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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.
St. Thomas has a great respect for both the rich liturgical heritage of the church and for living the message of social justice proclaimed by Jesus Christ. Whether you are young or old, gay or straight, single, married or in a relationship, female or male, poor or wealthy, you are welcome at St. Thomas just as you are...a child of God and an inheritor of God's grace. |
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Sermons
 | | The Fourteenth Sunday After Trinity |
For more videos from the Parish, including all sermons dating back to March 2011, visit the Parish YouTube Homepage!
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Stewardship Reflection
Reflection #1
St. Matthew 21:33-end
There was a certain householder,
which planted a vineyard...
 Recently I was in the Napa Valley of California, arguably THE wine area of this country. I am always intrigued by the intricacy of the work that goes into all the preparation and growth that leads to grapes and then, finally, wine. While there, I was told a story about some of the vines that were imported to this country. To make sure there were no unwanted introductions to our ecosystem, these particular vines had to be quarantined for three years! So, the one waiting to plant, and begin the harvest, had to wait three years to even get the vines in the ground. At countless points in the process toward grapes, the key word seems to be patience, and also, a whole lot of care. The bottom line is this: It takes good stewards of the land, the vine, the natural resources, all of it, in order to actually get the fruit, and ultimately the wine. Some vines in this region are nearly 100 years old. Many who planted them are long gone from this earth, but the vines still bear fruit. The vines stand as living legacies.
This parable always reminds me of a story about a farmer who told the preacher he was tired of hearing that we didn't own anything, and that it all belonged to God. The farmer invited the preacher over for dinner, and after dinner took him out to look over his land. He had him stand and look in all directions, and he said to the preacher, "As far as the eye can see, this is all mine. Now can you really stand there and say I don't own it?" The preacher just smiled at him and said, "Ask me that in a hundred years." The shorter versions of this same idea are these: there are no luggage racks on a hearse, and at the end of the game the king and the pawn go in the same box.
All we have been given in this life is on loan, at best. it is not ours, we will never truly own it. We have it, for whatever reason, in order to care for it as best we can. This is true of everything we, or the bank, says we own, and it is just as true for every relationship we have. We are stewards of all of it, called by God to leave the land, our material possessions, our money, and our
 relationships better than we found them, or they found us. All we see, hold, and know is God's vineyard, and we are called to tend it, for the One who truly owns it all.
The Rt. Rev. Gregory H. Rickel
Bishop, Diocese of Olympia
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The Guibord Center Presents
Judaism 101
Sunday, 23 September
1:30pm
St. John's Pro Cathedral
Community Hall
514 W. Adams Blvd.
Did you know in the Jewish faith:
1. The religion of the Hebrew Bible was based on the Temple in Jerusalem, the land of Israel and the Davidic dynasty?
2. When the Temple was destroyed in 70 AD, the three pillars of Judaism became the Torah, the 5 books of Moses, as well as the interpretive tradition; Avodah (worship and prayer) and Gemilut Chasadim (acts of loving kindness)?
3. There are 613 commandments observant Jews are meant to follow?
4. There are four New Years in the Hebrew calendar?
Rabbi Suzanne Singer of Temple Beth El, who will be leading the discussion, is actively engaged in social justice work, serving as a member of Inland Congregations United for Change Clergy Caucus and a former member of the City of Riverside's Human Relations Commission.
To RSVP, click HERE!
The Guibord Center's mission is to bring people together to challenge assumptions, unleash The Holy and affirm the faith that transforms the world.
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The Fifteenth Sunday After Trinity
Lections
Proverbs 1:20-33
Psalm 19:1-6
St. James 3:1-12
St. Mark 8:27-end
Celebrant & Preacher
Fr. Ian Elliott Davies
Deacon
Choir Master
Mr. James Keltner
Organist
Mr. Jeffrey Parola
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It is time to re-register your Ralph's Card for Community Rewards! Ralph's requires everyone do this every September, even if you registered in August! To make sure your grocery purchases benefit St. Thomas, please:
1. Go to www.ralphs.com and sign in (or sign up if it's your first time).
2. Click on "My Account"
3. Click on "Community Rewards"
4. Search for "84981" (without quotes)
5. Click on St. Thomas the Apostle.
This will not affect your Ralph's Rewards that you already receive; this is an additional benefit.
Thank you for shopping at Ralph's for St. Thomas!
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On This Day in
Christian History
On this day in 1741, after only 24 days of composing, George Frideric Handel finishes "Messiah". At the end of his manuscript, Handel wrote the letters "SDG"--Soli Deo Gloria, "To God alone the glory." This inscription, taken with the speed of the composition, has encouraged the belief in the apocryphal story that he wrote the music in a fervor of divine inspiration during which, as he wrote the "Hallelujah" chorus, "he saw all heaven before him."
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Please join us for many Parish activities. Here's a sampling of upcoming events - a full list is available online
15 September @ 10:30am
Newcomer Orientation Series
19 September @ 7:30pm
Vestry Meeting
22 September @ 7:30am
Homeless Feeding & Outreach
22 September @ 5:00pm LASchola sings the Mass 24 September @ 9:30am County-USC AIDS Clinic Feeding Program 8 October
Parish Office Closed
13 October @ 7:30am
Homeless Feeding & Outreach
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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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