Announcements
Service Livestreams
We are now livestreaming our services on YouTube! Join us live during all services straight through our website at https://stjohnssylva.org/watch-live/
If you haven’t already, please visit our YouTube channel and click the red Subscribe button: https://www.youtube.com/@StJohnsSylva
YouTube requires us to have 50 subscribers before we can stream directly from our phone. We already have the phone, so we just need a few more subscribers!
ECW Jumble Sale
ECW will be collecting items for the Jumble Sale on three consecutive Sundays: October 18th, October 25th, and November 1st. This Anglican version of the Yard Sale will be held from 10 am to 1 pm on Saturday, November 7th. We are accepting linens, small appliances, houseware items, kitchen items, hand tools, Christmas/holiday décor, and miscellaneous items, but NO CLOTHES. Donors will receive tags in advance on which to write a suggested price for the item. If donors want their items returned if not sold, they should mark an X on the back of the price tag. All unsold items must be picked up on the following Sunday (November 8th) after the sale, as remaining merchandise will be transported to Good Will on Monday, November 9th. We might be able to accept large items, but special arrangements will be made for drop-off and pick-up. Thanks very much for your donations! This is ECW’s major fundraiser to benefit local nonprofits and our church needs!
Diocese of WNC Bishop Search
In June, the Diocese of WNC formally began the search process for our new bishop. We spent July and August gathering data through a survey process. We are so appreciative to all of you who participated, and we want to express our most sincere thanks.
Next, we will be hosting five listening sessions. These will take place on Zoom and will be hosted by Holy Cow! Consulting. We want to include as many people as we can in these formal listening sessions, and we’ve targeted specific audiences for each one. The following dates and times are invitations for those specific groups:
- Monday, October 5 | 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. – Vestry Members (anyone who has served on the vestry in the last three years)
- Tuesday, October 6 | 1 p.m. – 3 p.m. – Diocesan Staff
- Wednesday, October 7 | 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. – Active Clergy
- Wednesday, October 7 | 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. – Diocesan Board and Committee Members
- Thursday, October 8 | 2 p.m. – 4 p.m. – Retired Clergy
You only need to attend one listening session, even if you qualify for more than one.
Later in the fall we will be having in-person meetings so that anyone who was not able to participate in these online Zoom sessions will still be able to share feedback with the Search Committee.
There will be a number of ways we communicate the Zoom information for these sessions. First and foremost, always check the diocese website’s Bishop Transition page. This information will also be included in our diocesan e-news, Along the Way.
If you have any questions, please email us at searchcommittee@diocesewnc.org
Serving This Week
Altar Guild: Allison Tomas and Paige Madison
Crucifer: Jane Eastman
Ushers: Allison & Don Tomas
Oblation Bearers: Joe & Helen Butler
Readers: Helen Jones (1st Lesson), Joe Noecker (2nd Lesson), Lisa Boynton (Prayers of the People)
Vestry on Duty: Mary Anne Farrell and Stephen Loper
Acolyte: Josiah Guyer
Stream Team: Aeryn Knight
Children’s Church: Beth Jones and Dru Russell
Coffee Hour: The Hogues
Would you like to volunteer? Sign up to host Coffee Hour using the dry-erase board in the Parish Hall. For everything else, please email Cyndie at fairclothsmithc@yahoo.com. Thank you!
Upcoming Events
Check out the full event details for each by clicking the event banner.
Click here to view the full event calendar.
Upcoming Community Events
Check out details for each by clicking the event flyer.
St. David’s PEACE OF MIND WORKSHOP
will be held on Saturday, September 26, from 10 am till 3 pm. We’ll gather in both large and small groups, share lunch, and observe some quiet time as we ponder issues about life, dying, and death. Presenters are looking forward to sharing their thoughts and experiences with you from a variety of perspectives:
Howard Felix will share practical wisdom with us around financial and legal issues. Howard is a recently retired financial advisor.
Courtney Smith will facilitate discussion about death doulas, advance planning, and dying well. Courtney shares her gifts in her work at Emberlight: Center for Conscious Living and Dying.
Roxane Gwyn will create space for spiritual reflection and also present liturgical options. Roxane is an Episcopal priest and spiritual director.
Guests (parents, adult children, friends) are most welcome, but we’d like everyone to REGISTER so we’ll have plenty of food, materials, and space.
Please contact The Rev. Roxane Gwyn at 919-616-3075 or rox6@mac.com to sign up or with any questions. Blessings!
Readings for this Sunday: September 27, 2026
The First Lesson
Exodus 17:1-7
From the wilderness of Sin the whole congregation of the Israelites journeyed by stages, as the Lord commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. The people quarreled with Moses, and said, “Give us water to drink.” Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?” But the people thirsted there for water; and the people complained against Moses and said, “Why did you bring us out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and livestock with thirst?” So Moses cried out to the Lord, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.” The Lord said to Moses, “Go on ahead of the people, and take some of the elders of Israel with you; take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. I will be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so that the people may drink.” Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. He called the place Massah and Meribah, because the Israelites quarreled and tested the Lord, saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”
The Psalm
Psalm 78:1-4, 12-16
Attendite, popule
1 Hear my teaching, O my people; *
incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
2 I will open my mouth in a parable; *
I will declare the mysteries of ancient times.
3 That which we have heard and known,
and what our forefathers have told us, *
we will not hide from their children.
4 We will recount to generations to come
the praiseworthy deeds and the power of the Lord, *
and the wonderful works he has done.
12 He worked marvels in the sight of their forefathers, *
in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.
13 He split open the sea and let them pass through; *
he made the waters stand up like walls.
14 He led them with a cloud by day, *
and all the night through with a glow of fire.
15 He split the hard rocks in the wilderness *
and gave them drink as from the great deep.
16 He brought streams out of the cliff, *
and the waters gushed out like rivers.
The Epistle
Philippians 2:1-13
If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,
who, though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
as something to be exploited,
but emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
being born in human likeness.
And being found in human form,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to the point of death–
even death on a cross.
Therefore God also highly exalted him
and gave him the name
that is above every name,
so that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bend,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue should confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed me, not only in my presence, but much more now in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
The Gospel
Matthew 21:23-32
When Jesus entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” Jesus said to them, “I will also ask you one question; if you tell me the answer, then I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin?” And they argued with one another, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ we are afraid of the crowd; for all regard John as a prophet.” So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.
“What do you think? A man had two sons; he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ He answered, ‘I will not’; but later he changed his mind and went. The father went to the second and said the same; and he answered, ‘I go, sir’; but he did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him; and even after you saw it, you did not change your minds and believe him.”Peter came and said to Jesus, “Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times.
Vestry Update — September
Fall is finally arriving, and we are entering one of the busiest times of the year for our congregation.
Our stewardship campaign is underway, and we are hoping to receive 50 pledges by November 1. Pledges are incredibly helpful as we plan for the coming year, allowing us to make informed decisions about our staff, ministries, and services. As they say, “You have to follow the money!” So, please prayerfully consider making a pledge. All pledges are completely anonymous, and we ask everyone to feel comfortable pledging whatever amount is right for them. Learn more about giving at St. John’s at https://stjohnssylva.org/donate/
Our Annual Church Meeting will be held on November 8, with a luncheon to follow. We hope everyone will join us for this important gathering and time of fellowship.
We are also delighted to share that Jane Eastman has graciously agreed to assume the duties of Senior Warden now that she is retired. We are very grateful for her willingness to serve our congregation in this important role.
Finally, our new choir chairs are gorgeous! Thank you all for your generous contributions that made them possible.
(Some features, including events and readings are best viewed on the website. Pardon our dust as we continue our work in progress!)
The new site—and this newsletter—are still works in progress, and we’d love your thoughts as we continue shaping them. If you have suggestions, notice something that isn’t working quite right, or simply want to share ideas, please reach out to Aeryn Knight at arcolton16@gmail.com. Your feedback helps us create tools that truly serve our community.
We’re glad you’re here, and we can’t wait for you to explore what’s new at St. John’s.