June 2024
Spirit of the Eagle
St. John the Evangelist ACC
Spiritual Tidbits & Rector’s Reflections for
June 2024 from Father Tim
With the arrival of June we enter the Trinity Season. Along with the five Trinity Sundays the month of June contains two other Days of Obligation, notably the feast days of S. Barnabas, Apostle & Martyr (11th) and S. Peter, Apostle & Martyr (29th). Last month I wrote a tidbit about the Church reflecting that “it is Jesus who builds”. This month let’s reflect upon His building. Christ is ‘the Rock’, or the foundation, upon which the true Church was to be built. And when we consider the passion of Christ, and who He is, that foundation of the true Church was laid at a heavy cost. Yet a stronger foundation has never existed, His foundation strong enough to carry the weight of all sin. Each of us is joined in some way upon this mighty foundation, we are the stones of the unassailable fortress which provides safety, hope, peace, and joyful expectation. Of course we will also face trials and assaults. The history of the Holy Church has always been, from its first day, one of conflict and war. Thankfully we have the promise that “the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” by the Builder Himself, but we also know the battles will not end until the Second Manifestation of Christ. Until then, each of us must fight. So it was with the Apostles, so it was with the Saints, so it will be for us. Satan will always urge his children of darkness to do his will, to attack and assail the children of God, giving us our daily battles with temptation. We will never have peace with the world, it is the peace given by Jesus that will be our comfort. Cities and Empires have risen and fallen, but the true Church remains. Even branches of the Church have risen, failed to hold fast the Gospel and the cross, and withered (pruned?), falling, never to rise again. But the true Church, the body of Christ, remains, the gates of hell do not prevail against it. Marvel not at the hostility of hell, but always be prepared. Be patient, never relinquish hope, because not one bone in His mystical body will ever be broken. The Captain of our Salvation never loses a soldier. Simply strive to live a holy and joyful life, walk worthy of the Holy Church, and live like the citizen of heaven that you belong to, not a heaven we are ‘going to’, but a heaven ‘coming to us’. Let your light shine out to the unbelievers around you, so that they know you belong to Christ . . . they know who you serve. Jesus will one day place the final stone upon the high edifice, and the full beauty of His Holy Church will be clearly seen. I pray your light shines brightly in June. ~ Father Tim
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Do you know someone who is a child of darkness? Have they no safety, no hope, no peace? June is a month full of light, beauty, and it can be the month to invite them to church where they can become a living stone in the true Church of Christ. ~ Father Tim
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The church of Christ is the multitude of all those who believe in Christ for the remission of sins, and who are thankful for that mercy and who love the law of God purely, and who hate the sin in this world and long for the life to come. ~ William Tyndale, 1494-1536, English Priest, Biblical Scholar, & Linguist
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Did you know?
Did you know Saint John’s made another charitable donation to the Emergency Shelter of Northern KY in May? Did you know our Book of Life Club will be selecting new books in June for the summer? Did you know the Usual Suspects Bible Study will be discussing the Lamentations of Jeremiah in June? Did you know the last phase of our stained glass window restoration and protection by Heritage Window has been approved and begun?
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Saint John June Ordo Kalendar
Sun., the 2nd of June, at 10:30 AM, Trinity I Mass
Wed., the 5th of June, at 6:30 PM, Evening Prayer
Sat., the 8th of June, at 2:00 PM, The Usual Suspects Club, Bible Study Lineup
Sat., the 8th of June, at 3:15 PM, The Book of Life Club, Wide As The Waters
Sun., the 9th of June, at 10:30 AM, Trinity II Mass
Tuesday, the 11th of June, at 6:30 PM, S. Barnabas, Apostle & Martyr Mass
Wednesday, the 12th of June, at 6:30 PM, Evening Prayer
Sun., the 16th of June, at 10:30 AM, Trinity III Mass
Wednesday, the 19th of June, at 6:30 PM, Evening Prayer
Sunday, the 23rd of June, at 10:30 AM, Trinity IV Mass, Vestry Meeting
Wednesday, the 26th of June, at 6:30 PM, Evening Prayer
Sunday, the 30th of June, at 10:30 AM, The Order for Daily Morning Prayer
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Nothing can altogether overthrow and destroy [the church]. Its members may be persecuted, oppressed, imprisoned, beaten, beheaded, burned; but the true church is never altogether extinguished; it rises again from its afflictions; it lives on through fire and water. When crushed in one land it springs up in another. The Pharaohs, the Herods, the Neros, have labored in vain to put down this church; they slay their thousands, and then pass away and go to their own place. The true Church outlives them all, and sees them buried each in his turn. It is an anvil that has broken many a hammer in this world, and will break many a hammer still; it is a bush which is often burning, and yet is not consumed. ~ J.C. Ryle, 1816-1900, Anglican Bishop of Liverpool
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There are churches so completely out of the hands of God that if the Holy Spirit withdrew from them they wouldn’t find it out for many months . . . The true Church has never sounded out public expectations before launching her mission. Her leaders heard from God, they knew their Lord’s will and did it. Their people followed them- sometimes to triumph, oftener to insults and public persecution – and their sufficient reward was the satisfaction of being right in a wrong world. ~ A.W. Tozer, 1897-1963, Pastor, Author, Editor
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June Birthdays & Anniversaries
Bill & Gayle Hill – Anniversary – June 4
Rachel Barnett – Birthday – June 6
Rick Hanson – Birthday – June 9
Sally and Sandy Thomson – Anniversary – June 11
Bill Minor – Birthday – June 25
Janet & Fr. Tim Butler – Anniversary – June 30
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Why should we want to worship Jesus well?
What can be more foolish than to think that all this rare fabric of heaven and earth could come by chance, when all the skill of art is not able to make an oyster? To see rare effects, and no cause ; a motion, without a mover ; a circle, without a centre ; a time, without an eternity ; a second, without a first : these are things so against philosophy and natural reason, that he must be a beast in understanding who can believe in them. The thing formed, says that nothing formed it ; and that which is made is, while that which made it is not, This folly is infinite. ~ Jeremy Taylor, 1613-1667, Anglican Bishop & Author known as the Shakespeare of the Caroline Divines
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O love! How much want is there of you in the Church of Christ! And how much does the Church feel for this want! It groans, it languishes, it dies daily because of your absence. Return, O love, return! Repair breaches, restore paths to dwell in, edify the old ways and places, and raise up the foundations of many generations. ~ Nathaniel Vincent, 1639-1697, English Minister & Author
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I know there are some who say, “Well, I’ve given myself to the Lord, but I don’t intend to give myself to any church.” I say, “Now why not?” And they answer, “Because I can be just as good a Christian without it.” I say, “Are you quite clear about that? You can be as good a Christian by disobedience to your Lord’s commands as by being obedient? There’s a brick. What is the brick made for? It’s made to build a house. It is of no use for the brick to tell you that it’s just as good a brick while it’s kicking about on the ground by itself, as it would be as part of a house. Actually, it’s a good-for-nothing brick. So, you rolling stone Christians, I don’t believe that you’re answering the purpose for which Christ saved you. You’re living contrary to the life which Christ would have you live and you are much to blame for the injury you do.” ~ R.C. Sproul, 1938-2017, American Theologian & Pastor
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Before I was humiliated I was like a stone that lies in deep mud, and He who is mighty came and in His compassion raised me up and exalted me very high and placed me on the top of the wall. ~ St. Patrick, 5th Century Romano-British Christian Missionary to Ireland, Bishop & Confessor
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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