ST. ELIJAH ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN CHURCH

Transcription

1 ST. ELIJAH ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN CHURCH N. May, Oklahoma City, OK Church Office: Church Website: Church AUGUST 10, 2014 Issue 26 Number 32 Sunday after the Transfiguration of Our Lord; Saints of the Day: Martyr and Archdeacon Laurence of Rome, Hieromartyr Sixtus, bishop of Rome, and those with them; Venerable Laurence of Kaluga, the Fool for Christ's sake DIRECTORY V. Rev. Fr. John Salem Pastor Rev. Fr. Jeremy Davis Associate Pastor V. Rev. Fr. Constantine Nasr Pastor Emeritus V. Rev. Fr. Basil McMurry Attached Rev. Dn. Ezra Ham Administrator Erin Ghata Youth Director Mom s Day Out & Pre-K Roxy Self Director mdo@stelijahokc.com Facebook: St Elijah Mom s Day Out Twitter: StElijahMDO DYNAMIS: Daily Bible Readings Ancient Faith Radio ancientfaith.com WELCOME We welcome all our visitors. It is an honor to have you worshipping with us. You may find the worship of the Ancient Church very different. We welcome your questions. Please join us for our Reception held in the Church Hall immediately following the Divine Liturgy. We understand Holy Communion to be an act of our unity in faith. While we work toward the unity of all Christians, it regrettably does not now exist. Therefore, only baptized Orthodox Christians (who have properly prepared) are permitted to participate in Holy Communion. However, everyone is welcome to partake of the blessed bread that is distributed at the end of the service. We look forward to meeting you during the Reception that follows the service. PARTICIPATION IN WORSHIP Orthros: Red Service Book p. 44 The Divine Liturgy Red Divine Liturgy Book p. 9 Memorial Service Red Service Book p. 183 Churching Service Red Service Book p. 216 Removal of Crowns Red Service Book p. 181

2 VARIATIONS IN TODAY S DIVINE LITURGY Tone 8 A B C D The 1 st Antiphon: As usual The 2 nd Antiphon: As usual The 3 rd Antiphon: Troparion of the Resurrection Tone 8 The Entrance Hymn: O come let us worship Troparion of the Resurrection Tone 8 E From the heights Thou didst descend, O Compassionate One, and Thou didst submit to the three-day burial, that Thou might deliver us from passion; Thou art our life and our resurrection: O Lord, glory to Thee! Troparion of the Transfiguration - Tone 7 When, O Christ our God, thou wast transfigured on the mountain, thou didst reveal thy glory to thy Disciples in proportion as they could bear it. Let thine everlasting light also enlighten us sinners, through the intercessions of the Theotokos, O thou Bestower of light, glory to thee. Troparion of St. Elijah Tone 4 Angelic Body, Pillar of Prophets and their Corner Stone, Forerunner of the Second-Coming of Christ; thou didst send Grace from on high to Elisha, to dispel sickness and to purify lepers, Glorious Elijah, thou dost overflow with healing to those who honor thee. Kontakion of the Transfiguration Tone 7 Thou wast transfigured on the mount, and thy Disciples, in so far as they were able, beheld thy glory, O Christ our God: so that, when they should see thee crucified, they would remember that thy suffering was voluntary, and could declare to all the world that thou art truly the effulgent Splendor of the Father. F G The Thrice-Holy Hymn THE READINGS THE EPISTLE Make your vows and pay them to the Lord our God. God is known in Judaea; his name is great in Israel! The reading is from St. Paul's First Epistle to the Corinthians (3:9-17) Brethren, we are God's fellow-workers; you are God's husbandry, God's building. According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise architect I laid a foundation, and another builds upon it. Let each one take heed how he builds upon it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble - everyone's work will become manifest; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire itself will test each one's work of what sort it is. If anyone's work which was build on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved, yet so as by fire. Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone corrupts the temple of God, God will corrupt him. For the temple of God is holy, whose temple you are. THE GOSPEL From the Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew (14:22-34) At that time, Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. And after he had

3 dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but the boat was in the middle of the sea, beaten by the waves; for the wind was against it. And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus came to them, walking on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, "It is a spirit!" And they cried out for fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Take heart, it is I; have no fear." And Peter answered him, saying, "Lord, if it is you, bid me come to you on the water." Jesus said, "Come." So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus; but when he saw the mighty wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, "Lord, save me." Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, "O man of little faith, why did you doubt?" And when they got into the boat, the wind became calm. And those in the boat came and worshiped Jesus, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God." And when they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret. I H J The Megalynarion It is truly meet The Communion Hymn Praise the Lord.Alleluia. We have seen the true light OFFERINGS HOLY BREAD is offered as a 6-year memorial service for Sbdn. John Dutcher by John and Nila Watford and their children - Heather, Jeff, Jenny, Aaron, Sarah, Isaac, Justin, Joshua, and Jared - and their grandchildren - Daniel, Alexander, John, Corbin, Easton, Georgia, Jake, Nyla, Olivia, and Michael. May his memory be eternal. HOLY BREAD is offered by Elias Solomon and Etsegenet Dibaba for their good health. It is especially offered in memory of Soloman Gebre Kidan (one year). May his memory be eternal. HOLY BREAD is offered by Lola and Marianne Hamra and Mona and Yanni Kostalas for their good health and the good health of the Hamra, Khoury, and Kostalas families. It is especially offered for Chehadeh on the occasion of his birthday. May God grant them many years. BLESSING OF THE GRAPES: Grapes for the Transfiguration are offered by Clem and Mickey Wehba for their good health and the good health of John, his son Ben, and his daughters Hannah and Lucy; and Missy and Tim Hedges and their daughters Annabelle and Jane. May God grant them many years. They are especially offered in memory of their son Michael D. Wehba. May his memory be eternal. ANNOUNCEMENTS WELCOME. We welcome all visitors. We are delighted you are worshipping with us and look forward to meeting you personally. COFFEE HOUR is hosted by St. Ignatius. Please join us immediately following Divine Liturgy. Visitors are especially welcome. CONGRATULATIONS to Bob and Mary Jane Maness who are celebrating their 50 th anniversary. We will have special prayers for them at the end of today's Divine Liturgy. May God grant them many years. THE DORMITION FAST continues through August 14. During this fasting season it is traditional to abstain from meat, dairy products, fish, and alcohol. Alcohol in moderation is permitted today. Since the feast is on a Friday, we abstain from meat and dairy on that day (August 15), but fish and alcohol are permitted. MDO BOARD will meet at 6:30pm this Tuesday, August 12. WEDNESDAY SERVICE: In lieu of Vespers, the Paraklesis to the Theotokos will be celebrated at 6pm this Wednesday, August 13. Join us for this special service of supplication to the Mother of God during the Dormition Fast.

4 FAMILY NIGHT CLASSES continue this Wednesday, August 13, 7-9pm. Come and explore the depth and riches of our faith! DIVINE LITURGY for the Dormition of the Theotokos will be celebrated at 6:30pm this Thursday, August 14. The Theotokos reposes in peace after promising to pray for all Christians before the throne of God. Come celebrate the Mother of Christ, who is also spiritually the Mother of all Christians. 20/40 FELLOWSHIP. Our next 20/40 event is to attend Fr. Jeremy's Death and Afterlife presentation. Join us each Wednesday in August from 7pm-9pm. This is one event you won t want to miss! Childcare provided. COMMUNITY CONNECTION will be having another cook day at the church this Saturday, August 16, at 9am. We need your help to prepare and deliver casseroles to our designated community agencies and our St. Elijah family. Please spread the word and join us for fun and fellowship with this church-wide project. If you would like to help in this satisfying endeavor or have any questions, please contact Tami Simon at or SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHERS will meet after Liturgy next Sunday, August 17. All current teachers and anyone interested in teaching, please attend. VIGIL CANDLE is lit by the Ladies Aid for their good health and the good health of their families. C O F F E E H O U R Below is the schedule of those who will host Coffee Hour on upcoming Sundays. August September 17 - Adult Fellowship /40 Fellowship 14 - (Fasting) 31 - The Kaiser Family Today we remember those who reposed in the Lord during this week in years past: Gene Eddie Lawrence M. Tayar Magdalena Sofronow Belaka Gebriel Atalay Robert Gazelle Ed Adeeb Kouri Shaker Andrews Suad "SuSu" Morrow John H. Coury Fredrick Wehba HAPPY BIRTHDAY THIS WEEK AUG Barbara Stoner Kendal Wilson Lynn Coury Karla Cohlmia Spyridon Karousos Chehadeh Hamra Mark Tayar Kathleen McKee Charlie Ward Jeaneen Naifeh Dino Shadid Paul PoputaClean Zane Shadid Mason Weaver Johnny Limber Joy Ablah Malek Massad Bradley Naifeh Buster Simon Daniel Weaver Fellowship of St. John the Divine Cordially Invites Everyone To Join Us Sunday, August 17 th, for our Pasta Luncheon Bolognese & Garden Vegetable Sauce Crisp Salad Garlic Bread Chilled Fruit Adults - $8 ** Children 10 & under - FREE ** All proceeds go to fund our community outreach projects. Cub Scout Pack 78 is recruiting boys from 1st to 5th grade. The pack is sponsored in Edmond and meetings are weekly on each Tuesday evening beginning September 2. The Orthodox churches in America promote scouting through the Eastern Orthodox Committee on Scouting. If you are interested in scouting and would like to learn more, please contact Jeff Wyrick at or jhwyrick@gmail.com.

5 Sunday School will begin on September 7th! Parents can register their child on the St. Elijah website under the Parishioner and Youth tabs! Please register your children soon. We are looking forward to another great year! If you are interested in helping teach a Sunday School class, please see Craig or Erin. Take me out to the Ballgame!! Our Teen SOYO Kick-Off event will be a night at the Redhawks Game on Saturday, August 23rd! (Please note the date change!) Join us for vespers at the church at 5, then we will head downtown for the game, which starts at 7. Tickets are $10 (including $5 concession stand gift card, free hat and water bottle)! We HAVE TO HAVE A HEADCOUNT prior to this event! If you are in 7th-12th grade and would like to attend, please RSVP to Erin ASAP! DOWAMA SOYO Basketball Tournament: October 3-5! Our speaker will be Kh. Gigi Shadid! Please see Erin and get a registration form today! Don't miss this Diocese-wide teen event! (That says, "RSVP for the baseball game" in Webdings, which are cooler than Wingdings. Who knew?) Registration is now open for the Wichita YES Trip September 12-14! Go to to sign-up for this great weekend of fellowship and service! (PS did you RSVP to Erin for the Redhawks game? She really needs a headcount. No, really, she's not kidding. She's not an accountant, but really needs a count. Preferably not the Dracula kind. Just the teen kind. A count. Please.)

6 Worship and Spiritual Life Sunday Matins at 8:50 am Divine Liturgy at 10:00 am Wednesday Vespers at 6:15 pm Tuesday Matins at 7:00 am Saturday Vespers at 5:00 pm Confessions throughout the week. Call one of the Fathers for an appointment. Study Sunday Sunday School: Children s Classes after Communion Adult Class at 9:00 am. No classes during the summer. Wednesday Family Night 7-9 pm. Runs in 8-week blocks. Look for announcements of upcoming sessions. A full Program of Seminars and Classes for Adults, Children and Youth for both Orthodox and Non-Orthodox. Bible Study Thursdays at 10:30 am; nursery provided Fellowship & Parish Development Coffee Hour Sundays following the Divine Liturgy 20/40 Fellowship monthly as announced Ladies Aid Meetings as announced Teen Chats Wednesday Nights Adult Fellowship Meetings as announced Antiochian Women s Guild as scheduled and announced Parish Council every 3 rd Tuesday at 7 pm Choir see Al Mamary ( ) St. Elijah Charities To be determined Membership To become a member, you need to pray with us at our worship services, complete the Inquirer s Classes, and talk with our priests about your interest in the Orthodox faith. This process normally takes 12 months. We welcome you on your journey of faith and invite you to learn of the ancient and unchanging Holy Orthodox Church. AUGUST 10, 2014 USHERS: Steven Bittle, Steve Farha, Jakob Ham, Jeffery Jones, Blair Naifeh, Rob Sandlin, Mark Sweiss, Samson Tesfaselassie ALTAR SERVERS: Cole Harroz, Jacob Crouch, Preston Silvernail, Alec Karam, David Tamirat, Adam Sweis, Farris Shawareb, Sami Swaiss, Nathan Shanbour EPISTLE READER: Mickey Wehba ELDERS: Atif Asal, Jim Fox, Gary Homsey, John Limber, Dr. Sam Musallam, Dr. Scott Samara, Thabet Swaiss, Jerry Weddington BOOKSTORE: Janet Jaime DEADLINE FOR THE BULLETIN IS 5:00 PM ON TUESDAY CALENDAR Sunday Aug. 10 Monday Aug. 11 Tuesday Aug. 12 Matins 7:00 am Exercise 8:30 am MDO Board 6:30 pm Wednesday Aug. 13 Paraklesis 6:00 pm Teen Chats 7:00 pm Family Night 7:00 pm Thursday Aug. 14 Orthodox Study Fellowship 10:30 am Divine Liturgy - Dormition 6:30 pm of the Theotokos Friday Aug. 15 Exercise 8:30 am Saturday Aug. 16 Community Connection Cook Day 9:00 am Vespers 5:00 pm