Good morning faith family. Sunday, May 9, 2021 is the Sixth Sunday of Easter. We will be streaming LIVE from St. Thomas’s at 9 a.m. via our YouTube channel and here are the accompanying service program and the service program in large print. There are paper copies available to be mailed. If you would like one, please let me know.

Services will also be open to in-person worship with all precautions in place and with sign-ups.  However, please do not feel pressure to return until you are ready; all services will still be available on our YouTube channel.  Please do not hesitate to contact the office or Fr. Howie with any questions or concerns about these options.

I have been enjoying the Praying Shapes Believing addition to the beginning of the weekly worship bulletins and hope you have as well. They are available as individual articles and  collected together at Praying Shapes Believing.

• Sunday, May 2, 2021 at 9 a.m.:  Holy Eucharist, rite II with music, live on YouTube and in-person via sign-up
• Sunday, May 2, 2021 from 10-11 a.m.: Communion at the Curb, in-person with a mask please, for those who have not received the Sacrament in-person during the service. You do not need to sign up for this. ALL are WELCOME! 
• Wednesday at noon: intercessory prayer with Holy Eucharist, live on YouTube and in-person with precautions
• Thursday at 7 p.m.: Compline Evening Prayer with Deacon Cecily, live via Zoom
• Sunday, May 16, 2021 is going to be a big day!
  • Bishop Kevin will be celebrating with us at 9 a.m. on YouTube and in-person.
  • He will be Baptizing and Confirming members of our faith family!  And, we will reaffirm our own baptismal promises.  This is a day for Joy and Celebration!
  • Communion at the Curb will continue after the service from 10-11 a.m.
  • We will have a special guest speaker, live via zoom, at 11 a.m.  e will speak about The Order of Saint John, whose roots go back over 900 years! The guest speaker’s last name is Sasser, though he is not our rector…who could it be?  
• Tuesday, May 18, 2021 at 10 a.m., 2 Saints Readers will continue to discuss “Holy Envy: Finding God in the faith of others” by Barbara Brown Taylor, via Zoom.  You can jump into the conversation, even if you missed a week.  

If you have anything to add to the Parish calendar or the Carpenter’s Helper newsletter, please email the office at StThomassOffice@googlegroups.com.

To see all events or news, visit our website, check FaceBook, or check out the posted events on the board next to the name tag station. Recent Newsletters, Sermons, or Announcements are also available.

Regardless of whether we are together in-person or virtually, we are connected by the Holy Spirit:  Always together; never apart…maybe in distance, but never in heart.

I look forward to worshiping together on Sunday!

Kind Regards,
Cana Hartman, Parish Administrator
StThomassOffice@googlegroups.com or (302) 368-4644

Fr. Howie is writing a series of “Praying Shapes Believing” articles that appear in our weekly Sunday worship bulletins. Whether it is your first time, or your thousandth, reading, reciting, and praying the traditional Rite II worship from the Book of Common Prayer, it is worthwhile to ask why. We will examine some of our prayers and collects to help us find more meaning and connection in the ritual. See all topics in the Praying Shapes Believing series.

The Lectionary – In most cases, we read one lesson each from the Old Testament, the letters and other documents of the New Testament, and the Gospels. During the Easter season, the Old Testament lesson is replaced by one from the Acts of the Apostles.

What is it? The public reading of portions of the Bible comes to Christian worship from the synagogue service of Judaism. The three-year cycle of readings that we follow covers much of the four Gospels and writings of St. Paul and others, but only touches on a few significant stories in the Old Testament.

Why do we do it? Scripture is our library of the history of God’s relationship with humankind. Reading it week by week reminds us of God’s past actions and shines a light on our lives today. The combination of story, poetry, wisdom, and visionary dreaming shows us something new even after many years of hearing.

What it says about God – God speaks truth to us in many ways.It is a paradox that God is both mysterious and wishes to be known.

Messages for how we live – Every aspect, every emotion of our lives is part of God’s story.Daily contact with God’s story blesses and changes our own.

For more – Read a Bible story and think about who you are in it.

Hello faith family! Sunday, May 2, 2021 is the Fifth Sunday of Easter. We will be streaming LIVE from St. Thomas’s at 9 a.m. via our YouTube channel and here is the service program and the service program in large print. There are paper copies available to be mailed. If you would like one, please let me know.

Services will also be open to in-person worship with all precautions in place and with sign-ups.  However, please do not feel pressure to return until you are ready; all services will still be available on our YouTube channel.  Please do not hesitate to contact the office or Fr. Howie with any questions or concerns about these options.

I have been enjoying the Praying Shapes Believing addition to the beginning of the weekly worship bulletins and hope you have as well. They are available as individual articles and  collected together at Praying Shapes Believing.

Here are other items of interest:

• Sunday, May 2, 2021 at 9 a.m.:  Holy Eucharist, rite II with music, live on YouTube and in-person via sign-up
• Sunday, May 2, 2021 from 10-11 a.m.: Communion at the Curb, in-person with a mask please, for those who have not received the Sacrament in-person during the service. You do not need to sign up for this. ALL are WELCOME! 
• Tuesday, May 4, 2021 at 10 a.m.: 2 Saints Readers will zoom to continue the series on “Holy Envy: Finding God in the faith of others” by Barbara Brown Taylor. You can jump into the conversation, even if you missed a week.
• Wednesday, May 5, 2021 at noon: Intercessory Prayer with Holy Communion, live on YouTube and in-person with precautions
• Wednesday, May 5, 2021 from 1-6 p.m.: community Blood Drive. Your efforts have been making a tremendous difference.  Thank you for your help sharing these dates (and for donating blood if you have been able).
• Sunday, May 16, 2021 is going to be a big day!
  • Bishop Kevin will be celebrating with us at 9 a.m. on YouTube and in-person.
  • He will be Baptizing and Confirming members of our faith family!  And, we will reaffirm our own baptismal promises.  This is a day for Joy and Celebration!
  • Communion at the Curb will continue after the service from 10-11 a.m.
  • We will have a special guest speaker, live via zoom, at 11 a.m.  That person will speak about The Order of Saint John, whose roots go back over 900 years!

Adult Education had planned to start a new series last week. So that more people are free to participate, the start of this will be pushed out just a bit. It is titled “The Episcopal Church: Theology & Serving the Children of God”. This sounds like a great mini-series to help us learn more about how the Church puts faith into action. Please look for new dates for this series, soon!

If you have anything to add to the Parish calendar or the Carpenter’s Helper newsletter, please email the office at StThomassOffice@googlegroups.com.

To see all events or news, visit our website, check FaceBook, or check out the posted events on the board next to the name tag station. Recent Newsletters, Sermons, or Announcements are also available.

Regardless of whether we are together in-person or virtually, we are connected by the Holy Spirit: Always together; never apart…maybe in distance, but never in heart.

I look forward to worshiping together on Sunday! 

Kind Regards,
Cana Hartman, Parish Administrator
StThomassOffice@googlegroups.com or (302) 368-4644

Fr. Howie is writing a series of “Praying Shapes Believing” articles that appear in our weekly Sunday worship bulletins. Whether it is your first time, or your thousandth, reading, reciting, and praying the traditional Rite II worship from the Book of Common Prayer, it is worthwhile to ask why. We will examine some of our prayers and collects to help us find more meaning and connection in the ritual. See all topics in the Praying Shapes Believing series.

The Collect of the Day

This is a prayer specific to the day or occasion on which the Eucharist is celebrated.  It often sets the “theme” of the service.

What is it?

This prayer may have been introduced to “collect” the individual prayers of the faithful in worship, or to “collect” the attention of those gathered.  Whether used here or elsewhere in worship, a collect has a standard form – a preamble that recalls the nature and purposes of God, a petition that asks for God’s action, and a conclusion that recalls Christ’s role in drawing us into God’s presence.

Why do we do it?

The collect gives us a prayerful way to note the times and seasons of our lives as Christians.  It also puts us in mind of the connection between God’s past promises and present (and future) actions. 

What it says about God

God’s presence is consistent through every moment of our lives.

Our knowledge of God deepens with time and experience.

Messages for how we live

Our prayer life illuminates and guides all aspects of our lives.

Our prayer, day by day, makes time sacred.

For more – Look up in the Prayer Book the Collect for Proper 17.

Fr. Howie is writing a series of “Praying Shapes Believing” articles that appear in our weekly Sunday worship bulletins. Whether it is your first time, or your thousandth, reading, reciting, and praying the traditional Rite II worship from the Book of Common Prayer, it is worthwhile to ask why. We will examine some of our prayers and collects to help us find more meaning and connection in the ritual. See all topics in the Praying Shapes Believing series.

The Song of Praise – The Gloria in Excelsis usually, except in Lent and Advent, when the Kyrie Eleison or the Trisagion is used. Other songs or hymns might be used.

What is it? This hymn probably started in Latin/Western churches (our ancestors) as a way of helping the people to join in the beginning of worship. Before many popular hymns existed, the chants used in the prayer services of the church – the Gloria was one such – were the religious songs they knew best.

Why do we do it? By including a sung prayer of praise to God near the beginning of our worship, we call to mind God’s blessings to us, including the blessing of being a community that can worship together.

What it says about God – God is worthy to be praised by us, as much as by angels. Jesus is both our judge and our advocate at the throne of God.God is unique in holiness, different from all the rest of the created order.

Messages for how we live – Gratitude to God is the foundation of the Christian life. Praise is as important a component of our prayer life as is petition.Thankfulness is the key to generosity.

For more – Have a look at Luke 2:13-155.

Fr. Howie is writing a series of “Praying Shapes Believing” articles that appear in our weekly Sunday worship bulletins. Whether it is your first time, or your thousandth, reading, reciting, and praying the traditional Rite II worship from the Book of Common Prayer, it is worthwhile to ask why. We will examine some of our prayers and collects to help us find more meaning and connection in the ritual. See all topics in the Praying Shapes Believing series.

The Collect for Purity – Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy Name; through Christ our Lord. Amen.

What is it? This prayer started as a private devotion said by the priest before the liturgy. Now it is the first public prayer we say at every Eucharist.

Why do we do it? With the Collect for Purity, we ask God to give us the grace to worship in a way that God will find pleasing. We acknowledge as we begin that we are an “open book” to God, and that we bring our whole selves to worship.

What it says about God – God is the source of all good spiritual gifts. Without God’s grace and mercy, our worship has no meaning.God desires our love and expects us to tell others about the blessings we have received.

Messages for how we live – Everything we do should begin with calling on God to bless it. We have no need to hide anything from God – it’s all out in the open already. Perfection – as God is perfect – is a goal, not a measure of success.

For more – Have a look at Psalm 51.