St. Thomas Tidings: July 4, 2024
Today is Independence Day. Here is the collect of the day: Lord God Almighty, in whose Name the founders of this country won liberty for themselves and for us, and lit the torch of freedom for nations then unborn: Grant that we and all the people of this land may have grace to maintain our liberties in righteousness and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Directory Update: Thank you for your help in correcting our directory information. Look for a new edition coming soon.
Taizé Service July 10: Please come to the sanctuary Wednesday, July 10, for our monthly Taizé service. We will meet at 6:15 for a brief time of prayer, scripture, song, and silence. You are welcome to bring a friend who will enjoy a simple meditative service.
Episcopal Night at Dodger Stadium: Our annual Dodgers game is Friday, September 6 at 7:00pm. Sue Williams has graciously volunteered to coordinate our order this year. You need to sign up in the narthex with your name, email address, and number of tickets, and give Sue your money, NO LATER THAN July 18 so that we can get the order to the diocese. Tickets are $35 and will be distributed to your email address when they are received by the diocese. You will need to show the ticket on your phone at the stadium.
Men’s Breakfast July 13: All men of the parish and any friends who identify as men are welcome to come to the Men’s Breakfast on Saturday, July 13. Meet at the Denny’s at South and Bellflower at 8:00am for food and fellowship.
Pulpit Swap July 14: Several times a year we have a pulpit swap with St. Gregory’s, so that both communities feel comfortable with both clergy and are more willing to call on either priest in time of need. Father Michael will be at St. Thomas, and Mother Sharon will be at St. Gregory’s, on Sunday, July 14. Please come to our services as usual so you get the benefit of a different voice and vision from the pulpit.
Choir Vacation: Our faithful choir will take its usual break in July and August. We’ll still have music during our 10:15 services, but all the voices will come from the pews. Hearty thanks go to all the members of our small but mighty choir who spend ten months of the year leading our worship with their gifts.
Independence Day Closures: The church office is closed July 4 for the Independence Day holiday. There will be no Morning or Evening Prayer that day.
Communion Update: We are continuing to try out our new model of receiving communion, where those who wish to receive by intinction receive first, and then those who wish to drink from the chalice. We are continuing to fine-tune the process, and also see how we might use this model at the altar rail. Please let Mother Sharon or Sue Williams know of any comments or ideas on how to continue to make communion flow smoothly.
Livestream Help Wanted: As noted in the Canterbury Tales, we need one or two people who are willing to step up and learn the livestreaming system so that we can remain online. We don’t want to deprive our livestreaming siblings of the services they rely on! If you are interested, please speak with John or Mother Sharon.
Service Reminder: All our services stay on our Facebook page so you can view them whenever it’s convenient for you. It’s always better to view a service later in the day than not at all! The link to the page for all our services is here: https://www.facebook.com/Saint-Thomas-of-Canterbury-Episcopal-Church-of-Long-Beach-CA-124554214274325
Share Our Services: Please feel free to share our Morning Prayer and Sunday services. The more people we reach, the better we do at evangelism. People are hungry for what we have to offer, and I encourage you to do your part to share our services with your friends and neighbors. Send them the link when you email them, invite them to join you on Facebook or in person… whatever way works best for you to share what we have to offer.
Episcopal News Updates: The email updates from the diocese are a great way to stay informed about what’s happening all over our six-county diocese. If you want to receive the Episcopal News, visit https://diocesela.org/episcopal-news/contact/ and enter your email address in the box provided.
In Case of Emergency: Notify your priests! With our combined ministry program comes additional coverage for pastoral emergencies. In the event of a hospital stay, illness, death in the family, or other pastoral emergency, please call Mother Sharon on her cell phone (562-833-3393) any day except Friday, her Sabbath day. Father Michael Fincher covers emergencies in both communities on Friday, just as Mother Sharon covers emergencies in both parishes on Monday, Father Michael’s Sabbath. Father Michael’s cell phone is 909-373-6478.