St. Thomas Tidings: November 22, 2023
Today we commemorate Clive Staples Lewis, Apologist and Spiritual Writer (1963). Here is the collect for the day: O God of searing truth and surpassing beauty, we give you thanks for Clive Staples Lewis, whose sanctified imagination lit fires of faith in young and old alike: Surprise us also with your joy and draw us into that new and abundant life which is ours in Christ Jesus, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Thanksgiving Eve Service Tonight: Our annual Thanksgiving Eve service is tonight at 7:00pm. Our St. Gregory’s siblings will join us in giving thanks for what we have received. You are invited to bring a token of your Thanksgiving dinner to be blessed during the service. After the service we will enjoy pie and hot chocolate, courtesy of the Hospitality Committee. See you there!
Thanksgiving Closures: The church office will be closed November 23-24 in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday. There will be no Morning or Evening Prayer on November 23.
Pulpit Swap Reminder: Father Michael will be at St. Thomas for both services this Sunday, while Mother Sharon preaches and presides at St. Gregory’s.
Advent Wreath Lighting: As is our custom, we begin our Advent services with a brief ceremony where we light the Advent Wreath. If you would like to participate, please sign up in the narthex – there are still plenty of spaces available. Individuals and families are welcome to participate.
Long Beach Chorale Concerts: As you know, Long Beach Chorale has been using our sanctuary for rehearsals since August. Their holiday concerts are also in our sanctuary on December 9 and 10 at 4:00pm. Tickets are available on their website https://longbeachchorale.org/tickets/ Full-price tickets are $40, but there are also student tickets for $15 and a “pay what you can” option so that no one is left out. Please take advantage of this opportunity to see Long Beach’s best volunteer choir in action.
Christmas Flower Donations: It’s not too early to think about donating for our annual display of poinsettias and Christmas flowers. Envelopes will be available to make donations in honor or memory of friends and loved ones, or in thanksgiving for something in your life. Donations must be received by December 17 to be included in the Christmas bulletins. Thanks for your help!
Advent Evensong and Dinner: Please come to Advent Evensong on Sunday, December 17 at 3:00pm, and then stay for a delicious Advent Dinner. Evensong is, of course, free and open to all; dinner will be $10 and requires a reservation so we know how much food to prepare. You can RSVP in the narthex or by emailing the church office before December 10.
Quilt Raffle: Deborah Wright has made and donated a gorgeous Christmas quilt as a fundraiser. Raffle tickets are $5 and can be purchased through Advent Evensong on December 17. The winning ticket will be drawn at the Advent Dinner; winner need not be present to win.
Pledge Income: Our pledge income is down significantly from our projections at the beginning of the year. If you regularly give or pledge to St. Thomas, you should have received a third-quarter statement in your pledge drive envelope. If you are behind in this year’s pledge, please do your best to catch up by the end of the year, so that we don’t end the year with a deficit. Remember that Mother Sharon and the Bishop’s Committee are always available if you have any concerns or pastoral needs.
Prayer Tree: We are revamping our community prayer tree. A small and dedicated group of people prays for those on our prayer list and are alerted when new prayer needs arise. If you would like to be part of this praying network, please contact Jane Gordon-Topper.
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.