Thank You!

St. Thomas wishes to thank Chef Gerard Marquetty for his excellent culinary delights at the Supper, Song & Prayer dinner Wednesday, September 14th.  It was a spectacular feast with Gerard's entrees and everyone who brought side dishes, desserts and beverages.  It truly was a grand evening!

Those Who Chose to Jump

Many have asked for a copy of Helen Wallace's poem from Father Chris' sermon on Sunday and Helen has graciously consented for us to post it here.   This poem was published in 2007 by Ashland Poetry in Helen's book, Shimming the Glass House which was the winner of the 2007 Richard Snyder Publication Prize.




Those Who Chose to Jump

               The Twin Towers, 2001



Did you trace

   your children’s names

        in ash imagining



their new class photos

    the disheveled

        sweet wisps of hair



and did you despite

    smoky fumes smell again

        the coconut lathered



on your back at the pool

    your mother in a

        wide-brimmed hat



your sister sporting

     orange water wings

         and you age four poised



to attempt a perfect dive

    your body leaning forward

         toes curled around the hot tile



And there reaching out

    toward all that blue—

         your father’s arms

Into our Father’s Arms

Father Chris gave his last sermon as rector of St. Thomas on a very special 9/11 10th anniversary service. The service featured a beautiful music arrangement, including a solo by Louis Yardumian opening the service with “Surely the Presence of the Lord is in this Place.” And Father Chris took on the challenging topic of the meaning of 9/11 noting that his wife Bettina was at that time at the 10th anniversary services at ground zero inNew York City comforting a friend who had lost her son in the 9/11 attacks.

Father Chris began his sermon by explaining that we are all interconnected, the world is at order, and that the goodness of God can be seen even in something as difficult as 9/11…that we bless ourselves when we invite God into our every situation and emotion. If we do this he will sanctify and make us whole no matter the situation….this is how we can be unified (noting that President Obama read Bettina’s favorite Psalm, chapter 46, at the ceremony this morning).

Fr. Chris continued by acknowledging that we all feel helpless watching replays of the buildings falling, but he also reminded us that every one of the last messages and phone calls ended with “I love you.” Most were serene and calm and many spent time reassuring their loved ones even in the face of death…no one “wasted” their last message…they were effectively affirming the goodness of life even as their lives were ending. With God’s grace, we can all face whatever hardships life will bring us with this kind of calm and bravery.

Fr. Chris then asked Dav Mosby to read a beautiful and haunting poem by Helen Pruitt Wallace. The poem, “Those Who Chose to Jump,” transforms the horrific environment that was facing those who were stuck in upper floors of the World Trade Center as the building burned into a pleasant memory of a 4-year-old.  Standing on the edge of a burning building staring into a blue sky becomes standing on the edge of a hot tiled deck staring out at an expanse of blue pool…ending with a faith-filled first dive into the blue, into a waiting Father’s arms. Reflecting on the connectivity between these events, Father Chris challenged the congregation to figuratively seek to be crucified with Christ.  We take our fears, judgments, jealousies, obsessions, hatred and anger and lift it to God for transformation. This is the essence of Christianity. We should desire the crucifixion and days like this give us insight into our eternal life. At some point, we will all be jumping into the blue…and when we do, we can go with the same kind of serenity and confidence that we will be going into our Father’s arms.


posted by m white

Our Rudder

In today’s sermon Father John discussed how Paul’s message in this week’s passage from his letter to the Romans applies to us today. He noted that the past few weeks’ readings from Romans have been more theological in spirit, but Romans 12:9-21 provides a list of what we should be doing and how we should live our lives…in fact, he said he had read that this reading has 36 imperatives for us to follow!


Father John then described how these imperatives are particularly important for Christians in times of change or uncertainty…they can serve as a guiding light for a congregation like ours which is in transition…even with Fr. Chris’ impending departure, we do not need to worry about being rudderless.


Paul is showing us what it looks like to be a community of faith. He tells us to “cling to what is good,” and in what is arguably the most important message in the passage, Paul tells us to “be devoted to one another in brotherly love.” Contrary to this teaching, Fr. John points out that when things get tough for us as individuals or even as a congregation, it is not uncommon for people to focus on ourselves. Instead, our direction should be clear with our future depending on our ability to follow Jesus’ example and being “devoted to one another in love…honoring one another above ourselves.”


Submitted by M. White

Altar Flowers for August

August 7
The Altar Flowers ar given to the Glory of God and in thanksgiving for the birthdays of Michael, Eric, Marilyn, Don, Taylor and Ed by Ed and Marilyn Lanctot.

Flower designers: Louise Yardumian, Joanne Turrell and Angela Fleece.
 
 
 
August 14
The Altar Flowers are given to the Glory of God and in loving memory of Fran Futch by Dr. Bill Futch in loving memory of Mary elizabeth Lewis Tucker and, in thanksgiving for Betty Jean Miller and Jacob McCartney Walters by Wendy Gardiner Lewis

Flower designers: Elizabeth Walters-Alison, Joanne Turrell and Vicky Steinwender.


August 21

The Altar Flowers are given to the Glory of God and in thanksgiving for the anniversary of Eric and Taylor and Ed and Marilyn by Ed and Marilyn Lanctot.

Flowers designers: Mary Jane Cartier and Carol Burgess.


August 28

The Altar Flowers are given to the Glory of God and in thanksgiving for the baptism of Coleton Allen and Wyatt Brooks Ritch by C.O. and Joanna Ritch.

Flower designer: Keith Tulloch

Faith, Trust and Risk

The Reverend Douglas Scharf joined us from Holy Innocents’ Church in Valrico, FL today and gave a sermon on the nature of Faith.  He began by describing his experience at his first camp where he encountered the "trust fall" as part of a low-ropes course.  He recounted that familiar, scary sensation when his feet left the platform before he felt the reassuring arms of his fellow campers.  Father Doug described that moment of no-return as embodying the nature of faith.

Fr. Doug then turned his attention to today's Gospel reading, Matthew15:21-28.  The story of the Canaanite woman who knelt before Jesus is a story of faith.  In fact, Fr. Doug pointed out that this is the only story in the Bible where a person's faith was described as "great."  He then pondered what it means to live lives full of faith and concluded that the essence of faith is trust without reservation...and without trust, there can be no relationship.  The Canaanite woman's kneeling before Jesus is a literal position of trust and Fr. Doug notes that this is just the position in which we often find ourselves.  This is especially true for times when we are gripped by fear and uncertainty...like the woman pleading for her daughter's sake, all we can do in these cases is put our trust in Jesus. 

Fr. Doug then explained that trust requires taking a risk...trust without risk isn't really trust.  We are all inclined to latch onto what is safe and comfortable, but Jesus asks that we trust with complete abandon and surrender.  The Canaanite woman was risking shaming herself kneeling at the feet of a Jewish person knowing that Jews despised her people.  She demonstrated her trust in Jesus even when Jesus was uncharacteristically indifferent to her first requests as the disciples were asking that she be sent away. 

Fr. Doug concluded by explaining that God calls for faith grounded in radical risk-taking...do we trust Him with our whole lives?  We are standing on the edge of our own "trust fall"...Jesus is calling for us to fall into his loving arms with the promise that he will never let us go. 

Submitted by M. White

A Conversation with Dee McMahon

I am so privileged to have the opportunity to visit with members of St. Thomas to talk and share Life Journeys. Today was special because I had never had the pleasure of just visiting with Dee and it was a delight.

Dee’s mother was from Tampa and her father was from Lakeland. After they were married they moved to St. Petersburg and found St. Thomas Church. This was in the early sixties. Dee was born in St. Petersburg and baptized into the Episcopal Faith at St. Thomas.  When Dee was nine years old her parents were divorced and they went to different churches but Dee never left St. Thomas.  She and her husband, Bill, were married at St. Thomas by Father Christopher Thompson. Dee’s roots are very deep in St. Petersburg and St. Thomas Church. Bill and Dee now have two beautiful daughters.

It was no surprise when she told me that when she is at St. Thomas doing her work or attending meetings she always has a sense of Peace.  It is more a feeling within of warmth and serenity.

Her father passed away when she was twenty years old and although he and her mother had divorced when she was nine, he had a great influence in her life.  Her mother’s parents, who lived in Portland Oregon, had also had a big impact on her life. She and her brother spent their summers in Portland
doing a lot of fun things with the grandparents.

In 2008 she had been working in Wholesale Sales at Sun Trust Bank and when returning to work after her maternity leave, the market had changed and she was out of a job. This created serious problems for the family and some very great hardships. However, Dee was always spiritually connected to God and she never let go during this time. She believes that this difficult experience caused her to become a better listener to God. She says that now she lets Him lead. It was difficult letting go and letting God be in charge.  Dee is after all is a leader, but God had the plan or the blue print. He leads. When we let Him lead everything falls into place.  Soon a position was open at St. Thomas and she now works a schedule that fits perfectly with her family’s schedule.

Just another example where all things work together for good.

In March, her husband Bill lost his job and The Prayer line was praying that a door of opportunity would open for Bill. Dee didn’t know this, but she wanted to share with me how that door opened.
She said that after Bill spoke to the Wednesday night group, Stan Shaver called Bill and suggested that he should contact Ceridian where his son Frank works. Stan didn’t know if they were hiring or not, but he thought it wouldn’t hurt to try. Bill did as Stan suggested and he got the job. He now works with Frank.

This, says Dee, is how God works through our St. Thomas family.  I am sure the Prayer Group would want me to thank Stan for being an instrument in bringing about the answer to our prayers.  I am reminded of the song “I sing a song of the saints of God, for the Saints of God are folks just like me, and I mean to be one too.  Isn’t it amazing how opportunities are right there in front of us every day? If we act on them it can make such a difference in some ones life.

Thanks Dee for taking time out of your busy schedule to share thoughts with me today.

Mary Hochadel
July 26, 2011
The St Thomas Blog