St Thomas Altar Organ View
eNews01 April 2011

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.

Video Sermon available 
110327 Sermon
110327 Sermon
We have begun recording and distributing the Sermons.  This is a vital part of our ministry and outreach.  The project has been under way for several years and through several generous donations state-of-the-art remote camera technology has been installed so there is a nominal impact on the worship experience.   (No General Fund dollars were spent on this project.)
  
The videos are available at a number of online locations:  St. Thomas Website,  You Tube Channel (please subscribe!) and Facebook (please "like" us!) 

 

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
Fr Ledbetter"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 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  
Laetre Sunday

Pink VestmentsLaetare Sunday is a name often used to denote the fourth Sunday of the season of Lent in the Christian liturgical calendar.  It is so called from the incipit of the Introit at Mass, "Laetare Jerusalem" ("O be joyful, Jerusalem"), This Sunday is also known as Mothering Sunday, Refreshment Sunday, Mid-Lent Sunday (in French mi-carême), and Rose Sunday (because the golden rose sent by the popes to Catholic sovereigns used to be blessed at this time). The term "Laetare Sunday" is used predominantly, though not exclusively, by Roman Catholics and Anglicans. The word translates from the Latin laetare, singular imperative of laetari to rejoice.
This Sunday was also once known as "the Sunday of the Five Loaves," from the traditional Gospel reading for the day. Prior to the adoption of the modern "common" lectionaries, the Gospel reading for this Sunday in the Lutheran, Anglican, Roman Catholic, Western-rite Orthodox, and Old Catholic churches was the story of the miracle of the loaves and fishes.
In the Roman Catholic, Anglican, and some Protestant traditions, there may be flowers on the high altar, and priests are given the option to wear rose-coloured vestments at Mass held on this day, in place of the violet vestments normally worn during Lent. This option for priests in the Anglican Church of England is noted in Common Worship. The day is a day of relaxation from normal lenten rigors; a day of hope with Easter being at last within sight.
 
Adapted from www.wikipedia.org
Requiescat:  The Rev. Canon Howard J. Happ, PhD.


March 28, 2011
 
Dear friends,

 

Fr HappI am very sorry to inform you that the Rev. Canon Dr. Howard J. Happ, a priest of this diocese for nearly 40 years and a distinguished professor of religious studies, died March 27 at the Canterbury Episcopal Home Community in Rancho Palos Verdes where he was a resident. Howard died peacefully in his sleep; he was 68 and will long be remembered for his great friendship, intellect, wit, and commitment to the Anglo-Catholic tradition.

 

 

Howard is survived by many admiring friends, colleagues and students. Requiem Eucharist is scheduled for Sunday, April 3, at 5:30 p.m. -- preceded by visitation at 4:30 p.m. -- at St. Nicholas Church, Encino. Burial will follow in Waterloo, Iowa, where Howard was born May 20, 1942.  

 

Since 1979, Howard was professor of religious studies at California State University, Northridge. Previously at CSUN he was associate professor for four years and assistant professor from 1971 to 1975.

 

Howard assisted at St. Nicholas, Encino, for some 20 years starting in 1978. He was curate of St. Charles' Mission, Northridge, from 1973 to 1976, and then assisted at St. Andrew & St. Charles, Granada Hills, from 1977 to 1983. In 1996 he began assisting at St. Bede's, Los Angeles, continuting until his retirement. Starting in 2000, he served at St. Martin in-the-Fields, Winnetka, and also occasionally at the Cathedral Center, of which he was named an honorary canon in 2006. Most recently, Howard had assisted and preached at St. Francis, Palos Verdes Estates, and St. Nicholas, Encino. 

 

Bishop Robert Rusack ordained Howard to the diaconate in 1973 and the priesthood in 1974. Howard held an A.B. from Cornell College in Iowa, M.A. from the University of Chicago, B.D. from Princeton Theological Seminary, and M.A. and Ph.D. from Princeton University.  

  

Howard is the author of numerous theological articles, as well as a chapter in the diocesan centennial history, As We Remember.

 

 

Rest eternal grant your servant Howard, O Lord, and let light perpetual shine upon him.

 
Your brother in Christ,
+J. Jon Bruno  

 

 

 

1982 Hymnal to be Revised

 

The deadline has been extended for submitting comments through an online survey to the Episcopal Church Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music (SCLM) about a possible revision of The Hymnal 1982 through April 30, according to a press release.

 

The online survey in both English and Spanish is available at here.

 

The Rev. Ruth Meyers, chair of the SCLM, noted comments are invited from the entire church in this discussion. She previously said, "We have established this survey as part of the Episcopal Church's ongoing work with liturgical materials and in compliance to Resolution B004 as approved at General Convention 2009. This is important work in the life of our church and we are grateful for participation as our church embraces this task."

 

Resolution B004  "authorize(s) Church Publishing Incorporated, working with the Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music, to conduct a feasibility study on the need for revision of The Hymnal 1982 by speaking to congregations, dioceses and all seminaries of this Church, and to report its findings to the 77th General Convention."

 

The survey is coordinated by the Church Pension Fund's Office of Research.

 

The survey results, along with recommendations for next steps, will be presented to General Convention 2012 as part of the SCLM report, the release said.

 

© 2011 The Episcopal News

 

Easter Breakfast

  
Easter 2010-010

Our annual Easter Breakfast will be held in between the 8am and 10:30am Masses on Easter Day. 

 

Serving will start right after the 8am Mass, around 9:15am.  To insure that the right amount of food is ordered (and to prevent any waste)  Reservations will be taken starting on Sunday during Coffee Hour.  Please see Donald Cummings, Hospitality Coordinator. 

 

To secure your reservation there is a requested donation of $10 to cover costs.  Anybody who is not able to pay the fee, please see Fr. Davies or Les Rumsey.

 

Please join us for this wonderful tradition of hospitality!

 

Easter Flowers

Easter Lily

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.  

 

 

Donate

 

 

In This Issue
Video Sermon available
Lenten Series continues
Laetre Sunday
Requiescat: Fr. Happ
1982 Hynmnal to be Revised
Easter Breakfast
Easter Flowers - never too early
Hollywood Blvd. Resurfacing
Ralph's
Mother Knows Best
Coming Soon...
Holy Week Services
Laetare Sunday

Celebrant (8am & 10:30am)
The Rev. Ian Elliott Davies

Homily
The Rev. Ian Elliott Davies

Deacon

The Rev. Walter S. Johnson


Assistant Organist
Thompson Howell
 
Choir Anthem

The Lord is My Sheperd

Carter

 

Lections
I Samuel 16:1-13
Psalm 23
Ephesians 5:8-14
St. John 9
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. 

Drums coming!
 

In honor of Laerte Sunday which is a more relaxed service, drums will be added to the Mass.  The steady drum beat of a snare drumwill allow the worshippers to experience God's Heartbeat. 

 

This additional music is provided by the St. Thomas Steel Drum Band led by Mother Michelle Evans.  Parishoners may bring their own pots and pans to join in the chorus.  Dancing in the pews will follow as we hold hands and chant "Kum By Ya."

 

Happy April Fools Day!!!


April Fools' Day is celebrated all around the world on the April 1 of every year. Sometimes referred to as All Fools' Day, April 1 is widely recognized and celebrated as a day where many people play all kinds of jokes and foolishness.


The earliest recorded association between April 1 and foolishness can be found in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales (1392).  In 1509, a French poet referred to a poisson d'avril (April fool, literally "April fish"), a possible reference to the holiday. In 1539, Flemish poet Eduard de Dene wrote of a nobleman who sent his servants on foolish errands on the 1st of April. In 1686, John Aubrey referred to the holiday as "Fooles holy day", the first British reference. On 1st April, 1698, several people were tricked into going to the Tower of London to "see the Lions washed". The name "April Fools" echoes that of the Feast of Fools, a Medieval holiday held on the 28th December.

 

Ralph's 
  
  

Thanks for shopping at Ralph's for St. Thomas!

 

 

Many thanks to the following 36 households who used their Ralph's card and shopped at Ralph's between December 1, 2010 and February 28, 2011.  This quarter's contribution of $183.36 makes the total contributed by Ralph's since October 1, 2007 $2,860.

  
Amaral, Heather; Brkich, Robert; Brown, Josh; Coogan, Craig; Crowell, Scott; Davis, Evelyn; Davis, Lloyd; De Muth, Steve; Dunham, Ruth; Fox, Ellen; Gaal, George; Gaass, Howard; Grant, Peter; Heitz, Jane; Jackson, Laurence; Jensen, Richard; Johnson, Walter; Kennedy, Taffia; Koonce, Ken; Larson, Bruce; Martin, Doris; McConnell, Robert; Miller, Robert; Norcross, Barry; Palacios, Anthony; Peacock, Susan; Quanbeck, Janice; Rumsey, Charles; Schleif, John; Schomburg, Susan; Stanton, Gregory; Steelman, Amy; Thomson, Reece; Tracz, Richard Francis; Warren, Joseph; West, Janet; Williams, Cynthia

 

Mother Knows Best

BCP 1549
  
On April 1 in 1548, the English Parliament ordered the publication of the first Book of Common Prayer.
Coming Soon...

 

Please join us for many Parish activities.  Here's a sampling of upcoming events - a full list is available online

 

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
Newcomer Orientation
  
April 23 @ 700am
Homeless Feeding & Outreach
  
April 23 @ 10:00am
Easter Decorating in Church
  
April 30 @ 5:00pm
LASchola sings the Mass
  
Holy Week Services
  
April 17 Palm Sunday
8:00am Low Mass
9:45am Holy Rosary
10:30am Choral High Mass
  
April 18 Monday of Holy Week
7:00pm Mass
  
April 19 Tuesday of Holy Week
7:00pm Mass
  
April 20 Wednesday of Holy Week
7:00pm Mass
  
April 21 Maundy Thursday
7:30 pm Institution of the Lord's Supper & Procession
9:00pm overnight Vigil
  
April 22 Good Friday
7:00am Meditations and Holy Rosary
12:00pm Stations of the Cross
7:30pm Mass of the Pre-Sanctified & Venetration
  
April 23 Holy Saturday
7:30pm The Great Vigil of Easter (Bishop Glasspool)
  
April 24 Easter
8:00am Choral High Mass
9:15am Easter Egg Hunt
9:30am Gourmet Breakfast
9:45am Holy Rosary
10:30am Choral High Mass 
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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