St. John's Episcopal Church, Tuckahoe, NY

Summer Hours:

Holy Eucharist: 9:00 AM on Sunday

Coffee Hour: After 9:00 worship in the downstairs room below the parish hall

Office Hours: 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM, Monday - Thursday

Summer Hours

• Holy Eucharist at 9 AM Beginning 6/22 until 9/21

For Those We Love

Every time I think of you, I thank God, and pray for you with prayers of joy.
For God began a good work in you, and will complete that work in years to come. My prayer for you now is this: that your love grow richer in knowledge and insight of every kind, that you learn by experience what really matters, that on the day you appear before God, God welcome you as a flawless gift, a rich harvest of praise, through Jesus Christ. Amen.

June 2008 Calendar

Office hours are Monday - Thursday 9 AM - 1:00 PM.

Please note that because of summer vacations, the office may be closed at times. It is best to call ahead !

Sunday Liturgies: 6/1; 6/8 and 6/15 Holy Eucharist at 8:30 AM & 10 AM. 6/22 and 6/29 Holy Eucharist at 9 AM.

On 6/15 - Father's Day at the 10 AM: Children sing in church and it is the last time all our choirs sing for the summer.

à Holy Eucharist at 9 AM Beginning 6/22 until 9/21ß

MEETINGS & EVENTS

There will be a Fair Committee meeting on Sunday, June 1 at Coffee Hour after the 10 AM. Eileen Spencer has volunteered to be the Chairperson of the Fair. Those who have worked on the fair in the past and those who are interested (bring your ideas!) are encouraged to attend this initial planning meeting!

2nd Annual Kick-a-thon to Cure Juvenile Diabetes

Saturday, June 7, 2-4PM Team Tres, the family team of the Clark's, along with Tiger Schulmann's Mixed Martial Arts Karate School, will be hosting the 2nd annual Kick-a-thon to Cure Juvenile Diabetes. It will be held in the parking area of the school, 2500-10 Central Avenue at the Best Buy Shopping Plaza (near Pathmark). Please sponsor children of our parish: Vincent Clark, Stephanie Clark, Marisol Vega, or Nia Mendez for this great event. The day of there will also be 50/50 and other raffles so please stop by!

Dinner at Scalini's

Saturday, 6/21 in Bronxville, 3:30 PM -5:30 PM. FUNd Raising Dinner, $38 pp. All Welcome ! Sign up sheet in back of church or call parish office at 779-7024. More details in this issue.

Children’s Choirs Wednesdays 6/4 & 6/11 only: Angels 4:00 PM. Choristers 4:30 PM. Junior Youth 5:00 PM. Senior Youth 5:45 PM.

Senior Choir: 6/1 & 6/8 only before and after the 10 AM service.

Youth Group: Wednesdays 6/4 & 6/11 at 6:30 - 7:45 PM.

Confirmation Class: 6/5 & 6/12 at 6:00 PM.

Vestry Meeting: Tuesday, 6/10 at 7:30 PM.

LOOKING AHEAD : OFFICE and PARISH HOUSE CLOSED on Friday, July 4

 

Luiz Coelho, a seminarian from the Diocese of Rio de Janero, writes in the Daily Episcopalian:

It is necessary to reclaim the “spirituality of sweet tea” in our world: the long talks, the hugs, the common meals and warm conversations. Yes, the world has changed, and the Church inevitably has to adapt to a fast-paced society. However, the essence of Christian community life cannot change. Some regard it as the strongest aspect as the early Christians’ most impressible aspect and wherever it still persists, the Church is strong and active.

Thanks be to God

for Jean Justo, Helen Vandeveer and Gale Swenson who worked many hours in advance of the Red Door Sale and for all who helped the day of : We raised $1028!

for Dean Davis who made and sent a beautiful quilt which will be auctioned in the Fall

for the success of our efforts to raise enough money to buy a cow for our sister parish in Chibelala, Tanzania in honor of our mothers for Mother's Day. Sophia Montero and Eileen Spencer headed up that effort.

for all who showed up for Work Day on 5/17 and painted and planted to beautify our property

for the baptism of Zachary Sherman on 5/17

for a long and loving life for Hazel Grubiak who passed on to greater life on May 18

 

For all the human handiwork it displays, the Bible remains a peculiarly holy book. I cannot think of any other text that has such authority over me, interpreting me faster than I can interpret it. It speaks to me not with the stuffy voice of some mummified sage but with the fresh, lively tones of someone who knows what happened to me an hour ago.

• Barbara Brown Taylor, from "The Preaching Life"
• Hat tip to God, Christ: Questions & Faith

DINNER AT SCALINI'S IN BRONXVILLE

Our next fundraising dinner is at Scalini's, Pondfield Road in Bronxville on Saturday, 6/21, 3:30 PM -5:30 PM . If it's a nice day, there is outdoor seating for dinner of before dinner wine/drinks.

Menu
Appetizer: Choice of Salad or Napoleon of Vegetables w/Goat Cheese and Pesto

Dinner: Choice of Pollo Salmbocca, Salmone Alforno, Tapenade over Peperonata, Basil Oil
Skirt Steak w/Green Beans, Tomato and Red Onion Salad

Dessert: Biscotti
Coffee, Tea.

Our price $38 pp, includes gratutity

House wine (red and white) will be available for $6.00 per glass.

See Dan or Marianne Porter or Rick Stevenson for more information.

Sign up sheet is in back of church or you may call the office 779 -7024.

Staff Changes

As happens every once in a while we have had some staff changes. The first was our Nursery School Treasurer, Lisa Barile, and her replacement, Jackie Flynn, both of whom left after receiving full time job offers. Our new school Treasurer is Anna Georgiovdakis, whom we have known a long while as a mother in our school and very active person on the Parents' Committee.

Marian Harris, teacher in the morning 4 year old classroom, has decided to retire, after being with us for 9 years (a job she took after her tenure as Director of the Nursery School at Christ the King Lutheran Church on Crisfield St.) We are in the process of hiring a new teacher for that position.

Finally, and most significantly for the parish, Cealy Sheahan, our Parish Administrator resigned from the position after 8 years. The good news is she will still be working in our school as she has for over 10 years now ! She will be missed by all who came in or called the office, and by yours truly, as she was the epitome of helpfulness and kindness. Jessie Slater is the Interim Parish Administrator.

We wish Lisa, Jackie, Marian and Cealy all the best in their future plans. We could not have been served by better or more dedicated people. - Mo. Susanna +

Letter from the Rector

June 2008

Dear People of God,

June is a month of transitions. We are going from spring to summer and (hopefully) to a period of somewhat more relaxed living- at least during vacation. Students of all ages are graduating and moving on to other schools or work. Lots of people move this time of year as well. While these changes are joyful, they also involve loss and adjustment. All of this, including our celebratory events, can cause anxiety and stress and make relaxing even harder.

In the Gospel reading for Sunday, May 25, Jesus teaches us not be anxious about our food, clothing or other things. Worrying does not add an hour to our lives, Jesus reminds us. I am sure many would say it actually subtracts years. In any case, it makes life less wonderful. Yet, we remain anxious about many things.

Jesus seeks to heal us of our preoccupation and anxiety by teaching us to trust God. He refocuses our attention on the goodness of God and the loving hand we see in creation. It is not an invitation to be inert or indifferent, but to realize that when we focus on the life of the kingdom, and seek God's righteousness, our needs and wants take their proper place and are more easily satisfied.

A good practice might be, when have sought the kingdom of God, and done what we can, and still find ourselves worried, to ask this question: Can't I trust God with this?

I hope this summer brings you refreshment and re-creation.

Faithfully,

Mo. Susanna +

LETTER FROM OUR DIOCESAN BISHOP: The Rt. Rev. Mark S. Sisk

May 22, 2008

Dear People of the Diocese of New York,

These recent weeks we have been inundated with news of natural catastrophes in Myanmar and China. In the first instance, that of Myanmar, the government in place has been shamefully unresponsive to enormous human need and refused the hand of help offered by others. In the second instance, that of China, not only has the government itself responded quickly, it has welcomed the aid offered by other countries and agencies.

It is my hope and expectation that all across the diocese our parishes have been offering prayers for the welfare of those who have been so grievously injured by these disasters, courage for those who have offered help, endurance for those who have survived, and for an abiding sense of God's loving presence for all.

Now that enough time has passed for the channels of relief to become clarified, the moment has come for us to offer material assistance. Happily, Episcopal Relief and Development is well prepared to offer that help. I encourage every parish, every individual, to make their own offering and send those funds directly to ERD at P.O. Box 7058, Merrifield, VA 22116-7058, or to telephone ERD at 1-800-334-7626, ext. 5129.

It may be of interest to you to know that Elyn McGinnis is a priest of the Diocese of New York who serves in Beijing. She has set up a "blog" (www.elynsjournal.com) to share her perspective on developments there. It is my hope that we will be as generous with our gifts, as we have been with our prayers.

Faithfully yours,

+Mark