Spiritual Adventures at
Saint Thomas Episcopal Church

June 12, 2011 ~ Pentecost
 Dove
Greetings!
Please enjoy this week's edition of Spiritual Adventures. Please check your e-mail each week to read about the news and events in our common life at St. Thomas Episcopal Church. Thank you, and God bless!

 

Sheet MusicNew Service Music for the Summer

 

This Sunday we begin singing some new music for the "Ordinary" parts of the service. The "Song of Praise" will be some wonderful joyous words of the late Pat Clark set to one of our favorite tunes, Earth And All Stars. I think you will love it! The "Holy, holy, holy God" is a setting of the traditional words sung to the Southern Folk Tune, Land of Rest. This will be very familiar to you. And lastly, Fr. Eric Law, an internationally-known consultant in multicultural ministry, brings us a short, eight-measure canon to sing after the bread is broken.

These are all pieces that you will find immediately attractive and accessible. Please sing heartily - because YOU are the choir. The music will be found on cards in the pew racks.

 

SUMMER CHOIR: Since we have a lot of music to prepare for Pentecost, the Summer Choir will meet at 9:30 a.m. this Sunday in the Choir Room. Thank you.

 

Submitted by Rick McKnight, Organist and Choirmaster

VBS 2011Mid-Week Update from Vacation Bible School!

 

VBS 2011 has been fabulous so far! We are halfway through the week but still have lots of exciting adventures in store for our kids! On Monday through Wednesday, we learned about the greatness found in water, seeds, and the soil. Today, we have creatures big and small visiting St. Thomas Episcopal Church from Jubilee Farms in Opelika and the Pine Mountain Wild Animal Safari in Pine Mtn, GA. Friday concludes this year's VBS with celebrating the harvest and recognizing the fact that we too as individuals are part of God's greatest garden! With youth participating, we have had almost 60 kids this year. Many thanks to all of our teachers, snack volunteers, and registration coordinators. God is good and VBS has been great this summer. Big plans are already in the works for next summer's program!

 

Submitted by Erin Redden, Director of Children's Christian Education

 

VBS Fun

Soles4SoulsSoles4Souls Continues through June 12

 

Our church and Vacation Bible School program have partnered with Soles4Souls to help collect new and gently worn shoes to deliver to the over 300 million children and countless adults without shoes around the world! Join us, and take off your shoes! Clean out your closets and bring the shoes to donate!

Soles4Souls accepts all types of new and gently worn shoes, including athletic, running, dress, sandals, pumps, heels, work boots, cleats, dance, and flip flops. Please also consider donating $1.00 to help with the shipping costs of the shoes.

Visit www.giveshoes.org to learn more about Soles4Souls.

Episcopal DioceseCelebrate the Ordination of Lorna Erixson

 

Our church community grows in Grace as we celebrate the ordination of Deacon Lorna Erixson. The ordination, performed by Bishop Neil Alexander, will take place on Sunday, June 26, at 4:00 p.m., at The Cathedral of St. Philip in Atlanta. Deacon Erixson is one among six candidates for ordination. Please keep these men and women in your prayers, and please offer your congratulations to the soon-to-be Rev. Erixson!

"Posh Togs" Clothing Sale to Support McCann African Mission

 

Using donations straight from a high-end clothing manufacturer, St. Thomas Episcopal Church will host a "Posh Togs" clothing sale, featuring name-brand athletic and resort clothing. Brands include Cool Sweats, True Grit, and Mod-O-Doc. All proceeds go to the McCann African Mission. More information is forthcoming.

DATES, TIMES, AND LOCATION: Saturday, June 25, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., and Sunday, June 26, from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., in All Saints' Hall at St. Thomas Episcopal Church.

Photos!Parish Pictorial Directory

 

In our continuing efforts to up-date our pictorial directory, we will have amateur photographers on hand to take digital photos of parishioners and their families on Sunday, June 12.

If you are an amateur or pro-bono photographer who would like to become involved in this project, please contact the office.

All parishioners are also invited to submit their own digital photos, such as your Facebook profile picture, as appropriate. Thank you!

BBSummer Reading Recommendations from Sonya Boyd, Library and Media Specialist at Shaw High School

 

If you have questions about the following list, please contact Sonya Boyd at 706-563-6161 or janjulau@aol.com. Happy Summer Reading!

Independent booksellers in the area offer numerous suggestions for summertime reading. These folks know books and, in these tough economic times, bookstores are struggling to keep afloat. Please support them whenever possible. In fact, most of these bookstores also include an online component. You might also use Barnes and Nobles, the new Books-a-Million in Peachtree Mall, and the Book House, all in Columbus. The public libraries throughout our area also continue to provide access to great reading opportunities. We are fortunate to have such resources available. Listed below are some titles from area independent booksellers.

+ Alek at Judy Bugs (706-323-5588) on Broadway in Uptown Columbus suggests The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde. Readers who like Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy will enjoy this fantastical first novel in the series. Alek can provide you with many more suggestions for good reads. Stop in for a chat and take time to browse and shop.

+ Erlene Scott of Scott's Book Store on the Square in Newnan (770-253-2960) recommends novels Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman and Folly Beach by Karen White, both Georgia authors. Scott's is just across the street from Newnan's restored Carnegie Library, also worth a visit. For more information see www.mainstreenewnan.com.

+ Staff members at Horton's Books, Georgia's oldest bookstore, founded in 1892 and located on Adamson Square in Carrollton, recommends My Name is Mary Sutter by Robin Oliveria (also recommended by St. Thomas Readers member, Pat McMahon), a story of a Civil War nurse. Lost in Shangri-La by Michael Zuckhoff details a true story of WWII. Horton'smay be reached at 770-832-8025.

+ The Blue Elephant Bookstore on Ponce de Leon in Decatur is owned by former Columbus resident Laura Keys, who recommends Caleb's Crossing by Geraldine Brooks, an account of the first Native American to enter Harvard. The Blue Elephant Bookstore may be reached at 404-573-1565. The website is www.blueelephantbookshop.com.

+ The Foxtale Book Shoppe on East Main Street in Woodstock at 770-516-9989 recommends Summer Rental, by popular Georgia author Mary Kay Andrews. This novel is perfect for beach reading! The Foxtale website www.foxtailbookshoppe.com has much more information on books and events that feature visits by popular authors like Elizabeth Musser, author of The Swan House.

+ Lastly, the staff of the Cathedral Bookstore at St. Phillips will gladly offer many recommendations. One popular read is a debut thriller by St. Phillips parishioner Jeffrey Small, The Breathe of God. Phone the bookstore at 800-643-7150 or consult the website www.cathedralbookstore.com for more information on this title and many more.

Below are further suggestions for reading. Asterisks (*) indicate possible selections for next season's St. Thomas Readers Book Group.

*Dancing in Cadillac Light by Kimberly Holt, a story of growing up in East Texas, 1968

*Dissolution by C.J. Sansom, historical suspense set during the reign of Henry VIII and the early days of the Church of England

The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff, fact-based story of early Mormonism, with a modern fictional mystery thrown in for good measure

Dewey by Vicki Myron, abandoned cat finds a home in Iowa public library and becomes internationally famous

*Friends for the Journey by Madeleine L'Engle and Luci Shaw, more than a quarter century of friendship and faith from two literary giants

*Take Good Care of the Garden and the Dogs by Heather Lende, a fellow Episcopalian who writes about life, family, friends, and faith from Haines, Alaska

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen, a Depression-era romance; the current blockbuster movie is adapted from this novel

*One Was a Soldier (latest in the Reverend Clare Fergusson series) by Julia Spencer Fleming, a mystery from one of our favorite authors, who continues to address some of the difficult issues of our time

Strangers (latest in the Faye Longchamp series) by Mary Anna Evans, a young archeologist uncovers long held secrets in St. Augustine

*March by Geraldine Brooks, the story of the father of the March family in Louisa May Alcott's beloved classic, Little Women

Ghost a la Mode by Sue Ann Jaffarian, Granny (unjustly hanged a century ago) is back to clear her name and solve mysteries from the past.

 

Office of the Rector

Saint Thomas Episcopal Church

706-324-4264

office@stthomascolumbus.org

http://www.stthomascolumbus.org/home.html