Parish Life

5/3 announcements

May 3, 2015

Sunday of the Paralytic

In the miracle of the healing of the paralytic at the pool of Bethesda, we see the Son's power over life and sin, power which becomes fully evident in the Resurrection. The paralytic is a man crippled in body and spirit, for, even as He heals the body, Jesus warns against results of further sin. Christ frees us from our bodies of corruption and grants us flesh glorified in Him; He also frees us from the power of sin and grants us perfection in His Spirit. As the man at the pool accepted God's grace and found life, so let us walk in His light and come into His presence.

Acts 9:32-42: Empowered by the Holy Spirit, St Peter heals a paralyzed man and raises a woman from the dead; both acts lead to many people believing in the Lord.

John 5:1-15: Jesus demonstrates His lordship over creation and the Sabbath when He heals a sick man at the pool of Bethsaida.

Troparion of the Resurrection: Let the heavens rejoice and the earth be glad; for the Lord hath done a mighty act with his own arm. He hath trampled down death and become the First-born from the dead. He hath delivered us from the depths of hades, granting the world the Great Mercy.

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 Pascha: When Thou didst descend into the grave, O Immortal, Thou didst destroy the power of Hades. In victory didst Thou arise, O Christ God, proclaiming ARejoice@ to the myrrh-bearing women, granting peace to Thine apostles and bestowing resurrection on the fallen.

CALENDAR

Sunday, May 3 (Sunday of the Paralytic)

8:50 a.m. -- Orthros

9:00 a.m. -- Christian Education

10:00 a.m. -- Divine Liturgy

5:30 p.m. -- Young Adults

Monday, May 4

Office Closed -- Father John's Day Off

Tuesday, May 5

6:00 a.m. -- Daily Orthros

11:30 a.m. -- Ladies Lunch at Sambra (Rescheduled from last week)

Wednesday, May 6

6:30 p.m. -- Daily Vespers

7:30 p.m. -- Choir Practice

Thursday, May 7

11:30 a.m. -- Men's Lunch

Friday, May 8 (Apostle John the Theologian)

Saturday, May 9

10:00 a.m. -- Ladies meet for Akathist

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

Sunday, May 10 (Sunday of the Samaritan Woman)

8:50 a.m. -- Orthros

9:00 a.m. -- Christian Education

10:00 a.m. -- Divine Liturgy

12:00 p.m. -- Pot Luck Meal honoring High School Graduate Tiffany Strain

5:30 p.m. -- Youth Group

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

Eucharist Bread …was offered by the Algoods for the Divine Liturgy today.

Eucharist Bread and Coffee Hour Schedule:

Eucharist Bread Coffee Hour

May 3 Algood Ellis/Zouboukos/Fahmy

May 10 Katool POT LUCK MEAL

(set-up: Pigott/Dabit/Strain)

May 17 Schelver Skirtech/Skirtech/Parker

May 20 (Wed. pm) Morris Kh. Janet Henderson

(Feast of the Ascension) Mary Guy Lockhart

May 24 Jones D. Root/Dansereau

May 30 (Sat. am) Meadows Brittany Salisbury

(Saturday of the Souls) Koliva:

May 31 Davis POT LUCK MEAL

(Feast of Pentecost) (Set-up: Elizabeth Root

Brittany Salisbury)

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.

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#

May 3 David Turner Acts 9:32-42 45

May 10 Mildred Morris Acts 11:19-30 52

May 17 Phillip Lasseter Acts 16:16-34 58

May 20 (Wed. pm) Kh. Be'Be' Schelver Acts 1:1-12 63

May 24 Brenda Baker Acts 20:16-18, 28-36 66

May 30 (Sat. am) David Turner Acts 28:1-31 72

May 31 Tom Willingham Acts 2:1-11 77

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 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 continue to pray for the health of His Grace, Bishop ANTOUN.

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.

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

Vivian Haddad from Holy Resurrection Orthodox Church in Clinton is at home again, having been hospitalized earlier with a stroke. She and her husband Charles have been dear friends of many here at St. Peter. Please keep them and their family in your prayers.

Parish Life Conference 2015: This year St. Ignatius Orthodox Church in Franklin, TN will be hosting the Parish Life Conference for our Diocese on June 10-14. His Grace, Bishop JOHN Abdallah will be the speaker. Registration forms are available in the office or you can go online at www.saint-ignatius.org to register. The Conference will take place at the Franklin Marriott Cool Springs and the last day to book the special conference rate is May 20^th.

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 the 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.

* We will be serving at the Stewpot on Saturday, May 23^rd, along with members of Holy Resurrection and Holy Trinity/St. John the Theologian Orthodox Churches.

* Vacation Church School will be held Thursday, July 2^nd through Saturday, July 4^th.

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, May 3^rd and 17^th.

Our Pot Luck Meal on May 10^th will also be our Special Coffee Hour to honor Tiffany Strain our graduating High School Senior!

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).

Fasting Discipline for May

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

Major Commemorations for May

May 3 Sunday of the Paralytic

May 8 Apostle John the Theologian

May 10 Apostle Simon the Zealot

Sunday of the Samaritan Woman

May 17 Sunday of the Blindman

May 21 Feast of Ascension

Sts Constantine and Helen

May 24 Sunday of the holy Fathers of Nicea

May 25 The Forerunner (3^rd Discovery)

May 30 Saturday of the Souls

May 31 Feast of Pentecost

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.

Happy Birthdays in May:

May 5 -- Dale Cooper

-- Joanna Davis

May 7 -- Tiffany Strain (#18!)

May 8 -- Kh. Janet Henderson

May 10 -- Fr. Leo Schelver

May 11 -- Meghan Brock

May 15 -- Tom Skirtech

May 21 -- Jacob Skirtech (#8!)

May 24 -- Paul Katool

-- Daniel Root

May 26 -- David Turner

-- Julian Dabit (#3!)

May 27 -- Luke Habeeb (#10!)

May 30 -- Dn. Terry Algood

May 31 -- Stephen Chamblee

Happy Anniversaries in May:

May 12 -- Cliff and Anna Kathryn Stewart (#8!)

May 19 -- Jay and Joanna Davis (#3!)

May 25 -- Nicholas and Carrie Henderson (#1!)

May 30 -- Tom and Jennifer Skirtech (#38!)

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: "How Should We Conduct Ourselves in the Morning?

In the morning, conduct yourself in the following manner:

2. If the time at which you woke is the time at which or near which you should get up, then without any delay say, 'In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,' while making the sign of the cross. And then, 'Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner."

How to Live a Holy Life by Metropolitan GREGORY of

St. Petersburg

Worship: Sunday, May 10, 2015 (Sunday of the Samaritan Woman)

Scripture: Acts 9:32-42; John 5:1-15

Celebrant: Father John

Epistle Reader: Mildred Morris

Prosphora: Katool

Coffee Hour: POT LUCK MEAL honoring Tiffany Strain

(set-up: Pigott/Dabit/Strain)

posted by Daniel Root at 9:43 AM Parish Life

Homily for April 26, 2015

Here is the homily for April 26, 2015

posted by Daniel Root at 7:19 PM Parish Life

4/26 announcements

April 26, 2015

Sunday of the Holy Myrrh-bearers

About the beginning of His thirty-second year, when our Lord was going throughout Galilee, preaching and working miracles, many women who had received of His beneficence left their homeland and from then on followed after Him. They ministered unto Him out of their own possessions, even until His crucifixion and entombment; and afterwards, neither losing faith in Him after His death, nor fearing the wrath of the Jewish rulers, they came to His sepulcher, bearing the myrrh-oils they had prepared to anoint His body. It is because of the myrrh-oils that these God-loving women brought to the tomb that they are called the Myrrh-bearers. Of those whose names are known are the following: first of all the most holy Virgin Mary, who in Matthew 27:56 and Mark 15:40 is called Athe mother of James and Joses@ (these are the sons of Joseph by a previous marriage, and she was therefore their step-mother); Mary Magdalene; Mary, the wife of Cleopas; Joanna, wife of Chouza, a steward of Herod Antipas; Salome, the mother of the sons of Zebedee; Mary and Martha, the sisters of Lazarus; and Susanna. As for the names of the rest of them, the evangelists have kept silence.

On this day we also make commemoration of Joseph of Arimathea, who was a secret disciple, and also of Nicodemus, who was a disciple by night. Joseph went boldly to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus, and together with Nicodemus, he gave Him burial out of reverence and love.

Acts 6:1-7: In the reading from Acts we see the establishment of the office of diaconate as an order of Church government with a purpose of serving the people and caring for their needs.

Mark 15:43-16:8: St Mark describes how Joseph of Arimathea claims the body of our Lord from Pilate to place it in his own tomb. On the third day, the three women learn from an angel that the Lord has risen from the dead.

Troparion of the Resurrection: When thou, O immortal Life, didst humble thyself unto death, then didst thou destroy death by the brightness of thy Godhead; and when thou didst raise the bowels of the earth, then all the heavenly powers exclaimed, O Christ, thou art the Giver of life! Glory to thee, O our God!

Troparia of the Holy Myrrh-Bearers: The pious Joseph, having brought down thy pure body from the Tree, wrapped it in fine linen, embalmed it with ointment, provided for it, and laid it in a new tomb. But thou didst truly rise, after three days, O Lord, granting the world the Great Mercy.

Verily, the angel came to the tomb and said to the ointment-bearing women, The ointment is meet for the dead, but Christ is shown to be remote from corruption. But cry ye, The Lord is risen, granting the world the Great Mercy.

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 Pascha: When Thou didst descend into the grave, O Immortal, Thou didst destroy the power of Hades. In victory didst Thou arise, O Christ God, proclaiming ARejoice@ to the myrrh-bearing women, granting peace to Thine apostles and bestowing resurrection on the fallen.

CALENDAR

Sunday, April 26 (Sunday of the Holy Myrrh-bearers)

8:50 a.m. -- Orthros

9:00 a.m. -- Christian Education

10:00 a.m. -- Divine Liturgy

5:30 p.m. -- Youth Group

Monday, April 27

Office Closed -- Father John's Day Off

Tuesday, April 28

6:00 a.m. -- Daily Orthros

11:30 a.m. -- Ladies Lunch

Wednesday, April 29

6:30 p.m. -- Daily Vespers

7:30 p.m. -- Choir Practice

Thursday, April 30

Friday, May 1

Saturday, May 2 (Athanasios the Great)

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

Sunday, May 3 (Sunday of the Paralytic)

8:50 a.m. -- Orthros

9:00 a.m. -- Christian Education

10:00 a.m. -- Divine Liturgy

5:30 p.m. -- Young Adults

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

Eucharist Bread …was offered by the Hendersons for the Divine Liturgy today.

Eucharist Bread and Coffee Hour Schedule:

Eucharist Bread Coffee Hour

April 26 Henderson Karam/Stewart/Meadows

May 3 Algood Ellis/Zouboukos/Fahmy

May 10 Katool POT LUCK MEAL

(set-up: Pigott/Dabit/Strain)

May 17 Schelver Skirtech/Skirtech/Parker

May 20 (Wed. pm) Morris Kh. Janet Henderson

(Feast of the Ascension) Mary Guy Lockhart

May 24 Jones D. Root/Dansereau

May 30 (Sat. am) Meadows Brittany Salisbury

(Saturday of the Souls) Koliva:

May 31 Davis POT LUCK MEAL

(Feast of Pentecost) (Set-up: Elizabeth Root

Brittany Salisbury)

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.

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#

April 26 Warren Strain Acts 6:1-7 38