The Weekly Sunday Bulletin of St. John’s Episcopal Church |
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“I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, because of your sharing in the gospel from the first day until now. I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to think this way about all of you, because you hold me in your heart, for all of you share in God’s grace with me, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. For God is my witness, how I long for all of you with the compassion of Christ Jesus. And this is my prayer, that your love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight to help you to determine what is best, so that in the day of Christ you may be pure and blameless, having produced the harvest of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God (Philippians 1:3-11).
I am asking our entire parish to read, study, and inwardly digest, Paul’s letter to the Philippians. Our bible study is on Monday nights at 6:30 pm and Tuesday mornings at 11 am. We are using video from N. T. Wright and the book, Paul for Everyone: The Prison Letters. One of the themes of this letter is to live as a single community. Although many of us are facing immense struggles, Paul says that we can give thanksgiving and celebrate with joy. This week, we will all be reading Phil. 1:1-11. The passage speaks of “koinonia” or partnership. Living in Christ means following a path that brings together all sorts of folks. Paul had this deep love for the people of Philippi, who had become partners in God’s mission with him. They prayed for one another constantly and with one another when they could. At St. John’s we show a radical hospitality to all those who walk through our door or view our services online. Paul tells us that the one who put a good work in us will complete it on the “Day of the Lord.” We are asked to work together and pray together until Jesus returns. We are transformed by the grace of God into an image of Jesus Christ. This passage is a particular challenge because these followers were of different races, worldviews, economic means, and backgrounds. Yet they all agree to follow Christ, who fulfills the promises of the prophets by making the world right one person at a time. The followers are overflowing with the light (love) of Christ that they can now share in a dark world.
But now thus says the Lord,
he who created you, O Jacob,
he who formed you, O Israel:
Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name, you are mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
and the flame shall not consume you.
For I am the Lord your God (Isaiah 43:1-3).
“The Lord shall give strength to his people; the Lord shall give his people the blessing of peace” (Psalm 29:11).
God is with us during all our struggles during this seemingly never-ending pandemic. In the letter to the Philippians, Paul tells his followers that despite their suffering they can receive thanksgivings and joy through the love that they share with one another.
In Christ’s love,
Fr. Duncan
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First Sunday after the Epiphany |
Join us for Sunday Worship at 8am and 10am in the church or remotely on Zoom and Facebook.
8:00 am - Rite I Holy Eucharist
9:15 am - Sunday School will meet via Zoom only
10:00 am – Rite II Choral Eucharist
The Readings
The Hymns
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SAFE PRACTICES FOR IN-PERSON SERVICES & EVENTS |
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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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 on Mondays at 6:30 pm and Tuesdays at 11:00 am. The topics covered on Monday will also be covered on Tuesday of the same week.
We have begun a new program on Paul's Letter to the Philippians using the writings of N. T. Wright.
More copies of the book, Paul for Everyone: the Prison Letters by N. T. Wright will be available in the Parish Office on Thursday, January 6th. It is also available at amazon.com in paperback or Kindle versions:
We are also referencing an online program, "Paul and His Letter to the Philippians" at Udemy.com. Here is the log in information if you would like to review them before we meet:
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SPIRITUALITY GROUP MEETING |
All are welcome to join St. John's Spirituality Group for our next meeting.
Thursday, January 13th at 4pm via Zoom:
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 (silverymoon33@yahoo.com).
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This winter, St. John's is supporting HIHI by collecting Dunkin Donuts gfit cards of $5 or $10 amounts to distribute to homeless in Huntington. If you would like to contribute, you may drop your Dunkin Donuts gift cards off at St. John's, 12 Propect St, Huntington.
We are also collecting men's jeans, sweatshirts, work boots, and winter coats which may be dropped off at St. John's.
HIHI is the Huntington Interfaith Homeless Initiative. In a pre-COVID year, St. John's and other local churches would provide a meal and shelter for homeless in the area on a rotating basis in the winter months.
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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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For those who requested giving envelopes, we are sorry to inform you that we just received a notice from our vendor that the giving envelope boxes will not arrive in time for January, 2022. We will let you know when they arrive and are available for pick up.
In the meantime, please continue to give either using prior years' envelopes or plain envelopes. Please be sure indicate your giving number and whether your contribution is for Stewardship, 275th Capital Campaign, Altar Guild or another ministry. You may do this in the memo of your check and on the envelope you use.
If you have any questions, please contact Coral in the Parish Office. |
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ST. FRANCIS IN THE VALLEY |
Mission Trip to Arizona
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.
For those of us present at the second Advent program, Jeanne Provenzano shared her effort to assist two young children in getting asylum through the court system. She was very disappointed that her efforts failed and we learned that it is extremely difficult for asylum to be granted in the United States. The following newsletter shows the efforts of many to bring hope to asylum seekers.
The November Newsletter pays homage to the months of dedicated work by volunteers who have brought education, hope for many new possibilities for families seeking asylum. Teachers have been trained and are present at many of the local shelters. Please check out this newsletter. The picture shown in the first article is the façade of La Casa de la Misericordia – a shelter we are hoping to visit when we travel to Arizona at the end of April.
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2022 STEWARDSHIP THANK YOU! |
Thank you to everyone who has submitted a pledge for 2022! Your stewardship is a commitment to sustaining St. John’s ministry today and going forward. We are so grateful for your pledge.
Please turn in your 2022 pledge card if you have not done so already. Our Joy will increase exponentially as we give of our time, treasure, and talent!
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.
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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."
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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, Frank, Theresa, Sue, Spencer, Tom, Stephanie, Matt, Wylie, Susan, Maggie, Ursula, Christina, Bill, Amy, Kate, Cheryl, John Michael, Lauren, Mikey, Marie, Dianne, Ryan, Rich, Preston, Lucy, Irene, Jim, Debra, Rhys, David, Denise, William, Walter, Belle, Jackie, Hal, Ann, Gus, Peter, Diane, David, Irene, Hope, Mike, Michael, Leslie, Jill, Patricia, Doug, Sue
Recently Departed: Joyce Glicker
Please 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
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