Monthly Archives: May 2015

We bind ourselves…. (Sermon) May 31, 2015 Trinity Sunday

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Sermon – May 31, 2015

The Rev. Rebecca S. Myers, CSW

St. John’s Episcopal Church, Corbin, KY

Trinity Sunday

“Almighty and everlasting God, you have given to us your servants grace, by the confession of a true faith, to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity, and in the power of your divine Majesty to worship the Unity….” Collect for Trinity Sunday, Book of Common Prayer, p. 228

Please be seated.

In August of 2010, I left my job in Washington, DC, got in my daughter’s car, and she drove me to seminary in New York City.  Yes, in a true twist, my daughter drove me to college.  Well, I had a bachelor’s and master’s degree already, but I’d never gone away to college and lived on campus.

And my daughter performed the duties most parents do when their children go away to college…the same things I did when I took her to college. She helped me set up my apartment.  My daughter had lived in New York City for a number of years, so she knew her way around and had no fear of driving in the City.  She knew the perfect place to buy the air conditioner and we even made a Target run!

At the end of September, there was a matriculation ceremony.  I’m not sure how I even knew anything about this ceremony.  Information was provided in dribs and drabs, I believe. One thing I knew for sure, during the service, I’d need to sign THE BOOK!  The book was the 19th century version of a database.  In it was recorded the name and signature of every student who matriculated to the seminary since 1822!

The evening came and I was in my finest, including my famous hat.  We went through Evensong and then the final hymn began, hymn 370, signaling the start of the book signing ceremony.

“I bind unto myself today the strong Name of the Trinity, by invocation of the same, the Three in One, and One in Three.” (370 ECH)

I felt like I was going to be pulled to the floor.  I wanted to cry. There was such power in that moment…binding myself to the Trinity and signing the book… a long line of people who also bound themselves.

Jeff Davis challenged me to preach on the Trinity.  Today is the Sunday many preachers dread.  You see, there is no way to explain the Trinity without committing heresy or nearly committing heresy.  It’s a concept that isn’t all that easy to explain.  As Bruce says, you need to live into it.

In seminary a professor had us read a book, “Being as Communion” by John Zizioulas, which really helped me love the Trinity. Zizioulas talks about the Trinity being a model for how we live our lives.

First of all, the Trinity represents unity in diversity.  While Zizioulas is Greek Orthodox, this notion is very Anglican.  We can be diverse in how we live our Christian faith, but we are still unified in our belief in God who created the world, Jesus, God’s Son who came to live among us and teach us, and the Holy Spirit who still continues to speak through our lives.

In the early church, there were great struggles in understanding the relationship between God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit.  Much of this was based on different philosophical differences at the time.  Finally, there was agreement that the Trinity is one substance and three persons.  You can read more about this in The Creed of Saint Athanasius on page 864 of The Book of Common Prayer.

These three persons are in a unified relationship with each other – diversity in unity; unity in diversity.

We are certainly individuals, but Zizioulas distinguishes between living as an individual and living as a person.  When we live only as an individual, we are bound by our biological nature.  We are often exclusive in our dealings with each other.  Individualism leads to being cut off and to death.

But to be a person, we must be in relationship with other persons.  We know who we are as persons when we are in relationship with each other.  In order to be a person, we must be in community. Being a person…in community…in relationship means freedom and authenticity.

The church is a special kind of community, says Zizioulas and here are some ways the community of the church is important:

  1. The church community brings us into a relationship with the world that is “not determined by the laws of biology.” (Being as Communion, 56)
  2. We learn to “love without exclusiveness….” (p. 57) We don’t just love within our family or our tribe. Rather we go beyond the “normal” human boundaries.

And it is when we gather together as the community that we experience a new freedom, because we are not bound by the human biological condition.  We’ve learned a new way to be in the world.

Each of you is here today and your presence allows you to be in relationship with each other and with God, to fully be an authentic person, because that can only happen in community.  It’s not always easy for we humans to be unified in our diversity. The community of St. John’s is one place we can work on that.

In the time I have been with you, I have witnessed your strong community.  I have seen your diversity.  I have seen you welcome others in to the community.  Today is a good day to look at your relationship to this community.  There are many ways to connect: choir, altar guild, property committee, attending services, financial pledge, and prayer. By connecting to this community, you have the opportunity to be an authentic person…the person God created you to be, the person Jesus taught you to be, the person the Holy Spirit moves through.

Bind yourself to this community and live into the Trinity…the unity in diversity.

Amen

 

 

This Sunday (May 31, 2015) at St. John’s

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In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty; and the hem of his robe filled the temple. Seraphs were in attendance above him; each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. Isaiah 6:1-2holy-angelic-hosts

In 2011, I was blessed to visit England.  For part of my visit, I stayed with my friend, Esther (de Waal) Moir, in her family cottage on the Welsh border near Hereford.  Esther is a prolific author, especially on Benedictine and Celtic Spirituality.  I had received spiritual direction from her when I lived in Washington, DC and we’d stayed in touch.

One evening, we were eating plums from her plum tree and looking out the kitchen window.  She told me the plum tree that produced our delicious dessert was right in the way where the Seraphim played.  She was thinking of taking the tree down, so the Seraphim would have more room to play.

Now I didn’t see the Seraphim, but I knew what she was talking about from this passage in Isaiah.  They are odd creatures aren’t they, with 6 wings?  AND they attend the Lord God.  Every time I hear about Seraphim, I think of them playing in Esther’s beautiful English countryside.

Further we hear Isaiah tell us that the Seraphim brought a live coal and touched his lips and tongue, cleansing him and preparing him for God’s work, which was that of a prophet.  It takes great courage to be a prophet, because most often, people really don’t want to hear what you have to say.  But, being cleansed, he was ready and told God to send him to do this challenging work.

The Holy Spirit continues working and moving.  May you be cleansed by the coal of God brought by the Seraphim, so you can respond, “Here I am. Send me.”

Blessings as you finish your week!

Love, Rebecca+

05-31-2015 Trinity Sunday Bulletin

News & Notes

Schedule: Rebecca will be at St. John’s Monday and St. Agnes’ House Tuesday through Thursday. Her Sabbath will be Friday. You may leave a message for Rebecca by calling the church office at 606-528-1659 or at priest-in-charge@stjohnscorbin.org.

Pot Luck and Celebration of Ministry, Sunday after church. The monthly pot luck is this Sunday.  Bring your favorite dish to share.

Adult Forum: This Sunday we continue a summer series on the Gospel of Mark.

Al-Anon Family Group:  An Al-Anon Family Group will meet in St. John’s Parish Hall on Tuesdays from 7-8pm.

Testament of a Naked Man: A contemporary dramatization of the Gospel of Mark will be presented by The Rev. Dr. Angus Stuart on Monday, June 1, 6:00-8:00pm, in the St. John’s Church Sanctuary. Plan now to attend and invite your friends to this powerful performance.

Gather at 6pm on Wednesday evenings for a service and fellowship.

The Good Goodbye: The Rev. Rebecca Myers’ last Sunday will be June 7. Dr. Kay Collier McLaughlin will be present on behalf of the diocesan leadership to lead us in a Litany of Leave-taking.

Celebration of the Ministry of Dr. Kay Collier McLaughlin, June 21, 3:00pm, Christ Church Cathedral, Lexington.  Join in this celebration of Kay’s ministry in the Diocese of Lexington.

 2015 Goals: The Vestry has adopted the following goals for 2015, in line with our recently adopted Mission Statement; Proclaiming the Gospel, promoting justice, and preparing a diverse community of seekers to reflect the welcoming love of Christ:

  • Support Al-Anon group meeting at the Church.
  • List St. John’s Church on theIntegrity and Believe Out Loud websites as an open and welcoming church, especially for people who are Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning.
  • Remodel space for use as a sacristy.
  • Repurpose the parlor.
  • Serve as a site for the KCEOC Summer Lunch program for youth ages 18 and under.

 

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Celebration of the Ministry of the Rev. Rebecca Myers

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Celebrate with us!This Sunday, May 31, we will be celebrating the ministry of the Rev. Rebecca Myers at the monthly potluck after the 11:00 am Sunday service. The Vestry has purchased a parting gift for Rebecca that we will present on behalf of the parish at the potluck. If you would like to contribute to this gift, please see Bruce Cory, Anne Day Davis, or Gay Nell Conley. A monetary contribution toward the gift can also be placed in the offering plate with a memo line of “Celebration Gift for Rebecca”.

Next Sunday, June 7, is Rebecca’s last Sunday with us. Dr. Kay Collier McLaughlin will be present on behalf of the Episcopal Diocese of Lexington to lead us in a litany of separation as part of the Good Good-bye.

Hearing the Many Things (sermon) May 24, 2015 – Pentecost

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Sermon – May24, 2015

The Rev. Rebecca S. Myers, CSW

St. John’s Episcopal Church, Corbin, KY

Pentecost

Bulletin 5-24-2015 Pentecost w Baptism

I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. John 16:12-13

Please be seated.

Back in the early 60’s in Harrisburg, the local radio station broadcast a church service each Sunday.  My father, who was Lutheran, heard this preacher, Ray Evelan, on the radio one Sunday and was drawn to attend his church, Messiah Lutheran Church.  The Church was farther away than the one he was already attending, but something about the 35-year old preacher drew him in.

At the time Messiah was declining.  The neighborhoods around the church were disappearing as state government and office buildings came along, all part of an urban redevelopment plan. Soon after my father started attending the church, he and Pastor Evelan became good friends, best friends in fact, in a friendship that lasted nearly 50 years.

By 1965, Pastor Evelan was Uncle Ray to me – not my blood uncle, but nearly so.  Looking back and hearing stories from my parents, I know Uncle Ray saved my life in so many ways.  My mother had bi-polar disorder, a chronic mental illness, and she suffered with it before there was lithium and the many medications available today.  So many times, Uncle Ray provided support and comfort to both of my parents.  He encouraged my parents to seek help at a premier hospital in Philadelphia where my mother was able to be one of the first to receive new treatments, which were amazing.

Uncle Ray shaped my faith and my understanding of what it means to be a Christian.  He was an advocate for justice of every kind, including racial justice.  When I was 14, he preached a series of sermons on speaking truth to power.  I still read those sermons about the importance to work for God’s justice here on earth, no matter the cost.  I still hear and see him preaching in his black robe with white cassock, pulling up the sleeves and leaning over the pulpit.

Pentecost is the anniversary of my confirmation and Uncle Ray was one of the people who taught confirmation classes.  At the time, the baptism liturgy was changing and Uncle Ray explained how important it was that the service was done within the congregation.  I can’t remember all he said in that class, but it was powerful.  Until that time, our youth group would always sit up in the balcony, half paying attention.  But on the next Sunday after Uncle Ray spoke to us, we came down and sat right up front, close to the pulpit and baptismal font and we never went back to the balcony.

Today, on this birthday of the church…on the day we immerse ourselves in the coming of the Holy Spirit, I can say that Uncle Ray loved God.  Uncle Ray loved Jesus.  Uncle Ray had the Holy Spirit in him, working through him, and guiding him.  The Holy Spirit guided him to speak prophetically about what was required for God’s justice to reign on earth.  The Holy Spirit filled him with courage and a passion to stand for truth and to take action for truth.

However, many Christians then and even many now, would condemn Uncle Ray.  Because, you see, Uncle Ray was a gay man, who had to conceal that fact for most of his life.  The condemnation, and I would say misunderstanding, of the Christian Church would have denied his deep love of God and of Jesus.  They would have denied his gift of prophecy…would have denied his Holy Spirit filled courage…his passion for truth and justice and would not have heeded him, nor allowed him to do God’s work if he were openly true to himself.

But in today’s Gospel, we hear Jesus say,

Nevertheless I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.  And when he comes, he will prove the world wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment…. John 16:7-8

What….Jesus MUST go away?  The Holy Spirit, the Advocate, the Paraclete, MUST come?  What?  The world is WRONG about sin and righteousness and judgment?  AND the Holy Spirit, the Advocate, the Paraclete will show us how wrong the world is?

It seems like in much of Christianity today, we deny these words of Jesus Christ.  We do not believe that the Holy Spirit is truly at work in the world.  Jesus explained in verses 12-13, that there were many more things he wanted to tell the disciples, but they were not ready and could not hear them.  Jesus says the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth will come and guide us and will declare to us the things that are to come.

Jesus’ work on earth was not the end.  There was so much more Jesus wanted us to know and to understand.  There was so much more God wanted us to know and to understand.  We couldn’t hear it.  So the Holy Spirit came on that day of Pentecost and dwelt within each of us so that we could grow and change and hear, finally, those things Jesus wanted to tell us….those things Jesus wanted us to know.

Unfortunately, for most of his life, my Uncle Ray suffered at the hands of the church.  I cannot believe his condemnation by the church of his day was of God or of Jesus.  And I am most grateful that the Holy Spirit has continued to move through us, like the “rush of a violent wind,” resting divided “tongues of fire” upon each of us, bringing the things we could not bear to hear previously…that God is love…that God created each of us…that who we are attracted to or desire to love is of God and demonstrates God’s love.

I love the Holy Scriptures.  I learn something new about God and Jesus and being a Christian each time I read scripture.  AND today Jesus clearly tells us there is more to come. Jesus tells us the Holy Spirit continues God’s work.  Jesus tells us all will change until God’s perfect Kingdom reigns.

So, watch for the Holy Spirit at work in our world today in so many ways.  My example of Uncle Ray is but one of many.  Listen deeply for how the Holy Spirit is moving through you and guiding you.  Listen and you will be guided into all truth!

Amen

This Sunday (May 24, 2015) at St. Johns – Pentecost Sunday

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This Sunday is Pentecost – Remember to wear red to church!

Almighty God, on this day you opened the way of eternal life to every race and nation by the promised gift of your Holy Spirit: Shed abroad this gift throughout the world by the preaching of the Gospel, that it may reach to the ends of the earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. Collect for Pentecost, Book of Common Prayer, p. 227

This Sunday is Pentecost, 50 days after Easter, the coming of the Holy Spirit and the birth of the church.  I will wear my stole and chasuble that I wore when I was ordained to the priesthood in 2013. The symbol on these vestments is a Jerusalem Cross, which our Collect references –  ” Shed abroad this gift throughout the world by the preaching of the Gospel, that it may reach to the ends of the earth….”

The large cross represents Jerusalem, which is the center of our faith story.  In fact, when I visited England, I saw a Mappa Mundi at Hereford Cathedral.  This map of the world was made in 1300 and Jerusalem was considered the center of the world.

My children vesting me at my ordination, July 27, 2013. Symbol is The Jerusalem Cross.

My children vesting me at my ordination, July 27, 2013. Symbol is The Jerusalem Cross.

The four smaller crosses represent the four corners of the world.

From Jerusalem, site of the Pentecost, to the four corners of the world, we are to spread the Gospel…the Good News…the love of Jesus Christ…the joy of following Jesus.

Blessings as you finish your week!

Love, Rebecca+

Schedule: Rebecca will be in Corbin Tuesday and Wednesday. Monday is a holiday and her Sabbath will be Tuesday and Friday. You may leave a message for Rebecca by calling the church office at 606-528- 1659 or at priest-in-charge@stjohnscorbin.org.

Adult Forum:This Sunday we begin a summer series on the Gospel of John.

Al-Anon Family Group: An Al-Anon Family Group will meet in St. John’s Parish Hall on Tuesdays from 7-8pm.

Work Day: A Parish work day has been scheduled for Saturday, May 30 starting at 9:00am. There are several areas of concern to be addressed, such as such as mulching, lattice-work around the amphitheater, and caulking the windows. Please let Billy Hibbitts know that you are available and willing to help. You may also come by and take your Prevention of Sexual Misconduct (POSM) training if needed.

Fun, fun, fun: The next Family Game Night is May 22nd, from 6:30 – 8:30pm in the Parish Hall. Bring your favorite games, snacks, and drinks. Pizza will be provided.

United Thank Offering: The ingathering for United Thank Offering was May 17. Remember to bring your thank offering boxes AND pick up another one for the fall ingathering. A thank offering box is a great way to give thanks and gratitude each day. When combined with thousands of others, it supports wonderful projects in The Episcopal Church.

Grow Appalachia: The Grow Appalachia committee will meet Thursdays evenings at 6pm through the month of May.

Pot Luck Sunday: Sunday May 31 is our monthly pot luck. We will also be having the first stage of the celebration of the Rev. Rebecca Myers ministry at St. John’s.

Testament of a Naked Man: Good News According to Mark.  Monday, June 1, 6-8pm, A performance of the Gospel of Mark by The Rev. Dr. Angus Stewart. For more information, see  http://stjohnscorbin.org/?p=155433

The Good Goodbye: The Rev. Rebecca Myers’ last Sunday will be June 7. Dr. Kay Collier McLaughlin will be present on behalf of the diocesan leadership to lead us in a Litany of Leave-taking.

2015 Goals: The Vestry has adopted the following goals for 2015, in line with our recently adopted Mission Statement; Proclaiming the Gospel, promoting justice, and preparing a diverse community of seekers to reflect the welcoming love of Christ:

  •  Support Al-Anon group meeting at the Church.
  •  List St. John’s Church on the Integrity and Believe Out Loud websites as an open and welcoming church, especially for people who are Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning.
  •  Remodel space for use as a sacristy.
  •  Repurpose the parlor.
  •  Serve as a site for the KCEOC Summer Lunch program for youth ages 18 and under.

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Hearing God’s Call (Sermon) May 17, 2015

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Sermon – May17, 2015
The Rev. Rebecca S. Myers, CSW
St. John’s Episcopal Church, Corbin, KY
Easter VII

Then they prayed and said, “Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which one of these two you have chosen to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.”  Acts 1:24-25

Please be seated.

“I need to make a confession,” the caller said.  I waited patiently to hear what was next.  The caller proceeded,

“For years, I’ve felt like God wants me to do something.  I was really sick many years ago and it’s a miracle I’m alive.  I knew God wanted me to do something more.  I prayed and prayed, but just couldn’t figure it out.  Now I’ve had another bout of illness and once again, I hear God asking me to do something.  This morning I was praying and reading scripture and it came to me.  God wants me to help spread the word and raise money for a ministry I love.  With whatever time I have left on this earth, I’ll do all I can to help out.”

The caller clearly heard what God had in mind…clearly heard God’s call for their life right now.

In today’s Gospel, we hear the remaining eleven apostles wrestle with how to discern who God wants to be the 12th apostle…the one to replace Judas.  They had some criteria:  someone who had been with Jesus from his baptism by John through the resurrection, and of course, in their worldview, it had to be a man.  Barsabbas and Mathias were the two who met those criteria.  They prayed and asked God for guidance.  They then trusted the Holy Spirit to work through the casting of lots.  Matthias was chosen.

It’s important that at least once a year, we examine our call.  What is God calling each of us to do?  What does God have in mind for us to do?  What is God asking our community of St. John’s to do?

As part of my discernment process for the priesthood, I was fortunate to be in a weekend workshop with Marjory Zoet Bankson.  She has written an entire book about God’s call, The Call to the Soul:  Six stages of Spiritual Development.

One of the things she stresses is that our call shifts and changes over time.  We experience life; things happen to us.  It’s not like we figure it out once and we’re done.  That’s why taking some time each year to pay attention to our call is important.

Marjory Bankson says there are six stages to the call cycle.  Often as we begin to feel God’s pull in our life, that “God wants me to do something,” we resist.  We question what we’re being called to.  We see this over and over again in our Bible.  Most of the prophets and Moses resisted their calls initially.  Our response is often, “Not me; I can’t do that!”  Sometimes we’re afraid.

Now the thing is, God keeps calling us, so often we move to the next stage – Reclaim.  Sometimes we ask God for a sign.  I know for me, often the signs come in the form of hearing or seeing something over and over again. In my call to priesthood, early on, I kept hearing a particular passage of Mark.  It was in the Forward Day by Day and then was preached about in a Sunday sermon and then was preached on when in a fluke, I was able to attend a noontime weekday service.  It was a passage about being called to spread the Gospel.  I heard it three times within a week.  Yes, I woke up and listened.

In the reclaim stage, we begin to open up to the possibility of what God is calling us to.

Stage three according to Bankson is Revelation.  We see a glimpse of what it looks like when we respond and embrace our call.  After hearing the Mark passage over and over, I woke up one morning and said, “I’m going to seminary.”  I got on the computer before going to work and started looking at seminaries!  This was 2006 and I didn’t get to seminary until four years later.  But I had the assurance, although at the time I wasn’t necessarily happy about it, that that’s what was next.

The fourth stage is Risk.  Our call is becoming clearer and now we must take action.  We can’t keep the call to ourselves any longer.  My caller contacting me was a sign of taking a risk to truly embody God’s call.  When we take the risk to share our call with others, we also risk getting their support and encouragement, which are absolutely necessary any time we are doing God’s work.

The fifth stage is Relate.  Bankson describes it as this, “Our task in Stage Five is to connect with a larger community who can share in our sense of purpose, find a common language, common symbols, and a common story.” (p. 131)  We must begin to live out our call in a community that supports us, celebrates with us, corrects us, and provides a place for the impact of our call.

This is the stage where we truly live out our call…embody our call.  We have answered God and are doing what God has asked of us.  And we must have that community surrounding us.  It’s not something we do in a vacuum.

But you see, God’s not done.  Answering God’s call changes us and changes the world we live in.  The sixth stage is Release.  We step back, just like I’m asking you to do today, and take a look.  We listen for God’s leading again.  Things are changed, both with us and with our community. We may be called to let go and to move on to a new call.  We start the cycle all over again.

So, pay attention to that resistance you feel sometimes, especially when you’re asked to take on the same task over and over.  You may be experiencing stage one – Resistance.  Pay attention to your revelations and glimpses of a life that truly feeds your soul.  You may be experiencing stage three – Revelation.  Pay attention to the signs that what you’re doing is weighing you down and not feeding your soul.  Maybe it’s time to step back.  You may be in the sixth stage of Release.

And make sure you are grounded in a community always, just like the Apostles were.  Matthias did not discern as an individual that he should be the next Apostle.  That discernment was done through community prayer for God’s guidance.

And always know that we as the community of St. John’s are praying for each other, “Lord, you know everyone’s heart.  Show us….”

Amen

 

This Sunday (May 17, 2015) at St. John’s

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O God, the King of glory, you have exalted your only Son Jesus Christ with great triumph to your kingdom in heaven: Do not leave us comfortless, but send us your Holy Spirit to strengthen us, and exalt us to that place where our Savior Christ has gone before; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen. Collect, Seventh Sunday of Easter: The Sunday after Ascension Day pg. 226, Book of Common Prayer

“Do not leave us comfortless, but send your Holy Spirit to strengthen us….”  Today an interesting thing happened at the Corbin Rotary Club.  The attendance was very small and a number of people came to eat and left early.  Because I don’t attend Rotary that often, I thought maybe that’s just how things are in mid-May.

But then, Milly Burkhart got up and gave a list of the speakers’ accomplishments and finally introduced her husband, The Rev. John Burkhart.  Father Burkhart, waded into controversial waters in this community.  He spoke with compassion and clarity and scientific fact about homosexuality is not an abomination, but rather, like heterosexuality, an expression of our human nature.  Of the few people who were left, about half challenged him, but others agreed and told heartrending stories of people who were homosexual and the challenging times they had.

Of course, the main opposition to Father John’s presentation was that the Bible says it’s wrong.  When I said that Jesus said more about divorce and nothing about homosexuality and that I was the one who should be condemned, I never received a response.  I asked how the church moved to being okay with divorce.  The words of Paul in Romans 1 26-27 were given as support for condemning homosexuality; however, most scholars and students of Paul’s time say Paul was not referring to the inborn nature or sexual orientation, but to the “immoderate indulgence” in sexual behavior.

Father Burkhart presented the middle way — that we may not agree and we must each ultimately come to our own conclusions, yet we somehow must love each other and find ways to be in community with each other.

I was blessed to witness this courageous proclamation.

Being true to our God-created nature is so very difficult for some in our region.  They face significant rejection, condemnation, and a lack of comfort.  They need much strength to continue to live in the community and in the culture they love deeply.  St. John’s and The Episcopal Church often provide an answer to the prayer in our Collect this Sunday…providing comfort and strengthening us by the coming of the Holy Spirit.

Blessings as you finish your week!

Love, Rebecca+

Bulletin 5-17-2015 Easter 7 and Baptism

News & Notes

Schedule: Rebecca will be at St. Agnes’ House Monday through Thursday. Her Sabbath will be Friday. You may leave a message for Rebecca by calling the church office at 606-528-1659 or at priest-in-charge@stjohnscorbin.org.

Godly Play: All children are invited to participate in Godly Play, a special program of Spiritual development each Sunday morning at 10:00am.

Adult Forum: This Sunday we conclude our series on ways to pray.  Next Sunday we begin a summer series on the Gospel of John.

Al-Anon Family Group:  An Al-Anon Family Group meets in St. John’s Parish Hall on Tuesdays from 7-8pm.

Work Day: A Parish work day has been scheduled for Saturday, May 30 starting at 9:00am. There are several areas of concern to be addressed, such as mulching, lattice-work around the amphitheater, and caulking the windows. Please let Billy Hibbitts know that you are available and willing to help.  You may also come by and take your Prevention of Sexual Misconduct (POSM) training if needed.

Pentecost Peace Cranes: Stay after church this Sunday to make these origami peace cranes used to decorate the church for Pentecost on Sunday, May 24. 

Fun, fun, fun:  The next Family Game Night is May 22nd, from 6:30 – 8:30pm in the Parish Hall.  Bring your favorite games, snacks, and drinks.  Pizza will be provided.

United Thank Offering: The ingathering for United Thank Offering is this Sunday, May 17.  Remember to bring your thank offering boxes AND pick up another one for the fall ingathering.  A thank offering box is a great way to give thanks and gratitude each day.  When combined with thousands of others, it supports wonderful projects in The Episcopal Church.

Grow Appalachia: The Grow Appalachia committee will meet Thursdays evenings at 6pm through the month of May. 

Pot Luck Sunday: Sunday May 31 is our monthly pot luck. We will also be having the first stage of the celebration of the Rev. Rebecca Myers ministry at St. John’s.

The Good Goodbye: The Rev. Rebecca Myers’ last Sunday will be June 7. Dr. Kay Collier McLaughlin will be present on behalf of the diocesan leadership to lead us in a Litany of Leave-taking.

2015 Goals: The Vestry has adopted the following goals for 2015, in line with our recently adopted Mission Statement; Proclaiming the Gospel, promoting justice, and preparing a diverse community of seekers to reflect the welcoming love of Christ:

  • Support Al-Anon group meeting at the Church.
  • List St. John’s Church on theIntegrity and Believe Out Loud websites as an open and welcoming church, especially for people who are Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning.
  • Remodel space for use as a sacristy.
  • Repurpose the parlor.
  • Serve as a site for the KCEOC Summer Lunch program for youth ages 18 and under.

 

 

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Testament of a Naked Man: Good News According to Mark

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TESTAMENT OF A NAKED MAN: Good News According to Mark

A dramatic interpretation by Angus Stuart
June 1, 2015, 6:00-8:00 pm,
St. John’s Episcopal Church, College and Engineer Streets, Corbin, KY

The power of the Gospel according to Mark is brought to life in a dramatic one-man performance.

Through this live encounter, the audience is transported back in time to be with Jesus on the dusty roads of Palestine and on the shores of the Sea of Galilee.

Listeners will come away with a sense of not having ever heard these familiar stories before.  Hearing the Gospel as a whole will enable us to be intellectually challenged and make connections in a new light.

Angus Stuart, Rector of St. Francis-in-the-Wood, West Vancouver, British Columbia, began by telling the story of Christ’s arrest, trial and crucifixion from memory on Palm Sunday in 2007.    Then he was inspired to memorize the whole of Mark’s Gospel.  The effect is dramatic!

Free Will Offering to support Diocese of Lexington Prison Ministry
Call: 606-528-1659 or e-mail: priest-in-charge@stjohnscorbin.org
www.testamentofanakedman.com

Plan now to attend this event on Monday, June 1!

For a preview, watch this video:

Chosen, Appointed, and Bearing Fruit (Sermon) May 10, 2015

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Sermon – May10, 2015

The Rev. Rebecca S. Myers, CSW

St. John’s Episcopal Church, Corbin, KY

Easter VI

You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last…. John 15:16

 Please be seated.

My parents loved to take sightseeing rides. Every fall, they’d pick a Saturday and we’d travel to some part of Pennsylvania to see the leaves. Sometimes there’d be a destination of sorts…a state park or town, but mostly it was a drive to see the beautiful colors of Autumn.

One year, we drove on a road along the Juniata River, close to where it enters the big Susquehanna River.  The road was narrow and winding.  It was being widened to 4 lanes, but they weren’t on the same level.  Two lanes were close to the flat plain along the river, while the other two lanes going a different direction were built further up the hill.  That probably doesn’t seem so odd these days, but it was the first time I’d ever seen a road like that.

My father explained how dangerous the old road had been with its curves and bumps and narrowness.  He told us there’d been serious car accidents on that road and how much better the new road was going to be.  He stopped alongside the river bank at one point and we were all climbing around and looking at the rocks and probably finding flat ones to skip across the water.

Because of the road construction, there had been layers of earth and rock exposed and probably blasting had occurred. I found a fossil of a plant! I took it home with me and placed it on a display shelf with other things I’d collected.  That fossil has come with me my whole life since then. Just a flat, rock with an ancient plant etched in it, sitting on a shelf year after year after year. If that fossil could speak, I wonder what it would say regarding my life and my efforts at “bearing fruit.”

There are a couple of things that popped out at me from our Gospel today.

First of all, Jesus says, “I chose you….”  “I chose you….”  Doesn’t that bring anxious memories of being in school and playing team sports in gym class and wondering whether you’d be chosen for a team, hoping you weren’t the last one picked?  But Jesus says, I chose you, period. Jesus has chosen each of us.  Jesus has chosen this St. John’s Episcopal Church in Corbin, Kentucky.

Then Jesus says he has appointed us to go and bear fruit.  We are Jesus’ chosen and appointed people.  We are Jesus’ chosen and appointed community, chosen and appointed to bear fruit.  And the community of people at St. John’s Corbin has been bearing fruit for over 100 years.

When we dug the garden plots, we found part of an old foundation, probably for a building connected with the school that the early church members built.  Bearing fruit by educating people.

This past week, a man called from Tennessee.  I assume he’s doing genealogy research.  He didn’t leave a name, but said he’s looking for information on a man who lived in this area in 1910 and was Episcopalian.  Again, bearing fruit through the presence of The Episcopal Church in this region.

Back behind Billy, there’s a plaque from 1921 remembering one of the teachers and church members.  Again, bearing fruit in education.

Currently, Vestry has adopted goals and projects for the year, goals and projects to bear fruit to the region.  Vegetable plants should be planted this week in the Grow Appalachia garden.  There are LOTS of tomatoes and the cucumber plants look great, so I’m told.  We’re bearing fruit by working together to raise food, which we’ll most likely give away to people who need food.

We’re repurposing space in the church and creating a functional sacristy, the place where all of the items for our worship are stored and gathered.  Bearing fruit through beautiful and uplifting worship.

Another goal is to support an Al-Anon meeting at the church.  The Al-Anon group began meeting this past Tuesday and will meet each Tuesday evening from 7-8pm in the parish hall.  Bearing fruit through healing and recovery for hurting families and individuals.

We’ve signed up with the Knox County Economic Opportunity Council (KCEOC) to once again use St. John’s Community Park as a lunch site for youth 18 and under.  Bearing fruit through feeding children.

 

We’re working on a welcome statement that says we welcome people of all gender orientations, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender.  Then we’ll be listed on the Integrity and the Believe Out Loud websites.  Many Christians who are LGBT have been rejected and deeply wounded by the Christian Church, but our decal on the back door and our listing on these websites states that we are a diverse community and love people of all gender orientations.  Bearing fruit through loving people as they are.

 

These are just a few of the most recent ways we as the community of St. John’s are continuing to live out our understanding of Jesus’ command in John 15:16 to bear fruit.  People and members come and go.  Some stay for a short time and some for a lifetime.  Some get angry and leave and some leave when they die.  Worship leaders and Deacons and Priests come and go.  But the bearing of the fruit continues on and on over many years, with only the stones and wood, and stained glass of our church building as the eternal witness.

 

Now about that fossil…that rock that has witnessed so much of the passage of time and has traveled with me throughout most of my life.  That fossil rock and I are traveling back home….  Yes, I am leaving this community of St. John’s Corbin.  I’ve been called as Rector at The Church of the Nativity and St. Stephen’s in Newport, PA, along the Juniata River, close to where it empties into the Susquehanna River.  My last Sunday with you will be June 7.  I’d like to read the letter I have for you and will be mailed to parishioners that could not be here today.

 

Today I write with a difficult purpose.  I have accepted a position with The Church of the Nativity and St. Stephen’s Church in Newport, PA.  My last Sunday with you will be June 7.

You have helped me see how much I want to be fulltime in a parish, so the two part-time positions and the travel have become increasingly challenging for me.  In addition, I realize how much I’d like to be closer to my children and grandchildren, especially to attend all of the school and fun events with which my grandchildren are involved. 

Together, you have formed an amazing Christian community.  Together, you are an important Christian voice in this region.  I pray mightily that you will continue to grow and strengthen this vital and necessary community.

You have loved me.  You have taught me.  Words cannot fully express the gratitude I feel for being able to serve as your Priest.  I hope you have felt my love for you.  Almost every Sunday afternoon, I feel deep peace for our gathering together in worship and for our community. 

Times of transition are challenging.  The Diocese will be working with you on what is next and Dr. Kay Collier McLaughlin has already met with the Vestry.  I pray that you feel God’s love and care during this time.

 

Dr. Kay Collier McLaughlin is with us today and will be here after church to answer any questions and hear any concerns you may have about this transition.

 

If you’re like me, you’re feeling conflicting emotions.  Most of you were not expecting to hear this when you came to church today.  You may be feeling happy for me that I’ll be closer to my family and also angry at me or sad that I’m leaving.  You may feel excitement about what new possibilities there could be for the church and also anxious about what worship will be like.  You may have experienced many similar transitions and trust that God will provide a Priestly presence for St. John’s, just like God’s done throughout its history, but also be worried about it too.

 

I know without a doubt that you, members of St. John’s, will continue to bear fruit here in this place, just like you’ve done for years and years and years.  Of that I am convinced.  Because you see, Jesus has chosen you and Jesus has appointed you to bear fruit.

 

Amen

plant fossil from near Juniata River, Newport, PA

As a child, I found this plant fossil along the Juniata River, near Newport, PA.

On June 22, I will become Rector of The Church of the Nativity and St. Stephen’s, Newport, PA, close to where I found this fossil.