Brothers and Sisters,
Greetings in the Name of the Lord.
Christ is Risen!
Our annual talent show gives parishioners a chance to share and celebrate each other's unique gifts, experiences, and creations. Do you have something to share or perform? It’s not too late to get in on the fun! Get details and sign up here: https://forms.gle/nbFPgeCsyUsBHc4Y9. The show will happen this coming Sunday, May 15th, from 12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. (give or take depending on the number of submissions). If you have questions, email Rigel Thurston at: rigelthurston@gmail.com.
And May is officially SAY YOUR NAME month. That’s right, we want everyone to say their baptismal/saints’ name out loud when they approach the chalice to receive the Holy Gifts. It will ensure that our reception of the Holy Eucharist is personal and it will help the clergy immensely.
OUR CALENDAR
Fasting Days
Time to get back to it! Wednesday, May 11, and Friday, May 13
Daily Services
Monday, May 9 to Friday, May 13
Orthros 5am
Vespers 5pm
If you plan on attending the daily services, it’s generally a good idea to check the day before to make sure that the service will be offered. Sometimes pastoral situations require a change of plans, and the service cannot be offered on that particular day.
The Hours
Seth Hart is continuing to read the Hours and stream them to Zoom.
First Hour, 6:45 a.m.
Third Hour, 8:45 a.m.
Sixth Hour, 11:45 a.m.
Ninth Hour, 3:45 p.m.
Please see the emailed newsletter for login information.
Tuesday, May 10
Orthodoxy 101 at 7pm in the parish house. The group will continue to discuss the Divine Services. Please see the emailed newsletter for login information.
Wednesday, May 11
The Pascha Book Study 7pm in the parish house.
Topic: Pascha Book Study 2022
Please see the emailed newsletter for login information.
Thursday, May 12
The Bible Study 7pm
Topic: St. John the Forerunner - Bible Study
Please see the emailed newsletter for login information.
Saturday, May 14
St Thomas School 4pm
Great Vespers 6pm
Sunday, May 15
The Sunday of the Paralytic
Orthros 8am
Church School 8:15am
Divine Liturgy 10am
Fellowship Hour Noon
Between Orthros and the Divine Liturgy, five individuals will be baptized and chrismated. Please arrive early and join us for these Holy Mysteries.
ST THOMAS SCHOOL
On Saturday, May 14 Michael Ruse will lead the discussion of Chapter Four in Volume One, “The Baptism of the Slavic Peoples”. In order to participate online, send an email to remote.meetings@theforerunner.org by this coming Thursday, May 12; you will also need to keep your camera on during the session.
PASCHAL BOOK STUDY
The Pascha Book Study began on Wednesday, April 27, and it will meet each Wednesday evening through Wednesday, May 25. Father Andrew Wilson and Father Michael Coleman will be leading the group, and this year’s study will bring to a close our year long exploration of the theology and practices associated with death in Holy Orthodoxy. With the help of several selections, the group will take a guided tour of the funeral service itself, beginning with Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeyev’s overview from his Orthodox Christianity series. Along the way the group will focus on the prayers and hymns unique to the service, while also reading St. Gregory of Nazianzus’ funeral oration for his friend, St. Basil the Great, perhaps the best example of a eulogy in the Orthodox tradition. Finally, the study will end with a look at grief through a letter of consolation sent by St. John Chrysostom to a spiritual daughter whose husband had died. There is no single text to purchase for the book study, but a packet of materials will be printed and available in the bookstore for only the cost of what it took to get them printed. Here’s the schedule for the sessions and the readings:
Session 1 - The Orthodox Funeral Service, Pt 1
Read: Funeral Service: pp 1-7
Read: Funeral Oration: paragraphs 1-27
Session 2 - Funeral Service, Pt 2
Read: Funeral Service: pp 7-13
Read: Funeral Oration: paragraphs 28-54
Session 3 - Funeral Oration
Read: Funeral Oration: paragraphs 55-82
Session 4 - Funeral Service, Pt 3
Read: Funeral Service: pp 14-21
Session 5 - Letter to a Grieving Widow & Conclusion
Read: Letter to a Grieving Widow (13 pages)
COMING UP
Last Saturday of Souls
Saturday, June 11 is the last Saturday of Souls of the year. There will be coffee and snacks available after Liturgy and the Burial Society will be on hand to help parishioners finalize their end-of-life paperwork.
Members of the legal team will be on hand to:
Answer Questions
Serve as Signing Witnesses
Notarize Documents
Copy, Seal, and File Everything in a Locked Cabinet
Get your paperwork packet today- it’s available in our Church bookstore. Fill it out ahead of time, then come get it signed, notarized, copied, and filed (for FREE) all while enjoying a cup of coffee and fellowship with friends. Also, a representative from the Cedar Park Cemetery will be on hand to provide information and answer questions about burial plots available just down the street from St. John’s.
Camp St Raphael 2022
Camper Applications are available online at https://www.campstraphael.org at Noon on February 1st. Remember spots are reserved on a first come first serve basis, so don’t delay. Session One is June 26th through July 2nd, and Session Two is July 3rd through 9th. This year CSR will be at new location in Kingston, Oklahoma. Scholarships are available through the parish, so if you need assistance in order to send your child to camp, please speak with Father Aidan or Father Andrew.
The Diocese of Wichita and Mid-America’s Parish Life Conference
The Diocese of Wichita and Mid-America’s Parish Life Conference will be hosted by St George Cathedral in Wichita, Kansas, from June 15th through 18th. Jerry Juliano will be ordained to the Holy Diaconate at the closing liturgy for the conference. Hotel reservations may be made at Reservations: Hyatt Regency https://www.hyatt.com/en-US/group-booking/WICRW/G-GECA.
OUR MOMENT OF GRACE AND COURTESY
Yes, it’s a really big adjustment, but we’re going to make it happen. With the approval of the parish council, the clergy would like to request that, when we approach the chalice, we say our baptismal/saint’s name as we cross our arms and open our mouths (parents and godparents will most likely need to assist their young children and godchildren with this). It’s actually standard practice in most communities and, now that there are almost 400 people in our parish, it’s a practice that we also need to adopt. Thank you for your help making this change and remember: SAY YOUR NAME!
Things That Make Priests Happy
Wondering, with Stephen G, if bees sleep; stressing to Bob H the fundamental importance of The Nap; watching Gwyneth B walk; learning that Bessie J’s Chuck Norris obsession is matched by Misty W’s Chuck Norris obsession (and Misty’s Chuck Norris plays in a polka band!); knowing that Father Deacon Michael is available to advise those traveling to former Soviet Republics; talking with Sadie C and Anna C about Honey and Sadie (their horses); counting down to retirement with Becky T; walking under the stars of spring.
An unworthy priest,
aidan
The Happy Priest is a publication of Life at a Dead Run Media, which is a subsidiary of One Take Productions. Our IT Guy is Jerry Juliano. Our Webmasters are Lily Halsey and Seth Hart. Our Keeper of Lists is Father Andrew Wilson. Our Roving Reporter is Ulysse Merou. We always kick off our weekly staff meetings with a vuvuzela flourish and our Spiritual Advisor is Elder Galaction of the Holy Mountain.