Time Change--Fall Back

FALL BACK TIME CHANGE!!

REMEMBER TO SET YOUR CLOCKS BACK AN HOUR

SATURDAY NIGHT FOR SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 6TH

ALL SAINTS DAY

Posted by Pam Holley

Weekly Events at St. Thomas

Hello Everyone,


Here’s your weekly reminder of all the programs, services and events at St. Thomas during the next several days. Please take particular notice of all events in red.


SPECIAL OBSERVANCE FOR ALL SAINTS’ DAY

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2011


Remember to submit names for the Faithfully Departed

by calling the church office by Thursday, November 3rd.


Festive Meal, Saturday, November 12th

If you are planning to attend this year’s Festive Meal, please call the church office to make your reservation.

OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD

It's that time of the year again for Operation Christmas Child. Please save your shoe boxes and fill them with toys, school supplies, socks, soaps, candies, and other items. We will be collecting the boxes November 7- 11 to be blessed on Consecration Sunday, November 13th. You can also purchase a plastic box if you don't have one for $1 after Sunday church service.
For more information, please go onto the link below:

Operation Christmas Child


Tuesday, November 1st


Centering Prayer meets tonight at 6—6:45 p.m. Come to the Sanctuary at 6 p.m. to experience the “peace that surpasses all understanding” through the silence of Centering Prayer.



Wednesday, November 22nd

Men’s Bible Study is at 7 a.m. in the Guild Room.

Holy Eucharist with Healing is at 12 noon in the Chapel.

Supper, Song & Prayer is in the Parish Hall beginning at 6 p.m. Everyone is welcome! Lisa Marquetty will be our speaker. Please support Lisa with your prayers and presence.

Rehearsals for “O Come, All Ye Faithful” The Blessing of the Crib is at 5:30 p.m. in the Choir Room.

Godly Play is at 6:30 p.m. in the Library. Godly Play is for Pre-K thru 5th grade children. We will continue to explore the story of Prophet Ezekel.

Youth Group meets at 6:30 p.m. in the Youth Room.

Hand Bell rehearsal is at 7:30 p.m. in the Sanctuary.



Thursday, November 3rd

Women of the Word is at 9 a.m. in the Guild Room.

Chancel Choir is at 6:30 p.m. in the Choir Room.


Friday, November 4th

Stretching & Toning is at 8:30 a.m. in the Guild Room.

Holy Folders are at 10 a.m. in the Founders’ Room.

AA Meeting is at 10 a.m. in the Guild Room.



Saturday, November 5th

Baptism Rehearsal is at 9 a.m. in the Sanctuary.

All Saints Sunday November 6th

Sunday Services are at 8 a.m. Traditional in the Sanctuary, 9:15 a.m. Harmony in the Parish Hall, 10:30 a.m. Traditional in the Sanctuary and 6 p.m. in the Chapel.

Sunday School is at 9 a.m. in the Canterbury Library.

Nursery hours are 9 a.m.—11:30 a.m in the Nursery.

Children’s Chapel hours are 9:15 a.m.—10 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.—11:15 a.m. in the Nursery, coordinating with each service. Children will return to the service a the Offertory time.

Youth Group will meet at 11:45—12:30 p.m. in the Youth Room. Come and be a part of this great group!


Monday, November 7th

Stretching & Toning is at 8:30 a.m. in the Guild Room.

Yoga is at 6:30 p.m. in the Parish Hall.

See you at many—or all—of these events.


Blessings,
Pam Holley
Parish Secretary

Women of the Word

Exodus 10:21 – 12:51

The Plague of Locusts (watercolor circa 1896–1902 by James Tissot)

            After the plague of locusts, when Pharaoh still refused to let the Israelites leave, the Lord ordered Moses to stretch his hand toward the sky to create darkness throughout the land, “darkness that can be felt.”  For three days all of Egypt was plunged into total pitch blackness, so that no one was able to move or to see, except in those areas where the Israelites lived.  (Here the J writer is emphasizing that it was believed that it took three days after death for the spirit to leave the body, for one to be truly dead.  In the New Testament, both Jesus and Lazarus were in the tomb for three days.)  This time Pharaoh tried some horse-trading with Moses; he agreed to the release of the Israelites but wanted to keep all their livestock.  Moses refused; Pharaoh refused; and they parted once again on bad terms.  Unspoken, but clearly overlaying the darkness in the land was the darkness in Pharaoh’s heart; power is a tough thing to give up.

            By now it was obvious that Pharaoh was not going to acquiesce to any of Moses and Aaron’s requests, so the Lord told them that He would send one last plague upon Egypt: the killing of each first-born child.  Moses told Pharaoh what was to befall his people with this tenth and final plague: “All Egypt will send up a great cry of anguish, a cry the like of which has never been heard before, nor ever will be again” (11:6).  In preparation for this, the Lord had the Israelites ask their Egyptian neighbors for gifts of gold and silver jewelry, which they received because the Lord had “made the Egyptians well-disposed towards them . . . and Moses a very great man in Egypt” (11:3).  As before, Yahweh promised that the coming plague would not harm any Hebrew family.

            The Priestly writer takes over in Chapter 12 and interjects in the first twenty verses detailed instructions on the keeping of the Passover, one of the most important feasts in the Jewish year.  (Again, we are reminded that this is being transcribed from oral tradition during the Babylonian exile, so that the Jewish community might keep its traditions intact.)

            At verse 21, the actual story of the night of the Passover starts, with Moses instructing the Israelites to slaughter a sheep, dip marjoram in the blood, and smear it on the lintel and the two doorposts of each house.  No one was to leave their home that night when the angel of the Lord would go through Egypt and strike the first-born of each house, except those dwellings with the blood on the doors.  Again, in verses 24-27, there is a reminder that “when you enter the land which the Lord will give you as He promised, you shall observe this rite.”

            By midnight, every first-born in Egypt:  man, woman, beast, freeman, slave—“not a house in Egypt was without its dead.”  Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron to the palace in the middle of the night and told them to get out and take their households, their livestock, and go “or else . . . we shall all be dead.”  So the Israelites quickly packed up, grabbed their baking dough before it had risen, and, taking the gold and silver they had gotten from their Egyptian neighbors, they set out.

            With this description of the Israelites’ hasty leave-taking, the J writer interjects with a count of the number of men and their households who left Egypt on the night of the first Passover and points out that, on their first stop, they were forced to bake their dough into unleavened cakes (a reiteration of part of the Passover ritual detailed by the Priestly writer in ch. 12:15).  He also claims that the Hebrews had been settled in Egypt, as immigrant guests and, later, slaves, for 430 years.

            In verses 43-51, the Priestly writer returns with further rules for the treatment of foreigners and non-Hebrew hired persons regarding the Passover meals.  Here he impresses on the reader that the rite of circumcision is a necessary first step, setting the participant apart from the general population of the country; this may refer back to Zipporah’s saving Moses’ life in the wilderness when they returned to Egypt from Midian (cf. ch. 4:24-26).

Submitted by Karilyn Jaap

Men's Bible Study

Lessons:  Joshua 3:7-17, First Thessalonians 2: 9-13, Matthew 23: 1-12

Our guide and facilitator was Rev. Chuck Jones; John was on an R&R mission to Nassau.  Chuck suggested we opt for a slightly different format: read all of the lessons and ask of ourselves what does it mean to us, especially at this time of transition at Saint Thomas.  We suggest you do the same; find a quite time, read these lessons, and think of Saint Thomas and your own spiritual journey.  What themes and questions come to mind? 

Joshua is ordained by God and told that he will lead Israel to the Promised Land.  How did Joshua respond to his orders?    How might we think of the twelve men who were called?    In the transition crossing over the Jordan River, the priests and the Arc of the Covenant stood on an island in mid-river while all the tribes made it across the river; what does this mean?

Thessalonica was a thriving, multi-cultural trade center; Paul established a community of stout-hearted followers of the way.  What was God’s message, delivered by Paul emphasizing to the Thessalonians?  What model does Paul put forth?  Is the message relative today as it was then?  In what ways should we emulate Paul in our lives at the present time?   Suggest three ways in which you can encourage and help others that are having a challenging time?  

Matthew speaks to the walk the talk mandate; it is easy to spout the word, but it is a challenge to toe the line.  Reflect on those persons that have helped you on your pathway; how did they provide you insight on moving closer to God?   When confronted with an option of taking a seat at the head of the table, what is your reaction?   What are the qualities of a good leader?     Are you up to the job of cleaning out the stable?   Washing feet?  Hanging out with the Pharisees?     Who is our teacher?          

submitted by Walt Jaap

Moving from We to Me

Father John explained in his sermon this week that the Old and New Testament readings dovetail this week.  The Old Testament reading was the beginning of Deuteronomy as God is showing Moses the promised land while telling him that he would not enter it.  The scripture makes the point that Moses was still vigorous and capable, but his mission was complete and he died. 

In Matthew, Jesus is coming to the end of his time on Earth and has been dealing with a series of questions from Pharisees and other leaders who are trying to trick him.  The latest is “which is the greatest commandment?”  Fr. John pointed out that this might not be as easy a question at it would seem to us today…Jesus would have had 613 laws from which to choose.  As we all know, Jesus answered that we should love the Lord with our whole heart and our neighbors as ourselves.  Next he is pressed on the question of who is the Messiah?  And Jesus’ answers contradicted the Pharisees and others’ preconceived idea of the Messiah as an earthly king. 

Fr. John relayed an anecdote from a recent conference where the Reverend Dr James Tengatenga from Malawi in Africa spoke to the conference and noted that those of us in the United States have a different orientation from those in many other cultures.   In the US, we often approach our view of our being as “I am because of who I am.”   Fr. John contrasted this outlook with some of the most important services of the Church, including baptism, confirmation and marriage…in each of these, the congregation is asked whether they will help those for whom the service is conducted with a collective response of “we will.”   In other cultures, their outlook is “I am because we are.”  Like those people in Jesus’ time, this contradicts our preconceived outlook.

Father John pointed out that God wants us to approach everything in our lives from a “we” perspective vs. one that is all about “me.”  Whether it is supporting our congregation, our neighborhood, our town, or even globally, we need to “move from me to we.”  Only then can we expect to enter the promised land and experience the Kingdom of God.”




posted by m white

Weekly Events at St. Thomas

 
Hello Everyone,

Here’s your weekly reminder of all the programs, services and events at St. Thomas during the next several days. Please take particular notice of all events in red.



NEW WEEKLY EVENTS EMAIL COMMUNICATION


In an effort to improve our communications with the parish we will be posting our communications to the St. Thomas blog and delivering the messages through the blog email service (provided by “Feedblitz” email - Feedblitz@mail.feedblitz.com “Feedblitz on behalf of Come and See St. Thomas”).

The email service has an “opt-out” option if you ever decide you do not want to receive these emails or you can simply respond to this email if you would not like to receive these emails in the future.

 OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD

It's that time of the year again for Operation Christmas Child. Please save your shoe boxes and fill them with toys, school supplies, socks, soaps, candies, and other items. We will be collecting the boxes November 7- 11 to be blessed on Consecration Sunday, November 13th. You can also purchase a plastic box if you don't have one for $1 after Sunday church service.

For more information, please go onto the link below:


http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1116188598001?bckey=AQ~~,AAAAADXAyfo~,SV0YHtB7jHHXYpju2uPbvWHbUfA7DOP6&bclid=811285962001&bctid=991488987001



Tuesday, October 25th

Centering Prayer meets tonight at 6—6:45 p.m. Come to the Sanctuary at 6 p.m. to experience the “peace that surpasses all understanding” through the silence of Centering Prayer.


Wednesday, October 26th

Men’s Bible Study is at 7 a.m. in the Guild Room.

Holy Eucharist with Healing is at 12 noon in the Chapel.

Supper, Song & Prayer is in the Parish Hall beginning at 6 p.m. Everyone is welcome! Bill McMahon will be our speaker. Please support Bill with your prayers and presence.

Godly Play is at 6:30 p.m. in the Library. Godly Play is for Pre-K thru 5th grade children. We will continue to explore the story of Prophet Jeremiah.

Youth Group meets at 6:30 p.m. in the Youth Room.

Hand Bell rehearsal is at 7:30 p.m. in the Guild Room.



Thursday, October 27th

Chancel Choir is at 6:30 p.m. in the Choir Room.

Festive Meal Hostess Meeting is at 7 p.m. in the Guild Room.



Friday, October 28th

Stretching & Toning is at 8:30 a.m. in the Guild Room.

Holy Folders are at 10 a.m. in the Founders’ Room.

AA Meeting is at 10 a.m. in the Library.


Saturday, October 29th


Flower Guild Meeting is at 9 a.m. in the Guild Room.

The Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost, October 30th

Sunday Services are at 8 a.m. Traditional in the Sanctuary, 9:15 a.m. Harmony in the Parish Hall, 10:30 a.m. Traditional in the Sanctuary and 6 p.m. in the Chapel.

Blood Drive is at 8:30 a.m.—12noon in the Cordova Parking Lot.

Sunday School is at 9 a.m. in the Canterbury Library.

Nursery hours are 9 a.m.—11:30 a.m in the Nursery.

Children’s Chapel hours are 9:15 a.m.—10 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.—11:15 a.m. in the Nursery, coordinating with each service. Children will return to the service a the Offertory time.

Youth Group will meet at 11:45—12:30 p.m. in the Youth Room. Come and be a part of this great group!


Monday, October 31st

Stretching & Toning is at 8:30 a.m. in the Guild Room.

Yoga is at 6:30 p.m. in the Parish Hall.


See you at many—or all—of these events.

Blessings,
Pam Holley
Parish Secretary

Stuff

. 




In this Sunday’s sermon, Father John noted that as we approach the end of Exodus, we see a shift between God and his people.God had fed them, protected them and was showing them the way to a land of milk and honey and in return, the people were repeatedly spitting in his face.In Exodus 33: 12-23, Moses pleaded with God on behalf of the people who had just broken His first two commandments.God explained that he would no longer be going with the people because he might kill them but at Moses’ request, he would lead them. This change in relationship was reflected in the shift from a face-to-face relationship to one where God only allowed Moses to see his back. 

The Gospel reading is also about our relationship with God as well.  Connecting the two readings, Fr. John reminded us that Jesus was here as a model for us after we had repeatedly rejected God and his prophets.  Matthew’s story is the well-known effort of the Pharisees to trick Jesus.  If Jesus says to pay taxes, the people will reject him…if he says not to pay them, they can turn him over to Herod to be killed for treason.  Jesus’ response is to give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God is what God’s.  Money is part of the world and belongs to the world. 

As Fr. John concluded his sermon, he noted that like the Israelites, we have found ways to replace God…for many of us today, we have done this with our “stuff.”  He cited a study that showed that the sizes of houses have doubled since 1950 and yet most of us still do not have enough room for our stuff…we can’t see God’s glory because stuff is blocking our view.  If we can hear Jesus’ words applied to us today, he is telling us that stuff belongs to the world, but we belong to God.  If we can give ourselves to God loving Him with our whole hearts and others as we love ourselves, we realize the fullness of God’s plan for our relationship with him and fully experience the Kingdom of God.



posted by m white