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the anointing of david, veronese
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The Seventh Sunday after Pentecost
Sunday, July 8
Nursery 9:45 a.m.-11:15 a.m.
10:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist
Children's Chapel, Keeper's Cottage
11:15 a.m. Coffee Hour, Parish Hall
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Dear Friends,
Right now, I'm doing a lot of thinking about freedom. What it means and why it is important. The freedoms we celebrated this week on Independence Day are well known to many of us-- freedom
from the tyranny of an occupying nation that houses soldiers in our homes, conducts unlawful and intrusive searches of our personal belongings, taxes us without allowing us to have a true voice in our own destiny.
These are the things I call "freedom froms"-- and they apply to our personal lives as well. Each one of us has things from which we yearn to be free-- free from worry and anxiety, illness, family discord, unemployment, loneliness, uncertainty....you name it. But, as one of my mentors wisely advised years ago, "you can focus all day on the things you want to be free from, but you never truly live until you figure out what you want to be free
for
." Freedom
from
loses its significance without freedom
for.
In our Gospel reading for Sunday, Jesus sends his disciples out in twos to heal and to help and to be agents of God's love, and he tells them:
Take a staff, no bread, no backpack, no cash, no change of clothes... And if you aren't received, shake the dust from that place off your feet.
In other words, free yourself
from
your stuff, in order to have freedom
for
....God's work in your life.
So, the question I ask is this. What is it that you want to have
"freedom for"? Do you long for more room to nurture important relationships or develop new ones? Maybe you want to spend more time connecting with nature, or engaging in physical activity and caring for your body, or creating something beautiful. Perhaps there is some opportunity you feel God might be inviting you to or some challenge God may be setting for you that you've found difficult to embrace or entertain. What needs cry out to you? What gifts are you being called to cultivate and share?
Freedom from. Freedom for. Think about it. I'll be thinking, too.
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Property Meeting
The property committee will meet at 5:30 p.m. in the Library, this
Monday, July 9, to plan their July 28 work day and to discuss other maintenance and repair issues around the grounds. Please attend if you are interested; contact
Jamie Isaacs with questions.
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The Wednesday Evening Formation Group
Now Studying the Prophet Habakkuk
Do you ever find yourself wondering whether or not God is listening? Through the study of the book of the prophet Habakkuk, explore this dilemma and increase your understanding of God's unflagging presence, even in the midst of injustice and doubt. Bring your own Bible (or borrow one from us) for this series led by the Rev. Amelie Wilmer and the Rev. Deacon David Curtis.
Wednesday, July 11
6:30 p.m.--Supper
7:00 p.m.--Discussion
Parish House
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Summer Saturday Contemplative Services
This summer, St. John's is offering an evening service the second Saturday of each month. The service includes Holy Eucharist, meditative music, a quiet, candlelit atmosphere, and the rite of healing.
We hope you find this service to be a relaxing supplement to your Sunday morning worship. Please invite friends who prefer a more contemplative form of worship in the early evening.
Saturdays
July 14 & August 11
5:30 p.m.
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Stay Up-to-Date on General Convention News
Sarah Price is writing a blog for
Center Aisle, an editorial publication of the Episcopal Church's General Convention. You can read her reflection on the proposed revision of
The Book of Common Prayer
and other commentary
here
.
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about the
Annual Young Ad
ul
ts Picnic
All young adults and their families and friends are invited to the annual Young Adults Summer Picnic
. Sandwich supplies and water will be provided. Please bring a picnic side or dessert to share. While drop-ins are welcome, it would be helpful to
let Amelie know if you plan to attend.
Sunday, July 15
Following the 10:00 service (noon-ish)
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Final Inquirer's Class Meets July 15
The 16 participants in this year's inquirer's class invite your prayers as they explore the tradition of the Episcopal Church and the reaffirmation of the Baptismal Covenant.
Sunday, July 15
4:00 p.m.
The Parish Hall
Child care is provided.
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Summer Book Study
with Sarah Price
Our parish summer book study,
Stranger God: Meeting Jesus in Disguise
by author Richard Beck,
is a great way to live into our ordinary-yet-extraordinary lives of faith while staying connected to Sarah Price during her travels to Church Divinity School of the Pacific and General Convention.
When she returns, Sarah will lead a Wednesday night study based on the biblical, theological, spiritual and practical lessons from the book. Each session will meet in the Parish House, beginning with
a light meal at 6:30 p.m. followed by book study at 7:00 p.m.
You can read the book over these next several weeks; Sarah is also reading and has been posting inspiring, thought-provoking quotes as she encounters them, to encourage our reading. For
those who prefer to read on a schedule, the in-person conversations will work through the sections of the book as follows:
July 18
:
Learning to Open the Eyes of Our Heart
[Introduction and Part I, "Entertaining Angels"]
July 25
:
Sharpening Our Emotional and Spiritual Eyesight
[Part 2: "The Emotional Battlefield"]
August 1
:
Theological Visioning and Re-Visioning
[Part 3: "I Shall Be Love"]
August 8
:
From Vision to Action
[Part IV "Practicing Hospitality" and Part V "How to Save the World"]
Copies of the book are available for borrowing in the parish office. For more information please email Sarah.
This week's reflection:
Hello from Austin, Texas! After a few days back at St. John's (and a worshipful Sunday), Sarah Price is now in Austin, Texas, for the General Convention of The Episcopal Church. She's writing for
Center Aisle
, which is a daily publication of the Diocese of Virginia, and sends along her thoughts to us as convention activities unfold. This week's
S
tranger God
reflection is one for any of us to consider as the "million boring little things" unfold in our ordinary lives, and yet can become the million acts of kindness through which we learn to see and experience God in each other. Listen to Sarah's reflection for this week here.
Wednesdays, July 18-August 8
6:30 p.m. Dinner
7:00 p.m.
Discussion
Parish House
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Do You Want to Serve
During Church?
Our lay Eucharistic ministers, acolytes, and ushers are essential to our worship services. There is no time commitment outside of the Sunday service you already attend. We especially encourage our young members, ages 8 and up, to consider becoming acolytes.
We will hold training sessions after the service on the following dates.
July 22-
- Lay Eucharistic minister training
August 5-
- Usher training
August 12-
- Acolyte training
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Next Parish Work Day, Saturday, July 28
The ever-industrious property ministry has planned yet another Parish Work Day for
Saturday, July 28, to clean out underneath the church in preparation for maintenance work St. John's Church Foundation has planned. Work will begin at 9:00 a.m. and end at 12:00 p.m. Lunch will be provided. Please notify
Jamie Isaacs
if you plan to help.
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Spotlight on Outreach
St. John's is committed to living our Baptismal Covenant--
to seek and serve Christ in all persons,
loving our neighbor as ourselves and respecting the dignity of every human being.
Join the $5 Club:
Pledge to spend at least $5 a month on non-perishable foods to feed others. Bring your donations on the first Sunday of each month, or deposit your donations in the wicker basket at the rear of the church anytime. Remember that while we might take a vacation this summer, hunger does not. Thank you for your generosity in supporting First Fruits. Your living out the Gospel allows others to go to bed without being hungry.
First Fruits Sundays
:
First Sunday of every month. Bring non-perishable food items to church for donation to the Christ Ascension Food Pantry.
The food bank especially needs tuna.
Last Sunday you contributed 146 pounds of food, giving us a 944 pound year-to-date total donation. That's 63% of our goal 58.33% of our way into the year. Look at you!
N
ext First Fruits Sunday--August 5, 2018.
Laundry Love
: Third Saturday of every month. Help do your neighbors' laundry at the laundromat at 25th & Nine Mile.
In June, we helped 56 neighbors wash 96 loads of laundry and dry 105. That's a lot of clean clothes!
Next Laundry Love Day--July 21
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Reserve Your Spot
for the Annual Parish Retreat
to Shrine Mont
by August 31
Autumn is a popular time at Shrine Mont, rooms go quickly, and there is little wiggle room once reservations are confirmed, so act quickly. Details about this year's activities, fees, etc., are coming soon.
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Next Vestry Meeting
Tuesday, July 10,
at 5:30 p.m. in the Parish Hall
All members of St. John's Church are welcome to attend vestry meetings as observers. Minutes of recent vestry meetings are displayed on the bulletin board in the Parish Hall foyer. Please share your ideas or questions about the life of St. John's Church with a vestry member.
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Reserve Your Spot
in the Van Headed
to Karla Hunt's Ordination
Karla Hunt, a long time member of St. John's, will be ordained as a vocational deacon
Saturday, September 29,
at Christ and St. Luke's Episcopal Church, Norfolk.
St. John's is renting a 15 passenger van to provide transportation for those who wish to attend.
We will leave promptly at 7:45 a.m. from St. John's and should return to Richmond by 4:00 p.m.
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Prayer Group & Sunday Prayer
s
Bring your prayers to the Wednesday morning prayer group. Pray with us silently or aloud as the Spirit leads you, and let us surround you with love and prayers. Find sacred silence and hear the still, small voice of God. Simply stop by the Keeper's Cottage any Wednesday at 10:00.
Prayer ministers also offer individual prayer Sundays during communion.
Wednesdays
10:00 a.m.
Keeper's Cottage (to the left of the church)
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St. John's Church
2401 East Broad Street
Office: 2319 E. Broad Street RVA 23223
804-649-7938
The deadline for submitting copy for the weekly bulletin insert and parish-wide emailis Wednesday morning, but earlier is always appreciated.
Please send your content to Patty Duffy. Please note that content may be edited to accommodate space limitations and style guidelines.
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