March 12, 2017 | Second Sunday in Lent
Light and Dark
How appropriate, on this Daylight Savings weekend, that this Sunday's Gospel introduces Nicodemus as he comes to Jesus at night. Light and dark, day and night, are strong themes throughout John's Gospel. Jesus mentions light 18 times in John's Gospel. He refers to himself as the light of the world and praises those who have his light in them, etc. The first 14 verses of John mention light 7 times, such as "The light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not overcome it." Therefore, there is implicit judgement given to Nicodemus as he comes to Jesus, not in the light of day, but under the cover of darkness. He was a seeker to be sure, but his faith was not heroic. Jesus says in chapter 11, "But those who walk at night stumble, because the light is not in them." If you have a moment this weekend, take a quick stroll through John's Gospel and notice how prevalent this theme is. 

We will understandably grumble at bit this Sunday. Not only because of the snow (it was 70 degrees yesterday!) but also because of Daylight Savings. Yes, we lose an hour of sleep this weekend, we spring forward as we wake up to an inch of snow. 

Let us use this Sunday, with all of its inconveniences, to be a statement of our commitment to the light. The days will be longer now and the light is growing. May this also be the forecast of our faith.
Do you know anyone who needs a ride?
Last Sunday after church, as I was making a few house visits, I was reminded yet again how many in our number are unable to make it church. With over 1,000 members it is impossible for me to keep up with everyone. Will you help me? If you know someone who can't make it to church, will you check on them and see if they would like a ride? If they are home-bound, will you call or visit in the Name of Our Lord and his Church? If you do, thank you, and please let me know so together we can better look after those who desire the communion of the community and the Sacraments but are unable to attend on Sunday.
Evensong this Sunday
Sunday's Music | Christin Barnhardt
The St Timothy's Brass Ensemble will play Lenten Hymns for the  9am  prelude and communion  this Sunday . As always, if you would like to share your musical gifts in mass, please do not hesitated to contact me.

Hymns:
The God of Abraham, No. 401
Now let us all with one accord, No. 147
How firm a foundation, No. 637
When Christ was lifted from the earth, No. 603
I to the hills will lift mine eyes, No. 668
Lift High the Cross, No. 473

-From Robert Matthews:
Sunday’s  anthem “God so loved the world” was written by Sir John Stainer (1840 – 1901). Stainer was an English composer and organist whose music was very popular during his lifetime. He was also active as an academic, becoming the Heather Professor of Music at Oxford in 1889. 

The anthem “God so loved the world” is the ninth movement from Stainer’s oratorio titled  The Crucifixion . It is scored for a SATB choir and organ, and features solos for bass and tenor. Stainer intended that piece would be within the scope of most parish church choirs; it includes five hymns for congregational participation. The text was written by W. J. Sparrow Simpson, the librettist of Stainer’s earlier cantata, Mary Magdalene. The work is dedicated “to my pupil and friend W. Hodge and the choir of Marylebone Church,” who first performed it on February 24, 1887, the day after Ash  Wednesday . The text for “God so loved the world” is from John 3:16-17: 

God so loved the world that he gave his only only begotten Son, that whoso believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved.

Postlude:
Improvisation, Raymond Hawkins, organ

Also remember Evensong  on Sunday  at  3:30pm . Our adult choirs and choristers will sing Ayleward Responses, Sumsion Canticles, Tallis' "O nata lux" and "If ye love me" with Augsburg Lutheran Church's choirs, and the choir loft will be  full . Wouldn't it be wonderful for the nave to be full, too!?

See you  Sunday ,
Christin
Children and Outreach | Katie Bryant
Katie
Children's Formation

Lent is a wonderful time to adopt new spiritual disciplines as we seek to grow closer to Christ.  This past  Wednesday  night our children explored the spiritual discipline of Prayer.  We took a prayer walk all over the church campus, stopping along the way to pray for various people and giving thanks to God for such as community helpers (in the Law Enforcement Chapel), the little children (at the nursery), the church staff (at Gribbin), the good gifts of nature (at the garden), the communion of saints who has gone before us (at the memorial garden), and the shelter guests and all people God calls us to serve.  The children were eager to share other prayer requests too.  Take time this Lent to pray with your children.  Praying together can open you both up to the wonders that God has in store for all of us.  

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 in Catechesis of the Good Shepherd..  Parents can drop children off as early as  8:45am  in our Atrium (room C-4).  Children join their families in mass at the passing of the Peace.

All children (PreK through 5th grade) can follow the wooden processional cross at the end of the  9am  mass.  We will lead the children downstairs and help them find their class. Here is the list of  10:15am  formation classes for the fall:

PreK Formation--Room C-2
K-2nd grade Catechesis of the Good Shepherd--Room C-4
3rd-5th grade Advanced Godly Play--Room C-5
Middle School & High School Youth Formation--Drake Hall youth rooms
Adult Small Groups--throughout the campus

All classes end just before the  11am  mass.  Parents, please pick up your children from their classes in the downstairs hallway.

Outreach

St.Tim's Garden:
A big thanks to our Club 543 kids and parents for their hard work last Sunday to get our garden ready for planting.  They weeded the beds, amended the soil, planted early crops, and started seedlings to be planted when it's warmer. Our garden will provide fresh produce for the New Communion Mobile Food Pantry this summer.  We can use garden helpers throughout the growing season--please email  katie@sttimothys.ws  if you are interested.   

Shelter Needs:  small sunscreen, cotton crew socks, clorox/lysol wipes, regular coffee, and creamer

Unsung Heroes of Overflow
City with Dwellings' Overflow Shelters operate each night from  7pm-7am  for 122 nights of the winter. The only staff of City with Dwellings are the paid shelter monitors at each of our sites--the rest of the operation is handled strictly by volunteers.  The usual volunteers include 1 Facility Greeter, 2 Check-In volunteers, 2 Overnight Volunteers, a group to prepare and serve dinner, and a group to provide snack bags--we need this many volunteers at a minimum to open our shelters each night. The volunteers who sign-up, and show up with open hearts ready to serve--are part of something much bigger than we ever imagined. Regardless of how much of the shelter you think you know--there is more happening behind the scenes.  The people of St.Tim's have been amazing to discern where they can help--and do it!  I have been overwhelmed this past week at all the people who jump in and serve in a variety of ways in less official ways to offer what they can to our shelter.  I'm sure I'm going to miss someone because there are so many--but here's a list of who has touched the shelter just in the last week:
  • there are volunteers who come again and again who have become community to our guests
  • there is a couple who makes fresh bread each week for our guests
  • there are the people who show up on Mondays (and other days) to do laundry, help sort supplies, organize the chaos, clean the kitchen--just so it's ready for the next night.
  • there are the church sexton and custodian who keep Drake Hall clean and in working order night after night
  • there is one who works in Greensboro who goes by to check on a guest who is sick and staying in Greensboro
  • there are those who show up at 5am to help the check-out process go smoother.
  • there are those who donate beds (and other supplies to help house our guests)
  • there are those who loan us their truck to help move beds across town so that people who woke up homeless today can sleep in their own beds in their own apartments tonight.
  • there are those who wake up early multiple times a week to drive the bus to transport our guests back to downtown
  • there are the homeless guests who take time to clean the bathrooms each morning before they leave
  • there are those who step up to temporarily foster the pets of a homeless couple who cannot keep them in the shelter
  • there are staff members who go in to the shelter after a marathon day of work because we needed one more overnight volunteer
  • there are those who come to the shelter just to listen and be present with our guests
  • there are our TAP interns who have been at the shelter multiple times a week in a variety of volunteer roles
  • there are the families of our regular volunteers who support them at home while they serve.
  • there are the children who took the time to pray for our guests and give thanks for this ministry God has given St.Timothy's
  • THANKS to all who have touched the lives of our shelter guests in known and unknown ways.  We have about 3 weeks of sheltering left this season and we need to finish strong. Find ways that you can serve--if you haven't been to the shelter this season, now is your chance!  We especially need Overnight Volunteers for about 10 more nights--look at www.citywithdwellings.org (and click on St.Timothy's and the signup.com button) and find a time to be a part of something that is much bigger than any one of us could ever imagine.  Contact katie@sttimothys.ws if you need help signing up. 
Shrine Lamps
  All of our shrine lamps are open for sponsorship. They are $25 for a month's sponsorship. We've also added an additional lamp next to St Michael in the Law Enforcement Chapel. We've (hopefully) found an easier way to sponsor a lamp or lamps. Click  here and you can choose which lamp and which month. Then go back to the poll and click the link in the description for the payment page. If it's all a bit confusing, email Chris Ervin or Fr Steve.
The Our Lady of Walsingham Lamp 
is given to the Glory of God
and in memory of Finn Doss and in honor of Kevin, Lisa and Sayre by Shannon Hurley and Graham Green
 

 

The St. Timothy Shrine Lamp
is given to the glory of God and in thanksgiving for my children and grandchildren by Salli John

 
The St Michael the Archangel Lamp
is given to the glory of God and in honor of the Winston-Salem Police Department
by Fr Steve Rice

The Sanctuary Lamp 
is given to the glory of God
and in memory of Valeria J Tocci by Catherine King and Jonathan Williams.