jxx~Äç VtÄxÇwtÜ **DORMITION FAST: Wed (Fish Allowed), Thur (Fast Ends)**

Sunday, Aug 12 11TH

SUNDAY OF MATTHEW

�Orthros 8:00am �Divine Liturgy 9:15am

Wednesday, Aug 15 DORMITION OF THE THEOTOKOS

Saturday, Aug 18 Philoptochos Spiritual Retreat 11:00am

Sunday, Aug 19 12TH

SUNDAY OF MATTHEW

�Orthros 8:00am �Divine Liturgy 9:15am

TODAY’S FELLOWSHIP HOSTS: Me through R

NEXT SUNDAY’S FELLOWSHIP HOSTS: S through Z

ALTAR TEAM ST. MATTHEW: Acolyte Captain: TBD, Acolytes: Alex Arnold, Nick Arnold, Josiah Dow and Gabriel Dunn. Acolyte Coordinator(s): Greg Arnold

Aug 20 – PARISH COUNCIL MEETING, 6:30pm Aug 25 – GREAT VESPERS, 5:00pm Sept. 1 – DIVINE LITURGY (Indiction), 9:15am Sept. 3 – LABOR DAY (Office Closed) Sept. 5 – DIVINE LITURGY (Ss. Zachariah and Elizabeth), 9:15am Sept. 8 – DIVINE LITURGY (Nativity of the Theotokos), 9:15am Sept. 9 – KICK OFF SUNDAY!!! Sept. 13 – DIVINE LITURGY (Elevation of the Holy Cross), 6:00pm Sept. 16 – BUILDING COMMITTEE PRESENTATION, after Liturgy Sept. 17 – PARISH COUNCIL MEETING, 6:30pm Sept. 22 – GREAT VESPERS, 5:00pm Sept. 23 – PHILOPTOCHOS GENERAL MEETING Sept. 24 – DIVINE LITURGY (Ss. Thekla and Silouan), 9:15am Sept. 27 – 29 – CLERGY RETREAT Sept. 29 – ARRIVAL OF MIRACULOUS ICON TO RETREAT CENTER

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134-A Talbert Pointe Drive Mailing: PO Box 1513

Mooresville, NC 28117 Mooresville, NC 28115

Phone #: 704-660-6915

Email: office@stluke-nc.org Web: www.stluke-nc.org

Father Robert Lawrence, Pastor

Cell #: 980-829-7826 Email: father@stluke-nc.org

Office Hours: M & W 10:00am – 3:00pm Additional times by appointment

Renee Bowman, Parish Administrator

Office Hours: T-Th 9:00am – 2:00pm

Greg Arnold, Parish Council President

parishcouncil@stluke-nc.org

fàA _â~x ZÜxx~ bÜà{ÉwÉå V{âÜv{ UâÄÄxà|Ç A NOTE TO OUR VISITORS

Welcome to our Parish! We are honored and pleased that you are joining us in worship this morning. If you are interested in learning more about Orthodox Christianity or would like information about joining our parish family, please see any Parish Council member or remain after Liturgy to speak with our priest, Fr. Robert.

If this is your first visit to an Orthodox Church, our ancient worship may not be familiar to you. Any Parish Council member or Greeter can help you get situated and show you how to follow along in the Liturgy book. You are warmly encouraged to join in our prayers and participate as much as you would like. Orthodox Worship, however, understands the Eucharist (also known as “Communion” or the “Lord’s Supper”) to truly be the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. Such a sacred and powerful gift is held in high esteem by our parish family and only those faithful who have properly prepared to receive the Eucharist should come forward at the appointed time. We respectfully ask that, as a visitor, you refrain from coming forward for the

Eucharist until you have first spoken with our priest.

Please do accept a portion of the blessed bread (called “Antidoron,” a remembrance of the

ancient Agape Feast) at the close of Liturgy as our offering of warm welcome and gratitude for

your presence in worship with us this morning.

We hope you will also join us for our Fellowship Hour in the social hall after the conclusion of the Liturgy. Again…thank you for the gift of your presence this morning.

May our loving and merciful God watch over you always.

OUR ONGOING MINISTRIES

ADULT RELIGIOUS EDUCATION – Bible Study will resume the week of September 9th. We are finalizing day and what book we will be studying. Stay tuned for more information. Check out St. Luke Greek Orthodox Church Ministries on YouTube for archived studies you can watch anytime! COMMUNITY OUTREACH MINISTRIES – Stop by the Community Outreach table in the Fellowship Hall for ideas on how you can help and support our broader community. This month’s Food for Days is: Ramen Noodles

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STANDING VIGIL – Unfortunately, Fr. Robert will be out of town for the Feast this Wednesday. Please make plans now to attend this beautiful service at a neighboring parish. St. Nektarios will celebrate Liturgy at 10am; Holy Trinity will celebrate Liturgy at 9:30am.

PHILOPTOCHOS SPIRITUAL RETREAT – Our annual Philoptochos Spiritual Retreat will be held here at St. Luke on Aug. 18th. See enclosed flyer for more information.

KICK-OFF SUNDAY! – The New Church Year is rapidly approaching. Please mark your calendars for Sept. 9th. We will have a family cookout to celebrate the beginning of the Sunday School year and an ice cream social to kick off our youth activities. Can’t wait to see you there!

MARK YOUR CALENDARS! – We will have an important parish family conversation with the Building Committee on Sept. 16th after Liturgy to learn more about plans to find our permanent spiritual home. We’ll look back on our history, look at our present situation, and begin to talk about our future. Please mark your calendars and pray for our efforts!

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY – Our St. Luke parish family is partnering with other local churches to build a Habitat for Humanity home in October. More information to follow!

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ctÜ|á{|ÉÇxÜ cÜÉy|Äxá Dayle Emanuel

Patron Saint: St. Anna � Attended the Methodist Church in her youth, and was christmated at Holy

Trinity in 1980, shortly after she married Nick Emanuel. � Member of St. Luke since 2006. � Charter member of St. Luke Philoptochos, served as Treasurer and Vice

President, and currently serving as President of Philoptochos. � Lead the St. Luke Gala Committee for three years.

Fun Facts: � Grew up in Denver, NC on a farm. She loved cats and kittens, and owned 22 cats as a child. � She met my husband on a blind date. They have been married for 39 years and have two sons. � She is a mirror image of her mother. They are the same weight and they share the same southern

accent. � She loves to travel, especially to Greece.

� Her favorite thing to do is spend time with her family. �������������������������������������������������������������

g{x UÉààÉÅ _|Çx YTD Financials: Ministry Income: $103,337.84 Expenses: $119,116.75

St. Luke Greek Orthodox Church is dedicated to continuing the ministry of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ through the proclamation and teaching of the Gospel; and Baptism in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

We seek to live as a community of worship, shared faith and service, accepting of all, in loving service to God and mankind, where each member

shares freely the gifts and talents received from God.

The Holy Martyrs Anicetus and Photius

12 Cor. 1:17-7; Matt. 21:43-46

Anicetus, one of the governors of the city of Nicomedia, courageously confessed faith in Christ

before the emperor Diocletian, Photius, a kinsman, did the same. Both were martyred in 305.

“Thou!”

A very important word in the Ten Commandments is the personal pronoun “Thou,” “Thou shalt …” “Thou shalt not …” God addresses each one of the commandments to us personally. He dignifies each one of us with a very personal “Thou.” God is not giving these commandments to a mass of humanity. He is addressing you and no one else in a very pointed and personal way. “Thou shalt…” “Thou shalt not…” We need to realize this because the Ten Commandments seem very cold and impersonal to people. This is because they do not hear the personal Thou addressed to them by God. They don’t truly know the precious Lord Jesus Who is behind the commandments. All they hear is the dry letter of the law. That is why we need first to be introduced to and come to know personally the Person of Jesus who stands behind the commandments. We need to fall in love with Him first, then keeping the commandments will be a joy and not a burden. I conclude with these words spoken by Ted Koppel at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina: We have actually convinced ourselves that slogans will save

us. Shoot up if you must, but use a clean needle. Enjoy sex whenever and with whomever you wish, but wear a condom. No! The answer is no. Not because it isn’t cool or smart or because you might end up in jail or dying in an AIDS ward, But no because it’s wrong, because we have spent 5,000 years as a race of rational human beings, trying to drag ourselves out of the primeval slime by searching for truth and moral absolutes. In its purest form, truth is not a polite tap on the shoulder. It is a howling reproach. What Moses brought down from Mount Sinai were not the Ten Suggestions.

Church Fathers Speak

A Christian should learn to swim in the Scriptures. - St. John of Kronstadt (Taken from Daily Vitamins for Spiritual Growth, Vol. 3, by Fr. Anthony Coniaris)

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Hymn of the Day

When You descended unto death, O Lord who yourself are immortal Life, then did You mortify Hades by the lightning flash of Your Divinity. Also when You raised the dead from the netherworld, all the Powers of the heavens were crying out: O Giver of life, Christ our God, glory to You.

Hymn of the Feast

You were transfigured upon the mountain, O Christ our God, showing to Your disciples Your glory as much as they could bear. Do also in us, sinners though we may be, shine Your everlasting light, by the intercessions of the Theotokos, O Giver of light. Glory to You.

Hymn of the Church

O holy Apostle and Evangelist Luke, make intercession to our merciful God, that He grant our souls remission of offenses.

Kontakion

Upon the mountain were You transfigured, and Your disciples beheld Your glory as far as they were able, O Christ our God; so that when they would see You crucified they might understand that Your Passion was deliberate, and declare to the world that in truth You are the Father's radiance

*********************************************************************** FEASTS/SAINTS COMMEMORATED TODAY

Photios & Aniketos of Nicomedea; 12 Soldier-martyrs of Crete

FEASTS/SAINTS COMMEMORATED THIS WEEK

Apodosis of the Transfiguration; Forefeast of the Dormition; Translation of the Image of Christ; Myron of Cyzicus, Straton, Philip, Eutychian, Cyprian; Floros & Lauros of Illyria

***********************************************************************

Parish Prayer Corner

Please contact the office to have your prayer needs remembered in the bulletin.

Please Pray for: Jayce Caldwell Gina Gioulis Bill Graban

Raymond Jacobson Andrew Karres George Kerhoulas Harriet Kerhoulas

Koula Litchos Hattie Marandici Ann Moser Jerry Moser

Crystal Mullis Kathy Papas Jenna Prenares Leanne Pupchek

Jayne Lachlan-Savage Krissy Sloan Deana Tzimopoulos Maria Villanueva

For the Repose of: Marie Labriola

EPISTLE READING

I CORINTHIANS 9:2-12 (Reader: Tammy Pollard)

Brethren, you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord. This is my defense to those who would examine me. Do we not have the right to our food and drink? Do we not have the right to be accompanied by a wife, as the other apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas? Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working for a living? Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard without eating any of its fruit? Who tends a flock without getting some of the milk? Do I say this on human authority? Does not the law say the same? For it is written in the law of Moses, "You shall not muzzle an ox when it is treading out the grain." Is it for oxen that God is concerned? Does he not speak entirely for our sake? It was written for our sake, because the plowman should plow in hope and the thresher thresh in hope of a share in the crop. If we have sown spiritual good among you, is it too much if we reap your material benefits? If others share this rightful claim upon you, do not we still more? Nevertheless, we have not made use of this right, but we endure anything rather than put an obstacle in the way of the gospel of Christ.

GOSPEL READING

MATTHEW 18:23-35 11TH

SUNDAY OF MATTHEW

The Lord said this parable: "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. When he began the reckoning, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents; and as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, 'Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.' And out of pity for him the lord of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. But that same servant, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat he said, 'Pay what you owe.' So his fellow servant fell down and besought him, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you.' He refused and went and put him in prison till he should pay the debt. When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place. Then his lord summoned him and said to him, 'You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you besought me; and should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?' And in anger his lord delivered him to the jailors, till he should pay all his debt. So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart."