Boxes for the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan

                                                              Photo by Louise Yardumian

On 3/10, 10 organized ladies gathered in the Guild Room to pack boxes to be sent to the troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan who are associated with St. Thomas' .  The generosity of the congregation allowed us to gather all sorts of needed goodies from shampoo to Oreos. Eight boxes, two for each soldier, packed with love and appreciation, will be shipped immediately. Two additional boxes will be shipped to an about-to-be deployed soldier when we learn his address.
Carolyn Nelson's guest room is now free for guests.

Submitted by Jill McGrath

From the men's bible study, March 9

Every Wednesday morning at 7:00 a.m. St. Thomas has a Men’s Bible Study which has as its foundation the lectionary readings for the upcoming Sunday. Join the men for coffee, Danish and Scripture.

Genesis 2:15-17;3:1-7

Our reading is excerpts from an epic tale about the creation of humanity, beginning from after the creation of “the heavens and the earth” (2:4), a time when the earth was semi-arid. Ancient peoples thought that there were waters under the earth. Seepage of this water was insufficient for cultivation; as yet there was no rain and “no one to till the ground” (2:5). At that time, God formed human (Hebrew: adam) “from the dust of the ground” (2:7) and gave him his spirit of life. God put human in Eden (2:8), his earthly domain, to cultivate and care for it. God tells him he may eat the fruit of the trees there, except for the tree of “the knowledge of good and evil” (2:17).
If he does, he will “die”, i.e. be separated from God.
At this point, the couple do not see shame in nudity, for their relationship to God is guiltless. Now the snake, a mischievous creature, appears. He sows doubt in the woman’s mind about what God has commanded, and she responds inaccurately (3:2): she adds “nor shall you touch it” (3:3). The snake suggests that God is trying to fool her: rather than dying, she will attain mastery of knowledge, and become divine (“like God”, 3:5). She finds this irresistible; she eats of its fruit and gives some to the man. Nudity is now embarrassing, for the couple has lost its innocent trusting relationship with God (3:8).

Romans 5:12-19
Paul has said that Christians, reconciled to God, will be saved, sharing in the risen life of Christ. Two notions are important here:
the punishment for Adam’s sin was to die both physically and spiritually (“death came through sin”); and we both sin ourselves and share in his sin (“spread to all”).
Paul contrasts Adam and Christ, both inaugurators of eras. Adam foreshadowed Christ as head of humanity (“type”, v. 14, precursor). Adam disobeyed God’s direct command (“the transgression”, v. 14, “the trespass”, v. 15). The “free gift”, i.e. Christ, is unlike Adam’s sin:
“many died” before Christ’s coming but even more so are “many” saved through Christ; Adam was condemned to separation from God but Christ brings union with God (vv. 16, 18); Adam’s sin allowed “death” (v. 17) to rule through the Devil (“that one”) but we let good rule our hearts (“dominion in life”); and Adam’s action led to the sin of many but Christ’s will lead many to godliness (v. 19).

Matthew 4:1-11
The disciples probably knew none of the details of Jesus’ trials, for temptation is essentially a personal inner battle with one’s conscience. “Forty days” (v. 2) reminds us of Moses and Elijah, both of whom also fasted for forty days as they prepared for their roles as God’s agents to Israel – as does Jesus. All three of the temptations the Devil (“the tempter”, v. 3, “Satan”, v. 10) presents to Jesus are ways of sinning against the great commandment in Deuteronomy 6:5: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, ... soul, and ... might.”. The “heart” was the seat of will, of moral choice; “soul” means life; “might” means possessions. (All Jesus’ answers are from Deuteronomy 6-8.) To change “stones” (v. 3) into bread would be to use his power for his personal benefit. Jesus says that the “word” (v. 4) of God is the chief nourishment. The “holy city” (v. 5) is Jerusalem; a “pinnacle” probably overlooked the temple courts and the deep Kidron Valley. Jesus answers: testing God’s protection by unnecessarily risking life is a mockery of real martyrdom – and of his sacrifice to come (v. 7). The Devil, evil forces personified, invites Jesus to prefer personal wealth and power over love of God (vv. 8-9). Jesus answers: God is the only god to be worshipped and served (v. 10). The details make the point that Jesus is the perfect lover of God, the ideal Israelite, the founder of a new way of being human.
Submitted by Dick Nelson

Lenten study "Nooma" begins Sunday, March 13 at 9 am in the Guild room

NOOMA is a series of short films (10-14 min) that explore our world from a perspective of Jesus. Jesus lived with the awareness that God is doing something, right here, right now, and anybody can be a part of it. Wherever he went, whatever he did, Jesus started discussions about what matters most, because for Jesus, God is always inviting us to open our eyes and join in.

During lent we will meet Sundays from 9:00-9:45am in the Guild room at St. Thomas to watch videos from the series "Nooma" and have small group discussions.  We will form groups that will stay together for the six weeks so that we can get to know each other and bond in our spiritual journeys.  We will also have an open group for people who won’t be able to come but once or twice.
To view a 2 min short preview of "Breathe", the video we will be watching on Sunday, please click on http://comeseestthomas.blogspot.com/.     




Submitted by Bettina Schuller

Altar flowers February 2011

February 27

The Altar Flowers are given to the Glory of God and in thanksgiving for their 35th anniversary by Patti and Dan Cook and by Jane Anne Knowlton in thanksgiving for the marriage of Jane Anne and David Knowlton.

Flower Designers: Elizabeth Walters-Alison, Joanne Turrell and Joanne Fleece.

February 20

The Altar Flowers are given to the Glory of God and in thanksgiving for the birthdays of Joanne and Peter Turrell.

Flower designer: Betty Jean Miller

February 13

The Altar Flowers are given to the Glory of God and in thanksgiving for Rolf Sordan's birthday by Linda Sordan.

Flower Designer: Keith Tulloch

  February 6

The Altar Flowers are given to the Glory of God and in loving memory of Golda Farmer by Marty Hallas.

Flower Designers: Anne Long and Pam Holley

Women of the Word, March 3

Barbara deftly led us through Genesis: 36, the genealogical accounting of the generations of Esau/Edom. Another lively discussion ensued as we read and discussed Genesis: 37 and 38, where begins the saga of Joseph, son of Jacob and Rachael, and prepares us for the readings in Exodus, which follows Genesis:50.

Joseph is introduced as a less-than-stellar character, vain, lazy, (sloth) boastful, deceitful and an informer. His fancy outfit, a coat of many colors was made by his father because Joseph, though not the oldest son, was the most favored by his father, Jacob/Israel. This coat and the fact that Joseph refused any agricultural exertion (obviously the long sleeves would get in the way of any labors and ¾ length sleeves had not yet come into fashion) made his brothers furious (anger and envy). And it did not help his lack of popularity that Joseph was a snitch reporting to his father the omissions in the fields of his brothers. Add to that list of personal faults, he shared his dreams of grandiosity with his brothers (pride). As politicians learned last November, you don't win votes by bragging about your visions. The final straw came when Joseph told his father and jealous brothers that the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me.
The brothers devised a plan to snuff the snitch from the face of their earth. They wanted to kill Joseph and throw him into an earth hole, a Floridian-type sink hole. Judah that it was a better idea to pull Joseph out and use him for chattel. For 20 pieces of silver he was quickly sold as a slave to migrant merchants. The merchants, after arriving in Egypt, sold him to a Pharaoh’s Captain. The price the merchants asked for Joseph is not mentioned but we can easily guess that he became a profitable investment (greed).

The brothers devised a plan to cover their dirty deed by killing a baby goat and soaking Joseph's Technicolor dream coat in the resulting blood. When Reuben came upon the empty hole and the bloody coat's shreds he was told by the other brothers that Joseph had been devoured by an evil beast. The evidence was brought to father Jacob who mourned into the grave despite the efforts of his sons and daughters to comfort him. Finally, daughters were mentioned! 500 years BCE we females were making progress as viable entities!

In Genesis: 38, females were given historical importance as child-bearers (it hadn't yet been discovered that we are good at all sorts of things) in the telling of Judah's propagations. God saw wickedness in Judah's firstborn, Er and the Lord slew him. Judah ordered another of his sons, Onan, to impregnate Er's widow, Tamar. Onan was not willing to do this so each time he spilled his seed”on the floor. These repeated acts angered the Lord so Onan was also sent to the great below. So much for obeying one's earth father.

Now this story becomes a shadier tale because the widow Tamar, unable to be impregnated was sent to live with her father and chose to enact a disastrous deception. Fertility was used to assure family population growth and ladies of the night were held in higher esteem than those of today. Eventually Judah, in a quest (lust), came upon Tamar who was disguised by the clothing of a willing woman. Tamar bartered for sex and Judah ended up giving the woman his signet, his bracelets and staff. A baby goat was also part of the deal but when the goat was ready to be delivered, the ancient day UPS man could not find the willing woman. Even the citizens claimed ignorance about her existence. Three months later Judah found out about Tamar's disguise and her pregnancy and ordered that she be burnt until she exposed his belongings. She was not a willing woman but his devious daughter-in-law. Of this union twins were born, Pharez and Zarah. Zarah attempted to arrive first but Pharez pushed past his brother and delivered first.  These two chapters of Genesis set the stage for Joseph's eventual rise in power from slave to the ruler of Egypt.  If there had been a decadent feast somewhere within these two chapters, we could claim gluttony and have all seven deadly sins reflected in these accounts.

Submitted by Jill McGrath

A Day of Spiritual Renewal

Celebrating Spiritual Discipline during Lent—a Path to Spiritual Growth.

Saturday, March 5, 2011 9am-12pm; Led by Barbara Suhar and Bettina Schuller

"Self-respect is the fruit of discipline: the sense of dignity grows with the ability to say no to oneself.” Abraham J. Heschel

Quiet days/Sabbath days have a long tradition in Judeo-Christian history. Jesus reminds us throughout the gospel that we need “to go to a quiet place and pray”. If we want to live a life that is rooted in Christian faith and community, we have to set time apart from our daily activities and listen to the “still, small voice” that can only be heard in silence.

“A Day of Spiritual Renewal” will be a time to rebuild our personal relationship with God, ourselves and others. We will learn about the history of Lent, discuss spiritual practices during Lent and the gift of spiritual discipline in our lives.
Spiritual discipline has often been misunderstood as hardship and dull drudgery that has to be performed to please God. Come and experience how spiritual discipline will move you beyond surface living into God’s depths, joy and peace.

The day will provide periods of guided reflection and meditation and the space for individual and communal silence and prayer. We warmly invite you to come and learn how to integrate spiritual disciplines and rituals into your daily lives. Come and listen to God’s “still, small voice” whispering about the beauty of creation and the beauty of your life.

Submitted by Bettina Schuller

From the men's bible study, March 2

We experienced a long and good season of Epiphany- The manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles and A special revelation or experience that leads to new understanding.

Lessons: Exodus 24: 12-18; Second Epistle of Peter 1: 16-21; Matthew 17: 1-9

These lessons offer Old Testament and Gospel Mountain Top Epiphanies!

                                                 Exodus

In this lesson from Exodus (Mishpatim section), in verses 1 to 11, Moses and 70 from the tribes of Israel are invited by God to worship and become obedient to God. In Verses 12 to 18 we get the story of Moses along with Joshua being invited to go up on Mount Sinai to be with God. Before he departs, Moses has a bit of business with the wandering tribes. He tells the Elders to wait upon him and instructs Aron & Hur to take care of disputes while he is away. In our discussion, we noted that Moses knew this band of people very well. He knew that they would not sit calmly until he returned. The purpose of the mountain visit was to receive the Ten Commandments on stone tablets. We gather that Joshua would be a companion on the trip and help Moses bring the tablets down the mountain (stone is not portable like an I Pad). The various numbers give a sense of time and a sense of meaning. Moses and Joshua had to cool their heals in a cloud bank for six days before God spoke. In our busy lives, would we sit for six days to have a chat with the boss? In the time of Moses, deliberation and patience had a slower pace and respect. Recall that it took six days for God the creator to make the earth and stock it with plants, animals, and man. So six is good; Seven is better, a Sabbath day to be with God. So it was on the seventh day that the fiery cloud opens and God calls out to Moses and Moses and God have 40 days to hammer out the commandment work. Forty is used frequently in scripture to describe time; it implies a long time, or a special number.
For Noah and the Arc, it rained for forty days and forty nights.
Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah daughter of Bethuel.
Jonah chatting about Nineveh, “What if only forty are found there?” He said, “For the sake of forty, I will not do it.” Genesis 18:28-30
Jesus once went out to the desert to fast and pray for forty days.

Recalling a mountain top experience is special and offers a glimpse of the Kingdom. The beauty and immense power of a mountain is inspiring in itself. The first big mountain I every saw was the Zugspitze the highest mountain in Germany, at 9,718 ft, district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Bavaria. I rode to the top in a cable car; about 7, 000 ft up, we hit the cloud bank and could not see until we got very close to the top. On the top, it was amazing; we could look out on several countries, and at the top of the peak, a bronze cross (Pilgrims were hiking to the cross). Mountains are thrilling, but the experience of being close or in touch with God is much more important. The mountain top experience is not limited to high altitudes, it may occur on an island, at sea, or anywhere.

Second Peter

This is a late New Testament epistle, attributed to the Apostle Peter, but most scholars give credit to others, the author incorporated virtually the whole of the epistle of Jude. It was compiled between 60 and 130 AD, but was not well accepted until around 300 AD. Much of the focus is addressed to false teaching and doctrine. The theme of 2nd Peter can be gleaned from its last two verses (3:17-18), and stated as: “BEWARE, BUT GROW”

The verses 1: 16 to 21 exhort the believers to avoid false myths. We also have a repetition of the Gospel, “This is my Son, My Beloved, with whom, I am well pleased.” Peter was up on the mountain and heard this news.

 
Gospel

We have jumped from the 6th Chapter of Matthew last week to the 17th; perhaps as a set up for Lent that starts next Wednesday. We are back to the mountains, this time it was most likely Mount Hermon, 9,400 ft high, not far from Caesarea Philippi in the Jordan Valley. In the previous chapter, Jesus is issuing challenges, pick up your cross and follow me; he also gives warning and a promise, the warning is about judgment; the promise is about the coming of the kingdom.

We get into the numbers again; six days after Peter identified Jesus as the Christ, son of the Living God, Peter, James, John, and Jesus take a hike up Mount Hermon. While on the slopes, the Transfiguration occurs (recall Moses was also illuminated when he was on Mont Sinai). What was the overall purpose of this expedition? Jesus had his eyes and mind on Jerusalem and the cross; the purpose was to confirm with God the Father this was the course to take. Tough decisions are often best made with good counsel. Jesus was confirming that God’s will be done.

Adding to our climber’s number we gain Moses (Giver of the Law) and Elijah (a major Prophet), two great servants of God and fellow mountain climbers. Also of note is that in the Hebrew tradition, Elijah is the herald of the Messiah. In Luke’s account of the Transfiguration, Jesus speaks with Elijah and Moses about his Exodus in Jerusalem. Noteworthy is Matthew fascination of tying the Torah to Jesus’ messiah status. The illumination of the cloud is respected as the presence of God. In Jewish tradition the righteous face shall shine like the sun- Shechinah, the glory of God hovering over his people.

At this juncture the apostles are much bewildered; the cross was a terrible and humiliating prospect. Plus, what about the future, what about the apostles after Jesus’ Exodus? We see Peter trying to build some structures and stay on the mountain. It is good and wonderful to be on the mountain and be transfigured, but it is a way and means to walk the daily walk and do the daily chores. Enjoy your mountain, but use it as a support, not as a crutch!

Submitted by Walt Jaap