From the Fathers and others: It is not freedom when we say to people that everything is permitted. That is slavery. To improve one must have difficulties. Freedom is good when the person can use it St. John Orthodox Church appropriately. Otherwise it is a disaster. -St. Paisios of Mount Athos A Parish of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America In truth there is only one freedom - the holy freedom of Christ, whereby He freed us from sin, from evil, from the devil. It binds us to God. All other freedoms are illusory, false, that is to say, they are all, in fact, slavery. -St. Justin Popovich "The goal of human freedom is not in freedom itself, nor is it in man, but in God. By giving man freedom, God has yielded to man a piece of His divine authority, but with the intention that man himself would voluntarily bring it as a sacrifice to God, a most perfect offering." -St. Theophan the Recluse "The Lord wants us to love each other; this is the essence of freedom — love for God and for your neighbor. This is both freedom and equality. But in earthly titles there can be no equality; this is of no concern to the soul, however. Not everyone can be a king or a prince; not everyone can be a patriarch or an abbot, or a leader, but no matter what your title you can love God and serve Him, and that is all that matters. And whoever loves God more on earth shall be in greater glory in the Kingdom." – St. Silouan of Mount Athos We must use freedom, as a means, an instrument for doing as much good as possible, and for perfecting ourselves in every virtue, so as to render unto God fruits a hundredfold. -St. John of Kronstadt All of us who are human beings are in the image of God. But to be in His likeness belongs only to those who by great love have attached their freedom to God. -St Diadochos of Photike To fall is human, to persist is diabolical, to repent is divine. -St John Chrysostom Malice will never drive out malice. But, if someone does an evil act to you, you should do good to him, so that by your good work you may destroy his malice. -A Desert Father You must love every man with your whole soul, but put your hope in the one God, and serve Him alone. For as long as He is protecting us and our friends (the angels) are helping us, our enemies (the demons) cannot inflict evil upon us. But when He forsakes us, the also our ~ June 20, 2021 ~ friends turn away from us, and our enemies receive power over us. -St. Maximus Confessor Great & Holy Pentecost ST. JOHN ORTHODOX CHURCH ST. JOHN CALENDAR June 20-27 (Fast Free Week) 1663 TUTWILER AVENUE Sunday -Orthros, 9am MEMPHIS, TN 38107 (901) 274-4119 -Divine Liturgy, 10am www.stjohnmemphis.org -Youth Group, 1pm Chrismation -Pentecost Kneeling Vespers, 6pm June 20 His Eminence Metropolitan JOSEPH John Pecaroro Archbishop of New York and Metropolitan of all North America Monday -First Hour, 6:45am Tuesday -Third Hour, 9am His Grace Bishop NICHOLAS -Men’s Lunch, 12pm Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of Miami and the Southeast -Orthodoxy 101, 7pm, Divine Liturgy: Pt. 2 V. Rev. Fr. Philip Rogers, Pastor V. Rev. Fr. Basil Cushman, Associate Pastor Wednesday -Third Hour, 9am V. Rev Fr. John Troy Mashburn, Jr., Pastor Emeritus V. Rev. Fr. Donald Berge, Attached -NO AWSJ Women’s Teaching GREAT VESPERS ORTHROS and CHURCH SCHOOL DIVINE LITURGY -Vespers, 5:30pm Saturday, 6:00 p.m. Sunday, 9:00 a.m. Sunday, 10:00 a.m. -Pizza Party & Games following Vespers Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America Thursday -Third Hour, 9am “…the Disciples were called Christians first in Antioch!” Friday -First Hour, 6:45am Acts 11:26 -Third Hour, 9am -Sixth Hour, 12pm Great & Holy Pentecost Saturday -9th Hour & Vespers, 5:50pm Epistle: Acts 2:1-11 Gospel: John 7:37-52; 8:12 Sunday -Orthros, 9am -Divine Liturgy, 10am The Holy Bread for Eucharist is offered by Karen Bell. Welcome to all those visiting St. John Orthodox Church. We are honored by your presence. It is our sincere desire that your participation today in the Divine Liturgy will draw you closer to Christ and His Church. Birthdays, Anniversaries, Namedays If you are from a non-Orthodox background you may see new things such as icons, incense, the sign of the cross, the veneration of saints, and a great deal of standing. These can be perplexing to Thursday, 6/24 the uninitiated eye. Rest assured that everything we do has a solid biblical foundation and a long Sunday, 6/20 St. Elizabeth, Mother of the history among Christian people. Please feel free to participate where you feel comfortable and feel Forerunner: equally as free only to observe when you prefer. Monday, 6/21 Elizabeth Cameron, Jodi Yzaguirre The Orthodox Church understands the Eucharist, or Lord’s Supper, to be – among other things – the paramount expression of Christian unity. While it is our deepest hope that Christendom will one Tuesday, 6/22 Friday, 6/25 day fulfill Christ’s desire for true unity among all those who claim His name (John 17:21), the Janine Smith unfortunate reality of our day is that the various segments of Christendom are not unified with the historic Orthodox faith. Since participation in the Eucharist expresses a unity with all the dogma and Wednesday, 6/23 Saturday, 6/26 practice of the Orthodox Church, non-Orthodox guests do not receive Holy Communion. The Holy Sarah Elliott, Christi Yadron Eucharist is reserved for those members of the Orthodox Church who have prepared themselves by prayer, fasting, and recent confession. All visitors and unprepared Orthodox are invited to partake of the blessed bread as they come forward to venerate the cross at the end of the Liturgy. Thank you for your understanding. Commemorations ST. JOHN COMMUNITY June 20: Hieromartyr Methodios, bishop of Patara; Kallistos Xanthopoulos, patriarch of Constantinople; Venerable Nahum of Ochrid. Coffee Hour is Returning TODAY - At long last, we will return to coffee hour TODAY!! June 21: Martyr Julian of Tarsus; New-martyr Nikita of Nisyros near Rhodes. We will begin by only serving coffee and serving it in disposable cups (we have Styrofoam June 22: Hieromartyr Eusebios, bishop of Samosata; Martyrs Zeno and his servant Zenas of cups that need to be used up and then we will switch to paper ones). Since we are still using Philadelphia; Alban, protomartyr of Britain; Venerable Anastasia of Serbia. St. Raphael Hall for the live-stream of the services, coffee will be set-up at the back of the June 23: Martyrs Agripinna of Rome, Aristokleos, Eustochios, Demetrian, and Lollias; Venerable hall. All are encouraged to be outside to fellowship together following the Liturgy. Thank Barbaros Pentapolites; translation of the relics of Herman, archbishop of Kazan. you for continuing to be mindful of others! June 24: The Nativity of the Forerunner; New-martyr Panayiotis of Caesarea in Cappadocia. June 25: Venerable-martyr Febronia of Nisibis; Martyr Longinos; Venerable Prokopios of the skete Pentecost Pizza Party! – Join us on Wednesday, June 23 for a Fast-free Wednesday Pizza of Iviron on Athos; Venerable Dionysios the Hagiorite, founder of Dionysiou monastery on Athos; Party following Vespers. Please sign up so we can plan for the appropriate amount of food. Vnerable Dometios, abbot of Dionysiou monastery on Athos; Prince Peter (Venerable David) and ***Vespers will start early, at 5:30pm so that we can enjoy pizza and games together *** Princess Febronia (Venerable Euphrosyne), wonder-workers of Murom. June 26: Venerable David of Thessalonika; John, bishop of the Goths. June 27: Sampson the host of strangers; Mary and Joanna the myrrh-bearers. Men’s Lunch is Back!! This week our men’s lunch will return. All men are invited to _________________________________________________________________________________________ meet at Dino’s on Tuesdays at 12 pm for food and fellowship. DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS Parish Council Recommendations – Parish Council Recommendations for the coming Sunday Acts 2:1-11 John 17:1-13 year will be accepted through July 31. Forms may be found in the narthex or via link on the Monday Ephesians 5:8-19 Matthew 18:10-20 parish emails. You may leave them in the envelope provided in the narthex, or email your 3 Tuesday Romans 1:1-7, 13-17 Matthew 4:12-14; 5:1-13 choices to Fr. Philip, [email protected]. Wednesday Romans 1:18-27 Matthew 5:20-26 Thursday Romans 13:11-14; 14:1-4 Luke 1:1-25, 57-68; The Men's Book Club will meet at 6pm Sunday July 11 to discuss The Language of Creation by Matthieu Pageau. Location TBD. 76-80 Friday Romans 2:14-28 Matthew 5:33-41 Post-Communion Prayers Reminder – While you are coming up to receive a blessing Saturday Romans 1:7-12 Matthew 5:42-48 and the bread, please refrain from unnecessary conversations. During this time we are still Sunday Hebrews 11:33-40; 12:1-2 Matthew 10:32-33, 37- praying and there are those who are unable to hear and participate because of the noise. 38; 19:27-30 Please wait to go outside to have conversations. Thank you! _________________________________________________________________________________________ Vacation Church School Remember in Your Prayers Dates: July 27-29 Our catechumen: Austin Brown, Joel Gulledge; Carole Sneed; Jake Sparks; Jeff Bennett; Emily Times: 9:30-11am Nuckolls Ages: Rising Atrium - 3rd graders We need volunteers to make VCS happen! If you are able to help in the following Prayer Requests: Chris Hodges, Mickey Hodges, Elizabeth Allie (Buddy Bowick’s areas, please let Trish know by June 30: teacher, crafts, snacks, games mother/Lawson’s grandmother), Vladimir Drobashevsky, Shukurat Nasanga Kisakye, Jay Brownlow, St.