Collect for Fifth Week of Easter

Almighty God, whom truly to know is everlasting life: Grant us so perfectly to know your Son Jesus Christ to be the way, the truth, and the life, that we may steadfastly follow his steps in the way that leads to eternal life; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Though the text of Sunday's final hymn is included in many hymnals, it is often paired with a different melody than we have in The Hymnal 1982. We sing Richard Wayne Dirksen's tune "Vineyard Haven," and other traditions usually sing this text to "St Thomas," an 18th century tune that we sing with the text "O bless the Lord, my soul!," Hymn 411, or to the tune "Marching to Zion," which includes the refrain "We're marching to Zion, beautiful, beautiful Zion..." What tune comes to your mind when you read the text?

Come, we that love the Lord, 

and let our joys be known; 

join in a song with sweet accord, 

and thus surround the throne. 

Hosanna, hosanna! Rejoice, give thanks, and sing.

The heirs of grace have found

glory begun below;

celestial fruits on heavenly ground

from faith and hope may grow.

Hosanna, hosanna! Rejoice, give thanks, and sing. 

Voluntaies:

Prelude & Fugue in A Major, Johann Sebastian Bach

Prelude & Fugue in E-flat, Johann Christoph Bach 

Hymns:

All creatures of our God and King, No. 400 

O Love of God, how strong and true, No. 455 

King of glory, King of peace, No. 382 

Humbly I adore thee, No. 314 

Come, we that love the Lord, No. 392 

Choral Anthem:

Maurice Duruflé's setting of Ubi Caritas: Where charity and love are, God is there.

Also, please remember that Robert Matthews' graduate piano recital is next Tuesday:

May 8 at 7:30pm

Salem College , Shirley Recital Hall

Works by Mozart, Debussy, Schoenberg, R. Schumann, and Chopin

See you Sunday,

Christin

Please visit our new and improved online giving portal at https://give.givingkiosk.com/sttimwsgive. You can also click on the Give button in this email and the Give link on our website.

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.

This is amazing. I never have cash or a check, but I always have my phone. You can now give to the work of St Timothy's just by texting. Here's how it works:

1. Text an amount to 336-697-6543

2. You will be sent a link to set up your debit/credit card (take a few seconds)

3. Once complete, your transaction will go through and you number will always be associated with the card.

Plus, you can text "Funds" to see a specific fund. If you want to sponsor a lamp, you can text "25 st timothys" and it will go the St Timothy's Lamp, etc. If the fund isn't recognized, you'll get a list of all the funds and you text back the number of the fund you wish to give to

PS: This is not connected to your phone bill. It it connected to a card of your choice.

Giving Kiosk is returning!

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. 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.

I do not know the exact dimensions of the sacristy, but I do know that it is smaller than my kitchen, and I have a small kitchen. The sacristy, as the name implies, is where sacred things are prepared and stored. The altar guild faithfully tends to the sacred vessels (chalices, patens, etc.), linens, candles, bread, wine, incense, liturgical books, and so on. Imagine preparing a banquet for 300 people and imagine doing it in your own kitchen! By pushing out the existing stairwell and adding another, the architects from Cram and Ferguson were able to expand the sacristy on a grand, and needed, scale. One small and oddly shaped room now becomes two sacristies, each 400 square feet. One sacristy will be a “working sacristy,” that is, the place where the altar guild prepares for Divine Service. This is where the vessels, linens, books, and even flowers will be stored and prepared, all with custom cabinetry to fit our needs. The other room will be the “priests’ sacristy.” This is where the vestments and other items will be stored and where the clergy and ministers can vest and pray for worship, essentially moving the room where this currently happens, upstairs. There are two wonderful consequences from this move. The first is that the large room downstairs is now available for other purposes. The second is that the design also calls for two identical rooms below the sacristy, thereby opening up three rooms, all around 400 square feet in size, downstairs for additional purposes. 

What could be done with these rooms? The possibilities are exciting and manifold. One possibility for a downstairs room is to create a crypt. We are fast running out of space for our memorial garden and we must start thinking strategically about future burials. There is only so much green space available and free-standing columbariums are not without significant cost. A possible solution is to take a downstairs room and create a holy space for burial and prayer. The walls could be lined with niches for cremains and an altar could be placed in the center for requiems on the anniversary of death or even very small funerals. This possibility would place the crypt near an outside entrance and near the bell tower, creating a very practical and holy place for repose and prayer.

Of your charity, please pray for the repose of Harry Spillman, who died this week. Dr. Spillman's Requiem will be at St Timothy's on Saturday, June 2 at a time to be determined.

May his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

For more resources on Gaudete et Exsultate and holiness, please visit this page on our website. You will also find archived reflections from Fr Steve on Pope Francis' apostolic exhortation.

On April 25th, we observed the Feast of St. Mark the Evangelist. The Acts of the Apostles records (in chapters 12, 13, and 15) that Mark was a traveling companion of the Apostle Paul. St. Peter also refers to "my son Mark" in 1 Peter 5:13. According to an early second century Christian writer, Papias, Mark was the "interpreter" of Peter, recording Peter’s recollections of Jesus’ life, work, and doctrine in the form we know as the Gospel of Mark. Mark and the other three Gospel writers were attempting to preserve, for future generations of Christians, the story and teachings of Jesus. They were attempting to keep the apostolic memory of these earth-shaking events alive. In other words, the Gospel writers were engaged in the work of tradition.

“Tradition” comes from the Latin traditio, meaning “to hand down” or “pass on.” That’s what tradition is – the handing down or passing on of something in order to preserve it for future generations. Peter handed down to Mark what he received from and experienced in the presence of Jesus, and Mark, in turn, has handed it down to innumerable generations of believers.

When we hear the word “tradition” or “traditional,” we tend to think of something stuffy or outdated. Our culture prizes the “new” above all else; if tradition is mentioned, it is usually as something to be thrown off. Tradition is, in many people’s minds, a kind of museum piece. So, when we at St. Tim’s say that we’re “traditional,” people might get the idea that we’re curators of a museum – interesting, perhaps, but long-dead and irrelevant. But this couldn’t be further from the truth.

The great composer Gustav Mahler once said, “Tradition is not the worship of ashes but the preservation of fire.” This is the true nature of tradition. It is less like the hoarding of dusty artifacts and more like the passing of the Olympic flame. Our mission at St. Timothy’s – our mission as the Church – is the same as Mark, Matthew, Luke and John. Our mission is keep that blazing flame of faith alive and pass it on, that new generations may encounter the living Christ and be transformed by his love and grace.

The Overflow Shelter is closed for the warmer months, but our work with our homeless friends continues at City with Dwellings with our Community First Center (633 W.4th St.). We are open on Tuesday and Thursday mornings 9-11am and need adult volunteers to help us provide hospitality and discover connections with our community members. We offer opportunities for art therapy, yoga, tai chi, anger management, stress relief, as well as an open-source peer support group called Together for Housing. Talk to Katie Bryant (katie@sttimothys.ws) or Lea Thullbery (lea@sttimothys.ws) for more info or go to www.citywithdwellings.org to sign-up.   

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 of God. All ages are invited to participate--there will be something for everyone. We'll have a movie night in June so that all can see the new movie "A Wrinkle in Time" together. Email katie@sttimothys if you would like to help with planning VBS--a planning meeting TBA soon! 

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!

Link to sign up.

Write to Graham Green

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

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!