ST. ELIJAH ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN CHURCH

Transcription

1 ST. ELIJAH ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN CHURCH N. May, Oklahoma City, OK Church Office: Church Website: Church DECEMBER 13, 2015 Issue 27 Number 50 Sunday of the Holy Forefathers of Christ; Saints of the Day: Herman of Alaska, enlightener of the Aleuts; Martyrs Eustratios, Auxentios, Eugene, Mardarios, and Orestes at Sebastia; Virgin-martyr Lucia of Syracuse; Hieromartyr Gabriel, patriarch of Serbia WELCOME 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 Sara Cortez Director mdo@stelijahokc.com Facebook: St Elijah Mom s Day Out Twitter: StElijahMDO Ancient Faith Radio ancientfaith.com 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: The Divine Liturgy Memorial Service Churching Service Removal of Crowns Red Service Book Red Divine Liturgy Book Red Service Book Red Service Book Red Service Book p. 44 p. 9 p. 183 p. 216 p. 181

2 VARIABLES IN TODAY S DIVINE LITURGY A B C D E The 1 st Antiphon: As usual... The 2 nd Antiphon: As usual... The 3 rd Antiphon: Troparion of the Resurrection - Tone 3 The Entrance Hymn: O come let us worship... Troparion of the Resurrection Tone 3 Let the heavens rejoice and the earth be glad; For the Lord hath done a mighty act with His own arm; He hath trampled down death by death, and became the first-born from the dead; He hath delivered us from the depths of Hades, granting the world the great mercy. Troparion of the Holy Forefathers - Tone 2 Thou hast justified by faith the ancient forefathers and through them thou hast gone before and betrothed unto thyself the Church of the Gentiles. Let the saints, therefore, take pride in glory; for from their seed sprouted forth a noble fruit, and she it was who gave birth to thee without seed. Wherefore, by their pleadings, O Christ God, save our souls. Troparion of St. Elijah - Tone 4 Angelic body, pillar of prophets and their cornerstone, 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 Preparatory to Christmas - Tone 3 The Virgin cometh today to the cave to give birth, ineffably to bring forth the Word eternal. Therefore, rejoice, O earth, at the message; with the angels and shepherds give glory to him who shall appear by his own will as a young child, he who is from eternity God. F G The Thrice-Holy Hymn THE READINGS THE EPISTLE Blessed art thou, O Lord, the God of our Fathers. For thou art just in all that thou hast done to us! The reading is from St. Paul's Epistle to the Colossians (3:4-11, p. 388) Brethren, when Christ, who is our life, appears, then you will also appear with him in glory. Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idol worship; for the sake of such things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience; wherein you also once walked, when you lived in these things. But now you also put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, and filthy language out of your mouths. Do not lie to one another, having put off the old man with his works; and having put on the new man, who is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of his Creator, where there cannot be Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, bond, or free; but Christ is all, and in all. THE GOSPEL From the Holy Gospel according to St. Luke (14:16-24) The Lord spoke this parable: "A man once gave a great banquet, and invited many; and at the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, 'Come; for all is now ready.' But, one by one, they all began to make excuses. The first said to him, 'I have

3 bought a field, and I must go out and see it; I pray you, have me excused.' And another said, 'I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them; I pray you, have me excused.' And another said, 'I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.' So the servant came and reported this to his master. Then the householder in anger said to his servant, 'Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and maimed and blind and lame.' And the servant said, 'Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.' And the master said to the servant, 'Go out to the highways and hedges, and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled. For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet. For many are called, but few are chosen.'" H I J The Megalynarion It is truly meet... The Communion Hymn Praise the Lord from the heavens... We have seen the true light... OFFERINGS HOLY BREAD is offered by Jim and Jeanette Shadid for their good health and the good health of their family - Nick, Nanette, Grace, Nicholas, and Anna Hathaway and Fr. James, Gigi, Dimitri, Emil, and Noel Shadid. It is especially offered for Nanette on the occasion of her birthday (12/16). May God grant her many years. HOLY BREAD is offered by Yeshi and Mike Worku for their good health and the good health of their children Dawit and Syrak and all the Worku family. It is especially offered for Dawit on the occasion of his birthday. May God grant him many years. HOLY BREAD is offered by Irene Massad for her good health and the good health of the Osipenko, Mlekoday, Massad, Abraham, and Tacheny families. It is especially offered for her husband Bobby. May God grant him many years. 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 today by Adult Fellowship. Please join us immediately following Divine Liturgy. Visitors are especially welcome. FR. JEREMY is serving in Norman today. ORTHROS at 7am this Tuesday, December 15, will honor St. Eleutherios, patron of the Diocese of Wichita and Mid-America. Join us! PARISH COUNCIL will meet at 6pm this Tuesday, December 15. TENACIOUSLY TEAL CARE PACK PARTY - this Tuesday, December 15, 7pm. Please join us at the church as we assemble care packs for cancer patients. It will only take an hour of your time. And feel free to bring your kids - we will have a table set up for them to decorate an ornament to be included in the care pack. Call Karen Hanna with questions: ROYAL HOURS OF CHRISTMAS will be celebrated at 8am on Thursday, December 24. Come contemplate Psalms, Prophecies, Epistles, and Gospels that teach us the meaning of the Savior's birth in Bethlehem. A great way to spiritually prepare for the feast! VESPERAL DIVINE LITURGY for the Paramon of Nativity (the day before Christmas) will be celebrated at 9:30am on Thursday, December 24. CHRISTMAS SERVICES will be celebrated on Christmas Eve (Thursday, December 24) as follows: 6:45pm Matins; 8pm Divine Liturgy. ANNUAL REPORTS. Year-end is quickly approaching and we are preparing for the Annual Meeting in January. Annual reports from all

4 organizations listed below are due to the church office by December 30. Adult Fellowship Order of St. Ignatius Antiochian Women Parish Council Choir Seniors Day Out Cultural Ministries Sunday School/ Ladies Aid Youth Ministries 20/40 Fellowship Teen SOYO Mom's Day Out YEAR-END CONTRIBUTIONS. In order for your contributions to be applied to 2015, all checks must be delivered to the church by 5pm on December 31, If you mail your contribution, it must be postmarked December 31 or earlier. Statements that are mailed out for your tax purposes will reflect this policy. DIVINE LITURGY for the Feast of St. Basil the Great (our bishop's Name's Day) will be celebrated at 6pm on Thursday, December 31. We will also pray the short Doxology for the Civil New Year. Come and welcome the New Year with prayer! BLESSING OF HOMES. The traditional season of home blessings begins January 6. If you would like one of our priests to bless your home, please complete and return the form enclosed in this bulletin. THE NATIVITY FAST continues through December 24. The traditional fast is to abstain from meat, fish, dairy products, and alcoholic beverages (though fish and alcohol in moderation are permitted on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays). THE SACRAMENT OF CONFESSION is important preparation for the Feast of Christmas. Please call to make an appointment with one of our priests. For the time being, either Fr. John or Fr. Jeremy will be serving Saturday Vespers in Norman. Please call your confessor if you would like to confess after Saturday Vespers, in order to make sure he will be at St. Elijah. 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. December 20 - (Fasting) St. Ignatius Lunch 27 - Antiochian Women January 3 - Choir 10 - Ladies Aid 17 - Hospitality 24 - Annual Meeting 31 - MDO HAPPY BIRTHDAY THIS WEEK DEC Barbara Shadid Dawit Worku Spencer Shanbour Meera Assaleh Michael Kaiser Nanette Hathaway John Stiner Larkin Simon Dr. Raymond Cohlmia Dr. Gloria Kamas Justin Samara Maria Sweten Veronica Warr Johnna Collett Today we remember those who reposed in the Lord during this week in years past: Rebecca Sue Steele Penny O. Massad Tresa Slotta Theodore "Beeb" Adwan Sam Shadid Farah Suleiman Tashman Lillie (Sabeeha) Tayar Harry K. Naifeh Amelia Mary Bayouth Jake Samara Joseph Foad Jabara Fouad Kordahi (Kirdahi) Raeefa Shadid Lorise M. Kraker

5 Your complimentary 8x10 portraits from LifeTouch have been mailed to your home, with the exception of the following, which are ready for pick up in the church office: Brandon Baca Chad McClellan Shirley Casey Justin Naifeh Kasey Cohlmia Stanley Naifeh Sonia Eid Virginia Parrish Elias Elbahou Randall Rahill Byron Jones Ruby Rahill Jim Kirkpatrick Gayle Ruffin Mark Koss Mike Spivey Bobby & Irene Massad Barbara Stoner Have you forgotten something? If you have not yet paid for the Bake Sale gift cards which you used, we would greatly appreciate your taking care of that soon. If you did not use your gift cards and still have them, please return them to the church office.

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7 Would you like your home to be blessed? During the weeks following the Feast of Theophany (January 6th), it is traditional for priests to visit the homes of parishioners, blessing them with water sanctified at the Feast. All members of the household should make every effort to be present for the home blessing. Before the priest arrives at the house, a candle should be lit in the family s icon corner. (If there is no icon corner, a small table should be placed on the eastern wall of the main room of the house; the table, covered with a white cloth, should be set with one or more icons standing upright and a candle in a candlestick). Clearly printed lists of the Living and the Departed for whom prayer is requested should also be placed in the icon corner (or on the table). All the interior doors of the house should be opened, and lights turned on in all the rooms. The priest will arrive at the scheduled time, say some prayers and then follow the head of the household (who holds the candle) around the house for the sprinkling of the holy water. The service concludes with prayers at the icon corner (or table). The priest will then chat briefly with the family; because the priest will be visiting many houses during this season, he will be unable to stay for a meal. If you would like to have your home blessed next year, please complete the following form and return it to the church office. Please return this form by Sunday, January 3. þ Please Bless My Home Name: Phone Number: Address: Check your preference: o Daytime, or o Evening o Weekdays, or o Weekends (which days? )

8 Sunday School Scoop We have play practice today! Everyone should go to the fellowship hall! We will also have practice this Wednesday night from 7 to 8. Please try and have your students there if possible! Our play will be next Sunday! Just a reminder that parents do not need to line Please place your food drive donations on the tables in the hall! Pre-K/Kindergarten: Pastas (Spaghetti, mac&cheese, etc.) 1st, 2nd and 3rd: Canned meats (chili, tuna, etc.) 4th and 5th: Canned soups, Jars of PB&J 6th, 7th and 8th: Stuffing and canned Registration for Winter Camp (a.k.a. WAMP) is open, but the girls spots are all filled! If you have a teen boy who wants to attend, register them asap at: Wamp will take place January and is for 7th-12th graders! Do you hear what I hear? If you hear Christmas carols, then the answer is yes! Warm up your vocalizers and get ready for the Teen SOYO Christmas Party at 4:00 pm NEXT SUNDAY, Dec 20th! We will meet at the Abraham's and then go out spreading Christmas cheer. Please bring a $10 gift for our gift exchange and dress in your most festive Christmas sweaters. It's going to be fa la la la lawsome! Teen Chats this Wednesday from 7-9 in the Teen Room! Be there or be somewhere else!

9 Worship and Spiritual Life Sunday Orthros at 8:50 am Divine Liturgy at 10:00 am Wednesday Vespers at 6:15 pm (except during Lent) Tuesday Orthros 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 as scheduled and announced Parish Council every 3 rd Tuesday at 7 pm Choir see Al Mamary ( ) 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. DECEMBER 13, 2015 USHERS: Craig Abraham, Guy Crain, Jakob Ham, Jeffery Jones, Marco Morrow, Bobby Prater, Jay Silvernail, Tefera Worku ALTAR SERVERS: Joseph Pendergraft, Emile Karam, Joshua Cohlmia, JJ Spencer, Boris Ganchev, Xander Ewbank, Joseph Harroz, Nicholas Hathaway, Corbin Spencer, Emerson Wyrick EPISTLE READER: Toby Pedford ELDERS: Michael Chumo, Kyle Eastridge, David A. Farris, Afeef Hamra BOOKSTORE: Brandi Fraysur CALENDAR Sunday Dec. 13 Monday Dec. 14 Tuesday Dec. 15 Orthros for St. Eleutherios Parish Council Wednesday Dec. 16 Great Vespers Teen Chats Family Night Thursday Dec. 17 Orthodox Study Fellowship Friday Dec. 18 Saturday Dec. 19 Great Vespers 7:00 am 7:00 pm 6:00 pm 7:00 pm 7:00 pm 10:30 am 5:00 pm DEADLINE FOR THE BULLETIN IS 5:00 PM ON TUESDAY MAINTENANCE REQUESTS If you see anything that needs to be brought to our attention, go to the church website scroll down to "Maintenance Request" on the home page, and click on "Work Order Request." Begin at "Requested by," fill out form, and submit.