St. Thomas Tidings: June 6, 2024
There is no special commemoration on the calendar of saints today. Our collect for the day is the collect from this past Sunday: O God, your never-failing providence sets in order all things both in heaven and earth: Put away from us, we entreat you, all hurtful things, and give us those things which are profitable for us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Graduate Recognition this Sunday: We will honor our six graduates at both services this Sunday. There will be cards available for you to sign if you wish to leave a note or share a blessing with them.
Men’s Breakfast this Saturday: All men of the parish and any friends who identify as men are welcome to come to the Men’s Breakfast on Saturday, June 8. Meet at the Denny’s at South and Bellflower at 8:00am for food and fellowship.
Taizé Service June 12: Please come to the sanctuary Wednesday, June 12, for our monthly Taizé service. We will meet at 6:30 for a brief time of prayer, scripture, song, and silence. Please note the time change this month only – we are meeting 15 minutes later than usual because Mother Sharon is teaching a class that evening before the service. You are welcome to bring a friend who will enjoy a simple meditative service.
Canterbury Tales Update: We will have a combined July-August edition which will come out in late June, due to various vacation schedules. If you want or need an article in the CT for July or August, please be sure you get it to Bill Henderson by June 25.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.