Christmas Eve Celebration

Come join the St. John's family for a Christmas Eve mass at 8:00 pm. We look forward to seeing you at our celebration of the Nativity of our Savior Jesus Christ.

Welcome our new Rector and his wife

On December 15, 2010 we welcomed our new Rector and his wife into our church family. We are happy to announce and welcome the Reverend Leslie Ferguson and his with Kathy to our Parish family.






We were also able to participate in the celebration of his ordination to the priesthood at Christ and St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Norfolk, Virginia on December 18. We officially welcomed the Ferguson's to our family at Les' first Eucharist celebration at our historic church on the following day, December 19.

The St. John's Annual Crab Feast

The St. John's Annual Crab Feast
August 29th, 5pm in the Parish Hall

Come and enjoy a tidewater feast as we break open some soft shell crabs. This event is for the whole family. Don't worry if you have not opened a crab shell before, we have experienced crab pickers who can show you how it is done.

The cost of the event is $10 per person. There will also be hotdogs and other refreshments.

Contact the church office for more information 757-255-4168, or stjohns1755@verizon.net

Baptism on Sunday

On Sunday, August 1st, we celebrated the baptism of Brooks Burr Henderson, son of Burr and Jennifer Henderson. We welcome Brooks into the household of God.

Events on Sunday May 2nd

How the Vestry Works- Sun. May 2, 9am- an informative class led by Don Wittenauer and Fr. Earnest Graham. We will look at the roles of the vestry, and how to support and strengthen the ministry of the Church. The class is intended for anyone and everyone in the church.

Renewal of Marriage Vowes- will take place during the 10:30am worship Service.
The book of Common Prayer says that 'the bond and covenant of marriage signifies to us the mystery of the union between Christ and his Church.' We are strengthened in our faith when we learn to love another person in all aspects of life. At its best, the commitment made in marriage teaches us to love each other and ourselves in the best and worst circumstances of life, the way that God loves us. We are also blessed when we see others striving to live out that relationship.

Bob and Bernice Rogers are celebrating their 50th Wedding anniversary this month, and they have asked to renew their vows as part of the service. The renewal of wedding vowes will be open to any couples in the parish who would like to take the opportunity to reaffirm their vows. If you would like to be part of the service, please contact Fr. Earnest by Wed. Apr. 28th.

Bob and Bernice will be hosting a reception following the service, and hope that all will come.

Women of St. John's Spring Lunch

The Women of St. John's are having their annual Spring Lunch on April 28th, 11:30am at the home of Peg Hoagland, and all women in the church are invited. The lunch is a potluck event (and there is always a good selection of food.) Please contact Peg at 365-4362 to r.s.v.p.

Easter Services

St. John's has two Worship Services on Easter morning:
6:30am- the Ecumenical Easter Sunrise Service which is held outside by the water as the sun rises. It is a beautiful time of the morning and way to welcome the risen Christ at Easter. A reception for the community follows afterwards.

10:30 - Easter Worship Service with music and Holy Eucharist.

St. John's Church Profile

St. John's is in the search process to call a new rector to the parish. The following brochure describes the parish. For more information, please contact the Rev. Win Lewis, Canon to the Ordinary in the diocese of Southern Virginia. winat600@gmail.com, 757-213-3319.

Click on the images to see the pages at full size.

Lent Potluck Series 2010

This year's Lenten Wed. Evening Potluck Series is a joint effort of Episcopal Churches in Suffolk.
The theme is "The Bible and..." - Different speakers will engage contempory issues by helping to see scripture with new eyes; identifying themes and motifs that have always been in the background, but whose message and meaning help bring clarity to our own times.
Topics include:

• The Bible and Evolution
• The Bible and Economics
• The Bible and the Family
• The Bible and the Environment
• The Bible and Other Faiths

Where: St. Paul's Episcopal Church in downtown Suffolk, 213 North Main St.

When: Wed. Evenings in Lent, Potluck dinner begins at 6pm, the program starts at 6:45pm.

St. John's Women's Group Meets Wed.s at 10am

We are currently studying "Calm My Anxious Heart" by Linda Dillow. Our meetings are open to women of any age. We meet in the Parish Hall.

Here is the schedule of lessons:

Mar 10- Ch. 6 - Never Enough
Mar. 17 - Ch. 7 - A Faulty Focus
Mar. 24 - Ch. 8 - Worry is Like a Rocking Chair
Mar. 31 - Ch. 9 - Faith the Foundation
Apr. 7 - Ch. 10 Trusting God with the "What Ifs" (Holy Wed. Service follows)
Apr. 14 - Ch. 11- Trusting God with the "If Onlys"
Apr. 21 - Ch. 12 - "Trusting God with the "Whys"
Apr. 28 - Spring Luncheon

Meditation on 1 Corinthians 13

It happens around this time of year, the greeting card aisles turn pink. The cards, decked out in a rich variety of red hues, proclaim a message of love. Love is… Love is passion, romance, burning desire, a rush of emotions tumbling like the waters of a flood. Or, love is pleasant, a warm feeling for a friend, appreciation for a gift, a positive thought for another. Love can also be humorous, awkward, embarrassing, stressful, or in some cases, simply lacking. In short, the cards tell us that love is a multifaceted state of emotion.

The lesson from Paul’s letter to the Corinthians offers a different image of love.
“Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.” (1 Cor. 13: 4-8, NRSV translation)

This message sounds beautiful, even inspiring, but on closer examination, it paints a different picture than love found in the greeting cards. True love calls us to be patient when things do not go our way; to be kind even when others are insistent, or demanding. This kind of love deflates the ego, and leads us to be servants at heart, willing to make sacrifices for another’s good. This love requires strength, endurance, and a willingness to hold fast to hope, even in the darkest moments of life in relationship. Far from being an emotion, feeling or rush of hormones, true love is action. Love is hard work.

I believe the apostle Paul based his description of love on the character and actions of God, as they have been revealed in relation to God’s people Israel. Even before his conversion experience, Paul was a student of scripture, and the stories of God in scripture are of a God who is patient from generation to generation, long suffering, faithful, humble, generous, life giving, enduring and filled with hope. When Paul encountered the risen Christ, he experienced the full measure of his loving grace. He saw that hope fulfilled in person. Paul knew love in a different way.

When I look at the description of love in Corinthians, it is humbling. I am not sure I can give such love. I know I can’t. But when I look at it purely as a description of the way God loves -has loved and will continue to love- us, I see it differently. In this light, love ceases to be a burden. Love is a gift. It is not a gift that I can summon up by will power or determination, but a simple grace flowing from God. The challenge for any of us is not to give love out of our own limited resources, but to allow the eternal love of God to fill our hearts and our lives so that we may overflow with the love of God- and simply love.


The Rev. Earnest Graham
St. John’s Episcopal Church
Suffolk VA
Jan. 31, 2010

Snow alert

The Sunday Worship for today, Jan. 31st has been cancelled due to the snow.
We wish you all a safe, warm day today. Fr. Earnest will post his meditation on the website today.
Blessings and peace to you.

Upcoming Events: Pancake Supper

The traditional Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper is coming.

Tuesday Feb. 16th, 5pm-7pm

Come enjoy a meal cooked by someone else for a change. Suggested donation is $5/person, $15 for families. More information to come.

Selection

Selecting greens

History of St. John's

For nearly four centuries, St. John's Church has sought to lead women and men in expressing the Christian Spirit. It continues to be an active Episcopal Church, opening its doors to all peoples.

The roots of St. John's Church go back to the earliest English settlements along the Nansemond River. The present church, constructed in 1755, is the third on the site. Its walls are solid brick, twenty-five inches thick. The center aisle is paved with blocks of limestone from England.

The Chancel, installed in the 1880's has elaborate wainscoting and carvings. The colored glass windows date from the same period.

St. John's Church has in its possession an original eighteenth century Vestry Book, and Bible.

In 1728, St. John's joined the Glebe Church, Driver, to form Suffolk Parish. This association continued until March 1, 1998, when each congregation became an independant Parish.On Sundays and Holy Days the congregation of St. John's Church gathers for worship. Visitors are warmly invited to worship and participate in this active congregation.

Directions to St. John's

St. John's is located at 828 King's Highway, Suffolk, VA 23432- in the village of Chuckatuck.

From Route 10-
turn on to King's Highway going in the direction of the river.There is a sign that says to Hobson. Travel on King's Highway.There will be a fork in the road at (Crittendon),stay right and continue on King's Highway. St. John's will be a little further down the road, on the left.

From Route 17 -
Turn onto Crittendon Road, and follow it to the end, where it meets King's Highway.
Turn Left onto King's Highway. St. John's is a short distance along the road, to the left.