Brothers and Sisters,
Happy Feast!
Father Jeremiah Phillips, the priest of our sister parish, St Sophia in Dripping Springs, has let us know that they will be celebrating their feast day this week. On Monday, September 16, Great Vespers will be offered at 6pm, and on Tuesday, September 17, Orthros and Divine Liturgy will begin at 9am.
Our Calendar
Fasting Days
Wednesday, September 18 and Friday, September 20
Daily Services
Monday, September 9--Friday, September 13, Orthros 5am and Vespers, 5pm (but there will not be daily vespers on Monday, Sept 16; also, if you wish to attend the daily services, it’s always a good idea to check the day before to make sure the services will be offered).
Fr. Andrew, Seth Hart, and Matthew Groh and many other folks continue to broadcast daily readings from spiritual books online. They are now back to reading “The Ethics of Beauty” by Dr Timothy Patitsas. The schedule is as follows: M-F at 12pm.
Also, our online team will now be reading the Daily Synaxarion on Discord. Just look for this channel: #synaxarion
Tuesday, September 17
Orthodoxy 101 7pm; you can also access the group on Discord
Wednesday, September 18
Fall Theological Seminar 7pm; you can also access the group on Discord
Thursday, September 19
The Bible Study, Old Testament Edition 7pm; you can access this group on Discord
Saturday, September 21
St Thomas School 4pm
Great Vespers 6pm
Sunday, September 22
First Sunday of St Luke
Orthros 8am
Divine Liturgy 10am
Fellowship Hour Noon
Tuesday, September 24
Parish Council Meeting 7pm
Orthodoxy 101 7pm; you can also access the group on Discord
Wednesday, September 25
Fall Theological Seminar 7pm; you can also access the group on Discord
Thursday, September 26
The Bible Study, New Testament Edition 7pm; you can access this group on Discord
St Thomas School
On Saturday, September 21, St Thomas School will be hosting our next Catechumen Cohort Check-In. This session is designed for all the catechumens, their sponsors, and for everyone is in interested in becoming a catechumen or a sponsor. We will be looking at the calendar together, answering everyone’s questions, and generally just getting a read on how everyone is progressing on their journey to full reception in the Church. Please plan on joining us at 4pm in the Parish House.
Our Fall Theological Seminar
Our Fall Theological Seminar is in full swing. We’re reading a book by a Protestant pastor; the book is called Stability, and it’s available in the bookstore. But we’re not only going to be talking about the spiritual advantages—and challenges—of sticking it out in a particular community, we’re also going to be talking with folks in our parish who have done just that. Below is the schedule for the readings and the interviews, but plan now to join us in the parish house at 7pm each Wednesday evening through the start of Nativity Lent--and, while we will have an online option available for those folks who live at a distance, let’s not forget that the conversation is always richer and more meaningful if you are actually present.
Sept 18 Reading Assignment: Chapter 1. Stability and God. Guests: Rob and Becky T.
Sept 25 Reading Assignment: Chapter 2. Stability and Self. Guests: Matt and Valerie G.
Oct 2 Reading Assignment: Chapter 3. Stability and Relationships Guest: Rick K.
Oct 9 Reading Assignment: Chapter 4. Stability and Place. Guests: Jerry and Maggie B.
Oct 16 Reading Assignment: Chapter 5. Stability and Change. Guests: Chris and Sarah S.
Oct 23 Reading Assignment: Chapter 6. Practices of Stability. Guest: Baker G.
Oct 30 Reading Assignment: Chapter 7. Where Do We Stay From Here? p 125-134. Guest: Mary K.
Nov 6 Reading Assignment: Chapter 7. Where Do We Stay From Here? p 134-148. Guests: John and Lindsey B.
Nov 13 Conclusion: The Final Stability
Coming Up
Sunday, September 29, will be the fifth Sunday in the month, and, whenever there is a fifth Sunday, we do two things: We have a potluck during Fellowship Hour, and we enjoy live music. Of course, potlucks always work better when we all actually bring food, so please plan on bringing enough for your family and some to share, and that way, we should be sure and have plenty. And, speaking of planning ahead, that Maven of All Things Musical, Rigel T., has put together a great lineup for our enjoyment. Here are the folks who will be playing on that Sunday (and, if you’d like to get into the mix, just get in touch with Rigel):
St. Kassiani String Quartet (Sara H. and friends)
Cameron C.
Anna D.
Unofficial St. John's Jam Band
Also, the Burial Society will be having a picnic at the memorial garden in front of the Long Hall during Fellowship Hour on September 29th. Come and eat with the group while they pray together and remember our departed loved ones. Learn who is eligible for a stone in the memorial garden, and, if you are remembering a loved one, we’d love it if you’d share their story with us!
Our Moment of Grace and Courtesy
Every week, our offering bowl is full of checks that adults place there--and we are grateful for each and every one of those checks. But the bowl should also be rattling with the change and overflowing with the bills that children and young people place there--because that's how we are going to teach them about generosity and stewardship. So, parents and grandparents, if you aren't already doing so, please provide your children and young people with money that they can place in the offering bowl; it's an important part of their participation in the Divine Liturgy, and it's how they are going to learn about the joys of giving.
Capital Campaign Countdown Column
Whatever is obtained as a result of long and persistent prayer will remain.
-St John Climacus
We are now well into the three year pledge portion of our capital campaign, so please go ahead and record your commitment on REALM. If you questions about how to do that, just contact Arun Jacob or Father Andrew Wilson. If you have questions about the project itself, please read through the FAQ that is attached to this newsletter, but, to help us get the most out of this historic effort, this week’s Countdown Column is an update on the pledge portion of the campaign from Father Aidan:
We started collecting our Three Year Pledges for the Capital Campaign on St Eanswythe's Feast Day, August 31. Since that time, a number of folks have asked how that effort is going, and the exciting answer is, "Thanks to your generosity and the intercessions of our patroness, really well!" We're not going to release any figures just yet, because even though sixty-one families and individuals have filled out pledges on Realm, there are still a number of folks that haven't been able to use that platform because of their particular financial circumstances, and we need to coordinate all that with our own Finance Team.
So, while we deeply appreciate everyone who has thus far filled out a pledge, we're going to wait just a bit longer to announce the overall totals. As we've previously noted, our hope is that we will have the project wrapped up by the end of October, because, in November, Father Andrew Wilson will be traveling to Folkestone for the Installation of St Eanswythe's Relics in the new reliquary that we helped purchase. We want that trip to be a Pilgrimage of Gratitude, and we want Father Andrew to share the good news of your faithfulness with our Anglican sisters and brothers in the United Kingdom.
In the meantime, we also need to be thinking about our Annual Budget Campaign. That effort is going to be happening a little later than usual because we've been so busy with the Three Year Pledges. But we still have to pay all the regular bills, so it's important that we all be watching for that call to log, once more, on to Realm and fill out a commitment for the 2025 Parish Budget. A copy of the 2025 budget will be included in upcoming editions of The Happy Priest, and, just as we do every year, the Finance Folks will make themselves available during Fellowship Hour for several weeks to answer any and all questions you might have.
So, thanks to all of you for your generous gifts! Keep reading The Akathist for a New Temple and keep watching this space for updates and information.
an unworthy priest
aidan