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

 

Thomas Sunday

April 11, 2010

 

Epistle:  Acts 5:12-20                                                Gospel:  John 20:19-31                                                         

The Holy Bread for Eucharist is offered by Karen Wells.

 

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                                    April 11 – April 18  (Wed. & Fri. Fast)  

 

Sunday            - Teen Group – Bible Bowl practice, 4:00 p.m.

                                                  Game Night, 5:00 – 7:00 p.m.

 

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

                        - AWSJ Bookclub, 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.

Wednesday     - Third Hour, 9:00 a.m.

- Vespers, 5:30 p.m.

- Wednesday Teaching, 7:00 p.m.

- Parish Council Meeting, 7:45 p.m.

                         

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

                        - AWSJ Women’s Teaching, 10:00 a.m.

                                                                       

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

- Third Hour, 9:00 a.m

- Stay & Play, downstairs in parish hall

 

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

 

Sunday            - Orthros & Church School, 9:00 a.m.

                        - Divine Liturgy, 10:00 a.m.

                        - Teen Group, Meeting with Middlers, 5:00-7:00

 

 

 

Divine Liturgy                                                                          Sunday, April 18, 10:00 a.m.

PRIEST:                       Fr. Nicholas                             HOMILY:        Fr. Nicholas

DEACONS:                 Dns. Tim & Charles                  READER:

HOLY BREAD:           Jack Turner                              USHER:  John Sneed

ALTAR SERVERS:     Caleb, Luke S., Misha, Alex, Joe, & Jake

COFFEE HOUR:         Keith & Sarah Parker, Sue Brownlow, Joyce Bittle

WELCOME TEAM:    Clifford McWhorter & Sarah Hodges

                                                                       

 

 

Churching Today

 

Michael Walton Cameron will be churched today

 between Orthros and Divine Liturgy

 

 

COMMEMORATIONS

 

April 11: Hieromartyr Antypas, bishop of Pergamum; Venerable Tryphainis; Kallinikos of Cernica, bishop of Rimnicului in Romania.

 

April 12: Basil the Confessor, bishop of Parium; Venerable Anthusa of Constantinople; Venerable Akakios the Younger, founder of Kafsokalyvia skete on Athos.

 

April 13: Martin the Confessor, Pope of Rome; Martyr Eleutherios of Persia; Martyrs Zoilos of Rome and Theodosios; Hieromartyr Artemon, presbyter of Laodicea in Syria.

 

April 14: Apostles Aristarchos, Pudens and Trophymos of the Seventy; Martyr Thomais of Alexandria; New-martyr Demetrios of the Peloponnesos.

 

April 15: Martyr Crescens of Myra in Lycia; Hieromartyr Leonidas, bishop of Athens.

 

April 16: Martyr Leonidas, Charissa, Niki, Galina and Thodota of Corinth; Virgin-martyrs Irene, Agape and Chionia of Illyria; New-martyr Michael of Smyrna; Venerable-martyr Christopher of Dionysiou monastery on Athos; Hieromarytr Nikita of St. Anne Skete on Athos.

 

April 17: Hieromartyr Simeon, bishop in Persia; Martyr Adrian of Corinth; Agapitos, pope of Rome, Makarios, archbishop of Corinth; Venerable Zosimas of Solovky; uncovering of the relics of Venerable Alexander of Svir.

 

April 18: Venerable John, disciple of Gregory of Decapolis; Venerable Euthymios and Athanasios of Aegina; Cosmas the Confessor, bishop of Chalcedon; New-martyr John of Epiros; Venerable Euthymios, enlightener of Karelia.

 

 

ggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggg

 

DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS                            April 11 – April 18   

            Sunday             Acts     5:12-20                                     John     20:19-31

Monday            Acts     3:19-26                                     John     2:2-11

Tuesday            Acts     4:1-10                                       John     3:18-21

Wednesday       Acts     4:13-22                                     John     5:17-24

Thursday          Acts     4:23-31                                     John     5:24-30

Friday               Acts     5:1-11                                       John     5:30-6:2

Saturday           Acts     5:21-33                                     John     6:14-27

Sunday             Acts     6:1-7                                         Mark    15:43-16:6

 

ggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggg

 

- ALMS-GIVING OPPORTUNITIES –

 

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

 

ST. JOHN COMMUNITY:

 

Catechumen/Inquirers class will meet on Tuesday.

 

Secret Sisters- We will begin another 2 month session in April.  (mid-April to mid June). 
Forms can be found in the basket on the piano... Please fill them out and give them to Judy Terry or Corinne Elliott by April 11th.  We will start April 18th.  If you haven't done this before and are interested, please see Corinne or Judy.

 

Mercy Meals - Sincere thanks to everyone who has supplied a meal for our families with new babies and other needs over the past few weeks - it has been much appreciated!  If you are able to provide a meal for the Dn Sidney Elliott Family, or the Longa Family, please contact Anna-Sarah Farha

 

Parish Life Conference 2010 – The Parish Life Conference, hosted by St. George – Jacksonville, will be held June 16-20 at the Jacksonville Marriott in Jacksonville, FL.  Registration forms are available in the parish hall.  For more information visit the website at www.jaxorthodox.org.

 

ggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggg

 

Sweet Treats for Many Tongues

Please join The Orthodox Christian Translation Society (OCTS)

as it makes its inaugural public presentation here at St. John,

Saturday, April 17, 2010, following Great Vespers. 

Dessert and coffee will be served.

 

More about OCTS from Fr. John:

The Orthodox Christian Translation Society (OCTS) was intitiated from our parish, both conceptually and financially.  A generous and anonymous donor funded the initial translation work and development of the non-profit corporation which was the brain child of Erin Moulton.  All of the directors for the board of the organization are either members or former members of our parish:

Board of Directors

                                                      Erin Moulton, President                                        Sally Anna Boyle, Vice President

                                                      Jodi Elliott, Treasurer                                          Amy Clithero Gill, Secretary

 

The mission statement from the site is as follows:

Orthodox Christian Translation Society (OCTS) works for the spiritual edification of Orthodox Christians worldwide by supporting the creation of quality translations of valuable Orthodox Christian writings from project conception to publication and distribution.

 

OCTS consults with experienced Orthodox Christians with relevant expertise to identify qualified translators and projects, raises funds to support such projects through grants and donations, and supports the publication and distribution of these works.

 

I hope many of you will be able to attend the hospitality and informational meeting following vespers on Saturday night, April 17.

 

Visit the website http://www.orthodoxtranslations.org)for more information.

 

 

Future Icons in the church

Several have asked about approved subjects for the remaining icons to be added in the church.  Two lists are available and in the parish hall, the first listing the individual saints already present in the iconography in the church.  The second list is of those which are “approved” or under consideration.

 

 

Antiochian Women of St. John Calendar

 

 

Upcoming Book Club Titles

April 12, 7:00 p.m.  location To Be Announced

We will be discussing  The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

 

Women’s Teaching

 Thursday, April 15, 10:00 a.m., Anne Dugan’s home.

 

AWSJ First Friday Brown Bag Lunch

May 7 – Join us for lunch following Sixth Hour prayers

 

Upcoming Bridal Showers

Honoring:

Caitlyn ManningTODAY  following Coffee Hour

Sandy Powell – April 25th following Coffee Hour

 

 

 

 

Bridal Showers

Honoring:

 

        Caitlyn Manning                        Sandy Powell

 

     TODAY                                                      Sunday, April 25th

        12:30 – 2:30 p.m.                                             12:30 – 2:30 p.m.

 

    Location:                                                        Location:

          O’Brien home                                              Corinne Elliott’s home

     

        Registered with:                                           Registered with:

   Target, Macy’s, & Babcocks                               Williams-Sonoma & Macy’s

 

      Group Gift Contact:                                         Group Gift Contact:

             Kh. Susan                                                Corinne

 

aa LIBRARY LINES  aa 

 

Every Sunday between Pascha and Pentecost is a special commemoration.  Surprisingly not every one is related to a person specifically mentioned in the account of the Passion of the Lord.  Read about them all in Alexander Schmemann ’s Celebration of Faith series, The Church Year.  It’s on the display cart along with The Resurrection and the Icon by Michel Quenot .

 

Today we honor St. Thomas 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, and his feast day is October 6.

 

Often we hear references to The Seventy. Most of them are not familiar to us.  St. Aristarchus (4/15) is mentioned several times in the Book of Acts and the Epistles of St. Paul. He traveled with St. Paul and was a bishop in Syria.  Some we know more about are Sts. Timothy, Stephen, Linus, Titus, Cleopas, Luke and Mark. All of them are commemorated on January 4 on the Synaxis of the Seventy.

 

 

Teen Group Events

 

Today, April 11 – 4:00 Bible Bowl Practice

                                                      5:00 – 7:00 p.m. Game Night

NEXT WEEK, April 18 – Meeting with Middlers

 

 

 

Pray for our catechumens:  In Memphis - Maria Cartagena, Maria Brackey, Lisa Martin, Ashley Newton & Sandy Powell. In Tupelo - Shane Davis, Leah Hardy, Adam Clay, Casey & Jessica Hardy (Davis). In Hernando – Donald Estes. In Henning – Bobby Johnson, John Kearney, & Richard McKeal.

 

Please remember in your prayers: His Eminence, Metropolitan PHILIP, His Grace, Bishop ANTOUN, Dn. Sidney & Sh. Mary Elliott and family, 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, Joyce Bittle, Marjo Labonte (pregnant), Mindy Williams (pregnant), Kh. Jeanette (pregnant), Ann Hicks (Dianna Hildebrand’s mother), Sue Ingram, Charles Ingram, Ted & Patty Greathouse (Shelley Snowden’s parents), June Peeples (Sarah Hodges’ mother), Allen Sudduth (Paul’s father), Elmo Thompson (Kh. Martha’s father), David Williams (Jill Healy’s son-in-law), Erin Williams (Jill Healy’s daughter, pregnant), Will Parham (Christine Scrantom’s brother-in-law), Rose Marton (Mary Ann Coccaro), Janet Berry (Joel Berry’s mother), and Lydia Banicescu (Tupelo).

 

From the Fathers

 

“The Lord has ordained that for a little labor, which we temporarily endure in this life, we shall be vouchsafed the Kingdom of the heavens, life everlasting, ineffable delights, and endless rest. As fitting, we believe these promises of the Lord. Therefore, let us leave all the sweet pleasures of the world, as false and short-lived, that we may inherit what is true and ageless.”                             ~ St. Irene Chrysovalandou of Cappadocia 

 

“A life of spiritual endeavor is the mother of sanctity; from it is born the first experience of perception of the mysteries of Christ--which is called the first stage of spiritual knowledge.”

~ St. Isaac of Syria  

 

“You say, ‘I have great sorrow.’ But I say, or rather, the Lord Himself says, ‘Have humility,’ and you will see your sorrows dissolve into peace, so that you yourself will be amazed and say, ‘Why did I suffer and torment myself so?’ Now you are joyful because you have become humble and the grace of God has descended upon you. And should you even remain alone in poverty, joy will not leave you because there is the peace in your soul of which the Lord said, ‘I give you My peace.’ Thus does the Lord give His peace to all humble souls.

~ St. Silouan

 

“We must have our gaze fixed on heaven. Then nothing will shake us.”

~ Elder Amphilochios Makris