In Dialogue with Jesus (sermon) March 30, 2014

Sermon – March 30, 2014
The Rev. Rebecca S. Myers, CSW
St. John’s Episcopal Church, Corbin, KY
Fourth Sunday in Lent

I have told you already, and you would not listen. John 9:27

Please be seated.

The physical act of seeing is a tricky thing.  When I was on the School Board in Harrisburg, a man came to give us a presentation about quality improvement.  Part of the presentation was a movie.  I can’t remember the name of the movie, but I have never forgotten one of the parts of that movie.  It showed a person dealing cards very quickly.  The action happened twice and we were told to look very carefully.  It was just a hand dealing cards.  Then they slowed down the action and it turned out all of the colors of each suit were reversed, so the hearts and diamonds were black and the spades and clubs were red!  It was astounding to know that I refused to see the reality, because it conflicted with all of my experience and belief. 

We see that in our Gospel story today, don’t we?  Jesus challenges the worldview of an entire community by healing a man who was blind from birth.  The people in the town have a difficult time accepting this miracle.  It does not fit in with what they know.  It conflicts with their experience and belief.  Instead of rejoicing with the man, they debate and work hard to deny what has occurred. 

Yesterday, a group of us gathered in the parish hall for training on Ministry Support Teams.  These are teams set up in Network parishes to support the Priest-in-Charge.  People and priests from Emanuel, Winchester and St. Mary’s, Middlesboro were also at the training.  One piece of the training was about the difference between debate and dialogue.   

Now, just in the words, there is a fundamental difference.  The word “debate” comes from a French word meaning to fight or to beat down.  Dialogue goes back to Latin and Greek meaning to “speak through” or “through words.” 

The goal of debate is to win against your opponent.  In a debate, when you listen, it is only to counter what the other person says, to find the weakness in the argument, especially so you can discount and devalue it.  In debate, you make assumptions about another person’s experience and motivations.  At the very beginning of the Gospel, the disciples, speaking in the worldview of their time, ask Jesus, “who sinned, this man or his parents….?”  The assumption was that sin was the cause of the man’s blindness.  Because Jesus healed on the Sabbath, some discounted the healing, saying it was not from God.

In debate you ask questions to trip up your opponent or confuse them on the issue.  This happened to Jesus a lot.  In debate, you interrupt the other speaker or change the subject.  You are not concerned about the person, but only about your next point.  You deny the other person’s experience, saying it is distorted or invalid.  Look at our story today where people continually ask the man who had been blind how he was healed.  He had to keep telling them the story.  His parents were called in to authenticate his identity.  When the man insists on what occurred…on his experience, they drive him out of the town. 

Why do we insist on debate, instead of dialogue?  Kathryn Schulz studied why we as humans insist that our way of looking at things is right…why we have such trouble admitting when we are wrong.  She wrote a book, Being Wrong.  She also has a TED talk online.  One of the things she says is that early in life, we internalize that “getting something wrong means there’s something wrong with us. So we just insist that we’re right, because it makes us feel smart and responsible and virtuous and safe.”  (http://www.ted.com/talks/kathryn_schulz_on_being_wrong/transcript)  She says we live in this “tiny, terrified space of rightness.”  Our love of debate is about being in this “tiny, terrified space of rightness.” 

Where we need to be, and truly where we have tremendous capacity to be…where Jesus calls us to be…is in dialogue.  The goal of dialogue is an increased understanding of ourselves and of others.  When we listen, we’re trying to understand the other person.  We listen for strengths to affirm the other person and to learn.  We speak from our own experience and understanding, rather than from the assumptions we’ve made about others.  We ask questions to increase understanding.  We allow others to complete their communications.  We concentrate on the other person’s words and feelings.  We accept others’ experiences as real and valid for them.  We respect and are open to how the other person expresses their real feelings and how we express our feelings as a way of understanding and catharsis.

In our Gospel today, the man who had been blind is engaging in dialogue, while those around him are engaging in debate.  The man’s experience is so powerful, he is thrust out of the “tiny, terrified space of rightness,” probably the space he had been living in, to a new place.  That’s the power of dialogue.  Dialogue can transform us.  Dialogue makes us grow.  Dialogue changes everyone who is involved in the discussion.  It opens us up. 

In dialogue we honor our own experiences as valid; we trust others to respect our differences; we trust ourselves to be able to hear different points of view; we open ourselves up to the pain of others, as well as the pain we feel ourselves; we see Christ in others. 

When we are in dialogue, we can grow.  We can agree to disagree – to know that we can look at the same facts or situation and come to different conclusions or slightly different places, yet still be in community together…to still be in communion with each other.

That’s what Jesus asks.  We come with our assumptions about life.  With the way things are supposed to be and Jesus says, “consider this.”  Look at the world in a new way.  Don’t debate me, but be in dialogue with me…in connection with me, he pleads.  The man who was blind remains in dialogue with Jesus.  He is open.  Jesus asks him whether he believes in the Son of Man and the man who had been blind, asks a question to learn more.  Receiving an answer, he professes his belief. 

In Ephesians, the writer provides us with the fruits of dialogue, “but now in the Lord you are light.”  We are light to the world.  When we can leave debate behind and engage in dialogue, we are transformed and live as children of the light.

Amen

 

 

 

 

 

This Sunday (March 30) at St. John’s

Live as children of light– for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true.  Ephesians 5:8-9

Do you live as a child of the light?  It sounds so easy, doesn’t it?  It sounds so freeing.  Yet as we live our lives, we find we are plagued by fears and worries…things that snuff out the light.  Things that pull us away from the light of Jesus, God and the Holy Spirit.

What helps you relieve your fears and worries?  This Sunday our Psalm is a favorite or at least one oft heard, Psalm 23, The Lord is my Shepherd.  Reading or saying the Psalms and especially this one often helps relieve our fears.  Sometimes there are hymns or fragments of hymns that calm us and center us back in God.  Prayer is another practice.  Fellowship with each other can provide us with shoulders to lean on and ears to listen to us.

Live as a child of the light and you will experience all that is good and right and true.

Blessings as you finish your week!

Love, Rebecca+

Bulletin 03-30-2014

News & Notes

Rebecca’s Schedule: Next week, Rebecca will be Corbin on Thursday, April 3 and her Sabbath day will be Friday, April 4.  You can get a message to Rebecca by calling 859 -429-1659 or priest-in-charge@stjohnscorbin.org.

Living Compass:

This Sunday at 10:15, and Wednesday (April 2) at 4:00, we continue our series on Living Compass Adult Faith and Wellness, with a session on Systemic Dynamics & Growth:  forming, storming, performing.

Next Sunday (April 6) at 10:15, and Wednesday (April 9) at 4:00, we continue our series on Living Compass Adult Faith and Wellness, with our last session on All Shall be Well. You can find more information about the program, including the Living Compass Assessment at  http://www.livingcompass.org/adult/program.html/

Pot Luck Sunday:  Please join us in the Parish Hall following today’s service for fun (including four square) and fellowship as we partake of a pot luck meal.  All are welcome! 

Passion Play:  First Baptist Church London presents their annual Passion Play April 13 (10am), 14, 15, 17 (7pm).  Call 606-864-4194 for free tickets.  Billy Hibbitts and Amber Pearce are singing in this production.

Altar Guild:  The Altar Guild invites you to attend a meeting, Saturday, April 5, 9am – Noon.  Learn more about this important ministry and how you can assist.  Extra assistance is needed for Holy Week. 

Flowers for the altar:  Donations are being accepted for Easter Flowers until April 13.  Envelopes are available.  Mark whether this is in memoriam or in honor of someone.

Support the Diocesan Ministries online on April 9, as part of Kentucky Gives Day.  Reading Camp, Cathedral Domain and St. Agnes’ House are participating in the Commonwealth-wide online giving day, Kentucky Gives.  Go to http://kygives.razoo.com/story/Episcopal-Diocese-Of-Lexington and give to one or to all three ministries.

Belk Charity Sales Day:  The Belk Charity Sales Day will be Saturday, May 3rd from 6:00am to 10:00am.  Ticket may be purchased for $5 tickets from our ECW, which allow you entrance to the sale and $5 off your purchase.  We are trying to sell 100 tickets, which provides $500 for the church and tremendous savings for you!

We’re buying goats!  The Lazarus at the Gates Adult Forum study has prompted us to purchase goats through Episcopal Relief and Development for families in the Philippines.  Goats provide milk, cheese, and manure for farming.  Donations towards the $80 purchase of each goat can be made through the goat bank in the parish hall or in the offering plate clearly marked ERD goat project.

Palm Sunday Service:  Plan to attend a community-wide Palm Sunday Service, Sunday afternoon, April 13, Grace on the Hill.  The service is sponsored by the Southeast Kentucky Ministerial Alliance and Rebecca will be preaching

Godly Play:  There will be Godly Play classes this Sunday.  If you are interested in assisting with these classes on an occasional basis, please let Anne Day Davis or Dura Anne Price know.  You will observe the classes for 4 sessions and once you have received this training, you may be called upon to assist as you are available.  Let the children deepen your faith!

Hymn Selection Group If you’d like to choose hymns for services, join this group.  You will choose hymns for an upcoming service and then meet with the entire group to confirm the final selections.  See Billy Hibbitts if you are interested.

Are you interested in assisting with the Sunday service?  Readers, Eucharistic Ministers, Crucifers, Altar Guild Members and choir members are all important for each Sunday service.  If you’re interested in serving, please let Rebecca know by phone 859-429-1659 or priest-in-charge@stjohnscorbin.org.

Serving Our Neighbors – See baskets in the parlor.

  • Everlasting Arms, Corbin’s shelter for people who are homeless, is in need of men’s and women’s razors, gloves, deodorant and socks.
  • The Food Pantry at Corbin Presbyterian Church is always in need of nonperishable food items.  Vegetables are especially appreciated.

 

 

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Being Seen by Jesus (Sermon) March 23, 2016

Sermon – March 23, 2014
The Rev. Rebecca S. Myers, CSW
St. John’s Episcopal Church, Corbin, KY
Third Sunday in Lent

 “Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done!” John 4:29

Please be seated.

I have talked before about the brief part of my social work career when I was a therapist.  I provided individual therapy for people who had traumatic brain injuries or TBIs.  For the most part, the people had been in rehab and were living independently; however, they often required support or some additional assistance in living with their injury. 

One man, Doug, was in our program because of anger issues, a known result of TBIs.  This man had tried to attack another man at work one day and the diagnosis was inability to control his anger due to his brain injury.  However, over a period of time, I learned that this man was extremely sensitive to people.  He could see people deeply.  He had developed a very low tolerance for people who lied to him.  He felt unsafe when someone was not authentic.  He was afraid he would be harmed.  What appeared to be unjustified aggression to others, was actually his way of protecting himself. 

At the time I was doing this work in North Carolina, I was going through a difficult time in my life.  I was grieving so many things, including the end of a marriage.  One of the ways I expressed my grief was by tears and many mornings, I would have a good cry session before I left for work.  No one at work ever seemed to notice, as I’d walk in with my cheery smile and “how are yous?” 

One morning, Doug was my first client.  He walked in my office, sat down, looked at me, and immediately said, “You’ve been crying.”  Uh, Oh, what was I to do?  I didn’t want him to start obsessing on what was causing me to cry.  I was supposed to be professional and there were professional boundaries to uphold, after all.  Yet, lying to him would destroy trust and he would feel unsafe.  I told him the truth that I was crying and after a few minutes of him expressing sadness that I could be in distress, we were able to move on.

Have you had experiences like that?  Experiences of being seen deeply?  Of not being able to hide?

In today’s Gospel, Jesus sees the Samaritan woman.  In doing so, we have a model for how to treat ourselves and a model for the church and how we treat each other and our neighbors.

First of all, Jesus dares to speak to a woman and a Samaritan woman at that.  This conversation between a man and a woman was usually not done.  The Samaritans and Jews were at odds with each other over religious practices and had little love for each other.  Jesus once again breaks the rules and focuses on relationship.

Secondly, the woman came alone to the well at noon, the hottest part of the day.  While women usually drew water for their families, they often came earlier in the day, when it was cooler.  In addition, they usually came together in a group.  It appears that this woman was not respected by her community.  She was an outcast.  Jesus once again, breaks the societal barriers, caring about the relationship.  He sees the woman as created by God, which is the most important thing.

Thirdly, Jesus does not condemn the woman.  He knows why she is not the most respected person in the community – she had five husbands and now lives with a man who is not her husband.  Jesus gives the woman the opportunity to be honest and authentic about her life, when he says in verse 16, “Go, call your husband and come back.”  The woman could have left and not returned.  She knew Jesus was a traveler and she could have never had another encounter with him again.  She could have “pretended” she was an upstanding member of the community.

Isn’t that what so many of us do?  We walk around with grieving souls, heavy in our burdens, yet tell so many that we meet that we are just fine.  Even in our church community, being authentically who we are, is difficult.  We’re not sure if we will be judged.  We’re not sure if we will be shunned.  We erroneously believe who we authentically are is not worthy of relationship.

Now, some of this is smart or necessary.  We are human beings after all and we can be very cruel to each other.  Discerning with whom to share the most intimate details of our life is prudent.  However, don’t you agree that “putting on the face” is draining and tiring?  Being able to be authentic is so freeing.  That’s what our relationship with Jesus is all about.  That’s one of the reasons God sent His Son into the world. . . to free us.

Jesus accepts the woman without judgment.  He tells her she is worthy of the water that will quench all thirst.  He does not shun her nor refuse to be in relationship with her.  As a result, she is not locked in to the role she and her community have created for her.  She is free to be different…to change.

That’s the paradox of being truly seen. . . acceptance of what is true allows us to examine that part of ourselves and to make changes if we’d like.

Jesus’ example of naming what is true, while not shunning nor cutting off the relationship, is the best example for how we treat each other and how our church community needs to be seen.  And this behavior is evangelizing.  Look what happens.  The woman is amazed.  While not the most respected member of her community, she gathers many in the town to come see this Jesus who truly saw her and knew her.  And the people come and they ask Jesus to stay with them.  While at first he is a curiosity, eventually, many believe he is the Messiah because of their encounter with him.  And the story is preserved for us.

A quote from a book on forgiveness by Karyn Kedar is part of our Lenten meditation reading, Renew a Right Spirit Within Me booklet, today and speaks to the power of being seen…our call as a Christian community to be,

“…people who see you, really see you for who you are and who love you because of that.  They know you perhaps better than you know yourself.  When you are at your best they delight in you.  When you lose your way, they hold up for you the vision of your higher self.  When you look at them, you see in their eyes a mirror of who you are – and you like what you see. . . .  They sustain all that is good in you and allow the divine purpose in your life to flow easily through you and your relationship with them.  (Bridge to Forgiveness, Karyn Kedar, p. 83)

Strive for the authentic life and strive to be the evangelist who, like Jesus, deeply sees others.

Amen

 

 

This Sunday (March 23) at St. John’s #StJohnsCorbin

But the people thirsted there for water;  Exodus 17:3

Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty.  John 4:13-14

Over half of adult bodies are composed of water.  More than food, we must have water to survive.  This Sunday we hear about God’s provision of water.  In our Old Testament lesson, the Israelites are wandering in the desert, having escaped from their slavery, but finding no water.  They are so uncomfortable, they talk about how they’d almost rather return to slavery.  God provides them water at Meribah.  God provides the physical necessary for life.

Yet, physical water is not enough as we see in our Gospel lesson from John.  Jesus is resting in Samaria by Jacob’s Well.  A Samaritan woman comes to draw water from the well and Jesus engages her in conversation, an unusual act in a number of ways we are told.  Jesus tells the woman that he offers water that totally quenches the human thirst.  Jesus offers us the essence of life. . . the way to live that we must have…that our souls require.

Blessings as you finish your week.  Below is a photo from my visit to Jacob’s Well…

Love, Rebecca+

The site of Jacob's Well

The site of Jacob’s Well

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Schedule

Next week, I will be in Corbin on Wednesday, March 26, and my Sabbath day will be Thursday, March 27.  You can get a message to me by calling 859 -429-1659 or priest-in-charge@stjohnscorbin.org.

Adult Forum:  This Sunday, March 23, at 10:15, and Wednesday, March 25, at 4:00, we continue our series on Living Compass Adult Faith and Wellness. The session is on The “j” curve principle: growth is never linear. You can find more information about the program, including the Living Compass Assessment at http://www.livingcompass.org/adult/program.html/

Pot Luck Sunday:  Next Sunday, March 30, is our monthly pot luck.  Bring a dish or drink to share.  And all are welcome!  Plan to fellowship with each other.  

Assist with Holy Week and Easter Services:  The Altar Guild invites you to attend a meeting, Saturday, April 5, 9am – Noon.  Learn more about this important ministry and how you can assist.  Extra assistance is needed for Holy Week.

Support the Diocesan Ministries online on April 9, as part of Kentucky Gives Day.  Reading Camp, Cathedral Domain and St. Agnes’ House are participating in the Commonwealth-wide online giving day, Kentucky Gives.  Go to http://kygives.razoo.com/story/Episcopal-Diocese-Of-Lexington and give to one or to all three ministries.  

Belk Charity Sales Day, Saturday, May 3, 6:00-10:00am. Purchase $5 tickets from our ECW, which allow you entrance to the sale and $5 off your purchase. We are trying to sell 100 tickets, which provides $500 for the church and tremendous savings for you!

We’re buying goats! The Lazarus at the Gates Adult Forum study has prompted us to purchase goats through Episcopal Relief and Development for families in the Philippines. Goats provide milk, cheese, and manure for farming. Donations towards the $80 purchase of each goat can be made through the goat bank in the parish hall or in the offering plate clearly marked ERD goat project.

Serving Our Neighbors – See baskets in the parlor.

Everlasting Arms, Corbin’s shelter for people who are homeless, is in need of men’s and women’s razors, gloves, deodorant and socks.

The Food Pantry at Corbin Presbyterian Church is always in need of nonperishable food items. Vegetables are especially appreciated.

Flowers for the altar: Donations for flowers for the altar are accepted for any Sunday of the year. Please place your donation in the envelope, marking whether they are in honor of or in memory of someone.

United Thank Offering (UTO) is a ministry of the Episcopal Church for the mission of the whole church. Through United Thank Offering, men, women, and children nurture the habit of giving daily thanks to God. These prayers of thanksgiving start when we recognize and name our many daily blessings. Those who participate in UTO discover that thankfulness leads to generosity. United Thank Offering is entrusted to promote thank offerings, to receive the offerings, and to distribute the UTO monies to support mission and ministry throughout the Episcopal Church and in invited Provinces of the Anglican Communion in the developing world.

If you need a UTO box, please see Rebecca.

Hymn Selection Group If you’d like to choose hymns for services, join this group. You will choose hymns for an upcoming service and then meet with the entire group to confirm the final selections. See Billy Hibbitts if you are interested.

Would you like to write Prayers of the People? If you are interested in writing these prayers (there are resources that can help with this task), please let Rebecca know by phone or email priest-in-charge@stjohnscorbin.org.

Are you interested in assisting with the Sunday service? Readers, Eucharistic Ministers, Crucifers, Altar Guild Members and choir members are all important for each Sunday service. If you’re interested in serving, please let Rebecca know by phone 859-429-1659 or priest-in-charge@stjohnscorbin.org.

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Being Spirit Born (Sermon) Sunday March 16, 2014

Sermon – March 16, 2014
The Rev. Rebecca S. Myers, CSW
St. John’s Episcopal Church, Corbin, KY
Second Sunday in Lent

Nicodemus said to [Jesus], “How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. John 3:4-5

Please be seated

In our Gospel lesson today, Jesus says we must be born of the spirit.  Becoming a grandmother was a profound time of spiritual birth for me.  Just before my 49th birthday, my son called me, saying “Hello Grandma.”  Four months later, I was there during the sonogram, seeing my grandson, who was only 1 ounce, yet nearly fully formed.  And in early June of 2005, I finally got the call and witnessed my grandson’s birth.  I don’t think I’ve stopped smiling yet!

A couple of weeks later, I was at a training session.  We were asked to introduce ourselves in a newspaper headline.  Out popped, “Logan births grandma,” and then the resulting poem:

Logan Births Grandma
Rebecca Myers
6/19/05

I was born on your birthday
even though I am nearly
1/2 century older than you
At the same time I was helping
to birth you
You were helping to birth me

 Your gestation period of 9 months
was in your mother’s womb
where you grew eyes, ears, lungs
heart, arms, legs, brain and mouth

 My gestation period took 48 years
in the womb of life
where I grew heart, soul, spirit
compassion, love, sorrow, grief
and maybe wisdom

 We both are new to the world
We both have so much to learn
We both are teachers for each other

Your heart will give me new eyes
Your soul will give me new ears
Your spirit will give me new heart
Your compassion will give me new breath
Your love will give me new arms and legs
Your sorrow and grief will give me new mouth
Your wisdom will give me new brain

 Together we will complete the circle of life

We grow spiritually throughout our lives.  Various life events birth us spiritually.  Our Gospel tells us part of the spiritual birth of Nicodemus.  Nicodemus was a Pharisee.  (Paul was also a Pharisee.)  Pharisees were a group of Jewish people with particular practices and understandings.  Just like we have a variety of Christian denominations.  One New Testament scholar says the Jewish people at the time of Jesus were divided into “mutually antagonistic parties.”  [Writings of the New Testament, Luke Timothy Johnson,  p. 43] I think we all understand that.  Some groups wanted to overthrow the Roman rulers.  Some groups wanted to be more cooperative.  Some, like the Essenes of Qumran, totally removed themselves to the desert.

According to New Testament Scholar, Luke Timothy Johnson the Pharisees were mostly Judean, urban, and middle class.  They lived by Torah (the first five books of the Bible); however, they were flexible in that they looked for how Torah, written many years before, applied to their current circumstances.  To live within Torah and in their current context, they created Midrash or explanations, which sometimes included lengthy prescriptions about how to be sure you were being holy, for instance, or what constituted observance of the Sabbath.  The strict adherence to these prescriptions is what Jesus challenges.  How can healing a sick man on the Sabbath be against the law, Jesus asks? 

It’s easy to relate to the Pharisees, isn’t it?  There was a prescription about what was good and right.  Yet, something about Jesus’ challenges captures Nicodemus.  He has questions and wants answers, but to be seen publicly with Jesus would have been risky.  Nicodemus obviously cannot let his questions go, so he takes the steps to come to Jesus at night. 

My favorite painting of this scene is by Henry Ossawa Tanner, and shows Jesus sitting on a rooftop speaking with Nicodemus.  Many rooftops in Jerusalem have these patios atop them to catch the cooling evening breezes.  Nicodemus knows Jesus is from God, yet Jesus challenges how Nicodemus lives his life.  Nicodemus is so confused and his confusion increases in this exchange with Jesus. 

Spiritual birth is foreign to Nicodemus.  Jesus says there is something more than following the rules.  Rules are important AND they must be in balance with the spirit, with love.  All reason and no spirit is not the way of life.  We know spirit, but we cannot see it.  We cannot reason ourselves to it.

Balancing spirit and reason means that we’ll take risks and not know the outcome.  We’ll follow God’s leading, even when we feel some discomfort doing so.  We’ll be vulnerable.  We won’t be able to explain everything. 

Yet this balance is so important… so necessary to our lives…to truly living that God sent his Son into the world to model this and teach this, knowing…knowing it would be so violently rejected that we would kill God’s only Son.

If I had to explain this balance, the best I can describe it is congruence between my body and my head – a peace or relaxation of physical body and mind.  In my body, I’d experience this at my solar plexus or gut and in my head, there’d be calm rather than a lot of debate. 

During our Lenten time, take a look at your spiritual growth.  What does it look like?  How are you doing? 

We can infer that even after this confusing exchange, Nicodemus did indeed grow, because we find him again at the end of John’s Gospel, 19:38-42.  Nicodemus helps Joseph of Arimathea lay Jesus in the tomb.  Nicodemus is the one who brings the mixture of myrrh and aloes weighing about 100 pounds to put in the linen cloth that wraps Jesus’ body.  The man who came in the middle of the night, takes a risk in lovingly caring for the body of Christ, a man who had been despised and scorned within the community and by the Roman authorities. 

In Jesus’ exchange with Nicodemus, Jesus ends his teaching about the importance of spiritual growth by explaining the fruits.  Jesus says, God so loved the world.  God so loved us…that he gave his only Son, so that we may not perish, but have eternal life…we may have life eternal.  God did not send Jesus as condemnation of the world we humans devise to live in.  God sent Jesus to save us from ourselves…to give us life….

Amen

This Sunday (March 16) at St. John’s

The LORD shall preserve you from all evil; *
it is he who shall keep you safe.

The LORD shall watch over your going out and your coming in, *
from this time forth for evermore. Psalm 121:7-8

The sun seems to be out more.  The flowers are popping out of the ground.  Grape Hyacinths, daffodils, and crocus are in bloom.  You can see the trees changing, getting ready to bud and flower.  Welcome signs of spring and new life abound.

Yet, our everyday lives can be tough.  Some of us have been ill and are only now recovering our strength.  Budgets have been stretched by high heating costs and broken pipes.  Loved ones are ill and some have died.

During our tough times, this Psalm 121 is perfect to read for the assurance we need.  The Lord is our help and the Lord will keep us safe.  The Lord watches us always!  Now that’s spring hope.

Blessings as you finish your week.

Rebecca

This Sunday, March 16, at 10:15, and Wednesday, March 19, 4:00, we continue our series on Living Compass Adult Faith and Wellness.  The session will be on Change is Inevitable; Growth is Optional.  

Next Sunday, March 23, at 10:15, and Wednesday, March 25, at 4:00, we continue our series on Living Compass Adult Faith and Wellness. The next session is on The “j” curve principle:  growth is never linear. You can find more information about the program, including the Living Compass Assessment at  http://www.livingcompass.org/adult/program.html/

Corbin Rotary Club holds its annual International Dinner on Saturday, March 15, 6-8pm at Corbin Civic Center.  Tickets are $25 and proceeds go to the fund to eradicate polio.  If you’d like a ticket, please see Rebecca.

Daughters of the King meets the third Wednesday of each month at 4:30pm.  The next meeting is March 19.

Reading Camp 5K and 1 Mile Fun Walk, Saturday, March 22, 9am, Lexington.  Register to participate in this event to support Reading Camp at www.readingcamprocks.org/event-application. If you’d prefer not to attend, you can register for the “sleep-in to read” virtual event.

Belk Charity Sales Day, Saturday, May 3, 6:00-10:00am.  Purchase $5 tickets from our ECW, which allow you entrance to the sale and $5 off your purchase.   We are trying to sell 100 tickets, which provides $500 for the church and tremendous savings for you!

We’re buying goats!  The Lazarus at the Gates Adult Forum study has prompted us to purchase goats through Episcopal Relief and Development for families in the Philippines.  Goats provide milk, cheese, and manure for farming.  Donations towards the $80 purchase of each goat can be made through the goat bank in the parish hall or in the offering plate clearly marked ERD goat project.

Serving Our Neighbors – See baskets in the parlor.

  • Everlasting Arms, Corbin’s shelter for people who are homeless, is in need of men’s and women’s razors, gloves, deodorant and socks.
  • The Food Pantry at Corbin Presbyterian Church is always in need of nonperishable food items.  Vegetables are especially appreciated.

Flowers for the altar: Donations for flowers for the altar are accepted for any Sunday of the year. Please place your donation in the envelope, marking whether they are in honor of or in memory of someone.

 

 United Thank Offering (UTO) is a ministry of the Episcopal Church for the mission of the whole church. Through United Thank Offering, men, women, and children nurture the habit of giving daily thanks to God. These prayers of thanksgiving start when we recognize and name our many daily blessings. Those who participate in UTO discover that thankfulness leads to generosity. United Thank Offering is entrusted to promote thank offerings, to receive the offerings, and to distribute the UTO monies to support mission and ministry throughout the Episcopal Church and in invited Provinces of the Anglican Communion in the developing world.

If you need a UTO box, please see Rebecca.

 Hymn Selection Group If you’d like to choose hymns for services, join this group.  You will choose hymns for an upcoming service and then meet with the entire group to confirm the final selections.  See Billy Hibbitts if you are interested.

Would you like to write Prayers of the People?  If you are interested in writing these prayers (there are resources that can help with this task), please let Rebecca know by phone or email priest-in-charge@stjohnscorbin.org.

Are you interested in assisting with the Sunday service?  Readers, Eucharistic Ministers, Crucifers, Altar Guild Members and choir members are all important for each Sunday service.  If you’re interested in serving, please let Rebecca know by phone 859-429-1659 or priest-in-charge@stjohnscorbin.org.

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