| | Weekly Dispatch, July 13th, 2022 |
|
|
| |  | | St. John's Schedule- Catechesis Hour – Sundays at 9:00am before Church
- Holy Eucharist – Sundays at 10:30am at Church and via Facebook
- Men’s Morning Prayer – Tuesdays at Variety’s at 7:30am
- Eagle and Child – Thursday, July 21st, at 7:00pm at the TBD
- Evening Prayer and Bible Study – Wednesday, July 20th at 6:30pm at the Spencer's
- Bishop Visit/Confirmations/Baptisms – Sunday, July 31st, at 10:30am
- Holy Eucharist and Parish Celebration – Sunday, August 7th, at 10:30am at the Archibald/Weaver Farm
| | A Message from Fr. Joe | 1 Behold, how good and joyful a thing it is *
when brethren dwell together in unity. |
2 It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, *
even Aaron’s beard, and went down to the edges of his clothing,
3 Like the dew of Hermon, *
which falls upon the hills of Zion.
4 For there the Lord promised his blessing, *
even life for evermore.
|
This is one of my absolute favorite psalms, and often reminds me of one of my favorite books, Life Together by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. The goodness and richness of unified community compared to this image of abundant oil and dew pouring out.
|
Some mornings, typically on Sunday, I put on some beard oil and can’t help but think of this psalm but also preparing myself to be with the people of God. My beard is probably not as epic as what Aaron’s beard was like, and I try to avoid getting oil on my clericals, but nonetheless in an ordinary way I am anticipating the goodness and joy of Christ bringing His Body together in worship. The same kind of goodness and joy is experienced when we fellowship with one another. In worship and fellowship, we are uniting ourselves to Christ and to one another.
|
What makes the Church a place of goodness and joy? I am reminded of St. Paul’s words to the Corinthian church in this morning’s Daily Office Lectionary. “If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.” Life is complex. It is filled with both suffering and joy. In this place, we embrace both and it becomes unified because we share in all the complexities of life and see our experiences together in Christ. We speak to each other’s suffering through Christ, and we celebrate in each other’s joys through Christ. It is not a perfect place, nor should we strive towards a perfect church. It is a place of grace, which ultimately meets us where we are. Sometimes we don’t always know a parishioner is suffering nor if there is joy, but we open ourselves to the other so that we might through grace suffer and rejoice with one another.
|
As you know, we will have a celebration for the Hollons but also for the wider parish and all that God is doing among us. I give more detail to the event below, but I want to emphasize the goodness of the Church coming together in worship and fellowship. We will have a unique day on August 7th where we can say with confidence, how good and joyful a thing it is when brethren (and sisters) dwell together in unity. Prepare yourself for such joyful unity and bring a friend or two. See you Sunday.
|
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:
|
PO BOX 36591, CANTON OH 44735
|
| | |
|
| Our Unexpected Samaritan by Fr. Joe |  | A message from the series "Sermons from Lectionary Texts." The Parable of the Good Samaritan might be one of the most well-known parables of Jesus, but who knows these days? In the context of the parable, Jesus is dismantling our impulse towards self-justification through an unexpected Samaritan who shows mercy for us in the ditch. And this is remarkably good news. Come and hear.
|
| |
|
|  | | Join us every first and third (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. We are about to begin reading Confessions by St. Augustine. This is a classic work of Christian spirituality and will make for great fellowship and discussion together! |
|
 | | 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. |
|
|
| | Evening Prayer and Bible Study In our summer flow of things, we will offer Evening Prayer/Bible Study/Fellowship to once a month in various parishioner’s homes. Our July gathering will be July 20th, 6:30pm, the location is at the Spencers'. If interested, please contact Fr. Joe or the Spencers for their address. Also, we will gather outside (weather permitting) please bring a chair if you have one. We will gather to pray Evening Prayer, discuss the appointed psalm(s) for the evening, and fellowship. All are welcome to attend.
|
| | Men’s Morning Prayer| Every Tuesday morning, 7:30am at Variety’s, the men are invited to pray Morning Prayer together. The prayers typically last for about 30 minutes, but guys are certainly encouraged to stick around for fellowship, coffee, and even some bacon. |
| | Parish Celebration| So many wonderful things have happened and is happening around St. John’s, and we want to celebrate it all! The birth of children, baptisms, upcoming confirmations, transitions in ministry, and a sense of hope for what’s to come. Alongside the Hollons farewell, we want to celebrate all that God is doing in our midst and we want everyone to be a part of it (and then some more!). As you know, August 7th will be this celebration at the Archibald/Weaver Farm at 10:30am. This will include our worship service and picnic to follow where everything is provided. If you would like to contribute in any way, you can bring a pie for our pie judging contest. The Archibald’s have also graciously opened their property the evening prior for those who would like to camp out and spend the night (tents not provided). |
| | Summer Catechesis We are starting a whole new summer catechetical focus for adults and children. Adults will prayerfully and thoughtfully engage the Canticles of the Prayer Book. Each week we will study specific canticles in their place for prayer and their context in Holy Scripture. We also hope to learn how to sing some of them.
|
| Our children will hit the pause button on Gospel Play and begin a new summer curriculum called Storymakers. Each child will have their own booklet of activities and engagement with a biblical narrative. This summer we will focus on the Exodus. If you miss a week, you can totally bring your booklet home with you and engage at home or on vacation. |
| | How Can I Serve at St. John's? There are plenty of ways to serve at St. John’s and we would love for you to join in on what God is doing in the church. Below you can see all the different ways to serve. No special skills required, simply a willingness to learn and grow in service.
|
| Acolyte Ministry – Carrying the cross, assisting at the table, and learning more about the Anglican Way. |
Altar Guild – Preparing the Lord’s Table for Holy Communion before the service and developing a sense of holiness in worship.
Readers – Approaching God’s Word with boldness and declaring it to the people.
Hospitality – Providing food, setting up and cleaning up the area, and making space for all people to feel welcome and belong. We also hold special events throughout the Church calendar preparing feasts together.
Gospel Play – Experience catechesis with our children with interactive materials enhancing biblical narratives within the liturgical calendar. It is a lot of fun!
Ushers/Greeters – Welcome people as they come to church, especially newcomers, handing out bulletins, and passing the plates for the offering. |
| Music – We would love to expand our music ministry with your various gifts. Do you play an instrument? Are you a gifted singer? Come join the team! |
We hope to develop these ministries with more lay leadership. In the meantime you can contact Fr. Joe, Dcn. Chad, or Maggie if you interested in participating or even taking leadership in these various ministries. |
| | 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 |
| |
|
| Connect with Us on Social Media | |    | |
|
|
| |
|
