July 29, 2018

Ninth Sunday after Pentecost

I Corinthians 3:9-17: In the reading from I Corinthians St Paul admonishes the Corinthian Church to give credit to the Lord for the work done by men in building the Church.

Matthew 14:22-34: In our reading from Matthew, we see Jesus’ mastery over creation by walking on the Sea of Galilee; Peter’s attempt to join Jesus shows us that our faith is weakened when we take our eyes off the Lord.

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 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 Transfiguration: Thou wast transfigured on the mount, and thy Disciples, in so far as they were able, beheld thy glory, O Christ our God; so that, when they should see thee crucified, they would remember that thy suffering was voluntary, and could declare to all the world that thou art truly the effulgent Splendor of the Father.

CALENDAR

Sunday, July 29 (Ninth Sunday after Pentecost)

8:50 a.m. — Orthros

10:00 a.m. — Divine Liturgy

Monday, July 30

Father John’s Day Off

Tuesday, July 31

6:00 a.m. — Daily Orthros

11:30 a.m. — Ladies’ Lunch

Wednesday, August 1 (Procession of the Holy Cross)

[FAST
OF THE DORMTION BEGINS]

6:30 p.m. — Paraklesis Service

Thursday, August 2

6:00 a.m. — Daily Orthros

11:30 a.m. — Men’s Lunch

Friday, August 3

6:30 p.m. — Paraklesis Service

Saturday, August 4

5:45 p.m. — Ninth Hour followed by Great Vespers

Sunday, August 5 (Forefeast of the Transfiguration of Christ)

8:50 a.m. — Orthros

10:00 a.m. — Divine Liturgy

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

Eucharist Bread …was offered by the Joneses for the Divine Liturgy this morning.

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 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.

Eucharist Bread and Coffee Hour Schedule:

Eucharist Bread Coffee Hour

July 29 Jones Henderson/Lockhart/Alaeetawi

August 5 Meadows Stewart/Meadows

August 6 (Mon. a.m.) Davis Kh. Sharon Meadows

(Feast of the Transfiguration of our Lord)

August 12 D. Root POT LUCK MEAL

Set-up: Pigott/Dabit/Strain/Pacurari

August 14 (Tues. p.m.) Karam Christina Katool

(Feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos)

August 19 Brock Baker/D. Root/Dansereau

August 26 Baker Katool/Davis/Staursky

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#

July 29 Sam Habeeb I Cor. 3:9-17 130

August 5 Brenda Baker I Cor. 4:9-16 135

August 6 (Mon. a.m.) Kh. Sharon Meadows II Peter 1:10-19 401

August 12 Walt Wood I Cor. 9:2-12 141

August 14 (Tues. p.m.) Sh. Charlotte Algood Phil. 2:5-11 403

August 19 Warren Strain I Cor. 15:1-11 146

August 26 Mildred Morris I Cor. 16:13-24 152

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 the following in your prayers: Steve, Sheryl Chamblee; Aidan Milnor, the Milnor family; Sam and Lamia Dabit and Sammie; Mary Greene (Lee and Kh. Sharon’s sister); Fr. Stephen Tewfik; Lynda Costas; Fr. Nicholas, Kh. Jan and Angelina Speier; Peggy (David Turner’s paternal aunt) who is suffering from cancer and related complications; and David Morris and his family; Vernie Meadows, Fr. James and Kh. Sharon and their family; Walt and Charlotte Wood and their family.

Please remember Fr. Joseph and Kh. Joanna Bittle, and their daughter Abigail, in your prayers.

Please keep Fr. John Morris and Kh. Cheryl in your prayers. They have both been ill recently.

Calendar Items:

* The Men of the parish meet for lunch and fellowship on the first Thursday of the month.

* The Ladies of St. Peter meet at 10:00 a.m. on the second Saturday of the month to pray the Akathist to the Mother of God, Nurturer of Children.

* The Ladies of the parish meet for lunch and fellowship on the last Tuesday of the month.

* The Fast of the Dormition begins on Wednesday, August 1st and runs through August 14th. As is the custom in our parish we will pray the Paraklesis Service to the Theotokos on Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings during the fast, beginning at 6:30 p.m.

* We will celebrate the Feast of the Transfiguration of our Lord with Divine Liturgy (only) on Monday, August 6th, beginning at 7:00 a.m.

* The Feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos will be celebrated with Orthros followed by Divine Liturgy on Tuesday evening, August 14th, beginning at 6:00 p.m.

* Fall Festival is scheduled for Saturday, October 27th. More information soon.

* His Grace, Bishop NICHOLAS will be visiting St. Peter November 2-6. Please mark your calendars now.

* V. Rev. Fr. John Oliver, the pastor of St. Elizabeth the New Martyr Orthodox Church in Murfreesboro, TN, will be the speaker for the annual Women’s Retreat on Saturday, November 10th. More information will be available in the near future.

Sunnybrook Children’s Home will be holding their annual Fundraising Banquet on Saturday evening, August 11th. This year the featured speaker will be Greg Harper. Tickets are $75 and we will be having a St. Peter table at the event. If you are interested in going, the deadline for registration is Thursday, August 2nd. Also, please be sure to let Christina know so that you can be included in our table.

Our annual parish Fall Festival is scheduled for Saturday, October 27th. More information will be made available in the near future.

Please take Note that there have been several car burglaries in our neighborhood recently. These involved cars that had been left unlocked. Please be sure that your car is locked in the parking lot.

A Diocese of Miami and the Southeast Teen Retreat will be held in Atlanta (hosted by St. Elias Church) September 7-9th. If you are interested in going, please let Fr. John know as soon as possible. Registration forms are available at https://goo.gl/forms/SIYClotCEDFDnY823.

Fasting Discipline for August

From August 1st through August 14th (the Dormition Fast) the traditional fasting discipline (no meat, dairy, eggs, fish, wine or oil) is observed on all days except Saturdays and Sundays when wine and oil are permitted. On August 6th (Feast of the Transfiguration) and 15th (Feast of the Dormition falls on Wednesday this year) fish, wine and oil are permitted. After the 15th, the traditional fasting discipline is observed on the remaining Wednesdays and Fridays of the month. August 29th is also a strict fast day in remembrance of the beheading of the Forerunner

Major Commemorations for August

August 1 Procession of the Holy Cross

August 6 Feast of the Transfiguration of our Lord

August 15 Feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos

August 25 Apostles Bartholomew and Titus

August 29 Beheading of the Forerunner

August 31 Deposition of the Belt of the Theotokos

St. Peter will be hosting the Lower MS Valley Deanery Clergy Retreat this fall. Dates and more information will be available at a later date.

For Parents: Children in the nursery during Coffee Hour MUST be supervised just as they are on the playground. This room is used for Sunday School each week. Children who are unsupervised create disarray and use materials set aside for the teaching of Christian Education. This creates extra work for the Sunday School teachers who have to come in and set the room in order before class or who find supplies depleted unexpectedly. A parent must be in the room with their children at all times. Please help us with this! — Fr. John

If you are the last to leave, please make sure that the doors in the Fellowship Hall, the kitchen and the hallway are all locked.

ead of ManHead of Maonasteries

Quotable: “Consequently, prayer is a matter of love. Man expresses love through prayer, and if we pray, it is an indication that we love God. If we do not pray, this indicates that we do not love God, for the measure of our prayer is the measure of our love for God. St. Silouan identifies love for God with prayer, and the Holy Fathers say that forgetfulness of God is the greatest of all passions, for it is the only passion that will not be fought by prayer through the Name of God. If we humble ourselves and invoke God’s help, trusting in His love, we are given the strength to conquer any passion; but when we are unmindful of God, the enemy is free to slay us.”

Archimandrite Zacharias, The Hidden Man of the Heart

Worship: Sunday, August 5, 2018 (Tenth Sunday after Pentecost; Forefeast of the Transfiguration of Christ)

Scripture: I Corinthians 4:9-16; Matthew 17:14-23

Celebrant: Father John

Epistle Reader: Brenda Baker

Prosphora: Meadows

Coffee Hour: Stewart/Meadows

July 22, 2018

Eighth Sunday after Pentecost

I Corinthians 1:10-17: St. Paul appeals to the Corinthians to put away their divisions and to be joined together in Jesus Christ.

Matthew 14:14-22: In the reading from St Matthew we hear about Jesus’ feeding the five thousand with five loaves of bread and two fish. In this miracle we see that Jesus is the Bread of Life.

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 St. Mary Magdalene: When Christ God had been born for our sakes from the Virgin, thou faithfully didst follow Him, keeping His statutes and heeding His sacred laws, O august Mary Magdalene. Hence, as we today observe thy holy remembrance, we receive the loosing of our sins and transgressions through thy holy prayers for us.

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 Theotokos: O undisputed intercessor of Christians, O mediatrix, who is unrejected by the Creator, turn not away from the voice of our petitions though we be sinners; come to us in time, who cry to thee in faith, for thou art good. Hasten to us with intercessions, O Theotokos, who didst ever intercede for those who honor thee.

CALENDAR

Sunday, July 22 (Eighth Sunday after Pentecost)

8:50 a.m. — Orthros

10:00 a.m. — Divine Liturgy

Monday, July 23

Father John’s Day Off

Tuesday, July 24

6:00 a.m. — Daily Orthros

Wednesday, July 25 (Dormition of Righteous Anna)

6:30 p.m. — Daily Vespers

7:15 p.m. — Choir Practice

7:30 p.m. — Parish Council meeting

Thursday, July 26

6:00 a.m. — Daily Orthros

Friday, July 27 (Great-martyr Panteleimon)

Saturday, July 28

8:30 a.m. — Workday at the Church

5:45 p.m. — Ninth Hour followed by Great Vespers

Sunday, July 29 (Holy Fathers of the Fourth Ecumenical Council)

8:50 a.m. — Orthros

10:00 a.m. — Divine Liturgy

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

Eucharist Bread …was offered by the Morrises for the Divine Liturgy this morning.

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.

Eucharist Bread and Coffee Hour Schedule:

Eucharist Bread Coffee Hour

July 22 Morris R. Root/Habeeb/Cooper

July 29 Jones Henderson/Lockhart/Alaeetawi

August 5 Meadows Stewart/Meadows

August 6 (Mon. a.m.) Davis Kh. Sharon Meadows

(Feast of the Transfiguration of our Lord)

August 12 D. Root POT LUCK MEAL

Set-up: Pigott/Dabit/Strain/Pacurari

August 14 (Tues. p.m.) Karam Christina Katool

(Feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos)

August 19 Brock Baker/D. Root/Dansereau

August 26 Baker Katool/Davis/Staursky

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#

July 22 Kh. Be’Be’ Schelver I Cor. 1:10-17 124

July 29 Sam Habeeb I Cor. 3:9-17 130

August 5 Brenda Baker I Cor. 4:9-16 135

August 6 (Mon. a.m.) Kh. Sharon Meadows II Peter 1:10-19 401

August 12 Walt Wood I Cor. 9:2-12 141

August 14 (Tues. p.m.) Sh. Charlotte Algood Phil. 2:5-11 403

August 19 Warren Strain I Cor. 15:1-11 146

August 26 Mildred Morris I Cor. 16:13-24 152

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.

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 the following in your prayers: Steve, Sheryl Chamblee; Aidan Milnor, the Milnor family; Sam and Lamia Dabit and Sammie; Mary Greene (Lee and Kh. Sharon’s sister); Fr. Stephen Tewfik; Lynda Costas; Fr. Nicholas, Kh. Jan and Angelina Speier; Peggy (David Turner’s paternal aunt) who is suffering from cancer and related complications; and David Morris and his family; Vernie Meadows, Fr. James and Kh. Sharon and their family; Walt and Charlotte Wood and their family.

Please remember Fr. Joseph and Kh. Joanna Bittle, and their daughter Abigail, in your prayers.

Please keep Fr. John Morris and Kh. Cheryl in your prayers. They have both been ill recently.

Many thanks to all those who volunteered to help with our Vacation Church School this past week! Thank you for your love for and service to the children of our parish!

Calendar Items:

* The Men of the parish meet for lunch and fellowship on the first Thursday of the month.

* The Ladies of St. Peter meet at 10:00 a.m. on the second Saturday of the month to pray the Akathist to the Mother of God, Nurturer of Children.

* The Ladies of the parish meet for lunch and fellowship on the last Tuesday of the month.

* The Fast of the Dormition begins on Wednesday, August 1st and runs through August 14th. As is the custom in our parish we will pray the Paraklesis Service to the Theotokos on Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings during the fast, beginning at 6:30 p.m.

* We will celebrate the Feast of the Transfiguration of our Lord with Divine Liturgy (only) on Monday, August 6th, beginning at 7:00 a.m.

* The Feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos will be celebrated with Orthros followed by Divine Liturgy on Tuesday evening, August 14th, beginning at 6:00 p.m.

* His Grace, Bishop NICHOLAS will be visiting St. Peter November 2-6. Please mark your calendars now.

* V. Rev. Fr. John Oliver, the pastor of St. Elizabeth the New Martyr Orthodox Church in Murfreesboro, TN, will be the speaker for the annual Women’s Retreat on Saturday, November 10th. More information will be available in the near future.

Fasting Discipline for July/August

The traditional fasting discipline (no meat, dairy, eggs, fish, wine or oil) is observed on all Wednesdays and Fridays of July. From August 1st through August 14th (the Dormition Fast) the traditional fasting discipline is observed on all days except Saturdays and Sundays when wine and oil are permitted. On August 6th ( Feast of Transfiguration) and 15th (Feast of Dormition falls on Wednesday this year) fish, wine and oil are permitted. After the 15th, the traditional fasting discipline is observed on the remaining Wednesdays and Fridays of the month. August 29th is also a strict fast day in remembrance of the beheading of the Forerunner

Major Commemorations for July/August

July 25 Dormition of Righteous Anna

July 27 Great-martyr Panteleimon

August 1 Procession of the Holy Cross

August 6 Feast of the Transfiguration of our Lord

August 15 Feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos

August 25 Apostles Bartholomew and Titus

August 29 Beheading of the Forerunner

August 31 Deposition of the Belt of the Theotokos

Please take Note that there have been several car burglaries in our neighborhood recently. These involved cars that had been left unlocked. Please be sure that your car is locked in the parking lot.

If you are the last to leave, please make sure that the doors in the Fellowship Hall, the kitchen and the hallway are all locked.

For Parents: Children in the nursery during Coffee Hour MUST be supervised just as they are on the playground. This room is used for Sunday School each week. Children who are unsupervised create disarray and use materials set aside for the teaching of Christian Education. This creates extra work for the Sunday School teachers who have to come in and set the room in order before class or who find supplies depleted unexpectedly. A parent must be in the room with their children at all times. Please help us with this! — Fr. John

ead of ManHead of Maonasteries

Quotable: “In order to be authentic, any divestiture of the mind from its passionate attachments to the visible and transitory elements of this life must be linked to the truth about man. When man sees himself as he is in the sight of God, his only response is one of repentance. Such repentance is itself a gift of God, and it generates a certain pain of the heart which not only detaches the mind from corruptible things, but also unites it to the unseen and eternal things of God. In other words, divestiture as an end in itself is only half the matter, and it consists of human effort operating on the level of created being. Christianity, on the other hand, enjoins the ascetic to strive in the hope and expectation that his soul will be clothed, invested with the grace of God, which leads him into the fullness of the immortal life for which he knows he has been created.”

Archimandrite Zacharias, The Hidden Man of the Heart

Worship: Sunday, July 29, 2018 (Ninth Sunday after Pentecost)

Scripture: I Corinthians 3:9-17; Matthew 14:22-34

Celebrant: Father John

Epistle Reader: Sam Habeeb

Prosphora: Jones

Coffee Hour: Henderson/Lockhart/Alaeetawi

July 15, 2018
Holy Fathers of the Fourth Ecumenical Council

Titus 3:8-15: On this Sunday we read from St. Paul’s letter to Titus, whom he warns to avoid delv­ing into unprofitable and foolish questions about doctrine, and to reject heretics after two admonitions.

Matthew 5:14-19: In this portion of the Sermon on the Mount Jesus teaches that we are to be Light in the darkness of this world, not hiding the glory of God from others, but rather, putting it where it can be seen.

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 the Holy Fathers: Thou, O Christ, art our God of exceeding praise who didst establish our holy Fathers as luminous stars upon earth, and through them didst guide us unto the true Faith, O most merciful One, glory to 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 Theotokos: O undisputed intercessor of Christians, O mediatrix, who is unrejected by the Creator, turn not away from the voice of our petitions though we be sinners; come to us in time, who cry to thee in faith, for thou art good. Hasten to us with intercessions, O Theotokos, who didst ever intercede for those who honor thee.

CALENDAR

Sunday, July 15 (Holy Fathers of the Fourth Ecumenical Council)
8:50 a.m. — Orthros
10:00 a.m. — Divine Liturgy

Monday, July 16
Father John’s Day Off

Tuesday, July 17 (Great-martyr Marina)
NO Daily Orthros

Wednesday, July 18
6:30 p.m. — Daily Vespers
7:15 p.m. — Choir Practice

Thursday, July 19
NO Daily Orthros
8:45 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. — Vacation Church School

Friday, July 20 (Prophet Elias)
8:45 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. — Vacation Church School

Saturday, July 21
8:45 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. — Vacation Church School
5:45 p.m. — Ninth Hour followed by Great Vespers

Sunday, July 22 (Eighth Sunday after Pentecost)
8:50 a.m. — Orthros
10:00 a.m. — Divine Liturgy

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

Eucharist Bread …was offered by the Schelvers for the Divine Liturgy this morning.

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.

Eucharist Bread and Coffee Hour Schedule:
Eucharist Bread Coffee Hour
July 15 Schelver Ellis/Zouboukos/Waites
July 22 Morris R. Root/Habeeb/Cooper
July 29 Jones Henderson/Lockhart/Alaeetawi
August 5 Meadows Stewart/Meadows
August 6 (Mon. a.m.) Davis Kh. Sharon Meadows
(Feast of the Transfiguration of our Lord)
August 12 D. Root POT LUCK MEAL
Set-up: Pigott/Dabit/Strain/Pacurari
August 14 (Tues. p.m.) Karam Christina Katool
(Feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos)
August 19 Brock Baker/D. Root/Dansereau
August 26 Baker Katool/Davis/Staursky

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#
July 8 Warren Strain Rom. 12:6-14 113
July 15 Mildred Morris Titus 3:8-15 322
July 22 Kh. Be’Be’ Schelver I Cor. 1:10-17 124
July 29 Sam Habeeb I Cor. 3:9-17 130
August 5 Brenda Baker I Cor. 4:9-16 135
August 6 (Mon. a.m.) Kh. Sharon Meadows II Peter 1:10-19 401
August 12 Walt Wood I Cor. 9:2-12 141
August 14 (Tues. p.m.) Sh. Charlotte Algood Phil. 2:5-11 403
August 19 Warren Strain I Cor. 15:1-11 146
August 26 Mildred Morris I Cor. 16:13-24 152

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 Chamblee; Aidan Milnor, the Milnor family; Sam and Lamia Dabit and Sammie; Mary Greene (Lee and Kh. Sharon’s sister); Fr. Stephen Tewfik; Lynda Costas; Fr. Nicholas, Kh. Jan and Angelina Speier; Peggy (David Turner’s paternal aunt) who is suffering from cancer and related complications; and David Morris and his family; Vernie Meadows, Fr. James and Kh. Sharon and their family; Walt and Charlotte Wood 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 keep Fr. John Morris and Kh. Cheryl in your prayers. They have both been ill recently.

Please take Note that there have been several car burglaries in our neighborhood recently. These involved cars that had been left unlocked. Please be sure that your car is locked in the parking lot.

Calendar Items:
* The Men of the parish meet for lunch and fellowship on the first Thursday of the month.
* The Ladies of St. Peter meet at 10:00 a.m. on the second Saturday of the month to pray the Akathist to the Mother of God, Nurturer of Children.
* The Ladies of the parish meet for lunch and fellowship on the last Tuesday of the month.
* Vacation Church School will be held July 19-21 from 8:45 a.m. until 12:30 p.m.
* The Fast of the Dormition begins on Wednesday, August 1st and runs through August 14th. As is the custom in our parish we will pray the Paraklesis Service to the Theotokos on Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings during the fast, beginning at 6:30 p.m.
* We will celebrate the Feast of the Transfiguration of our Lord with Divine Liturgy (only) on Monday, August 6th, beginning at 7:00 a.m.
* The Feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos will be celebrated with Orthros followed by Divine Liturgy on Tuesday evening, August 14th, beginning at 6:00 p.m.
* His Grace, Bishop NICHOLAS will be visiting St. Peter November 2-6. Please mark your calendars now.
* V. Rev. Fr. John Oliver, the pastor of St. Elizabeth the New Martyr Orthodox Church in Murfreesboro, TN, will be the speaker for the annual Women’s Retreat on Saturday, November 10th. More information will be available in the near future.

Father John will be out of town July 12-21. He will be travelling to the Antiochian Village for the Clergy Symposium. If you need a priest during this time, please call Father Leo or Father James.

Fasting Discipline for July
The traditional fasting discipline (no meat, dairy, eggs, fish, wine or oil) is observed on all Wednesdays and Fridays of the month.

Major Commemorations for July
July 17 Great-martyr Marina
July 20 Prophet Elias
July 25 Dormition of Righteous Anna
July 27 Great-martyr Panteleimon

Vacation Church School will be held July 19-21 this year. The theme will be “Feasts of the Theotokos”. Parents, please make a note of these dates. Church School will begin at 8:45 a.m. each morning and pick-up time will be 12:30 p.m.

If you are the last to leave, please make sure that the doors in the Fellowship Hall, the kitchen and the hallway are all locked.

For Parents: Children in the nursery during Coffee Hour MUST be supervised just as they are on the playground. This room is used for Sunday School each week. Children who are unsupervised create disarray and use materials set aside for the teaching of Christian Education. This creates extra work for the Sunday School teachers who have to come in and set the room in order before class or who find supplies depleted unexpectedly. A parent must be in the room with their children at all times. Please help us with this! — Fr. John

Quotable: “In his struggle to divest himself of all suffering and instability connected with this transient life, the eastern ascetic immerses himself in the abstract and intellectual sphere of so-called Existence, a negative and impersonal sphere in which no vision of God is possible, only man’s vision of himself. There is no place for the heart in this practice. Progress in this form of asceticism depends only on one’s individual will to succeed. TheUpanishads do not say anywhere that pride is an obstacle to spiritual progress, or that humility is a virtue. The positive dimension of Christian asceticism, in which self-denial leads to one’s clothing with the heavenly man, to the assumption of a supernatural form of life, the Source of which is the One True, Self-revealing God, is obviously and totally absent. Even in its most noble expressions, the self-denial involved in Buddhism is only the insignificant half of the picture. In the mind’s desire to return to its merely ‘natural’ self, it beholds its own nakedness in a ‘cloud of divestiture’. But at this point there is a grave risk of obsession with itself, of its marveling at its own luminous but created beauty, and worshipping the creature more than the Creator (Rom. 1:25). The mind has by now begun to deify or idolise its self and then, according to the words of the Lord, ‘the last state of that man is word than the first’ (Matt. 12:45).”
Archimandrite Zacharias, The Hidden Man of the Heart

Worship: Sunday, July 22, 2018 (Eighth Sunday after Pentecost)

Scripture: I Corinthians 1:10-17; Matthew 14:14-22
Celebrant: Father John
Epistle Reader: Kh. Be’Be’ Schelver
Prosphora: Morris
Coffee Hour: R. Root/Habeeb/Cooper

July 8, 2018

Sixth Sunday after Pentecost

Romans 12:6-14: In the reading from Romans, St Paul encourages us to practice the use of the gifts which the Lord has given to us and to serve the Lord with diligence.

Matthew 9:1-8: Jesus demonstrates His authority by both healing the physical illness of a paralytic and by forgiving him of his sins.

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. Procopius the Great-Martyr: Thy Martyr, O Lord, in his courageous contest for Thee received as the prize the crown of incorruption and life from Thee, our immortal God. For since he possessed Thy strength, he cast down the tyrants and wholly destroyed the demons= strengthless presumption. O Christ our God, by his prayers, save our souls, since Thou art merciful.

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 Theotokos: O undisputed intercessor of Christians, O mediatrix, who is unrejected by the Creator, turn not away from the voice of our petitions though we be sinners; come to us in time, who cry to thee in faith, for thou art good. Hasten to us with intercessions, O Theotokos, who didst ever intercede for those who honor thee.

CALENDAR

Sunday, July 8 (Sixth Sunday after Pentecost)

8:50 a.m. — Orthros

10:00 a.m. — Divine Liturgy

Monday, July 9

Father John’s Day Off

Tuesday, July 10

6:00 a.m. — Daily Orthros

Wednesday, July 11 (Euphemia the all-praised)

6:30 p.m. — Daily Vespers

7:15 p.m. — Choir Practice

Thursday, July 12

NO Daily Orthros

Friday, July 13

Saturday, July 14

10:00 a.m. — Ladies meet for Akathist

5:45 p.m. — Ninth Hour followed by Great Vespers

Sunday, July 15 (Holy Fathers of the Fourth Ecumenical Council)

8:50 a.m. — Orthros

10:00 a.m. — Divine Liturgy

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

Eucharist Bread …was offered by the Katools for the Divine Liturgy this morning.

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.

Eucharist Bread and Coffee Hour Schedule:

Eucharist Bread Coffee Hour

July 8 Katool POT LUCK MEAL

set-up: Algood/Jones/

Turner/Bowman

July 15 Schelver Ellis/Zouboukos/Waites

July 22 Morris R. Root/Habeeb/Pacurari

July 29 Jones Henderson/Lockhart/Alaeetawi

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#

July 8 Warren Strain Rom. 12:6-14 113

July 15 Mildred Morris Titus 3:8-15 322

July 22 Kh. Be’Be’ Schelver I Cor. 1:10-17 124

July 29 Sam Habeeb I Cor. 3:9-17 130

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 Chamblee; Aidan Milnor, the Milnor family; Sam and Lamia Dabit and Sammie; Mary Greene (Lee and Kh. Sharon’s sister); Fr. Stephen Tewfik; Lynda Costas; Fr. Nicholas, Kh. Jan and Angelina Speier; Peggy (David Turner’s paternal aunt) who is suffering from cancer and related complications; and David Morris and his family; Vernie Meadows, Fr. James and Kh. Sharon and their family; Walt and Charlotte Wood 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 keep Fr. John Morris and Kh. Cheryl in your prayers. They have both been ill recently.

Please take Note that there have been several car burglaries in our neighborhood recently. These involved cars that had been left unlocked. Please be sure that your car is locked in the parking lot.

Calendar Items:

* The Men of the parish meet for lunch and fellowship on the first Thursday of the month.

* The Ladies of St. Peter meet at 10:00 a.m. on the second Saturday of the month to pray the Akathist to the Mother of God, Nurturer of Children.

* The Ladies of the parish meet for lunch and fellowship on the last Tuesday of the month.

* Vacation Church School will be held July 19-21.

* His Grace, Bishop NICHOLAS will be visiting St. Peter November 2-6. Please mark your calendars now.

* V. Rev. Fr. John Oliver, the pastor of St. Elizabeth the New Martyr Orthodox Church in Murfreesboro, TN, will be the speaker for the annual Women’s Retreat on Saturday, November 10th. More information will be available in the near future.

Father John will be out of town July 12-21. He will be travelling to the Antiochian Village for the Clergy Symposium. If you need a priest during this time, please call Father Leo or Father James.

Fasting Discipline for July

The traditional fasting discipline (no meat, dairy, eggs, fish, wine or oil) is observed on all Wednesdays and Fridays of the month.

Major Commemorations for July

July 11 Euphemia the all-praised

July 17 Great-martyr Marina

July 20 Prophet Elias

July 25 Dormition of Righteous Anna

July 27 Great-martyr Panteleimon

Vacation Church School will be held July 19-21 this year. The theme will be “Feasts of the Theotokos”. Parents, please make a note of these dates. More information will be available soon.

Karen Cooper has requested to be relieved of her duties as Choir Director due to ongoing concerns with her health. Sh. Margaret Root has agreed to be the interim Choir Director. Many Thanks to Karen for her faithful service to our parish over the years! May God grant her Many Years!

If you are the last to leave, please make sure that the doors in the Fellowship Hall, the kitchen and the hallway are all locked.

For Parents: Children in the nursery during Coffee Hour MUST be supervised just as they are on the playground. This room is used for Sunday School each week. Children who are unsupervised create disarray and use materials set aside for the teaching of Christian Education. This creates extra work for the Sunday School teachers who have to come in and set the room in order before class or who find supplies depleted unexpectedly. A parent must be in the room with their children at all times. Please help us with this! — Fr. John

ead of ManHead of Maonasteries

Quotable: “Eastern asceticism aims at divesting the mind of all that is relative and transitory, so that man may identify with the impersonal Absolute. This Absolute is believed to be man’s original ‘nature’ which suffered degradation and degeneration by entering a multiform and ever-changing earth-bound life. Ascetic practice like this is, above all, centred upon the self, and is totally dependent on man’s will. Its intellectual character betrays the fullness of human nature, in that it takes no account of the heart. Man’s main struggle is to return to the anonymous Supra-personal Absolute and to be dissolved in it. He must therefore aspire to efface the soul (Atman) in order to be one with this anonymous ocean of the Supra-personal Absolute, and in this lies its basically negative purpose.”

Archimandrite Zacharias, The Hidden Man of the Heart

Worship: Sunday, July 15, 2018 (Holy Fathers of the Fourth Ecumenical Council)

Scripture: Titus 3:8-15; Matthew 5:14-19

Celebrant: Father John

Epistle Reader: Mildred Morris

Prosphora: Schelver

Coffee Hour: Ellis/Zouboukos/Waites