomas for his honest doubt after the Resurrection because it led to a life driven by belief. St. John Chrysostom, in comparing him to the other apostles, says he “toiled through the grace of God more…zealously than them all as he ended up preaching in most of the known earth.” He was martyred in India.

St. Innocent is known as an Apostle to the Americas. He was born in one of the largest cities in Siberia. He labored for 45 years working in severe weather and harsh conditions in Alaska. His efforts composing an alphabet and grammar for the Aleut language and his study of the geography of his new homeland was instrumental in his baptizing thousands of people and building numerous churches and schools. His most famous book was The Indication of the Way in to Kingdom of Heaven. This book is in our library. He is commemorated on the day of his repose(3/31) and the day of his glorification(10/6).

Pelegia the Penitent(10/8) was a member of a dance troop and lived a life of prostitution. She was converted by St. Nonnus when she heard him preaching on the Last Judgment. She came to him weeping tears of repentance, and he baptized her. A demon tempted her to return to her former life but she made the sing of the cross and he vanished. She gave her wealth to St. Nonnus to distribute to the poor and lived, disguised as a monk, in asceticism until her death in the fifth century.

Friday, we remember the Righteous Abraham and his nephew Lot(10/9). God told him he would be the father of multitudes, and we even refer to God in some of our prayers as “God of our fathers, God of Abraham, Isaac and of their righteous seed.”

Pro-Life Corner gggg

Remember we will participate in Memphis Life Chain TODAY, October 4, from 2 to 3 P.M.