The Weekly Sunday Bulletin of St. John’s Episcopal Church
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In John’s fifth chapter, we hear Jesus having mercy on a man who has been sick for a long time; the gospel writer says the man has been sick for thirty-eight years. This is an obscure number to mention and it caught my eye. This number mirrors us back to the Old Testament. In the Book of Deuteronomy, the Israelites were in the desert for thirty-eight years, plus the two beforehand of building the ark and seeing the miracles God had presented them. Once the forty years were over, God gave mercy and revealed a time of hope and prosperity in this new place.
In John’s Gospel this Sunday, at the Pool of Beth-zatha, the man there could never be healed – he couldn’t find the hope he sought. The Pool of Beth-zatha isn’t your average pool. It is ancient pool in Jerusalem that was in an undiscovered location until the 19th century. Legend says that angels would swirl the water in the pool and the first person who entered the swirling water would be cured of ailments of many kinds, cleansed of illness, filled with promises of a better life ahead.
Jesus asked the man, “do you want to be made well?” The sick man talked about the impossibility of the occurrence. “Sir, I have no one to put me in the pool.” He obviously had an ailment in walking; he is struggling to get to the pool, to attempt to receive healing from the waters stirred up by the angels. He also appears to be a faithful, believing man. Jesus never asked the man what he did or what he had done to try to heal. He simply asked “do you want to be made well?”
Are you suffering from an ailment? It could be physical, emotional, or even spiritual. Perhaps you have struggled for many years and the suffering continues, even though you have prayed daily and attended church weekly. ‘Where is God?’ you wonder. Maybe this is an issue of forgiveness. Do you need to forgive yourself? Easter is a season of resurrection and new life. Jesus is calling to you: “do you want to be made well?” He is prepared to send the angels to swirl the pool for you. Yes, he wants to heal you. God wants to give you His mercy and reveal to you a time of hope and prosperity, but first, Jesus asks this most provocative question, “Do you want to be made well?" How will you answer Jesus?”
Your sibling in Christ,
Fr. James
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Sixth Sunday of Easter
The Readings
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Join us for Sunday Worship at 8:00 am and 10:00 am in the church or remotely on Zoom and Facebook.
8:00 am - Rite I Holy Eucharist
9:45 am - Sunday School will meets in the Garden of Blessings to plant a Peace Garden
10:00 am – Rite II Choral Eucharist
Music
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GARDEN SUNDAY SCHOOL MAY 22ND
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This Sunday, May 22nd at 9:45 am, Sunday School will meet in the Garden of Blessings to learn about being good stewards of God's creation. With the guidance of Fr. Duncan, the children will plant a Peace Garden in the new flower beds, so wear clothes that are ok to get a bit dirty. Bring your favorite gloves and gardening tools!
The children will be taking plants home to start their own Peace Garden.
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LAY EUCHARISTIC VISITORS' MEETING THIS SUNDAY
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"I was sick and you visited me"
~Matthew 25:36
LEVs, please join Deacon Claire in the Canterbury Corner on Sunday, May 22nd immediately following the 10 am service.
If you are intrested in serving as a Lay Eucharistic Visitor, please contact Deacon Claire.
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This Sunday Sunday, May 22nd, 3 - 5 pm, QiGong for Vitality & Joy will lead the ancient self-care excercises in the tradition of Taoist QiGong, the foundation of T'ai Chi Ch'uan. Join us in the Garden of Blessings as your last stop on Huntington's Art Walk Day.
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All are welcome at Morning Prayer. We meet Monday through Friday at 9:00 am via Zoom.
Our short prayer service is followed by some fellowship and discussion. Feel free to join us occasionally to listen and pray, or come more often to participate as a leader or reader, and to start your day with your focus on Christ and a deeper connection with your friends at St. John's.
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Bible Study meets on Zoom, Mondays at 6:30 pm and Tuesdays at 11:00 am. Material covered on Mondays will also be covered on Tuesdays of the same week.
We have begun a new unit on the Resurrection. We are reading NT Wright's Surprised by Hope. Please contact the Parish Office to get your copy.
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MAY IS ASIAN AMERICAN & PACIFIC ISLANDER HERITAGE MONTH
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By William Low, Artist and Professor at Fashion Institute of Technology, NYC
I am honored to be asked to offer my personal experiences, but I fear that this spotlight is misplaced. A month set aside to acknowledge any heritage sometimes has the effect of “checking off boxes” to make us feel that we are doing the right thing by being socially aware and respectful of our differences. But this social awareness should continue throughout the year, just ask anyone who is not Caucasian. We all wear our ethnic differences like our clothing -- it’s outward facing and we cannot hide this fact (nor should we). This goes with us every time we leave our homes.
I am an American, the first in my family to be born in the United States. My father had a Chinese hand laundromat in the Bronx, in a neighborhood with no Chinese families for miles. This made me hypersensitive to my differences, as if I were an observer on the outside looking into a room where everyone else was having fun.
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Our Deacon needs a nice, new or gently used desk for the office.
If you have a desk with file drawers that can lock (and the keys) that you would like to donate to St. John's, please reach out to the Parish Office or Deacon Claire. Our space requirements are specific, so please understand if we are unable to accept any item.
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ST. FRANCIS IN THE VALLEY - MISSION TRIP MEETING
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Meeting for those hoping to go on the mission trip:
Tuesday, May 24th at 7:00 p.m. on Zoom
All are welcome to attend
Join Zoom Meeting:
MISSION TRIP to Arizona
October 24 – 31 2022
OUTREACH is sharing Christ’s love with all our neighbors!
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Evensong is an ancient traditional Anglican/Episcopal service of evening prayers, psalms, biblical readings and canticles, chanted in a choral setting. In collaboration with Alex Pryrodny and the St. John's Choir, Fr. James will officiate a Service of Evensong for Ascension Thursday on Thursday, May 26th at 7:00 pm in the church. All are welcome to celebrate Ascension Thursday with us through the gift of music.
We hope to see you there!
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SPIRITUALITY GROUP YOGA & MEDITATION
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All are invited to join us for yoga and meditation in the Garden of Blessings on Friday, May 27th, from 6:00 - 7:00pm. Practice will be led by Lynn LaBorne, a twice certified 200 hour yoga teacher, practicing since 1990 and meditation guide. Please bring your yoga mat.
To RSVP or if you have questions, please call Patti Aliperti at 631-385-1410, or email silverymoon33@yahoo.com .
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All are welcome to join St. John's Spirituality Group for their next monthly meeting on Thrusday, June 9th at 4pm on Zoom. Fr. John Morrison will lead discussion and reflection on...
"... music, music, music"
Join us on Zoom:
If you are interested in exploring your spirituality and deepening your connection to others, consider joining us. Please contact Patti Aliperti (silverymoon33@yahoo.com) if you would like more information about St. John's Spirituality Group.
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SPIRITUALITY GROUP LABYRINTH WALK
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Our Labyrinth walk will be on Saturday, June 11th. We will meet at St John's at 10 am and carpool over to CW Post to walk the Labyrinth. Afterwards, we will have lunch at Bar Frites, in Greenvale. Hopefully, we can eat on the outdoor patio. Everyone will pay for their own lunch.
Please call Patti Aliperti at 631-385-1410, or email silverymoon33@yahoo.com to reserve your spot.
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St. John's Thrift Shop is open on Tuesdays, Thursdays, & Saturdays, 12-3pm.
Donations Needed! We accept donations of new or gently used clothing, accessories, and household items. Please no books, furniture, out-dated electronics, or damaged items.
Volunteers continue to be needed - We are still bulding our Thursday and Saturday teams. If you wish to become a volunteer, please contact Lilly Welch.
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- A new, industrial sized community fridge distributed over 14,000 pounds of food in Brooklyn
- 40 children struggling in school benefitted from the care of an afterschool tutoring program in Queens
- A ministry supporting our immigrant neighbors disseminated over 6,000 educational flyers about the rights of undocumented workers across Nassau County
- Volunteers from across our diocese spent 5,500 hours stocking Blessing Boxes for those experiencing homelessness in Suffolk County
In these past two years, you bore witness to isolation, loss, and injustice – but you walked with your neighbors as Christ walks with us. Investing in EMLI is an opportunity to walk with our neighbors – and see Christ in them – every day.
Your gift is a vital part of resourcing, nurturing, and amplifying ministries across the diocese. Will you make an investment in EMLI today and help us reach our goal of $100,000 by June 19th? Your partnership grows and strengthens this vital work bringing the love of Christ from the pew to the public square.
For e-news:
Please visit episcopalministries.org to make a secure gift online. You can also mail a check to:
Episcopal Ministries of Long Island
36 Cathedral Avenue
Garden City, NY 11530
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STEWARDSHIP: PLEDGE YOUR SUPPORT
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First Quarter Stewardship Pledge Statements were sent out last week. Your stewardship is a commitment to sustaining St. John’s ministry today and going forward. Please take this time to review your giving and to catch up on your pledge payments if possible.
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If you have not yet pledged, pledge cards are available in the pews and at the back of the church. You may also submit your pledge online using our online pledge form. You may send your regular stewardship payments in the mail, leave them in the collection plate on Sundays, or set up automatic, recurring payments online.
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ALTAR FLOWERS & THE PERPETUAL LIGHT
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If you would like to remember a loved one or give thanks for an important event with altar flowers or Perpetual Light, please complete an Altar Flower Form and return it to the Parish Office with your check made payable to "St. John's Altar Guild."
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PRAYER CONCERNS FOR ST. JOHN'S
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We pray for: Liz, Harry and Christine, Richard, Barbara, Fanny, Jackie, Diana, Edward, Christine, Fred, Tom, Allison, Amy, Kate, Cole, Jennifer, Spencer, Sue, Wylie, Matt, Susan, Maggie, Tom, Olivia, Christina, Victor, Melissa, Jack, Ursula, Anita, Nancy, Peter, Patti, Shannon, Kelsey, Justin, Cheryl, Kristin, Patricia, Jeff, Michael, Joseph, James, Sue, Bill, Dylan, Ruth, Kristen, Hal, Chyah
To add or remove someone from our prayer list, please email prayers@stjohns1745.org or call Coral in the Parish Office.
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St. John's Episcopal Church
12 Prospect Street
Huntington, New York 11743
(631) 427-1752
STAY CONNECTED
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