Hello faith family!  Sunday, July 4, 2021 is the Sixth Sunday after Pentecost. Here is Sunday worship service information:

• 8:00 a.m. – Holy Eucharist, Rite I spoken, in-person with precautions and online on our YouTube channel (8:00 booklet)
• 9:30 a.m. – Holy Eucharist, Rite II with music, in-person with precautions and online on our YouTube channel (9:30 booklet)

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

Other worship this week:

• Sundays from 10-11 a.m., Communion at the Curb will be offered 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!
• Wednesdays at noon: Intercessory Prayer with Holy Communion, live on our YouTube channel and in-person with precautions. Here is the accompanying booklet.
• Thursdays at 7 p.m.: Compline Evening Prayer with Deacon Cecily, live via Zoom. Here is the accompanying booklet.

See this week’s “The Canon of the Mass” topic in the Praying Shapes Believing series that is included in the Worship Booklet.

The new Forward Day by Day booklets are available.  Please feel free to stop into the lobby for a copy, or let me know if you’d like one mailed out to you!  There are plenty in both large and small print.

In this strange pandemic time, the church is aware that some of its members are struggling to make ends meet. If you are in this situation, please let the clergy know of your needs, pray for the church, and feel no guilt about your giving. But if you are able to give, options for giving include mailing a check to your church or online giving. See our Giving information.

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 Canon of the Mass

The prayer in which the offerings of bread and wine are consecrated and become for us the Body and Blood of Christ by the action of the Holy Spirit.

What is it?

The Canon combines elements from Jewish and early Christian traditions of prayer. It begins with a recitation of God’s actions in the world, culminating in the death and resurrection of Jesus, repeats Jesus’ words at the Last Supper, and calls the Holy Spirit to enliven the Eucharistic elements and us.

Why do we do it?

In Luke’s version of the Last Supper story (Luke 22:19), Jesus gives his followers the bread and wine with the instruction, “Do this in remembrance of me,” a phrase taken by the church to be a command to continue this ritual. St Paul, in his first letter to the Christians at Corinth, makes it even clearer, saying, “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes” (I Corinthians 11:26).

What it says about God

God’s self-giving is our source of life.

God’s presence is immanent (physical) as well as transcendent (spiritual).

Messages for how we live

Sharing in the Eucharist reminds us of our equality before God.

For more – Think about the objects and rituals and places that are important in your life.  What meanings and memories do they hold?

Hello faith family!  Sunday, June 27, 2021 is the Fifth Sunday after Pentecost. Here is Sunday worship service information:

• 8:00 a.m. – Holy Eucharist, Rite I spoken, in-person with precautions and online on our YouTube channel (8:00 booklet)
• 9:30 a.m. – Holy Eucharist, Rite II with music, in-person with precautions and online on our YouTube channel (9:30 booklet)

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

Other worship this week:

• Sundays from 10-11 a.m., Communion at the Curb will be offered 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!
• Wednesdays at noon: Intercessory Prayer with Holy Communion, live on our YouTube channel and in-person with precautions. Here is the accompanying booklet.
• Thursdays at 7 p.m.: Compline Evening Prayer with Deacon Cecily, live via Zoom. Here is the accompanying booklet.

See this week’s “The Offertory” topic in the Praying Shapes Believing series that is included in the Worship Booklet.

The new Forward Day by Day booklets are available.  Please feel free to stop into the lobby for a copy, or let me know if you’d like one mailed out to you!  There are plenty in both large and small print.

In this strange pandemic time, the church is aware that some of its members are struggling to make ends meet. If you are in this situation, please let the clergy know of your needs, pray for the church, and feel no guilt about your giving. But if you are able to give, options for giving include mailing a check to your church or online giving. See our Giving information.

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 Offertory

The phase in the liturgy when offerings of money and of bread and wine for the Eucharist are collected and presented at the altar.

What is it?

The making of offerings as a gesture of thanksgiving is a very old form of worship. The actions of gathering and presenting remind us that we all can participate in the building of the Kingdom of God, and that the community we share is itself a form of offering.

Why do we do it?

By offering to God a portion of what we have received, we enable the love of God to become a reality in the world through the work of the church. By placing this giving in the middle of worship, we are reminded that our stewardship of all of God’s blessings is a holy obligation.

What it says about God

God gives us everything in abundance.

God desires our thanksgiving as much as our material resources.

Messages for how we live

The practice of gratitude brings us closer to God.

Our generosity makes real God’s blessing in the lives of others.

For more – Read Acts 4:32-35.  Can you picture a church living in this way?

Hello faith family!  Sunday, June 20, 2021 is the Fourth Sunday after Pentecost. Here is Sunday worship service information.

• 8:00 a.m. – Holy Eucharist, Rite I spoken, in-person with precautions and online on our YouTube channel (8:00 booklet)
• 9:30 a.m. – Holy Eucharist, Rite II with music, in-person with precautions and online on our YouTube channel (9:30 booklet)

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

Other worship this week:

• Sundays from 10-11 a.m., Communion at the Curb will be offered 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!
• Wednesdays at noon: Intercessory Prayer with Holy Communion, live on our YouTube channel and in-person with precautions. Here is the accompanying booklet.
• Thursdays at 7 p.m.: Compline Evening Prayer with Deacon Cecily, live via Zoom. Here is the accompanying booklet.

See this week’s “The Peace” topic in the Praying Shapes Believing series. Also, please note that we have updated our web address to StThomasNewarkDE.church.  The former address stthomasparish.org redirects you to the new address of StThomasNewarkDE.church.

The new Forward Day by Day booklets are available.  Please feel free to stop into the lobby for a copy, or let me know if you’d like one mailed out to you!  There are plenty in both large and small print.

In this strange pandemic time, the church is aware that some of its members are struggling to make ends meet. If you are in this situation, please let the clergy know of your needs, pray for the church, and feel no guilt about your giving. But if you are able to give, options for giving include mailing a check to your church or online giving. See our Giving information.

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 Peace

The Peace of the Lord be always with you.

What is it?

The passing of the peace is a symbolic way of restating that we are all followers of the same Lord and share in his peace.  As we approach the altar for the Eucharist, we are at peace with one another.

Why do we do it?

In Matthew 5:23-24, Jesus tells his followers, “”So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift.”  The merit of what we offer to God depends on the condition of our hearts.

What it says about God

Peace – in all forms – is a pre-requisite for a full relationship with God.

Messages for how we live

Peacemaking, wherever we may do it, is holy work.

Being at peace strengthens our worship.

For more – Consider the common definitions of peace – 1) absence of conflict; 2) right relationship with God; 3) good relationships among people; 4) personal serenity.  Which do you desire most?  Which are you called to work toward?

Hello faith family!  Sunday, June 13, 2021 is the Third Sunday after Pentecost. We will be streaming LIVE from St. Thomas’s at 8:00 a.m. and 9:30 a.m.:

• 8:00 a.m. – Holy Eucharist, Rite I spoken, in-person with precautions and online at YouTube (8:00 booklet)
• 9:30 a.m. – Holy Eucharist, Rite II with music, in-person with precautions and online at YouTube (9:30 booklet)

Services will also be open to in-person worship with precautions.  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.

Other worship this week:

• Sundays from 10-11 a.m., Communion at the Curb will be offered 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!
• Wednesdays at noon: Intercessory Prayer with Holy Communion, live on YouTube and in-person with precautions. Here is the accompanying booklet.
• Thursdays at 7 p.m.: Compline Evening Prayer with Deacon Cecily, live via Zoom. Here is the accompanying booklet.

See this week’s “The Confession” topic in the Praying Shapes Believing series. Also, please note that we have updated our web address to StThomasNewarkDE.church.  The former address stthomasparish.org redirects you to the new address of StThomasNewarkDE.church.

The new Forward Day by Day booklets are available.  Please feel free to stop into the lobby for a copy, or let me know if you’d like one mailed out to you!  There are plenty in both large and small print.

In this strange pandemic time, the church is aware that some of its members are struggling to make ends meet. If you are in this situation, please let the clergy know of your needs, pray for the church, and feel no guilt about your giving. But if you are able to give, options for giving include mailing a check to your church or online giving. See our Giving information.

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

SEE UPDATE TO THIS POST AT COVID Policy Update July 31, 2021

Our Vestry has voted and we now have an updated Covid policy for the church building. Masks are optional. You are welcome inside with or without a mask, if you are fully vaccinated. Please respect the choices of others, should they choose to wear a mask or not.

Please continue to:

• stay home if you are sick
• wash hands often
• respect social distancing 

Communion will continue to be offered in wafer form with social distancing, but will no longer be packaged in plastic containers.

There will no longer be sign ups for in-person worship. The contact tracing log is now optional.

Thank you to everyone involved in making these decisions; these are heavy questions and the decisions are made prayerfully and carefully.  If you have any questions or concerns about this update, please reach out to Fr. Howie.

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 Confession

Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you…

What is it?

The confession is an acknowledgment before God of our sins. The versions we use in public worship are deliberately vague about whether we are confessing our individual sins, our sins as a community, or both.  A separate rite for private, individual confession exists but is rarely used.

Why do we do it?

When we confess our sins, we confront the ways that we fail to honor the image of God in ourselves and others. This honest appraisal of ourselves is important preparation for the grace and mercy that God shows us in the Eucharist that follows.

What it says about God

God desires that we should turn from our sins and live. The mercy of God is greater than any sinful action.

Messages for how we live

Calling to mind our sins, in the light of God, opens the path to renewal.

Knowing ourselves helps us to know God more perfectly.

For more – Read Psalm 51. 

Hello faith family!  Sunday, June 6, 2021 is the Second Sunday after Pentecost. We will be streaming LIVE from St. Thomas’s at 8:00 a.m. and 9:30 a.m.:

• 8:00 a.m. – Holy Eucharist, Rite I spoken, in-person with precautions and online at YouTube (8:00 booklet)
• 9:30 a.m. – Holy Eucharist, Rite II with music, in-person with precautions and online at YouTube (9:30 booklet)

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.

Other worship this week:

• Sundays from 10-11 a.m., Communion at the Curb will be offered 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!
• Wednesdays at noon: Intercessory Prayer with Holy Communion, live on YouTube and in-person with precautions. Here is the accompanying booklet.
• Thursdays at 7 p.m.: Compline Evening Prayer with Deacon Cecily, live via Zoom. Here is the accompanying booklet.

See this week’s “The Prayers of the People” topic in the Praying Shapes Believing series. Also, please note that we have updated our web address to StThomasNewarkDE.church.  The former address stthomasparish.org redirects you to the new address of StThomasNewarkDE.church.

The new Forward Day by Day booklets are available.  Please feel free to stop into the lobby for a copy, or let me know if you’d like one mailed out to you!  There are plenty in both large and small print.

In this strange pandemic time, the church is aware that some of its members are struggling to make ends meet. If you are in this situation, please let the clergy know of your needs, pray for the church, and feel no guilt about your giving. But if you are able to give, options for giving include mailing a check to your church or online giving. See our Giving information.

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