Please enjoy this issue of Spiritual Adventures, the weekly e-newsletter of St. Thomas Episcopal Church. Please check your e-mail each week to read the news and events occurring in our church community.

Temple Israel will host "The Children of Abraham Remember," an interfaith commemoration of the tenth anniversary of the September 11, 2001, attacks on Sunday evening, September 11, 2011, at 5:00 p.m. The commemoration will include representation and spiritual offerings from the Jewish, Christian, and Muslim communities of the greater Columbus area. The conveners are Rabbi Jeffrey Salkin, spiritual leader of Temple Israel; Rabbi Brian Glusman of Shearith Israel Synagogue; Reverend Douglas Hahn of St. Thomas Episcopal Church; Farhad AliFarhani and Imam Yahya Islam, representing the Muslim community of Masjid AnNur; and OneColumbus, under the leadership of Ken Crooks.

 

Rabbi Jeffrey Salkin, the spiritual leader of Temple Israel, remarked: "As we mark the tenth anniversary of these tumultuous events in the life of America, we re-dedicate ourselves to the promise of America and her security and integrity. So, too, we remain painfully aware of the threat of Islamophobia, and with this service we affirm our intent to keep the lines of communication and dialogue open. We are all Americans, and together we remain wounded by the events of 9/11."

Fr. Hahn reminds us that this is also a remembrance of the partnership that our communities forged in the months following 9/11. This partnership resulted in a joint Habitat for Humanity Project.

Temple Israel is located at 1617 Wildwood Avenue, Columbus. For further information, please contact Temple Israel at 706-323-1617. See also the announcement made in the Ledger-Enquirer http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/2011/08/22/1702639/temple-israel-to-host-interfaith.html.

 

Our parish-wide Low Country Boil on Sunday, August 28, was a big success! Parishioners and their guests enjoyed great food and great company. See photos below.

 

Photos submitted by Erin Redden, Director of Children's Christian Education.

 

                     

 

 

 

This week, We celebrate the birth of Jet McKnight Sowell, son of Caitlin Cook and Mack Sowell, and grandson of Dennis and Karen Cook. Jet was born Tuesday, August 20, and will be Baptized at St. Thomas on Sunday, November 6. Congratulations to the Sowells!

 

 

The Chattahoochee Valley Chapter of Integrity - the leading grassroots voice for the full inclusion of LGBT persons in the Episcopal Church - will host a Discussion Night at St. Thomas Episcopal Church on Friday, September 16, at 6:30 p.m. in All Saints' Hall. Beverages and snacks will be provided. After the discussion, the group will reconvene at a restaurant of the group's choice. The subject for the discussion will be "Same-Sex Complementarity: A Theology of Marriage", from the Winter 2011 issue of the "Anglican Theological Review". Copies of the article will be available the night of the discussion or can be emailed to interested individuals by providing an email address to DKirland110@aol.com. This is an open event to anyone interested in attending. For questions or inquiries, please contact David Kirkland and Todd Griffin at 706-464-1621.

 

Please note that the date stated above is a correction to the St. Thomas September Calendar, which you may have received by e-mail or postal mail. Integrity's regular, monthly meeting will be the third Friday of each month, at 6:30 p.m., in All Saints' Hall.

 

 

The St. Thomas Readers Book Group will begin its seventh season on Thursday, September 8, at 6:00 p.m. in the St. Thomas Parlor. We will be discussing Dancing in Cadillac Light and Part of Me, both by Kimberly Willis Holt. Considered an outstanding author of books for children and young adults, her works are often found on school reading lists. Both of these books celebrate the joys of family, reading, faith, and the triumph of the human spirit. They are not available at the Columbus Public Library, but they may be purchased online and in local book stores. The convener of the group also has several copies that she purchased from Amazon.com. Anyone wishing to purchase one of these copies may contact Sonya Boyd at 706-563-6161 or janjulau@aol.com. The funds will be donated to the St. Thomas Youth.

 

There will be no meeting of the Readers Group in October so that everyone may participate in the Columbus Public Library's The Big Read, celebrating the works of Edgar Allen Poe. A variety of activities are planned for the month and we hope that all will support The Big Read. Contact the Chattahoochee Valley Regional Library for further information on The Big Read.

 

Announcements about the November meeting of the St. Thomas Readers will be forthcoming. 

 

The Children's Choir at St. Thomas is for children four years old through elementary school age. The choir rehearses weekly throughout the school year on Wednesday nights from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., and provides special music for Sunday worship and other events in the life of St. Thomas' parish. In addition to preparing special anthems, the children learn about the music of the church through the singing of hymns and liturgy. As they learn musical concepts through the music they prepare, they are also taught the Biblical concepts behind the music. Through singing, playing instruments, and movement, the children learn to give their best to God through their music.

 

If you have questions, please contact Erin Redden, Children's Choir Director, at episcokids@stthomascolumbus.org.