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 Transfiguration

11^th Sunday after Pentecost

August 8, 2010

Epistle: I Corinthians 9:2-12 Gospel: Matthew 18:23-35

The Holy Bread for Eucharist is offered 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 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 August 8–August 15* (Dormition Fast)

Dormition Fast ends August 14th

Sunday - Teen Group – Laser Quest, 5:00 p.m.

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

- Paraklesis, 6:30 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.

- Paraklesis, 5:30 p.m., meal to follow - please sign up by Tues. morning

- Children’s reading time immediately following Vespers

- Wednesday Teaching, 7:00 p.m.

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 in the parish hall following Third Hour

- Sixth Hour, 12:00 p.m.

- Paraklesis, 6:30 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 for Dormition of the Theotokos Sunday, August 15, 10:00 a.m.

PRIEST: Fr. John HOMILY: Fr. John

DEACONS: Dns. Tim & James READER: Owen White

HOLY BREAD: Reem Mansour USHER: Matt Spinolo

ALTAR SERVERS: Ethan, J. Morgan, Luke L., Deon and Pavel

COFFEE HOUR: Keith & Sarah Parker, Mitch & Sandy Childress

WELCOME TEAM: Corinne Elliott and Sarah Hodges

Upcoming Memorials: Upcoming Baptisms:

Andy Alissandratos – August 15 Elliott Longa – August 28

Marlene Kraker – August 22

Kitty Gilliland – September 5

Urania Alissandratos – October 10

*Dormition Fast : The traditional fasting discipline (no meat, poultry, eggs, dairy, fish, wine and oil) is observed during the fast which lasts from August 1st through 14th (with katalysis for wine and oil on Saturdays and Sundays, and for fish, wine and oil on the Transfiguration [August 6th]).

COMMEMORATIONS

Aug. 8: Emilianos the Confessor, archbishop of Kyzikos; Myron, archbishop of Crete; Venerable Gregory of Sinai; New-martyrs Anastasios and Triandaphylos of Thessaly; translation of the relics of Venerable Zosimas and Savvatios of Solovsky.

Aug. 9: Apostle Matthias; translation of the relics of Venerable Herman of Alaska, wonder-worker of America.

Aug. 10: Martyr and Archdeacon Laurence of Rome; Hieromartyr Sixtus, bishop of Rome.

Aug. 11: Martyr and Archdeacon Euplos of Catania; Niphon, patriarch of Constantinople; commemoration of the miracle of Spyridon the wonder-worker of Kerkyra; New-martyrs Anastasios and Demetrios.

Aug. 12: Martyrs Photios and Anikytos of Nicomedia.

Aug. 13: Maximos the Confessor; Eudokia and Irene (Xenia) the empresses; Venerable Dositheos; repose of Tikhon, bishop of Voronezh and wonder-worker of Zadonsk; uncovering of the relics of Maximos of Moscow, fool-for-Christ.

Aug. 14: Prophet Micah; New-martyr Simeon of Trebizond; translation of the relics of Venerable Theodosios of the Kiev Caves.

Aug. 15: The Dormition of the Theotokos.

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DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS August 8 – August 15

Sunday I Corinthians 9:2-12 Matthew 18:23-35

Monday 2 Corinthians 5:10-15 Mark 1:9-15

Tuesday 2 Corinthians 5:15-21 Mark 1:16-22

Wednesday 2 Corinthians 6:11-16 Mark 1:23-28

Thursday 2 Corinthians 7:1-10 Mark 1:29-35

Friday 2 Corinthians 7:10-16 Mark 2:18-22

Saturday I Corinthians 1:26-29 Matthew 20:29-34

Sunday Phillipians 2:5-11 Luke 10:38-42; 11:27-28

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- ALMS-GIVING OPPORTUNITIES –

St. John Alms Fund	St. John Camping Fund
St. John Food Pantry	St. John Seminarian Fund
St. Paul Mission Station	Rachels’ Kids, Inc.

Diocese of Miami and the Southeast Mission Fund

Michael Bittle Fund – Holy Trinity Orthodox Church

ST. JOHN COMMUNITY:

Catechumen/Inquirers class will meet Tuesday at 7:00 p.m.

Dinner Clubs – Don’t miss out on the FUN! All current groups are encouraged to meet one last time before the end of August. Dinner clubs are groups of 6-8 St. John people who meet together for a meal once every two months for a year. The focus is on fellowship, not food. This is a great way to meet and get to know people and develop a sense of community. Those who want to commit to be in a new dinner club starting in September, please see the sign-up sheet in the fellowship hall. If you are interested in a group that will meet with children, please mark it on the sign-up sheet. The deadline for signing-up is Sunday, August 22nd. Any questions or comments please call or email Sh. Margaret McKelroy.

Secret Sisters - Calling all Secret Sisters and wannabes!!! The second round of the ever-popular Secret Sisters is beginning this fall. If you want to join in on the fun, pick up the directions and information sheets from the baskets on the piano in the Fellowship Hall. Return the information sheet to Corinne Elliott or Judy Terry by Sunday, August 22. Please contact Corinne or Judy with any questions.

Antiochian Women of St. John Calendar

Please remember to sign up for AWSJ positions for the upcoming year. The list can be found downstairs on the bulletin board.

Women’s Teaching

Upcoming Dates: September 9, October 7, November 4, December 2

Next Teaching - Thursday, September 9 at 10:00 a.m. in Anne Dugan’s home.

AWSJ Crafts Club

August 23 at 7:00 p.m. in home of Corrine Elliott

Upcoming Book Club Titles

We will resume on September 13^th with Three Cups of Tea

Future Icons in the church - Several have asked about approved subjects for the remaining icons to be added in the church. There is a list available in the parish hall containing the individual saints already present in the iconography in the church, as well as those which are “approved” or under consideration.

Worship and liturgical reminders

“The Love of husband and wife is the force that welds society together.” St. John Chrysostom, Homily 20 on Ephesians. 

In light of the words of St. John Chrysostom (as well as the Scriptures and Tradition of the Church) it is evident that when there is movement to redefine marriage, that same movement is trying to redefine society. A society which accepts as normative a marriage between (1) two men, or (2) two women, as well as between (3) a man and a woman is a society which is essentially trying to change itself and morality as well. Such a society really cannot be called Christian in any traditional sense. Those denominations that have not only accepted but celebrate homosexual practice as normal behavior and without sin (as evidenced by affirmation and acceptance of “gay marriage” and clergy that are actively living homosexual lives) have left traditional Christianity. Christ did not teach this, the apostles did not teach this, the Fathers of the Church did not teach this, and no Saint has every taught this.  

Pray for our catechumens: Memphis - Maria Cartagena, Maria Brackey, Lisa Martin, Ashley Newton, Sandy Childress, & Michael Hill. Tupelo - Shane Davis, Leah Hardy, Adam Clay, Casey & Jessica Hardy (Davis). Hernando – Donald Estes. Henning –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, Judy Smith (Julie Sanderlin’s mother), Shirley Gore (Judy Terry’s mother), Effie Johnson (Kh. Susan’s mother), Mary Clark, Kh. Jeanette (pregnant), Kim Hilal (pregnant), Gigi Sliger (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, David & Erin Williams (Jill Healy’s children), Janet Berry (Joel Berry’s mother), Lydia Banicescu (Tupelo), Betty Wells (Karen Wells’ mother), and Rhonda Stark (Josh’s mother).

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Are you looking for food for your soul during the Dormition Fast?  St. John Library's collection of books about the Theotokos is on display across the top of the Reference section.

Monday is the commemoration of the translation of the relics and canonization of St. Herman (8/9) of Alaska. He was born into a family of merchants and began the monastic life at age 16. In 1794 he arrived in Kodiak, Alaska and, in the early 1800s he established a monastery on Spruce Island which he called New Valaam. He lived a hard and simple life, and served the Aleuts with a selfless love.

Three days this week we commemorate the translation or uncovering of the relics of saints. So what's so important about it? The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (HIS/CRO) donates a page to the practice of honoring relics. Interestingly enough, it is a wide spread event, even practiced in Buddhism and is “based on the natural instinct of men to treat with reverence what is left of the dead they loved.” A more readable explanation is given in The Pearl by Whelton. (CAT/GEN/WHE) Chapter VI gives us his answers to questions frequently asked by Protestants, or former ones like most of us. His concise answer concerning relics begins on page 139. Kallistos Ware connects this practice with the theology of the body in The Orthodox Church (CAT/GEN/WAR). See chapter 11. See also Holy Relics by T. L. Frazier (CAT/SPEC/FRA)

St. Matthias (8/9) is sometimes thought of as an extra apostle, a last minute fill-in. We remember that he was chosen “by lot” so he may seem like one who was chosen by chance. But, we know that there are no coincidences in the Kingdom of God. Unlike many of the Twelve who were uneducated, common men, St. Matthias studied under the hand of holy Symeon, the God-receiver.

The Prophet Micah (8/14) was a contemporary of the Prophet Isaiah. He gave us the prophecy that Bethlehem would be the birthplace of the Savior. His relics were uncovered in the fourth century A. D. through a revelation to a bishop.

See icons and stories of these saints in St. John Library. 

NEW BOOKS in St. John Library (found on the display cart):

Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture (Apocrypha), Angels and their Mission by Jean Danielou. S. J., Byzantium: the Lost Empire (dvd), The Church in Post-Communist Euprope by Christos Yannaras, Europe and the Holy Mountain by Archm. Vasileios, The Great Synaxaristes (July & August), Knowledge of God by Harry Boosalis, On the Lord’s Prayer by Sts. Tertulllian, Cyprian and Origen (From the Popular Patristics Series), Passions and Virtues According to Saint Gregory Palamas by Anestis Keselopouolos, Taught by God by Harry Boosalis, The Way, The Truth and the Life by the Orthodox Education Commission Handbook and You Are Peter by Olivier Clement.