Tag Archives: Christmas

This Sunday (January 4, 2015) at St. John’s

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How dear to me is your dwelling, O LORD of hosts! *
My soul has a desire and longing for the courts of the LORD;
my heart and my flesh rejoice in the living God. Psalm 84:1

Psalm 84 always reminds me of the piece from the Brahms requiem.  I’ve sung this piece in a number of choirs over the years.  It’s meant to provide a comforting vision of heaven for those mourning a loss.

It’s especially wonderful to sing this piece in a church, because church space is such a sanctuary in our world — just a little bit of heaven here on earth.  And St. John’s certainly is that.  Fairly simple, always peaceful and serene.  And especially at Christmas and Easter, the space is especially beautiful.  Thanks to the Altar Guild and helpers who decorated for the season.

This Sunday is the Last Sunday of Christmas and we then enter the season of Epiphany.  Come sit in this holy and beautiful space this Sunday.

Blessings as you finish your week!

Love, Rebecca+

01-05-2015 Bulletin

News & Notes

Rebecca’s Schedule: Rev. Rebecca will at St. Agnes’ House Monday, January 5, through Thursday, January 8. Her Sabbath day will be Friday, January 9.  You can get a message to her by calling the church office at 606-528-1659 or priest-in-charge@stjohnscorbin.org

Today we welcome Emily Cardwell to the pulpit.  Emily is in the supervisory part of discerning a call to ministry for the Diaconate. She has been supported in this process by a discernment committee and her Vestry at St. John’s in Versailles, as well as by her husband, Jeff and their three children – Leah, Quinn and Willa. She has been assigned to St. Agnes House for her supervisory reflection, while also being given the opportunity to preach here in Corbin. Emily is on the Pastoral Care team where her focus is prison ministry, and she finishes up her third year as a Vestry member next month.

Adult Forum: In January through mid-February (Christmas and Epiphany), we will discuss the blessing of same gender relationships.  Next week, Bruce Cory will continue a discussion on What Does the Bible Say.

Godly Play offered for children.  All children are invited to participate in this special program of spiritual development.

Youth Group Bowling.  The youth ages 13-18 will go bowling Sunday afternoon, January 18, 1-3pm at Forest Bowling Lanes, Corbin.  Please see Rev. Rebecca if you’d like to go.

Vestry Retreat: Please pray for our Vestry as we are in retreat on Saturday, January 10.  We will be looking more closely at our mission and the future.  To help us with the discussion, please answer these questions and talk to or email Rebecca at priest-in-charge@stjohnscorbin.org.  Please provide short one or two sentence, powerful descriptive answers to each question.  Humanize answers whenever possible. i.e. Share a real-life example.

  1. How do we help/serve people?
  2. Who do we help/serve?
  3. What are our vital services/programs?
  4. What is our track record?
  5. Our plans for the future?
  6. How do we use our money?
  7. Why do we deserve your support?

 

Weekday Morning Eucharist will be available Wednesday, January 21, 9am, in the Sanctuary.

Provide Flowers for the altar in honor or in memory of a loved one: 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.

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.

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 spring.

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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Sing and Rejoice O Daughter Zion (Sermon) Christmas, 2014

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Sermon – December 25, 2014

The Rev. Rebecca S. Myers, CSW

St. John’s Episcopal Church, Corbin, KY

Christmas Day

 

Zech 2:10-13

zech 2:10-13

Sing and rejoice, O daughter Zion! For lo, I will come and dwell in your midst, says the Lord. Many nations shall join themselves to the Lord on that day, and shall be my people; and I will dwell in your midst. And you shall know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you. The Lord will inherit Judah as his portion in the holy land, and will again choose Jerusalem.

Be silent, all people, before the Lord; for he has roused himself from his holy dwelling.

1 John 4:7-16

God Is Love

Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us.

By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and do testify that the Father has sent his Son as the Saviour of the world. God abides in those who confess that Jesus is the Son of God, and they abide in God. So we have known and believe the love that God has for us.

God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them.

John 3:31-36

The One Who Comes from Heaven

The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks about earthly things. The one who comes from heaven is above all. He testifies to what he has seen and heard, yet no one accepts his testimony. Whoever has accepted his testimony has certified this, that God is true. He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure. The Father loves the Son and has placed all things in his hands. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever disobeys the Son will not see life, but must endure God’s wrath.

 

 

Well, it’s that time of year.  TV, newspapers, blogs and all kinds of media have retrospectives of the year…2014 in review.  Even Facebook and Google Plus will take the photos you’ve posted this year and create a year in review.  It’s kind of scary to see what they put together.

Sometimes it’s hard not to despair.  I’ve told you before that everyone alive on earth right now has the same mother from 50,000 years ago….mitochondrial Eve, she’s called.  So, technically we’re all brothers and sisters.  Yet we treat each other so badly, sometimes.  I mean ISIS/ISIL is so horrifying, aren’t they?  They’re such a puzzle.  And we were touched personally whenAbdul-Rahman Kassig, Anne Day and Jeff’s friend of their daughter Sarah, was executed.  Every day, we hear things that break our hearts or make us shake our heads at how cruel we can be.

That’s why this vision from Zechariah is so comforting:

Sing and rejoice, O daughter Zion! For lo, I will come and dwell in your midst, says the Lord. Many nations shall join themselves to the Lord on that day, and shall be my people; and I will dwell in your midst. Zech 2:10-11 

This is a vision of joy, because God has come to live with us and thus bring all nations together as one people.  A vision of unity.  Now, we know that this does not mean we are all alike or think alike.  We are a typical family and very, very diverse!  Yet, we hold one thing in common and that is our joy in God’s coming.

And then in our reading from 1 John, we get a second dose or guide to hope.  We hear the central truth that God is Love.  And we get this guidance:

Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us. 1 John 4:11-12

Our love of each other is a response to God’s amazing love to us…a love we celebrate this morning.  And in loving each other, we create a place for God to dwell and not only that, God’s love becomes perfect in us.

The best gift we can give today…the best way we can reflect our joy on this day, is to resolve to better love each other.  It’s not easy, we know, but we can redouble our efforts to try.  Loving each other is the only way to know God.

Amen