| | Weekly Dispatch, January 5th, 2022 |
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| |  | | St. John's Schedule- Catechesis Hour - Sundays at 9:00am before Church
- Holy Eucharist - Sundays at 10:30am at Church and via Zoom
- Evening Prayer - Wednesdays at 6:30pm at Church
- The Feast of the Epiphany – Thursday, January 6th, at 5:30pm at Church
- Vision Charette – Sunday, January 23rd, after Church (lunch provided)
- Vestry Meeting - Thursday, February 10th, 6:00pm at Church
- Annual Meeting - Sunday, February 20th, after Church
| | A Message from Fr. Joe | This Thursday marks the beginning of a whole new season in the life of the Church. In Advent, we waited and longed for our coming Messiah. We prepared through prayer, repentance, and hearing/singing from the Scriptures of His arrival. In Christmas, we were met with His first Advent where we heard the songs of angels of our Savior born into the world. Now that He has arrived, His light shines out to the nations where He is drawing all peoples to Himself. This is what the season of Epiphany is all about, and it begins with the Feast of the Epiphany. On January 6th, we recognize the manifestation of the Christ child to the Magi or Wise Men. (Please come to celebrate the feast with dinner provided and a special service afterwards. We will gather at 5:30pm.)
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As Paul states in Ephesians, this is the mystery of the Gospel revealed. Hence the word “epiphany” or “revelation.” Christ is revealing Himself not just to Israel, but to pagan magicians (magician comes from the word “Magi”). In other words, one would think Christ is revealing Himself to all the wrong kinds of people. Even people like you and me. Yet this is the great surprise of the Gospel. God doesn’t justify the righteous, but the ungodly. Throughout Epiphany we are going to see how Christ, the light of the world, is revealing Himself to all people.
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Every first Sunday of Epiphany is the Baptism of our Lord. It is appropriate to have baptisms on this day, but also to remember our own baptism. In this service, we will take the time to renew our baptismal vows and recall the saving promises of God communicated to us in our baptism. As we renew our baptismal vows, I pray the Holy Spirit will deepen your sense of belonging to Him, to His Church, and our common mission to make Christ known to all people. May this new year open us to new possibilities and wider visioning of the Gospel moving forward at St. John’s. See you Sunday.
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If you would like to support St. John's during this time, you can give online by clicking the button below. You may also send a check to the following address:
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PO BOX 36591, CANTON OH 44735
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| Christmas Hope by Deacon Chad Sanner |  | A message from the series "Sermons from Lectionary Texts." In this weekend's sermon, our deacon Chad Sanner picked up on the theme of the hope of Christ in this Christmas season, bringing together the fulfillment of Israel's hope in Christ, and our present hope for his return which truly are one and the same.
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|  | | Join us every second and fourth (usually) Thursday night for our Eagle and Child reading group! This is a group that meets to discuss and apply classic works in Christian theology from the likes of Lewis, Augustine, Bonhoeffer, and other important authors. Currently, we are reading The Love of Wisdom by Andrew Davison to discuss the history of philosophy as it relates to Christian theology and practice. |
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 | | Cana Vox is a discussion group that meets every other Friday where those, married or unmarried, who support a classical understanding of marriage can explore the controversial issues in a calm, deliberative setting that is not subject to the hostilities often found in today's public discourse on the topic. We seek to discuss thoughtful and gospel-oriented responses to the confusion surrounding marriage in our culture. |
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| | Feast of the Epiphany – RSVP PLEASE We are looking forward to keeping the feast for the Epiphany: the manifestation of Christ to the Magi. We will begin the feast with a provided meal at 5:30pm followed by a simple and special service of Holy Communion at 6:30pm. Three households are providing each course of food, which means you do not need to bring anything! However, please RSVP to Fr. Joe as soon as possible with a confirmed count. Let us keep the feast!
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| | Feast of the Epiphany We will resume catechesis every Sunday with a new focus throughout the season of Epiphany. The focus will be on the creeds of the Church. What are we professing every week and why does it matter? If you are looking to become a member at St. John’s and discerning towards confirmation, please attend this special catechesis.
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| We begin at 9am and the coffee is always on. Our children will also begin a new catechetical curriculum called Gospel Play. It is highly interactive, practical, and engaging children with the Gospel message revealed throughout Scripture and communicated in the seasons of the Church. This Sunday we will look at the gifts of the Magi and then focus on the parables of Jesus throughout Epiphany. We are in high need of volunteers to assist. If interested, please see Maggie or Fr. Joe. We are currently planning on a future training day so be on the lookout for that upcoming date. |
| | Evening Prayer| Beginning on January 12th, we resume our practice of Evening Prayer at the church every Wednesday at 6:30pm. In addition to Evening Prayer, we will practice Lectio Divina or divine reading. This practice involves repetition and prayerful reflection on Holy Scripture. Our focus will be on various passages from the Gospel of Luke. Please bring a Bible and/or journal and writing utensil. |
| | Vision Charette| Time goes by fast, and we want to make sure everyone can make it for this epic gathering of God’s people. As we move forward together in ministry, it is helpful for God’s people to gather around a common vision together to remind ourselves of who we are, where we are going, and how we are going to get there. To that end, we will have a vision charette on January 23rd after church with lunch provided. This vision charette includes all ages to participate where we are invited to dream where the Lord might lead us as a church. Our discussions will orient around our identity and values, but even more importantly we will discuss where are we going with a sense of clarity and vision for the future. Please mark your calendars and plan on attending this wonderful opportunity to dream together. The more people the better for such an event. |
| | Interested in Becoming a Member of St. John’s?| Fr. Joe would love to take you out for coffee discussing your interest in becoming a member at St. John’s Anglican Church. Membership is wonderful step forward in affirming your sense of calling to the local and even wider church. If you have any interest in becoming a member or seeking discernment of membership, please reach out to Fr. Joe. |
| | The Daily Office| Interested in a simple way to pray the daily office from the Book of Common Prayer? Follow this link for text and audio versions of the morning, noon, and evening prayer services taken directly from the 2019 ACNA BCP. |
| | Contact Fr. Joe
| I am here for you. If you would like to grab some coffee or other beverages, or would like a home visit, please don’t hesitate to contact me at: frjoe@stjohnscanton.org |
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