The Great Command (to us) of Stewardship and Evangelization!

Transcription

1 Dormition of the Theotokos Greek Orthodox Church 800 Westridge Road, Greensboro, NC Rev. Father Sarantis Loulakis Emergency Mobile: Office Phone: Fax: The Great Command (to us) of Stewardship and Evangelization! Go therefore to the thoroughfares, and invite to the marriage feast as many as you find.' And those servants went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good; so the wedding hall was filled with guests. Matthew 22:9-10 Our mission is to become Disciples of Christ, through thought, word and deed, humbly submitting to the will of the Father, while seeking the Holy Spirit to achieve Salvation. Our Vision with the Grace of God, is to provide a loving community where all belong to Christ, through worship, sanctification, education, witness, compassion and fellowship. Bulletin for Sunday, September 2, th Sunday of Matthew

2 WELCOME TO ALL VISITORS: For those visiting an Orthodox Church for the first time, we welcome you and thank you for praying with us. When it comes time for the receiving of the Holy Communion from the Chalice, please be aware that Holy Communion is a sign of unity of faith and it is only offered to Baptized or Chrismated Orthodox Christians. All present are welcome, however, to partake of the antidoro (blessed bread) which is distributed at the end of the service. If you are interested in learning more about the Orthodox Faith, please see Father Sarantis after the service. UPCOMING SERVICES Sunday September 2 Mamas and his Parents...Orthros 8:45am / Div. Liturgy 10am Wednesday September 5 Paraklesis 6pm/ Chanting Practice 6:30pm Saturday September 8 Nativity of the Theotokos Orthros 8:45am / Div. Lit. 10am Sunday September 9 Post Nativity of the Theotokos...Orthros 8:45am / D. Lit.10am Wednesday September 12...Vespers 6pm/ Chanting Practice 6:30pm Friday September 14 Holy Cross..Orthros 8:45am / Div. Lit. 10am Sunday September 16 Post Elevation Orthros 8:45am / Divine Liturgy 10am Wednesday September 19..Paraklesis 6pm/ Chanting Practice 6:30pm Sunday September 23 John the Baptist s Conception Orthros 8:45am / Divine Liturgy 10am Wednesday September 26 John the Baptist s Falling Asleep Orthros 8:45am / Divine Liturgy 10am Wednesday September 26..Paraklesis 6pm/ Chanting Practice 6:30pm Sunday September 30 Gregory... Orthros 8:45am / Divine Liturgy 10am UPCOMING EVENTS A 40-Day Memorial Service for Frances Sonntag will be on Sunday, September 9th 50+ Lunch ~ Monday, September 10, 1:30 pm, Village Tavern, 1903 Westridge Road Pastry Setup ~ Monday, September 24, 9am & 6pm, and Tuesday, 9am Philoptochos work meeting ~ Tuesday, September 25, 6pm

3 Mamas and his Parents, Martyrs 3rd Antiphon: The Hymn of the Day Tone 5: (Page 98 in the green hymnal) (Τὸν συνάναρχον ) Let us the faithful give praise and worship to the Logos, co-eternal with the Father and the Spirit, born of the Virgin for our salvation, For of His own goodwill He consented to ascend the Cross in the flesh and endured death and raise the dead by His glorious Resurrection. Eisodikon (Hymn of the Entrance): Come, let us worship and bow down before Christ. Save us, O Son of God risen from the dead, we sing to you: Alleluia. Resurrection Apolytikion Tone 5: (Page 98 in the green hymnal) (Τὸν συνάναρχον ) Let us the faithful give praise and worship to the Logos, co-eternal with the Father and the Spirit, born of the Virgin for our salvation, For of His own goodwill He consented to ascend the Cross in the flesh and endured death and raise the dead by His glorious Resurrection. Hymn for Mames Tone 4: Ὁ Μάρτυς σου Κύριε ) Your Martyr, O Lord, was worthily awarded by You the crown of incorruption, in that he contested for You our immortal God. Since he possessed Your power, he defeated the tyrants, dashing the demons' powerless displays of defiance. O Christ God, at his fervent entreaties, save our souls. The Hymn of the Church Tone 1: ) In giving birth you remained a virgin and in your Dormition you did not forsake this world, O Theotokos. For as the Mother of Life you have yourself passed into life, and by your prayers you deliver our souls from death. Kontakion of the Feast Tone 4: (Ἰωακεὶµ καὶ Ἄννα...) Both Joachim and Anna from their sterility's stigma, and Adam and Eve from their mortality's ruin have been set free, O immaculate Maid, by your holy nativity. For this do your people hold celebration, redeemed from the guilt of transgression as they cry to you, "The barren one bears the Theotokos, the nourisher of our Life."

4 Epistle Reading: II Cor 1:21-2:4 (Holy Cross book pg. 86) Brethren, it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has commissioned us; he has put his seal upon us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee. But I call God to witness against me - it was to spare you that I refrained from coming to Corinth. Not that we lord it over your faith; we work with you for your joy, for you stand firm in your faith. For I made up my mind not to make you another painful visit. For if I cause you pain, who is there to make me glad but the one whom I have pained? And I wrote as I did, so that when I came I might not suffer pain from those who should have made me rejoice, for I felt sure of all of you, that my joy would be the joy of you all. For I wrote you out of much affliction and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to cause you pain but to let you know the abundant love that I have for you. Gospel Reading: Matt. 22:2-14 (Holy Cross book pg. 87) The Lord said this parable, "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a marriage feast for his son, and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the marriage feast; but they would not come. Again he sent other servants, saying, 'Tell those who are invited, Behold, I have made ready my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves are killed, and everything is ready; come to the marriage feast.' But they made light of it and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore to the thoroughfares, and invite to the marriage feast as many as you find.' And those servants went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good; so the wedding hall was filled with guests. But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment; and he said to him, 'Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?' And he was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants, 'Bind him hand and foot, and cast him into the outer darkness; there men will weep and gnash their teeth.' For many are called, but few are chosen." ***The Ushers will dismiss the congregation row by row for receiving the Holy Communion***

5 INVITATION TO CHANTING REHEARSAL OPEN TO ALL Please join us every Wednesday at 6:30pm in the church for chanting rehearsal for the upcoming Sunday s Divine Liturgy. WE HAVE CHANGED THE TIME OF PRACTICE TO 6:30PM Everyone is invited to join us as we prepare for the next Sunday s Liturgy. We pray that you will join us as we value your participation. Come chant and be joyful! IN TIMES OF ILLNESS "Come, O blessed of my father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was sick and you visited me." (Matt. 25:31-46). When a member of our Parish is ill and has been hospitalized or may be recuperating at home, the immediate family of the ill person should contact Father Sarantis at (516) or call the church office. It is beneficial to both the body and the soul when our priest prays for us when we are healthy or ill. INVITATION from the 50-Plus (50+) Group On Monday, September 10, 1:30 pm, Village Tavern, 1903 Westridge Road Due to the festival at the end of the month, this is our only get-together in September. Attention all parents: We are re-starting the nursery for you to drop off your children (age 3 and younger) during church if you would like! We plan to re-start the nursery starting September 16th, in the room next to the Narthex. We also need volunteers to staff the nursery, and would love to have as many people from our church community involved as possible (and not just parents!). If you are interested in signing up to volunteer for one or multiple Sundays, please Mark Williams at mpw194@gmail.com. HANDLING THE HOLY BREAD (ANTIDORON) At the end of the Divine Liturgy, it is customary to receive a piece of holy bread or antidoron. While antidoron is not Holy Communion, it is blessed bread and as such should be eaten carefully so that crumbs do not fall. Both adults and children should always remember to eat the antidoron with respect. Leaving Church without receiving antidoron and the final blessing from the priest is foreign to our Orthodox culture.

6 Save the Dates!!! 2018 Annual Greek Festival September Stewardship Have You Become A Steward For 2018? If not, know that everything we have is God's and we are just managers during this brief life. Become a steward today. "He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your resources and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way for great generosity, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God" (2 Cor. 9:10-11).

7 The Weekly Bible Verse Do nothing from selfishness or conceit, but in humility count others better than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. (Philippians 2:3-4) Third Annual Philoptochos Care Kits for the Homeless Drive Our Ladies Philoptochos invites you to participate in our third annual Care Kits for the Homeless drive. This project allows us to create something to share with those asking for assistance, without trying to judge their needs on our own. From September 2 nd to October 21 st we will be collecting these items: Winter hats Winter gloves Thick socks Wet wipes Band-Aids Chapstick Protein Bars Peanut butter or cheese crackers Beef Jerky sticks Bottled water (16oz bottles) *Note: The majority of these items can be found at Dollar Tree stores! Philoptochos members will assemble the Care Kits at our October general meeting. Once completed, the kits will be available for all parishioners to take and share with those in need. Care Kits give us a very real way to help the less fortunate in our Greensboro community. They are also a wonderful learning opportunity for families as they collect supplies and distribute Care Kits. Questions? Contact Erin Blindenbacher (epgraham8@gmail.com), Catherine Stout (cmstout2@gmail.com) or Emily Mihelich (epgraham22@gmail.com) We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give. Winston Churchill

8 Welcome all who are visiting at the Dormition of the Theotokos Greek Orthodox Church. Please join us in the Parish Hall for coffee and refreshments after the service. Please fill out a visitor card and place it in the offering tray or hand it to a parish council member in the Narthex. Any council member would be happy to meet with you and tell you more about life at this church. Please leave a phone number if you wish to be contacted. Ladies Philoptochos September and October Food Bank donations are being collected for the Backpack Beginnings Program which serves over 7000 students experiencing hunger in our community by providing weekly backpacks of weekend food, and also stocking Food Pantries in 14 Guilford County Middle and High Schools. Please donate the following items so we may help this very important organization stock these Food Pantries for their neediest students. The following are suggested food donations: soups, canned fruit, canned vegetables, canned beans and pastas, dry pastas, spaghetti sauces, rice, macaroni and cheese, canned tuna, peanut butter and jelly, cereals, oatmeal, grits, shelf stable milk, and 100% fruit juice. In addition, they also collect personal hygiene items such as shampoo, soap, deodorant, toothpaste and toothbrushes. They also accept paper grocery bags. Please see the separate information on our Care Kits for the Homeless community outreach project that will begin today, September 2. Thank you for your generous support of our projects that help those less fortunate in our greater Greensboro community. Next Sunday, September 9, the Ladies Philoptochos will pass a special tray for Holy Cross Seminary to benefit the students and their programs. Dormition of the Theotokos Sunday School Greek Orthodox Church Greensboro, NC Registration Sept. 2, 9, 16 during Fellowship Hour (Registration will be accepted through the year as well) Sunday School Class Schedule Is Every Sunday Divine Liturgy begins at 10:00 am. All Students along with their parents are kindly asked to attend the Divine Liturgy by 10:30am or earlier. Our Spiritual Leaders believe that being part of the Church Service is very crucial for our children s up bringing. By attending Sunday school we are given the opportunity to grow spiritually, and so we are able to better understand the teachings and traditions of the Orthodox faith.