The Weekly Draft

St. Thomas' Episcopal Church

March 23, 2022

The Fifth Sunday of Lent 10 am Bulletin March 26, 2023

Dear People of St. Thomas',

Not too long ago, our Altar Guild alerted me that the wine we use for Communion was, for whatever reason, temporarily unavailable for purchase. I told them that was fine, that any tawny port would do. This led to a question: why do we use tawny port? (A related question often asked by parishioners world-wide is: why is the wine we use for communion uniformly terrible?) The answer to the latter is also the answer to the former: we use port because it is fortified wine and we don't have to worry about it going bad, which allows us to buy it in large format bottles and in bulk, keeping costs down. It is tawny because red wine visually calls to mind the blood of Christ. Someone retorted: "But, does it have to be terrible?"

The answer to that is no, it does not! So, to have a little celebratory fun, I'd like to introduce a new initiative for this year's Easter season! There are six Sundays in Eastertide, so I’m asking for six families or individuals to provide the wine of their choice for each of those Sundays. (The first Sunday is already spoken for.) Drop me an email to say you’d like to sponsor a Sunday, then select a red wine of whatever you like, buy two regular bottles of it, and make sure you get them to the church office by Thursday of the week before. We’ll have something particularly special to celebrate Easter.

To answer a couple of questions in advance: no, you cannot come through the Communion line twice, and yes, you must still only take a small sip.

God bless you!

Faithfully,

Fr. Ryan+

St. Thomas’ Pilgrimage to Jerusalem and the Holy Land

Informational Meeting

March 26, 2023

Immediately following the 10 AM service

Guild Room

At this meeting details about the trip will be given including, the tour company we’ll use and their credentials, potential itineraries, costs, and we will discuss the best option for the date of the trip, either late 2024 or early 2025.

Attending this meeting does not constitute signing up for the trip, so please come if you are at all interested. Soon thereafter, however, we will be seeking commitments and non-refundable deposits.

This Week at St. Thomas'

Benison Farm and Supper, Song & Prayer

Please join us for Supper, Song and Prayer next Wed., March 29^{th .}

Benison Farm is hosting the evening. We will have Caldo Gallego soup and bread from LaSegunda. The soup is made with ingredients fresh from the farm! While you eat, we'll have a presentation on the history of Benison Farm and our plans for the future.

Preparing for Holy Week

Palms Needed

The Flower guild is requesting palm fronds for Palm Sunday. Please bring them to the church on Saturday, April 1st at 9:00am!

Flower Order Form Download Here

Sign up for the Watch

The night before he was crucified, Jesus spent several hours in the Garden of Gethsemane in prayer. When his disciples fell asleep, he said, “Can you not watch with me one hour?” Remembering this, our Christian tradition is to keep vigil in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament in the Chapel, to watch and wait while contemplating the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross.

We invite you to make this devotion part of your Holy Week by signing up for an hour of prayer between the end of the Maundy Thursday service at April 6th at 8pm until the sun rises on Good Friday, April 7th at 6am. Use the link below to sign up.

The Watch Sign Up

Stations of the Cross during Lent

with Dee Perconti. See Dee's vision of unity through her interpretation of the Stations of the Cross.

Music Ministries

Music for The Fifth Sunday of Lent March 26, 2023

Prelude “Préambule” Louis Viere

Trisagion "Holy God"– S101, John Rutter

Psalm 23 - Plainsong Chant

Gospel Acclamation “Breathe on Me, Breath of God” – 508

NOVA VITA

Offertory Anthem “Lord for Thy Tender Mercies' Sake ”-

arr. Richard Farrant

Presentation Hymn "Praise and Honor to the Father" –

166, vs. 6, PANGE LINGUA

Sanctus “Sanctus” –S122

Fracture Anthem "Be Known to Us" - S160

Communion Hymn "I Am the Bread of Life" - 335

I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE

Processional Hymn "All My Hope on God is Founded" –665

MICHAEL

Postlude “Cortége” Flor Peeters

About the Music this Week

Our anthem this week is, perhaps, a familiar one, “Lord, for Thy Tender Mercies’ Sake” by Richard Farrant. The text is a prayer from “Lidley’s Prayers”, 1566. In past Lenten seasons, the choir has sung this work as an introit at the opening of worship. But we haven’t used it for a few years. Farrant was a composer, organist, and playwright during the Renaissance in England. In addition to his active musical life, he was one of the founders of the first “Blackfriars Theatre”, a place deeply involved with the development of English theater in the day. “Lord, for Thy Tender Mercies’ Sake” is a simple, straightforward motet written in the new style used by the post-Reformation English Church. Opposed to the excesses and complications of the highly melismatic English Renaissance music of the Catholic Church, the Reformed Church of England required a more “one-note-one-syllable” technique, using the music to lift up the text. In the old Catholic tradition, music beautified the texts weaving the words into a marvelous aural work of art. In the Reformed tradition the text must be heard and understood, music serving only to amplify the words, always secondary to the spiritual texts. The first half of the anthem is in this reformed style. But Farrant just can’t stay with it. The musical artist in him expresses itself as the second half of the anthem begins to flower with more notes per syllable and imitative entrances. This second half is then repeated. For the ending, Farrant throws away the new style of writing altogether and ends with a florid melismatic “Amen”.

Upcoming Music for Easter Day, “A Classical Easter”,

music from the classical period of music.

“Gloria”, “Sanctus”, “Agnus Dei” from “Miss Brevis in C” – W. A. Mozart

“Hallelujah, the Savior Lives”, an Easter Anthem from the Moravian composer, David Moritz Michael

“Assurance”, an Anthem by early American composer, William Billings

Church Sonata #12 – Mozart

Divertimento – F. J. Haydn

Hymn arrangements in the style of Mozart

Supplies Needed - Mission Trip to Honduras 2023

St Thomas Mission Trip to Honduras Supplies Needed

When we travel to Honduras we take personal care kits and school supplies to over 500 people. Below is our wish list for the trip, just click on the button below! We will also have a printed list available in the Sanctuary!

Amazon Shopping List

Stewardship

“Why is a raven like a writing desk?” ~ The Mad Hatter.

If you want to decipher the answer to this riddle, sign up to attend our Mad Hatter’s Tea Party and Red Queen Croquet Tournament, April 29, 3 – 6 p.m. It’s free to attend but we need to know how many people to expect so we can plan for enough food and beverages. To play in the Croquet Tournament, teams of three pay $20/team until the end of March; after that, the fee is $30/team. Wicket sponsorships are $50. Proceeds from the event benefit Benison Farms. Sign-up sheets are available in the portico following church services. If you have any questions, contact Beverly Littlejohn at [email protected] or (727) 804-6199; or Russ Martin at [email protected] or (904) 728-5485. “Don’t be late for this very important date!”

Youth Activities

St. Thomas’ Church offers traditional formation (Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, lectionary-based classes for Grades 1-6), guild apprenticeship (this year, focusing on altar server training), and fun activities during the school year. The nursery is staffed at both Sunday services.

Weekly children's lessons during the first part of the 10 a.m. service continue for kids in Grades 1 through 6. In this Sunday's lesson, children will hear about a deep friendship in the story of Lazarus and Jesus, and give thanks for Jesus' presence in their sad times (John 11:1-45). Led by Jenny Brouillet.

St. Thomas' family fun

Save the Date!

Next movie/dinner event for kids: May 5th, 4:15-7 featuring Encanto, Mexican crafts and dinner.

DaySpring Summer Camp - upcoming deadlines

The deadline for the early registration discount for DaySpring summer camps is March 31, 2023 (save $30 off each registration). Half session for elementary kids is $270 and all other camps are $390. St. Thomas scholarships are available. Fr. Ryan will be a chaplain at the elementary kids' camp on June 25-30. Register at eycofswfl.org.

Camp Session Schedule for 2023

Session 1: June 6-9, Half Session Elementary Camp (Grades 3-5)
Session 2: June 11-16, High School Camp (Grades 9-12)
Session 3: June 18-23, Middle School Camp (Grades 6-8)
Session 4: June 25-June 30, Elementary Camp (Grades 3-5)
Session 5: July 9-14, Middle School Discovery Camp (Grades 6-8)
Session 6: July 16-21, High School Discovery Camp (Grades 9-12)

Art Ministry

Please join the St. Thomas’ Art Project in creating origami doves.

In Christian tradition, doves represent the Holy Spirit, hope, and peace. With members of the Canterbury School of Florida community, we hope to create several thousand doves inscribed with individual prayers and meditations.

All you need is an 8 1/2 x 8 1/2 piece of paper. All birds are welcome!

The doves will be suspended in St. Thomas’ main worship space during Eastertide.

Outreach/Mission

Next Sandwich Sunday: April 2

The Dominican Development Group and The Dominican American Student Association invite you to attend the Dominican Charity Dinner and Silent Auction benefiting the Episcopal Diocese of the Dominican Republic.

Saturday April 1, 6-8pm

St. Bart's Episcopal Church (Fr. Ethan's church)

Dress Casual

Price $30

Email [email protected]

Black Bag Lenten Project: Forty Days – Forty Items

The first day of Lent is Wednesday, February 22 and here’s an easy discipline for you! Each day of Lent, remove one item from your closet that you no longer wear or need. Place the item in the black bag, offering a prayer of thanksgiving. At the end of Lent, donate these items to your favorite charity (ex. Mercy Keepers, St. Bartholomew’s Thrift Shop) where they will be shared with someone who can really use them! The Black Bags can be found on the welcome table. Help yourself!

Pack-a-Snack

Pack-a-Snack Volunteers for the Week of March 19th:

Purchasing: Ann Leavine, Laura Vrooman

Staging: Marilyn Smith, Linda Davis

Packing: WOW, 03/23/2023

Delivery: Julie Songster, Thursday, 03/23/2023

Pack-a-Snack Volunteers for the Week of March 26th:

Delivery: Cathy Ball, Thursday, 03/30/2023

Pack-a-Snack Volunteers for the Week of April 2nd:

Purchasing: Ann Leavine, Laura Vrooman

Staging: Marilyn Smith, Linda Davis

Packing: Rev. Anne's Special Packing Team, 04/05/2023

Delivery: Lee Coryell, Thursday, 04/06/2023

Thank you to Pat and Dave Bernfeld for their generous donation to our outreach ministry. Thanks to their gift, our Pack-a-Snack program can continue its work in providing weekend food sustainability to qualified students who otherwise may suffer from food insecurity. We appreciate the Bernfelds' donation and their continuous hours of volunteering for St. Thomas'.

EARTHQUAKE RELIEF

We are watching a humanitarian disaster literally unfold in real time with the events of February 6th's earthquake that struck in Turkey and Syria. The devastation is enormous and sadly the death toll is rapidly climbing. Severe winter weather and the remoteness of the region are also complicating relief efforts and adding to the misery. While there are a variety of options to provide immediate support, please consider a financial donation to Episcopal Relief and Development, a 501(C)3 organization. Visit their website: URGENT: Earthquake Relief.

Pastoral Care

Help needed at 8am! We are looking for parishioners who might be willing to offer individual prayers for healing during Communion at the 8:00 service. You could start as a prayer partner before you try it on your own. If you are willing to give this ministry a try, please contact Russ Ball at 727-667-5471.

Would you like to help us reach out to parishioners who can't come to church? Eucharistic Visitors visit parishioners in their homes, hospitals, rehab centers, and assisted living facilities. They visit, listen to, offer to pray with and give communion to fellow parishioners. Eucharistic Ministers serve as chalice bearers during worship services. Text or call Mtr. Anne at 954-253-4414 if you're curious.

Remember, we're here for you! If you live alone or need rides or have to go into the hospital, please let the church know so we can pray for you, visit you, bring you communion, and/or arrange for rides or meals. Call Grace Smith in the mornings at 727-896-9641 and call Mtr. Anne anytime at 954-253-4414.

Adult Formation

Parish-wide Adult Christian Formation

Wednesdays, 7:00 PM

Theology 101: What is it exactly that Christians believe? And maybe more importantly, how and why do we believe these things? And how do these various beliefs hang together? All these questions and more will be explored in this Lenten/Eastertide class. Each week will focus on a new chapter in the book, covering one basic topic of the Christian faith, but also building on all that has been discussed before.

Next class March 29: Ch. 5 on Salvation.

At 7pm, Wednesdays after Supper, Song & Prayer.

In the Guild Room, Parish Hall.

Tombolo Books

The Gospel according to Mark: We are currently studying the Gospel according to Mark with a view to expanding our skills and comfort in sharing our faith and its place in our lives.

Join this prayerful group of women every Thursday at 9:30 AM in the Founder's Room.

Men's Bible Study

It's a great time to join this Bible Study led by Fr. Ryan! using the commentary "The Story of God: Genesis" by Tremper Longman III.

Fellowship

Virtual Happy Hour

Please join us on Thursdays from 6 - 7:15 pm. Connect through Zoom:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/96920315905?pwd=U0ZDZXlINzJoWnpmT3BSeEpiSEx2QT09

Meeting ID: 969 2031 5905

Password: 06182020

Celebrations

Happy Birthday Blessings this week go out to: Alice Thompson, Joni James, Joe DiOrio, Hank Hine, Dudley Savage, and Tyner Apt-Hill.

Happy Anniversary blessings this week go out to: Mark and Jennifer Hiecke-DiNobile.

Printed Directory - Privacy Notice

We are about to make available, upon request, the latest directory of the membership of St. Thomas’. Along with your name, the following information will be included.

Telephone number(s)
Physical Address
Email Address

These directories will only be available to members of this parish, and upon request, for pick up in the office or email. However, if anyone does not wish any portion of that information to appear, please notify the office in writing. Thank you!