Twenty-third Sunday after Pentecost

November 15, 2009

 

Epistle:  Ephesians 2:4-10         Gospel: Luke 10:25-37                                                                                        

The Holy Bread for Eucharist is offered this morning by Ellie Moore.

 

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                                          November 15-22 (Nativity Fast begins today)

 

Sunday             - Teen Group – Play practice

                       

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

                        - Paraklesis, 7:00 p.m.                         

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

            - Men’s Lunch, 11:45 a.m.

            - No Catechumen & Inquirers Class

            - 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 by Tues. morning.

            - Wednesday Teaching, 7:00 p.m. – St. Tikhon

           

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

 

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

                        - Stay & Play group will meet in the parish hall following Third Hour.

                        - Paraklesis, 12:00 p.m.

                                                                       

Saturday          - Divine Liturgy for the Presentation of the Theotokos, 9:00 a.m.

                        - Finger food (fasting) Potluck to follow Liturgy

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

 

Sunday             - Orthros, 9:00 a.m.

- Divine Liturgy, 10:00 a.m.

- Soup Kitchen

 

 

Divine Liturgy for the Presentation of the Theotokos            Saturday, November 21, 9:00 a.m.

PRIEST:                       Fr. John                                    HOMILY:        Fr. John

DEACONS:                  Dns. Charles & Tim                  READER:        Mickey Hodges

HOLY BREAD:           Sarah  Hodges                          USHER:           Whoever can serve

ALTAR SERVERS:      Whoever can serve

COFFEE HOUR:          Fr. Basil & Kh. Susan, Brandon Maas

 

 

Divine Liturgy                                                                            Sunday, November 22, 10:00 a.m.

PRIEST:                       Fr. John                                    HOMILY:        Fr. John

DEACONS:                  Dns. James & Charles               READER:        Billy Scrantom

HOLY BREAD:           Margie Yarbro                          USHER:           Matt Spinolo

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

COFFEE HOUR:          Chase & Gigi Sliger, Mary Ann Coccaro

WELCOME TEAM:     David Twombly, Corinne Elliott

 

COMMEMORATIONS

 

Nov. 15:  Martyrs Gourias, Samonas and Habib of Edessa; Thomas the New, patriarch of Constantinople; Venerable Paissios Velichkovsky.

 

Nov. 16:  Apostle Mathew the Evangelist; Martyr Ephygenia.

 

Nov. 17:  Gregory the wonder-worker, bishop of New-Ceesarea; Gennadios, archbishop of Constantinople; Venerable Nikon, disciple of Sergios of Radonezh.

 

Nov. 18:  Martyrs Platon of Ancyra, Ramanos, Zacchaeos the deacon and Anastasios of Caesarea in Palestine.

 

Nov. 19:  Prophet Obadiah; Martyrs Agapios, Azi of Isauria, Barlaam of Caesarea in Cappadocia, Heliodoros of Thessalonika and Euphemia; Venerable Barlaam and Joasaph; Venerable Barlaam of the Kiev Caves.

 

Nov. 20:  Gregory of Decapolis; Proclos, Maximos and Anatolios, patriarchs of Constantinople; Venerable Sozomen the wonder-worker.

 

Nov. 21:  The Entrance of the Theotokos into the temple.  Venerable Columban of Ireland.

 

Nov. 22:  Apostles Philemon, Apphia, Archippos and Onesimos of the Seventy; Clement, bishop of Ochrid and enlightener of Bulgaria; Hieromartyr Sisinios; Venerable Kallistos Xanthopoulos of Athos; Martyr Michael, prince of Tver.

 

 

 

 

 - ALMS-GIVING –

Diocese of Miami and the Southeast Mission Fund

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

 

 

 

 

DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS                            November 15 – November 22

            Sunday             Ephesians               2:4-10                     Luke                 10:25-37

            Monday            1 Thessalonians      2:20-3:8                   Luke                14:12-15

            Tuesday            1 Thessalonians      3:9-13                      Luke                 14:25-35           

Wednesday       1 Thessalonians      4:1-12                      Luke                 15:1-10

            Thursday          1 Thessalonians      5:1-8                        Luke                 16:1-9

            Friday               1 Thessalonians      5:9-13, 24-28            Luke                 16:15-18, 17:1-4

            Saturday           2 Corinthians           11:1-6                     Luke                 9:57-62

            Sunday             Ephesians               2:14-22                   Luke                 12:16-21

 

 

 

 

 

Pray for our catechumens:  In Memphis - Maria Cartagena, Maria Brackey, Lisa Martin, Rod & Trisha Ratliff (Jake & Cailyn), Nathan Powell, Ashley Newton, Jennifer Criswell, Michael Grossman, David Corbett, and Sandy Powell. 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, Elizabeth Cameron (pregnant), Amy Gill (pregnant), Esther Longa (pregnant), Marjo Labonte (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), David Williams (Jill Healy’s son-in-law), Erin Williams (Jill Healy’s daughter, pregnant), and Eliot Twombly (David’s nephew).

 

 

 

 

ST. JOHN COMMUNITY:

 

 

** NO Inquirers/Catechumen Class Tuesday **

 

Mark your calendar - Divine Liturgy for the Presentation of the Theotokos, Saturday, November 21, at 9:00 AM.  There will be a light, fasting potluck to follow.

 

Icon order - If there are specific icons you are interested in purchasing for Nativity, please let Trish know.  We will try to make a special order soon.

 

Weekly Paraklesis services – With the beginning of Nativity fast, we will again pray the paraklesis service on Monday evenings, beginning tomorrow night at 7:00 PM.  Come pray with us!

 

Wednesday before Thanksgiving - Wednesday night, November 25, we will NOT have a meal or a teaching, but will only pray vespers.

 

Soup Kitchen – As a parish, we will again serve next Sunday afternoon at the soup kitchen at First Presbyterian Church on Third Street.  This is an excellent way to give alms during the Fast.  Come join us as we serve those less fortunate than we.

 

 

 

 

Iconography Update -   Dimitry Shkolnik, our iconographer, is scheduled to arrive November 30 with two workers to do the bulk of phase two of our icon plan.  This includes a great deal of work in the altar, as well as putting gold leaf on the current blue areas of the Pantacrator.  Please remember him in your prayers.

 

Sons of Thunder – Our next meeting is Sunday, December 6, 7:00 p.m., at the home of Dn. James Elliott.  We will be reading Shop Class As Soulcraft:  An Inquiry into the Value of Work by Matthew B. Crawford.  Reminder:  this meeting will occur during the Nativity Fast, so please be sure the food you bring to share does not contain any meat or dairy.

 

THE NATIVITY FAST begins TODAY, November 15th and is divided into two periods:  The 1st period is November 15th through December 19th when the traditional fasting discipline (no meat, poultry, eggs, dairy, fish, wine and oil) is observed on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, but with katalysis for wine and oil on Tuesday and Thursday and for fish, wine and oil on Saturday and Sunday.  The 2nd period is December 20th through the 24th (the period of the Forefeast) when the traditional fasting discipline (no meat, poultry, eggs, dairy, fish, wine and oil) is observed Monday through Friday, but with katalysis for wine and oil on Saturday and Sunday.

 

 

Thanksgiving Baskets

 

It's time to get our Thanksgiving Baskets together!  Please sign up for what

 you'd like to donate on the poster in the Fellowship Hall, or contact Mindy Williams.  Please have all donations to the Church by Sunday, November 22.

 

 

 

Pro-Life Corner gggg

           

“The Word became flesh . . .” God the Son dwelt in the womb of the blessed Theotokos for nine months.  This reality is enough to give all of us understanding that a person is created at conception and spends this first portion of his life preparing for the rest outside the womb.  What authority do we have to cut that life short, any more than we would a new born? 

 

 

 

 

 

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This week we honor two different men; one who lived before Christ, and one who lived during his lifetime. Both boldly proclaimed the Kingdom of God.

 

After Pentecost, the apostle Matthew (11/16) preached in Palestine for several years. At the request of the Jewish converts, he wrote his Gospel before leaving for Africa.

 

While asking God for the salvation of the Ethiopians, Christ appeared to him as a youth and gave him a staff.  He told him to plant it at the doors of a church. There Matthew was met by the ruler Fulvian. He accused Matthew of sorcery and gave orders for his execution. His body remained unharmed and he gave his soul to the Lord. Although Fulvian repented, he still had doubts and ordered Matthew’s body to be placed in an iron coffin and thrown into the sea. The waves carried the coffin to the shores by the church.  Fulvian begged the apostle’s forgiveness, was baptized and given the name Matthew.

 

The prophet Obadiah (11/19), a faithful servant of the Most High God, was a steward in the house of the idolatrous King Ahab. Obadiah headed one of three groups of soldiers sent by Queen Jezebel to arrest the Prophet Elias. Heavenly fire consumed two of the detachments, but Obadiah and his men were spared through the intercession of Elias.  Thereupon, Obadiah resigned his position and became a disciple of the Holy Prophet. His life is recounted in the first and second books of Kings, and his prophecy is included in the books of the minor prophets in the Old Testament.  See icons of these saints and their stories in St John Library.

 

 

Advent Clothes Drive for the PTFC in Romania

What is the PTFC?

The Protection of the Theotokos Family Center (PTFC) was established as a joint project with the Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC) in America and the Orthodox Archdiocese of Cluj in Romania. To those with the hopeless mindset of poverty, on the verge of abandoning or aborting their babies, PTFC is a mighty wave of hope as we care for their babies medically, physically, spiritually and developmentally during the day. This program makes it possible for the mothers to work or attend school and not to abandon their children. The single mothers are trained in how to care for and enjoy their children.  They are encouraged to seek new lives to avoid abandonment.

Needed Items:

For children from 3 months to 4 years old:

Toys – new and gently used

Baby Clothes & Shoes - new and gently used,

especially winter clothes

Baby products (new only) such as:

Baby bottles, children’s vitamins, infant drops – fever reducer/pain reliever, infant nasal moisturizer, diaper rash ointment, Gel-Fast Teething Pain Relief, baby oil, baby powder

Scrubs for caregivers – all sizes, new and gently used are accepted

Cash donations to help defer the cost of shipping.

No diapers are needed at this time

 

Please don't ship anything heavy, like shampoo or hard cover books or toys with batteries. Stuffed animals are light and very welcome. Both summer and winter items are needed but we tend to concentrate on winter items as the winters are brutal, and children's winter clothing is expensive and very hard to find.

 

Please leave your donations in the marked hamper next to the food pantry.  The deadline for donations is November 22.  See the bulletin board in the parish hall or speak to Kh. Jeanette for more information