The Weekly Sunday Bulletin of St. John’s Episcopal Church |
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The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David; and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. And this is the name by which it will be called: “The Lord is our righteousness” (Jeremiah 33:14-16).
In this Advent season, we long to go back to pre-pandemic life. We yearn for the freedom of not wearing a mask, being with friends and family, and the simple pleasures of our normal life. The stress and anxiety many of us feel is palpable. Even church, that great bastion of tradition and oasis of peace is not as it should be. This Advent, I ask you to work with me to safely get our church opened back up as it once was in the coming year. I suggest that we need God more than ever right now. As many have turned from God, I ask you to turn inward to the coming of Jesus on Christmas and back to church as it was in the coming year. I yearn for God’s peace, hope, love, and joy that this season brings.
In Advent, we wait in joyous expectation for the birth of Christ. Jeremiah the prophet gave us these words from God that we might have hope in these crazy Covid times. We shift our attention from stress and anxiety to a crude manger in Bethlehem, where all of God’s promises are fulfilled. We shift from thinking about scarcity to the abundance that we have from God. Please take time to work towards a return to normal life, relax in this anxious political climate, and journey with all of us at St. John’s to Bethlehem.
This month, we will be looking at the Nativity through the book, Hidden Christmas by Timothy Keller. Copies are available at church, in the office, or at Amazon.com. Join us on Monday nights at 6:30 or Tuesdays at 11:00AM. Join us every weekday at 9:00AM for Morning Prayer. Rev. John McGinty will lead our Advent Retreat on Saturday December 4th from 9-11. Tuesday nights are Evening Prayer at 6:30PM and a special program from 7:00-8:00.
Advent is a time when we love each other as Christ loves us. It is a time when we remember those who we love by sending cards, baking cookies, and giving presents. We take the time to visit with our family, co-workers and friends. Advent is a time when we give of ourselves to others as Christ gave of himself to us. We bring about the coming of the kingdom of God by looking beyond ourselves. We pray for one another and help the poor and needy where we can.
The St. John’s Youth Group will be selling Christmas wreaths, amaryllis, and poinsettias and delivering them on Saturday December 4th from 10:30-1:00 and Sunday, December 5th from 8:30-12:00. This fund raiser supports our youth on mission trips and youth events.
I would like to give a big THANK YOU for your support. Thank you for supporting St. John’s in 2021 and your continued support in 2022. Please send in your pledge card for 2022 (if you have not already done so). St. John’s has flourished for 276 years and we will continue to Know Christ and Make Him Known in our ministry, outreach and mission.
In Christ’s love,
Fr. Duncan
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Join us for Sunday Worship at 8am and 10am in the church or remotely on Zoom and Facebook. Face masks and social distancing are required for all in person services.
8:00 am - Rite I Holy Eucharist
9:45 am - Sunday School in the Guild Room and on Zoom
10:00 am – Rite II Choral Eucharist
The Readings
The Hymns*
*Not all songs are available to download. If you would like a hard copy of the Hymnal and Praise Book for at home worship, please contact the Parish Office. |
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SAFE PRACTICES FOR IN PERSON SERVICES |
We are so happy to welcome people into the church for in-person worship. As we increase the number of people allowed in the church, we can all do our part to keep ourselves and others safe and healthy:
- Masks are required. Disposable masks are available at the back of the church;
- Social distancing. Please maintain a 6ft distance between your group/family and others;
- Sanitize hands upon entrance. Dispensers are available at the back of the church;
- Prayer books and Hymnals are available;
- Service bulletins and reading inserts are available at the back of the church.
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Wishing you a blessed, joyful and safe Thanksgiving Day with your loved ones near and far!
Parish Office will be closed in observance of Thanksgiving on Thursday, November 25th and Friday, November 26th.
Morning Prayer will not meet on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 25th, nor on Friday, November 26th. We will resume on Monday, November 29th.
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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 occassionally 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 Mondays at 6:30 pm and Tuesdays at 11:00 am on Zoom. Tuesday sessions will cover the material discussed on the Monday before.
Please contact the Parish Office if you need a copy of Hidden Christmas by Timothy Keller.
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NOVEMBER IS NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH |
The Muscogee (Creek) people are descendants of a remarkable culture that, before 1500 AD, spanned the entire region known today as the Southeastern United States. Early ancestors of the Muscogee constructed magnificent earthen pyramids along the rivers of this region as part of their elaborate ceremonial complexes. The historic Muscogee, known as Mound builders, later built expansive towns within these same broad river valleys in the present states of Alabama, Georgia, Florida and South Carolina.
The Muscogee were not one tribe but a union of several. This union evolved into a confederacy that, in the Euro-American described “historic period,” was the most sophisticated political organization north of Mexico. Member tribes were called tribal towns. Within this political structure, each tribal town maintained political autonomy and distinct land holdings.
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Tuesdays, Thursdays, & Saturdays!
12:00 to 3:00 pm
Volunteers are needed - We are still bulding our Thursday and Saturday teams. If you wish to become a volunteer, please contact Nancy Feustel at n.feustel@verizon.net.
We accept donations of new or gently used seasonal clothing, household items and accessories. Please no books, out-dated electronics or damaged items.
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YOUTH GROUP CHRISTMAS WREATH & FLOWER SALE |
The annual Christmas wreath and flower sale is December 4th and 5th. You can pick up your order that Saturday from 10:30 am to 1:00 pm or on Sunday from 8:30 am to 12 noon.
Order forms are available using the link below or online at stjohns1745.org. Please return your order to a Youth Group member or the Parish Office by Tuesday, November 30th.
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ALTAR GUILD CHRISTMAS POINSETTIAS |
This Christmas remember your Loved Ones, or offer Special Thanksgivings, by making a donation for this year’s Christmas Poinsettias. Order forms can be found in the back of the church, as well as on our website. Order forms and payment are due Wednesday, December 15th.
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Home for the Holiday Special - Sunday, Decmeber 12th at 7:00 pm (corrected). The Long Island Gay Men’s Chorus is thrilled to begin their 2021-22 concert season with a fun new program featuring time-honored favorites from an array of yuletide TV classics. Tickets are $25 and may be purchased through the LIGMC website: https://www.longislandgaymenschorus.org/concerts. COVID protocols remain in effect.
Sing Noel! - Sunday, December 19th at 7:30 pm. Take a joyous break from the holiday rush and join us for “Sing Noel!”, our annual concert of Christmas song, carols and stories featuring an amazing vocal quartet and special guests. $20. COVID protocols remain in effect. CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS
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Three Tuesdays in Advent via Zoom
Evening Prayer: 6:30 pm
Program: 7:00 – 8:00 pm
November 30: The Rev. Marie Tatro: Vicar for Community Justice Ministry, Diocese of Long Island: Preparing our Hearts for the Journey: What can we learn from occupying the liminal space of the Borderlands? How does our faith provide insights into how we connect with the “Other?” Are the borders we create even real? How do we bridge the space where “I” end, and “YOU” begin? How might we receive the gifts that the “Other” has to offer?
December 7: Jeanne Provenzano, Attorney. Walking with God and our Brothers and Sisters in Christ: What it is like to walk side by side with families seeking asylum. How does their witness and faith in Christ change me?
December 14: Vivian Doremus, LMSW. Listening for God in Tiny Sneakers and Endless PB and J sandwiches: How my life changed by serving for two weeks on the border of Mexico in 2019. When we recognize that those from a non-dominant group also bring God to us, how might we too change?
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SPIRITUALITY GROUP ADVENT RETREAT |
"Four Advent Words from the Giver of the Gift" with Rev. Dr. John McGinty on Saturday, December 4th, 9:30 to 11:30 am on Zoom. Suggested donation $10.
Each year the weeks of Advent invite us to begin again, to be new again, to listen and hear and rejoice again. We will spend our time together receiving four words from our God, taken from the Scriptures of the season, which individually and together invite our hearts to move to a season of renewal, toward a time and place beyond sickness and death, a time marked by God’s saving presence.
Here are the four . . .
- “Surely coming”
- “Constantly praying with joy”
- “What should we do?”
- “Blessed are you”
Two reflections will present these four words, allowing time for personal prayer, conversation together, and music of the season. You are most welcome to begin again.
About Fr. John McGinty - The people of St. Matthew's Episcopal Church, Worcester, called the Rev. Dr. John P. McGinty to serve as rector, effective March 1, 2020. John was the rector of the Church of Saint Anselm of Canterbury, Shoreham, NY since 2016. He served as Dean of the George Mercer Jr. School of Theology, Garden City, NY, and Canon for Formation, Diocese of Long Island from 2012-2016.
Ordained a priest in the Roman Catholic Church in 1983, John was received into the Episcopal Church in 2011 by the Rt. Rev. Larry Provenzano, Bishop of Long Island. He holds the S.T.D., Doctor of Sacred Theology, from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, Italy.
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ECW MEETING ON DECEMBER 12TH |
The ECW will hold it's last meeting of the year on Sunday, December 12th in the Guild Room immediately following the 10am service.
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As you joyously consider your stewardship for 2022, please write your "Joy Thoughts" on the poster in the back of the church!
Our Joy will increase exponentially as we give of our time, treasure, and talent!
Please turn in your 2022 pledge card if you have not done so already. We will begin preparing our 2022 Budget, and pledges are vital in that process.
You may also submit your pledge online using our online pledge form. Then beginning in January of 2022 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.
Your stewardship is a commitment to sustaining St. John’s ministry today and going forward. We are so grateful for your pledge.
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St. John's Prayer Shawl Ministry meets on the 2nd Thursday of each month. Please contact Noelle DeLorenzo ( ndelorenzo217@gmail.com) for the Zoom link to join this group. |
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ST. FRANCIS IN THE VALLEY |
Mission Trip to Arizona: April 25- May 2, 2022
OUTREACH is sharing Christ’s love with all our neighbors!
Upcoming Meeting with all hoping to travel to Arizona: January 7, 2022, at 4 p.m. on Zoom!
To learn more about this trip, as well as all the outreach we are doing, please join us at our monthly Zoom meeting.
If you are interested in participating in the mission trip, please contact Claire Mis or Fr. Duncan by January 15, 2022.
The monthly meetings with St. Francis in the Valley Episcopal Church help us get to know each other better and offer opportunities to get updates on the Christian outreach that is going on at our border, as well as within the wider area.
We are excited to have support from the Diocese of Arizona as we move forward. The Rev. David Chavez, the Missioner for Border Ministries. Fr. David will be leading us in an exciting and informative Lenten program here at St. John’s. Also attending that program will be the people from St. Francis in the Valley!
Arizona is rich with opportunities to serve underrepresented groups and we hope to be able to meet with The Rev. Canon Debbie Royals, their Canon for Native American Ministries.
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ALTAR FLOWERS & 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."
Reminder – Altar Flowers may not be given during weeks of Advent, November 28th thru December 19th. Please consider donating a poinsettia for Christmas in lieu of Advent flowers. The Perpetual Light may be still be given.
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PRAYER CONCERNS FOR ST. JOHN'S |
We pray for the sick: Fred, Lynn, Jackie, Manny, Cory, Richard, Barbara, Edward, Christine, Patricia, Alberta, Patti, Tom, Allison, Mike, Gabe, Joann, Patti, Christian, Anthony, Joanne, Harry, Christine, Gabriel, George, Frank, Theresa, Sue, Spencer, Tom, Stephanie, Matt, Wylie, Susan, Maggie, Ursula, Christina
We have started a new prayer list in Advent. Please send your updated prayers for the Advent season to Coral in the Parish Office, prayers@stjohns1745.org.
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St. John's Episcopal Church
12 Prospect Street
Huntington, New York 11743
(631) 427-1752
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