Monthly Archives: November 2014

11/30 announcements

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November 30, 2014
Twenty-fifth Sunday after Pentecost
The Holy Apostle Andrew the First-called
 
I Corinthians 4:9-16:  We hear St Paul speak to the Corinthians as their spiritual father and exhort them to imitate him in their actions.
 
John 1:35-51: In the Gospel account we hear of the calling of the first Apostles, beginning with Andrew who had been a disciple of St. John the Forerunner.
 
Troparion of the Resurrection:  O compassionate One, thou didst descend from the heights; thou didst submit to the three-day burial, that thou might deliver us from passion.  Thou art our Life and our Resurrection, O Lord, glory to thee.
 
Troparion of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-called: As the first-called of the Apostles, and brother of their leader, O Andrew, entreat the Master of all that peace be granted unto the world and great mercy to our souls.
 
Troparion of the Chains of St. Peter: O Holy Apostle, Peter, thou dost preside over the Apostles by the precious chains which thou didst bear.  We venerate them with faith and beseech thee that by thine intercessions we be granted the great mercy.
 
 
Kontakion Preparatory for Nativity:  Today the Virgin comes unto the cave to give birth in an ineffable manner to the Word before the ages.  Rejoice, therefore, O universe, when you hear, and glorify with the angels and the shepherds him who shall appear by his own will as a new babe, being God before the ages.
 
 
CALENDAR
 
Sunday, November 30   (Twenty-fifth Sunday after Pentecost; Holy Apostle Andrew)
            8:50 a.m.         — Orthros
            9:00 a.m.         — Christian Education
            10:00 a.m.       — Divine Liturgy
 
Monday, December 1   
            Office Closed — Father John’s Day Off
           
Tuesday, December 2  
            6:00 a.m.         — Daily Orthros
                                                                                   
Wednesday, December 3 
            6:30 p.m.         — Advent Paraklesis
                                                           
Thursday, December 4   (Great-martyr Barbara and St. John of Damascus)
            11:30 a.m.       — Men’s Lunch
                       
Friday, December 5   (St. Sava the Sanctified)
 
Saturday, December 6   (St. Nicholas the Wonder-worker)
            9:00 a.m.         — Orthros followed by Divine Liturgy
            5:45 p.m.         — Ninth Hour followed by Great Vespers
 
Sunday, December 7   (Twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost)
            8:50 a.m.         — Orthros
            9:00 a.m.         — Christian Education
            10:00 a.m.       — Divine Liturgy
            5:00 p.m.         — Young Adults
 
 
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS
 
Eucharist Bread …was offered by the Dn. Richard Roots for the Divine Liturgy today. 
 
Eucharist Bread and Coffee Hour Schedule:
                                          Eucharist Bread                     Coffee Hour
November 30                   R. Root                                     Karam/Stewart/Meadows
December 6 (Sat am)      Henderson                               Sh. Charlotte Algood
                  (Feast of St. Nicholas)
December 7                        Algood                            Ellis/Zouboukos/Fahmy
December 14                    Katool                                      Pigott/Bock/Strain
December 21                    Schelver                                   Skirtech/Skirtech/Parker
December 24 (Wed pm)  Morris                                      Cheryl Pigott/Kh. Sharon Meadows
                  (Feast of the Nativity of our Lord)
December 28                    Jones                                         D. Root/Dansereau
December 31 (Wed pm)  Meadows (Artoklasia Bread for Great Vespers with Litia & Artoklasia)
                  (Feast of the Circumcision of our Lord and the Feastday of St. Basil the Great)
 
Schedule for Epistle Readers – Page numbers refer to the Apostolos (book of the Epistles) located on the front pew.  Please be sure to use this book when you read.
                                            Reader                                 Reading                          Page#
November 30                    Warren Strain                      I Cor. 4:9-16                   135
December 6 (Sat am)        Kh. Sharon Meadows       Heb. 13:17-21                343
December 7                       Mildred Morris                   Eph. 5:8-19                     217
December 14                     Phillip Lasseter                  Col. 3:4-11                      233
December 21                     Kh. Be’Be’ Schelver         Heb. 11:9-10, 17-23, 32-40  348
December 24                     Tom Skirtech                      Gal. 4:4-7                        351
December 28                     David Turner                      Gal. 1:11-19                    188
 
Please be reminded of the following:
Be very careful with the Blessed Bread when you take it after communion.  Because this bread has been blessed, we should take care not to let crumbs fall on the floor.  Parents, especially, please help your children to choose a small piece and treat it carefully.
         Also, at the end of the liturgy, maintain a prayerful disposition during the veneration of the cross as the prayers of thanksgiving after communion are still underway.  Please exchange your greetings with each other in the Fellowship Hall during Coffee Hour.
 
Please remember the following in your prayers:  Steve, Sheryl and Stephen Chamblee; Amy and Brantley Oliver; Aidan Milnor, the Milnor family; Sam and Lamia Dabit and Sammie; Georgia Buchanan, George Johns (Georgia’s grandson) and his family; Mary Greene (Lee and Kh. Sharon’s sister); Fr. Stephen Tewfik; Sh. Gail Shannon; Dn. Sidney and Sh. Mary Elliot;
Walt and Charlotte Wood and their family; Tom and Jennifer Skirtech and their family; Tom and Kathy Willingham; Athena and Anthony Zouboukos and their family.
 
Continue to pray for Metropolitan Paul (who is also the brother of our Patriarch) and the Syriac Archbishop John of Aleppo who were abducted while on a humanitarian mission in Syria.

Please remember Fr. Joseph and Kh. Joanna Bittle, and their daughter Abigail, in your prayers. 
 
Please continue to pray for the health of His Grace, Bishop ANTOUN.
 
Please be reminded that the Sacristy/Vestry which is adjacent to and behind the altar in our church is considered by the Orthodox Church to be part of the Sanctuary (Altar area) and should not be entered without the blessing of the priest for a specific purpose.  If you need to speak with a member of the clergy while they are in the Sanctuary, please ask them to come to you in the nave.
 
Congratulations to Peter Henderson on his engagement to Amy Guffin.  A date has not been finalized yet, but they will be getting married sometime in the spring.  Please keep them in your prayers.
 
Calendar Items:
*    The Men of the parish meet for lunch and fellowship on the first Thursday of the month.
*    The Ladies of St. Peter will meet at 10:00 a.m. on the second Saturday of each month to pray the Akathist to the Mother of God, Nurturer of Children.  Those who are able will go out for lunch and fellowship afterwards.
*    As is our parish custom, we will celebrate the Advent Paraklesis service to the Theotokos in place of Daily Vespers on Wednesday evenings, beginning November 19th, at 6:30 p.m.
*    The enthronement of  His Eminence, Metropolitan JOSEPH is scheduled for the weekend of December 5-7th at the Cathedral in Brooklyn, NY.  Fr. John and Kh. Janet will be attending.
*    The Feast of St. Nicholas will be celebrated with Orthros followed by Divine Liturgy on Saturday morning, December 6th, beginning at 9:00 a.m.
*    The Christian Education classes will present a special program during Coffee Hour on Sunday, December 14th.
*    Dr. Christopher Veniamin, Professor of Patristics at St. Tikhon Seminary will be speaking at St. Peter’s February 1-4, 2015.
 
Young Adults Study Group:  The Young Adults agreed to begin meeting twice a month.  One of these meetings will feature a teaching by Fr. John on various aspects of the Orthodox Christian faith.  Topics will include education, ethics and parenting children.  The next meetings will be Sunday, December 7th and 21st. 
 
Lower Mississippi Valley Teen Retreat:  The Teen Retreat will be February 13-15, 2015 at Roosevelt State Park.  The speaker for the retreat will be Heiromonk Benedict (Josuah Armitage).  His topic will be “Dealing with Doubts about God.”  We are very excited to have Fr. Benedict come to address this important topic with our teens!  Be sure to mark your calendars now.
 
 
Fasting Discipline for November/December
Beginning November 15th, the first day of the Nativity Fast, the traditional fasting (no meat, dairy, eggs, fish, wine or oil) is observed each day of the week.  Note, however, through December 19th there is a katlysis on Tuesdays and Thursdays when wine and oil are permitted, and on Saturdays and Sundays when fish, wine and oil are permitted.  There is no fasting from December 25th through January 4th.

Major Commemorations for November/December
November 30         Apostle Andrew, the First-called
December 4           Great-martyr Barbara and Father John of Damascus
December 5           Sava the Sanctified
December 6           Nicholas of Myra
December 9           Conception of the Theotokos
December 12         Spyridon the Wonder-worker
December 15         Hieromartyr Eleutherios
December 20         God-bearer Ignatius of Antioch
December 25         Nativity of our Lord
December 26         Synaxis of the Theotokos
December 27         Protomartyr Stephen
 
Parents, please supervise your children with food in the Fellowship Hall.  We are getting stains on the new carpet (and also the chairs in the nave).
 
Happy Birthdays in December:
         December 1           —    Christina Katool
         December 3           —    Stephanie Baker
                                         —    Athena Zouboukos
         December 4           —    Brenda Baker
         December 8           —    Ben Brock
                                         —    Sam Habeeb
                                         —    Michael Surratt
         December 11         —    Sh. Charlotte Algood
         December 12         —    Jenna Skirtech
         December 20         —    Steve Chamblee
         December 21         —    Caroline Halley
         December 27         —    Ben Skirtech
                                         —    Warren Strain
                                         —    Nicholas Zouboukos (#15!)
                                         —    Eli Milnor (#2!)
         December 28         —    Sheryl Chamblee
 
Happy Anniversaries in December:
         December 21         —    Fr. John and Kh. Janet Henderson (#40!)

Dr. Christopher Veniamin, Professor of Patristics at St. Tikhon Seminary in South Canaan, Pennsylvania, will visit St. Peter’s February 1-4, 2015.  He will speak at our church on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings at 7:00 p.m.  His topic will be “The Orthodox Understanding of Salvation.”  We are priviledged to have a man of Dr. Veniamin’s stature with us.  This promises to be a most edifying and instructive time for our church.  Please put these dates on your calendar and plan to be here.
 
Thermostats in the Fellowship Hall:  There are two thermostats in the Fellowship Hall—one in the main room to control the air in the main room, and a second one in the Nursery room that controls the air in all four of the Sunday School rooms.  Please be sure when you leave the building that both thermostats are set to 80 degrees in warm weather or 60 degrees in cold weather.
 
Suggestions on use of the Cry Room:
            — Please remember you’re in liturgy when you’re in the cry room.
            — Its main purpose should be a place for parents to take their children if they’re being disruptive during liturgy, staying for 5-10 minutes (or until the child is calmed down) and then returning to liturgy.
            — It should not be used as a main sitting area during the liturgy.
            — Children should not be eating snacks or watching electronic devices while in the cry room.
 
Quotable:  “Prayer is the primary work of the moral and religious life.  The root of this life is a free and conscious relationship with God, which then directs everything.  It is the practice of prayer that expresses this free and conscious attitude towards God, just as the social contacts of daily life express our moral attitude towards our neighbor, and our ascetic struggles and spiritual efforts express our moral attitude towards ourselves.  Our prayer reflects our attitude to God, and our attitude to God is reflected in prayer.  And since this attitude is not identical in different people, so the kind of prayer is not identical either.  He who is careless of salvation has a different attitude to God from him who has abandoned sin and is zealous for virtue, but has not yet entered within himself, and works for the Lord only outwardly.”
                                                St. Theophan the Recluse
                                                from The Art of Prayer compiled by Igumen Chariton of Valamo
 
Worship:         Sunday, December 7, 2014 (Twenty-sixth Sunday after Pentecost)
        
         Scripture:                                Ephesians 5:8-19; Luke 13:10-17
         Celebrant:                               Father John
         Epistle Reader:                      Mildred Morris
         Prosphora:                              Algood
         Coffee Hour:                          Ellis/Zouboukos/Fahmy

11/23 announcements

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November 23, 2014
Twenty-fourth Sunday after Pentecost
Sunday after the Presentation of the Theotokos
 
Ephesians 2:14-19: In our reading from Ephesians, we are reminded that Christ not only brought us into union with Himself, but also into union with each other and the faithful saints who have gone before us to be with the Lord.
 
Luke 12:16-21:  In the parable of the rich landowner the Lord teaches us that material possessions are worthless when valued more than knowing God.
 
Troparion of the Resurrection: Thou didst shatter death by thy Cross; thou didst open paradise to the thief; thou didst turn the mourning of the ointment-bearing women into joy, and didst bid thine Apostles proclaim warning that thou hast risen, O Christ, granting the world Great Mercy.
 
Troparion of the Presentation of the Theotokos:  Today the Virgin is the foreshadowing of the pleasure of God, and the beginning of the preaching of the salvation of mankind.  You have appeared in the Temple of God openly and have gone before, preaching Christ to all.  Let us shout with one thrilling voice, saying, Rejoice, O you who are the fulfillment of the Creator’s dispensation.
 
Troparion of the Chains of St. Peter: O Holy Apostle, Peter, thou dost preside over the Apostles by the precious chains which thou didst bear.  We venerate them with faith and beseech thee that by thine intercessions we be granted the great mercy.

Kontakion of the Presentation of the Theotokos:  The all-pure temple of the Saviour, the most precious bridal-chamber and Virgin, the treasure-house of the glory of God, today enters the Temple of the Lord, bringing with her the grace which is in the divine Spirit; whom also the angels of God do celebrate in song; for she is the heavenly tabernacle.
 
 
CALENDAR
 
Sunday, November 23   (Twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost)
            8:50 a.m.         — Orthros
            9:00 a.m.         — Christian Education
            10:00 a.m.       — Divine Liturgy
            5:30 p.m.         — Youth Group
 
 
Monday, November 24   
            Office Closed — Father John’s Day Off
           
Tuesday, November 25   (Great-martyrs Catherine and Mercurios)
            6:00 a.m.         — Daily Orthros
                                                                                   
Wednesday, November 26 
            6:30 p.m.         — Advent Paraklesis
                                                           
Thursday, November 27  
                       
Friday, November 28 
 
Saturday, November 29   
            11:30 a.m.       — Serving meal at the Stewpot
            5:45 p.m.         — Ninth Hour followed by Great Vespers
 
Sunday, November 30   (Twenty-fifth Sunday after Pentecost; Apostle Andrew)
            8:50 a.m.         — Orthros
            9:00 a.m.         — Christian Education
            10:00 a.m.       — Divine Liturgy
 
 
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS
 
Eucharist Bread …was offered by the Meadows for the Divine Liturgy today. 
 
Eucharist Bread and Coffee Hour Schedule:
                                            Eucharist Bread                   Coffee Hour
November 23                    Meadows                                 Henderson/Baker/Lockhart
November 30                    R. Root                                    Karam/Stewart/Meadows
December 6 (Sat am)       Henderson                               Sh. Charlotte Algood
                  (Feast of St. Nicholas)
December 7                                                                        Algood Ellis/Zouboukos/Fahmy
December 14                    Katool                                      Pigott/Bock/Strain
December 21                    Schelver                                   Skirtech/Skirtech/Parker
December 24 (Wed pm)  Morris                                      Cheryl Pigott/Kh. Sharon Meadows
                  (Feast of the Nativity of our Lord)
December 28                    Jones                                         D. Root/Dansereau
December 31 (Wed pm) Meadows (Artoklasia Bread for Great Vespers with Litia & Artoklasia)
                  (Feast of the Circumcision of our Lord and the Feastday of St. Basil the Great)
 
Schedule for Epistle Readers – Page numbers refer to the Apostolos (book of the Epistles) located on the front pew.  Please be sure to use this book when you read.
                                             Reader                                   Reading                          Page#
November 23                     Sh. Charlotte Algood            Eph. 2:14-22                   207
November 30                     Warren Strain                          I Cor. 4:9-16                   135
December 6 (Sat am)         Kh. Sharon Meadows           Heb. 13:17-21                343
December 7                        Mildred Morris                       Eph. 5:8-19                     217
December 14                      Phillip Lasseter                      Col. 3:4-11                      233
December 21                      Kh. Be’Be’ Schelver             Heb. 11:9-10, 17-23, 32-40  348
December 24                      Tom Skirtech                         Gal. 4:4-7                         351
December 28                      David Turner                         Gal. 1:11-19                    188
 
Please be reminded of the following:
Be very careful with the Blessed Bread when you take it after communion.  Because this bread has been blessed, we should take care not to let crumbs fall on the floor.  Parents, especially, please help your children to choose a small piece and treat it carefully.
         Also, at the end of the liturgy, maintain a prayerful disposition during the veneration of the cross as the prayers of thanksgiving after communion are still underway.  Please exchange your greetings with each other in the Fellowship Hall during Coffee Hour.
 
Please remember the following in your prayers:  Steve, Sheryl and Stephen Chamblee; Amy and Brantley Oliver; Aidan Milnor, the Milnor family; Sam and Lamia Dabit and Sammie; Georgia Buchanan, George Johns (Georgia’s grandson) and his family; Mary Greene (Lee and Kh. Sharon’s sister); Fr. Stephen Tewfik; Sh. Gail Shannon; Dn. Sidney and Sh. Mary Elliot;
Walt and Charlotte Wood and their family; Tom and Jennifer Skirtech and their family; Tom and Kathy Willingham; Athena and Anthony Zouboukos and their family.
 
Continue to pray for Metropolitan Paul (who is also the brother of our Patriarch) and the Syriac Archbishop John of Aleppo who were abducted while on a humanitarian mission in Syria.
 
Please remember Fr. Joseph and Kh. Joanna Bittle, and their daughter Abigail, in your prayers. 
 
Please continue to pray for the health of His Grace, Bishop ANTOUN.
 
Please be reminded that the Sacristy/Vestry which is adjacent to and behind the altar in our church is considered by the Orthodox Church to be part of the Sanctuary (Altar area) and should not be entered without the blessing of the priest for a specific purpose.  If you need to speak with a member of the clergy while they are in the Sanctuary, please ask them to come to you in the nave.
 
Congratulations to Reader Basil and Brenda Baker (and to Noah and Beth) on the birth of their grandson, Anthony Charles, last Sunday.  Mother and baby are doing well.
 
Congratulations to Ben and Meghan Brock on the news of  a sibling for Jude in June!! Please keep them in your prayers.
 
Congratulations to Peter Henderson on his engagement to Amy Guffin.  A date has not been finalized yet, but they will be getting married sometime in the spring.  Please keep them in your prayers.
 
Calendar Items:
*    The Men of the parish meet for lunch and fellowship on the first Thursday of the month.
*    The Ladies of St. Peter will meet at 10:00 a.m. on the second Saturday of each month to pray the Akathist to the Mother of God, Nurturer of Children.  Those who are able will go out for lunch and fellowship afterwards.
*    As is our parish custom, we will celebrate the Advent Paraklesis service to the Theotokos in place of Daily Vespers on Wednesday evenings, beginning November 19th, at 6:30 p.m.
*    We will be serving a meal at the Stewpot Ministries on Saturday, November 29th  in conjunction with members of Holy Resurrection and Holy Trinity/St. John the Theologian Orthodox Churches. 
*    The enthronement of  His Eminence, Metropolitan JOSEPH is scheduled for the weekend of December 5-7th at the Cathedral in Brooklyn, NY.  Fr. John and Kh. Janet will be attending.
*    The Feast of St. Nicholas will be celebrated with Orthros followed by Divine Liturgy on Saturday morning, December 6th, beginning at 9:00 a.m.
*    The Christian Education classes will present a special program during Coffee Hour on Sunday, December 14th.
*    Dr. Christopher Veniamin, Professor of Patristics at St. Tikhon Seminary will be speaking at St. Peter’s February 1-4, 2015.
 
Young Adults Study Group:  The Young Adults agreed to begin meeting twice a month.  One of these meetings will feature a teaching by Fr. John on various aspects of the Orthodox Christian faith.  Topics will include education, ethics and parenting children.  The next meetings will be Sunday, December 7th and 21st. 
 
Lower Mississippi Valley Teen Retreat:  The Teen Retreat will be February 13-15, 2015 at Roosevelt State Park.  The speaker for the retreat will be Heiromonk Benedict (Josuah Armitage).  His topic will be “Dealing with Doubts about God.”  We are very excited to have Fr. Benedict come to address this important topic with our teens!  Be sure to mark your calendars now.

Dr. Christopher Veniamin, Professor of Patristics at St. tikhon Seminary in South Canaan, Pennsylvania, will visit St. Peter’s February 1-4, 2015.  He will speak at our church on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings at 7:00 p.m.  His topic will be “The Orthodox Understanding of Salvation.”  We are priviledged to have a man of Dr. Veniamin’s stature with us.  This promises to be a most edifying and instructive time for our church.  Please put these dates on your calendar and plan to be here.
 
Fasting Discipline for November
The traditional fasting (no meat, dairy, eggs, fish, wine or oil) is observed on all Wednesdays and Fridays of the month.    Beginning November 15th, the first day of the Nativity Fast, the traditional fasting is observed each day of the week.  Note, however, through December 19th there is a katlysis on Tuesdays and Thursdays when wine and oil are permitted, and on Saturdays and Sundays when fish, wine and oil are permitted.
 
Major Commemorations for November
November 23         St. Amphilochios of Iconium
November 25         St. Catherine the Great-martyr
November 30         Apostle Andrew, the First-called
 
Parents, please supervise your children with food in the Fellowship Hall.  We are getting stains on the new carpet (and also the chairs in the nave).
 
Happy Birthdays in November:
         November 5           —    Alexia Parker (#17!)
         November 7           —    Jude Brock (#1!)
         November 11         —    Adrian Lavric (#1!)
         November 13         —    Sophia Skirtech (#6!)
                                       —    Summer Goss
         November 17         —    Karen Cooper
         November 21         —    Ken Jones
         November 24         —    Mildred Morris
         November 29         —    Mike Pigott
Happy Anniversaries in November:
         November 26         —    Glenn and Mildred Morris (#48!)
         November 28         —    Dn. Terry and Sh. Charlotte Algood (#43!)
 
Thermostats in the Fellowship Hall:  There are two thermostats in the Fellowship Hall—one in the main room to control the air in the main room, and a second one in the Nursery room that controls the air in all four of the Sunday School rooms.  Please be sure that both thermostats are set to 80 degrees when you leave the building
 
Suggestions on use of the Cry Room:
            — Please remember you’re in liturgy when you’re in the cry room.
            — Its main purpose should be a place for parents to take their children if they’re being disruptive during liturgy, staying for 5-10 minutes (or until the child is calmed down) and then returning to liturgy.
            — It should not be used as a main sitting area during the liturgy.
            — Children should not be eating snacks or watching electronic devices while in the cry room.
 
Quotable:  “Turn to the Lord, drawing down the attention of the mind into the heart, and calling upon Him there.  With the mind firmly established in the heart, stand before the Lord with awe, reverence, and devotion.  If we would fulfill this small rule unfailingly, then passionate desires and feelings would never arise, nor would any other thought.”
                                                St. Theophan the Recluse
                                                from The Art of Prayer compiled by Igumen Chariton of Valamo
 
                                               
Worship:         Sunday, November 30, 2014 (Twenty-fifth Sunday after Pentecost; The Holy
                                                Apostle Andrew the First-called)
        
         Scripture:                               I Corinthians 4:9-16; John 1:35-51
         Celebrant:                              Father John
         Epistle Reader:                     Warren Strain
         Prosphora:                              R. Root
         Coffee Hour:                          Karam/Stewart/Meadows

11/16 announcements

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November 16, 2014
Twenty-third Sunday after Pentecost
The Holy Apostle and Evangelist Matthew
 
I Corinthians 4:9-16:  We hear St Paul speak to the Corinthians as their spiritual father and exhort them to imitate him in their actions.
 
Matthew 9:9-13: Our Lord calls the tax collector Matthew, to become one of His disciples and tells the Pharisees that He did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
 
Troparion of the Resurrection:  When Mary stood at thy grave looking for thy sacred body, angelic powers shone above thy revered tomb, and the soldiers who were to keep guard became as dead men.  Thou led hades captive and wast not tempted thereby.  Thou didst meet the Virgin and didst give life to the world; O thou who art risen from the dead!  O Lord, glory to thee.
 
Troparion of St. Matthew:  O Holy Apostle and Evangelist, intercede with our merciful God to grant our souls forgiveness of sins.
 
Troparion of the Chains of St. Peter: O Holy Apostle, Peter, thou dost preside over the Apostles by the precious chains which thou didst bear.  We venerate them with faith and beseech thee that by thine intercessions we be granted the great mercy.
 
 
Kontakion of the Presentation of the Theotokos:  The all-pure temple of the Saviour, the most precious bridal-chamber and Virgin, the treasure-house of the glory of God, today enters the Temple of the Lord, bringing with her the grace which is in the divine Spirit; whom also the angels of God do celebrate in song; for she is the heavenly tabernacle.
 
CALENDAR
 
Sunday, November 16   (Twenty-third Sunday after Pentecost; Apostle Matthew)
            8:50 a.m.         — Orthros
            9:00 a.m.         — Christian Education
            10:00 a.m.       — Divine Liturgy
            5:00 p.m.         — Young Adults
 
Monday, November 17   
            Office Closed — Father John’s Day Off
           
Tuesday, November 18  
            6:00 a.m.         — Daily Orthros
                                                                                   
Wednesday, November 19 
            6:30 p.m.         — Advent Paraklesis
            7:30 p.m.         — Parish Council Meeting
                                               
Thursday, November 20  
            6:30 p.m.         — Great Vespers with Litia and Artoklasia
           
Friday, November 21  (Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple)
    The Presentation of the Holy Virgin into the Temple is found in the apocryphal gospels, which describe the three-year-old Mary being taken by her parents to the Temple, where she remained in a life of holiness and dedication.  Though the story be legend, as symbol it yields insight into spiritual truth.  The scriptures for vespers, matins, and the divine liturgy all speak to the relationship between man and God within the context of the Temple and emphasize two themes: holiness and the superiority of the living, eternal temple to that built of stone.  In Mary we see both.  Rather than being sanctified by the Temple, she sanctifies the Temple and all mankind by becoming herself the perfect temple in which dwelt the eternal Son.  Truly she was set apart, even as a child, and consecrated to the most glorious work God granted humanity.  Truly she is the instrument by which we, too, become living temples in which God lives and which live eternal.  Truly we, the holy, catholic church, the living Temple of God, open our doors to her, most blessed of women, the Holy Mother of God.
 
Saturday, November 22   
            5:45 p.m.         — Ninth Hour followed by Great Vespers

Sunday, November 23   (Twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost)
            8:50 a.m.         — Orthros
            9:00 a.m.         — Christian Education
            10:00 a.m.       — Divine Liturgy
            5:30 p.m.         — Youth Group
 
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS
 
Eucharist Bread …was offered by the Fahmys for the Divine Liturgy today. 
 
Eucharist Bread and Coffee Hour Schedule:
                                               Eucharist Bread                     Coffee Hour
November 16                        Fahmy                                     Algood/Lavric/Turner
November 20 (Wed. p.m.)    D. Root (Artoklasia Bread)         Great Vespers with Litia & Artoklasia
         (Feast of the Presentation of the Theotokos in the Temple)
November 23                          Wood                                       Henderson/Baker/Lockhart
November 30                           R. Root                                    Karam/Stewart/Meadows
 
Schedule for Epistle Readers – Page numbers refer to the Apostolos (book of the Epistles) located on the front pew.  Please be sure to use this book when you read.
                                             Reader                                 Reading                          Page#
November 16                     Walt Wood                           I Cor. 4:9-16                   135
November 23                     Sh. Charlotte Algood          Eph. 2:14-22                   207
November 30                     Warren Strain                        I Cor. 4:9-16                   135
 
Please be reminded of the following:
Be very careful with the Blessed Bread when you take it after communion.  Because this bread has been blessed, we should take care not to let crumbs fall on the floor.  Parents, especially, please help your children to choose a small piece and treat it carefully.
         Also, at the end of the liturgy, maintain a prayerful disposition during the veneration of the cross as the prayers of thanksgiving after communion are still underway.  Please exchange your greetings with each other in the Fellowship Hall during Coffee Hour.
 
Please remember the following in your prayers:  Steve, Sheryl and Stephen Chamblee; Amy and Brantley Oliver; Aidan Milnor, the Milnor family; Sam and Lamia Dabit and Sammie; Georgia Buchanan, George Johns (Georgia’s grandson) and his family; Mary Greene (Lee and Kh. Sharon’s sister); Fr. Stephen Tewfik; Sh. Gail Shannon; Dn. Sidney and Sh. Mary Elliot;
Walt and Charlotte Wood and their family; Tom and Jennifer Skirtech and their family; Tom and Kathy Willingham; Athena and Anthony Zouboukos and their family.
 
Continue to pray for Metropolitan Paul (who is also the brother of our Patriarch) and the Syriac Archbishop John of Aleppo who were abducted while on a humanitarian mission in Syria.

Please remember Fr. Joseph and Kh. Joanna Bittle, and their daughter Abigail, in your prayers. 
 
Please continue to pray for the health of His Grace, Bishop ANTOUN.
 
Please be reminded that the Sacristy/Vestry which is adjacent to and behind the altar in our church is considered by the Orthodox Church to be part of the Sanctuary (Altar area) and should not be entered without the blessing of the priest for a specific purpose.  If you need to speak with a member of the clergy while they are in the Sanctuary, please ask them to come to you in the nave.
 
The icons of the Platytera and the Nativity of our Lord have been ordered for the sanctuary.
 
Calendar Items:
*    The Men of the parish meet for lunch and fellowship on the first Thursday of the month.
*    The Ladies of St. Peter will meet at 10:00 a.m. on the second Saturday of each month to pray the Akathist to the Mother of God, Nurturer of Children.  Those who are able will go out for lunch and fellowship afterwards.
*    As is our parish custom, we will celebrate the Advent Paraklesis service to the Theotokos in place of Daily Vespers on Wednesday evenings, beginning November 19th, at 6:30 p.m.
*    We will celebrate the Feast of the Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple with Great Vespers with Litia and Artoklasia on Thursday evening, November 20th, beginning at 6:30 p.m.
*    We will be serving a meal at the Stewpot Ministries on Saturday, November 29th  in conjunction with members of Holy Resurrection and Holy Trinity/St. John the Theologian Orthodox Churches. 
*    The enthronement of  His Eminence, Metropolitan JOSEPH is scheduled for the weekend of December 5-7th at the Cathedral in Brooklyn, NY.  Fr. John and Kh. Janet will be attending.
*    The Feast of St. Nicholas will be celebrated with Orthros followed by Divine Liturgy on Saturday morning, December 6th, beginning at 9:00 a.m.
*    Dr. Christopher Veniamin, Professor of Patristics at St. Tikhon Seminary will be speaking at St. Peter’s February 1-4, 2015.
 
Young Adults Study Group:  The Young Adults agreed to begin meeting twice a month.  One of these meetings will feature a teaching by Fr. John on various aspects of the Orthodox Christian faith.  Topics will include education, ethics and parenting children.  The next meetings will be Sunday, November 16th and December 7th and 21st. 
 
Lower Mississippi Valley Teen Retreat:  The Teen Retreat will be February 13-15, 2015 at Roosevelt State Park.  The speaker for the retreat will be Heiromonk Benedict (Josuah Armitage).  His topic will be “Dealing with Doubts about God.”  We are very excited to have Fr. Benedict come to address this important topic with our teens!  Be sure to mark your calendars now.

Dr. Christopher Veniamin, Professor of Patristics at St. tikhon Seminary in South Canaan, Pennsylvania, will visit St. Peter’s February 1-4, 2015.  He will speak at our church on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings at 7:00 p.m.  His topic will be “The Orthodox Understanding of Salvation.”  We are priviledged to have a man of Dr. Veniamin’s stature with us.  This promises to be a most edifying and instructive time for our church.  Please put these dates on your calendar and plan to be here.
 
Fasting Discipline for November
The traditional fasting (no meat, dairy, eggs, fish, wine or oil) is observed on all Wednesdays and Fridays of the month.    Beginning November 15th, the first day of the Nativity Fast, the traditional fasting is observed each day of the week.  Note, however, through December 19th there is a katlysis on Tuesdays and Thursdays when wine and oil are permitted, and on Saturdays and Sundays when fish, wine and oil are permitted.
 
Major Commemorations for November
November 16         Apostle and Evangelist Matthew
November 21         Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple
November 23         St. Amphilochios of Iconium
November 25         St. Catherine the Great-martyr
November 30         Apostle Andrew, the First-called
 
Parents, please supervise your children with food in the Fellowship Hall.  We are getting stains on the new carpet (and also the chairs in the nave).
 
Happy Birthdays in November:
         November 5           —    Alexia Parker (#17!)
         November 7           —    Jude Brock (#1!)
         November 11         —    Adrian Lavric (#1!)
         November 13         —    Sophia Skirtech (#6!)
                                       —    Summer Goss
         November 17         —    Karen Cooper
         November 21         —    Ken Jones
         November 24         —    Mildred Morris
         November 29         —    Mike Pigott
 
Happy Anniversaries in November:
         November 26         —    Glenn and Mildred Morris (#48!)
         November 28         —    Dn. Terry and Sh. Charlotte Algood (#43!)
Thermostats in the Fellowship Hall:  There are two thermostats in the Fellowship Hall—one in the main room to control the air in the main room, and a second one in the Nursery room that controls the air in all four of the Sunday School rooms.  Please be sure that both thermostats are set to 80 degrees when you leave the building
 
Suggestions on use of the Cry Room:
            — Please remember you’re in liturgy when you’re in the cry room.
            — Its main purpose should be a place for parents to take their children if they’re being disruptive during liturgy, staying for 5-10 minutes (or until the child is calmed down) and then returning to liturgy.
            — It should not be used as a main sitting area during the liturgy.
            — Children should not be eating snacks or watching electronic devices while in the cry room.
 
Quotable:  “When you learn what the world is, by distinguishing these matters you will also come to know your entanglement as well as your freedom from it.  But that I may speak briefly:  the world is the carnal way of life and the ‘mind of the flesh.’  Hence, a man’s elevation above the world can also be recognized from these two things:  from the good transformation of his way of life and from a discernment of his thoughts.”
                                                St. Isaac the Syrian     
 
                                               
Worship:         Sunday, November 16, 2014 (Twenty-fourth Sunday after Pentecost; Sunday
                                                after the Presentation of the Theotokos)
        
         Scripture:                                 Ephesians 2:14 to end; Luke 12:16-21
         Celebrant:                                Father John
         Epistle Reader:                       Sh. Charlotte Algood
         Prosphora:                               Wood
         Coffee Hour:                           Henderson/Baker/Lockhart

11/9 announcements

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November 9, 2014
Twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost
St. Nektarios the Wonder-worker
 
Ephesians 5:8-19:  St Paul exhorts us to walk as wise men by doing the will of God and avoiding the deeds of darkness.
 
Luke 8:41-56:  From the Gospel of Luke we hear of Jesus healing a woman with a hemorrhage and rais­ing a young girl from death; showing His desire to heal suffering and to respond to the faith of those who come to Him.
 
Troparion of the Resurrection:  Let us believers praise and worship the Word, co-eternal with the Father and the Spirit, born of the Virgin for our salvation; for he took pleasure in ascending the Cross in the flesh, to suffer death, and to raise the dead by his glorious Resurrection.
 
Troparion of St. Nektarios the Wonder-worker:  The offspring of Selyvria and the guardian of Aegina, the true friend of virtue who didst appear in the last years, O Nektraios, we faithful honour thee as a godly servant of Christ, for thou pourest forth healings of every kind for those who piously cry out:  Glory to Christ Who hath glorified thee.  Glory to Him Who hath made thee wondrous.  Glory to Him Who worketh healings for all through thee.
 
Troparion of the Chains of St. Peter: O Holy Apostle, Peter, thou dost preside over the Apostles by the precious chains which thou didst bear.  We venerate them with faith and beseech thee that by thine intercessions we be granted the great mercy.

Kontakion of the Presentation of the Theotokos:  The all-pure temple of the Saviour, the most precious bridal-chamber and Virgin, the treasure-house of the glory of God, today enters the Temple of the Lord, bringing with her the grace which is in the divine Spirit; whom also the angels of God do celebrate in song; for she is the heavenly tabernacle.
 
 
CALENDAR
 
Sunday, November 9   (Twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost)
            8:50 a.m.         — Orthros
            9:00 a.m.         — Christian Education
            10:00 a.m.       — Divine Liturgy
            12:00 p.m.       — Pot Luck Meal
            5:30 p.m.         — Youth Group
 
Monday, November 10   
            Office Closed — Father John’s Day Off
           
Tuesday, November 11  
            NO Daily Orthros
                                                                                   
Wednesday, November 12 
            6:30 p.m.         — Daily Vespers
            7:30 p.m.         — Choir Practice
                                               
Thursday, November 13   (John Chrysostom)
           
Friday, November 14  (Apostle Philip)
 
Saturday, November 15   
            [FAST OF THE NATIVITY BEGINS]
            11:00 a.m.       — Ladies meet for lunch and teaching at Christina Katool’s
            5:45 p.m.         — Ninth Hour followed by Great Vespers
 
Sunday, November 16   (Twenty-third Sunday after Pentecost; Apostle Matthew)
            8:50 a.m.         — Orthros
            9:00 a.m.         — Christian Education
            10:00 a.m.       — Divine Liturgy
            5:00 p.m.         — Young Adults
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS
 
Eucharist Bread …was offered by the Karams for the Divine Liturgy today. 
 
Eucharist Bread and Coffee Hour Schedule:
                                                Eucharist Bread                    Coffee Hour
November 9                           Karam                                      POT LUCK MEAL
                                                                                                      set-up:  R. Root/Abraham/Habeeb
November 16                        Fahmy                                     Algood/Lavric/Turner
November 20 (Wed. p.m.)    D. Root (Artoklasia Bread)         Great Vespers with Litia & Artoklasia
         (Feast of the Presentation of the Theotokos in the Temple)
November 23                       Wood                                       Henderson/Baker/Lockhart
November 30                        R. Root                                    Karam/Stewart/Meadows
 
Schedule for Epistle Readers – Page numbers refer to the Apostolos (book of the Epistles) located on the front pew.  Please be sure to use this book when you read.
                                             Reader                                 Reading                          Page#
November 9                       Tom Willingham                 Gal. 6:11-18                   198
November 16                     Walt Wood                           I Cor. 4:9-16                   135
November 23                     Sh. Charlotte Algood          Eph. 2:14-22                   207
November 30                     Warren Strain                        I Cor. 4:9-16                   135
 
Please be reminded of the following:
Be very careful with the Blessed Bread when you take it after communion.  Because this bread has been blessed, we should take care not to let crumbs fall on the floor.  Parents, especially, please help your children to choose a small piece and treat it carefully.
         Also, at the end of the liturgy, maintain a prayerful disposition during the veneration of the cross as the prayers of thanksgiving after communion are still underway.  Please exchange your greetings with each other in the Fellowship Hall during Coffee Hour.
 
Please be reminded that the Sacristy/Vestry which is adjacent to and behind the altar in our church is considered by the Orthodox Church to be part of the Sanctuary (Altar area) and should not be entered without the blessing of the priest for a specific purpose.  If you need to speak with a member of the clergy while they are in the Sanctuary, please ask them to come to you in the nave.
 
Please remember the following in your prayers:  Steve, Sheryl and Stephen Chamblee; Amy and Brantley Oliver; Aidan Milnor, the Milnor family; Sam and Lamia Dabit and Sammie; Georgia Buchanan, George Johns (Georgia’s grandson) and his family; Mary Greene (Lee and Kh. Sharon’s sister); Fr. Stephen Tewfik; Sh. Gail Shannon; Dn. Sidney and Sh. Mary Elliot;
Walt and Charlotte Wood and their family; Tom and Jennifer Skirtech and their family; Tom and Kathy Willingham; Athena and Anthony Zouboukos and their family.
 
Continue to pray for Metropolitan Paul (who is also the brother of our Patriarch) and the Syriac Archbishop John of Aleppo who were abducted while on a humanitarian mission in Syria.
 
Please remember Fr. Joseph and Kh. Joanna Bittle, and their daughter Abigail, in your prayers. 
 
Please continue to pray for the health of His Grace, Bishop ANTOUN.
 
The icons of the Platytera and the Nativity of our Lord have been ordered for the sanctuary.
 
Calendar Items:
*    The Men of the parish meet for lunch and fellowship on the first Thursday of the month.
*    The Ladies of St. Peter will meet at 10:00 a.m. on the second Saturday of each month to pray the Akathist to the Mother of God, Nurturer of Children.  Those who are able will go out for lunch and fellowship afterwards.
*    Father John will be in New Orleans November 10th-12th for the Deanery Clergy Retreat.
*    The Fast of the Nativity begins Saturday, November 15th.
*    As is our parish custom, we will celebrate the Advent Paraklesis service to the Theotokos in place of Daily Vespers on Wednesday evenings, beginning November 19th, at 6:30 p.m.
*    We will celebrate the Feast of the Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple with Great Vespers with Litia and Artoklasia on Thursday evening, November 20th, beginning at 6:30 p.m.
*    We will be serving a meal at the Stewpot Ministries on Saturday, November 29th  in conjunction with members of Holy Resurrection and Holy Trinity/St. John the Theologian Orthodox Churches. 
*    The enthronement of  His Eminence, Metropolitan JOSEPH is scheduled for the weekend of December 5-7th at the Cathedral in Brooklyn, NY.  Fr. John and Kh. Janet will be attending.
*    The Feast of St. Nicholas will be celebrated with Orthros followed by Divine Liturgy on Saturday morning, December 6th, beginning at 9:00 a.m.
*    Dr. Christopher Veniamin, Professor of Patristics at St. Tikhon Seminary will be speaking at St. Peter’s February 1-4, 2015.
 
Young Adults Study Group:  The Young Adults agreed to begin meeting twice a month.  One of these meetings will feature a teaching by Fr. John on various aspects of the Orthodox Christian faith.  Topics will include education, ethics and parenting children.  The next meetings will be Sunday, November 16th and December 7th and 21st. 
 
The Ladies of St. Peter will meet at the home of Christina Katool  on Saturday, November 15, at 11:00 a.m.. Lunch will be served and Fr. John will be addressing the ladies as we begin our spiritual journey into the Advent Season.  There will also be a brief organizational meeting.  Please contact Christina if you would like to help in anyway.
Lower Mississippi Valley Teen Retreat:  The Teen Retreat will be February 13-15, 2015 at Roosevelt State Park.  The speaker for the retreat will be Heiromonk Benedict (Josuah Armitage).  His topic will be “Dealing with Doubts about God.”  We are very excited to have Fr. Benedict come to address this important topic with our teens!  Be sure to mark your calendars now.
 
Dr. Christopher Veniamin, Professor of Patristics at St. tikhon Seminary in South Canaan, Pennsylvania, will visit St. Peter’s February 1-4, 2015.  He will speak at our church on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings at 7:00 p.m.  His topic will be “The Orthodox Understanding of Salvation.”  We are priviledged to have a man of Dr. Veniamin’s stature with us.  This promises to be a most edifying and instructive time for our church.  Please put these dates on your calendar and plan to be here.
 
Fasting Discipline for November
The traditional fasting (no meat, dairy, eggs, fish, wine or oil) is observed on all Wednesdays and Fridays of the month.    Beginning November 15th, the first day of the Nativity Fast, the traditional fasting is observed each day of the week.  Note, however, through December 19th there is a katlysis on Tuesdays and Thursdays when wine and oil are permitted, and on Saturdays and Sundays when fish, wine and oil are permitted.
 
Major Commemorations for November
November 13         St. John Chrysostom (repose)
November 14         Apostle Philip
November 16         Apostle and Evangelist Matthew
November 21         Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple
November 23         St. Amphilochios of Iconium
November 25         St. Catherine the Great-martyr
November 30         Apostle Andrew, the First-called
 
Parents, please supervise your children with food in the Fellowship Hall.  We are getting stains on the new carpet (and also the chairs in the nave).
 
Happy Birthdays in November:
         November 5           —    Alexia Parker (#17!)
         November 7           —    Jude Brock (#1!)
         November 11         —    Adrian Lavric (#1!)
         November 13         —    Sophia Skirtech (#6!)
                                       —    Summer Goss
         November 17         —    Karen Cooper
         November 21         —    Ken Jones
         November 24         —    Mildred Morris
         November 29         —    Mike Pigott

Happy Anniversaries in November:
         November 26         —    Glenn and Mildred Morris (#48!)
         November 28         —    Dn. Terry and Sh. Charlotte Algood (#43!)
 
Thermostats in the Fellowship Hall:  There are two thermostats in the Fellowship Hall—one in the main room to control the air in the main room, and a second one in the Nursery room that controls the air in all four of the Sunday School rooms.  Please be sure that both thermostats are set to 80 degrees when you leave the building
 
Suggestions on use of the Cry Room:
            — Please remember you’re in liturgy when you’re in the cry room.
            — Its main purpose should be a place for parents to take their children if they’re being disruptive during liturgy, staying for 5-10 minutes (or until the child is calmed down) and then returning to liturgy.
            — It should not be used as a main sitting area during the liturgy.
            — Children should not be eating snacks or watching electronic devices while in the cry room.
 
Quotable:  “By contemplative examination, the world is also called the aggregate of the collective noun which is applied to the separate passions.  When we wish to give a collective name to the passions, we call them the world.  And when we wish to designate them specifically according to their names, we call them passions.  The passions are portions of the course of the world’s onward flow; and where the passions cease, there the world’s onward flow stands still.  These are the passions:  love of wealth; gathering objects of any kind; bodily pleasure, from which comes the passion of carnal intercourse; love of esteem, from which springs envy; the wielding of power; pride in the trappings of authority; stateliness and pomposity; human glory, which is the cause of resentment; fear for the body..”
                                                St. Isaac the Syrian     
 
                                               
Worship:         Sunday, November 16, 2014 (Twenty-third Sunday after Pentecost; Holy
                                                Apostle and Evangelist Matthew)
        
         Scripture:                                I Corinthians 4:9-16; Matthew 9:9-13
         Celebrant:                               Father John
         Epistle Reader:                      Walt Wood
         Prosphora:                               Fahmy
         Coffee Hour:                          Algood/Lavric/Turner