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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. |
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Rector's Corner
 As we commence our Lenten Season it is distressing for many of us to learn of yet more violence in Pakistan against Christian and other non-Muslim minorities [the Archbishop of Canterbury has "denounced the pseudo-religious tyranny in Pakistan"] the murder of Mr Shabbaz Bhatti (Government Minister for Religious Minorities in Pakistan) and a practicing Roman Catholic, is one of the latest stories to come to the attention of the world-press. In Egypt there have also been growing tensions between Christian Copts (some of whom date their Christian foundations to the very earliest centuries) and Muslims following the burning of a Church in the Moqattam district of Cairo. More recently Islamic extremists set fire to 59 churches and at least 28 Christian homes in western Ethiopia. Along with the terrible news from Japan and New Zealand following their natural disasters our hearts must feel very heavy as we recite our daily prayers at the Masses and Offices. I encourage each of you spend at least a little time in your daily meditations praying for World Peace.
Below I have reproduced the "Simply Guide to Meditation" that was available in Church last Sunday.
I send my love & prayers as you continue your Lenten devotions and I heartily encourage you to join in prayer for all persecuted and violently mistreated minorities,
Fr Ian Elliott Davies
"A Simple Guide To Meditation" by Fr Ian Elliott Davies
"Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert"
Holy Gospel of S Matthew 4:1
Like all the great religious traditions Christianity has its own tradition of meditation. Tracing its roots back to Christ escaping to the side of a mountain to contemplate the mystery of God - which was called Contemplation by the Desert Mothers and Fathers of the first centuries of the Church - contemplation has an ancient and long history.
Elijah, S Therese, Thomas Merton, Bede Griffiths, Dame Julian of Norwich, Dietrich Bonhoeffer- all have helped the inner contemplative Judeo-Christian in practices that make their ways out of the solitary world and into the 'lived' lives of individuals and communities- the inner journey, that long pilgrimage of the soul- holding to that vision of the Beauty of God revealed in the Most Holy and Undivided Trinity.
It is not just the great saints, but all who seek to follow Christ who can make that journey and can travel that path.
Practically- Always remember to choose a quiet place. In your pew, in your home--
Sit down comfortably, or you may kneel- with your back straight.
Close your eyes lightly. Relax and sit as still/centered as possible.
Breathe deeply, staying both alert and relaxed.
Slowly and intently start saying your prayer- choose simply some familiar words "Lord Have Mercy Upon Us, Christ have Mercy Upon Us"
Breathe through the prayer--- listen for the still, small voice of calm---
Repeat this slowly--- and gently--- the whole time of your contemplative meditation. Return to it as soon as you realize you have stopped--- but gently, not forcefully. Stay with the same words during meditation- from minute-- to minute, hour ---by hour, day by ---day. In meditation it's important not to evaluate the experience, but to have it/breathe through it and contemplate it at leisure. There is a temptation to evaluate and judge the experience-- 'I'm not spiritual enough' and 'I get distracted so easily' --can so easily creep into the mind. Meditation is a path we may walk many times and each time, in each instance, we learn more. What is important is to have the experience-
and listen-deeply---
to it and the Spirit,
the mysterious---
Wisdom of God-
"Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert"
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Lenten Series continues
Father William Ledbetter (Assistant Priest) is leading the annual Lenten Series this year. The series occur on Tuesdays following the 7:00pm Mass. A soup supper is generously and graciously provided by a generous Parishioner. Exploring the Spirit of the Liturgy "Prayer is at the center of our worship and binds us together as a community of faith. St. Thomas the Apostle is an Episcopal Parish in the Anglo-Catholic tradition. "
Those words are at the beginning of the email [ePrayer] I get each week reminding us that the essence of St. Thomas the Apostle and our chief aim is the Mass where we come together to worship God. All that is good and beautiful and loving about our community is formed and nurtured in the liturgy of our Church. This liturgy is unique in many ways to St. Thomas, yet it is drawn from a rich tradition in the Universal Church and also from our particular Anglo-Catholic, American and even Hollywood setting.
Week Two we'll examine sacred time and space (architecture) in the liturgy drawing on our own church and other examples. Week Three we'll consider Art and Liturgy, including images and sacred music both in our Church and other Christian traditions. Week Four we'll look at our own liturgy and how all participate both in prayer and movement. The final Tuesday will be a consideration of how our liturgy brings us into the presence of God and how Heaven is made present in our midst in the liturgy. We will examine the worship of the heavenly Jerusalem in the Apocalypse (Revelation) and how our liturgy mirrors that of Heaven. Hope to see you there.
Fr. Bill Ledbetter |
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Thomas Cranmer, March 21
Thomas Cranmer (2 July 1489 - 21 March 1556) was a leader of the English Reformation and Archbishop of Canterbury during the reigns of Henry VIII and Edward VI. He helped build a favourable case for Henry's divorce from Catherine of Aragon which resulted in the separation of the English Church from union with the Holy See. Along with Thomas Cromwell, he supported the principle of Royal Supremacy, in which the king was considered sovereign over the Church within his realm.
During Cranmer's tenure as Archbishop of Canterbury, he was responsible for establishing the first doctrinal and liturgical structures of the reformed Church of England. Under Henry's rule, Cranmer did not make many radical changes in the Church, due to power struggles between religious conservatives and reformers. However, he succeeded in publishing the first officially authorised vernacular service, the Exhortation and Litany.
When Edward came to the throne, Cranmer was able to promote major reforms. He wrote and compiled the first two editions of the Book of Common Prayer, a complete liturgy for the English Church. With the assistance of several Continental reformers to whom he gave refuge, he developed new doctrinal standards in areas such as the eucharist, clerical celibacy, the role of images in places of worship, and the veneration of saints. Cranmer promulgated the new doctrines through the Prayer Book, the Homilies and other publications.
Cranmer was tried for treason and heresy after Mary I, a member of the Catholic Church, came to the throne. Imprisoned for over two years and under pressure from the Church authorities, he made several recantations and apparently reconciled himself with the Roman Catholic faith. However, on the day of his execution, he dramatically withdrew his recantations, to die a heretic to Catholics and a martyr to Protestants. His legacy lives on within the Church of England through the Book of Common Prayer and the Thirty-Nine Articles, an Anglican statement of faith derived from his work.
He is commemorated in the Anglican Communion on 21 March, the anniversary of his death. |
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Bishops collect Prayers
Church of England Bishops were out among shoppers and passers-by collecting their prayers on March 9 to mark Ash Wednesday, the start of Lent 2011. For the next 40 days, people across England have the opportunity to share with God their hopes and concerns, anonymously, in the form of a prayer posted at www.sayoneforme.org, a web-based prayer service.
To promote the website, the bishops collected prayers, on specially designed cards, that were prayed at church services later that day. They will also hand out "business cards" containing the web address www.sayoneforme.org.
Bishop David Walker of Dudley said, "Lent is a time to turn to God to tell Him about your hopes, needs and concerns - and everyone posting a prayer at sayoneforme.org will know that others are praying their prayers with them and on their behalf."
Having researched the content of almost 1,000 prayers from last year's Say One for Me initiative, Tania ap Sion, director of the St. Mary's Centre, North Wales, said: "These prayers clearly brought hope to a number of people. Sometimes the same person visited the web site more than once - on the first occasion to ask for prayer and on the second occasion to give thanks for an answer to prayer."
Further information is available here.
From: Episcopal News Service |
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The Jewish Jesus
The Guibord Center presents "The Jewish Jesus", on Sunday March 27 from 2pm to 4pm. The lecture will be presented by Dr. Amy-Jill Levine (Professor of New Testament and Jewish Studies at Vanderbilt University Divinity School). A self-described "Yankee Jewish feminist who teaches in a predominately Christian divinity school in the buckle of the Bible Belt," Prof. Levine combines historical-critical rigor, literary-critical sensitivity, and a frequent dash of humor with a commitment to eliminating anti-Jewish, sexist, and homophobic theologies. The lecture will take place at St. John's Pro-Cathedral (514 West Adams St.), and a reception will follow. All events offered by The Guibord Center are open to the public and are free of charge. |
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Easter Flowers
If you would like to contribute toward the cost of Easter flowers and decorations, please fill out the yellow form provided with the Order of Service and return it with your donation to the offering plate or the Parish Office no later than Palm Sunday, 17 April, 2011. The suggested minimum donation is $25. You may also contribute via PayPal. Please provide your "In Memory Of" or "Thanksgiving for" in the Special Instructions Section of your PayPal payment. 
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Lent 2
Celebrant (8am & 10:30am)
The Rev. Ian Elliott DaviesHomilyThe Rev. Ian Elliott DaviesDeaconThe Rev. Walter S. Johnson
Assistant Organist
Thompson Howell
Choir Anthem
For God So Loved the World
Phillips
Readings
Genesis 12. 1 - 4a
Psalm 121
Romans 4. 1 - 5, 13 - 17
John 3. 1 - 17 |
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LA Marathon Sunday
The Los Angeles Marathon takes place on Sunday, March 20. The course once again runs through the entire city. Please review the course and plan your travel to Church accordingly! |
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Hollywood Blvd. Resurfacing
The City of Los Angeles is resurfacing Hollywood Boulevard between La Brea and Fairfax. Work began last week with the prepping of the curbs and bus lanes. The length of the project, traffic interruptions, etc. has not yet been made available by the Bureau of Street Services.
We will update the information as we receive it. Please allow for additional time to get to Church. |
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Lenten Retreats
A Lenten silent retreat with Bishop Diane Bruce, "Exploring Different Forms of Prayer," will be held Saturday, March 19, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the ProCathedral of St. John and sponsored by the St. John's chapter of the Daughters of the King. Cost for the day is $10, which includes lunch (checks payable to St. John's Cathedral). For reservations, (requested by March 14), contact the parish office at 213.747-6285 or email to dok@stjohnsla.org. The ProCathedral is located at 514 West Adams Blvd., Los Angeles.+++++
The Program Group on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Ministries will sponsor a "Lent Event," a day of learning, prayer, reflection and renewal with Bishop Mary Glasspool, on Saturday, March 19, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. at Church of Our Saviour, 535 W. Roses Road, San Gabriel. Cost is $10 (for lunch). For reservations, email to troy90048@yahoo.com. +++++
Professor William Countryman (the world-renowned, retired Professor of Bibilical Studies at CDSP, Berkeley) will be leading a Quiet Day Lenten Retreat that is open to all members of our Deanery family at St Bede's Church, Mar Vista, 9am through 4pm on Saturday 26th March 2011. Interested Parishioners should contact St Bede's Parish Office [310-391-5522; 888-802-6722]. St Bede's, 3590 Grand View Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90066-1904 |
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Treasurer's Report
Gifts received through 2/11:
$48,887.40
Ministries funded thru 2/11:
$58,864.44
Balance:
($9,977.04)
Note from Treasurer:
St. Thomas relies on the Parish for 75% of its funding, all from pledges.
Pledge receipts for the first two months of 2011 are substantially below historic levels. If you are able to bring your pledge current, it would be most appreciated.
Should your personal situation have changed and your pledge commitment needs to be altered, please feel free to contact Craig Coogan, Treasurer, directly. Having accurate information about pledges allows for effective planning.
Thank you for your generosity and support.
Minutes from the February 2011 Vestry retreat are available online. |
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Who Does What
Have you ever been curious as to who does what at the Parish? Have you ever wanted to participate with something and weren't quite sure whom to contact?
The annual "Who Does What" booklet has been updated and copies are available at the back of the Church. An online version is also available from the website's Parish page.
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Mother Knows Best
On March 22 in 337, the first Christian emperor of Rome, Constantine, died at age 47. |
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Coming Soon...
Please join us for many Parish activities. Here's a sampling of upcoming events - a full list is available online
March 19 @ 10:45am
Newcomer Orientation
March 20
LA Marathon - traffic issues
March 25
Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
March 22 @ 7:00pm
Lenten Series - Week 2
March 26 @ 7:00am
Homeless Feeding & Outreach
March 26 @5:00pm
LASchola sings the Mass
March 28 @ 9:30am
USC AID Feeding Program
March 29 @ 7:00pm
Lenten Series - Week 3
April 05 @ 7:00pm
Lenten Series - Week 4
April 8 @ 7:00am
Homeless Feeding & Outreach
April 12 @ 7:00pm
Lenten Series - Week 5
April 16 @ 10:45am Semi-Annual Church Cleaning |
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ePrayer
Prayer is at the center of our worship and binds us together as a community of faith. This week we commenced our electronic prayer chain email. A list of persons on the prayer list is sent weekly.
The prayer chain email is an opt-in list only - it will not be sent unless you sign up for it. If you'd like to be on this distribution list, please update your profile (please use link at the bottom of the email, customized with your email) or contact the office.
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All Star Award
The St. Thomas weekly eNews and ePrayer - have been named by Constant Contact as an All Star Award Winner!
Thanks to you, our loyal readers, for your support! |
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