St. Thomas Episcopal Church News St. Thomas ...
“Serving Others as Christ Serves Us”
S t . T h o m a s E p i s c o p a l C h u rc h N e ws Sunday Services ~ 10:00 am Sunday School for youth and adult together ”The Wired Word”—9:00 am
April 2014 - Vol. 2, Issue 4
ALL ARE WELCOME!
Reflection from our Rector:
Easter Lillies adorn the St. Thomas Altar after the dark emptiness of Good Friday, when we walk the way of the Cross with our Lord. And then Alleluias come alive on our lips once more! Holy times shared.
While Christmas is the popular culture’s favorite religious holiday, Holy Week and Easter are at the heart of what defines Christian faith and life. During the Palm Sunday liturgy we recollect Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem and wave our palm branches as we walk from the Community Room into the church—perhaps a little self-consciously—and celebrate Jesus as King of God’s chosen people, come to make all things right again: destroy our enemies, restore our prosperity, and show the world that we are God’s favorites once again. But we are to discover that God has a different kind of kingdom in mind. Maundy Thursday we share Jesus’ last intimate moments with his disciples. We hear in John’s gospel the King of King’s idea of leadership: get on your knees and wash your friends’ feet (to their dismay). And, he tells them and us, this is how I want you to treat one another. This is what real love looks like. Don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty helping each other clean up the muck in your lives. Passion Sunday and Good Friday recount the result when our king fails to meet our expectations and take his “rightful” place: we abandon him, we run away from the risks he asks us to take for his sake, and perhaps we even turn on him in our disappointment and cry “Crucify him!” We fall short of what is asked of us, required of us. We are confronted with the essential reality of human life: even with the best intentions in the world, we cannot save ourselves. Fear and death win the day. Yet, as Paul Harvey would have said, there is still “the rest of the story.” Every time we go to the tomb to mourn a dead failed god and our dead failed selves, we find nothing there but funeral cloths. Jesus isn’t there, and neither are we unless we choose to be. Jesus is risen and tells us, “Wherever you go, I will be there along your road, whether it’s to Galilee, Emmaus, or Riverton. God loves you because its God’s nature. It’s your nature too, so go do it for God’s sake!” Christ is risen; the Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia!
MARK YOUR CALENDAR! April 10 - Last Soup & Study gathering 5:30 April 13 ~ Palm Sunday,Service 10 am—starts in the Community Room for everyone. April 17 ~ St. Thomas hosts Dubois NonProfits meeting at 1:30 pm
and
Maundy Thursday Service at 5:30 pm
April 18 ~ Good Friday—Stations of the Cross at Noon and 5:30, and also at Warm Valley Lodge at 2:00 pm
Melinda+
Reach Melinda at (307) 240-0514 or Wednesdays 9-noon in the office SUNRISE SERVICE, SERVICE, 20th ,6:00 am, 57 Stony Point Rd., CarryCarry-in Brunch
Vestry April meeting will be after church on April 27th
April 20: EASTER: EASTER Sunrise Service 6:00 am in Petera home, with Carry-in Brunch, & in Sanctuary at 10:00 am & Warm Valley Lodge at 2:00 pm. Coffee & Easter Baskets!
St. Thomas Bits and Pieces of News April brings with it the Promise of Spring, though the possibility of snow hangs close over the Wind Rivers. Thoughts of our Flower Garden brought to new life, and vegetable seeds waiting to go into the earth in mid-May warm us and bring real hope! There will be news coming soon of our Annual Clean-up Day—both grounds and buildings—with a good lunch provided for good work! Stay tuned as we start to wake from winter’s sleep! There are changes and needs arising in our Outreach Programs. The Farmers’ Market this year will be held on Thursday evenings—set-up at 3:00 pm and then open from 5:00 to 7:00 pm. Produce will be purchased on Wednesday afternoons and Thursday mornings, and our Garden harvested as usual during the Market. The Community Garden management is under change again—volunteers willing to assist with planting, watering and weeding on a regular (1 day a week) basis are rewarded with taking produce for their own use when harvest times come. A few Individual beds are also available to rent for your own use. And we are looking for several people willing to learn to work at the Saturday morning Food Bank Distribution—9:45 am to Noon—and then act as substitutes as needed when regulars are unable to come. This ministry Palm Sunday Procession from the is truly Christ’s hands and heart at work—ask Corky or Jake, two of the Community Room leads us, wav- regulars! And, as we make plans, please let us know if you are willing to ing our palms, into the Passion of help in any way, no matter how limited!! See/Call Mary Ellen in the office! Christ, and eventual discovery of God’s intended kingdom. QUESTIONS about anything you see here or want to volunteer? Give Mary Ellen a call at 455-2313.
April 15th will find the large semi-truck from the Food Bank of the Rockies pulling up to our doorstep around 8 am! At 9:00 the HS Honor Society youth leave school to help us unload palettes, inventory, and shelve all the cases we ordered, and the USDA commodities. It is always good for them to see our members involved as well, and a chance for you to thank them for their service. (Most adults stand out of the way & direct!)
9 South 1st St. ! PO Box 735 ~ Dubois, WY 82513 ! (3 0 7 )455-2313 Email: [email protected] ! www.stthomasdubois.diowy.org
WE HAVE A BELL RINGING! And clean gutters! As weather allows we will have help cleaning the logs & stones of the Stewart House, and placing new gutters all around us
S t . T h o m a s E p i s c o p a l C h u rc h N e ws Sunday Services ~ 10:00 am Sunday School for youth and adult together ”The Wired Word”—9:00 am
April 2014 - Vol. 2, Issue 4
ALL ARE WELCOME!
Reflection from our Rector:
Easter Lillies adorn the St. Thomas Altar after the dark emptiness of Good Friday, when we walk the way of the Cross with our Lord. And then Alleluias come alive on our lips once more! Holy times shared.
While Christmas is the popular culture’s favorite religious holiday, Holy Week and Easter are at the heart of what defines Christian faith and life. During the Palm Sunday liturgy we recollect Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem and wave our palm branches as we walk from the Community Room into the church—perhaps a little self-consciously—and celebrate Jesus as King of God’s chosen people, come to make all things right again: destroy our enemies, restore our prosperity, and show the world that we are God’s favorites once again. But we are to discover that God has a different kind of kingdom in mind. Maundy Thursday we share Jesus’ last intimate moments with his disciples. We hear in John’s gospel the King of King’s idea of leadership: get on your knees and wash your friends’ feet (to their dismay). And, he tells them and us, this is how I want you to treat one another. This is what real love looks like. Don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty helping each other clean up the muck in your lives. Passion Sunday and Good Friday recount the result when our king fails to meet our expectations and take his “rightful” place: we abandon him, we run away from the risks he asks us to take for his sake, and perhaps we even turn on him in our disappointment and cry “Crucify him!” We fall short of what is asked of us, required of us. We are confronted with the essential reality of human life: even with the best intentions in the world, we cannot save ourselves. Fear and death win the day. Yet, as Paul Harvey would have said, there is still “the rest of the story.” Every time we go to the tomb to mourn a dead failed god and our dead failed selves, we find nothing there but funeral cloths. Jesus isn’t there, and neither are we unless we choose to be. Jesus is risen and tells us, “Wherever you go, I will be there along your road, whether it’s to Galilee, Emmaus, or Riverton. God loves you because its God’s nature. It’s your nature too, so go do it for God’s sake!” Christ is risen; the Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia!
MARK YOUR CALENDAR! April 10 - Last Soup & Study gathering 5:30 April 13 ~ Palm Sunday,Service 10 am—starts in the Community Room for everyone. April 17 ~ St. Thomas hosts Dubois NonProfits meeting at 1:30 pm
and
Maundy Thursday Service at 5:30 pm
April 18 ~ Good Friday—Stations of the Cross at Noon and 5:30, and also at Warm Valley Lodge at 2:00 pm
Melinda+
Reach Melinda at (307) 240-0514 or Wednesdays 9-noon in the office SUNRISE SERVICE, SERVICE, 20th ,6:00 am, 57 Stony Point Rd., CarryCarry-in Brunch
Vestry April meeting will be after church on April 27th
April 20: EASTER: EASTER Sunrise Service 6:00 am in Petera home, with Carry-in Brunch, & in Sanctuary at 10:00 am & Warm Valley Lodge at 2:00 pm. Coffee & Easter Baskets!
St. Thomas Bits and Pieces of News April brings with it the Promise of Spring, though the possibility of snow hangs close over the Wind Rivers. Thoughts of our Flower Garden brought to new life, and vegetable seeds waiting to go into the earth in mid-May warm us and bring real hope! There will be news coming soon of our Annual Clean-up Day—both grounds and buildings—with a good lunch provided for good work! Stay tuned as we start to wake from winter’s sleep! There are changes and needs arising in our Outreach Programs. The Farmers’ Market this year will be held on Thursday evenings—set-up at 3:00 pm and then open from 5:00 to 7:00 pm. Produce will be purchased on Wednesday afternoons and Thursday mornings, and our Garden harvested as usual during the Market. The Community Garden management is under change again—volunteers willing to assist with planting, watering and weeding on a regular (1 day a week) basis are rewarded with taking produce for their own use when harvest times come. A few Individual beds are also available to rent for your own use. And we are looking for several people willing to learn to work at the Saturday morning Food Bank Distribution—9:45 am to Noon—and then act as substitutes as needed when regulars are unable to come. This ministry Palm Sunday Procession from the is truly Christ’s hands and heart at work—ask Corky or Jake, two of the Community Room leads us, wav- regulars! And, as we make plans, please let us know if you are willing to ing our palms, into the Passion of help in any way, no matter how limited!! See/Call Mary Ellen in the office! Christ, and eventual discovery of God’s intended kingdom. QUESTIONS about anything you see here or want to volunteer? Give Mary Ellen a call at 455-2313.
April 15th will find the large semi-truck from the Food Bank of the Rockies pulling up to our doorstep around 8 am! At 9:00 the HS Honor Society youth leave school to help us unload palettes, inventory, and shelve all the cases we ordered, and the USDA commodities. It is always good for them to see our members involved as well, and a chance for you to thank them for their service. (Most adults stand out of the way & direct!)
9 South 1st St. ! PO Box 735 ~ Dubois, WY 82513 ! (3 0 7 )455-2313 Email: [email protected] ! www.stthomasdubois.diowy.org
WE HAVE A BELL RINGING! And clean gutters! As weather allows we will have help cleaning the logs & stones of the Stewart House, and placing new gutters all around us
