December 2022
Spirit of the Eagle
St. John the Evangelist ACC
Spiritual Tidbits & Rector’s Reflections for
December 2022 from Father Tim
Advent has arrived along with a new church year. Now we anticipate the star of Bethlehem and await the incarnation of the Word made flesh. This December, in addition to the Sundays in Advent, other notable Feast Days are the Conception, Blessed Virgin Mary (8th), the Ember Days in Advent (14th, 16th, & 17th), S. Thomas, Apostle & Martyr (21st), the Vigil of the Nativity (24th), the Nativity of our Lord (25th), S. Stephen, Protomartyr (26th), S. John the Evangelist (27th and our Patronal Saint), and the Holy Innocents (28th). Here is a little tidbit about the Nativity of our Lord, or the Incarnation of Jesus Christ. What is the Incarnation important? The term Incarnation is of Latin origin, and it means “becoming in flesh.” While the word Incarnation is not found in Sacred Scripture, the doctrine of the Incarnation certainly conveys scriptural truth. The Christian doctrine of the Incarnation teaches that the Eternal Word, the Second Person of the Trinity, without diminishing His deity, took upon Himself a fully human nature. This doctrine implies that a full and undiminished divine nature as well as a full and perfect human nature were united in Jesus of Nazareth. According to the Bible, Jesus Christ is God the Son, in human flesh. Since Jesus Christ is the center of Christian doctrine and truth, His identity is of unequaled importance. The doctrine of the Incarnation which reveals His identity is the foundation on which all of Christian doctrine is built, and can be seen when analyzing the central tenets of our historic faith. For instance, God’s existence: without the Incarnation, talking about or knowing God personally is mere speculation. The Trinity: the other two members of the Trinity (Father and Holy Ghost) are only really understood and appreciated in light of the person and nature of Christ. Atonement: only Jesus Christ, who is the God-man, is able to reconcile a holy God with sinful mankind. Resurrection: a bodily resurrection which conquers death is only possible for the God-man. Justification: our state before God rests totally in our faith (personal trust) in the person and work of Jesus Christ. The doctrine of the Incarnation touches and affects virtually every single area of Christian theology. Changing or distorting the identity of Christ destroys the very essence of the Christian faith. I pray the Christ-child is the center of your Christmas season. ~ Father Tim
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Is there someone you know who needs to know God personally? December is a mystical month to invite family or a friend to church to experience the Eternal Word so they can begin their own pilgrimage of faith. Please invite someone to St. John’s this Advent and coming Christmastide Season. Give them the coming Christ-child, the Gift of gifts. ~ Father Tim
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Biblical prophecy provides some of the greatest encouragement and hope available to us today. Just as the Old Testament is saturated with prophecies concerning Christ’s first advent, so both testaments are filled with references to the second coming of Christ. One scholar has estimated that there are 1,845 references to Christ’s second coming in the Old Testament, where 17 books give it prominence. In the 260 chapters of the New Testament, there are 318 references to the second advent of Christ – an amazing 1 out of every 30 verses. Twenty-three of the 27 New Testament books refer to this great event. For every prophecy in the Bible concerning Christ’s first advent, there are 8 which look forward to His second! ~ Unknown Author
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Did you know?
Did you know Saint John’s made a charitable Thanksgiving gift to the Dayton, KY Family Resource Center? Did you know we have a new Growth Committee (see Brian Miller)? Did you know we repaired and sealed the concrete ramp in preparation for the coming winter? Did you know that Wednesday Evening Prayer (6:30 PM) and a small meal afterwards has begun once again? Did you know three people completed our Fall Catechism – Inquirer’s Class and will receive the Sacrament of Confirmation on the 18th? Did you know we now have an ‘Events’ page on our website?
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St. John December Ordo Kalendar
Sunday, the 4th of December, at 10:30 AM, Advent II, St. Nicholas visit!
Wednesday, the 7th of December at 6:30 PM, Evening Prayer
Sunday, the 11th of December at 10:30 AM, Advent III
Wednesday, the 14th of December at 6:30 PM, Evening Prayer
Sunday, the 18th of Dec. at 10:30 AM, Advent IV, Bishop Starks visit!
Wednesday, the 21st of December, at 6:30 PM, S. Thomas, AP.M. Mass
Saturday, the 24th of December at 4:30 PM, Nine Lessons and Carols
Saturday, the 24th of December at 5:30 PM, Christmas Eve Mass
Sunday, the 25th of December, at 10:30 AM, Nativity of our Lord
Wednesday, the 28th of December, at 6:30 PM, Evening Prayer
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Greetings! For those of you who are interested in learning the hymns we sing during Mass to The Hymnal 1940 on your own, I offer the following link https://musescore.com/user/55309044/sets. If you follow the link, you’ll be taken to a webpage where you may rehearse/enjoy the hymn that we are preparing for any given Sunday during the year.
Of course, you are not limited to the melody, but wish to work on parts for St. John The Evangelist’s future choir (hint-hint), then please, by all means, do. For those who wish to collaborate in editing/presenting to the world The Hymnal 1940 and its’ hymns in a concise and professional manner that currently doesn’t exist, please contact me at cschaljo@gmail.com. I am looking for those who wish to find errors and/or add to the lyrics, music, and information that will help create a lasting legacy for this liturgical music as found in the 1940 hymnal we utilize. ~ Chris Schaljo
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If there is any truth in Scripture at all, this is true – that those who stubbornly refuse to submit to the Gospel, and to love and obey Jesus Christ incur at the Last Advent an infinite and irreparable loss. They pass into a night on which no morning dawns. ~ James Denny, 1856-1917, Scottish Theologian & Preacher
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Saint Nicholas and Bishop’s visit 2022
Saint Nicholas will visit after Mass on the 4th of December. This is a beautiful Sunday to bring small children we are blessed with in our lives, both family and extended family. It gives them the opportunity to ask questions and learn about the real Saint Nicholas instead of the secular world’s Santa Claus. Please make an effort to invite all the little ones you know. Also, the 18th of December is Bishop Stark’s official visit. We wanted to begin a tradition of having his visit as close to our Patronal Saint day as possible. Saint John, Apostle & Evangelist, always falls on the 27th of December, two days after Christmas, so the 18th seemed to be the best choice. We have three wonderful individuals, Jessica Clark, Alyssa Maycock, and Kyle Maycock, who have studied a lot of material in preparation for the Holy Sacrament of Confirmation. Please be sure to mark your calendars for this important Sunday, and come celebrate with the Bishop and the Confirmands! ~ Father Tim
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December Birthdays & Anniversaries
Coraline Parker Bock – Birthday – December 3
Jim Barnett – Birthday – December 3
Fr. Timothy Butler – Birthday – December 4
Paige Bock – Birthday – December 17
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Non-Christians seem to think that the Incarnation implies some particular merit or excellence in humanity. But of course it implies just the reverse: a particular demerit and depravity. No creature that deserved Redemption would need to be redeemed. They that are whole need not the physician. Christ died for men precisely because men are not worth dying for; to make them worth it. ~ C.S. Lewis, 1898-1963, British Writer and Anglican Lay Theologian
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The moment in and out of time,
The distraction fit, lost in a shaft of sunlight,
The waterfall, or music heard so deeply
That it is not heard at all, but you are the music
While the music lasts
These are only hints and guesses
Hints followed by guesses;
and the rest is prayer, observance, discipline, thought and action.
The hint half guessed, the gift half understood, is Incarnation.
~ T. S. Eliot, 1888-1965, poet, essayist, publisher, playwright, literary critic, editor, and Anglo-Catholic.
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The Heavenly and Earthly Trinities, by Murillo, c.1677
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The seeking of Jesus Christ, and the quest for chivalry combined, lead directly to one place only: Anglican-Catholicism. Courage, honor, courtesy, justice, and a readiness to help and defend the weak and the poor. Welcome to the Anglican Catholic Church. ~ Father Timothy Butler