Tag Archives: Eucharist

This Sunday (April 19, 2015) at St. John’s

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O God, whose blessed Son made himself known to his disciples in the breaking of bread: Open the eyes of our faith, that we may behold him in all his redeeming work; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. Collect for Third Sunday of Easter, Book of Common Prayer, Pgs 224-225

I am in Pennsylvania this week, because my granddaughter makes her First Communion, a rite in the Roman Catholic Church.  They usually pick this Saturday after Easter, because the Gospel is always about Jesus appearing after his resurrection and eating with his disciples.  The Gospel confirms that Jesus is ALWAYS present with us during communion.  Jesus ALWAYS shares this meal with us.

The sharing of our communion meal institute by Jesus on Maundy Thursday and reinforced in his resurrection appearances, has been continued ever since.  It reminds us that death did not win.  It reminds us that the most powerful government of the time could not silence the Son of God.  It reminds us of what is everlasting and what is important about life and living life.  It’s not what the world says, it’s what Jesus Christ taught us… love one another…love is the key….

Open our eyes, Lord…

Love, Rebecca+

Rebecca will be on vacation next week, through April 22.   For pastoral care emergencies, call the Rev. John Bukhart, 606-521-0345.

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 week we begin a 5-week series on Ten Ways to Pray. Jeff Davis will lead us in centering prayer and body prayer.

Daughters of the King: The Regional Luncheon Meeting for Daughters of the King will be held Saturday, April 25, 11:30am – 1:30pm.  All women members and those interested in becoming members are invited! Please let Shelia Phillips know if you would like to attend.

Diocesan Leadership Training: Diocesan leadership training sessions will be offered at St. Patrick’s Church, Somerset on Friday May 8, 5:45pm-9:00pm and Saturday, May 9, 9am – 4pm.  Let Rev. Rebecca know if you’d like to attend this important and informative training.  The focus is on effective communication and effective community behaviors. The format is a mix of lecture and small group discussion.

Belk Charity Sales Day:  Belk department store will host a Charity Sales Day on Saturday, May 2, 6am – 10am.  Buy tickets for $5.00 to get into this special sale.   The church keeps the money and you get $5.00 off an item for each ticket you have.  Members of the ECW will be selling tickets prior to the event.

Grow Appalachia: The Grow Appalachia committee will meet Thursdays evenings at 6pm through April and May. 

Rotary Scholarship Scramble: Participate in or help sponsor the Dave Hudson Memorial Rotary Scholarship Scramble, Friday, April 24, London Country Club.  All proceeds benefit college scholarships for local high school students.  See Rev. Rebecca for more information.

Fun, fun, fun: The next Family Game Night is April 24th from 6:30 – 8:30pm.  Bring your favorite games, snacks, and drinks.  Those who wish to, may gather at Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church for their fish fry at 5:45.  The cost is $7.00 for adults and $4.00 for children for a full meal.

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This Week (June 1) at St. John’s

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You sent a gracious rain, O God, upon your inheritance; *
you refreshed the land when it was weary. Psalm 68:9

This Seventh Sunday after Easter, we mark the Ascension of Jesus into heaven.  Ascension Day is Thursday, May 29.  Monday through Wednesday of this week were rogation days — times of fasting and prayer for protection.  Rogation days are times when farmers ask for blessings on their crops.  They were times when parishes “beat the bounds” or walked the boundary of their parish or their property, asking God for protection.

So, we hear Psalm 68 and this portion, which reminds us of our northern hemisphere growing season.  We need rain.  Gracious rain sounds like rain that will be good for the land.  A drenching rain can wash away the good growing soil or run off too quickly.  A gracious rain sounds like the steady soaking rain that replenishes the water supply and allows the earth to drink it in at just the right pace.   The gracious rain is refreshing.  It is not destructive.

During these days, think about the land and the earth.  Think about how it provides so much of what we need to have a good life.  Give thanks for its gifts and examine your part in being a good steward for the earth.

Blessings as you finish your week!

Love, Rebecca+

News & Notes

Bulletin 06-01-2014 Instructed Eucharist

Rebecca’s Schedule: Next week, Rebecca will be in Corbin on Friday, June 6 and her Sabbath day will be Thursday, June 5th You can get a message to Rebecca by calling 859 -429-1659 or priest-in-charge@stjohnscorbin.org.

This Sunday we welcome The Rev. Peter Doddema from St. Philip’s Episcopal Church, Harrodsburg. He will lead us in an Instructed Eucharist. Notice your bulletin provides additional information about the various parts of our service. Rebecca is at St. Philip’s this morning.

Our series on Resurrection Living continues this week. 

Godly Play: Next week (June 8) Godly Play classes will conclude for the summer with a celebration of Pentecost. Classes will resume in the fall.

Wednesdays in the Park: Join us each Wednesday through June 25 for hot dogs and fun. This Wednesday, June 4, Ken and Shelia Phillips will bring the Kentucky Native American Heritage Museum to the park.

I publish the Banns of Marriage between William Robert Hibbitts of London, KY and Amber Hannah Pearce of Lexington, KY. If any of you know just cause why they may not be joined together in Holy Matrimony on June 7, you are bidden to declare it. This is the third time of asking.

United Thank Offering (UTO): is a ministry of the Episcopal Church for the mission of the whole church. Our ingathering of your UTO offerings will be today. The UTO Boxes will be gathered and brought forward with the offering.

Grow Appalachia: The Vestry voted to move ahead with this project. As we continue to work on this project, let the members of Vestry know your questions. Their website is http://www.berea.edu/grow-appalachia/

The meal of Love (Sermon) April 17, 2014

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Sermon – April 17, 2014
The Rev. Rebecca S. Myers, CSW
St. John’s Episcopal Church, Corbin, KY
Maundy Thursday

I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.  John 13:34-35

My mother’s parents lived 300 miles away from us.  They came to visit us at least once or maybe twice throughout the year.  Once each year, usually in the summer, we’d travel to see them.  Sometimes we took the Greyhound bus, which was a LONG trip.  Other times we drove.  The standard dinner on the night we arrived was spaghetti with meatballs.  The sauce would have cooked all day.  How my grandmother never burnt that sauce, making it on an electric stove, I’ll never know.  I cheat and make it in a crockpot.  The sauce was very simple – tomatoes and tomato paste.  There weren’t a lot of spices, but there was a secret ingredient that was never written down in the recipe and that I learned only when I actually watched my grandmother make the sauce…it was baking soda – just a tiny bit to neutralize the acid in the sauce.

The meatballs were wonderful with parsley and romano cheese and a little egg in them.  They were individually fried in olive oil and added to the sauce.  The meal included additional freshly grated cheese, as well as a loaf of my grandfather’s homemade Italian bread, baked early in the morning.

The table would be set with a clean, white table cloth – can you imagine kids and spaghetti sauce and a clean white tablecloth?  My grandmother had the whitest whites you can imagine.

Spaghetti and meatballs was the dinner of love…the dinner of welcome.  That’s probably why my favorite thing to do on a Sunday evening when I’m in Lexington is go to Joe Bologna’s and get their “all you can eat” spaghetti.   It’s the closest I’ve found to the taste of my grandmother’s food.  It reminds me of her immense love for her family and her joy in seeing us and welcoming us to her home.  

This evening, we hear about Jesus taking a ritual, annual meal and giving it new meaning.  Jesus takes simple parts of the meal – bread and wine – elements included in the most basic of meals, and infuses new symbolism in them.  These elements represent the ultimate love of God for all people – Jesus’ body and blood…the very essence of life… given to save us…given out of deep love for us.  

Whenever we see these common elements, we are reminded of Jesus’ love for us.  When we gather together in Jesus’ name, bless and make these common elements holy, Jesus is present, binding us together into one.  

A document and teaching of the early church, possibly as early as 150 years after the death of Christ, says this:   As this broken bread was scattered upon the mountains and being gathered together became one, so may Thy Church be gathered together from the ends of the earth into Thy kingdom;(Didache 9.8, http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/didache-lightfoot.html)

The meal…this simple meal of bread and wine, has bound us and all those before us, to that first meal in that upper room in Jerusalem.  It binds us in community to each other and to Christ, just as it bound the disciples to Christ.  It reminds us that the everliving Christ is right here in our midst and nothing can separate us from the love of God.  It reminds us to be Christ to the world, to love one another like Christ has loved us, so all will know we are Jesus’ disciples.

Amen