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This Sunday at St Timothy's | Oct. 2, 2016
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Last Sunday there was a line in the reading from First Timothy that grabbed me when I was preparing the homily and it grabbed me even more as it was read in church. St Paul, the author of the letter, told St Timothy to instruct those blessed with great resources to “do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share, thus storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of the life that really is life” (1 Timothy 6.18-19). There are many, many, powerful words in these two verses, but the words that continue to stick are “life that really is life.”
If Hollywood is any reflection of our social angst, then we are already tapped into what St Paul is saying to St Timothy. How many movies and/or television programs over the past ten years or so challenge reality as we think we understand it? We love these movies: The Matrix, The Sixth Sense, Inception, A Beautiful Mind, etc. etc. All of these movies present a “normal” reality and then quickly deconstruct it, sometimes leaving us wondering, as we leave the theatre, what is real and what isn’t.
St Paul isn’t trying to suggest that we live in a digital matrix that is controlled by self-aware machines or that we are nothing more than an experiment on the desk of a scientist from another universe. But he is saying that we tend to construct a reality the way studios construct movie sets. It may look real, but it’s just facade. It’s just a prop. While it may look good, it is without any real substance and therefore can never last.
St Paul’s call to a life “that really is life” is to embrace a life of substance and not superficiality. Speaking to those who were blessed with wealth, he was telling them that using money to build up a sense of importance by aquiring more things is to create a sense of self that isn’t grounded in anything real. Things can be taken away. Markets rise and fall. If our worth is based on what we are worth financially, then we will forever be tied to the whims of the fickle market. We, too, can then be bought and sold. That’s not real life, St Paul says. Real life is to live for others. Real life is to reflect the goodness and love of God. Real life is to participate in the building of a kingdom that is not subject to elections or markets or armies. Real life is found in Christ and his kingdom.
Always loving a good Latin phrase, I looked up 1 Timothy 6.19 in the Latin Vulgate. The two words that we translate as “life that really is life” is veram vitam: real life. I love it. I think that should be our rallying cry at St Timothy’s. That should be our motto and mission: we are committed to life that really is life. We are committed to faith that really is faith, worship that really is worship, formation that really is formation, and transformation that really is transformation. Nothing superficial. Nothing fake. No facades. Veram Vitam.
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Parish Breakfast this Sunday
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All are welcome today for our monthly parish breakfast in Drake Hall between the 9am and 11am masses. The parish breakfast is a ministry of the Parish Life Commission at St Timothy’s. Drake Hall is the parish fellowship hall located between the Church and Chapel buildings.
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Sunday's Music | Christin Barnhardt
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The adult choir and choristers'
anthem this Sunday, Harold Friedell's setting of Pearcy Dearmer's text "
Draw
Us
in the
Spirit's
Tether
," connects
us
with the first disciples who "supped" with Christ. The "
tether
" provides an image of the Holy Spirit joining together Christians of all times and places at the Eucharist. In response, we strive to be disciples ourselves, serving Christ faithfully by "caring, helping, giving." Dearmer's poetry is beautiful:
Draw us in the Spirit’s tether,
for when humbly in thy name,
two or three are met together,
thou art in the midst of them.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Touch we now thy garment’s hem.
All our meals and all our living
Make us sacraments of thee,
That be caring, helping, giving,
We may true disciples be.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
We will serve thee faithfully.
The children and youth choirs will sing "The Gift of Love" during
Sunday's
9am
mass with Robert Matthews, piano, and Peter Ragonesi, violin. The final stanza is a prayer that the Holy Spirit control our hearts so that inward love will guide us and free us. Our newest choristers - those who auditioned and were accepted into St Timothy's Choir School - will sing from the choir loft this week. Congratulations to
Sydney Bates, Piper Machado,
Brock McNeill,
Michael Ragonesi,
Adam Ragonesi, and
Walker Rice!
Hymns:
Praise, my soul, the King of heaven, No. 410
O thou who camest from above, No. 704
Rise up, ye saints of God!, No. 551
All things bright and beautiful, No. 405
O God of every nation, No. 607
Communion Music:
Sonata VI in E major, Peter Ragonesi, violin
God's Peace,
Christin
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Children's Formation | Katie Bryant
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This Sunday is Parish Breakfast
Sunday! For those of you new to St.Tim's, we gather for breakfast on the first
Sunday of each month during the school year. Between the
9am and 11am masses, come to Drake Hall to find a hot breakfast already prepared for you to enjoy with your church family. This takes place instead of
Sunday morning formation and small groups on this first
Sunday of each month. Come join us for breakfast!
PreK families--never fear! This Sunday and every
Sunday, PreK children (ages 3 and potty-trained to age 5) gather downstairs during the
9am mass for a time of songs, stories, wonder, and play. Parents can drop children off as early as
8:45am in room C-4. Children join their families in mass at the passing of the Peace.
Club 543 meets this Sunday at 12:15pm
Club 543 is open to all 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders who seek to live out their faith in our community. This Sunday, we will meet in Drake Hall at
12:15pm and carpool over to First Christian Church (Country Club Dr.) to help out with the New Communion Mobile Food Pantry. Bring 3 boxes of dry pasta (anything but lasagna) and a willing spirit to serve! We need at least two parents who are willing to drive to go with us--please email
[email protected] if you can help. We'll return to St.Tim's by
1:30pm for parent pick-up.
New PreK Class on Wednesdays!!!
PreK Godly Play is now offered on Wednesday nights at 5pm! This class if for any child who hasn't started kindergarten yet and offers a time of holy story, wonder, and play. If your child is not potty-trained, we ask that a parent come with them to the class. So you all will have time to eat dinner together, we will keep the class brief and be finished by 5:30pm. Children will be walked over to meet their parents for dinner in Drake Hall. Come and see how God is already at work in our youngest disciples!
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Youth Formation | Katie Harper
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Youth Formation Sunday mornings is based on the lectionary readings.
There are two separate classes for Middle and High School Students in Drake Hall on
Sunday
mornings - and yes, the doughnut tradition carries on! Middle School will be in the youth room, High School in the classroom. Our continuing mission is to create a safe space for students to find what it means to be followers of Christ. See you Sunday!
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Our Lady of Walsingham Lamp
is given to the glory of God
and in honor of Sandra and Tony Hamby by Steven Tisdale
for the month of October
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St Timothy Shrine Lamp
is currently not sponsored.
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Altar Flowers in Church and Chapel
are given to the Glory of God and in memory of Reba Belton, Deany Schoellkopf, Nita Weston, Linda Miller, Susie Campbell, & Betty Ann Austin by Claudette Weston
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