"To know Christ and to make Him known . . . " | |
The Weekly Sunday Bulletin of St. John’s Episcopal Church | |
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Discipleship
Faithful discipleship is definitely not for the faint of heart.
What does it really mean to follow Jesus. So often we say those words, or even sing those words. We have a song in our Praise Book called, “I have decided to follow Jesus.” It is an upbeat song that energizes us. When we sing it, many of us feel a deep joy and true commitment to walk the road as a disciple of Jesus.
This week’s Gospel, however, paints a much clearer picture of what is really at stake when we make that commitment. Jesus uses strong language to spell out the high cost of discipleship. He tells us that it must be a total dedication that moves us from wanting to be a disciple, to considering being a disciple to making the final decision to being a disciple. There is nothing simple and easy about this decision.
It was easy for the multitudes, and in fact for us to follow Christ superficially. Many followed Jesus because he was charismatic. He taught, prayed, healed, and performed many miracles. We, like the multitudes in Jesus’ day are captivated by the excitement of his ministry. We want to know what is next on his plate.
But in today’s Gospel, Jesus looks to weed out those who followed him for superficial reasons. He was sent by God to not only die for our sins but share God’s truth to humankind. As he continues his journey to Jerusalem, things will begin to heat up and those who were mesmerized by his incredible energy will most likely fall away. This would be damaging for his greater cause.
We are being asked to consider the cost of discipleship, and Jesus’s message is radical and demanding. We all fall short, but with the help of the Holy Spirit, and the grace of God, we have the capacity to prevail. It is a process that all of us at St. John’s are engaged in, and at its heart is transformation.
“The call to discipleship is a gift of grace, and that call is inseparable from grace.”
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
May our hearts be transformed!
I Surrender All
Anson R. Dawkins / Derek Clark / Eric D. Dawkins / Judson Wheeler Van Deventer / Winfield Scott Weeden
All to Jesus I surrender
All to Him I freely give
I will ever love and trust Him
In His presence daily live
All to Jesus I surrender
Make me, Savior, wholly Thine
Let me feel Thy Holy Spirit
Truly knowing that Thou art mine
All to Jesus I surrender
Now I feel the sacred flame
Oh the joy of full salvation
Glory, glory to his name
I surrender all
I surrender all
All to Thee My blessed Savior
I surrender all
With great perseverance, hope and love,
Deacon Claire
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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
Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83803451202
Facebook Live Stream: https://www.facebook.com/stjohns1745/live_videos/
Bulletin: Rite I After Pentecost
Sunday School will not meet in the summer
10:00 am – Rite II Choral Eucharist
Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86739553648
Facebook Live Stream: https://www.facebook.com/stjohns1745/live_videos
Bulletin: Rite II Day of Pentecost
The Music
Opening: 537 Christ for the World We Sing
Before Gospel: 577 God is Love, vs 1-2
Offertory anthem "If Ye Love Me" Thomas Tallis
Communion: L 133 I Surrender All
Closing: L 120 Sweet, Sweet Spirit
CLICK HERE TO READ ST. JOHN'S CURRENT COVID SAFETY PROTOCOLS
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The Parish Office will be closed on Monday, September 5th in observance of Labor Day. We will open again on Tuesday, September 6th at 9:00 am.
Wishing you and yours a happy, safe, and blessed Labor Day!
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CHRISTIAN EDUCATION FOR CHILDREN & YOUTH | |
Early Registration is now open for Christian Education for Children and Youth! Anyone interested in Sunday School, First Holy Communion or Confirmation should register.
On September 11th, we will begin the Sunday School year with Registration & a Blessing of the Backpacks. Please join us in the Canterbury Corner at 9:40 am for group activities and a chance to reconnect after the summer break.
First Holy Communion and Confirmation classes will begin in January. First Holy Communion classes are open to 2nd graders. Confirmation classes are open to youth, 7-12 graders, and any adults that would like to be Received into the Episcopal Church. Youth Group is for 7th - 12th graders. St. John's is partnering with the youth groups of Trinity Episcopal, Northport and St. John's, Cold Spring Harbor, to do monthly joint activities starting on September 25th, 6:30 - 8:00 pm.
CHRISTIAN EDUCATION REGISTRATION FORM & CALENDARS
SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHERS NEEDED - Do you love kids? Do you love St. John’s? Are you looking for a(nother) way to volunteer? If so, the St. John’s Sunday School needs you!
We are looking for a few more adults to help out in the Sunday School classes. Christian education is a vital component of any parish. The pandemic affected almost every aspect of life, and Sunday Schools are no exception. But now it’s time to get back to reaching our full potential. We have a wonderful group of students and a great program planned, but we cannot achieve our goals unless we have enough help. All that is necessary is a willingness to be an adult presence on an occasional Sunday morning between 9:40 and 10:30am. The more helpers we have, the easier it will be. Many hands make light work. Please contact Christine Doré at doreivory@optonline.net if you would like to have a conversation about possibly joining our awesome team. If you have already reached out, please confirm that you are on our list.
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Youth Group (7th - 12th grades) is now joined by our Curate to be a part of our Youth Ministry team. In addition to Ford Spilsbury, Fr. James will be helping organize activities, events, service opportunities, and mission trips for our youth. St. John's is also partnering with the youth groups of Trinity Episcopal, Northport and St. John's, Cold Spring Harbor, to do monthly joint activities starting on September 25th, 6:30 - 8:00 pm. Please send Fr. James an email if you're interested in learning more at jreiss@stjohnshuntington.org.
Confirmation - Anyone interested in Confirmation in the Spring of 2023 must attend Youth Group meetings and activities.
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This joint ministry with St. John's, Cold Spring Harbor and Trinity, Northport, of fostering relationships amongst young adults within our community is not a simple project, but one we’re willing to take on. We plan on starting slow this Fall with monthly brunches, the first Sunday of the month. This is geared towards young adults who are 21 and older. This will later be accompanied by Spirituality on Tap/Pub Theology events to be released at a later date.
For the Fall, the brunches will be:
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September 4th
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October 2nd
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November 6th
They will all start at 12:00pm, at different brunch locations throughout the township.
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HEALING SERVICES AT ST. JOHN'S |
We believe that not only does Jesus still heal today, but that healing is one of the most powerful ministries of evangelization. Jesus never preached the Gospel of the kingdom of God without demonstrating the kingdom through signs, wonders, and miracles, with healing as the most frequent demonstration of God’s love.
Healing services at St. John’s will include a time of worship and praise, proclamation of the Gospel and preaching, corporate prayer for healing ending with individual prayer teams for healing. Come prepared for breakthrough!
Please join us for a safe and loving offering of prayer and healing on the following dates. All Services will begin at 7:00 p.m.
September 8
October 13
November 10
December 8: Special Blue Christmas Healing Liturgy
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All are welcome to the Annual Parish Picnic on Sunday, September 18th from 12:00-3:00 pm at the Senior Beach House at Centerport Beach, 239 Little Neck Road, Centerport. This will be a wonderful chance for all of us to meet our newcomers. The Youth Group will organize fun activities for the children and families.
Please bring your food donations as follows:
- Last names beginning A thru M - salad
- Last names beginning N thru Z - dessert
There will be a sign up sheet available at the back of the church and in the Great Hall during coffee hour.
Hot dogs, hamburgers and soft drinks will be provided by the Breakfast Group and the ECW. Don’t forget to bring a beach chair and umbrella!
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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 will pause for the rest of summer. We will begin a new unit on Tuesday, September 13th at 11:00 am.
Knowing God in the Created World - For hundreds of years, people have wondered what we can know about God based on the evidence of the world in which we live. Prof. N.T. Wright asserts that to answer this question with fidelity requires putting Jesus back in the middle of the question. The line of thought explored in this course seeks to do just that.
To preview to the course go to:
Login: dbu632@gmail.com
Password: GodsLove12
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Beginning September 12th, on Mondays at 6:30 pm, Fr. John will lead a study of the novel, Elijah in Jerusalem by Michael D. O'Brien.
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SPRITUALITY GROUP YOGA & MEDITATION | |
Saturday, September 10th, at 11am in the Great Hall
All are invited to join us for yoga and meditation on the 2nd Saturday of each month at 11:00 am. Practice will be led by Lynn LaBorde, a twice-certified, 200-hour yoga teacher and meditation guide, practicing since 1990. Please bring your yoga mat. Drop-ins welcome. Suggested donation $20.
For more information on this and other Spirituality Group programs, contact Patti Aliperti at 631-385-1410 or silverymoon33@yahoo.com.
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Wednesdays & Thursdays at 12 - 1pm
To continue to be welcoming neighbors in the village, St. John's Church opens its doors to Huntington during the week!
On Wednesdays - Noonday Prayer will start at 12:15 for any who are interested in attending this brief in person service.
On Thursdays - The sanctuary will be open for individual prayer and quiet contemplation. Our Music Director and Artist-in-Residence, Alex Pryrodny, will offer a brief interlude of contemplative music.
If any one feels called to join in this ministry and help expand it, please reach out to Fr. James at jreiss@stjohnshuntington.org . All are welcome!
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SACRED GROUND SESSION ELEVEN |
The Diocese of Long Island is asking that those who have completed at least one 10-session Sacred Ground series, to paricipate in Session 11: Walk On: The Journey after Sacred Ground. This session will meet on Monday, September 19th at 7:30 pm at the Mercer School in Garden City and on Zoom.
If are interested or have any questions please contact Fr. Duncan.
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Dear God, Creator of the earth, this sacred home we share;
Give us new eyes to see the beauty all around and to protect the wonders of creation.
Give us new arms to embrace the strangers among us and to know them as family.
Give us new ears to hear and understand those who live off the land and sea,
and to hear and understand those who extract its resources.
Give us new hearts to recognize the brokenness in our communities
and to heal the wounds we have inflicted.
Give us new hands to serve the earth and its people and to shape beloved community.
For you are the One who seeks the lost, binds our wounds and sets us free,
And it is in the name of Jesus the Christ we pray. Amen.
(Prayer from the 2017 meeting of the House of Bishops, Fairbanks, Alaska)
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Pilgrimage to the Isle of Iona, Scotland
September 29-October 8, 2023
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: leslieval@aol.com
Registration in limited and will fill up quickly, so please respond as soon as possible to secure your place.
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The Ingathering for United Thank Offering (UTO) will be on Sunday, October 2.
Please be generous in supporting this great ECW mission. UTO is entrusted to receive the offerings, and to distribute the 100% of what is collected to support innovative mission and ministry throughout The Episcopal Church and Provinces of the Anglican Communion:
GRATITUDE
“In ordinary life, we hardly realize that we receive a great deal more than we give, and that it is only with gratitude that life becomes rich.”
–Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Gratitude is a Christian virtue. It helps us love more deeply and be more present to the Holy Spirit at work in the world.
GIVE thanks to God for your blessings.
MAKE an offering for each blessing.
YOUR BLESSING becomes a blessing for others.
2022 Grant Awards Given
Please make checks payable to “St. John's Church" with "UTO" written in memo. Envelopes for UTO can be found on the table at the back of the church or in your bulletins on Sunday, October 2nd.
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St. John's Thrift Shop is open on Tuesdays, Thursdays, & Saturdays, 12-3pm.
HELP! Volunteers continue to be needed - If you wish to become a volunteer, please contact Mary Beth Dieterle, (631) 427-1752, ext 106.
Donations welcome. We accept donations of new or gently used clothing, accessories, and household items. Please no books, furniture, out-dated electronics, or damaged items.
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Just a reminder that all parish events and building use must be submitted to the Parish Office. Notices for events to run in the Chalice, to post on the website and social media must be received by the Parish Administrator by noon on Tuesdays. We are looking to finalize the fall calendar to coordinated our many events and start to spread the word about all the great programs and ministries here at St. John's.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW ST. JOHN'S CALENDAR
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TAKE HOME COVID TEST AVAILABLE | Free at home COVID tests are available for pick up at the back of the church on Sundays before and after services and Wednesdays during Operatio Open Doors while supplies last. | |
STEWARDSHIP - Thank You for Every Perfect Gift! |
We are so grateful for your continued support and commitment to St. John's Episcopal Church in 2022. Your contributions help with the day-to-day operations and maintenance of our beautiful church.
Thank you!
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Prayerfully consider setting up recurring automatic payments directly from your bank account or using your credit card. Our secure online system, OnRealm, is an easy way to help to sustain us through the summer. Use the button below to make a regular payment or to set up recurring payements.
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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 secucre, 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 |
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 | |
We pray for Susan, Jack, Charise, Spencer, Matt, Ernest, Sue, Wylie, Tom, Debra, Christina, Ursula, Victor, Melissa, Olivia, Annie, Tom, Allison, Chyah, Mary, James, Dylan, Jake, Jeff, Shannon, Kelsey, Justin, Patti, Richard, Barbara, Cole, Edward, Christine, Fred, Patricia, Hal, Carmen, Ignacio, Anita, Amy, Katherine, Briton, Cheryl, Edith, George, Patty, Gabriel, Siobhan, Danielle, Matt, Jane, Harry, Denise, Barbara
Recently departed: Ruth Satkovski
Please send your prayers or updates to prayers@stjohns1745.org or call Coral in the Parish Office, 631-427-1752, ext. 101.
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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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