St. Thomas the Apostle Newsletter

eNews

May 28, 2010

Greetings!

St. Thomas the Apostle is an Episcopal Parish in the Anglo-Catholic tradition. We are called by God to be a holy place where love is found, where all are named and where hearts are freed to change the world.

Rector's Corner

From the Rector

Fr. Ian Elliott Davies

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

As we come to Trinity Sunday we are almost at the 'mid point' in the Church's calendar and year. This is a good 'staging post' on which we take stock of the year's blessings, our commitment and discipleship and desire to be faithful to Christ. Trinity Sunday is one of the major Church feasts (red letter days) that the Anglican Communion and the Epsicopal Church hold in high regard and great affection. St Thomas a Becket (1118-1170) was the famous Martyr-Archbishop of Canterbury who brought the observance of the First Sunday after Whitsunday (the Sunday following his own consecration as Bishop) to universal popularity in the Western Church. There are deep echoes in the observance of Trinity Sunday within the Celtic tradition that would have been fresh in St Thomas a Becket's heart as Archbishop - he knew very well that the Celts perceived both the natural world and the spiritual realm in trinitarian terms: the threefold cycle of birth, life and death; the three elements of the created order, earth, air, water. This is an appropriate Sunday on which we may recall that we are called into mystical relationship and communion with God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit- Eternally One and Three to the ages of ages.

I send my love & prayers for the Trinitytide, Fr Davies Signature

Fr Ian Elliott Davies

Trinity Sunday

First Sunday After Pentecost

Holy Trinity, fresco by Luca Rossetti da Orta, 1738-9 (St. Gaudenzio Church at Ivrea, Torino)
Trinity

Trinity Sunday celebrates the Christian doctrine of the Trinity, the three Persons of God: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

The Creed of Saint Athanasius is recited in certain Anglican churches, particularly those of High Church, on Trinity Sunday as prescribed in the Book of Common Prayer.

Trinity Sunday has the status of a Principal Feast in the Church of England and is one of seven principal feast days in the Episcopal Church.

Thomas Becket (1118-70) was consecrated Archbishop of Canterbury on the Sunday after Whit Sunday, and his first act was to ordain that the day of his consecration should be held as a new festival in honour of the Holy Trinity. This observance spread from Canterbury throughout the whole of Christendom.

Adapted from www.wikipedia.org

Memorial Day

Monday, May 31, 2010

Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation's service. There are many stories as to its actual beginnings, with over two dozen cities and towns laying claim to being the birthplace of Memorial Day. There is also evidence that organized women's groups in the South were decorating graves before the end of the Civil War.

While Waterloo N.Y. was officially declared the birthplace of Memorial Day by President Lyndon Johnson in May 1966, it's difficult to prove conclusively the origins of the day. It is more likely that it had many separate beginnings; each of those towns and every planned or spontaneous gathering of people to honor the war dead in the 1860's tapped into the general human need to honor our dead, each contributed honorably to the growing movement..

Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on 5 May 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, in his General Order No. 11, and was first observed on 30 May 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. The first state to officially recognize the holiday was New York in 1873. By 1890 it was recognized by all of the northern states. The South refused to acknowledge the day, honoring their dead on separate days until after World War I (when the holiday changed from honoring just those who died fighting in the Civil War to honoring Americans who died fighting in any war). It is now celebrated in almost every State on the last Monday in May (passed by Congress with the National Holiday Act of 1971.

To help re-educate and remind Americans of the true meaning of Memorial Day, the "National Moment of Remembrance" resolution was passed on Dec 2000 which asks that at 3 p.m. local time, for all Americans "To voluntarily and informally observe in their own way a Moment of remembrance and respect, pausing from whatever they are doing for a moment of silence or listening to 'Taps."

Adapted from USMemorial.com

NOTE: The Parish Office will be closed on Monday, May 31, 2010 in rememberence of the Fallen.

Osteoporosis Screening

May 30, 2010

The Parish Nurse Program at St. Thomas the Apostle will be offering Osteoporosis Screening on Sunday, May 30th. Dr. Tim Wright, our parish nurse will be providing the screening, and answering any questions regarding bone density health. All women over 50 years of age are encouraged to take part in the event. Other parishioners are also invited if they would like to be screened. This event is free by a generous contribution from an anonymous sponsor.

John West - AGO Concert

June 6 at 4pm

The Los Angeles Chapter of the American Guild of Organists is celebrating its Centennial Anniversary this year. Eight organists have been asked to perform on this historic occasion and our Organist in Residence, John West is honored to be one of them.

The concert will take place at the First Congregational Church of Los Angeles, 540 S. Commonwealth Avenue on June 6 at 4:00 pm. First Church houses the largest church organ in the world and the attendance is expected to be overflowing.

This is a free event so please come and arrive early!

Ordination Volunteer(s) needed

Saturday, June 12

On Saturday, June 12, 2010 there is an Ordination at St. John's Cathedral. The Bishop Guild needs volunteers. Patricia Neal Jensen has represented St. Thomas in the past, but is unable to do so this year. She writes of her experience:

The ordination cake and coffee service does not require any particular talent!! Just a willingness to cut and serve cake and set up tables and smile. It is spectacular to view an ordination, of course, and we workers peeked in and watched a bit as well. Donna Keller and the Bishops Guild never have enough help. Steve DeMuth and his partner came with me and were a great success and much appreciated. The set up is pleasant work and then a lull (peeking time) while the actual ordination is going on, and then cake is flying as everyone comes out of the church at once and his hungry and eager to celebrate. It is so much fun to see the newly ordained and their families. It is an exciting and happy day.

The ordination is at the ProCathedral and the work is over at noon. Bishop's Guild's function is to support candidates for ordination and they do it financially (raise money) and spiritually (cards, letters, prayers). Important work and not burdensome. It would be lovely to have St. Thomas continue to be represented.

If you are able to be of service to represent St. Thomas please contact Donna Keller.

In This Issue

Rector's Corner

Trinity Sunday

Memorial Day

Osteoporosis Screening May 30

John West LA AGO Concert

Ordination volunteers