The Last Sermon of our Lord, Tissot (1900)

Sunday, May 5, 2024

The Sixth Sunday of Easter

First Fruits Sunday

Nursery care available in the Parish Hall

9:00 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.

Sunday Forum

9:15 a.m.

Parish Hall

Holy Eucharist Church

10:30 a.m.

Live-streaming available on YouTube at 10:30 a.m.

Children's Chapel

Parish Hall

10:30 a.m.

Coffee Hour

Parish Hall

11:45 a.m.

Bulletin Draft



Watch services on YouTube

Listen to sermons

Get involved

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From Robin with Love

Dear Friends,

Jesus said to his disciples, “As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete. John 15:9-11

In the gospel reading this week Jesus takes us deeper into relationship with him, as he describes what it will mean for us to abide in his love. It requires of us that we keep Jesus’ commandments. The result and gift of our keeping the commandments is joy. Joy!

When we think about commandments we might assume they are only the “thou shalt nots” and they might seem restrictive and sometimes impossible to keep all of the time. As we learned in our study of Sabbath during our Sunday Forum classes, one of the commandments is to keep the Sabbath. We also learned that indeed, we are not always very good at keeping that commandment, at keeping Sabbath.

The Greek word John uses for commandments is entolas which means to give a commission or direction, in general. So, in John’s gospel, the commandments are not merely about obeying a set of ethical precepts or moral laws. Instead, the commandments would also include Jesus’ words and all of his teachings. Obeying Jesus’ commandments more specifically means to follow the example of Jesus, to follow Jesus. When we follow the example of Jesus, keeping in step with him, the result and gift we receive is joy.

This time of sabbatical for Amelie is also a time of sabbatical for St. John’s. We will be spending some time reflecting on what sabbatical might look like in the parish, even as we remember what we have been commissioned to do as we follow Jesus. I’ll be sharing more about sabbatical rest throughout our time together, and if you would like to talk more about ways you might incorporate more intentional sabbath time in your life, I’m always delighted to talk about that with you – just call or email and we’ll set a time for conversation.

In the meantime, let’s think about those things that bring us joy and consider adding some of them to our life this summer. As we set aside some time to abide in the love of Jesus, the joy and love of Jesus will abide in us.

Professor John Carroll Returns to Sunday Forum

this Week

This Sunday, Dr. John Carroll of Union Presbyterian will lead us in in the second of his two-part series:

 "God Beyond Borders: Encounters with the Holy Spirit in Acts 8 & 10"

Week 2, May 5

"Calling a New People: The Conversion of Cornelius and Simon Peter"

 (Acts 10:34-48)

All are welcome to attend, and we encourage your participation. To learn more about Professor Carroll, click here.

Sunday, May 5

9:15 a.m.

Parish Hall

Men's Bible Discussion

This Saturday

All men are invited to join us for our next session, when we consider Chapter 10 of the Gospel of Luke.  Contact Charles Lee for more information.

Saturday, May 4

9:30 a.m.

Parish Hall

It's a First Fruits Weekend

Thanks to the generosity of St. John's members, Christ Ascension Food Pantry distributed 84 bags of food in April, feeding 260 people.

The food ministry currently needs: 1-pound packages of spaghetti noodles, 12 to 16-ounce boxes of cereal, pork 'n' beans, toilet paper, peas, cream of chicken soup, canned chicken, canned tuna, stews, saltines, and canned pastas.

Thank you in advance for your donations.

Collection Times :

Saturday, May 4, 10:00 a.m.- 12:00 p.m.

Sunday Morning, May 5 during church

Wednesday Online Programming

The Difficult Words of Jesus

Join us for an online series based on the book The Difficult Words of Jesus by biblical scholar Amy-Jill Levine. Each week we consider some of the more perplexing of Jesus’ instructions to his followers, such as to hate members of their families (Luke 14:26), to act as if they were slaves (Matthew 20:27), and to sell all of their belongings (Luke 18:22). We are learning how these difficult teachings would have sounded to the people who first heard them, how they have been understood over time, and how we might interpret them in the context of Jesus’ teachings of love and reconciliation. 

Next week, we will explore the ideas in Chapter 4, based on Jesus' challenging instructions to "Go Nowhere Among the Gentiles." All are welcome to attend, and the format lends itself to drop-in participation. And note: it's not necessary to read the book to find meaningful engagement in our sessions. We will post a study guide for our next session in our Monday email.     

To view study guides from previous sessions, click the links below.

Week 1

Week 2 

Week 3 

The book is available through most online booksellers, both in electronic and hard copy. If you need assistance with the purchase, please contact Robin. 

Wednesday Evenings

Through May 22

7:00-8:00 p.m.

Via Zoom

Can You Read

in a Foreign Language?

If you can read aloud in a foreign language, please let Victoria Hauser know so that she can assign you a part in our gospel reading on the Day of Pentecost, May 19.

On the Day of Pentecost we read the gospel in foreign languages to commemorate the apostles' ability to speak in foreign tongues for the purpose of evangelism after the Holy Spirit descends upon them at Pentecost, which we recognize as the birthday of the Church.

You do not have to be fluent in the language you read, and this is a low-pressure performance, as others will be reading aloud in other languages at the same time you are reading.

GIFT: Growing in Faith Together

A dedicated group of five women began meeting in December 2018 as a spiritual recovery and transformation group. The group has evolved into GIFT (Growing In Faith Together) and welcomes new members.

GIFT is a monthly women's group for those whose faith and spiritual journey is shaped by current, recent, or past unexpected, life-altering circumstances. The group is self-led and members rotate leading each 90-minute session as they create, reframe, and/or reclaim their personal faith experience in community.

Interested individuals are encouraged to contact Robin.

Sunday, May 19

4:00 p.m.

Parish House Library

Celebrate RISC

RISC’s Justice Ministry Celebration (the fourth and final big Assembly of our RISC year) will take place on Monday, June 3, at 6:30 pm. At this event, we will celebrate the progress that was made at this year's Nehemiah Action in addressing gun violence, affordable housing, and healthy homes. For more information about this event or RISC in general, contact Sarah Mattingly.

Richmonders Involved in Strengthening Communities (RISC) is a grassroots, direct-action organization made up of 24 congregations throughout the Richmond Metro Area. Founded in 2002, RISC uses the power of large numbers of people to hold our public officials accountable and solve critical community problems. St. John’s joined RISC in 2020. 

Save the Date for Shalom Farms

Shalom Farms is a local non-profit that grows and distributes fresh produce to areas of our community that have limited access to fresh vegetables and fruit.

St. John's will volunteer at Shalom's Powhatan Farm on Saturday, June 8, arriving at 8:45 a.m. and working until 12:00 noon.

Participants will enjoy an educational tour that will provide an overview of the farm's crops and programs before helping with planting, harvesting, mulching, weeding, cleaning, sorting, and packing produce.

We invite all parishioners ages 6 and older to join.

Please contact Victoria Hauser to express interest.

Saturday, June 8

8:45 am. - 12:00 noon

Shalom Farms

2676 Venita Rd., Midlothian, Virginia

Fourth Annual Juneteenth Celebration Needs Volunteers

Planning for this year's joint celebration of Juneteenth with St. Peter's and St. Paul's parishes is underway, and now is the time to begin searching for volunteers.

Details about the day will follow soon; however, we do know that festivities will begin at St. John's Church, Wednesday, June 19, at 8:30 a.m., followed by a march to Peter Paul, where we will gather for worship and entertainment. Afterward, a picnic lunch will be served at St. Peter's Church. The event will conclude by 2:00 p.m.

If you would like to volunteer to prepare for the day or to serve the day of, please contact Victoria Hauser.

Stitch and Chat Looks Forward

to Your Company

If you're looking for good company and time to work on your latest handiwork, or if you've always wanted to learn how to do some type of needle work (knitting, crocheting, embroidery, etc.) you're invited join a group of crafters each Tuesday morning in the Parish House Library.

Contact Martha Broughton for more information.

Tuesdays

10:00 a.m. to 12 noon

Parish House Library

2319 E. Broad St.

Next Vestry Meeting,

Tuesday, May 21

at 6:00 p.m.

in the Parish Hall

All members of St. John’s Church are welcome to attend vestry meetings as observers. Minutes of recent meetings are posted on the bulletin board in the Parish Hall foyer. Please share your ideas or questions about the life of our parish with a vestry member.

Support the Ministries of St. John's Church

Match Fulfilled - Thank you!

Recently, we announced that a generous matching opportunity had been created to encourage new pledges and to help St. John's reach its 2024 pledge goal of $250,000. We did it!

Thank you to all who participated in this match campaign and to everyone who has made a pledge to St. John's in 2024. This is truly a remarkable achievement for our parish.

The Walter W. Craigie Speaker Series Presents

Brent Tarter

Retired Research Historian

and Senior Editor at Library of Virginia

Retired research historian and senior editor at the Library of Virginia Brent Tarter is a founder of the library's Dictionary of Virginia Biography project, a co-founder of the Virginia Forum and the annual Virginia History Conference, and a consultant for Liberty or Death, the educational video St. John's Church and WCVE produced in 2007.

Click here for more information.

St. John's parishioners attend free.

To reserve your spot, contact Stephen Wilson.

Thursday, May 23

7:00 p.m.

St. John's Church

Summer Public Reenactments Return May 26

The St. John's Church Foundation will begin offering their weekly reenactments of the Second Virginia Convention of 1775, where Patrick Henry delivered the famous words, "Give me liberty or give me death!" Sunday, May 26, at 1:30 p.m.

These reenactments are a perfect way to brush up on your history, entertain out-of-town guests, or spend a summer afternoon after attending church and coffee hour.

Click here learn more and to purchase tickets.

Sundays May 26-September 2

1:30 p.m.

St. John's Church

Episcopal Relief & Development

Responds to Israel-Hamas War

Episcopal Relief & Development is partnering with the Al Ahli Hospital, a ministry of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem, to provide emergency support in Gaza following the outbreak of war in the region. Please pray for peace in the Holy Land as they experience violence, and consider making a contribution to the Episcopal Relief & Development Middle East Fund. Support of this fund will help to provide medicine and other supplies and help our partners tend to the physical and psychosocial wounds of all people affected by this conflict.

Read Episcopal Relief and Development's full statement here.

The Collect for Peace

Eternal God, in whose perfect kingdom no sword is drawn but the sword of righteousness, no strength known but the strength of love: so mightily spread abroad your Spirit, that all peoples, especially those of Israel and Palestine, may be gathered under the banner of peace as children of one God; to whom be dominion and glory, now and for ever. Amen.

--adapted from The Book of Common Prayer, p. 815

Sunday Nursery Care Available

9:00 a.m.-11:45 a.m.

Parish Hall Nursery

Children's Chapel

Children’s Chapel meets each Sunday in the Parish Hall during the first part of the service. Children join their parents in church during the offertory so that they can participate in the Eucharist.

For more information, contact the Rev. Anne Lane Witt.

Sundays

10:30 a.m.

The Parish Hall

Eucharistic Visits

We invite those who wish to have communion brought to their homes to contact Robin.

You may also contact Robin if you are interested in learning about serving in this important ministry.

A Note about Pastoral Appointments and Emergencies

To schedule an appointment with our rector, please email Robin or leave a message on her voicemail at 649-7938; you will hear from her within 24 hours.

And if you learn of a pastoral issue concerning one of our parishioners, please reach out to Robin as well.

If you have an emergency, please contact Patty Duffy at 649-7938, and she will ensure a more immediate response.

St. John's Church

2401 East Broad Street

www.saintjohnsrichmond.org

 The Rev. Amelie Wilmer, Rector (currently on sabbatical)

The Rev. Robin Teasley, Interim Assistant to the Rector

The Rev. Anne Lane Witt, Children's Chaplain

The Rev. Deacon JD Dickinson, Deacon

Cabell Jones, Deacon Intern

Patty Duffy, Parish Administrator

Curt Sydnor, Minister of Music

Lora Toothman, Senior Warden

Laura Streat, Junior Warden

Office: 2319 E. Broad Street RVA 23223

804-649-7938

The deadline for submitting copy for the weekly bulletin insert and parish-wide email is Wednesday morning, but earlier is always appreciated. Please send your content to Patty Duffy. Please note that content may be edited to accommodate space limitations and style guidelines.