Greetings From St. Thomas!

As a Lenten offering, the choir will be offering a evening prayer service on April 9, 2025. The Holden Evening Prayer is a beautiful and accessible musical setting of a traditional vespers service.

Easter Flowers & Easter Flowers

We will be flowering the church for Easter Sunday. If you would like to make a donation to our flower fund in honor or memory of loved ones, please contact the office at office@saintthomasdenver.org or fill out a flower form during worship and place it in the offering plates. Donations can be made by check, credit card or Venmo. In order to get the names into the Easter bulletin, please make sure that we receive your flower form by April 13th.

We need volunteers to help flower the church on April 19, 2025 at 9:30 a.m. If you are interested in helping with this effort, please let The Rev. Terri Hobart know.

The Easter Bunny needs your help for our annual EPIC Easter Egg hunt on Easter Sunday. Please pick up plastic eggs from the back of the church during Lent, fill them with tasty treats and return them by April 13th.

If you would like to join the Easter Bunny crew, please talk to Amy Baotwright or Liz Sunderland.

Easter Baptisms

April 20, 2025

"This Is My Beloved Child."

Easter is one of our primary baptismal feast days. There are several families who will be having their children baptized this year and others who have asked me about baptism. Please talk to me if you would like a baptism for a child or for yourself on Easter Sunday. The only prerequisite is a desire for baptism. If you are unsure or have questions about this sacrament, I am happy to set up a time to talk with you.

Peace, Terri+

Celebrating Lent as a Season of Return

"Come, let us return to the Lord." ~Hosea 14:2

Lent is traditionally a season of introspection and repentance, a quieter time where we are called to examine our conscience and to identify what in our lives draws us away from God. The conventional penitential approach to Lent can lead to thoughts of unworthiness, remorse and sinfulness. Given the current environment that is rife with uncertainty, fear, anxiety, and grief, we need worship services that are life-giving and offer hope and strength for the journey. Today we need God, Love, and Our Source of Life more than ever. As such, we are setting aside the traditional Lenten liturgy to avoid the risk of adding to the despair, hopelessness and trauma around us. Our invitation for this Lenten season is to return to the LORD with open hearts, to seek God’s face, to root ourselves in our faith, to re-kindle our hope, to rediscover joy and awe, to embody love and to be renewed as we rest in God’s embrace. Our prayer is that Lent will be a season of respite, renewal and restoration for weary souls.

This approach to Lent draws on the ancient meaning of the Hebrew (teshuvah) and Greek (metanoia) words that have been translated into the English word, repentance. Teshuvah literally means return, as if turning back to something we’ve strayed or looked away from. The Hebrew Scriptures understand teshuvah as turning back or a return to God. It represents coming home with the understanding that all existence is rooted in and seeks to return to God where we find our wholeness. Teshuvah represents a return that involves changing our ways and opening our hearts to God. This understanding is consistent with the Greek word, metanoia found in the New Testament. In the Greco-Roman world, "metanoia" was understood as a change of mind or perspective. However, in the Jewish and early Christian context, it took on a deeper spiritual significance. It refers to a transformative change of heart, that compels one to from darkness to light, from death to life, in other words, to return to God.

We are encouraged to adopt Lenten practices to help us return to God. These practices do not need to be about sacrifice, penance, or remorse rather they can be life-giving practices that help us find our way back to God. You are encouraged to adopt practices that satisfy your deep soul yearnings for joy, peace, meaning and rest. Make time for stillness and self-care whatever that may be for you; Bask in joy and wonder each day if even for a moment. Connect with someone – it can be as simple as making eye contact; Go to the places where you feel the presence of the Holy and spend time there; Engage in small simple acts of love and kindness; Choose Life; Choose Hope; Choose Love.

Each week of Lent during our 10:00 am service, we will celebrate one of the graces that we receive when we return to God with open hearts.

· March 9^th – Returning to God, Coming Home

· March 16^th – Returning to Joy

· March 23^th – Returning to Hope

· March 30^st – Returning to Rest

· April 6^th – Returning to Love

In addition, our liturgy will incorporate music chosen to provide strength for the journey. For those who wish to observe a more traditional Lent, we encourage you to attend the 8:00 am prayer book service.

“O God of peace, who has taught us that in returning and rest we shall be saved, in quietness and in trust shall be our strength: by the power of your Spirit lift draw us into your presence, where we may be still and know that you are God, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”

From the Daughters of the King

In addition to our regular duties of praying for our clergy and those requesting prayer, the St. Thomas chapter of The Daughters of the King will

Assist clergy in welcoming visitors and new members
Provide support to those serving as caregivers

Anyone seeking prayer or support may provide their contact information to the church office at office@saintthomasdenver.org

The Birdmad Girl

Brother Daniel's new illustrated children's book, The Birdmad Girl, has been published!

Advanced blurbs of praise:

"With this little gem of a poem/book, Daniel Klawitter takes us for a walk down a country road between Mary Oliver and Shel Silverstein. We meet up with a few other birders along the way, and some of us stay out there to see if we might become birdmad ourselves. It’s a perfect outing for a fall, or spring or summer or winter afternoon, for anyone of any age." ~Rev. Laura Folkwein, United Church of Christ pastor.

"With its wonderfully intriguing title and colorful bird facts, Klawitter’s new book is a delight. The poetry seems to beg to be read aloud—and to be laughed out loud!"~Br. Scott Michael Pomerenk, Episcopal Friar in the Brotherhood of Saint Gregory.

Author Reading and Book-Signing ~ April 13th After Worship

Bring your book and enjoy a reading and have Brother Daniel sign your book after church on April 13, 2025. We will have a limited number of books for purchase that day, but we encourage you to pre-purchase a copy and bring it to the signing.

The Rev. Terri's Sabbatical

The Rev. Terri Hobart will be on sabbatical from April 21st through August 20th. All full-time clergy in the Episcopal Church in Colorado are expected and encouraged to take a sabbatical after five years of ministry. A sabbatical is a time for clergy to step away from daily parish duties for a time of rest, spiritual renewal, and recreation. Toward's that end, Terri and Vanessa will be walking the Camino de Santiago and reconnecting with family and friends throughout Europe and the U.S. Sabbaticals are standard practice across The Episcopal Church for priests and bishops. Our own Bishop Kym will also be on sabbatical from November 5, 2025 through March 5, 2026. While Terri is on sabbatical, our parish life will continue. The Rev. Tory Moir will assume liturgical and pastoral care and the Wardens and Vestry will have oversight of administration and congregational life.

Office / Studio Space Available

St. Thomas has two offices available to lease. If you know of anyone who is looking for affordable office or studio space, please ask them to call us.

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Office Hours

Tuesday, 10:00 - 3:00