This Week at St Timothy's
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Gracious Father, whose blessed Son Jesus Christ came down from heaven to be the true bread which gives life to the world: Evermore give us this bread, that he may live in us, and we in him; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
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St Timothy's Episcopal Church
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If you want to alter a person, put them near an altar.
If you want to alter a place, place an altar.
I’m convinced of this.
Tuesday morning on my way to the priests’ sacristy, I noticed a pizza box in a trashcan that was left overnight. Apparently pizza was on the menu for midnight lunch. I looked on the bulletin board above the empty pizza box. Two of the five packets I left the day before containing St Michael pendants have been taken by their new owners. The space was quiet at 7:30am, but I knew it was full just a few hours earlier.
This is an almost daily routine for me. This is a large, but mostly nocturnal, ministry for our local law enforcement. They come to this church to rest, eat, write reports, and pray. I have no idea how many have the code to get in. I know that when we hosted a late-night barbecue in the late summer, some 50 officers arrived for a quick bite to eat before they went back to walk the thin blue line. I recently found a lovely pendant of St Michael and hung one of the bulletin board asking if anyone would like to have one. So far, 19 have taken me up on it. I know some of the officers personally now. We text and they leave notes, but by and large, they come when I am asleep. This is their midnight church.
This all happened by taking a poorly designed, underutilized space and praying in it. If we want to alter a place, place an altar. If we want to alter a person, put them near an altar. All,
all, of our works of mercy flow from a discipline of prayer.
In all our efforts to stimulate change in people and places, we often forget that the fount of justice is prayer. In all our efforts to revitalize the church and promote engagement and growth, we often forget that prayer is the transformative agent. And in all our efforts to engage the world by moving away from the church building, we often forget that sanctuary requires space.
Episcopalians love to quote the fifth century axiom from St Prosper of Aquitaine,
ut legem credendi lex statuat supplicandi (the law of praying establishes the law of believing), often reduced to
lex orandi, lex credendi. Translated it means what and how we pray establishes what we believe. If you want to change someone’s theology, first change their worship. This, by the way, is why any Prayer Book revision is so very, very important.
But the rule of prayer addresses more than what we believe. If I may be so bold, I would also add to
lex ordandi,
lex agendi. The rule of prayer establishes the rule of acting. Richard Hooker, who like St Prosper is quoted but never read, followed the thinking St Thomas Aquinas by placing religion within the virtuous realm of justice, or more accurately, justice flows from religion. “So natural is the union with Religion and Justice,” Hooker writes, “that we may boldly deem there is neither, where both are not.” Justice is to give someone what is their due. Religion is the highest form of justice in that it gives God his due.
If we wish to seek justice, we should begin with prayer. For it is in prayer (religion) that we are illumined by the truth of the dignity of the human person as created in the image and likeness of God and it is this illumination that shines light on our complicity in injustice and lights the path for mercy.
If you want to alter a person, put them near an altar.
If you want to alter a place, place an altar.
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*Regular Wed Night Schedule (Childcare available 5:15-7pm)
5:15-6pm
Dinner in Drake
5-5:30pm
Godly Play - Room C-3
5-5:45pm
- Cantate (Youth Choir) - Choir Room
5:45-6:30pm
Children’s Block 1:
Pre-K Formation & Nursery - Room C-2
K-5th grade Formation & St Francis Choir - Room C-5
6-7pm
EYC (Episcopal Youth Community, 6th-12th grade students)
Adult Formation - ECW
6:30-7pm
Children’s Block 2:
Pre-K Formation & Nursery - Room C-2
K-5th grade
Formation & Cherub Choir
- Room C-5 / Nave
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Wednesday, March 14
Feria
Intention: for the daily congregatin
Thursday, March 15
Feria
Intention: for our government
Friday, March 16
Feria
Intention: for Forsyth Medical Center
Saturday, March 17
Commemoration of St Patrick
Intention: for Anglican religious orders
Sunday, March 18
THE FIFTH SUNDAY IN LENT | PASSION SUNDAY
Monday, March 19
ST JOSEPH
Intention: for husbands and fathers
Tuesday, March 20
Commemoration of Cuthbert
Intention: for the Archbishop of York
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Words defined:
Intention: In the Holy Eucharist we receive remission of our sins and "all other benefits of his passion." In the celebration of the Eucharist, we apply those benefits to a particular intention. You can see examples of masses for particular intentions on pages 199-210 in the Prayer Book. 17th century Anglican divine Jeremy Taylor wrote, " "It follows then that the celebration of this sacrifice be, in its proportion, an instrument of applying the proper sacrifice to all the purposes for which it was first designed. It is ministerially, and by application, an instrument propitiatory; it is eucharistical; it is an hommage and an act of adoration, and it is impetratory, and obtains for us and for the whole church, all the benefits of the sacrifice, which is now celebrated and applied; that is, as this rite is the remembrance and ministerial celebration of Christ's sacrifice, so it is destined to do honour to God... to beg pardon, blessings, and supply of all our needs" (Discourse XlX, 4).
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New and Improved Online Giving
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This new portal is easier to use and, once you create an account, you can keep up with your giving history. You can also give via check online.
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Click
here
to read Amy McFerrin's article on More Than Enough.
Click
here
to read Becky Johnston's article.
Click
here
to read Andy Blair's article.
Click
here
to read Megan Farrell's article.
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Giving Kiosk is returning!
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Turns out, we made a mistake. A few years ago, we thought we could improve on older giving kiosk with a newer model that could also serve as an information station. Good intention but the product and execution left a lot to be desired. Therefore we are pleased to announce the return of the smaller and easier giving kiosk for giving. It may be a couple of weeks before you will see it again, but stay tuned. This kiosk is aimed at folks like me, Fr Steve, who couldn't find a check if my life depended on it and I rarely, rarely have cash.
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Bishop's Visitation this Sunday
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The Sunday, Bishop Anne Hodges-Copple will join us at 9am for our annual episcopal visitation.
All adult and youth formation classes are asked to converge on ECW Hall after the 9am service for formation with the bishop.
Please note there will be no Solemn Mass at 11am for this week only.
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The Sacrament of Confession
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The Sacrament of Confession is offered anytime by appointment with one of the priests or at 7:45am on Saturday morning (before Morning Prayer). If you have any questions, please contact Fr Steve or Fr DJ.
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From the Choir Loft | Christin Barnhardt
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This Sunday as we observe Passion Sunday with Bishop Hodges-Copple, we will sing some hymns that help us continue our Lenten journey. The final stanza of "When I survey the wondrous cross" summarizes how we should respond to God's unconditional love for us:
Were the whole realm of nature mine,
that were an offering far too small;
love so amazing, so divine,
demands my soul, my life, my all.
Hymns:
O God of Bethel, by whose hand, No. 709
Help us, O Lord, to learn, No. 628
O Food to pilgrims given, No. 309
When I survey the wondrous cross, No. 474
O love, how deep, how broad, how high, No. 448
Choral Anthem:
Wondrous Love, arr. Alice Parker/ Robert Shaw
Voluntaries:
Hymn Prelude on Rockingham, Kenneth Leighton
Improvisation on Deo Gracias
Also, please join us for Compline sung by our choral scholars on Sunday, 8-8:30pm. This is a peaceful and prayerful way to end your weekend. Robert Matthews streamed our February 18th Compline via faecbook live, which you can hear here.
See you Sunday,
Christin
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Watch before the Blessed Sacrament
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Click
here to sign up for an hour to pray before the Blessed Sacrament on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. More than one person can sign up for the same hour.
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I’ve been re-reading some of C. S. Lewis’s works this Lent. Lewis has been one of my favorite authors ever since I first read the Chronicles of Narnia as a kid. Right now, one quote in particular jumps out at me from “The Weight of Glory,” a sermon he once preached at St. Mary’s, Oxford: “It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”
The idea that the Christian faith is all about giving up desire is false. The point of Christianity is not that desire is bad, but that it needs to be redeemed – to be reoriented rightly and to be reframed in the light of Christ. Ultimately, that which is to be desired above all else is Christ himself and communion with him. In him, our desire finds its truest satisfaction, and in him is found the joy for which humans were made. As Psalm 16 says, “Thou shalt show me the path of life: in thy presence is the fulness of joy, and at thy right hand there is pleasure for evermore.”
Nothing else can fill this void in hearts where God belongs, whether we acknowledge it or not. As Lewis points out, we try to satisfy ourselves with merely earthly happiness. But that will only get us so far, and, in the end, it will never make us truly happy. As St. Augustine once wrote, “Thou hast made us for thyself, and our hearts are restless till they rest in thee.”
Only once we love God above all and allow him into that place in our hearts where he belongs, then, paradoxically, we can have all the other earthly joys, too – the full and deep and holy way they were meant to be enjoyed rather than not the way we tend to abuse them on our own. Or, as Jesus says, “See ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.”
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VBS 2018 Plans in the Works
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Vacation Bible School this summer is taking an exciting twist! We will be exploring Madeleine L'Engle's "A Wrinkle in Time" and considering our God-given gifts that help build up the Kingdom. All ages are invited to participate--there will be something for everyone. Help us choose a date by filling out this form:
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Morning Lenten Bible Study on Wednesdays
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A new mid-morning Bible Study on Sunday Lenten readings has begun on Wednesdays at 10:30am until March 21. Please bring your bibles and we start in the Gribbin Conference Room.
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Priest and a Rabbi Schedule
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St.Timothy's has one more month to offer shelter to our guests this season. Our shelter will close on the morning of March 31 (if you look at your liturgical kalendar, you'll note this is Holy Saturday and the Easter Vigil). This means you have just a few more opportunities to sign up to serve this season to offer holy hospitality to our shelter guests. In looking at the next week, there are volunteer spots open to provide and serve dinner, help with checking our guests in, and even a few overnight spots. Don't miss out on this incredible way to share God's love this Lenten season. You can sign up at http://signup.com/go/sttimsoverflow or email shelter@sttimothys.ws for more information.
Shelter supplies needed: travel-sized toothpaste, toothbrushes, laundry detergent, deodorant, t-shirts (sizes M-XXXL) and washcloths.
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Pictorial Directory Update
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Thank your for your patience with our church directories. We are in the process of updating membership records and hope to be sending all materials to the publisher this week. We will notify you as soon as directories are available for pick up.
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Candy for Easter Egg Hunt
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WANTED: Candy to put in Easter eggs for the Annual Easter Egg Hunt. Candy should be small enough to put in plastic eggs and individually wrapped. Candy donations can be left in Gribbin Commons at the Volunteer desk. Thank you!
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Hospitality for Officers on Sunday Mornings
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Please help welcome our Winston Salem police officer to services on Sunday mornings. Follow the link below to sign up to provide a snack. The officers enjoy homemade baked goods or breakfast items such as bagels, muffins, or pastries. If items contain nuts please label them. Snacks should be delivered to the basket at the welcome counter in the narthex on Sunday mornings. If you have questions please contact Megan Farrell at mrfarrell@triad.rr.com or 336.408.7779. Thank you for extending a warm welcome to our officers!
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A Note from Lt Col Graham Green
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Dear St. Tim's,
Greeting's from the 449th Combat Aviation Brigade at Camp Taji, Iraq and elsewhere. I am happy to report that the soldiers of the 449th remain dedicated to our mission and our morale remains high. I wanted to send all of you an note to tell you how much I miss St. Tim's and also wanted to thank the many, many folks who have sent cards, notes, packages and well wishes. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate the support given by St. Tim’s. I share these notes with Shannon and we have commented more than once about how thankful we are for our parish community. These many miles away, I take great comfort in knowing that you have and will continue to support Shannon, Garrison and Julia until my return. May the Peace of the Lord be with each of you.
LTC Graham T. Green
Brigade Judge Advocate
Camp Taji, Iraq.
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Write to Graham
Our own Graham Green is a Lt Col in the Army National Guard and is currently deployed in Iraq. We are proud of Graham, his wife, Shannon, and children Garrison and Julia. We will continue to surround them with prayer. He is able to receive letters at the address below. Please use the address exactly as it is printed.
LTC Graham Green
HHC 449th CAB
Camp Taji
APO, AE
09378
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We have a limited number of St Timothy's stickers (perfect for car windows). If you would like one, they will be in the office and in the narthex on Sunday. We will reorder to meet the demand.
If you put the sticker on your car, send us a picture!
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Mass & Mammon
March 11, 2018
Morning Prayer: 5
7:30 Low Mass: 36
9:00 Low Mass: 127
11:00 Sung Mass: 129
Sunday Mass Total: 292
Average Attendance for 2018: 351
Offering: $
12,617.06
Weekly Need: $
19,458.00
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Altar Flowers
There are no altar flowers during the season of Lent.
Shrine Lamps
The
St Timothy Shrine Lamp is given to the Glory of God and in honor of Camille Thomson by Walker Rice.
The
Sanctuary Lamp is given to the Glory of God and with thanksgiving for our granddaughter, Maggie, as she begins her teenage years by Linda & Chris Skarzynski..
The
Lady of Walsingham Lamp is given to the Glory of God and for blessing upon the Capital Campaign Committee.
The St. Michael the Archangel Lamp is given to the Glory of God and with prayers for the protection of LTC Graham Green and all those in our armed forces by the women of St. Timothy’s.
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