Bishop’s Visitation and Confirmation

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Confirmation graphicBishop Doug Hahn will be visiting St. John’s on October 18. Anyone who would like to be confirmed, received into the Episcopal Church, or make a reaffirmation should contact Bruce Cory. We will be scheduling confirmation classes soon. There will be five sessions before the bishop’s visit on the following topics:

  1. The Spiritual Journey
  2. Theological Basics
  3. History of the Church
  4. The Structure of the Episcopal Church
  5. The Sacraments and Ritual of the Church

Sponsors of those to be confirmed, as well as any other member who is interested in learning more about the Episcopal Church, are encouraged to attend these sessions, too.

This Week (August 30, 2015) at St. John’s

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Text from JamesYou must understand this, my beloved: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger; for your anger does not produce God’s righteousness. (James 1:19-20)

Frequently we get things backwards. We are often quick to slow to listen, quick to speak, and quick to anger. Maybe this week we can slow down a bit and listen careful when we begin to feel angry and want to make sharp reply. It may be quite possible we are misunderstanding what we hear!

News & Notes

Pastoral Needs: If a pastoral need arises, please call the church office at 606-528-1659 and leave a message. Voicemail messages will automatically be forwarded to a member of the vestry who can arrange pastoral care. You may also contact the senior warden, Bruce W. Cory, by phone at 440-227-0035 or by e-mail at bwcory@gmail.com

Next Sunday: Sept. 6 – We will be participating in a joint worship service with Corbin Presbyterian and First Baptist Church. This service will take the place of our regular Sunday service. The service begins at 10:00 at the Rotary Park. There will be a potluck picnic after the service. We have been asked to supply beverages for the picnic. Individuals may also bring a dish to share and lawn chairs for seating.

Adult Forum: Each Sunday through July 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.

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

The vestry has voted to keep a supply of 5 $20.00 Kroger gift cards each month available to distribute to people who call for food or fuel assistance. If you would like to contribute toward this outreach, please mark your contribution as “Outreach”.

Link your Kroger Rewards Card to St. John’s Church! Re-enrollment occurs August 1-31! St. John’s receives a portion of what you spend at Kroger. The amount is distributed quarterly. Support St. John’s by linking your card to St. John’s.

The Vestry has voted to donate $25 each month to Everlasting Arm Homeless Shelter. If you’d like to contribute, put your donations in the collection box by the guest register or mark your donation and put it in the collection plate.

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 Bruce know by phone or email..

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 Bruce know.

United Thank Offering. Remember to get your box for your thank offerings for this ministry of The Episcopal Church. The next collection will be in the fall.

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.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Subscribe to our Website Feed!

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/StJohnsCorbin

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/StJohnsCorbin

Website:  http://stjohnscorbin.org/

Pinterest:  http://www.pinterest.com/stjohnscorbin/

St. John’s Statement of Inclusion

St. John’s Episcopal Church, Corbin, KY, is a proudly inclusive Christian community. All members are encouraged to participate fully in the life and leadership of the church regardless of age, race, ethnicity, culture, gender, sexual orientation, economic condition, physical or mental ability. We believe all people are created by God to model the diversity in unity which is the Holy Trinity and we seek to live out that diversity in unity within the faith community.

This Week (August 23, 2014)

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Because of this many of his disciples turned back and no longer went about with him. (John 6:66)

Because of this many of his disciples turned back and no longer went about with him. (John 6:66)

“Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live forever.” (John 6:56-58)

One of the great mysteries of our faith is how Christ becomes present to us in and through the sacrament of the Eucharist. The disciples seem to be struggling with this, probably far more than we do as Jesus was physically standing before them telling them to eat his flesh and drink his blood. Christ promised that when we receive the Blessed Sacrament we will receive him into our very selves and come to share in his eternal life. The exact mechanism of how this works has been debated for centuries. We will never be able to pin down exactly how Christ is present in the bread and wine of the Eucharist, but we know from scripture, tradition and our personal faith experience that he is present. We have heard the slogan “You are what you eat”, and Christ promises that when we receive his Body and Blood in the Blessed Sacrament, we are transformed, too. We become like him as he becomes present in us as we will become present within him.

News & Notes

Pastoral Needs: If a pastoral need arises, please call the church office at 606-528-1659 and leave a message. Voicemail messages will automatically be forwarded to a member of the vestry who can arrange pastoral care. You may also contact the senior warden, Bruce W. Cory, by phone at 440-227-0035 or by e-mail at bwcory@gmail.com

Next Sunday: We will be having a service of Morning Prayer. Jeff Davis will lead the service and Bruce Cory will preach.

Pot Luck Sunday:  Next Sunday, August 30, is our monthly pot luck.  Bring a dish or drink to share.  And all are welcome!  Plan to fellowship with each other.  Our pot luck schedule shifts in October and November, depending upon the Bishop’s visit and our Annual Meeting.

Sunday, Sept. 6 – We will be participating in a joint worship service with Corbin Presbyterian and First Baptist Church. This service will take the place of our regular Sunday service. The service begins at 10:00 at the Rotary Park. There will be a potluck picnic after the service. We have been asked to supply beverages for the picnic. Individuals may also bring a dish to share and lawn chairs for seating.

Adult Forum: Each Sunday through July 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.

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

Fun, fun, fun.  The next Family Game Night is August 28, 6:30 – 8:30pm.  Bring your favorite games, snacks, and drinks.  Pizza will be provided.

God’s Pantry sponsors a senior food program through Corbin Presbyterian Church that unloads, packs and distributes food to 312 low income seniors in our area. The truck load of food (about 10,000 pounds) arrives at the church on the 4th Monday (August 24) of each month about 10:00, and the cases of food are unloaded and stacked in the church fellowship hall. The next night (August 25) at 6:00 we get together and pack the food into 312 boxes. Then, Wednesday (August 26) from 9:00 to 12:30 is the great day when the seniors come to the church to pick up their food and we desperately need people who can carry the boxes to their cars. All of this is labor intensive, and requires some lifting on Monday and Wednesday. On Tuesday we pack the boxes in an assembly line. We are acutely aware that most people who can do this easily are working on Monday and Wednesday, but we would certainly welcome any help we can get!

Link your Kroger Rewards Card to St. John’s Church!  Re-enrollment occurs August 1-31!  St. John’s receives a portion of what you spend at Kroger.  The amount is distributed quarterly.  Support St. John’s by linking your card to St. John’s.

The vestry has voted to keep a supply of 5 $20.00 Kroger gift cards each month available to distribute to people who call for food or fuel assistance. If you would like to contribute toward this outreach, please mark your contribution as “Outreach”.

The Vestry has voted to donate $25 each month to Everlasting Arm Homeless Shelter. If you’d like to contribute, put your donations in the collection box by the guest register or mark your donation and put it in the collection plate.

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 Bruce know by phone or email..

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 Bruce know.

United Thank Offering.  Remember to get your box for your thank offerings for this ministry of The Episcopal Church.  The next collection will be in the fall.

Serving Our Neighbors – See baskets in the parlor.

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

 

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Subscribe to our Website Feed!

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/StJohnsCorbin

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/StJohnsCorbin

Website:  http://stjohnscorbin.org/

Pinterest:  http://www.pinterest.com/stjohnscorbin/

St. John’s Statement of Inclusion

St. John’s Episcopal Church, Corbin, KY, is a proudly inclusive Christian community. All members are encouraged to participate fully in the life and leadership of the church regardless of age, race, ethnicity, culture, gender, sexual orientation, economic condition, physical or mental ability. We believe all people are created by God to model the diversity in unity which is the Holy Trinity and we seek to live out that diversity in unity within the faith community.

“Making a Joyful Noise unto the Lord” – sermon/podcast (August 16, 2015 – Proper B15: Ephesians 5:18b-20)

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Ephesians 5:18b-20“Making a Joyful Noise unto the Lord”

Proper B15 – 16 August 2015

Paul’s letter to the Ephesians continues his advice to the community at Ephesus on holy living. I would like to focus on the last part of today’s reading where Paul advises, “be filled with the Spirit, as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts, giving thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:18b-20).

A significant component of our Morning Prayer service is fulfilling Paul’s advice to sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, also fulfilling Psalm 100:1 where it says to “Make a joyful noise to the Lord”. I frequently joke that I am glad scripture calls for a “joyful noise” and not “beautiful singing”, for I can at least be joyful, and my singing definitely falls into the category of noise! Paul’s advice to sing is also reinforced by a statement attributed to St. Augustine, the fifth century bishop of the town of Hippo in northern Africa, when he says, “He who sings prays twice.” Lifting our voice in holy song also lifts our hearts and minds to God in a special form of prayer. Some may say they are unable of singing, and what they mean is unable to sing in a way that is praised as beautiful singing, but I also like to fall back on an African proverb that says, “If you can walk, you can dance. If you can talk, you can sing.” God gave us these voices, so it is God’s fault if they are not always particularly melodious, so that should not stop us from singing.

The Psalms that form the central portion of the Morning Prayer service were written to be sung. The book of Psalms is a music book that has been passed down for almost three thousand years. During the fourth century, some groups of Christians began to move into isolated, lonely places and live as monks. These monks would daily sing all 150 psalms from memory as they went about the manual labor they performed for their survival. When we sing the psalms, and notice we have been singing the psalms lately rather than reciting them, we are joining our voices to almost three millennia of prayer and praise to God. While we do not know the particular tunes to which these psalms were sung, and it would be meaningless to us if we did as they psalms were originally composed in Hebrew, there has been a long history of setting these texts to music. One of the more well known forms of singing the psalms is known as Gregorian chant, a style of singing that became popular in the ninth century. Even to this day it is possible to go to churches and monasteries and participate in the daily cycle of prayers based around the psalms being sung to Gregorian chant, and there have been several top selling CDs of the chant from monastic communities, the Benedictine Monks of Santo Domingo de Silos in Spain being one of the first communities to popularize a CD of Gregorian chant.

The Episcopal Church is heir to a form called Anglican chant. Some larger churches and cathedrals will have choral Eucharists and choral Evensong services with full choirs chanting the psalms and prayers in Anglican chant. A quick search on Youtube will find a person some magnificent examples, though the best way is to experience the service in person. While I would love for us to do the psalms and canticles of Morning Prayer in Gregorian or Anglican chant, these methods might seem too overwhelming for us to try at this time. You will notice that in the service bulletin the psalms and canticles are said to be “sung to the tune of…” Billy and I have been using a text called the Metrical Psalter as the source for these texts. Typical translations of the psalms and the canticles of Morning Prayer are translated for reading, not for singing. While Gregorian and Anglican chant can handle the irregular syllable patterns that may show up in standard translation from one language (Hebrew) to another (Latin or English). For ease of singing, the texts in the Metrical Psalters are translated so that they follow a regular pattern, called meter. With this regular pattern, the authors have then matched the text to a common hymn tune, making it easier to sing the psalm if one knows the tune of the hymn. Of course, some of you may have noticed that not all the hymn tunes are as well known to us as others, but we are working on that as we go along!

The goal, however, is to enhance our worship and allow us to follow the advice of Paul to sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs more effectively in our worship. One of the joys of sung psalms, hymns and prayers is that there is strong connection between singing and memory. By singing the psalms and the hymns of our worship, I hope they can become ingrained into our minds and become part of our subconscious lives. I would encourage us all in worship to sing joyously. If we are not familiar with the tune, listen carefully to the music and try to pick up the tune. We can also sing powerfully, not in an attempt to overpower the rest of the congregation, but as a means of putting more of ourselves into the song so that it does become an act of prayer. One piece of advice that is often given at monasteries when one visits is that it is okay to sing along, but also be sure one is not singing so loud one cannot hear one’s neighbor, which I think also puts pressure on one’s neighbor to sing loudly enough to be heard. Like all of our worship, our singing is communal and not a solo performance nor an event for spectators!

As we continue with our worship, let’s be mindful of Paul’s advice and enter fully into our singing and worship. Perhaps in our singing we will in fact be praying twice!

This Week (August 16, 2015) at St. John’s

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Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit, as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts, giving thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 5:18-20)

Episcopalians are sometimes jokingly called “Whiskeypalians” as we are not one of the historical temperance churches that strongly reject the consumption of alcohol. Although we are not a temperance church, we do encourage restraint in consumption and acknowledge the addicting nature of alcohol. At the recent General Convention two resolutions, A158 – Task Force to Review and Revise Policy on substance abuse, addiction and recovery and A159 – The Role of the Church in the Culture of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse, were passed to address the issue of alcoholism and drug addiction and the church’s role in these problems. The full text of the resolutions is linked and is worthy of thoughtful reading, reflection, and discussion. Resolution A158 has the following well worded statement:

Resolved, the House of Bishops concurring, that the 78th General Convention acknowledge The Episcopal Church’s long-standing tolerance for the use of alcohol which, in some cases, has contributed to its misuse, and has undermined a climate of wholeness and holiness for all; that our Church culture too often avoids hard conversations about alcohol use, and the role of forgiveness and compassion in healing and recovery; and that The Episcopal Church now commits to create a new normal in our relationship with alcohol. We aspire to be a place in which conversations about alcohol, substance misuse, or addiction are not simply about treatment but about renewal, justice, wholeness, and healing. We affirm that Recovery Ministries of The Episcopal Church has long been and continues to be a valuable resource for this work

What role has alcohol and alcoholism played in your life? In what ways do Resolutions A158 and A159 challenge and comfort you? How might St. John’s implement Resolutions A158 and A159 in our common life and ministry?

News & Notes

Pastoral Needs: If a pastoral need arises, please call the church office at 606-528-1659 and leave a message. Voicemail messages will automatically be forwarded to a member of the vestry who can arrange pastoral care. You may also contact the senior warden, Bruce W. Cory, by phone at 440-227-0035 or by e-mail at bwcory@gmail.com

Next Sunday: We will be having a service of Holy Eucharist (communion). The Rev. Terry Taylor will be presiding.

Adult Forum: Each Sunday through July 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.

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

Fun, fun, fun.  The next Family Game Night is August 28, 6:30 – 8:30pm.  Bring your favorite games, snacks, and drinks.  Pizza will be provided.

The vestry has voted to keep a supply of 5 $20.00 Kroger gift cards each month available to distribute to people who call for food or fuel assistance. If you would like to contribute toward this outreach, please mark your contribution as “Outreach”.

July

2015

(4 Sundays)

 BudgetYTD ActualYTD MonthlyBudget

Actual

Monthly
Total Revenue

$30,115

 $32,011 $4,302

$2,529
Total Expense

$30,115

 $30,022 $4,302

$3,061
Difference $1,989 0

-$532

 

“Be angry, but do not sin” – Sermon (August 9, 2015 – Proper B14: Ephesians 4:26)

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Beginning this week we will be publishing both a podcast and text version of the sermon.


Paul’s advice in this selection from the letter to the Ephesians is one of the more beautiful and inspiring portions of scripture. It also contains one of those portions more challenging portions of scriptures. Paul’s advice on anger is challenging and often misunderstood.

Paul advises the Christian community in Ephesus to “Be angry, but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger” (Ephesians 4:26). While I was teaching in the high school, I several times had conversations with my classes in which the students felt that feeling anger was itself sinful. The advice to feel anger but not sin seemed contradictory.

We need to realize that emotions themselves are neither good nor evil. Emotions just are. Even what we might call the “baser” emotions of anger and fear are natural responses and morally neutral. It is, however, what we choose to do in response to these emotions that becomes suspect to moral evaluation. Anger can be a motivator to great good or profound evil. These actions have moral consequences.

One of the great souls that knew this was the Indian leader Mohandas Gandhi. In reflecting on anger, Gandhi observed, “It is not that I do not get angry. I don’t give vent to my anger. I cultivate the quality of patience as angerlessness, and generally speaking, I succeed. But I only control my anger when it comes. How I find it possible to control it would be a useless question, for it is a habit that everyone must cultivate and must succeed in forming by constant practice.”

Anger is a biological response. Deep inside our brains is a structure called the amygdala. This structure is sometimes called the “reptilian brain.” From an evolutionary standpoint, this portion of the brain seems to be one of the earliest portions to evolve and is common to all vertebrates, or animals with backbones. The amygdala seems to have among its functions the production of emotional responses, specifically the responses of anger and fear. Stimulation or damage to the amygdala can cause uncontrolled aggression or states of constant anxiety, or the complete absences of these states.

As mammals, however, we have a more highly evolved portion of the brain called the frontal lobe. This portion of the brain is associated with reasoning and emotional regulation. The amygdala seems to function in an on-off state – aggression/rage or lack of aggression rage. For animals with less highly evolved frontal lobes, when the amygdala activates, the creature immediately responds with aggression. However, as humans who have a more highly developed frontal lobe, when our amygdala become activated, we will still experience the anger, rage and aggression, but our frontal lobes allow us to regulate our responses to those emotions. Rather than lashing out as a different animal might, we can choose how to act on the emotion, directing it either in a destructive or constructive way. An interesting story is told of a man named Phineas Gage, a nineteenth century railroad worker. While placing explosives for blasting during the construction of a railroad, the tamp used to pack the dirt around the explosives sparked against a rock, igniting the explosives and driving the tamp up into Gage’s head, destroying the left portion of his frontal lobe. Gage survived, but was never the same. This is the description given by Gage’s employers for his behavior after his convalescence from his accident:

The equilibrium or balance, so to speak, between his intellectual faculties and animal propensities, seems to have been destroyed. He is fitful, irreverent, indulging at times in the grossest profanity (which was not previously his custom), manifesting but little deference for his fellows, impatient of restraint or advice when it conflicts with his desires, at times pertinaciously obstinate, yet capricious and vacillating, devising many plans of future operations, which are no sooner arranged than they are abandoned in turn for others appearing more feasible. A child in his intellectual capacity and manifestations, he has the animal passions of a strong man. Previous to his injury, although untrained in the schools, he possessed a well-balanced mind, and was looked upon by those who knew him as a shrewd, smart business man, very energetic and persistent in executing all his plans of operation. In this regard his mind was radically changed, so decidedly that his friends and acquaintances said he was “no longer Gage”

It is our frontal lobes that gives us the ability, and the moral responsibility, to regulate and direct our emotional responses, and we can exercise this ability and responsibility in both constructive and destructive ways. I think about the various responses to the killing of black citizens here in the United States. In some instances the tragedy and injustice was met with anger that flashed out into the destruction of property, violence and riots, whereas the violent murders of the nine church members at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church brought different reactions of prayer vigils, non-violent gatherings and public statements of sorrow by the world.

It is in this ability to regulate our emotions that our moral responsibility arises. We cannot help but feel that anger. It is a deep response within our biology. The emotion just is. Not only as creatures who have evolved with a highly developed frontal cortex, but also as Christians, we have a responsibility to direct and regulate our anger in constructive ways that confront injustice and bring about the peaceable kingdom of Christ.

Paul’s further advice on not letting the sun set on our anger can also be understood in terms of biology and morality. The rage and anger we may feel that is triggered by the amygdala is instant, but also relatively short lived. Observe an animal that feels threatened. It will frequently react, fight, and then move on. It is in our troublesome frontal lobes that the trouble arises. We humans have a tendency to hold on to whatever triggered our anger. We mull over the trigger, massaging the hurt, nursing it into a smoldering ember awaiting an opportunity to rekindle the flame of our anger and lash out. We have actively chosen to hold on to the emotional response and nurture it into something destructive, and this is where our moral responsibility resides. Paul advises us not to do this. Frederick Buechner, the Presbyterian writer and theologian, observes, “Of the Seven Deadly Sins, anger is possibly the most fun. To lick your wounds, to smack your lips over grievances long past, to roll over your tongue the prospect of bitter confrontations still to come, to savor to the last toothsome morsel both the pain you are given and the pain you are giving back–in many ways it is a feast fit for a king. The chief drawback is that what you are wolfing down is yourself. The skeleton at the feast is you.” Buechner is rightly observing that when we think we are consuming our anger with relish, it is in fact our anger that is consuming us.

This week, let’s go forward monitoring our emotional responses. The emotions we can acknowledge as morally neutral and let them pass, but let us also examine our responses in light of our biological and Christian moral responsibility.

This Week (August 9, 2015) at St. John’s

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Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and anyone who comes to me I will never drive away (John 6:37)

It is comforting to know that we belong to Christ and that he will never turn us away. St. Paul reflects on this in Romans 8:38 when he says, “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” It seems the only thing that can separate us from God is our personal choice. Even then, God still loves us, but it is we who move away, not God.

News & Notes

Pastoral Needs: If a pastoral need arises, please call the church office at 606-528-1659 and leave a message. Voicemail messages will automatically be forwarded to a member of the vestry who can arrange pastoral care. You may also contact the senior warden, Bruce W. Cory, by phone at 440-227-0035 or by e-mail at bwcory@gmail.com

Next Sunday: We will be having a service of Morning Prayer. Jeff Davis will preside and Bruce W. Cory will preach.

Adult Forum: Each Sunday through July 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.

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

St. John’s Statement of Inclusion

St. John’s Episcopal Church, Corbin, KY, is a proudly inclusive Christian community. All members are encouraged to participate fully in the life and leadership of the church regardless of age, race, ethnicity, culture, gender, sexual orientation, economic condition, physical or mental ability. We believe all people are created by God to model the diversity in unity which is the Holy Trinity and we seek to live out that diversity in unity within the faith community.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Subscribe to our Website Feed!

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/StJohnsCorbin

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/StJohnsCorbin

Website:  http://stjohnscorbin.org/

Pinterest:  http://www.pinterest.com/stjohnscorbin/

This Sunday (August 2, 2015) at St. John’s

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Chalice and patenJesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” (John 6:35)

This is one of the more challenging statements Jesus makes in the gospel of John. A few verses later his listeners complain about this statement. The Johannine author is most likely speaking here about the Eucharist. In the Eucharist Jesus gives us his flesh to eat in the bread and his blood to drink in the wine.

The Outline of the Faith from the Book of Common Prayer has the following about the Eucharist:

Q. What is the inward and spiritual grace given in the
Eucharist?
A. The inward and spiritual grace in the Holy Communion
is the Body and Blood of Christ given to his people, and
received by faith.

However it happens, through the Eucharist we truly receive the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. There are numerous benefits we receive from the Eucharist:

Q. What are the benefits which we receive in the Lord’s
Supper?
A. The benefits we receive are the forgiveness of our sins,
the strengthening of our union with Christ and one
another, and the foretaste of the heavenly banquet which
is our nourishment in eternal life.

There are also requirements involved before receiving the Eucharist:

Q. What is required of us when we come to the Eucharist?
A. It is required that we should examine our lives, repent
of our sins, and be in love and charity with all people.

News & Notes
Pastoral Needs: If a pastoral need arises, please call the church office at 606-528-1659 and leave a message. Voicemail messages will automatically be forwarded to a member of the vestry who can arrange pastoral care. You may also contact the senior warden, Bruce W. Cory, by phone at 440-227-0035 or by e-mail at bwcory@gmail.com

This Sunday: We will be having a service of Eucharist presided at by the Rev. Terry Taylor.

Next Sunday: We will be having a service of Morning Prayer. Jeff Davis will preside and Bruce W. Cory will preach.

Adult Forum: Each Sunday through July 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.

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

Link your Kroger Rewards Card to St. John’s Church! Re-enrollment occurs August 1-31! St. John’s receives a portion of what you spend at Kroger. The amount is distributed quarterly. Support St. John’s by linking your card to St. John’s. Directions for linking your card are posted on the parish hall bulletin board.

The Vestry has voted to donate $25 each month to Everlasting Arm Homeless Shelter. If you’d like to contribute, put your donations in the collection box by the guest register or mark your donation and put it in the collection plate.

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 Bruce know by phone or email bwcory@gmail.com.

United Thank Offering. Remember to get your box for your thank offerings for this ministry of The Episcopal Church. The next collection will be in the fall.

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 a vestry member know.

Serving Our Neighbors – See baskets in the parlor.

Everlasting Arm, 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.

St. John’s Statement of Inclusion

St. John’s Episcopal Church, Corbin, KY, is a proudly inclusive Christian community. All members are encouraged to participate fully in the life and leadership of the church regardless of age, race, ethnicity, culture, gender, sexual orientation, economic condition, physical or mental ability. We believe all people are created by God to model the diversity in unity which is the Holy Trinity and we seek to live out that diversity in unity within the faith community.

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Flood relief efforts

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Flood damage in Johnson County, KY

Flood damage in Johnson County, KY. Photo from WHAS11 TV.

Vestry has voted to donate $100.00 worth of supplies to the flood relief effort in Johnson County, KY. Bruce Cory will purchase the supplies and they will be joined with the supplies donated by Grace on the Hill United Methodist Church and Union College. The local district of the United Methodist Church is renting a 10 foot box truck to transport the supplies to Johnson County to the United Methodist Committee on Relief support center in Paintsville, KY. Bruce and the Rev. David Miller, campus minister at Union College, will be driving the truck to Paintsville Saturday, July 25.

Help loading the truck at Grace on the Hill United Methodist Church will be appreciated. We will be loading the truck at 9:00 am Saturday morning. You can personally purchase supplies and bring them to Grace on the Hill that morning to be loaded on the truck. If you wish to make a monetary donation toward the $100.00 vestry has voted to donate, please make that donation in the offertory this Sunday, July 26, marked for Johnson County flood relief. Any cash donated by parishioners in excess of the $100.00 already designated will be forwarded to UMCOR as a cash donation to help the flood victims.

For some current information on the flood relief effort, this clip from WSAZ in West Virginia may be of interest: http://bit.ly/1DBwJ0a

Need help loading Saturday morning

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Anyone available to help load the truck of the supplies going to Johnson County/Paintsville? We could use a couple people and maybe an extra handtruck Saturday morning at 8:30. We may also have a few youth from Grace on the Hill.

Bruce

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