Fall 2017 Page 1

St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church, Ivy 2017 Newsletter

The Power of Prayer

The Rev. Emily Rowell Brown

The start of September is almost

like another January 1. Whether you

have children or not, whether you

follow the school calendar or not, the

rest of the world changes its rhythm.

Calendars fill up, sports and TV

programming resumes, and many

people make a new batch of

resolutions. In that spirit, then, I

would like to challenge us all to

deepen our prayer practices this fall.

The other Sunday I preached about

the difference a small thing like prayer

can make when the world’s problems

seem so big. This summer has thrown

us challenge after challenge:

white supremacy rallies in

Charlottesville and other

cities, violent protests, ex-

treme natural disasters caus-

ing unprecedented destruc-

tion. We can find many rea-

sons to despair! Yet Jesus

asks us not to retreat when times get

hard but to continue to shower

others with God’s love. We cannot

love others well, however, if we have

not attended to our own relationship

with God.

Which brings me back to my

challenge--specifically, the prayer

challenge. You will find 30

suggestions for different ways to pray,

(pgs 5 & 6) and I hope some or many of

them enrich your spirituality. You may

have heard before of vertical and hori-

zontal relationships--the vertical rela-

tionship is the one between each of us

and God, and the horizontal relation-

ship is the one we have other people

here on this earth. Both are

fundamental to our walk as Christians.

Through prayer, we pour into the

vertical relationship so that our

horizontal relationships may be

strengthened.

As Bishop Curry reminded us

in his recent visit, we look to

Jesus as our guide in all that we

do. He is our way going

forward.

So let’s spend some extra time

listening and talking to God this fall--

with each other and alone. We can

heed those familiar and comforting

words uttered so often in the Episcopal

Church: Let us pray.

Every Blessing,

Emily

(Continued on page 8)

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Church Leadership

2017 Vestry The Rev. Emily Rowell Brown

Bettie Hutcherson, Sr. Warden

Jeff Sprouse, Jr. Warden Kevin Hensley

Ed Strange June Tate

Activities/Altar Guild Nancy Sprouse

Secretary, Treasurer

Michelle Sprouse

Sunday School Tracy Strange

Youth Director

Bettie Hutcherson

Organists Carlton Dickerson

Bulletins, June Tate

Newsletters, June Tate

Cemetery, Jeff Sprouse

Flowers, Bettie Hutcherson

Hospitality, Bettie Hutcherson

Web Site Coordinator

The Rev. Emily Rowell Brown

Facebook Coordinators The Rev. Emily Rowell Brown

June Tate

ECW June Tate, President

Bettie Hutcherson, Sec./Treas.

Senior Warden’s Report Bettie Hutcherson

Over the years and most recently as visitors and friends have crossed my path, I have told them that “St. John the Baptist may be small, but we are mighty”. All you have to do is look around and you will see our parishioners doing all they can to serve God and our church.

God can use you no matter what age you are. Use the gifts you have been given to encourage others you come in contact with. Extend and lend a helping hand to others along their path.

We are all humble servants and equipped with various gifts and talents. Sometimes we consider what we do to be so small we don’t even know the impact it has on our community.

Our church pews are not filled (as we would like them to be) on Sunday morning, however, we have a faithful following of persons that come seeking a greater knowledge of God. Size is not always a measure of success. Bigger is not always better.

Be an inspiration to all persons you meet. Lead by your

example. You may be small, but you are “mighty”.

Bettie

Episcopal Church Women’s Report Bettie Hutcherson, Treasurer

The Episcopal Church Women of St. John the Baptist are

always working behind the scenes to support our church and

community. Most recently we helped with the yard sale to finish

paying for our new, beautiful road sign. Our thanks go out to our

junior warden, Jeff Sprouse for getting this sign ordered and

installed. It is amazing.

We are looking forward to our annual Holiday Bazaar. The bazaar will be held on Saturday, December 2, 2017, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. If you could contribute any homemade or hand-crafted items, we would be most appreciative.

We invite you to come join us on the day of the bazaar. Come shop with us or just spend the day in fellowship with us. Our thanks for your continued support.

Bettie

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Sunday School Report Tracy Strange, Director

The Saint John’s Sunday school wrapped up the summer with an overnight VBS. This year’s theme was “Camp Out Getting S’more of Jesus”. At Camp Out VBS, we trekked through an outdoor adventure celebrating Jesus as the Light of the World! We may have eaten a few S’mores too…

A few very brave folks volunteered to help out to make the event a success. Thank you to Kevin, Ed, and Emily for pitching in. I could not have pulled it off without you.

Our fall plans are to focus on prayer and becoming closer to the Lord. I have several activities and crafts lined up to share with the kids. There is also a 500 piece COBI Noah’s Ark under construction in the parish hall. Liam is overseeing its construction. Please stop by to check on the progress.

As we begin our new year, I invite you to share any questions, concerns, or ideas that you may have with me.

Respectfully submitted, Tracy Strange

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Paul Freeman Fisk April 7, 1928 — May 15, 2017

Robert Lee (Bobby) Thomas Sr. September 19, 1940 — September 2, 2017

October 4 David Wayland 8 Eric & Tracey McFarlane 9 Karen Hutcherson-Douglas 11 Chris Kinney & Kimberley Barker 17 Lauren Sprouse Wood 24 Ethan Williams 29 Sherri Gibson 30 Bill & Faye Williams

November 2 Gary Stevens 6 Allen Miller 8 Tamra Harrison-Kirschnick 8 Haley Crawford 8 Hunter Loose 8 Sonny Sprouse 12 Justin Gibson 25 Bettie Hutcherson 26 Robert Harrison

December 5 Bill Williams 6 Tracey McFarlane 9 Dale Kingrea 9 Nancy Sprouse 13 Howard Morris 13 Kimberley Barker 14 Lindsay McFarlane

Sunday October 1st

Please join us for St. John’s 127th year celebration!

Our Vicar Mother Emily Rowell Brown will celebrate her first anniversary with us.

The hymns will be old favorites that everyone knows.

Of course, the wonderful food that St. John’s is known for will be served for lunch. Please bring a salad, side dish, or dessert

to share!

We are looking forward to seeing as many of our church fami-ly as can come, and please bring family and friends with you!

Fall 2017 Page 5

Invigorate Your Prayer Life!

Prayer Challenge: Try each at least once this fall. See what you think!

1. Pray with silence. Say nothing. Listen to God. 2. Read a passage of scripture. Pray the words. 3. Light a candle and be still. 4. Pray with your body: walk, breathe, stretch. 5. Pray while in the car. 6. Pray next time you are waiting in line for the person in front of you. 7. At your next meal, pray for all involved in bringing the food to you: the farmers, the trucker drivers, the grocers, the chefs. 8. Pray with your animal companion. Thank God for the ways creatures enrich your life. 9. When you read the news, pray for all those featured. 10. Pray with someone: a friend, a spouse, a fellow church member. 11. Memorize a meditative phrase or passage of scripture to repeat when you need grounding or recentering. 12.Pray through a family photo album. Use pictures as an opportunity to thank God for the precious people in your life. Ask for God's blessing on them. Ask God to heal relationship rifts, and to help you heal from the grief of loved ones lost. 13.Pray while brushing your teeth. Our words are powerful. Pray that your words today would honor God. 14. Pray to music. Sing or play to make a joyful noise to God, or simply listen to another’s music. 15. Find a star a night and pray for the vast universe. Experience awe at God’s huge creation and your role in it. 16. Pray out loud. 17. Pray from the Book of Common Prayer. Try praying Morning, Noonday, or Evening Prayer, or Compline (or all!). 18.Pray through journaling. See what God guides you to write. 19.Pray with simple triggers. "Triggers" are memory tools that help direct our minds. We can strategically help our prayer practices by placing triggers in our day to remind us to pray in the middle of our ordinary activity. A Post-It on your bathroom mirror, an hourly alarm on your watch, a small stone carried in your front pocket...it can be anything. Get creative and deliberate to place these hallmarks along the regular paths you walk. God will meet you there. 20.Say a prayer of thanks. Give thanks for one of your blessings. 21.Say a prayer of petition. Ask God for something you long for or desire. 22.Say a prayer of intercession. Pray on someone else’s behalf, that God might bless and comfort them. 23.Pray simply. “The fewer the words, the better the prayer,” said Martin Luther. Isn’t that reassuring? We can talk to God in everyday language, just like we talk to a friend. We don’t have to pray long.

Continued on page 6

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Invigorate Your Prayer Life (continued)

24. Remember your day. Use the ancient prayer practice of the Examen. Answer what moment in the day made you grateful and what moment made you ungrateful. Give thanks to God for the gift of another.

25.Try praying in images instead of words. Remember that we do not always have to pray with words. Our minds and hearts are not one-dimensional. We live in a colorful world and are gifted with vivid imaginations.

26.Try different prayer postures. If you usually sit when you pray, try kneeling in an attitude of humility and openness. Walking while praying can be meditative, helping to clear your mind and keep the ideas flowing freely. Holding a small cross during prayer can comfort you, give you strength, and anchor you solidly in Christ.

27.Recite the Jesus prayer. The classic form of the Jesus Prayer is “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”

28.Read the psalms. The psalms can help us pray when we have no words of our own. As you pray the psalms one by one (try saying one each day), mark the ones you find most meaningful in your own prayer life. Go back to your favorites, the ones that help you express your own struggles, sorrows, joys, and emotions. God has heard these prayers many times. The beautiful thing is that God will know exactly what they mean coming from you.

29.Pray at a different time of day. Perhaps you usually pray during the morning or right before bed. Try praying at a different time of day and see what else you bring to God.

30.Pray for your enemies. The person may not be your “enemy” in the harshest sense of

the word, but pray for those who are difficult for you to like or understand or feel com-

passion towards. Pray that your own heart might be changed. Pray for God’s good-

ness and blessing to come to them.

Help with Hurricane Relief!

Episcopal Relief and Development wisely uses its donations (84 percent of donations go directly to programs) and works closely with church partners after disasters, equipping them to meet needs of those most vulnerable in their communities. Your gift will not only benefit people now, but in the weeks and months ahead as we remain for the longer-term recovery.

Thank you for your generosity and prayers for all those affected by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, Maria and other storms during this hurricane season.

Donate online at episcopalrelief.org (and read the latest updates), or you may mail a check-with the memo "hurricane relief" to: Episcopal Relief & Development, P.O. Box 7058, Merrifield, VA 22116-7058.

Every dollar and every prayer makes a difference!

Fall 2017 Page 7

Listen to Bishop Curry’s Sermon

Presiding Bishop Michael Curry visited Charlottesville on Thursday September 7th and preached a moving and inspiring sermon at the service at St. Paul’s Memorial on the cor-

ner.The sermon is in audio format on the Diocese of Virginia’s web site. It is about 30 minutes long. Listen to it here: http://stpaulsmemorialchurch.org/media/sermons/ MCurryVisit.mp3 (and see a video of the entire service here: http://www.thediocese.net/ news/presiding-bishop-michael-curry-makes-pastoral-visit-to-charlottesville/).

You will be glad you took the time! You will notice our own organist Carlton Dickerson is in the picture, and Larry Gibson was in the choir! Carlton —>

October:

Sunday 1 Homecoming November: Sunday 5 Daylight Savings Time Ends — “Fall Back 1 hour” (Get your hour of sleep back from Daylight Savings Time!)

Thursday 23 Thanksgiving Day December: Saturday 2 ECW Bazaar & Craft Sale 9 am to 2 pm

Sunday 3 Annual Parish Meeting following service (1st Sun. in Advent)

Sunday 17 Christmas Luncheon following 10 am service

Sunday 24 Christmas Eve Service at 10 am

Monday 25 Christmas Day

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St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church P. O. Box 351 Ivy, Virginia 22945

http://saintjohnthebaptistivy.org stjohnthebaptistivy@outlook.com

St. John the Baptist, Ivy Mission Statement

The purpose of St. John-the-Baptist is to create an environment, through our acceptance of God’s love in Christ, wherein we can become a faithful community, committed to sharing that same

love by seeking and serving Christ in all persons.

Sunday October 1

We hope to see you here!