| | Weekly Dispatch, October 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 Facebook
- Men’s Morning Prayer – Tuesdays at Variety’s at 7:30am
- Choristers/Bible Study/Evening Prayer – Wednesdays at 6:30pm at Church
- Eagle and Child – Thursday, October 6th, at 7:00pm at the Semelsberger's
- Parent’s Night Out – Friday, October 14th, at 6:00pm-9:00pm at Church
- Newcomers and Interested in Membership Lunch – Sunday, October 23rd, at 1:30pm at Fr. Joe’s
- Trunk or Treat – Sunday, October 30th, TBD
| | A Message from Fr. Joe |
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| | October is hands down the best month ever. Yes, this is objectively true. It’s not too hot nor cold. The colors of creation are expressing itself, the best food and beverages are coming out, you can get cozy in a sweater and enjoy a fire, football season is in the air, and at the end of the month you can get free candy! So yes, it is the best month ever. |
For many, including myself, it is a rather full month. The busyness and the filling up of the calendar becomes the normal, and it doesn’t feel like it will stop. Perhaps you don’t have much time to read this dispatch. I’ll be quick.
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My encouragement to you in your own busyness is to hear again the comfortable word from our Lord Jesus Christ; Come to me, all you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Such a word of comfort from Jesus is an invitation to simply come to Him, and when we come to Him, He provides rest.
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What does this rest look like? To the weary soul, you might be expecting another list or another “something” to add to your calendar. Didn’t you know the ten secrets to being more restful? (insert sarcasm). When Martin Luther was faced with a weightier schedule, he famously said, “I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer!” Granted he was a monastic, but his response to busyness was to prayer. Typically, the busy person or one who feels overwhelmed does not naturally go to prayer. They perhaps feel it adds one more thing to the list. However, when we pray, no matter the length, we are recognizing the presence of Jesus in our lives.
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While I love the daily office and think it should be a wondrous rhythm to our week, simple prayers might be even more effective in our weariness. Whenever you take a deep sigh because you are so weary, simply say, Lord, have mercy, Christ have mercy, Lord, have mercy. You are coming to Jesus, and even in your breaths, His rest can meet you there. Remember the cries of the disciples last Sunday? They said, increase our faith! Yet Jesus responds with the welcome of faith like a mustard seed. The faith of weakness becomes the most powerful. This is the kind of faith in these prayers.
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Finally, I am reminded from Hebrews of the interesting exhortation to “strive to enter such rest.” Sounds backwards, right? But the striving towards rest is to move towards the living waters and the green pastures. It is to go to the places where you will receive the bread of life. Jesus’ invitation to come to Him is to go to the places where He is to be found. Where is He? He comes to us in the Word, He inhabits the prayers and praises of His people, He is among the poor and needy, and His real presence is with us in the breaking of the bread. He’s always with His Church. The invitation is always simply to come, and the promise is that He will meet you there.
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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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| Increase our faith! by Fr. Joe |  | A message from the series "Sermons from Lectionary Texts." This past Sunday the most obvious theme from the readings was faith. What does faith look like when we feel like everything is falling apart? How can faith be strengthened in a faith community? And what might be surprising about the nature of faith from the teachings of Jesus? Come and see.
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|  | | 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 reading Confessions by St. Augustine. This is a classic work of Christian spirituality and will make for great fellowship and discussion together! |
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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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| | Interested in membership at St. John’s?| Perhaps you have worshiped at St. John’s, and even participated in a variety of events or fellowship opportunities, and you are discerning if you are called to membership in the local church. What would that look like? What is the benefit of membership? What can I expect? If you would like to explore membership and other questions you might have, Fr. Joe is hosting a fellowship lunch at his house on October 23rd after church. There is no pressure, but simply an invitation to ask questions, discern the Lord’s calling for yourself, and learning more about St. John’s. Please RSVP by October 20th by emailing Fr. Joe. |
| | Seeking Confirmation? What’s That About?| Every year we offer a catechetical instruction for those seeking confirmation. What is confirmation, and who is it for? Confirmation is a practice we draw from the book of Acts. We witness the apostles laying their hands upon baptized Christians praying for the Holy Spirit to empower them within the life of the Church. As more infants were being baptized, this practice became more for older children to publicly profess their faith and reaffirming their baptismal identity within the Church. We continue such a practice for our children, but also for those seeking to further confirm their sense of calling to the local and wider Church. We believe confirmation connects us to the broader church and apostolic faith through the laying on of hands by the bishop, but chiefly we trust the Holy Spirit is renewing His people in their commitment to the Church and her mission. If you would like more information on confirmation and would like to discuss further, please contact Fr. Joe. |
| | Fall Cetechesis (Adult, Youth and Children) Sunday Catechesis begins a new series for all ages on Sept. 18th. For the adults, we will focus on praying the biblical narrative of Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Consummation. It will include sharpening our biblical theology with various texts, and also imagining how the Scriptures can form our prayers with the various collects of the Prayer Book to be our guide.
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Youth (ages 11/12-18) are invited to their own catechesis upstairs in the Vestry room. Similar to the adults, they will engage the biblical narrative giving them a framework for reading the Bible. We hope this can be a ministry we can grow and develop over time.
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| On the same date, our young children will return to their catechetical formation of Gospel Play. This is an interactive approach where we are helping our children catch the Gospel throughout the biblical narrative and experience it through the Church calendar. |
| | Choristers/Adult Bible Study/Evening Prayer| We are very excited to announce the beginning of a new ministry with our children along with a new Wednesday night pattern! Our children will begin their own choir aka choristers. Alyssa and Karen will be the leaders of this ministry. The adults will have an informal book study discussing the classic work Life Together by Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and the night will conclude with Evening Prayer together. This new “rule of life” group will begin on Wednesday, Sept. 21st and continue every Wednesday at 6:30pm at the church. If you have any questions, please contact Alyssa or Karen. |
| | Music in the Community! October 23, 4 pm at St. John’s Anglican in N. Canton
Our fall Keys to Artistry student recital!
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November 6, 3 pm at University of Mount Union’s Presser Recital Hall (in the Giese Center for Performing Arts)
Piano Keys: Maira’s Mount Union university students are joined by our advanced Keys to Artistry students for a fall celebration!
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November 13, 4 pm at St. John’s Anglican in N. Canton
Eric and Claire play an intermediate piano recital. Come hear this talented young sibling duo play music of contemporary composers as well as Haydn, Chopin, and more!
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December 18, 4 pm at St. John’s Anglican in N. Canton
Our Winter Keys to Artistry student recital! Enjoy holiday favorites and other special music. |
| | 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. |
| | 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.
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| 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. |
| | 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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