The Weekly Sunday Bulletin of St. John’s Episcopal Church |
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It all comes back to love doesn’t it?
Romans 13:8-14
Love—it’s the one debt that is always outstanding and Paul says it’s an obligation! Just like your utilities, your car payment, or your mortgage, we’re to consistently and regularly pay our obligations. It seems trivial to compare love for others to the debts we owe – and yes, you really can’t compare them to love—but I think Paul is more concerned with our actions.
For example: people work diligently to pay their mortgage off early, they are willing to make huge sacrifices to do it! I think Paul wants us to have the same kind of fervor as we love our neighbors—as we live with the people God has put around us.
A mortgage will one day be paid off, and it will be something that we can look forward to as having completed, but not so with our love for others! It’s a debt that we can never pay off because Christ has already paid it. The fact is, we we’re incapable of paying it off.
Think about what has been done for us. Sometimes people may give their lives willingly for ones they deem as worthy—a friend, a relative, other “good” people—but Christ’s love goes beyond that. Christ’s love extends to those most unworthy of it: that’s you and me. He willingly took the punishment of those who tortured Him, hated Him, rebelled against Him, and cared nothing about Him, those who were most undeserving of His love (Romans 5:6-8). He gave the most He could give for those who deserved it the least! Paul wants us to have this same kind of sacrificial love; it’s the essence of godly love—Christ-like love—agape love. This is the God-like love that Paul is telling us to never pay off.
Christ love compels us to love! If we do not love people with the same, if not more, fervor we work at paying our debts then we’re missing the mark. It ought to be an indication that something is wrong, like a check engine light on the dash of your car. If we’re going to grow in Christlikeness, then we must love our neighbor, as Scripture commands, even though we will always fall short of the love required of us; ‘that perpetual debt of love’ will remain.
So, how are you doing at loving those around you with a Christ-like kind of love? Is there someone in your life that you’ve said to yourself, “I have loved him or her enough, I’m done.”? If you could talk to Paul right now, what do you think he would say to you?
Ask God to give you a heart for others… ask him to help you love with a Christ-like love.
By Jim Lewis
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8:00 am - Rite II Morning Prayer
10:00 am – Rite II Holy Eucharist with music
Both online services can be viewed on Facebook Live at 8:00 am and 10:00 am:
https://www.facebook.com/stjohns1745/live/
Please note: Fr. Duncan is on vacation. There will be no outdoor worship this Sunday.
We will continue our 8:00 am contemplative Morning Prayer in the Garden of Blessings on September 13th. Registration is required. Please use the following link to register and complete a questionnaire:
We will begin in-person Sunday Worship in the church on September 13th at 11:00am. Due to social distancing restrictions attendance is limited to 25 parishioners at this time. Registration is required. Please use the following link to register and complete a questionnaire:
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Please join us for a ZOOM coffee hour this Sunday at 11:00 am. Grab a cup of your own coffee and a snack, share some time with your friends at St. Johns. This will be an informal remote gathering where we can enjoy each other's company. Join Zoom Coffee Hour:
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The Thrift Shop will not be having a Yard Sale this Saturday, September 5th.
Our next Yard Sale will be on Saturday, September 12th from 10:30am to 1:30pm in the Garden of Blessings.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! Help is needed to set up beginning at 9:30 am on Saturday and to help breakdown. Please contact Nancy Feustel ([email protected]) if you are able to help.
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FIND YOUR MINISTRY - VOLUTEERS NEEDED |
As we begin to reopen the church, please prayerfully consider volunteering for one of the following ministries:
Sunday Greeters & Ushers - contact Fr. Duncan
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SUNDAY SCHOOL/CHRISTIAN EDUCATION REGISTRATION |
Beginning September 13th, join us each Gospel Lesson, then we will spend some time keeping connected and building new friendships. We will meet at 10:15 on Zoom.
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Join us at 9:00 am for Morning Prayer, Monday - Friday, via Zoom (New Meeting #):
Please follow along with Mission St. Clare
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For those who prefer an evening Bible Study, we have added a session on Mondays at 6:30 pm. The Monday sessions will cover what was discussed the Tuesday before. Join us via Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83527491169.
We are studying the New Testament, referencing N. T. Wright and Michael F. Bird's The New Testament in Its World.
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St. Hilda’s Guild will begin to meet again on Tuesdays at 12:00 noon via Zoom. Join us using the link below, and make sure to bring your latest project and a snack:
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St. John's Spirituality Group has some upcoming events that all are welcome to attend. Save the dates!
Saturday, September 26th, 9:30-11:30 am - Tom Petriano will discuss Julian of Norwich and how she survived 3 plagues.
If you are interested in exploring your spirituality and deepening your connection to others, consider joining us. To find out more about SJSG, contact Patti Aliperti ([email protected]).
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Help us recognize the first anniversary of Laundry Love at St. John's with a donation!
As we move forward we realize there is limited funding.... not only for this ministry.... but for so many other needs. We are asking, if you are able, would you like to support this ministry? Perhaps you are able to sponsor one load of laundry each month? The cost of one average load of laundry is $7.00 ($5.50 for washer, $1.50 for the drier).
Donations of money or laundry detergent in the form of laundry pods would be gratefully accepted. To make a donation by check, please send it to St. John's Church, 12 Prospect St., Huntington, NY 11743 with "Laundry Love" written in the memo.
Thank you to all who have supported Laundry Love over the past year.
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Thursday, September 17, 2020 at 6:00 pm.
Rural & Migrant Ministries invites you to attend "Cultivating Justice: Knowing Your Neighbor." This virtual event will feature Special Video Updates from Farmworkers, Messages of Hope from our Honorees, Exciting Musical Guests and a Visual Kaleidoscope of Photos and Artwork from the RMM family.
Change the world from the comfort of your own home! Eat your own food! Still get to meet a lot of interesting people!
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We are beginning a new Sacred Ground series on Saturday, September 19th at 9:00 am.
Sacred Ground is a film-based dialogue series on race and faith led by Billy Kiley presented by St. John's Racial Reconciliation & Social Justice Ministry.
Small groups are invited to walk through chapters of America’s history of race and racism, while weaving in threads of family story, economic class, and political and regional identity. The 10-part series is built around a powerful online curriculum of documentary films and readings that focus on Indigenous, Black, Latino, and Asian/Pacific American histories as they intersect European American histories.
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Leslie Valentine, the Pilgrimage Leader, will present an informational session on Sunday, October 27th during coffee hour following the 9:15 service via Zoom. Please join us if you would like to learn more about this very special opportunity.
Pilgrimage to the Isle of Iona, Scotland, October 1 - 11, 2021: IONA WELCOMES ALL! Come you of great faith and you who struggle with faith; you who believe and you who doubt; explorers and questioners, adventures and contemplatives! Experience Iona without expectation. Let the sacred isle uncover what you need to see and reveal what you need to hear!
For more information or questions please contact the Pilgrimage Leader, Leslie Valentine: Phone: (516) 815-1169; Email: [email protected]
Registration in limited and will fill up quickly, so please respond as soon as possible to secure your place.
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"To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good" (1 Cor. 12:4-7).
During this time, we ask that if you are financially able to keep making your Stewardship Pledge payments. We have set up online giving. Using your credit card or a direct payment from your checking account, you will be able to make a one-time payment or set up recurring payments.
Or send a check made payable to "St. John's Episcopal Church" to 12 Prospect Street, Huntington, NY 11743.
To text your contribution (standard text message rates do apply):
Text SJEC1745 STEWARDSHIP $[Amount] to 73256.
Your stewardship is a commitment to sustaining St. John’s ministry today and going forward. Thank you for your continuing support!
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You have not pledged but would still like to give? Make a Plate Offering.
We have set up online giving. Using your credit card or a direct payment from your checking account, you will be able to make a one-time payment or set up recurring payments using our secure online syste.
Using the below form, you can choose the types of contributions you would like to make a Plate Offering online:
Or send a check made payable to "St. John's Episcopal Church" to 12 Prospect Street, Huntington, NY 11743.
To text your contribution (standard text message rates do apply):
Text SJEC1745 PLATE $[Amount] to 73256.
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PRAYER CONCERNS FOR ST. JOHN'S |
We pray for all our doctors, nurses, and medical staff who put themselves at risk to care for us during this corona virus epidemic.
We pray for all our men and women serving in the armed services and all first responders who put themselves at risk every day, especially during this time. May God keep them safe and healthy, and return them home to their loved ones.
We pray for those who work for justice. May God give us all strength and wisdom to act for change when it is needed.
We pray for the sick: Tom, Kelly, Anna, Margaret, Martha, Juana, Carmen, Joel, Peter, Joan, Kathy, Scott, Sue, Kim, Janine, Jody, David, Danica, Linda, Bette Lee, Irene, Leslie, Roger, Tom, Patrick, Jim, Irene, Nelly, Colleen, Rick, Shannon, Kelsey, Patti, Hagai, Justin, Tom, Amy, Bill, Kate, Fern, Flor, Patricia, Bill, Lynn, Cory, Frank, Pat, Christopher, Richard, Christian, Gladys, Anthony, Betty, Joseph, John, Carol, Terry, Carol, Roelie, James, Peter, Don, Richard, Barbara, Crystal, Fred, Manuel, Ollie, Don, Aaron, Carlos, Nichole, Bob, Amelia, Sarrah
We will begin a new prayer list for the sick beginning Sunday, September 13th. Please submit your new prayers to [email protected].
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St. John's Episcopal Church
12 Prospect Street
Huntington, New York 11743
(631) 427-1752
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