eNews
21 September 2012

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.

Sermons

 

The Fifteenth Sunday After Trinity
The Fifteenth Sunday After Trinity

For more videos from the Parish, including all sermons dating back to March 2011, visit the Parish YouTube Homepage!

Organ Project

 

We are excited to announce that the Vestry is engaging Weston Harris to renovate and rebuild the great St. Thomas organ. Weston, who built this organ nearly 25 years ago, will take on this three-year project beginning in the new year. During the project, a portion of the organ will be playable at all times. This will allow Masses and services to continue throughout the year. Financing is pending.

Stewardship Reflection
 
Reflection #2
St. Matthew 22:1-14
All things are ready: come unto the banquet...
 
Jesus saw table fellowship as part of his divine task. He took his cue from a long line of prophets-who were often hungry and malnourished themselves-and pointed to the great feast as a sign of God's generosity, goodness, and the promise of life abundant. In God's Kingdom there is not just enough, there is more than enough.

When my wife and I were young and were asked by the stewardship committee to pledge to our church, we weren't sure how to respond. Like many young couples, we lived paycheck to paycheck. We were so strapped for money that we carried a half-full bottle of Coke when we visited friends because we could not afford to purchase and bring along a full bottle. Now we were expected to make a pledge to our church and stretch our thin budget even thinner?

We did make a pledge and quickly found that our pledge just added to our struggles. When it came time to pay our pledge, there just wasn't enough money to go around-that is until we decided to become first-fruit givers, giving to the church first before we paid the bills. With that simple decision, we found that the ends actually did meet. Not that we had money left over at the end of the month; we didn't. But we did find that our financial commitments were taken care of. Bills got paid and we always had food on our table. Giving was no longer a struggle but a goal and, as we could, we would increase that goal. Within a few short years, we reached our tithing level.

As we grew in the church, as we grew older, and as we grew to be more independent, we found that we have more available to us. We also discovered that no matter what we gave-whether to the church, a charitable organization, disaster relief, or to someone who is just down on their luck-our charity has always been returned to us in some way. Even when we struggle over whether or not to give to a certain cause, once we make the decision, the return is almost immediate. The returns we have received have been many and varied, including good news about a family member, the end to a long and difficult struggle, or simply the warm and heartfelt thanks from the recipients, the most rewarding gift imaginable.

My wife and I have never regretted a contribution nor have we regretted our pledge to the church. We have come to realize that we are blessed in many ways and what we have is not ours to keep. It is ours to share in the same way God shares with us, freely and unconditionally. We are only stewards of God's gifts to us. Let go and more gifts will follow.

Mr. Gary A. Chubb
Lay Leader, St. John's Church, Diocese of Kansas
The Guibord Center Presents
Judaism 101

Guibord Center    

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.

In This Issue
Sermons
Organ Project
Stewardship Reflection
The Guibord Center
Treasurer's Report
Ralph's Rewards
Coming Soon...
The Sixteenth Sunday After Trinity

 

Lections

Proverbs 31:10-end
Psalm 1
St. James 3:13--4:3, 7-8a
St. Mark 9:30-37

Celebrant & Preacher

Fr. Ian Elliott Davies

 

Deacon

Dea. Walter S. Johnson


Choir Master
Mr. James Keltner

Organist
Mr. Jeffrey Parola
Treasurer's Report
As of 31 August 2012

Gifts Received
$202,195.62

Ministries Funded
$208,497.15

Balance
($6,301.53)

Minutes from the 15 August Regular Vestry meeting can be found HERE!

Minutes from the 5 September Special Vestry meeting can be found HERE!
ralphs

 

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!

On This Day in 
Christian History 

   

On this day in 1522, the first edition of Martin Luther's German translation of the New Testament was published. He would then work tirelessly to publish a complete Bible (with Apocrypha) two years later. Luther, who became absorbed in this project, would work on refining the translation up to his death in 1546.

Coming Soon...

 

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

 

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

 

17 October @ 7:30pm

Vestry Meeting 
 

20 October @ 10:30am 

Newcomer Orientation Series

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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