St. John’s Episcopal Church
Events: August 2018
Mass ~ Sundays at 8am & 10am: Fr. Ronald R. Miller, Priest-in-Charge
Aug. 5th 8 & 10am Rev’d. Ladd Harris preaching
Aug 7th 9:30am Daughters of the King (DOK) meets
Aug 7th 10:45am Prayer Group Meets
Aug 11th 9am-1pm Thrift Shoppe open
Aug. 12th 8 & 10 am Rev’d. Ladd Harris preaching
Aug 15th 10-noon & 5-7:00pm Free Clothing Event @ St. John’s Thrift Shoppe
Aug 19th 11:30am Vestry Meeting at Church
Aug 21st 10:45am Prayer Group Meets
Aug 25th 9am-1pm Thrift Shoppe open
Please Contact us anytime! Phone: 570-689-9260
Parish Office hours: Monday, Wednesday, Friday 10am-3pm
Email us: stjohnshamlin@verizon.net
Please follow us on facebook, linkedIn and twitter
Website: saintjohnhamlin.org
On their way to meet up with the rest of the troop at summer camp, members of Easton Elks Boy Scout Troop 532 attended services at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Hamlin, Pennsylvania on June 24. The members of the church provided a picnic lunch for the scouts after the service.
Don’t miss the Art Show to be held at the Moscow United Methodist Church as part of the Moscow Country Street Fair the first weekend in August. The dates and times are Friday, August 3rd, from 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.; Saturday, August 4th, from 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.; and Sunday, August 5th, from noon until 5 p.m. There will be over 30 artists participating. including our dear friend, Pastor Sarah Miller.
JULY EVENTS AT ST. JOHN’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH:
July 3 9:30am Daughters of the King meets in Parish Hall
July 3 10:45am Prayer Group meets in Parish Hall
July 4 Thank God and our Veteran’s for our freedom! Parish Office Closed
July 14 9am-1pm Thrift Shoppe Open
July 14 10:30a-7:00p Ace pavilion and Parish Hall Rental by NA group
July 15 11:30am “ish” Vestry Meets in Parish Hall
July 17 10:45am Prayer Group meets in Parish Hall
July 18 10-noon; 5-7pm Free Clothing Event @ Thrift Shoppe
July 28 9am-1pm Thrift Shoppe Open
July 29 8am & 10am Rev’d Ladd Harris preaching
Please contact us anytime! WORSHIP EACH SUNDAY AT 8AM & 10AM
Phone: 570-689-9260 Office hours: Mon., Wed., Fri. 10 am-3 pm
Email: stjohnshamlin@verizon.net Website: saintjohnhamlin.org
Please follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn
Easton Elks Boy Scout Troop 532 went on a great nine day summer adventure in the Pennsylvania mountains, starting with a two day stop at Whitewater Challengers, attending Sunday service at the Hamlin St. John’s Episcopal Church and spending a week at the Goose Pond Scout Reservation near Scranton. While there, the cook made the troop feel at home by making four Smith Island cakes. Each patrol earned the Green Bar Patrol award and of course, the best part was that the weather was cool and comfortable.
Saint John’s Thrift Shoppe:
All are welcome to come to St. John’s Thrift Shoppe located between St. John’s Episcopal Church and Jack Williams Tire and Auto on Route 191 in Hamlin, Pa. We have a diverse selection of clothing, shoes, linens and housewares for everyone. The sizes range from Infants to Adults.
The Thrift Shoppe is open the second and fourth Saturday of every month from 9am to 1pm. We have a free clothing day on Wednesday after the second Saturday of every month from 10am to noon and 5pm to 7pm.
We accept donations of all of the above.
WE HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE.
Pastoral Care Committee contact information 570-689-9260 email stjohnshamlin@verizon.net.
Thrift Shoppe News: Come browse and shop! We are open the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of each month from 9am-1pm, with our free clothing event the Wednesday after the 2nd Saturday from 10am-12 noon and from 5-7pm. WE NEED SUMMER CHILDREN”S CLOTHING – INFANT THRU GRADE SCHOOL – please spread the word. Many thanks to all for your continued support. God Bless, Pat
St. John’s Episcopal Church
Events for June, 2018
Sunday: Mass at 8 and 10am
Fr. Ronald R. Miller, Priest-in- Charge
June 5 9:30am Daughters of the King meets in Parish Hall
June 5 10:45am Prayer Group meets in Parish Hall
June 9 9am-1pm Thrift Shoppe Open
June 9 – noon – 6pm – Ave Pavilion Rental by private family
June 10 11/11:30am Pastoral Care Committee meeting
June 13 10-noon & 5-7p Free Clothing Event @ Thrift Shoppe
June 13 11am Hamlin Clergy meets at Salem Community UMC
June 17 11/11:30am Vestry meets in Parish Hall–RESCHEDULED UNTIL JULY 15
June 19 10:45am Prayer Group meets
June 23 9am-1pm Thrift Shoppe Open
Phone: 570-689-9260
Office hours: Monday, Wednesday, Friday from 10am to 3pm
Email: stjohnshamlin@verizon.net
Website: saintjohnhamlin.org
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn
May 24, 2018
My very dear people,
Recently, in an e-mail, I was asked to support the use of the words “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag of the United States. I deleted that e-mail. But, I would like to share the substance of my response to that request which was phrased in the : “either you vote for it or against it – no discussion” kind of way. Here’ my response:
I’m not too much fussed about the words: “one nation, under God.”
I am a bit concerned when communications state: “This is not sent for discussion.”
When discussion ends, so does democracy.
When words and their meanings are co-opted to mean something other than what they intend, deception is substituted for truth.
This is NOT a Christian nation — nor is GOD a CHRISTIAN! There are, to be sure, plenty of Christian ideas about GOD – but remember there was a GOD long before JESUS. Then it was thought that the JEWISH GOD was the best of “all gods.” If, in fact, the Knights of Columbus were the motivating force to include ‘under God,’ in the pledge, theirs, no doubt, was a Roman Catholic understanding of God which, in many respects, differs widely from the post-Reformation concepts with which I grew up.
What does concern me is the ‘religious right’ (which, to my view, is neither one or the other!) generating a ‘religious covering’ for ideas and behaviors which coincide in NO WAY WHATSOEVER with the life, ministry and example of Jesus. Say what you like in the pledge to the flag. [But, isn’t that a bit idolatrous to begin with?]. What I am concerned with is HOW PEOPLE LIVE OUT AND ADVOCATE IN PUBLIC LIFE FOR THAT WHICH THEY BELIEVE IN THEIR HEARTS.
1. Jesus went to the sick and the disabled and healed them. There are no stories of him making people sick, or preventing them from being healed. He healed those who were “in” his group and those who were “out.” That made the “innies” angry. He even healed against the rules: on the Sabbath. To be religious today means to advocate for health care for ALL, for everybody, and that includes veterans.
2. Jesus appreciated – and used – the examples of foreigners who healed and took care of those in need as an embarrassing example for his own ‘religious’ people who did not! They had their excuses, their reasons and their clever religious arguments, about none of which Jesus cared. What he cared about – in the example of the Samaritan (the foreigner) – is that the Samaritan DID his religion and went beyond any ordinary expectations of caring for others in need. The Samaritan’s example is one in which the WALLS of hatred, ignorance, linguistic and cultural differences and fear were TORN DOWN, not built, between people and nations. The Samaritan’s religion was acted out in love of the foreigner, the stranger, the person in need, and that, without a limit to generosity either of spirit or substance.
3. Jesus respected and honored women who were demeaned and seen as property. He found respectful mutual comfort in their presence and taught and shared with them, against the norms of society and religion. He did not take advantage of them – but respected them and their bodies as temples of God. He did NOT objectify them but rather, I believe, honored their personal sovereign right over their own internal reproductive organs. He did not LIMIT HEALTH CARE for those who may have disagreed with him on terms of reproductive heath.
4. Jesus cared for, respected and loved little children and never separated them from their loving parents for any reason. Jesus loved kids and welcomed them even when his closest companions would have kept them away. It is impossible to imagine that Jesus would have divided families and separated children from their parents FOR ANY REASON WHATSOEVER! That was considered acceptable behavior in our country during slavery – when families were divided and individuals sold separately – and seems to be returning today in terms of immigration policy. Jesus wouldn’t have done that, ever! Hitler, however, did.
5. When Jesus went into the Temple and overturned the tables of the money lenders, he was making a statement — perhaps his BOLDEST! — about economic justice and access to power: access even to the POWER of GOD. Unquestionably, Jesus believed that access to God’s justice, love and mercy was completely unrelated to money, the love of which is ‘’the root of all evil.” Jesus spent his life seeking JUSTICE and MERCY for the POOR, the down-trodden, the FOREIGNER, the immigrant, the stranger, the un-loved: those excluded from church and society. IN THE TEMPLE, JESUS WAS IN THE PRESENCE OF THE RELIGIOUS PEOPLE WHO KNEW AND SAID ALL THE RIGHT WORDS IN THEIR PLEDGES, but who simply DID NOT GET THE POINT OF THEIR RELIGION, or ACT on it!
6. Jesus was crucified because the church, state and society of his day were hypocritical about religion. They said all the right words when facing the flag — but their lives revealed the “truth” of their convictions. They were ‘’religious.,’’ they were ‘’patriots,” they were ‘’upstanding members of society: wealthy and influential.’’ And, it was THEY WHO DID JESUS IN, because he held a mirror to their hypocrisy and showed them the sham and shame of their lives which in no way matched their spoken confessions.
I’m not too concerned about the words in the pledge to the flag. I am concerned about how we pledge our lives to the example of JESUS which has less to do with words than actions.
May God bless you – each and every one – as together we commit ourselves to embody the Love of Christ.
Sincerely,
Fr. Ron
May 25, 2018
https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/22/politics/bishop-curry-white-house/index.html
Bishop whose sermon lit up royal wedding to lead White House protest
(CNN) — Fresh off his star-making sermon at the British royal wedding on Saturday, Episcopal Presiding Bishop Michael Curry plans to take part in a candlelight vigil and protest in front of the White House on Thursday.
Curry will be joined by leaders from Christian churches who say they are concerned about a “dangerous crisis of moral and political leadership at the highest levels of our government and in our churches.” Those crises, Curry and the other Christian leaders say, put “the soul of the nation and the integrity of faith” at stake.
Organizers say they expect 1,000 people to turn out for a church service before the protest and for the protest itself, to be held on Thursday evening in Lafayette Square, a park across the street from the White House.
“This weekend I spoke about the way of love. As elders, we view bringing the Reclaiming Jesus declaration to the public square as a tangible example of how to live out that way of love,” Curry said, referring to a statement, called “Reclaiming Jesus,” endorsed by progressive Christian leaders who lament the rise of political partisanship and the marginalization of vulnerable communities.
The sharply worded statement also calls “America first,” a foreign-policy slogan endorsed by President Donald Trump, “theological heresy” and condemns the “normalization of lying” and “the resurgence of white nationalism, racism, and xenophobia; misogyny; attacks on immigrants, refugees, and the poor.”
“We are Christian leaders bearing moral witness to the teachings of our faith in the public square,” Curry continued. “As citizens we want our government to reflect our values. As a Bishop I believe we should follow the teachings of Jesus — who taught us to love God and love our neighbor.”
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Curry, the first African-American head of the Episcopal Church, lit up St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle on Saturday, delivering an impassioned sermon on the redemptive power of love at the royal wedding of Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan Markle.
Curry, who has been a pastor for nearly three decades, is known for seamlessly blending spiritual and political themes in his preaching and activism.
As a bishop in North Carolina, he supported the Moral Mondays campaign, which included statehouse protests against perceived inequality. At a rally in 2014, for example, he called for teachers to receive higher salaries and called education a “divine right.”
At the White House protest, organizers say Curry will be joined by a number of other prominent progressive Christian leaders, including the Rev. Sharon Watkins, former General Minister of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), the Rev. James Forbes, former pastor of New York’s Riverside Church, and the Rev. Jim Wallis, President and Founder, Sojourners.
Our Music Director visited an elephant orphanage in Kenya in her recent visit there, thanks Kathleen for the pics!
thanks to Chris Simpler for the pics from Day of Pentecost! Our 8am congregants in the pic are standing from left to right: David Zahorsky, Kent Fairfield and seated in Melvina Black.
St. John’s Episcopal Church
Events: May 2018
Mass ~ Sundays at 8am & 10am: Fr. Ronald R. Miller, Priest-in-Charge
Sunday School in Church after 10am Mass Sept.-June
May 1st 9:30am Daughters of the King (DOK) meets
May 1st 10:45am Prayer Group meets
May 4th 6pm Planning Session: Dinner Carbondale Grand Hotel
May 5th 10am Planning Session: w/Luncheon in Parish Hall-
Committee Chairs: Have you submitted your report?
May 5th 3pm Ladies Day Event at Hamlin Assembly of God
May 9th 10a-2p Luncheon @ Church of Nativity –Celtic tradition with
Speaker: Dean Tony Pompa
May 12th 9am-1pm Thrift Shoppe open
May 12th 12:30-5pm Bishop Sean’s farewell party: St Stephens, Wilkes Barre
May 15th 10:45am Prayer Group meets
May 16th 10-noon & 5-7:00pm Free Clothing Event @ St. John’s Thrift Shoppe
May 20th 11:30a Annual Parish Meeting in Parish Hall
May 26th 9am-1pm Thrift Shoppe open
May 28 Memorial Day – Our office will be closed and will reopen after lunch on Wednesday, May 30th
Please Contact us anytime! Phone: 570-689-9260
Parish Office hours: Mon., Wed., Fri. 10am-3pm
Email us: stjohnshamlin@verizon.net
Please follow us on facebook, linkedIn and twitter
Website: saintjohnhamlin.org
Join us to say Thank You and Farewell to Bishop Sean
On Saturday May 12th at 12:30 p.m. we will gather together to say thank you and farewell to Bishop Sean and his family. This event will included Eucharist at St. Stephen’s Pro-Cathedral, followed by a light hors d’oeuvres reception at the Genetti Hotel & Conference Center, Wilkes-Barre.
Please share this with your parish as registration is required. Deadline to register is April 30th.
Please note the change of time.
For complete details and to register visit: https://conta.cc/2Hq8pLJ
Visit our website! Please visit it regularly and often for updates, information and progress as we search for the next Bishop.
bishopsearchdiobeth.org
If you have questions about our website, social media or the Search & Transition Committee please email bishoptransitiondiobeth@gmail.com.
Please click for our April 29, 2018 announcements – something new we have not previously posted:-)
Come browse and shop at our Thrift Shoppe! We are open the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of each month from 9am-1pm, with our free clothing event the Wednesday after the 2nd Saturday from 10am-12 noon and from 5-7pm. We are no longer accepting donations of winter clothing including boots, hats, scarves, etc. During the month of April, we are switching the seasonal inventory with the help of volunteers and Little Creek helpers. As of April 28th, we welcome spring and summer donated items of all sizes and, as always, we are especially in need of kids clothes, infant thru teens. Many thanks to all for your continued support. God Bless, Pat Also, if you have furniture donations, please contact Pam & David Baldo at 570-689-7840 or email them: theminutemanmovers@gmail.com. They have a small used furniture store and may arrange for pick-up of the item(s). Thank you again and God Bless.
HELP NEEDED! Since snowbirds are gone for the winter; we are in need of some more helpers – even if you only can spare 1-2 hours per month – it will be a great help to keeping our Thrift Shoppe organized and sufficiently manned on our open days (2nd and 4th Saturdays from 9am-1pm and our free clothing event on the Wednesday following the 2nd Saturday from 10a-noon and from 5-7pm). We always have a great time “working”. Please see Pat Ware or just show up; we are very grateful for any help you can give!
The Standing Committee of the Diocese of Bethlehem is pleased to announce the approved slate of nominees received from the Search Committee for the IX Bishop of Bethlehem. Details: http://www.bishopsearchdiobeth.org/nominees.html
Calendar from The Diocese of Bethlehem:
Apr17
Tue
7:00 pm Bishop Nominee Walkabout @ St. Stephen’s, Whitehall
Apr18
Wed
7:00 pm Bishop Nominee Walkabout @ St. Alban’s, Sinking Spring
Apr19
Thu
7:00 pm Bishop Nominee Walkabout @ St. Paul’s, Montrose
Apr20
Fri
6:30 pm Christophany Youth Retreat @ Bear Creek Camp
7:00 pm Bishop Nominee Walkabout @ St. Stephen’s Pro-Cathedral
Apr21
Sat
4:00 pm Regional Confirmation @ St. Luke’s, Scranton
Apr22
Sun
9:30 am Visitation: Celebration of New M… @ St. Mark & St. John Episcopal Church
4:00 pm Regional Confirmation @ Cathedral Church of the Nativity – Our own Lauren Elizabeth Mercereau and Taylor Paige Mercereau are candidates for confirmation at this event
Apr24
Tue
6:30 pm Visitation: Celebration of New M… @ St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church
Apr25
Wed
6:30 pm Visitation: Celebration of New M… @ St. Clement & St. Peter’s Episcopal Church
St. John’s Episcopal Church
Hamlin, Pennsylvania
The Rev’d. Ronald Royce Miller, Ph.D.
Easter Day
1 April 2018
Scripture readings:
Acts 10:34-43 Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 John 20:1-18
Christ is risen!
The Lord is risen indeed! Alleluia! Alleluia!
We make much during Lent about dropping the use of Alleluias in the liturgy, and then we bump up against a funeral and we sing the hymn, “At the grave my song shall be Alleluia, Alleluia,” and we make mistakes. It’s always the choir that does this. [laughter] When you’re not supposed to say Alleluia, they always do it, and then we titter and giggle and carry on. Well, now you can say Alleluia all you want, and the louder the better.
What is this Alleluia all about? The world may not understand you when you say that. It’s not an English word. It’s probably Hebrew or of even more ancient origin. We have words that don’t mean much but they express a lot of emotion. I think Alleluia means a great deal and expresses a lot of emotion. Between the 8 and 10 o’clock masses we finally got around to uncovering the Alleluia banner which had been buried at the beginning of Lent on Shrove Tuesday at the pancake supper when we burned the palms to make the ashes to remember that we are dust and to dust we shall return, and we put the Alleluia away. It’s technically buried. It was buried inside the church somewhere. And now it’s out, and Alleluia is part of our language for Easter.
The world may not get what we’re celebrating today although calendars around the world will reflect this celebration of the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. There is an interesting passage in the first text we read from Acts today which I think is worth paying a little bit of attention to. “God raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear, not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses.” Could it mean that to be chosen by God as people who see the resurrection, we see something that others don’t? And maybe we believe something that others want to believe and can’t.
It is probably true that in my 40-plus years of ministry I have gone to the funeral home and to the grave more than I have to the altar with couples to be married, to the font with infants or people to be baptized, to any other thing that a priest or pastor does. I have done more burying and celebrated more funerals than all the rest of the stuff put together. And, friends, don’t you think I wish I could say to the people in deepest grief – and the time comes when we want to say it to ourselves – “Get up out of that grave. You’re not dead. Rise up!” And we get this great teaser from Jesus when he goes to the tomb of his best friend, Lazarus, and calls him out of the tomb.
If that’s what you’re looking for at Easter, I hate to tell you you’re going to be sorely disappointed. It doesn’t happen that way. We are in a constant process of learning, and a major component of grief is learning to say that the person grieved has, in fact, died. Period.
Then we want to imagine what happens after we die. Well, I can tell you when death has gone into my household and I got all of the religious claptrap, it virtually physically sickened me. Nobody knows what in the world happens after you die. You can make up any stories you want, to make yourself feel good about it, but nobody knows.
So what are we here to celebrate? A failed magic act that’s a thousand years tired? Or do we really celebrate resurrection? And if that’s what we’re here to celebrate, let’s talk for a minute about what that might really mean. According to the text we read in Acts, the resurrection of Jesus on the third day had something to do with people being allowed to see by virtue of faith that the truth that others had attempted to bury in the assassination, crucifixion, death, and burial of Jesus could not be killed, that there was something durable about Jesus. And, friends, I’m highly invested on this day in remembering that among all the other complexities we come to after two thousand years of Christianity, that one of the tenets of our faith is that Jesus was, in fact, fully human, and that’s good enough for me.
Yesterday before I left the house I did a strange thing. I went out on the front porch and – because of the admonition of a friend who is a teller in the bank in Newfoundland – I finally took the Christmas wreath off my front door! [laughter] She’s tired of seeing it every day. I’m glad my neighbors look in on me. And I thought, “Oh, this is so out of time and out of sync.” Well, is it? Does Christmas have something to do with Easter? Does Easter have something to do with Christmas? They better had! When we celebrated Christmas we opined that we wouldn’t celebrate Christmas if we hadn’t had Easter. It would have just been another two thousand- year-old dusty Jewish birthday party which we for sure by now would have forgotten. And that’s my anxiousness at Christmas, that we keep it the Nativity instead of the Incarnation.
But what does it mean that people are called by God to witness Jesus alive even after he has been crucified, dead, and buried? What does it mean to us who call ourselves Christians, who say we perceive that Jesus is resurrected and alive and here and now and visible with us today? Well, it’s not the business of going to the cemetery and thinking that you can begin to wake up some old dead body that’s been pickled and painted and powdered and perfumed and sealed in a … I used to say to the funeral directors when they put those cement tops on the vaults, “How do you ever expect them to get out?” [laughter] It’s time for us to grow up in terms of owning what it is we mean by resurrection.
Last night at the vigil which I know is long and complex, but it’s also beautiful and wonderful, and it’s also the model for everything we do all year long at every service at the church. At the Easter vigil we fill the font with fresh and pure water, and we remember that the font is for us a tomb in which we’re buried. Young parents who bring babies don’t want to hear you refer to the font as a tomb. Why are you going to bury my baby? And that’s why the more water the better so occasionally, if we can, we get into a stream (it’s hard to do that in the winter) to make the symbol of burial and resurrection. Now the font also stands as a symbol of a personal body part and a feminine one. This is the womb of the Church where Mother Church breaks water and gives birth to her sons and daughters.
Does anybody watch “Call the Midwife”? Did you see it last week when a woman gave birth in her apartment? It was the most amazing thing. I sat in front of my tv and wept as this human being came into the world from between the legs of a poor and confused woman. I wept because it’s such a profound mystery. And nothing less happens in baptism. Mother Church spreads her awkward legs and you and I are born here. And in that hope we are born as brothers and sisters of Christ. And, in fact, we proclaim ourselves as we remember – now think of that word. Put a hyphen in between re and member. Re-member. Did you ever take your sister’s doll and tear it apart and then try and re-member it by putting the legs and arms and the head back on? I did. [laughter] In all of this we re-member the Body of Christ. We put arms and legs and a face and a physique onto Jesus today.
None of us is here for long or forever. Allow me to say it once again to those who hate to hear it. Well, you can say it with me by now. Nobody gets out of here alive. But while we are here, the joy of being a Christian is that we can participate in re-membering the Body of Christ around an eternal and undefeatable truth, the truth that allowed Jesus to give his life not to an angry God to save us from our sins (What a whackarama idea that is!) But that allowed Jesus to live until his last breath without abandoning his belief in a creator God who loved everything and everybody that God herself created. And that means YOU! And it means your enemy!
Now I’m aware the religious institutions can make a lot of hay on generating ideas and taking advantage of people by telling them what happens after you die. If anybody starts, put on your armor and turn off your hearing aids. Nobody knows. But I don’t know where I came from either, before those awkward legs were spread and I was born. The Spanish have this down pat. The term in Spanish to give birth is dar a luz – to give to the light. So from whatever home we come to get here and whatever home we return to after we’re dead, I know nothing. But as a Christian who celebrates Easter with you, I know this: that our joy, our hope, our understanding of resurrection is that together as baptized members of the Body of Christ – and that doesn’t mean that everybody in the world is gonna get it – God raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear, not to all of the people, but to us who were chosen as witnesses. To us who believe this, we will know this, that Christ is resurrected and alive every day when your sad sack of flesh and blood and bones gets out of bed and does the work that Jesus did in his life, the work of sharing and believing and embodying (what is on the sign in the front of this church every day of the week) We invite all people to embody the love of Christ, which is the love of God for the whole world in all times in all places and especially in these latter days for all people – especially the ones Jesus loved, and you know who they were – the blind, the maimed, the poor, the widow, the orphan, the addicted, the strange, the leper, the women, the streetwalkers, the sinners, the tax collectors, the crooks, the gangsters, even the centurion who was brought, after the embarrassment of his terrible act, to confess, “Truly this was the Son of God.”
Jesus knew that if he stuck to the truth, the truth would stick to him. We know the same thing. If we stick to the resurrection, the resurrection will stick to us. It will be obvious to all that we know and to all with whom we have any kind of relationship whatsoever. We are, friends, by our own confession, the Body of Christ resurrected every day in this world. And I have a suspicion that if we ever get busy enough being that Body and doing what that Body does, we would have way less time to worry about what happens when we die. We might not even care in the end, and we might be so tired when our last breath came that we would welcome it. And then the Church could honestly say and the rest of the world could say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” And maybe our grief would be different as well. So we proclaim as those who are chosen by God to be witnesses to this, that Christ is indeed risen. He is risen indeed. Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
In the next couple weeks of the Church we’ll be reading what are called the post-resurrection stories, when Jesus was seen after his crucifixion, death, burial, and resurrection – seen by people before he ascended and disappeared forever. The unusual and wonderful thing about that is he is usually seen having a meal with them – frying fish on the beach or breaking bread on the road to Emmaus. It is the reason, friends, that every time we gather here we share a cultic meal. Oh, it’s not a big deal. If you’re here to get your gut filled, it won’t be done by a nibble and a sip. That’s for sure. But we keep this meal constantly and celebrate it all the time because it reminds us that in the breaking of bread, in the sharing of our resources, in the mutual consolation we share, in the feeding of the hungry, in taking care of the poor, in doing all the things that Jesus did, we will, in fact, see Jesus and – get this, friends – those who are not witnesses to this resurrection will see Jesus resurrected in you and what you do and how you treat each other and how you relate to the world. That might make Easter last a day or two. Maybe a week. Maybe the rest of our lives.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
As many of you know, the Diocese of Bethlehem is in the process of electing a new bishop. The Standing Committee has narrowed the search down to two candidates, both of whom seem extremely capable. As your elected delegates to the Diocesan Convention, Bobbie Hraba and Marianne Berryman will be voting for the new bishop on April 28th. You have an opportunity to meet the two nominees at “Walkabouts” scheduled during the month of April. The time for all four is 7 to 9 pm. The dates and locations are: April 17th at St. Stephen’s in Whitehall, April 18th at St. Alban’s in Sinking Spring, April 19th at St. Paul’s in Montrose, and April 20th at St. Stephen’s in Wilkes-Barre. Bobbie and Marianne will be attending the one in Montrose. If any of you would like to join them, please let them know. This Walkabout will be also be livestreamed. (Details of the website will be announced later.) You can also learn about the nominees by going to the website, www.bishopsearchdiobeth.org.
Below is the live streaming link for the Montrose event on April 19th:
EASTER 2018 — RAY MORAN WITH FATHER RONALD MILLER
St. John’s Episcopal Church Events: April 2018
Mass ~ Sundays at 8am & 10am: Fr. Ronald R. Miller, Priest-in-Charge
Sunday School in Church after 10am Mass
Apr 1 8 & 10am Easter Mass ┼
Apr 3 9:30am Daughters of the King meets in Parish Hall
Apr 3 10:45am Prayer Group meets in Parish Hall
Apr 8 11:15am Executive Committee meets
Apr 14 9am-1pm Thrift Shoppe Open
Apr 15 11:15am Vestry meets
Apr 16-20 Bishop Candidate Walk-Abouts
Apr 17 9:30am Daughter of the King meets
Apr 17 10:45am Prayer Group meets
Apr 18 10-noon & 5-7p Free Clothing Event @ Thrift Shoppe
Apr 21/22 4pm Confirmations-See Carole Phillips – cjpvapa@hotmail.com
Apr 28 9am-1pm Thrift Shoppe Open
Apr 28 all day Special Electing Convention in Bethlehem
Apr 29 11:15am Pastoral Care Meets
Please contact us anytime!
Phone: 570-689-9260
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Website: saintjohnhamlin.org
From our Sr. Warden, Michael Nigro: We are getting very close to the point in our St. John’s calendar when we plan our goals for the coming year, and discuss what we have accomplished this past year with our Annual Planning Session. This year’s planning session will again be two part: Friday, May 4th and completion on Saturday, May 5th. On May 4th at 6:00pm, we will meet at the Carbondale Grand Hotel, 25 S Main St, Carbondale, PA. We are excited that two of our St. John’s family, Chris and Jenna Simpler, are the new owners of the Carbondale Grand Hotel. Chris and Jenna have intrigued us by describing the buffet that their staff will prepare for us. The hotel has a beautiful ambiance, and the dinner will include appetizers, a buffet and dessert. The price will be $25.00 per person. Please make checks payable to St John’s, and in the memo section indicate “Carbondale Hotel”. You may mail your check to the church at PO Box 118, Hamlin, PA 18427 or place in the offering plate on Sundays. Please, mark your calendar (Friday, May 4th) for a night of fun, good food and discussion of ideas past and future. The following day, Saturday, May 5th, we will complete our annual planning session in the parish hall beginning at 10:00 AM. All are invited. Come hungry as a lunch buffet will follow our planning session. We look forward to your participation regarding the future of this church that we all love and serve.
Attn: Committee Chairpersons: please prepare your brief report and email it to Bev (stjohnshamlin@verizon.net) for preparation of the Annual Report for the period of May 1, 2017 – April 30, 2018 that will be perused during our Annual Meeting held on Sunday May 20th after the 10am Service.
Our Vestry will have an opening for the important position of Jr. Warden to replace Paul Ratcliffe this May. Paul’s term will be over in May, 2018, although he will remain as a Vestry member. If anyone has any questions regarding the details of fulfilling the Jr. Warden position or is already interested in that position, please see Father Ron Miller, Paul Ratcliffe, or Michael Nigro.
St. John’s Episcopal Church
Hamlin, Pennsylvania
The Rev’d. Ronald Royce Miller, Ph.D.
The Fourth Sunday in Lent
11 March 2018 Sermon Transcript
Scripture readings:
Numbers 21:4-9 Psalm 107:1-3, 17-22 Ephesians 2:1-10 John 3:14-21
Today is the fourth Sunday in Lent which is known in England as Mothering Sunday, a Sunday of refreshment. You may remember back in the day when Sundays were known by the Latin name of the first word of the Introit. This would have been Laetare Sunday – Rejoice and be glad, the piece of the Psalm that was used for that part of the liturgy. The same thing happens in the third Sunday in Advent when the vestments turn from violet, the traditional color in penitential seasons, to pink. On the third Sunday in Advent and the fourth Sunday in Lent, instead of violet, the priest gets to wear pink. There are parishes that are very wealthy or very, very diligent about things liturgical that will have pink vestments that are used twice a year.
The point being that in the middle of a penitential season, there’s a Sunday of refreshment. During Lent many people refrain from eating rich foods, but on Mothering Sunday you take the finest flour available and you make your mother a special cake with currants in it.
It’s a day that is probably partly responsible for the birth of the idea of Mother’s Day in our country, which is another completely different mess about which we’ll talk probably when we get near it in May.
But more important than all of that liturgical stuff and history – which is kind of fun if you’re interested in the Church Calendar – is the emphasis today on Jesus as the Bread of Life and particularly on understanding a theologically radical ideas of two thousand years ago, five hundred years ago, and today. In the epistle lesson we read these extraordinary words which contain an absolutely radical idea about God’s love: God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us even though we were dead through our trespasses…While we were still sinners, we merited and received and continue to receive God’s love without deserving it.Now we read over these words quickly, and they go by and we say, “Oh yes, we agree with that.” But do you know what that does to most religious systems? If you say to people, God loves you even though you don’t tithe, even though you don’t go to church, even though you weren’t baptized or confirmed or married and you have kids – that God’s love is there for you without your having to do anything for it. Without having to earn it or deserve it, God’s fully effective love is there for you, and if you’re willing to believe that, then by extension, for everybody else. If you’re really honest and you say, “If God can love me that much…” If you’re really honest, then you have to say, “Well, God has to love everybody else before he got to me because I’m the worst of the bunch!” That’s what’s called self analysis, self reflection. In twelve-step programs it’s called taking an inventory of yourself. In Lent we call it a penitential season. In the liturgy we call it a rite for confession, and, as you know, you’ll never find anywhere in the liturgies of the Church a rite for confession which does not include a rite for absolution. There is no room in the Church just to be guilty. That’s psychologically sick. In the Church there is always a rite for absolution connected to rites for confession, and that is the business of being healthy and believing that God’s love is there for us even before we get around to saying, “Now wait. I’ve got a problem which I need to avert to return to health.”
Now that’s problematic to religious organizations that want to sell you something and scare the living bejabbers out of you so that you can get into heaven. You may remember a week or two ago Jesus was in the temple and was profoundly upset that the moneychangers were in there giving the impression that you could buy an animal which you could slaughter to make God happy and to forgive your sins. Well, that’s nuts, isn’t it? Is it just as nuts – or even nuts-er – if we come up as Christians with a very popular idea – and we’re all guilty of it at some time or another – that Jesus is then sacrificed for our sins. So we make a jackass out of Jesus and sacrifice him! It’s the same cockamamy screwed up idea. Think of it.
You remember Abraham took his son Isaac out to sacrifice him and received a profound divine, “No, you don’t! No, you don’t!” And you remember that I have this deep personal suspicion that in ancient cultures the sacrifice of the first-born male was ordinary for whatever reason exists in the human psyche, and then somewhere along the line somebody got a bright idea: “If we take these kids and mutilate them, make them scream and bleed by circumcision, we’ve done enough and we don’t have to kill them.” It’s an option to think about. Just saying, as they say.
And then we get this extraordinary clarity from the writer of Ephesians about God’s grace and God’s love belonging to people long before they think they deserve it – maybe belonging to people because they need it. Now that’s an option.
Talking about the immeasurable riches of God’s grace and kindness shown to us in the best way possible in the person of Jesus. So then God kills Jesus for our sins. It’s nuts! And it’s very popular.
So here it is – Lent, Mothering Sunday. Let’s ask one pertinent question. Why, then, did Jesus die? Why was he killed? Why was he crucified? Or, if you need to use the word – sacrificed? Well, I’m at the point in my life where I’m not willing to say anymore that God did that for my sin. Did that offend anybody? Are we willing to man-up and woman-up and say that Jesus died because people – religious people primarily – were ignorant and frightened and could not bring themselves to believe that God loved their enemies and themselves sufficiently and that God was pleased with them and that they had to make everybody think and believe and act the same way they did, so they killed him. They were orthodox, straight believing. They were clean, kosher. They were correct, righteous, and Jesus wasn’t. He plucked grain on the Sabbath. Oh, I’m telling! [laughter] He spent time with tax collectors, sinners, whores, gutter women, widows, lepers, crud-bums throughout the world, the crazy, the crippled. And that’s where he spent his time because he had this extraordinary idea that all of those sinful people were God’s children and were loved by God – even though they were dead wrong and weren’t religious. They were crooks and gangsters and all the rest of it. But he, Jesus, could not be convinced that even they – or maybe especially they – were not entitled to good news of God’s love for them and for all people.
The gospel today made me a little nervous. I didn’t like what it was saying at one point. “And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness…” Well, that’s ok. We know that. We often prefer darkness to light, because of our evil deeds. But that’s not God’s condemnation; it’s our own condemnation of ourselves, our refusal to believe that God likes us. That’s where it starts. This is a psychological problem more than it is a religious one. Do you really believe that we are loved by God? And if you believe that, then it’s less difficult to believe that somebody else is, also. Because we harbor in our deepest psyche, I believe, the real reasons we know that we aren’t loveable. We cover them up with bravura and inflated egos and arrogance and rectitude and righteousness and orthodoxies and correct behaviors and right diets and proper clothing – and at the bottom of all of that is the genuine belief that we, in fact, are not loved by God unless we do something to fix ourselves. God simply says, “You’re my child. I love you even though…or maybe especially because…you are broken.”
I remember my mother – the same mother. I only had one – who would not divulge whether or not she had a favorite child. I’ve said this before: I wouldn’t have asked her that question unless I was sure that I was. [laughter] But I could never pry that out of her because I firmly believe she didn’t have a special child. But there was a grandchild. I remember saying to her in my adulthood, “You’re playing favorites.”And I nearly fell over backwards when she said, “Yes, I am. The need is greater.”
So for us as religious people to claim for ourselves the love of God and not be willing to believe that it belongs where the need is greatest, assassinates Jesus. God doesn’t do it. We cripple the love of God from getting to where it’s most needed when our religious behavior has something to do with us keeping ourselves pure, ourselves righteous, ourselves religious, ourselves separated from the realities of the world in which we live.
So this idea of being saved by the grace of God – by the immeasurable riches of God’s grace, being saved by grace through faith, simply by believing that God’s grace is there – is revolutionary. It was revolutionary to the Church of his day when Jesus proposed that as the only religious idea. Jesus simply said, “I firmly believe God loves me…and you.”
Five hundred years ago when the Church was a mess (nobody disagrees with that) the reformers returned to these words in scripture and said, “Now wait a minute. There’s a simple theological idea here: that we don’t earn God’s love by anything that we do.” And if we don’t accept God’s love as a free gift, we mess up the whole religious proposition that Jesus lived and was killed for – not by God, but by people who were afraid of him, by men and women, by the religious people of his day, by the government of his day. Not by God.
And so this simple religious idea is probably and primarily the most radical idea in the history of faith and religion and traditions of the Church – that God’s love is gracious and cannot be turned against us or anyone else, but is there for all people at all times – and maybe even especially for those of us profoundly in need of it. And we can celebrate that most when we realize that at the head of the line of those most in need of that loving grace stand ourselves.
Now that’s a confession, that’s an inventory taken that has nothing to do with guilt. It has to do with honesty – the honesty that we are God’s creatures, created by God and loved by God. And we mess it up every time we think we are God or that we know God’s will for other people better than we know it for ourselves. And the life of Jesus teaches us that when we don’t get it, we’re dangerous to the gospel. Friends, use the rest of Lent to practice this idea: Don’t blame God for Jesus’ death. Don’t! And don’t participate in killing Jesus today either. Try that on for size. This is extraordinary good news, and that’s all we are here for – is good news!
There’s a theme set in today’s Collect about Jesus as the bread that comes from heaven whom we eat and who comes into us. and by eating this bread, we are incorporated into Jesus’ body. A couple times this week I was over at the Toy’s house, and every time I went in through the kitchen door (which is the main door of any good local house, isn’t it?) right into the kitchen. There’s a huge table which I saw the leaves put in so that it could accommodate more than usual. Everybody was sitting around the table eating food that everybody had brought from who-knows-where. Even I took some food. And I said, “Is that all you people do is eat?!” Well, precisely! What do we do when we encounter the world in which we live, and particularly those things we cannot understand? We sit together and share a meal, and we know that God is present with us in a very special way as we remember, as we live out the present, and as we hopefully look toward the future. And that is such a reality for us as Christians. We do it in a very symbolic and pared-down way. Every time we come to the Eucharist, every time we gather here, we gather around a table to talk with each other, to remember, to share joys and sorrows, and to look forward with hope. And in doing that we know, we believe, we teach, and we confess that God is present with us, and that is good news. And then our job becomes to take that which is fed us and feed the rest of the world with it.
My goodness, this is an extraordinary tradition. This is true joy. This is our faith. This is God speaking to us and saying, “You are my beloved daughter, you are my beloved son. I have created you, and I am pleased with you. This is good news. It is yours freely and in abundance. Share it!”
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Hello all!
The time to spring forward is near. On Sunday, March 11, Daylight Saving Time for 2018 will begin at precisely 2 a.m.
Standard Time will return and stick around until 2 a.m. on Nov. 4, 2018.
We will lose an hour of sleep when 2 a.m. becomes 3 a.m. on March 11, and while some people love gaining the extra hour of afternoon daylight, most don’t enjoy losing the extra sleep.
JOIN US FOR A DAY TRIP TO LANCASTER TO SIGHT AND SOUND’S PRESENTATION OF JESUS
LUNCH TO FOLLOW AT SHADY MAPLE
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2018
DEPARTING FROM THE ART CENTER AT THE HIDEOUT 8AM
$105 PER PERSON INCLUSIVE
CONFIRMATION UPON FULL PAYMENT PAYABLE TO
DIANE ARMATO
1518 THE HIDEOUT
570-698-6227
Monday, February 26, 2018
My dear people,
YOU MAY HAVE MISSED THE BLESSING OF ARMS AT ST. JOHN’S YESTERDAY!
Standing at the altar, after the common and before the blessing, an idea came to me that we could have a “Blessing of Arms” at St. John’s. So, I ASKED EVERYONE TO EXTEND HIS/HER ARMS. THEN I ASKED THAT THOSE ARMS BE BLESSED TO EMBRACE THE WORLD IN LOVE. I ASKED THOSE SAME ARMS MIGHT BE EXTENDED IN SERVICE TO OTHERS, PARTICULARLY TO THOSE IN NEED, TO SHARE THE JOY OF THE GOSPEL AT ALL TIMES, IN ALL PLACES, AND WITH ALL PEOPLE.
THAT’S ONE KIND OF “ARMS BLESSING” I CAN GET MY ARMS AROUND!
Sermon Transcript:
St. John’s Episcopal Church, Hamlin, Pennsylvania
The Rev’d. Ronald Royce Miller, Ph.D.
The First Sunday in Lent, 18 February 2018
Scripture readings: Genesis 9:8-17 Psalm 25:1-9 1 Peter 3:18-22 Mark 1:9-15
There is a kind of joy in shifting gears and approaching a new season by doing things like we just did, like the Litany of Procession, and coming up short on crosses and book holders and all the rest of it. There is importance in gear-shifting, I think, so that we don’t just become creatures of habit. I don’t think habit is a bad thing either. I think that’s frankly one of the things that the Episcopal and Anglican tradition offers that some other traditions may miss in the standard format and behavior of the liturgical life and the liturgical year. If you go to an Episcopal Church here or there you pretty much know what you’re going to get because it’s a behavior that belongs to everybody.
But on Wednesday we did shift gears. We began Lent with the service here with the imposition of ashes. You may not know this, but on Tuesday night, Shrove Tuesday, we burned the dried-up palms from the previous Palm Sunday, and then on Wednesday morning I took those ashes and put them through a sieve and, to make them stick on your forehead, we always mix a little bit of oil with them. Traditionally it’s olive oil, but I just used whatever Wesson was in the kitchen. [laughter] Because it was Valentine’s Day yours truly added a little bit of honey to the ashes. Kurt Reed said when he went home the cat was happy to lick the ashes off of his face! [laughter]
It was an interesting confluence on Wednesday – to contemplate our mortality which is what Ash Wednesday is all about. The message that you often hear here: Nobody gets out of here alive – not from this existence. And consequently, Ash Wednesday is really a more somber day than Good Friday, believe it or not, because Ash Wednesday is talking about our mortality, the fact that we are temporal, that we die. And maybe even worse than dying, we grieve the death and loss of those we’ve loved. Good Friday, on the other hand, is the affirmation to us of God’s triumph even over death. We can get cheap and sloppy and sentimental about all of that or, as Christians who engage in the Christian life, really appropriate the absolute message of God’s love and forgiveness and God’s creative power and God’s desire to save and God’s promise since the Ark finally hit dry land with the rainbow in the clouds. We can finally appropriate the gospel lesson that draws us back here repetitively over and over and over again, which is good news.
Now at the end of the gospel today we read: “Now after John was arrested…” That wasn’t good. You know what happened to him. If you really want to see a wonderful interpretation of that piece of scripture, go see Richard Strauss’ opera Salome sometime, to a libretto written by Oscar Wilde. I remember the great Swedish soprano Birgit Nilsson. During the 60s she was singing Salome. There’s a dance of seven veils in that opera. I don’t know how she did that very well because she was sort of a monstrous Swede. But there is in that opera all of the prurience of human desire and fleshliness and sin as well as the purity of God’s intention for humanity in John the Baptizer who’s in a well, kept in a cistern, and eventually beheaded. All of that parenthetically. What I really want to think about is after John was arrested Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the good news of God. This is after Jesus has spent 40 days in the wilderness, tempted by Satan.
Have you ever heard anybody say how awful the world is? How things are worse now than they’ve ever been? How the devil really has the upper hand? How we’re going to hell in a handcart? Well, I guess there has always been difficulty and evil in the world. And I have a suspicion that in Jesus’ baptism, which I don’t think is much different from your own, when Jesus hears God say, “You are my beloved child. I am pleased with you.” The same declaration is made to everybody who is baptized. “You are my beloved child. With you I am well pleased.” That’s why you get such a big piece of marble here in this font, so that we don’t forget what this is all about. This, you know, is a symbol of a couple of things in the life of the Church. In some ancient churches it looks very much like one of the symbols which is a womb. This is where Mother Church breaks water and gives birth to her children – her sons and her daughters. It’s also in many cases… You see this at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Manhattan in New York which is sort of built like a stadium with banked seating. There is a font that is big enough for you and me to get in. It’s a large human-sized font, looking for the world like a tomb. So the font is also a tomb in which we believe and teach and confess that if we are buried with Christ in a death like his, we shall certainly be raised with him in a resurrection like his. We might as well get all these images going before we get to Easter because they’re going to come full-blast for us as we go through Lent.
But Jesus, immediately after being baptized and being claimed by God, is sent into the wilderness for 40 days. How have we done with the wilderness the last 40 years, I might ask. How do you deal with the wilderness inside of you? My suspicion is that in the 40 days of being in the wilderness Jesus was beset – and this is not going to be popular among some theologians, but it’s an idea I have, and you know I have some crazy ones – that Jesus was beset and put upon and tempted by the wild beasts and the evil within himself, because you and I both know that there are wild beasts and there is evil within each one of us. We’re capable of making rational arguments for hateful behavior. We’re capable of doing things in the name of Christ which Jesus would never conscience. We are capable of being beset by all kinds of ghosts and ghoulies and goblins from within, and if we’re honest we really don’t need any help from without. We say this in simple terms when we come to the liturgy. We regularly say it. “We are by nature sinful and unclean and cannot save ourselves.”
Now there are those who want to believe that Jesus was without sin. They would argue that there could not have been any evil that Jesus would have had to deal with inside of himself. But for him to be valuable to me, I would like to think that the devil he encountered in the wilderness, the wild beasts that he struggled with were within him. But that’s not the only thing he dealt with. There were also angels there who ministered to him and waited on him. After he had that struggle with himself and with the insides of himself, he comes back to Galilee, back to civilization, and he comes back not saying, “Woe is me! The world is going to hell in a handcart. There is evil in all hearts. There is evil in our hearts, mine and yours.” He comes back proclaiming good news and saying, “The time is fulfilled, the kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe in good news!”
We need to hear that today because so much of what we hear is bad news. And, friends, we make news, and, friends, we can affect the news, and, friends, it’s not all false. On Wednesday night I reported to the congregation here that I had encountered in Greentown, just down the road from Dutch’s, a billboard that says “HAPPY BIRTHDAY, TRUE FATHER,” Next to that Happy Birthday greeting is a large picture of an Asian man in a red baseball cap just like the one you see often in the news. In his right hand sitting on its butt is a large rifle. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, TRUE FATHER – SUN MYUNG MOON, KING OF KINGS. IRON ROD MINISTRIES.
You may or may not know that the organization manufactures firearms. Much of Newfoundland, including the former Roman Catholic Church in Newfoundland, has been bought by that organization, as has been the old pharmacy, lots of acreage. So there is in our midst a “church’ which manufactures guns, and which I suppose will not say much about what happened in Florida this week. And many of our legislators won’t, despite the fact that we are in a wilderness where the major country in the developed world suffers epidemic abuse of firearms and murder and slaughter of children in schools like no other nation in the world. That is a wilderness with which we have to deal honestly. But there is good news. We can change that. We can affect the news. There is difference that can happen.
My first question is why do you need less preparation to own a gun than you do to drive a car? Now let me tell you something, and this will give you a little insight into my home. The day I received a driver’s license my mother said to me, “Now remember you can kill with that.” I needed a license and training and insurance, and I had to have the thing inspected.
We can proclaim good news by saying we do not have to stay like this. We can change this because we have good news. We do not have to sit here and say, “Oh well, we’re all going to die anyway. We might as well just shoot each other and go to hell.” We have time, energy, effort, influence, guidance, God. We have all of these resources, and we can say we have a culture, a society, a Church that says the world is changed without firearms and without war. We just prayed for peace in that big, long litany. “Oh, that’s not practical,” you say. And you’re right. It may not be practical, but it might be faithful. And there are two extraordinary examples.
Do you remember the name Mahatma Gandhi? He lived in India and that entire country had been imperialized by the British. The British had huge interests in India and were making money hand over fist. They did some good things; they built railroads and all the rest of it, but they were going to govern the people who were there, and that wasn’t satisfactory to Gandhi and others who suffered exclusion and systematic poverty, etc. His belief was that change could happen and by his peaceful grasp of the truth and refusal to do anything but suffer the punishments and tortures meted out to him and those who agreed with him publicly, the British finally got the hell out in 1947 without one firearm ever being lifted.
More recently, in our lifetime, Dr. Martin Luther King, who studied Gandhi’s technique, led the movement in this country to challenge deeply rooted racism and inequities, many of which still exist, but very, very effectively by not lifting a single firearm managed to change the direction – or at least inform the conscience of some of us in this nation.
Now if you think racism is gone, let me tell you a question I was asked this week relative to Presidents Day. Somebody said to me, “We used to celebrate Washington’s birthday, we used to celebrate Lincoln’s birthday. Now we’ve lumped all the presidents together in one day. Why does he have a day all to himself?” (meaning Martin Luther King, Jr.) My answer was, “He wasn’t a president.” Do you get the point of that kind of question? That’s how subtle racism is and how deeply woven it is into our psyches and beings and thinking.
Jesus, Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr. – all of them human beings with an idea. Add an “l” to that – an ideal that things could be better. That idea, that ideal, is in fact, friends, the same good news we are given today – that things can be different, can be better. And we have, in fact, the power to change them as Christian people because the example of Jesus is our prime example. That’s where we take our title, our name, our identity from. It’s Jesus! We are Christians, little Christs.
We live with all kinds of misery in a wilderness. Opioid addiction – how’s that for starters? But the realities we face in terms of society and government, etc., are that the agents of change are going to have to be you and me, little guys in this world who simply continue to speak the truth in love to power and simply say it’s not acceptable for me to drop my child off to school in the morning and have to pick up his body at the morgue in the afternoon. It’s not acceptable!
Eighteen school shootings in the first 45 days of this year. You, friends, and I have followed Jesus into the wilderness and we’re coming out with him this day. That is the Galilee with good news that things, not only can, but will be different, and we are not going to lift a gun or a firearm to change them. We are simply going to do what it takes in terms of speaking the truth in love to power and bearing the consequences. And you know the consequences that Jesus bore. He died for what he believed. King died for what he believed. Gandhi died for what he believed. And they dared to believe that was a way better option than living compromised.
Lent is a time for us to reflect on who it is we are as individuals, who it is we are as a society, and who it is we are as a Church and to take what it is we find which is good news to the world.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Mar 4th 2pm Service of Healing w/ refreshments/fellowship @ Salem Community Church
Mar 6th 9:30am Daughters of The King meeting at St. John’s
Mar 6th 10:45am Prayer Group meeting at St. John’sMar 6th 7pm Boy’s choir performs at St. Stephen in Wilkes Barre (David & Mary Zahorsky’s son sings with this choir!) Mar 10th 9am-1pm Thrift Shoppe Open @ St. John’s
Mar 13th 6:30pm BBC adult 1st Women’s Choir rehearsal at St. Paul’s Lutheran-Hawley
Mar 14th 10-noon & 5-7pm Free Winter Clothing Event @ St. John’s Thrift Shoppe
Mar 18th 11:30am Vestry meets @ St. John’s
Mar 20st 10:45am Prayer Group Meets at St. John’s
Mar 22 11am-1pm Chrism Mass – Cathedral Church of the Nativity-See http://www.diobeth.org/
Mar 23 6pm Stations of the Cross – St. Thomas More, Lake Ariel w/ fellowship
Mar 24th 9am-1pm Thrift Shoppe Open @ St. John’s
Mar 25th 7am Palm Sunday – Men’s Communion Brkfst at Salem Community- tickets:jrarich@susumc.org
Mar 25th 8 & 10am Mass w/Procession w/palms at St. John’s
Mar 29th noon Holy Thursday – Lakeville UMC
Mar 29th 7pm Mass and Foot Washing at St. John’s
Mar 29th 7pm Mass, St. Thomas More RC
Mar 29th 8:45pm Night Prayer at St. Thomas More RC
Mar 30th 2pm Good Friday Services – Newfoundland Moravian
Mar 30th 2pm St. Mary RC Ledgedale-Commemoration of The Lord’s Passion – Private Devotion until 5pm
Mar 30th 7pm Salem Community UM
Mar 31st 8pm Easter Vigil – Holy Saturday – at St. John’s
Mar 31st 8pm St. Thomas More RC, Lake Ariel
Attention – Women – Add Your Voices…The Black Bear Conservatory is proud to extend our open invitation to women of any age/level of singing/reading ability to join us for our first rehearsal on Tuesday, March 13th at 6:30pm at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, 405 Church St., Hawley. Questions? Call A. Sylvester 570-226-7606 Ext 3
Our February Events:
Feb 6th 9:30am Daughters of the King meet in Parish Hall
Feb 6th 10:45am Prayer Group meets in Parish Hall
Feb 10th 9am-1pm Thrift Shoppe Open
Feb 11th 11:30ish Vestry Meets
Feb 13th 6pm Shrove Pancake Supper, burning
the palms
Feb 14th 10-noon & 5-7pm Free Winter Clothing Event
Feb 14th 7pm Mass & Imposition of Ashes-Ash Wednesday
Feb 18th 8 & 10am Lent I Masses
Feb 20thth 10:45am Prayer Group Meets
Feb 24th 9am-1pm Thrift Shoppe Open
Feb 25th 8 & 10am Lent II Masses
Feb 25th 11:30am Vestry Meets
Feb 28th 1pm Funeral in sanctuary; luncheon to follow in the Fellowship Hall
Please read and enjoy our Pastor’s 2018 Message for Easter along with our Lenten Worship Schedule of Events:
https://www.facebook.com/Saint-Johns-Episcopal-Church-in-Hamlin-181284968550625/?hc_ref=ARTV9bA6tTjJe2xErrbL9BBBNgXLJpRvFt-bVXW1ChXMSTLTKg5R_kZr6mtHdHrIyY8
Easter 2018
My dear people,
I still have not yet fully un-decorated either my house or my spirit from the “trappings” of Christmas. Among so much of the “junk,” that comes our way during the season of ever-shorter days, I hope you were able to find some real joy and meaning in contemplating the NATIVITY of Jesus and the INCARNATION of God.
Now LENT and EASTER are nearing. The days are getting longer. The groundhog may or may not see his shadow. And yet, I ask you NOT to put either of those celebrations [the Nativity and the Incarnation] fully away or out of mind.
Rather, in LENT, let us pause to consider what believing in Jesus and confessing the INCARNATION of God means – OR MIGHT COME TO MEAN – in terms of our lives and the CONSEQUENCES we might experience because of our beliefs and confessions! Certainly, there was a PURPOSE for Jesus to be born and there is a point to believing that God chooses to live with humanity. I can think of no other purpose of a belief in Jesus than believing in his simple proclamation of liberating truth and his constant affirmation and re-affirmation of God’s love for us and for all people!
Now, in terms of consequences: it seems to me that LENT is a very good time to contemplate what happens when our belief in Jesus and the Incarnation get packed away with the decorations and other junk of our year-end celebrations. When we “pack up and put away” our “baby Jesuses,” we are also tempted and invited to believe a whole bunch of other wacky ideas about God alive in and with humanity. One popular one is that God sent Jesus to “pay” for our sins! My first question is: “To pay whom?” My second question is: “If Divine love demands retribution by the sacrifice of its own child, what kind of God is that?” No, friends, Lent is a time for us to consider, as the Members of the Body of Christ – which we become by virtue of God’s grace alone, in Baptism – how we function and what the consequences for us and for our world might be if, in fact, we live and act and function like “members” of Jesus: speaking truth to all, including those in power, and proclaiming God’s love for us and for all people, at all times and in all places!
Lent is a sober time because we remember what people did to Jesus for speaking truth and love to all people everywhere. That approach to the world cost him his life — at the hands of the religious and politically powerful people of his day. I just can’t believe that God kills Jesus to pay God’s self back for my debt!!! Let’s make sure not to blame Jesus’ death on God – by saying God demanded Jesus to be sacrificed for our sins. This Lent let us say, boldly, bravely and faithfully, that unless we participate in keeping Jesus resurrected and alive in the world today by joyfully participating in the Incarnation we, in fact, “do Jesus in” ourselves, by denying him our bodies, our hands, our feet, our hearts, our voices which can – and do – keep him alive and busy proclaiming truth and love to the world today!
May you be richly blessed in your preparations for the celebration, by the church throughout the world of the Resurrection of Our Lord in Easter.
Let us remember our Mission Statement: “We welcome ALL people to EMBODY the LOVE OF CHRIST!”
Sincerely, In Christ,
The Rev’d. Ronald R. Miller, Ph.D.
Priest-in-Charge – St. John’s Episcopal Church
564 Easton Turnpike – PO Box 118, Hamlin, PA 18427
570-689-9260 saintjohnhamlin.org stjohnshamlin@verizon.net
LENT 2018
SHROVE TUESDAY – 13 February – 6pm – Pancake Supper and Burning of the Palms
ASH WEDNESDAY – 14 February – 7pm Mass and Imposition of Ashes, St. John’s,
Hamlin, Pa.
8:15am, 3:30pm & 6pm Mass and Imposition of Ashes, St. Thomas More, Lake Ariel, Pa.
SUNDAY – 18 February – LENT I – 8am &10am Masses, St. John’s, Hamlin, Pa.
SUNDAY – 25 FEBRUARY – LENT II – 8am & 10am Masses, St. John’s, Hamlin, Pa.
SUNDAY – 4 MARCH – LENT III – 8am & 10am Masses, St. John’s, Hamlin, Pa.
2pm Service of Healing at Salem United Methodist Church, Hamlin, Pa.
SUNDAY – 11 MARCH – LENT IV – 8am & 10am Masses, St. John’s, Hamlin, Pa.
SUNDAY – 18 MARCH – LENT V – 8am & 10am Masses, St. John’s, Hamlin, Pa.
THURSDAY – 22 MARCH – CHRISM MASS – 10am – at the Episcopal Cathedral of the
Holy Nativity in Bethlehem, Pa.
FRIDAY – 23 MARCH – 6pm – Stations of the Cross at St. Thomas More, Lake Ariel, Pa.
PALM SUNDAY – 25 MARCH – 8am & 10am Procession with Palms and Masses,
St. John’s, Hamlin, Pa.
MAUNDY THURSDAY – 29 MARCH – Noon – Service at Lake Ariel Methodist Church,
Lake Ariel, Pa.
7pm Mass, Foot Washing, Stripping of the Altar at St. John’s, Hamlin, Pa.
GOOD FRIDAY – 30 MARCH – 2pm – Commemoration of the Passion at St. Thomas
More, Lake Ariel, Pa.
7pm Service at Salem United Methodist Church, Hamlin, Pa.
HOLY SATURDAY – 31 MARCH – 8pm – VIGIL at St. John’s Episcopal Church, Hamlin, Pa. and 8pm Vigil at St. Thomas More, Lake Ariel, Pa.
EASTER DAY – 1 APRIL – 8am and 10am Masses at St. John’s Hamlin, Pa.
Jan 17th Update: Our Free Clothing Event will happen at 5pm until 7pm this afternoon…Our Thrift Shoppe Manager tried to come in earlier today but the roads were too slippery on the steep hill from her house to here. Please call us to confirm we make it in later to open: 570-689-9260
St. John’s Episcopal Church Events: Jan. 2018
Mass ~ Sundays at 8am & 10am: Fr. Ronald R. Miller
Sunday School in Church after 10am Mass
Jan 2nd 9:30am Daughters of The King (DOK) Meets
Jan 2nd 10:45am Prayer Group Meets
Jan 7th 11:30am Pastoral Care Committee meets
Jan 13th 9am-1pm Thrift Shoppe Open
Jan 16th 10:45am Prayer Group Meets
Jan 17th 10-noon & 5-7pm Free Winter Clothing Event–delayed due to Winter Wonderland
Jan 21st 11:30am Vestry Meeting at Church
Jan 24th 11:00 Hamlin Clergy Meets at Salem Community Church
Jan 27th 9am-1pm Thrift Shoppe Open
Memories created at 2017 Christmas Eve Worship:
https://www.facebook.com/181284968550625/photos/?tab=album&album_id=1791819360830503
Our Cookies Galore Sale is Saturday December 16th from 9-11am…all home baked by our parishioners…they go fast…please get your cookies early 🙂
Christmas Decorations at St. John’s
——-
Everyone is welcome to participate in the “greening” of our church after the 10am Mass on Sunday the 24th of December.
John Duncan will be in charge of coordinating questions regarding altar flowers and “greening” of our church.
——-
Like last year, the tree will be decorated with RED and WHITE Roses to commemorate ST. MARY, “the Rose that bare Jesu.”
The Red Roses symbolize the HUMAN NATURE OF Christ and the blood He will shed for the salvation of the world.
The White Roses symbolize his DIVINE NATURE.
——-
If you wish to give the gift of a ROSE, or roses, either white or red, they will be secured at the price of $2.50 each. Place your well-marked gift in the offering plate and please make Beverly in the office aware of your gift, and how many roses you are ordering no later than Sunday, December 17, 2017. If you wish to place your roses in memory of, or to honor someone, or to celebrate an event or anniversary, please indicate exact wording/spelling of names in writing to Beverly in the office: stjohnshamlin@verizon.net no later than Sunday, December 17 to be listed in the Christmas bulletins.
Checks may be made payable to St. John’s and placed in the offering plate.
———
The LIVING ROSES will be placed on the tree just before the 10pm Mass on Christmas Eve. Come a little early that
evening and help to decorate the tree!
———
Other floral gifts (poinsettias, etc.) for our Altar for Christmas may be brought to the church on Sunday, the 24th, and
arranged at the altar during the greening of the church. If you would like to secure a poinsettia from the church,
the cost is $6.00 each. The shape of the poinsettia flower and leaves are sometimes thought as a symbol of the
Star of Bethlehem which led the Wise Men to Jesus.
——-
God bless you, one and all!
Our sermon transcript for Christ The King Sunday : (copy and paste in your search engine window)
https://www.facebook.com/Saint-Johns-Episcopal-Church-in-Hamlin-181284968550625/?hc_ref=ARTN9KD_Up7Uu5Gc8fp9erWyi9JtghQcYgfXACl2ZCsggRCVrHHBvrNZ60DYU7g7xMU&lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Ad_flagship3_feed%3BMTWIYU2%2BSKWtQjFEux7RSQ%3D%3D
Free Clothing Event
Held At: ST. JOHN’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH – THRIFT SHOPPE
Wednesday, November 15, 2017
10:00 AM to 12 Noon
AND 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM
ALL ARE WELCOME! WE HAVE CLOTHING FOR EVERY MEMBER OF YOUR FAMILY!
St. John’s Church and Thrift Shoppe is located next to
Jack Williams Tire & Auto
ADDRESS: 564 Easton Turnpike, Hamlin 18427
Hamlin Corners (Routes 191/590)
Our Memorial Garden has recently been weeded, along with planting of new bushes and fresh red stone put into place. Thanks to our members, Paul Ratcliffe and Peter Eddins, and others. Please join us for our All Saints’ Commemoration on Sunday November 5, 2017 during our 10am Mass – we will honor those we have lost since our last Memorial Garden Commemoration on Oct. 30, 2016. Our dear friend, Pastor Sarah Miller will preside both services and the Commemoration on that day. Then we will go into our Fellowship Hall for a wonderful Consecration Brunch. Plenty of Food, fun and fellowship 🙂
St. John’s Episcopal Church Events
Nov. 2017
Sunday: Mass at 8 and 10am
Fr. Ronald Miller, Priest-in-Charge
Nov. 5 2:00am Daylight Savings Time Ends, turn clocks back one hour
Nov. 5 11:30 am All Saints’ Day Commemoration in the Memorial Garden with
Consecration Brunch immediately following *Pr. Sarah preaching*
Nov. 7 Election Day
Nov. 7 9:30am Daughters of the King (DOK) Meets in Parish Hall
Nov. 7 10:45am Prayer Group Meets in Parish Hall
Nov. 11 Veteran’s Day – God Bless our Veterans
Nov. 11 9am-1pm Thrift Shoppe Open
Nov. 11 4:30-6:30pm Roast Beef Dinner at Hemlock Grove UMC
Nov. 12 8am & 10am The Rev’d. Daniel Jones preaching
Nov. 15 10-noon & 5-7pm Free Clothing Event at the Thrift Shoppe
Nov. 19 11:30 ish Vestry Meets
Nov. 19 8am & 10am Father Ronald Miller returns to the pulpit
Nov. 19 2pm Thanksgiving Service at St. Thomas More RC Church, Lake Ariel
Nov. 21 10:45am Prayer Group Meets in Parish Hall
Nov. 25 Thrift Shoppe is Closed
Note: Pastoral Care Committee will meet again in December (every other month)Phone: 570-689-9260
Office hours: Monday, Wednesday, Friday 10am – 3pm
Email: stjohnshamlin@verizon.net
Website: www.saintjohnhamlin.org
Please, follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter
St. John’s Episcopal Church’s annual homemade Pork `n Sauerkraut dinner will be Saturday, October 28th from 4:30-6:30pm in the Parish Fellowship Hall…TAKEOUT ONLY.
FREE CLOTHING EVENT – TODAY!
Held At : ST. JOHN’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH – THRIFT SHOPPE
Wednesday, October 18, 2017
10:00 AM to 12 Noon
AND 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM
ALL ARE WELCOME! WE HAVE CLOTHING FOR EVERY MEMBER OF YOUR FAMILY!
St. John’s Church and Thrift Shoppe is located next to
Jack Williams Tire & Auto
ADDRESS: 564 Easton Turnpike, Hamlin 18427
Hamlin Corners (Routes 191/590)
October 16, 2017
Dear Members and Friends of St. John’s Episcopal Church:
Sunday, November 5th is our Congregation’s Consecration Sunday. I urge you to plan now to attend the two important events being held at our church on that day: first, Sunday morning worship at 8:00am and 10:00am, and second, the potluck Celebration Luncheon following our 10:00am worship and All Saints Day Commemoration on November 5th.
This spiritual-growth-oriented process is designed to enrich our biblical understanding of Christian stewardship. Rather than focusing on the need of the church to receive, the experience concentrates on the need of the giver to give for his or her own spiritual development.
We believe that you are concerned enough to attend on Consecration Sunday and make your financial commitment as an act of worship in the church sanctuary.
You will not receive a call for a pledge but we will contact you to secure your commitment to attend morning worship on Consecration Sunday and the Celebration Luncheon following 10:00am worship on November 5th.
Regards and blessings,
Michael J. Nigro
Sr. Warden
MJN/bek
Click on this link for pics from our 2017 Diocesan Convention: Our 146th Diocesan Convention held September 29
CONSECRATION SUNDAY IS COMING!
Congregations that approach financial stewardship from a biblical perspective do not view the money Christians give to their church merely as a way to pay its bills. Rather, such congregations see financial contributions as a way to help people grow spiritually in their relationship with God by supporting their church’s mission and ministry with a percentage of their incomes.
Our congregation’s finance committee has selected the New Consecration Sunday Stewardship Program as a way to teach the biblical and spiritual principles of generous giving in our stewardship education emphasis this year.
New Consecration Sunday is based on the biblical philosophy of the need of the giver to give for his or her own spiritual development, rather than on the need of the church to receive. Instead of treating people like members of a social club who should pay dues, we will treat people like followers of Jesus Christ who want to give unselfishly as an act of discipleship. New Consecration Sunday encourages people toward proportionate and systematic giving in response to the question, “What percentage of my income is God calling me to give?”
During morning worship on Consecration Sunday, November 5, 2017, we are asking our attendees and members to make their financial commitments to our church’s missionary, benevolent, and educational ministries in this community and around the world.
Every attendee and member who completes an Estimate of Giving Card does so voluntarily by attending morning worship on Consecration Sunday. We urge people to attend who feel strongly opposed to completing a card as the procedure is done in such a way that no one feels personal embarrassments if he or she chooses not to fill out a card. We will not do home solicitation asking people to complete cards. During morning worship, our guest leader will conduct a brief period of instruction and inspiration, climaxed by members making their commitments as a confidential act of worship.
We will encourage participation in Consecration Sunday events through the churches teams and Vestry members. Since we will not be making follow-up visits asking people to complete their Estimate of Giving Cards, we will make every effort to inform, inspire and commit everyone to enthusiastic participation by attending Consecration Sunday worship and other Consecration Sunday events.
Blessings,
Michael J. Nigro,
Sr. Warden
In response to the chaos in our world: Be assured, He is with you in whatever you face, in the turmoil and struggles, amidst the anxious thoughts and the worries of life. He is there, strengthening, helping, and He holds you in His hands.
33 Verses to Remind Us – We Do Not Have to Fear:
1. “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10
2. “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.” Psalm 56:3
3. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7
4. “Peace is what I leave with you; it is my own peace that I give you. I do not give it as the world does. Do not be worried and upset; do not be afraid.” John 14:27
5. “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7
6. “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” 1 John 4:18
7. “When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul.” Psalm 94:19
8. “But now, this is what the Lord says…Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.” Isaiah 43:1
9. “An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up.” Proverbs 12:25
10. “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” Psalm 23:4
11. “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9
12. “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:34
13. “Humble yourselves, then, under God’s mighty hand, so that he will lift you up in his own good time. Leave all your worries with him, because he cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:6-7
14. “Tell everyone who is discouraged, Be strong and don’t be afraid! God is coming to your rescue…” Isaiah 35:4
15. “Do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?” Luke 12:22-26
16. “The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?” Psalm 27:1
17. “Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.” Psalm 55:22
18. “Immediately he spoke to them and said, ‘Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.’” Mark 6:50
19. “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6
20. “’For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you. Do not be afraid, for I myself will help you,’ declares the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.” Isaiah 41:13-14
21. “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” Psalm 46:1
22. “The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? The Lord is with me; he is my helper.” Psalm 118:6-7
23. “Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.” Proverbs 29:25
24. “He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” Mark 4:39-40
25. “The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.” Psalm 34:7
26. “But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don’t worry or be afraid of their threats.” 1 Peter 3:14
27. “I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears.” Psalm 34:4
28. “Do not be afraid of them; the Lord your God himself will fight for you.” Deuteronomy 3:22
29. “Then he placed his right hand on me and said: ‘Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last.’” Revelation 1:17
30. “Jesus told him, ‘Don’t be afraid; just believe.’” Mark 5:36
31. “And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.” Romans 8:38-39
32. “The Lord your God is in your midst, A victorious warrior. He will exult over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.” Zephaniah 3:17
33. “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”…He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you…For he will command his angels concerning you, to guard you in all your ways…“Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him…” from Psalm 91:1-16
https://mail.aol.com/webmail/getPart?uid=30720&partId=2&scope=STANDARD&saveAs=20170929_100020.jpg
Click above link to view Convention for St. John’s Episcopal Church: Episcopal Diocese of Bethlehem held 9/29-9/30/17 at Carbondale Grand Hotel & Conference Center…Way to go! Bobbie Hraba, Paul and Karen Fels
St. John’s Episcopal Church – Events for Oct. 2017
Sunday: Mass at 8 and 10am; Fr. Ronald R. Miller
Mini Sunday School after 10am Mass
Oct. 3 9:30am Daughters of the King meets in Parish Hall
Oct. 3 10:45am Prayer Group meets in Parish Hall
Oct. 6 Parish Office Closed Personal Day for our Parish Administrator
Oct. 8 11:30am Pastoral Care Meets in Parish Hall
Oct. 14 9am-1pm Thrift Shoppe Open
Oct. 15 11:30am Vestry Meets
Oct. 17 10:45am Prayer Group meets in Parish Hall
Oct. 18 10a-12p & 5-7p Free Clothing Event at Thrift Shoppe
Oct. 18 11:00am Hamlin Clergy Meets at Salem Community Church
Oct. 21 9:00am-noon Hoagie Sale at Hemlock Grove UMC
Oct. 22 8am & 10am The Rev’d. Donna Larson preaching
Oct. 28 9am-1pm Thrift Shoppe Open
Oct. 28 4:30pm-6:30pm Pork and Sauerkraut Dinner in Parish Hall – TAKE OUT ONLY
Oct. 29 8am & 10am Pastor Sarah Miller preaching
Office Telephone: 570-689-9260
Parish Office hours: Monday, Wednesday, Friday: 10am to 3pm
Website: saintjohnhamlin.org
Email: stjohnshamlin@verizon.net
Connect with us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter
Check out St. John’s on Faithstreet.com
Free Clothing Event
WHERE: ST. JOHN’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH THRIFT SHOPPE
564 Easton Turnpike
Hamlin Corners (Routes 191/590)
St. John’s Church and Thrift Shoppe is located next to Jack Williams Tire & Auto
WHEN: Wednesday, September 13, 2016
10:00 AM to 12 Noon
AND 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM
ALL ARE WELCOME!
CLOTHING (and more) FOR EVERY MEMBER OF YOUR FAMILY!
St. John’s Episcopal Church Events for Sept. 2017
Sunday: Mass at 8 and 10am – Fr. Ronald Miller
Sept. 4 Labor Day Parish Office closed
Sept. 5 9:30am Daughters of the King meets in Parish Hall
Sept. 5 10:45am Prayer Group meets in Parish Hall
Sept. 9 9am-1pm Thrift Shoppe Open
Sept. 10 11:15am Mini Sunday School commences
Sept. 13 10am-1pm & 5-7pm Free Clothing Event at Thrift Shoppe
Sept. 16 4:30-6:30pm Roast Beef Dinner at Hemlock Grove UMC
Sept. 19 10:45am Prayer Group meets in Parish Hall
Sept. 21 7pm Monthly meeting of Vestry in Parish Hall
Sept. 23 9am-1pm Thrift Shoppe Open
Sept 29/30 146th Convention in Carbondale
Phone: 570-689-9260
Parish Office hours: Monday, Wednesday and Friday – 10am-3pm
Email: stjohnshamlin@verizon.net
Follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter
Check out our Website: saintjohnhamlin.org
Check us out on faithstreet.com
The former Archdeacon sent this to the clergy of the Diocese.
Since you are members of the “universal priesthood of all baptized believers,” I forward it on to you.
Let us continue to “Welcome ALL people to embody the Love of Christ!”
Fr. Ron
Begin forwarded message:
From: Rick Cluett <rick@diobeth.org>
Subject: [clergy] Fwd: After Charlottesville: A Special Edition of the Alban Weekly
Date: August 28, 2017 at 10:14:52 AM EDT
To: Clergy <clergy@diobeth.org>
Colleagues,
This issue of the Alban Newsletter focuses on this time after Charlottesville. It offers resources for our ministries in the weeks and months going forward helping our people and our selves in honest engagement with the issues our church and society can no longer shun or hide from.
Rick
Archdeacon Rick Cluett
333 Wyandotte Street
Bethlehem, PA 18015
www.diobeth.org
Office 610-691-5655, ext. 227
Mobile: 610-737-2073
Email: Rick@diobeth.org
Begin forwarded message:
From: Alban Weekly <alban@div.duke.edu>
Subject: After Charlottesville: A Special Edition of the Alban Weekly
Date: August 28, 2017 at 10:07:33 AM EDT
To: Rick@diobeth.org
Reply-To: alban@div.duke.edu
On Saturday, August 12, and Sunday, August 13, faith leaders around the United States addressed their congregations who had watched the news coming from Charlottesville, Virginia. They had the privilege — and challenge — of helping people understand and interpret our society through the convictions of shared faith.
It is not the first time clergy and other congregational leaders have had to respond to a significant event as it was still unfolding. Each time it happens is an incredible responsibility, one that requires the clarity of conviction in the midst of the confusion of circumstances. Sermons that have been written have to be rewritten. Educational classes become public conversations. Worship becomes confession and lament, and we together recommit to work for justice, equality, and peace.
The issues that two days in Charlottesville again laid bare within our society — white supremacy, racism and injustice, violence and intimidation — these issues are not new. And they will not be quickly healed or remedied. Congregational leaders will, tragically, have many more opportunities to confront them and to address them from the heart of faith. Congregational leaders will be given the opportunity to remind their congregations of God’s deep hope for the world and our responsibility to be partners in pursuing it.
Our colleagues at Faith & Leadership have been collecting stories and learnings from Charlottesville and from other parts of the country, and we offer these resources to you to spark your imagination and remind you that you are not alone.
“Creating a better world for all God’s people”
Christian leaders who seek to combat violence and hatred can do more than debate tactics and post to Facebook, says Sarah Thompson, the executive director of Christian Peacemaker Teams. She said those actions can range from making public statements to training in non-violent direct action — skills as specific as how to dodge bullets. Church leaders also should work to connect with vulnerable people in their communities.
Read Faith & Leadership’s interview with Sarah Thompson »
Resources for leading amid tragedy and crisis
Every tragedy — large or small, public or private — is different, but they all pose challenges for leadership. Our colleagues at Faith & Leadership have compiled from their archives resources for leading in times of tragedy and crisis.
Read more »
Reclaiming the power of lament
In an age of nonstop media that exposes us as never before to the world’s pain and brokenness, lamentation is an essential and even revolutionary act, one that the church needs desperately to reclaim, says a young pastor.
Read more from Dominique Gilliard »
Changing the way the church views racism
Christians need to adopt a deeper, more complex understanding of how race shapes our lives and communities, says the author and theologian in this interview. And to resist racism, we need to ‘recover’ Jesus, taking Christ and Scripture seriously.
Read more from Drew G.I. Hart »
“With love from C’ville”
As tiki torch-bearing terrorists marched on the grounds of the University of Virginia on Friday, Aug. 11, hundreds of people were gathered in my church not 100 yards away, girding ourselves for what lay ahead the next day. We prayed and sang and listened to the soaring words of Cornel West and Traci Blackmon. Christians and Jews and Muslims offered Scripture and song and prayer.
Read more from Elaine Ellis Thomas »
FROM THE ALBAN LIBRARY
A House of Prayer for All Peoples
by Sheryl Kujawa-Holbrook
Contrary to the oft-repeated truism, there are churches in America where Sunday is not the “most segregated day of the week,” as Sheryl Kujawa-Holbrook convincingly demonstrates in her compelling exploration of congregations tackling racial justice issues.
Yet the truism continues to haunt many congregations, and Kujawa-Holbrook reveals, through story and thoughtful analysis, what it means to create and live out multiracial community. Focusing on six congregations from different denominations, geographical regions, and settings, the author shows us the joys and struggles in their intentional pursuits of a more diverse and just community.
The stories in A House of Prayer for All Peoples will inspire leaders to explore their congregation’s history, study their community’s demographics, and, most of all, search their souls for ways they can develop and celebrate the diversity in their midst. The book is capped by an extensive annotated resource list for readers who want to explore the topic further.
Copyright © 2016. All Rights Reserved.
Alban at Duke Divinity School, 1121 W. Chapel Hill Street, Suite 101, Durham, NC 27701
SafeUnsubscribe™ Rick@diobeth.org
If you missed the Kennedy Creek Strummers concert last Thursday in our sanctuary, here is the link to view on YouTube:
The Thrift Shoppe will close at 12:00 noon this Saturday 8/26 due to a funeral at 1pm in our church.
Update: This was a delightful event!!
Kennedy Creek Strummers – An All-Ages Community Based Ukulele Group
This delightful group plays a variety of songs that will have you tapping your toes and singing along.
Come join the fun!
When: Thursday, August 24th, 2017 7:00 PM
Where: St. John’s Episcopal Church, 564 Easton Turnpike – Route 191 South, Hamlin, PA 18427
Phone: 570-689-9260
Free-will donation at the door
The funeral services for Lee A. Black will be conducted at St. John’s on Saturday, August 26, 2017 at 1:00 pm. Our love and prayers for Melvina and her family ascend! **Flower deliveries will be received at noon on Sat. Aug. 26th or from 10am-2:30pm on Fri. Aug. 25th**
St. John’s Episcopal Church Events for Sept. 2017
Sunday: Mass at 8 and 10am – Fr. Ronald Miller
Sept. 4 Labor Day Parish Office closed
Sept. 5 9:30am Daughters of the King meets in Parish Hall
Sept. 5 10:45am Prayer Group meets in Parish Hall
Sept. 9 9am-1pm Thrift Shoppe Open
Sept. 10 11:15am Mini Sunday School commences
Sept. 13 10am-1pm & 5-7pm Free Clothing Event at Thrift Shoppe
Sept. 16 4:30-6:30pm Roast Beef Dinner at Hemlock Grove UMC
Sept. 19 10:45am Prayer Group meets in Parish Hall
Sept. 21 7pm Monthly meeting of Vestry in Parish Hall
Sept. 23 9am-1pm Thrift Shoppe Open
Sept 29/30 146th Convention in Carbondale
St. John’s Episcopal Church
Events: August 2017
Mass ~ Sundays at 8am & 10am: Fr. Ronald R. Miller, Priest-in-Charge
Mini Sunday School resumes on Sunday, September 10, after the 10 a.m. service
Aug 7th-11th 9am-noon Vacation Bible School at St. Thomas More RC Church
Aug 8th 9:30am Daughters of the King (DOK) meets
Aug 8th 10:45am Prayer Group Meets
Aug 12th 9am-1pm Thrift Shoppe open
Aug 13th 10am George Sink funeral service at 10am Mass
Aug 13th 3pm Trinity 175th Anniv. Celebration – Athens, PA
Aug 16th 10-noon & 5-7:00pm Free Clothing Event @ St. John’s Thrift Shoppe
Aug. 16th 11am Hamlin Area Clergy Meets at Salem Comm Church
Aug 17th 7pm Vestry Meeting at Church
Aug 22nd 10:45am Prayer Group Meets
Aug 24th 7pm Kennedy Creek Strummers concert in our sanctuary; donations at door
Aug 26th 1:pm Funeral service for Lee A. Black in our sanctuary
Aug 26th 9am-1pm Thrift Shoppe open
Aug 26 9am-noon Hoagie Sale @ Hemlock Grove UMC
Please Contact us anytime! Phone: 570-689-9260
Parish Office hours: Mon., Wed., Fri. 10am-3pm
Email us: stjohnshamlin@verizon.net
Please follow us on facebook, linkedIn and twitter
Website: saintjohnhamlin.org
July 2 8 & 10am Father Daniel Jones preaching
July 3 & 4 Thank God and our Veteran’s for our freedom! Parish Office Closed
July 8 9am-1pm Thrift Shoppe Open
July 9 8 & 10am Pastor Sarah Miller preaching
July 9 11:30am Pastoral Care Meets in Parish Hall
July 9 2-5pm Eucharistic visitor training at Grace Church in Allentown
July 12 10-noon; 5-7pm Free Clothing Event @ Thrift Shoppe
July 13 Father Ron returns from vacation
July 15 9am-7pm Parish Hall/Ace Pavilion Annual Rental by N.A. group
July 18 9:30am Daughters of the King meets in Parish Hall
July 18 10:45am Prayer Group meets in Parish Hall
July 20 7pm Vestry meets in Parish Hall
July 22 9am-1pm Thrift Shoppe Open
July 29 1pm-4pm Family Day, Salem Township Park, Cemetery Road, all is free
July 29 4:30-6:30pm Roast Beef Dinner at Hemlock Grove UMC
FREE!!!! SUMMER CLOTHING DAY!!!!
WHERE: ST. JOHN’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH, 564 EASTON TRNPKE., HAMLIN CORNERS
WHEN: WED., JULY 12, 2017 10AM – NOON and 5PM – 7 PM
ALL ARE WELCOME TO COME TO ST. JOHN’S THRIFT SHOPPE LOCATED BETWEEN ST. JOHN’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH AND JACK WILLIAMS TIRE AND AUTO ON ROUTE 191 IN HAMLIN, PA. WE HAVE A DIVERSE SELECTION OF CLOTHING, SHOES, LINENS AND HOUSEWARES FOR EVERYONE– FROM INFANTS TO ADULTS, GIRL’S/WOMEN’S/ PLUS SIZES/MATERNITY AND BOY’S/MEN’S CLOTHING TO CHOOSE FROM AND ON WED., JULY 12TH —ALL CLOTHING IS FREE!!!! EACH ADULT IN THE HOUSEHOLD IS ENTITLED TO FILL ONE GROCERY BAG ; AND EACH CHILD IN HOUSEHOLD RECEIVES THREE FREE OUTFITS (TOP AND BOTTOM). YOU ARE WELCOME TO SHOP AT SUPER LOW BARGAIN PRICES IN OUR OTHER DEPARTMENTS. WE HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!
1st Annual Christmas in July event being held July 9, 2017 at the Salem Masonic Grove Rte. 191 in Hamlin from 9a-2p benefiting Janet Weis Children’s Hospital. Event is in conjunction with the car show benefiting The Ronald McDonald House fundraiser.
Donations are needed: play-doh, bubbles, legos, hotwheels/matchbox cars, card games, art supplies, nails polish, infant and toddler toys and any other unwrapped toys.
Please contact Neil Tufano of A.F.T. Painting who is sponsoring this event at aft_painting@yahoo.com or 570-766-1602 with questions.
June 6 9:30am Daughters of the King meets in Parish Hall
June 6 10:45am Prayer Group meets in Parish Hall
June 10 9am-1pm Thrift Shoppe Open
June 14 10-noon & 5-7p Free Clothing Event @ Thrift Shoppe
June 15 7pm Vestry meets in Parish Hall
June 18 1pm Picnic @ Moravian Church-farewell for Pr. Gregg & family
June 20 10:45am Prayer Group meets
June 24 9am-1pm Thrift Shoppe Open
June 24 9am-1pm Hoagie Sale at Hemlock Grove United Methodist Church
June 24 5-10pm Parish Hall Rental
June 25 8 & 10am Supply clergy — Rev’d. George Kinney
June 30 11:00am Funeral in Sanctuary
Our Thrift Shoppe is open on Sat., May 27 from 9am-1pm – we have something for every member of your family at very affordable prices 
WE WELCOME OUR NEW SR. WARDEN, MICHAEL NIGRO AND OUR NEW VESTRY MEMBERS: MELVINA BLACK (Pic below), DAVID ZAHORSKY (PIC TO FOLLOW), PETER EDDINS (Pic below) ALONG WITH OUR NEW VESTRY CLERK, JOANNE BROGAN (PIC TO FOLLOW) :-)Our new Sr. Warden, Michael Nigro voted into office May 22, 2017 at our Annual Meeting. 
Michael Nigro Welcome Michael!
Welcome to the Vestry: David Zahorski, Melvina Black and Peter Eddins 🙂
DAVID ZAHORSKY
MELVINA BLACK PETER EDDINS
FREE SPRING/SUMMER CLOTHING DAY
WHERE: ST. JOHN’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH, HAMLIN CORNERS
WHEN: WED., May 17th, 2017 10AM – NOON and 5PM – 7 PM
ALL ARE WELCOME TO COME TO ST. JOHN’S THRIFT SHOPPE LOCATED BETWEEN ST. JOHN’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH AND JACK WILLIAMS TIRE AND AUTO ON ROUTE 191 IN HAMLIN, PA. WE HAVE A DIVERSE SELECTION OF CLOTHING, SHOES, LINENS AND HOUSEWARES FOR EVERYONE– FROM INFANTS TO ADULTS, GIRL’S/WOMEN’S/ PLUS SIZES/MATERNITY AND BOY’S/MEN’S CLOTHING TO CHOOSE FROM AND ON WED., MAY 17th—ALL CLOTHING IS FREE!!!! EACH ADULT IN THE HOUSEHOLD IS ENTITLED TO FILL ONE BROWN GROCERY BAG; AND EACH CHILD IN HOUSEHOLD RECEIVES THREE FREE OUTFITS (TOP AND BOTTOM). WE HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE! THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS!
We would love your Input. |
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It seems there are always surveys showing up on Facebook or in our mailboxes – email and snail-mail both. Why is this one different? This is a critical means of finding out what our congregations think about where we live and move and have our being. This survey is one of ways you help us frame the future for our work. |
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| SURVEY LINK — Click the link to open the survey
Note: Survey is now open and will remain open until Monday June 5, 2017
Below please find the web address to include in your Sunday Bulletin: |
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| There are several parts of the survey:
1. Questions asking for your three (3) best choices. 2. Open ended questions. 3. Demographic questions. All three sections require answers. Please be sure to click “Done” when you have finished the survey. |
| If you know of someone who is not online, please let us know at bishopsearchdiobeth@gmail.com, and we will make sure a paper copy of the survey is made available for them to fill out and return to us. It will be entered into the online survey by someone who doesn’t know the person who takes the survey.
We also want to encourage you to participate in one of the regional Focus Group meetings listed below, to expound upon your hopes and dreams for our diocese, and the qualities needed in our next bishop to accomplish the work God is calling us to do together. |
| Regional Meetings
Southern Diocese Saturday, May 13, 9:30 am – 11:30 am Christ Church, 435 Court St., Reading, PA 19603 (Parking free at M&T Bank & Court St)
Wilkes-Barre & Surrounding Areas Wednesday, May 17, 7:00 pm- 9:00 pm Prince of Peace, 420 Main St., Dallas, PA 18612
Northern Most Sunday, May 21, 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm St. Paul’s, 276 Church Street, Montrose, PA 18801
Lehigh Valley & Surrounding Areas Tuesday, May 23, 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm St. Stephen’s, 3900 Mechanicsville Rd., Whitehall, PA 18052 |
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Website Coming Soon! We’re working hard on our website, and it will be up and running soon. Stay tuned for our launch! If you have questions about our upcoming website, social media or the Search & Transition Committee please email bishopsearchdiobeth@gmail.com |
St. John’s Episcopal Church Events: May 2017
Mass ~ Sundays at 8am & 10am: Fr. Ronald R. Miller, Priest-in-Charge
Sunday School in Church after 10am Mass Sept.-June
May 2nd 9:30am Daughters of the King (DOK) meets
May 2nd 10:45am Prayer Group meets
May 11th 7pm Vestry meets (2nd Thurs this month; 3rd Thurs norm)
May 13th 9am-1pm Thrift Shoppe open
May 13th 1:00pm Wedding in sanctuary
May 16th 10:45am Prayer Group meets
May 17th 10-noon & 5-7:00pm Free Clothing Event @ St. John’s Thrift Shoppe
May 18th 7pm “Simple Gifts” Musical Concert in sanctuary
May 19 — Parish Office Closed; Bev is off this day
May 20th 9a-noon Hoagie sale @ Hemlock Grove UMC
May 21st 11:30am Annual Parish Meeting in Parish Hall
May 27th 9am-1pm Thrift Shoppe open
Please Contact us anytime! Phone: 570-689-9260
Parish Office hours: Mon., Wed., Fri. 10am-3pm
Email us: stjohnshamlin@verizon.net
Please follow us on facebook, linkedIn and twitter
Website: saintjohnhamlin.org
Come, browse our Thrift Shoppe this Sat from 9a-1p 5/13…new inventory, clean, level parking & entry..awesome bargains for all!
Simple Gifts Musical Concert:
Two women playing twelve instruments! Performing Romanian, Klezmer, Greek, Irish, Scottish, Scandinavian, and Appalachian Music
St. John’s Episcopal Church 564 Easton Turnpike – Route 191 South Hamlin, PA 18427 * Phone: 570-689-9260
$10.00 suggested donation at the door For more info and videos: simplegiftsmusic.com |
Our Free Clothing Event is happening right now until noon today and again later today from 5-7pm – come, browse and enjoy our
rock bottom prices 🙂
St. John’s Episcopal Church Events: April 2017
Mass ~ Sundays at 8am & 10am: Fr. Ronald R. Miller Sunday School in Church after 10am Mass
Apr 2 11:15ish Pastoral Care Meets
Apr 4 9:30am Daughters of the King meets in Parish Hall
Apr 4 10:45am Prayer Group meets in Parish Hall
Apr 5 6pm Simple Supper @ Newfoundland Moravian w/7pm Worship
Apr 8 9am-noon Hoagie Sale @ Hemlock Grove United Methodist
Apr 8 9am-1pm Thrift Shoppe Open
Apr 9 7am Men’s Communion Brkfst @ Salem Comm., Hamlin
Apr 9 4-7pm Palm Sunday, Pr. Sarah Miller leading our services
Apr 12 10-noon & 5-7p Free Clothing Event @ Thrift Shoppe
Apr 13 7pm Maundy Thursday @ St. Johns’ Eucharist/Foot washing
“ 7pm Mass @ St. Thomas More w/Night Prayer @ 8:45pm
Apr 14 2pm St. Mary/Ledgedale-Eucharist & Veneration of Cross/Private devotion until 5pm
“ 7pm Good Friday Service @ Lake Ariel Methodist
Apr 16 8 & 10am Easter Sunday Celebration at St. John’s
Apr 21/22 6pm Annual Planning Session Mendicino’s Rest. 6-9pm and wrap
up 22nd @ Parish hall 9am-noon w/luncheon provided
Apr 22 9am-1pm Thrift Shoppe Open
Apr 23 4pm Bishop Receiving/Confirming @ Epis. Cathedral, Bethlehem
Apr 29 3pm Wedding in sancturary
Apr 29 4:30-6:30pm Roast Beef Dinner @ Hemlock Grove UMC
Church Office Telephone: 570-689-9260
Parish Office hours: Mon, Wed and Fri 10am-3pm
Email: stjohnshamlin@verizon.net Website: saintjohnhamlin.org Check us out on faithstreet.com Follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter
3/22/17 – Hello Everyone, Let us all bundle up and join with our Ecumenical partners here at St. John’s for our Simple Supper tonight at 6pm with presentation by Fr. Ron Miller at 7pm 🙂
Our annual planning dinner and conference is quickly approaching. We would like this to be a big turnout. The dinner is at Mendecino’s Italian restaurant on Friday, April 21st, from 6:00 to 9:00 PM. I know a good time will be had by all. Having eaten there a few times, I can guarantee the food will be delicious. The cost is $25.00 per person. So, if you haven’t already done so, why not plan for an enjoyable evening? I need to give our final count to the restaurant the first week of April. We look forward to seeing as many of you there as possible. Regards, Michael On Saturday, April 22nd, from 9am-noon, we will wrap up our planning session by meeting in the Parish Hall of the church-a luncheon will be provided at no cost to attendees. Thanks, Marianne
If you are interested in becoming a member of our church, our Bishop Provisional, Sean W. Rowe, will conduct Confirmations, Reception and Reaffirmations of Baptismal Vows on Sunday, April 23 at 4pm at The Episcopal Cathedral in Bethlehem. Send a message on facebook, email us at: stjohnshamlin@verizon.net, see Father Ronald Miller, Marianne Berryman or Michael Nigro if you would like to participate on that day.
316/17: Our sidewalks are all open; thanks to our wonderful volunteers Neil Tufano and also the guys from Little Creek!
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ELCA Advocacy | Lutheran Episcopal Advocacy Ministry of New Jersey
If you are interested in becoming a member of our church, our Bishop Provisional, Sean W. Rowe, will conduct Confirmations, Reception and Reaffirmations of Baptismal Vows on Sunday April 23 at 4pm at The Episcopal Cathedral in Bethlehem. See Father Ronald Miller, Marianne Berryman or Michael Nigro if you would like to participate on that day.
JOIN WE ALL: Welcoming Refugees and Immigrants as Neighbors and Friends
The Moravians of the greater Lehigh Valley invite people of all faiths and nationalities to join us as we pray together, break bread, and share stories to follow Jesus’s mandate in Matthew 25: “I was a stranger and you welcomed me.” With the sharing of a simple meal, in the spirit of a Moravian Lovefeast, we welcome our brothers and sisters across the Valley to stand together in unity and love. We seek to build a space to gather at the table rather than living behind walls that divide us. Sunday, February 26 @ 3 pm Johnston Hall – Moravian College We invite you to bring a bread that represents your culture/background, if you are able. Gluten- free, Kosher, and Halal options will be available.
For more information, contact: The Rev. Janel Rice – janelrice3616@gmail.com The Rev. Laura Gordon – revlauragordon@gmail.com
Facebook Event Page: JOIN WE ALL – Welcoming Refugees&Immigrants as Neighbors&Friends
Feb 15th 10-noon & 5-7pm Free Winter Clothing Event at our Thrift Shoppe 🙂
DEATH – WHAT A WONDERFUL WAY TO EXPLAIN IT
A sick man turned to his doctor as he was preparing to leave the examination room and said, “Doctor, I am afraid to die. Tell me what lies on the other side.” Very quietly, the doctor said, “I don’t know…”
“You don’t know? You’re a Christian man and don’t know what’s on the other side?”
The doctor was holding the handle of the door; on the other side came a sound of scratching and whining, and as he opened the door, his dog sprang into the room and leaped on him with an eager show of gladness. Turning to the patient, the doctor said, “Did you notice my dog? He’s never been in this room before, He didn’t know what was inside. He knew nothing except that his master was here, and when the door opened, he sprang in without fear. I know little of what is on the other side of death, but I do know one thing…I know my Master is there and that is enough.”
Just this morning I was looking at a large, beautiful souvenir coin, given to me years ago by a dear friend, in England, who often visits – and loves -France. Around the coin is the legend: “Cathedrals et Sanctuaries de France.” That reminded me that on Sunday I had mentioned in my sermon the Sanctuary Knocker, at Durham Cathedral
Blessings,
Fr. Ronald Miller
o Cathedral Building in the Middle Ages
o The Building of Durham Cathedral
- St Cuthbert’s Shrine
- Towers
- Quire
- Galilee Chapel
- DLI Chapel
- Chapel of the Nine Altars
- Cathedral Woodwork
- Prior Castel’s Clock
- Baptismal Font
- Cathedral Organs
- Stained Glass
- Neville Screen
- Sanctuary Knocker
- Is this a Chinese dragon?
- Cloister
- Chapter House
- Great Kitchen
- Monks’ Dormitory
- Cathedral Library
- The College (Cathedral Precinct)
- Durham Castle
- Palace Green
- The Bailey
- Historic Bridges
- Owengate
- Dun Cow Lane
The Sanctuary Knocker
The infamous sanctuary knocker. In medieval times, it was an important symbol of the Cathedral’s political role.
(Note: The current knocker is a replica – the original is displayed in the Cathedral Treasures Exhibit inside the building).
© Durham Cathedral and Jarrold Printing
The knocker on the Cathedral’s northern door, known as the Sanctuary Knocker, played an important part in the Cathedral’s history. Those who ‘had committed a great offence,’ such as murder in self-defence or breaking out of prison, could rap the knocker, and would be given 37 days of sanctuary within which they could try to reconcile with their enemies or plan their escape.
Keeping Watch for the Seekers of Sanctuary
The Cathedral entrance has now been modified, but it originally had two small chambers above the doorway with windows where monks would be seated keeping a watch out for sanctuary seekers, to let them in promptly, at any time of the day or night.
Announcing a Sanctuary Seeker’s Arrival
When somebody did seek sanctuary in the Cathedral, the Galilee bell would be rung to announce it. The sanctuary seeker would be given a black robe to wear, with St Cuthbert’s Cross sewn on the left shoulder to distinguish them as one who had been granted sanctuary by God and his saint.
In the Abbey’s Care
The person offered sanctuary was kept in an enclosure separated from the rest of the church, and was provided food, drink, bedding and other necessities at the abbey’s expense, until the person’s safe departure from the diocese could be arranged.
A nineteenth-century visualisation of the northern facade of Durham Cathedral showing what the entrance may have looked like before the rooms above the north doorway were removed. These were where monks would have kept watch for fugitives seeking sanctuary.
A Long Tradition
The Rites of Durham, an anonymous book about Durham Cathedral that first appeared in 1593, mentions the Right to Sanctuary as a “freedom confirmed not only by King Guthred (King of Northumbria between 883-894) but also by King Alfred the Great (‘King of the Anglo-Saxons’ from 849-899).”
The Right to Sanctuary was abolished in 1624.
dear people,
Please note in this item that Pastor Martin Niemoeller participated in the same “Confessing Church” in Germany as my professor Dr. Hagen A. K. Staack. (See Staack’s obit. which I sent earlier this week.) This is a piece of history – from our own times – which we ignore at our own peril. I invite your faithful attention to this article.
Thanks and blessings to each and every one.
R.
First they came …
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Engraving of the poem presented at the New England Holocaust Memorial in Boston, Massachusetts.
“First they came …” is a statement and poem written by Pastor Martin Niemöller (1892–1984) about the cowardice of German intellectuals following the Nazis‘ rise to power and subsequent purging of their chosen targets, group after group. Many variations and adaptations in the spirit of the original have been published in the English language. It deals with themes of persecution, guilt and responsibility.
Contents
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The text[edit]
The best-known versions of the speech are the poems that began circulating by the 1950s.[1] The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum quotes the following text as one of the many poeticversions of the speech:[2]
| “ | First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a Trade Unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me. |
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Niemöller created multiple versions of the text during his career. The earliest speeches, written in 1946, list the communists, incurable patients, Jews or Jehovah’s Witnesses, and civilians in countries occupied by Nazi Germany. In all versions, the impact is carefully built up, by going from the “smallest, most distant” group to the largest, Jewish, group, …. and then finally to himself as a by then outspoken critic of Nazism. Niemöller made the cardinal “who cares about them” clear in his speech for the Confessing Church in Frankfurt on 6 January 1946, of which this is a partial translation:[1]
| “ | When Pastor Niemöller was put in a concentration camp we wrote the year 1937; when the concentration camp was opened we wrote the year 1933, and the people who were put in the camps then were Communists. Who cared about them? We knew it, it was printed in the newspapers. Who raised their voice, maybe the Confessing Church? We thought: Communists, those opponents of religion, those enemies of Christians – “should I be my brother’s keeper?” Then they got rid of the sick, the so-called incurables. – I remember a conversation I had with a person who claimed to be a Christian. He said: Perhaps it’s right, these incurably sick people just cost the state money, they are just a burden to themselves and to others. Isn’t it best for all concerned if they are taken out of the middle [of society]? — Only then did the church as such take note. Then we started talking, until our voices were again silenced in public. Can we say, we aren’t guilty/responsible? The persecution of the Jews, the way we treated the occupied countries, or the things in Greece, in Poland, in Czechoslovakia or in Holland, that were written in the newspapers I believe, we Confessing-Church-Christians have every reason to say: mea culpa, mea culpa! We can talk ourselves out of it with the excuse that it would have cost me my head if I had spoken out. | ” |
This speech was translated and published in English in 1947, but was later retracted when it was alleged that Niemöller was an early supporter of the Nazis.[3] The “sick, the so-called incurables” were killed in the euthanasia programme “Action T4“. A 1955 version of the speech, mentioned in an interview of a German professor quoting Niemöller, lists communists, socialists, schools, Jews, the press, and the Church. An American version delivered by a congressman in 1968 anachronistically includes the industrialists, who were not persecuted by the Nazis, and omits the Communists.
In 1976, Niemöller gave the following answer in response to an interview question asking about the origins of the poem.[1] The Martin-Niemöller-Foundation considers this the “classical” version of the speech:[4]
| “ | There were no minutes or copy of what I said, and it may be that I formulated it differently. But the idea was anyhow: The communists, we still let that happen calmly; and the trade unions, we also let that happen; and we even let the Social Democrats happen. All of that was not our affair. The Church did not concern itself with politics at all at that time, and it shouldn’t have anything do with them either. In the Confessing Church we didn’t want to represent any political resistance per se, but we wanted to determine for the Church that that was not right, and that it should not become right in the Church, that’s why already in ’33, when we created the pastors’ emergency federation (Pfarrernotbund), we put as the 4th point in the founding charter: If an offensive is made against ministers and they are simply ousted as ministers, because they are of Jewish lineage(Judenstämmlinge) or something like that, then we can only say as a Church: No. And that was then the 4th point in the obligation, and that was probably the first contra-anti-antisemitic pronouncement coming from the Protestant Church. | ” |
Author[edit]
Niemöller at The Hague‘s Grote of Sint-Jacobskerk in May 1952
Main article: Martin Niemöller
Martin Niemöller was a German Lutheran pastor and theologian born in Lippstadt, Germany, in 1892. Niemöller was an anti-communist and supported Adolf Hitler‘s rise to power at first. But when Hitler insisted on the supremacy of the state over religion, Niemöller became disillusioned. He became the leader of a group of German clergymen opposed to Hitler. In 1937 he was arrested and eventually confined in Sachsenhausen and Dachau. He was released in 1945 by the Allies. He continued his career in Germany as a clergyman and as a leading voice of penance and reconciliation for the German people after World War II. His statement, sometimes presented as a poem, is well-known, frequently quoted, and is a popular model for describing the dangers of political apathy.
Origin[edit]
The statement was published in a book by Milton Mayer, They Thought They Were Free (1955), based on interviews he had conducted in Germany several years earlier. The quotation was circulated by civil rights activists and educators in the United States in the late 1950s. Some research traces the text to several speeches given by Niemöller in 1946.[1]
Nonetheless, the wording remains controversial, both in terms of its provenance, and the substance and order of the groups that are mentioned in its many versions. While Niemöller’s published 1946 speeches mention Communists, the incurably ill, Jews or Jehovah’s Witnesses (depending on which speech), and people in occupied countries, the 1955 text, a paraphrase by a German professor in an interview, lists communists, socialists, “the schools, the press, the Jews, and so on”, and ends with “the Church”. Based on the explanation given by Niemöller himself in 1976, this refers to the German Protestant (‘Evangelische’) Church, and not to the German Catholic Church.[1]
However, as claimed by Richard John Neuhaus in the November 2001 issue of First Things, when “asked in 1971 about the correct version of the quote, Niemöller said he was not quite sure when he had said the famous words but, if people insist upon citing them, he preferred a version that listed ‘the Communists’, ‘the trade unionists’, ‘the Jews’, and ‘me’.”[5] However, historian Harold Marcuse could not verify that interview.[1] Rather, he found a 1976 interview in which Niemöller referred to a 1974 discussion with the general bishop of the Lutheran Church of Slovakia.[citation needed]
Usages[edit]
Lt. Dennis Kelly reads an excerpt of the Rev. Martin Niemöller’s poem during a Holocaust Days of Remembrance Observance service in Pearl Harbor; 27 April 2009
At the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., the quotation is on display in a variation that substitutes “Socialists” for “Communists”. The Holocaust Museum website has a discussion of the history of the quotation.[6]
A version of the poem is on display at the Holocaust memorial Yad Vashem in Jerusalem. The poem is also presented at the Virginia Holocaust Museumin Richmond, Virginia, the New England Holocaust Memorial in Boston, Massachusetts, and in The Florida Holocaust Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Feb. 13, 2017
My dear people,
Yesterday, the weather was awful and getting worse – and although few of us were present, the Holy Mysteries were celebrated at St. John’s.
Surely, for many, it was a wise and right decision not to come out in that weather. And, for a few others — 5 of us at 8am and 8 of us at 10am — it was our duty and delight to celebrate the masses.
I remember a professor of mine, at Union Theological Seminary in NYC — I believe it was Hans Hoekendijk — who used to refer to the church as an “institution of permanent availability.” And, I suppose that which we did at church, yesterday – and that which all us do all of the time, as Christians – constantly contributes to a church which is “permanently available,” at all times and in all places, to all people, in order to embody the love of Christ.
Bless you, one and all!
Fr. Ron
Hoekendijk, Johannes Christiaan (1912-1975)
Dutch missiologist
Hoekendijk was born and raised in western Java (Indonesia), where his parents were missionaries until 1925, when the family returned to the Netherlands. He prepared himself for a missionary career in Indonesia and studied theology at the State University of Utrecht. World War II both delayed his plans and had a lasting influence on his later thinking about mission as the confrontation of the kingdom of God and the secular world. Hoekendijk served as missionary consul in Indonesia for one year (1945-1946) and then had to return to the Netherlands because of health problems. He became secretary of the Netherlands Missionary Council (1947-1949) and of the Department of Evangelism of the World Council of Churches (WCC) (1949-1953). He taught at the State University of Utrecht as church professor in practical theology (1953-1959) and as state professor in church history of the twentieth century (1959-1965). In 1965 he was appointed to the chair of World Christianity at Union Theological Seminary in New York, where he remained until his death. His contributions to the International Missionary Council and the WCC include especially his work on the world mission conference of Willingen (1952) and on the WCC study project “The Missionary Structures of the Congregation” (1961-1966).
Hoekendijk participated in the ecumenical discussions on mission with emphases that have often been labeled radical. Insisting that the church can be no more than a function of God’s work for worldly shalom, he criticized all tendencies toward ecclesiocentrism and toward the elevation of the categories of church and mission over categories of “people” and “nation.” There is a strong eschatological element in this position, and also an effort to take the secular world seriously as the arena where kerygma, koinonia, and diakonia appear as references to the coming kingdom. Although himself critical of emerging forms of liberation theology, Hoekendijk is rightly considered to have been a major influential figure behind post-1970 paradigm changes in missionary thinking.
Libertus A. Hoedemaker, “Hoekendijk, J(ohannes) C(hristiaan) (“Hans”),” in Biographical Dictionary of Christian Missions, ed. Gerald H. Anderson (New York: Macmillan Reference USA, 1998), 297.
This article is reprinted from Biographical Dictionary of Christian Missions, Macmillan Reference USA, copyright © 1998 Gerald H. Anderson, by permission of Macmillan Reference USA, New York, NY. All rights reserved.
Bibliography
Primary
Hoekendijk, Johannes Christiaan. The Church Inside Out. Philadelphia, Westminster Press, 1966. (a collection of earlier essays)
_____. Kerk en Volk in de Duitse Zendingswetenschap. Th.D. Thesis, University of Utrecht, 1948. (edited in German with an added appendix as Kirche und Volk in der Deutschen Missionswissenschaft.Munchen, Chr. Kaiser, 1967.)
_____. Planning for Mission. Edited by Thomas Wieser. New York: U.S. Conference for the World Council of Churches, 1966. (contributions to the WCC study project on the missionary structures)
Secondary
Coffele, Gianfranco. Johannes Christiaan Hoekendijk: da una Teologia della Missione ad una Teologia Missionaria. Roma: Universita Gregoriana, 1976.
Hoedemaker, L. A. “The Legacy of J. C. Hoekendijk,” IBMR 19, no. 4 (1995): 166-170.
Van Gurp, Pieter. Kerk en Zending in de Theologie van Johannes Christiaan Hoekendijk. 1989. Haarlem, The Netherlands: AcaMedia, 1989.
A collection of documents related to Hoekendijk’s work is kept at the library of the State Univ. of Utrecht, Netherlands.
“Johannes Christiaan Hoekendijk Image,” Courtesy, Burke Library Archives, Union Theological Seminary, New York, NY. All rights reserved
February, 2017 Events:
Sunday: Mass at 8 and 10am; Fr. Ronald Miller
Feb 7th 9:30am Daughters of the King meet in Parish Hall
Feb 7th 10:45am Prayer Group meets in Parish Hall
Feb 11th 9am-1pm Thrift Shoppe Open
Feb 12th 11:30ish Pastoral Care Group meets in Parish Hall
Feb 15th 10-noon & 5-7pm Free Winter Clothing Event
Feb 19th 11:30 ish Vestry Meets
Feb 21st 10:45am Prayer Group Meets
Feb 25th 9am-1pm Thrift Shoppe Open
Feb 28th 6pm Shrove Pancake Supper hosted by the Duncan family, burning the palms, burying the alleluias
Please contact us anytime! Phone: 570-689-9260
Parish Office hours: Mon, Wed, Fri — 10am-3pm
Email stjohnshamlin@verizon.net
Please follow us on facebook, LinkedIn and twitter
|
| Keeping in Touch
Office of the Bishop New Jersey Synod, ELCA
January 31, 2017 Dear Rostered Leaders, The following will be included in the latest edition of Jersey Jottings going out tomorrow afternoon. On Sunday, I worshiped at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church/Iglesia Luterana “El Buen Pastor” in Weehawken. Sitting in this diverse faith community, I listened as Pastor Birgit Solano led the liturgy and preached in English and Spanish easily moving from one language to the other. The congregants responded in their language of choice. Sometimes this led to a cacophony of sound as both languages were spoken together. At the end of worship, Pastor Solano called the confirmation class forward (along with other children) to make a presentation to the congregation. During their previous class, the students made banners with the names of the countries of origin represented by members of the congregation. They came up with 24 different countries – 24! The countries included Mexico, Senegal, El Salvador, Venezuela, Finland, Brazil, Iceland, Germany, Costa Rica and more. This small congregation is made up of immigrants from all over the globe. As the pastor reminded us, this tapestry is beautiful and makes the church richer. Take a look around this Sunday. What is the tapestry that God has woven in your congregation? In your neighborhood? On Monday, I signed a statement with my Episcopal colleagues from the Diocese of New Jersey and the Diocese of Newark calling on our president to rescind his Executive Order banning the travel of refugees and immigrants from 7 predominantly Muslim countries. I believe this ban is in direct conflict with our core values as a country and as a synod and does nothing to increase the safety of our borders. You can read the full statement here
I will continue to be in prayer for our president and his administration. I will continue to celebrate the diversity that makes this country beautiful. I will continue to stand up for the most vulnerable in our society, including refugees and immigrants. I hope you will join me. |
My dear people,
My heart is grieved by recent public policy concerning immigration into the United States.When I was ordained to be pastor at Christ-St. John Lutheran Church in West New York, NJ, in 1975, two congregations had just come together to form one. One of those congregations was a former Swedish-American Congregation and the other a German-American one. One of the two masses I served every Sunday was celebrated in English; and for the subsequent 10 years one mass every Sunday continued to be celebrated in German.I remember that many of those who worshiped in English were immigrants who had learned English here and spoke with beautiful accents. There were at least 15 recently-immigrated nationalities represented in that English-speaking group.
Ten years later, things had changed. And although I was still serving two masses every Sunday, one was in English and the other in Spanish.
Just this morning – to report the death of my first parish secretary – I spoke with a parishioner from that congregation in West New York, and I asked her about church on Sunday.
She attended the English mass and said there were only four people there [the Spanish group is growing and much stronger than the English-speaking remnant]. Among those four people were the Scandinavian-background pastor, who speaks Spanish and who is married to a Puerto Rican woman who is a United Methodist pastor, an Estonian woman, a Latvian man, a German-Yugoslav woman and a Gujarati man from India. Those four individuals define “the church,” according to Martin Luther, who says that the Church of Jesus Christ exists wherever the faithful people of God gather around the Word and Sacrament. There is nothing in his concern about country of origin, native language, culture, politics, gender, age, skin color, sexual preference, etc.
My life and ministry have been significantly and indelibly enriched by all the people. I have been privileged to serve there and throughout my ministry. Quite frankly, and quite literally, these people have shared and proclaimed the Gospel to me! YOU embody that Gospel for me!
Whatever your politics, I plead with you to be careful not to accept the invitation to believe that prejudices against, and phobias about people who are different are either acceptable, or in any way “Christian.” Being different is NOT being criminal. Just last evening I saw the film Hidden Figures which paints a painful and embarrassing picture of racism right here in our own country and our own time. And how can I, who enjoyed the privilege of a life with dear James forget that as a child he was prevented from entering the “public” library in his home town because he was black. Or, how do we explain that James and his mother and all her brothers and sisters before him would not have been university-educated if his great uncle had not secured a Ph.D. and returned to their home town to found the first black high school because the state would not educate blacks beyond the eighth grade? Whites, as you know, did not have to establish their own high schools before being offered a free public education.
All the excuses and explanations in the world cannot erase those wrongs, and shouldn’t! And, dear Christian friends, don’t look to me to help find scriptural or theological excuses for repeating those errors or harboring those sentiments. It simply cannot be done. The Gospel simply cannot be used to defend racism, xenophobia, and the ignorant hatred of others because they are different.
Now, as it has always been, is the time for us to search the bottoms of our own heart and confess – to God alone, is fine with me! – what it is we find there. Now, as it has always been, is the time for us to search the depths of our Christian confession and proclaim the Gospel for which Jesus lost his life. Simply put, that Gospel is: GOD IS LOVE. GOD LOVES ALL PEOPLE. There simply are no exceptions.
Let us be vigilant and faithful.
Sincerely, in Christ
Fr. Ron
Join us for Worship at St. John’s or one of our Ecumenical Worship Services:
Christmas Eve – Saturday, 24 December – 10pm Candlelight Mass at St. John’s; 5pm Lessons & Carols (for families with youngsters) at Salem Community and 9pm Candlelight Communion Service; 6pm Children Service/Pageant/Family Service at Hemlock Grove UMC with Candlelight Service at 9pm; Hamlin Assembly of God, 7pm Candlelight Service; Lake Ariel UMC, 7pm Communion Candlelight Service; Sterling UMC, 7:30pm Candlelight Service; Newfoundland Moravian, 8pm Candlelight Service
Christmas Day – Sunday, 25 December – 8am and 10am Masses at St. John’s; Sterling UMC, 9:30 am Service; Hamlin Assembly of God, 10:30am Service; Lake Ariel UMC, 10:30am; Salem Community Church, 10:30am Service and Free Community Dinner from 11:30am until 2pm; Hemlock Grove UMC 10:45am Service, Newfoundland Moravian 10:45am Service
Our Parish Office will be closed on Monday, Dec. 26, 2016 in observance of Christmas Day.
We have several large containers of fresh baked cookies left over from our Cookies Galore Sale held Sat., Dec. 17…They are $ 15.00/box. 570-689-9260 to pick up.
So yummy!!!
Our Thrift Shoppe is scheduled to be open Sat., Dec. 17th from 9am – 1pm. But, if roads are bad we won’t open, and if roads improve, shop will open at 11am until 3pm.
“Greetings from Rome and the Vatican on Advent I,” from Fr. Ron and Chris and Jean Pettinato
Posted by Saint John's Episcopal Church in Hamlin on Wednesday, December 7, 2016
Our annual Cookies Galore fundraiser will be held on Saturday, December 17th from 9:30-11:30am. As in the past, we ask you to bake some of your special cookies to sell on this day. We always have a sold out event, so the more the merrier! If you cannot bake, maybe you could donate some of the products we need: many containers of butter, nuts (pecans and walnuts) and sugar. Drop off in coffee area any Sunday or during parish office hours: Mon., Wed., Fri 10a-3p. Please see Sandy Toy with any questions. Pre orders must be called in to Sandy by December 2, 2016 – sandraty@echoes.net
┼ADVENT/CHRISTMAS WORSHIP OPPORTUNITES┼
Advent I – Sunday, 27 November – 8am & 10am Service – Blessing and Lighting of the Advent Wreath/Lighting of the Moravian Star – Rev’d. Elizabeth Haynes preaching
Advent II – Sunday, 4 December – 8am & 10am Masses – Rev’d. Elizabeth Haynes preaching
Advent III – Sunday, 11 December -8am & 10am Masses – Father Ronald Miller preaching
Advent IV – Sunday, 18 December – 8am & 10am Masses – at 4pm at the Newfoundland Moravian Church an ecumenical service of Moravian Love Feast combined with Lessons & Carols, followed by a potluck dinner.
Christmas Eve – Saturday, 24 December – 10pm Candlelight Mass at St. John’s; 5pm Lessons & Carols (for families with youngsters) at Salem Community and 9pm Candlelight Communion Service; 6pm Children Service/Pageant/Family Service at Hemlock Grove UMC with Candlelight Service at 9pm; Hamlin Assembly of God, 7pm Candlelight Service; Lake Ariel UMC, 7pm Communion Candlelight Service; Sterling UMC, 7:30pm Candlelight Service; Newfoundland Moravian, 8pm Candlelight Service
Christmas Day – Sunday, 25 December – 8am and 10am Masses at St. John’s; Sterling UMC, 9:30 am Service; Hamlin Assembly of God, 10:30am Service; Lake Ariel UMC, 10:30am; Salem Community Church, 10:30am Service and Free Community Dinner from 11:30am until 2pm; Hemlock Grove UMC 10:45am Service, Newfoundland Moravian 10:45am Service
Check out our photos from Bishop Sean Rowe’s visit to worship with St. John’s congregation and to receive and confirm 16 new members last Sunday, Nov. 20, 2016.
( Highlight and copy the following link and open your internet window and paste into your search engine/browser search box:)
Celebrate and Worship! November 23, 2016 we will join with several area churches for an Ecumenical Thanksgiving Eve Service at 7pm at Hamlin Assembly of God, 613 Easton Turnpike in Hamlin.
THE ALLENTOWN MORNING CALL – 14 November 2016
In the days after a presidential election, the news is full of public figures talking about reconciliation. Leaders of all kinds are pledging to put a divisive campaign behind them and work together for the common good. Church leaders like myself are particularly given to these sort of sentiments. They appeal to our pastoral instincts and allow us to imagine that we are what the prophet Isaiah called “repairers of the breach.”
It is difficult to oppose reconciliation. Jesus said peacemakers were blessed, and as a Christian, I certainly want to be on his good side, but before we strike up a rousing chorus of “Kumbaya,” I hope we will pause to make sure we understand that real reconciliation requires deep self-examination, an ability to acknowledge both when one has been wronged and when one has done wrong, and the willingness to behave and communicate in new ways. Reconciliation is not a synonym for the silencing of dissent.
Many voters saw this election as a choice between the lesser of two evils. While I don’t find that characterization useful — there are no perfect people, and hence no perfect candidates — it is true that neither Donald Trump nor Hillary Clinton was especially well thought of by much of the electorate. But the country has made a choice. The time for comparing his flaws to hers is over. The time for looking squarely at the person whom we have elected to the highest office in the land is at hand.
Nothing about Mr. Trump’s campaign suggests that he has any interest in uniting our country. He has repeatedly made racist and misogynistic comments for which he has not apologized. He stoked rage against dark-skinned immigrants and refugees — rage that is already resulting in increased reports of hate crimes across the country. And he refused to condemn the worst excesses of his supporters.
It is possible to argue that, despite these flaws, it was morally necessary to vote for Mr. Trump. But it is not possible to argue that voting for him absolved him of these sins. So what does it mean to “reconcile” with such a person? How much repentance or self-scrutiny is it possible to expect? These questions are especially pertinent to white Christians like myself because we provided the votes that elected Mr. Trump.
As a Christian, I believe that every person is created in the image and likeness of God, that God loves each of us passionately and that God wills that we love one another. We are called to love people whose views are profoundly different than our own, even those who espouse bigotry and hatred. To the extent that “reconciliation” means caring for all people, taking their concerns seriously, working together when we can find common ground, put me down as pro-reconciliation.
But if we truly believe that all people are created in God’s image and likeness, then we have a duty to resist any attempt to exclude people from our common life or from the protection of our laws based on race, religion, gender identity or sexual orientation. And those of us in the Judeo-Christian tradition have to be faithful to the unbroken scriptural teaching on caring for the poor and the displaced.
Real reconciliation will require us to follow the examples of Old Testament prophets. They took as their task not so much offering visions of the future but warning their leaders what would happen if they were not faithful to God’s laws. They aspired to be the consciences of their nation. Sometimes that meant working closely with secular rulers, but sometimes it meant standing against them and paying the price. Jeremiah, as you may recall, was lowered into a muddy cistern and left to die by the king’s son.
I am not asking anyone to get themselves tossed down a well, and I hope to stay dry myself. But we must be prepared both to swallow any resentments we might have when the opportunity arises to work together for the common good, and to stand up for the most vulnerable members of our society if they become targets of the new administration or its most extreme supporters.
The Rt. Rev. Sean W. Rowe is bishop provisional of the Episcopal Diocese of Bethlehem and bishop of the Diocese of Northwestern Pennsylvania.
Copyright © 2016, The Morning Call
THE BLACK BEAR CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC PRESENTS..WINTERFEST HOLIDAY CONCERT on Saturday, December 10 at 1:00 pm at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Hawley, Pennsylvania – Free of Charge featuring the BBC Women’s Choir and Voice Students. Many of the participants are members of our own choir at St. John’s – It is a fabulous, uplifting show!
SOME INFORMATION ABOUT ST. JOHN’S THRIFT SHOPPE
DONATIONS:
We accept in season clothing. There is simply not enough room to store off season items. We do not take items that are stained, torn or soiled. We do not accept underwear unless new and in the original packaging. We accept only new socks. We have no washer/drier so items that are ready-to-wear are really appreciated. We arealways in need of children’s clothing, grade school thru high school.
By law, we are not permitted to sell cribs, crib mattresses, car seats, booster seats, stuffed toys, helmets or any kind of food. Please do not leave such items.
We no longer accept books, CDs, older model TVs and computers and printers – simply because they do not sell. Small household appliances should be clean and in working order. While we would love to take even small furniture, we simply have no place to display such items.
Items can be delivered when we are open or you may call the church office to see when you could bring things. (570-689-9260) PLEASE do not leave items outside when no one is here. Sometimes they are not found until after weather or critters have made them unusable.
Our standard hours are the second and fourth Saturday every month from 9a-1p.
As part of St. John’s Community Outreach, we also hold a “Free Day” on the Wednesday following the second Saturday. The hours are 10a-12p and 5p-7p. This is clothing only and information about it is distributed thru churches, social agencies and schools. For emergency needs, ie. after a house fire, please call the church office. We will be happy to meet with family or social workers to see if we can meet the needs.
We thank each and every person who has donated, shopped or spread the word – it is our mission to “go out and do the work that God has given us to do” and you make that possible.
God Bless, The Thrift Shoppe Staff
Celebrate and Worship! November 23, 2016 we will join with several area churches for an Ecumenical Thanksgiving Eve Service at 7pm at Hamlin Assembly of God, 613 Easton Turnpike in Hamlin.
Our annual Cookies Galore fundraiser will be held on Saturday, December 17th from 9:30-11:30am. As in the past, we ask you to bake some of your special cookies to sell on this day. We always have a sold out event, so the more the merrier! If you cannot bake, maybe you could donate some of the products we need: many containers of butter, nuts (pecans and walnuts) and sugar. Drop off in coffee area any Sunday or during parish office hours: Mon., Wed., Fri 10a-3p. Please see Sandy Toy with any questions. Pre orders must be called in to Sandy by December 2, 2016 – sandraty@echoes.net
ADVENT/CHRISTMAS WORSHIP OPPORTUNITES
Advent I – Sunday, 27 November – 8am & 10am Service – Blessing and Lighting of the Advent Wreath/Lighting of the
Moravian Star – Rev’d. Elizabeth Haynes preaching
Advent II – Sunday, 4 December – 8am & 10am Masses – Rev’d. Elizabeth Haynes preaching
Advent III – Sunday, 11 December -8am & 10am Masses – Father Ronald Miller preaching
Advent IV – Sunday, 18 December – 8am & 10am Masses – then at 4pm at the Newfoundland Moravian Church an ecumenical service of Moravian Love Feast combined with Lessons & Carols, followed by a potluck dinner.
Christmas Eve – Saturday, 24 December – 10pm Candlelight Mass at St. John’s; 5pm Lessons & Carols (for families with youngsters) at Salem Community and 9pm Candlelight Communion Service; 6pm Children Service/Pageant/Family Service at Hemlock Grove UMC with Candlelight Service at 9pm; Hamlin Assembly of God, 7pm Candlelight Service; Lake Ariel UMC 7pm Communion Candlelight Service; Sterling UMC 7:30pm Candlelight Service; Newfoundland Moravian 8pm Candlelight Service
Christmas Day – Sunday, 25 December – 8am and 10am Masses at St. John’s; Sterling UMC 9:30 am Service; Hamlin Assembly of God, 10:30am Service; Lake Ariel UMC, 10:30am; Salem Community 10:30am Service and Free Community Dinner from 2-5pm; Hemlock Grove UMC 10:45am Service
thank you card from Sterling UMC June 14 2016 from our ecumenical picnic to honor Pastor Alison Grove as she begins a new preaching adventure in July 2016
Please read Letter to Rostered Leaders from The Rev’d. Tracie Bartholemew:
http://saintjohnhamlin.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Bishop-Letter-2016-June.pdf
Our Thrift Shoppe is open tomorrow, June 11th from 9am until 1pm…stop by for incredible bargains on clothing, housewares and much much more! The Shoppe is open on the second and the fourth Saturday of each month (weather permitting) from 9 am until 1 pm…Call to confirm 570-689-9260 🙂
Our ecumenical church picnic will be held at 1:30 pm on Sunday, June 12th, at the Ace Pavilion behind our church office/Parish Hall. This year we will be honoring Pastor Alison Grove, as she will soon be leaving to begin her new position at Emory UMC in Hancock, NY as of July 1st. The Ecumenical committee will be providing meat, beverages, and desserts. If you would like to bring a favorite side dish, please feel free to do so.
On Saturday, June 4th at 1:00pm, the BBC Women’s Choir will perform at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, 405 Church Street in Hawley. They will be featuring tunes from Broadway Classics, among the uplifting and beautiful music they create. (Five of the members of the BBC Women’s Choir are in our choir here at St. John’s.)
Our friend, Ruby Burchell of 122 Hilltop Rd. in Newfoundland passed away yesterday, May 26, 2016. A viewing only will be conducted at Frey-Fetsock Funeral Home located at 201 Route 191 in LaAnna, PA (570) 676-3381 on Sunday May 29, 2016 from noon to 2:00 pm.
St. John’s Episcopal Church Events for June, 2016 Sunday: Mass at 8 and 10am
June 5 Pastor Gregg Schafer preaching
June 5 11:30am ish Pastoral Care meets in Parish Hall
June 7 9:30am Daughters of the King meets in Parish Hall
June 7 10:45am Prayer Group meets in Parish Hall
June 11 9am-1pm Thrift Shoppe Open
June 12 Pastor Elizabeth Haynes preaching
June 12 1:30pm Ecumenical church picnic at St. John’s Ace Pavilion
June 15 10-noon & 5-7p Free Clothing Event @ Thrift Shoppe
June 16 7pm Vestry meets in Parish Hall
June 21 10:45am Prayer Group meets
June 25 9am-1pm Thrift Shoppe Open
June 26 10:00am Baptism of Claire Kirkpatric
Phone: 570-689-9260
Office hours: Mon., Wed., Fri. from 10am to 3pm
Email: stjohnshamlin@verizon.net
Website: saintjohnhamlin.org
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn
Events: May 2016
Mass ~ Sundays at 8am & 10am: Fr. Ronald R. Miller, Priest-in-Charge
Sunday School in Church after 10am Mass Sept.-June
May 1st 5-6:30pm Regional confirmation @ St. Stephen’s, Whitehall
May 8th 5pm Soup Supper @ Moravian Church, Newfoundland
May 10th 9:30am Daughters of the King (DOK) meets
May 10th 10:45am Prayer Group Meets
May 12th 7pm “Simple Gifts” Musical Concert
May 14th 9am-1pm Thrift Shoppe open
May 14th 4pm-7pm Annual Roast Beef Dinner in Parish Hall Adults $10.00 Children $5.00
May 15th 11:30am Annual Parish Meeting in Parish Hall
May 18th 10-noon & 5-7:00pm Free Clothing Event @ St. John’s Thrift Shoppe
May 19th 7pm Vestry Meeting at Church
May 24th 10:45am Prayer Group Meets
May 28th 9am-1pm Thrift Shoppe open
Please Contact us anytime! Phone: 570-689-9260 Parish Office hours: Mon., Wed., Fri. 10am-3pm
Email us: stjohnshamlin@verizon.net Please follow us on facebook, linkedIn and twitter
Website: saintjohnhamlin.org
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National Day of Prayer Vigil, Thursday, May 5, 2016, 7p-8p Courthouse Square, Scranton. If enough people want to participate in this event, I will try to get a bus to Scranton from our Church. Anyone interested in participating, please contact Diane Armato at 570-698-6227 or armatodiane@gmail.com.
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Please join us for an uplifting concert Thursday, May 12, 2016 at 7pm for Simple Gifts:
Two women plus 12 musical instruments equal one good time when Simple Gifts takes the stage! Drawing on an impressive variety of ethnic folk styles, this award-winning duo plays everything from lively Irish jigs and down-home American reels to hard-driving Klezmer freilachs and haunting Gypsy melodies, spicing the mix with the distinctive rhythms of Balkan dance music, the lush sounds of Scandinavian twin fiddling, plus original compositions. Simple Gifts creates some of the finest arrangements in folk music today.
For more information: simplegiftsmusic.com
Performances supported in part by the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
Hello folks: Depending on the road conditions tomorrow morning, Pat Ware, Thrift Shoppe Manager, will decide if the Thrift Shoppe will be open as planned from 9am until 1pm…If you are planning on shopping or volunteering at our Thrift Shoppe tomorrow and are concerned with the road conditions, please contact Pat directly at : 570-698-6976. Thank you.
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APRIL 2016 EVENTS AT ST. JOHN’S: ****UPDATE APRIL 8TH; ROAST BEEF DINNER CANCELLED DUE TO POSSIBLE INCLEMENT WEATHER ON SAT. APRIL 9TH.
Apr 3 11:15ish Baptismal Luncheon by The Ratcliffe’s in Parish Hall
Apr 3 11:15ish Confirmation Class; Rescheduled to Apr 24 due to weather
Apr 5 9:30am Daughters of the King meets in Parish Hall
Apr 5 10:45am Prayer Group meets in Parish Hall
Apr 9 9am-1pm Thrift Shoppe Open
Apr 9 4-7p Roast Beef Dinner in Parish Hall – takeouts @ 3:30p
Apr 10 5 pm Moravian Church, Newfoundland Soup Supper
Apr 13 10-noon & 5-7p Free Clothing Event @ Thrift Shoppe
Apr 14 See Pat Work Day at Thrift Shoppe to sort for Salv. Army p/u
Apr 18 office closed Parish Admin will be out of town for long weekend
Apr 19 10:45am Prayer Group meets
Apr 21 7pm Vestry meets in Parish Hall
Apr 23 9am-1pm Thrift Shoppe Open
Apr 24 11:45am Confirmation Class; see Carole Phillips for details
Apr 29/30 6pm/9am Annual Parish Planning Session – Ehrhardt’s Restaurant dinner
meeting/Parish Hall catered luncheon meeting
Church Office Telephone: 570-689-9260
Parish Office hours: Mon, Wed and Fri 10am-3pm
Email: stjohnshamlin@verizon.net Check us out on faithstreet.com
Follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter
Worship Opportunities:
Good Fri, 25 March– noon – Ecumenical observation of worship & reflection as each individual sees fit at Hemlock Grove UMC, Greentown
Good Fri, 25 March- 2:30pm – Ecumenical Reading & Worship Service with communion at Moravian Church, Newfoundland
Easter Vigil, Sat, 26 March– 8pm – Ecumenical Celebration of The Great Vigil of Easter at St. John’s, Hamlin with Pr. Gregg Schafer preaching
Easter Sunday, 27 March– 6:30am, Ecumenical Sunrise Celebration at Moravian Church, Newfoundland
Easter Sunday Celebration, 27 March– 8am and 10am Ecumenical Masses at St. John’s with Homemade Easter Breakfast in our Parish Hall between services; join us for fellowship, worship and a delicious meal!
All Welcomed to St. John’s Episcopal Church, Hamlin Every Sunday for 8am & 10am Masses
Annual Parish Planning Session: Plans have now been finalized for this event! It will be an opportunity for all of us to look at how far we’ve come and to envision our hopes and dreams for the future. It will be Friday, April 29th at 6pm at Ehrhardt’s Restaurant, Route 507, Hawley and Saturday, April 30th at 9am in our Church Parish Hall with catered luncheon provided. The menu at Ehrhardt’s for dinner will be Tomato/Crab Bisque soup with a choice of Yankee pot roast or turkey with an ice cream sundae bar for dessert. The cost for dinner Friday evening is $24.00/person. The luncheon on Saturday, April 30th in our Parish Hall is free of charge. You may attend both sessions or one session. David Dimmick will be our moderator again this year.
We will need to know by April 14th how many will attend each session and your choice of entrée for Friday evening. Please make your check payable to St. John’s Episcopal Church and mail to our office, give to Marianne Berryman, Sr. Warden, or to Bev in our Parish Office. Thank you for your timely R.S.V.P…
+2016 ECUMENICAL LENTEN/HOLY WEEK WORSHIP SCHEDULE + updated as of 3/14/16
Mon, 21 March- 7pm – Ecumenical Reading & Worship Service with communion at Moravian Church, Canadensis
Tues, 22 March– 11am – Chrism Mass at Cathedral Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem Bishop blesses oil, clergy renew ordination vows. All welcome, esp. those with ministries for the sick and teaching; lunch is provided
Tues, 22 March- 7pm – Ecumenical Reading & Worship Service with communion at Moravian Church, Canadensis
Maundy Thurs, 24 March- 7pm – Ecumenical Service at St. John’s, Hamlin with Last Supper, Foot Washing & Stripping the Altar
Maundy Thurs, 24 March- 7pm – Ecumenical Reading & Worship Service with communion at Moravian Church, Canadensis
Good Fri, 25 March– noon – Ecumenical observation of worship & reflection as each individual sees fit at Hemlock Grove UMC, Greentown
Good Fri, 25 March- 2:30pm – Ecumenical Reading & Worship Service with communion at Moravian Church, Newfoundland
Easter Vigil, Sat, 26 March– 8pm – Ecumenical Celebration of The Great Vigil of Easter at St. John’s, Hamlin with Pr. Gregg Schafer preaching
Easter Sunday, 27 March– 6:30am, Ecumenical Sunrise Celebration at Moravian Church, Newfoundland
Easter Sunday Celebration, 27 March– 8am and 10am Ecumenical Masses at St. John’s with Homemade Easter Breakfast in our Parish Hall between services; join us for fellowship, worship and a delicious meal!
All Welcomed to St. John’s Episcopal Church, Hamlin Every Sunday for 8am & 10am Masses
Fellowship Coffee Hour and Sunday School after 10am Mass
MARCH EVENTS:
March 1st 9:30am DOK meets
March 1st 10:45am Prayer Group Meets
March 6th 11:15amish Pastoral Care Committee Meets
March 6th 7pm Ecumenical Evensong Service @ St. John’s with Pr. Sarah Miller
March 12th 9am-1pm Thrift Shoppe Open
March 13th 11:15am Vestry Meeting in Music Room/Library
March 13th 5pm Soup Supper (2nd Sun of each month) at Moravian Church, Newfoundland; donations for food pantry happily accepted
March 13th 7pm Ecumenical Evensong Service @ St. John’s with Pr. Hugh Miller
March 15th 10:45m Prayer Group Meets
March 16th 10-noon & 5-7pm Free Winter Clothing Event
March 22nd 11am-1pm Chrism Mass at Cathedral Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem: Bishop blesses oil, clergy renew ordination vows. All welcome, especially those with ministries for the sick and teaching. Lunch is provided
Maundy Thurs, March 24th 7pm Ecumenical Service at St. John’s, Hamlin with Last Supper, Foot Washing & Stripping the Altar
March 26th 9am-1pm Thrift Shoppe Open
Easter Vigil, Sat, March 26th 8pm Ecumenical Celebration of The Great Vigil of Easter at St. John’s, Hamlin with Pr. Gregg Schafer preaching
Easter Sunday Celebration 8am and 10am Ecumenical Masses at St. John’s with Homemade Easter _ Breakfast in our Parish Hall between services; join us for a delicious meal!
Please Contact us anytime! Church Telephone: 570-689-9260 Parish Office hours: Open Mon, Wed, Fri from 10am-3pm
Email stjohnshamlin@verizon.net follow us on facebook, linkedIn and twitter
Our free clothing event is this Wed., Feb 17th 2016 from 10:00 AM to 12 Noon AND 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM ALL ARE WELCOME! WE HAVE CLOTHING FOR EVERY MEMBER OF YOUR FAMILY FREE 2/17! (Shopping available in other departments)
Our address is 564 Easton Turnpike, Hamlin, PA 18427
Our phone # is 570-689-9260
FEB 2016 EVENTS @ ST. JOHN’S:
Feb. 2nd 9:30am Daughters of The King (DOK) Meets
Feb. 2nd 10:45am Prayer Group Meets
Feb. 7th 11:15am ish Pastoral Care meets in the Parish Hall
Feb. 9th 6:00pm Shrove Pancake Supper @ St. John’s–burn palms, bury Alleluias-donations accepted to cover costs
Feb. 10th noon Ash Wednesday Worship service with imposition of ashes @ Hemlock Grove United Methodist Church
Feb. 10th 7:00pm Ash Wednesday Worship Service with Eucharist and imposition of ashes at St. John’s Episcopal Church
Feb. 13th 9am-1pm Thrift Shoppe Open
Feb. 16th 9:30am Daughters of The King (DOK) Meets
Feb. 16th 10:45am Prayer Group Meets
Feb. 17th 10-noon & 5-7pm Free Winter Clothing Event
Feb. 27th 9am-1pm Thrift Shoppe Open
Feb. 29th Bev; Parish Administrator out of town; office will be closed today
Note: No Vestry meeting in Feb
Please Contact us anytime! Phone: 570-689-9260
Parish Office hours: Mon, Wed, Fri from 10am-3pm
Email stjohnshamlin@verizon.net
Please follow us on facebook, linkedIn and twitter
website: saintjohnhamlin.org
2016 ECUMENICAL LENTEN/HOLY WEEK WORSHIP SCHEDULE ~ ALL ARE WELCOME!
Tues, 9 Feb– 6pm- Shrove Pancake Supper – St. John’s Episcopal Church, Hamlin – burn palms, bury Alleluias – donations accepted to cover the cost of pancakes
Wed, 10 Feb– 12 noon* – Ecumenical Service with Imposition of Ashes at Hemlock Grove United Methodist Church, Greentown *for those who prefer not to travel during evening hours
Wed, 10 Feb– 7pm – Ecumenical Service with Eucharist and Imposition of Ashes at St. John’s, Hamlin
Sun, 14 Feb– 5pm- Soup Supper (2nd Sun of each month) at Moravian Church, Newfoundland; donations for food pantry happily accepted
Sun, 14 Feb- 1st Sun in Lent- 7pm – Ecumenical Service at Moravian Church, Newfoundland with Pr. Alison Grove preaching
Sun, 21 Feb- 2nd Sun in Lent- 7pm – Ecumenical Service at Moravian Church, Newfoundland with Fr. Ronald R. Miller preaching
Sun, 28 Feb- 3rd Sun in Lent- 7pm – Ecumenical Service at Hemlock Grove UMC, Greentown with Pr. Gregg Schafer preaching
Sun, 6 March- 4th Sun in Lent- 7pm – Ecumenical Service at St. John’s, Hamlin with Pr. Sarah Miller preaching
Sun, 13 March- 5pm – Soup Supper (2nd Sun of each month) at Moravian Church, Newfoundland; donations for food pantry happily accepted
Sun, 13 March-5th Sun in Lent- 7pm – Ecumenical Service at St. John’s, Hamlin – Pr.Hugh Miller preaching
Mon, 21 March- 7pm – Ecumenical Reading & Worship Service at Moravian Church, Newfoundland
Tues, 22 March– 11am – Chrism Mass at Cathedral Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem Bishop blesses oil, clergy renew ordination vows. All welcome, esp. those with ministries for the sick and teaching; lunch is provided
Tues, 22 March- 7pm – Ecumenical Reading & Worship Service with communion at Moravian Church, Newfoundland
Maundy Thurs, 24 March- 7pm – Ecumenical Service at St. John’s, Hamlin with Last Supper, Foot Washing & Stripping the Altar
Maundy Thurs, 24 March- 7pm – Ecumenical Reading & Worship Service with communion at Moravian Church, Newfoundland
Good Fri, 25 March– noon – Ecumenical observation of worship & reflection as each individual sees fit at Hemlock Grove UMC, Greentown
Good Fri, 25 March- 7pm – Ecumenical Reading & Worship Service with communion at Moravian Church, Newfoundland
Easter Vigil, Sat, 26 March– 8pm – Ecumenical Celebration of The Great Vigil of Easter at St. John’s, Hamlin with Pr. Gregg Schafer preaching
Easter Sunday, 27 March– 6:30am – Ecumenical Sunrise Celebration at Moravian Church
Easter Sunday Celebration, 27 March– 8am and 10am Ecumenical Masses at St. John’s with Easter Breakfast in our Parish Hall between services; join us for a delicious meal!
PLEASE JOIN US FOR SUNDAY WORSHIP AT 8AM AND 10AM. WE OFFER A FELLOWSHIP COFFEE HOUR AFTER 10AM SERVICE; HOPE YOU WILL JOIN US! +
JAN. 27, 2016: FREE CLOTHING GIVEAWAY HAPPENING NOW – FROM 10-NOON AND AGAIN FROM 5 – 7 PM TODAY…PLUSE OTHER DEPARTMENTS TO BROWSE AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OUR LOW, LOW PRICES.
We will have a Prayer Service in our sanctuary for Nancy Johnson tomorrow, Jan 16, 2016 at 2:00pm with light refreshments in our Parish Hall immediately following. Our prayers and condolences for her friends and family…God be ever near.
St. John’s Episcopal Church Events: Jan. 2016; Mass ~ Sundays at 8am & 10am: Fr. Ronald R. Miller
Jan 3rd 11:15ish Pastoral Care Committee Meeting
Jan 5th 9:30am Daughters of The King (DOK) Meets
Jan 5th 10:45am Prayer Group Meets
Jan 9th 9am-1pm Thrift Shoppe Open
Jan 1oth 11:15ishpm Vestry Meeting in Church Library; 2nd floor Train Sta.
Jan 13th 10-noon & 5-7pm Free Winter Clothing Event
Jan 19th 10:45am Prayer Group Meets
Jan 23th 9am-1pm Thrift Shoppe Open
Please contact us anytime! Phone: 570-689-9260
Parish Office hours: Mon, Wed, Fri from 10am-3pm
Email stjohnshamlin@verizon.net Please follow us on facebook, linkedIn and twitter
website: saintjohnhamlin.org
PLEASE, WORSHIP WITH US FOR THE CHRISTMAS SEASON:
Dec 24 10pm Candlelight Christmas Eve Mass
Dec 25 10am Christmas Day Mass ┼ Come, Let Us Adore Him
Dec 26 THRIFT SHOPPE CLOSED
St. John’s Episcopal Church Events; Dec 2015 Sunday: Mass at 8 and 10am; Fr. Ronald Miller
Dec 1 9:30am Daughters of the King meets in Parish Hall
Dec 1 10:45am Prayer Group meets in Parish Hall
Dec 5 9am-1pm Thrift Shoppe Open
Dec 6 11:15am Vestry Meets in Library/Music Room, 2nd Floor
Dec 12 THRIFT SHOPPE CLOSED; OPENS DEC 19TH (FREE CLOTHING DAY DEC 16TH)
Dec 12 1pm Black Bear Conservatory Women’s Chorus Christmas at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Hawley
Dec 13 10am Joann Brogan admitted into DOK during 10am Mass
Dec 13 3pm Ecumenical Service of Lessons & Carols, Moravian Love Feast, St. Lucy: followed by Potluck Soup Supper
Dec 15 10:45am Prayer Group meets in Parish Hall
Dec 16 10a-12p & 5-7p Free Clothing Event at Thrift Shoppe
Dec 19 9am-1pm Thrift Shoppe Open
Dec 19 9-11 am Annual Cookies Galore Event (Drop off deadline noon Dec 18th)
Dec 20 11:15am “Greening” of our church after Mass
Dec 24 10pm Candlelight Christmas Eve Mass
Dec 25 10am Christmas Day Mass ┼ Come, Let Us Adore Him
Dec 26 THRIFT SHOPPE CLOSED
The Community Thanksgiving Service will be held at 7 pm on Sunday, November 22nd, at the Hemlock Grove United Methodist Church. Pastors Gregg and Alison will speak and three other Methodist pastors will be invited to speak: Pastor Anthony Greco from LaAnna UMC and Pastors Hugh and Sarah Miller, who are retired and worship at St. John’s. It is suggested that each speaker limit his or her remarks to five minutes. Parishioners from each church will be asked to bring cookies for refreshments after the service. Everyone is asked to bring a non-perishable food item for the food pantry. The offering will be given to the Ecumenical Ministerial Fund. An invitation will be extended to the entire community to attend this service.
Our Cookies Galore Event will be Saturday, Dec. 19th from 9-11am this year. We always have tons of orders and walk-ins so I am asking if you could please bake a couple batches of Christmas style cookies and bring them to the Parish Hall or Office by Friday, Dec 18th at noon; enabling my helpers and I to organize the cookie varieties for the event. We always receive an abundance of chocolate chip cookies and peanut butter cookies so other varieties would be preferred, if possible. If you are not a baker, we could really use donations of currants, butter, walnuts, pecans, flour and sugar. We are grateful for any quantity you care to donate. You may bring donations to the church on Sunday mornings or to the Parish Office on Mon, Wed, or Fri from 10:30-2:30 please. Thank you for your continued support of our church family events! -Sandy Toy
ADVENT AND CHRISTMAS WORSHIP SCHEDULE- +ST. JOHN’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH+
Advent I – Sunday, 29 November – 8am & 10am Service – Blessing and Lighting of the Advent Wreath/Lighting of the Moravian Star
Advent II – Sunday, 6 December – 8am & 10am Masses
Advent III – Sunday, 13 December – St. Lucy Day – and then at 3pm – Ecumenical Service of Lessons & Carols with Moravian Lovefeast at St. John’s – followed by ecumenical pot-luck soup supper
Advent IV – Sunday, 20 December – 8am & 10am Masses
Christmas Eve – Thursday, 24 December – 10pm – Candlelight Mass
Christmas Day – Friday, 25 December – 10am – Come, Let Us Adore Him
First Sunday after Christmas – 27 December – 8am & 10am Masses
Due to the way the holidays will fall this year the Thrift Shoppe dates for November & December will be the first & third Saturdays, 9am-1pm, instead of the usual second and fourth. Free days will remain unchanged. So:
11/7 Open 9am-1pm 11/18 10am-12pm & 5pm-7pm – Free Clothing Event 11/21 Open 9am-1pm
12/5 Open 9am-1pm 12/16 10am-12pm & 5pm-7pm – Free Clothing Event 12/19 Open 9am-1pm
We will resume our usual schedule in January of the 2nd and 4th Saturdays from 9am-1pm. We are now accepting donations of winter clothing, boots & coats.
St. John’s Episcopal Church Events; Nov. 2015 Sunday: Mass at 8 and 10am; Fr. Ronald Miller
Nov. 1 Daylight Savings Time Ends 2:00am; Turn Clocks Back One Hour
Nov. 1 11:15 am Pastoral Committee Meets
Nov. 3 9:30am Daughters of the King meets in Parish Hall
Nov. 3 10:45am Prayer Group meets in Parish Hall
Nov. 3 Election Day
Nov. 7 9am-1pm Thrift Shoppe Open (Open the 1st and 3rd Saturdays for Nov. & Dec)
Nov. 8 11:15ish BP checks in Parish Hall with Judi; Potluck Luncheon to discuss Stewardship and review Parish Goals
Nov. 11 10:45am Prayer Group meets in Parish Hall
Nov. 11 God Bless our Veterans
Nov. 15 11:15ish Vestry Meets in Music Room/Library after 10am Mass
Nov. 17 10:45am Prayer Group meets in Parish Hall
Nov. 18 10-noon&5-7pm Free Clothing Event at Thrift Shoppe
Nov. 21 9am-1pm Thrift Shoppe Open (Open the 1st & 3rd Saturdays for Nov. & Dec.)
Nov. 22 7pm Ecumenical Community Thanksgiving Service @ Hemlock Grove UMC; please if possible, bring cookies to share after service and a non-perishable food item for food pantry
Nov. 26 ~~Thanksgiving Day~~ Thank our Lord for all our blessings!
Nov. 29 First Sunday of Advent
St. John’s Episcopal Church Events for Oct. 2015 – Sunday: Mass at 8 and 10am; Fr. Ronald R. Miller
Oct 2 & 3 9am 10/2-noon 10/3 – 144th Convention: Best Western Lehigh Valley Conference Center
Oct. 4 11:15 ish Pastoral Care Meets in Parish Hall
Oct. 6 9:30am Daughters of the King meets in Parish Hall
Oct. 6 10:45am Prayer Group meets in Parish Hall
Oct. 10 9am-1pm Thrift Shoppe Open
Oct. 14 10a-12p & 5-7p Free Clothing Event at Thrift Shoppe
Oct. 18 11:15 ish Free blood pressure checks in the Parish Hall coffee area w/Judi
Oct. 18 11:15 ish Vestry Meets in Library (new date/time from Oct-March)
Oct. 20 10:45am Prayer Group meets in Parish Hall
Oct. 24 9am-1pm Thrift Shoppe Open
Oct. 24 4-7pm Pork and Sauerkraut dinner in Parish hall – takeouts at 3:30pm
Oct 24 5pm Historic Preservation awards ceremony for Vaughn Dailey at
Wayne County Historical Society, 801 Main St.,H’Dale
Phone: 570-689-9260
Parish Office hours: Mon, Wed, Fri: 10am to 3pm
Website: saintjohnhamlin.org
Email: stjohnshamlin@verizon.net
Connect with us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter
www.faithstreet.com/church/st-johns-hamlin-pa
We are meeting at St. John’s parking lot at 12:30; we have 5+- drivers available…please meet here to catch a ride and leave some vehicles here. There are 2 parking lots available at the Covenant Presbyterian Church; there should be enough parking for everyone but carpooling is also a good choice:
Johannes Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem will be performed on Saturday, September 19, 2015 at 2:00pm at Covenant Presbyterian Church, 550 Madison Ave., Scranton, Pennsylvania in memory of our beloved Maestro James A. Simms. The choir will be composed of singers who sang under James’ direction at The Riverside Church and Trinity Church, Broadway and Wall St. in NYC and the Presbyterian Church of Westfield, NJ. Gifts in support of this concert may be made payable and sent to: Saint John’s Episcopal Church, PO Box 118, Hamlin, PA 18427 and noted James Simms Memorial Concert. Everyone is welcomed!
St. John’s Episcopal Church Events for Sept. 2015: Sunday: Mass at 8 and 10am Fr. Ronald Miller
Sept. 1 9:30am Daughters of the King meets in Parish Hall
Sept. 1 10:45am Prayer Group meets in Parish Hall
Sept. 6 11:15 am Free blood pressure checks in the Parish Hall coffee area
Sept. 6 11:15am No Pastoral Care Meeting
Sept. 7 Labor Day Parish Office closed
Sept. 11 NEVER FORGET
Sept. 12 9am-1pm Thrift Shoppe Open
Sept. 15 10:45am Prayer Group meets in Parish Hall
Sept. 16 10a-noon & 5-7p Free Clothing Event at Thrift Shoppe
Sept. 17 10am Work Day at Thrift Shoppe; Seasonal Clothing/Switching
Sept. 17 7pm Monthly meeting of Vestry in Parish Hall
Sept. 19 2pm Memorial concert in memory of Maestro James Simms: Brahms’ Requiem @ Covenant Presbyterian Church, Scranton
Sept. 26 9am-1pm Thrift Shoppe Open
St. John’s Episcopal Church Events for Aug, 2015 Sunday: Mass at 8 and 10am
Aug 2 11:30ish am Pastoral Care Group meeting in Parish hall/coffee area
Aug 4 9:30am Daughters of the King meets in Parish Hall
Aug 4 10:45am Prayer Group meets in Parish Hall
Aug 8 9am-1pm Thrift Shoppe Open
Aug 9 11:30ish am Blood Pressure Checks/consults in Parish Hall with Judi
Aug 12 10am-noon/5-7pm Free Summer Clothing Event & Dept. of Health; BP/consults
Aug 18 10:45am Prayer Group meets in Parish Hall
Aug 20 7:00pm Vestry meets in Parish Hall
Aug 22 9am-1pm Thrift Shoppe Open
Aug 30 1:30pm Ecumenical picnic @ Ace Pavilion; speak to Eileen Eddins for “what goodies to bring” ideas
Phone: 570-689-9260 Office hours: Mon, Wed, Fri. 10a-3p
Email stjohnshamlin@verizon.net Web Address: saintjohnhamlin.org
Check St. John’s out on FaithStreet.com
Join us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter
July, 2015 Events for St. John’s Episcopal Church; Sunday: Mass at 8am and 10am; Please join us for worship!
July 4 Thank God and our Veteran’s for our freedom!
July 7 9:30am Daughters of the King meets in Parish Hall
July 7 10:45am Prayer Group meets in Parish Hall
July 11 9am-1pm Thrift Shoppe Open
July 12 11:15ish Memorial Tree dedication with engraved leaves/Blood pressure screening in Parish Hall during Coffee and Fellowship
July 15 10-noon; 5-7pm Free Clothing Event @ Thrift Shoppe
July 16 7pm Vestry meets in Parish Hall
July 18 noon-8p Hall/Kitchen/Ace Pavilion area rental
July 21 10:45am Prayer Group meets in Parish Hall
July 25 9am-1pm Thrift Shoppe Open
St. John’s Episcopal Church Events for June, 2015
Sunday: Mass at 8 and 10am
June 2 9:30am Daughters of the King meets
June 2 10:45am Prayer Group meets in Parish Hall
June 7 11:15am Pastoral Care Committee meets in Parish Hall
June 13 9am-1pm Thrift Shoppe Open
June 14 11:15am Blood Pressure Checks in the Parish Hall with Judi
June 16 10:45am Prayer Group meets in Parish Hall
June 17 10-noon & 5-7p Free Clothing Event @ Thrift Shoppe
June 18 7pm Vestry meets in Parish Hall
June 27 9am-1pm Thrift Shoppe Open
June 28 10:00am Baptism of Roberta Margaret Gibbons during Mass
St. John’s Episcopal Church Events: May 2015
Mass ~ Sundays at 8am & 10am: Fr. Ronald R. Miller – Sunday School in Church after 10am Mass
May 3rd 11:30am Pastoral Care Committee meeting
May 5th 9:30am DOK meets
May 5th 10:45am Prayer Group Meets
May 9th 9am-1pm Thrift Shoppe Open
May 9th 8a-noon Salem Twp Bldg – Clean up day
May 13th 10-noon & 5-7:00pm Free Clothing Event @ St. John’s Thrift Shoppe
May 17th 11:30 Potluck Luncheon and Annual Meeting
May 19th 10:45am Prayer Group Meets
May 21st 7:00pm Vestry Meeting at Church
May 23rd 9am-1pm Thrift Shoppe Open
St. John’s Episcopal Church Events: April 2015
Mass ~ Sundays at 8am & 10am: Fr. Ronald R. Miller; Sunday School in Church after 10am Mass
April 1st 7:00pm Ecumenical Love feast @ Newf. Moravian Church
April 2nd 7:00pm Ecumenical Maundy Thurs. Service @ St. John’s
April 3rd 12:00pm Ecumenical Good Friday Observation @ Newfoundland Moravian Church w/ Prs. Schafer,
Miller & Grove preaching
April 4th 8:00pm Ecumenical Great Vigil of Easter Service @ St. John’s
April 5th 8 & 10am Ecumenical Easter Mass @ St. John’s – Alleluia! He is Risen! Join us for homemade Easter
Breakfast in the Parish Hall between services
April 7th 9:30am DOK meets
April 7th 10:45am Prayer Group Meets
April 11th 9am-1pm Thrift Shoppe Open
April 11th 4-7pm Annual Roast Beef Dinner
April 15th 10-noon & 5-6:30pm Free Clothing Event @ Thrift Shoppe
April 16th 7:00pm Vestry Meeting at Church
April 21st 10:45am Prayer Group Meets
April 24th 6:00pm Ehrhardt’s Rest.-Planning Session Dinner w/ Speaker: Dan Charney
April 25th 8:00am Spruce Lake Retreat-Planning Session Breakfast/Meeting
April 25th 9am-1pm Thrift Shoppe Open
Please Contact us anytime! Phone: 570-689-9260 Parish Office hours: Mon, Wed, Fri 10am-3pm
Email stjohnshamlin@verizon.net Please follow us on facebook, linkedIn and twitter website: saintjohnhamlin.org
March 2015 Events:
March 1st 11:30am Pastoral Care Meets
March 1st 6pm Pot luck supper @ Moravian Church – 2nd Sun in Lent
March 3rd 9:30am DOK meets
March 3rd 10:45am Prayer Group meets
March 8th 6pm Pot luck supper @ St. John’s – 3rd Sun in Lent
March 14th 9am-1pm Thrift Shoppe Open
March 15th 6pm Pot luck supper @ Hemlock Grove UMC – 4th Sun in Lent
March 17th 10:45am Prayer Group Meets
March 18th 10-noon & 5-6:30pm Free Winter Clothing Event
March 19th 7pm Vestry Meeting at Church
March 19th 11am Chrism Mass at Cathedral Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, Bishop blesses oil, clergy renew ordination vows. All welcome, esp. those w/ ministries for the sick and teaching; lunch served
March 22nd 6pm Pot luck supper @ Moravian Church – 5th Sun in Lent
March 28th 9am-1pm Thrift Shoppe Open
March 29th 6pm Pot luck supper @ St. John’s – Palm Sunday
2015 ECUMENICAL Lenten and Holy Week Schedule
St. John’s Episcopal Church Events: Feb 2015:
Mass ~ Sundays at 8am & 10am: Fr. Ronald R. Miller; Sunday School in Church after 10am Mass
Feb 3rd 9:30am Daughters of The King (DOK)
Feb 3rd 10:45am Prayer Group Meets
Feb 14th 9am-1pm Thrift Shoppe Open
Feb 17th 6pm Shrove pancake Supper @ St. John’s, burn palms from last year, bury Alleluias
Feb 18th 10-noon & 5-6:30pm – Free Winter Clothing Event
Feb 18th 7pm Ash Wednesday Service w/Imposition of Ashes
Feb 19th 7pm Vestry Meeting at Church
Feb 22nd 6pm 1st Sunday in Lent: Potluck Supper @ Hemlock Grove United Methodist Church
Feb 28th 9am-1pm Thrift Shoppe Open
March 1st 6pm 2nd Sunday in Lent: Potluck Supper @ Moravian Church
Please Contact us anytime! Phone: 570-689-9260 Parish Office hours: Mon, Wed, Fri 10am-3pm
Email stjohnshamlin@verizon.net
Please follow us on facebook, linkedIn and twitter
