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St Thomas

America, You Great Unfinished Symphony

By Christian Formation

The title for this column is a lyric from the blockbuster musical Hamilton, written by Lin-Manuel Miranda and based on biography Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow. The musical won eleven Tony Awards in 2016, as well as the Pulitzer Prize for Drama that same year. And just in time for the Fourth of July this year, Hamilton is being released on Disney Plus. I am a fan in awe of this musical, and I could not be more excited. The story of Alexander Hamilton mirrors the story of the founding of our country, a mixture of founding ideals, genius, infighting, and imperfection, all of which are on full display. This same mixture continues today, as America is still an unfinished symphony. Hamilton reminds us of the power of ideals, as well as the power of a guiding vision. It is these ideals that we remember every year as a nation…

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July 3, 2020

Doubters’ Happy Hour – July 7

By Upcoming Events

Please join the Doubter community for our next Happy Hour, July 7 at 6 pm, for an evening with the Reverend Gay Clark Jennings President of the House of Deputies of the General Convention. Gay will join us as we wind up the final Doubters’ Happy Hour of the “spring” program year. Gay bears witness to revolutionary change in the Episcopal Church, not only in her nine years as president, but in her over 40 years of life in the priesthood. As president, Gay is committed to fostering a new generation of leaders in the Episcopal Church and encouraging the church’s work for justice through the actions of General Convention and the work of Episcopalians throughout the church. She works closely with the elected and appointed leaders who serve the church between conventions, with more than 850 members of the House of Deputies, and with the presiding bishop and other…

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July 3, 2020

Sermon for Fourth Sunday after Pentecost

By Sermons

Consider the Cost June 28, 2020, Year A: Proper 8 The Episcopal Church of St. Thomas the Apostle Dallas, Texas Allen M. Junek, Seminarian-in-Residence + In the name of the one, holy, undivided Trinity. Amen. First, I want to commend Fr. Christopher, our clergy team, and our vestry for allowing a seminarian to preach who has yet to take even a single course in homiletics, but even more for their bravery in allowing a seminarian to preach who just completed a course in public theology and public policy! But either way, I am immensely grateful to be able to think about these passages with you today. And with that, I want to share something with you that happened earlier this week. A few days ago, I was on Facebook, and I made the mistake of reading the comments under a post by the national church about the importance of DACA,…

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June 28, 2020

I am the bread of life

By Rector's Corner

Jesus said, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” — John 6:35, BCP This is one of the opening passages of scripture suggested in a section of our Book of Common Prayer labeled, “Communion under Special Circumstances.” The very first rubric (instruction) says, “This form is intended for use with those who for reasonable cause cannot be present at a public celebration of the Eucharist.” It is quite clear that, for the last 15 weeks, we have not been able to “be present” for a public celebration of the Eucharist in our beloved Nave on the campus of St. Thomas the Apostle due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It has been my commitment that, in line with both our Bishops Sumner and Smith, we have been in a time of “fasting” from the sacrament of Holy Communion,…

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June 25, 2020

Doubters’ Happy Hour – June 30

By Upcoming Events

Please join the Doubter community for our next Happy Hour, June 30 at 6 pm, for a Doubter Hangout! This will be an opportunity to re-connect, share stories and laugh together. Grab a beverage of your choosing and join us! ALL ARE WELCOME! Just email Father Christopher to request the ZOOM Meeting link and password.

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June 25, 2020

Sermon for Third Sunday after Pentecost

By Rector's Corner, Sermons

Christopher Thomas Sermon for Third Sunday after Pentecost, Year A – 6/21/20 Genesis 21:8-21 Psalm 86:1-10, 16-17 Romans 6:1b-11 Matthew 10:24-39 Well… “Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how did you like the play?” I’m going to share with you just a little bit of the “Priest’s Playbook” here in the beginning of this. There are three types of sermons that any good priest might offer to you, and they are basically modeled on the psychological implications of the ways that Jesus lived out his earthly ministry, functioning as a pastor, a priest, and a prophet. Sermons take on the characteristics of these different aspects of Jesus’ nature. Sermons tend to be particularly pastoral or prophetic. It doesn’t take much to figure out that pastoral sermons are the ones we look to for comfort and strengthen, binding up the hearts of the faithful as we sojourn through life. They shore us…

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June 21, 2020

I will, with God’s help!

By Rector's Corner

“Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being?” “I will, with God’s help!” — From the Service of Holy Baptism, BCP I believe those words, along with the other four questions that precede them, those resonate questions that make up our baptismal covenant into the Christian faith and identity, are some of the sweetest words to hear, and yet some of the most difficult words to live out. If the Christian faith were easy, a country club, I guess everyone would do it! That is why it is so reassuring that the questions are followed by the answer, “I will, with God’s help!” God knows that Christ’s walk, the journey we are called into, is not an easy or light one, but one of responsibility, and that God will be with us in and throughout the journey. In the midst…

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June 18, 2020

Doubters’ Happy Hour – June 23

By Upcoming Events

Please join the Doubter community for our next Happy Hour, June 23 at 6 pm, for a Conversation with Dr. Andy Stoker — “Speaking Up and Speaking Out” Though he grew up in El Paso, TX, Andy strives to be an ally to those communities who look and love differently than him. By listening to Andy’s story, we will be empowered and motivated to think together about how we can be better allies to those around us. Andy is the Senior Minister of First United Methodist Church of Dallas, Texas. He is a graduate of Texas Tech University, Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University, and Texas Woman’s University where he earned his PhD in Family Studies. He has served on the boards of National Project Transformation, Dallas Project Transformation, the North Texas Food Bank, Methodist Health Systems, The Dallas Arts District, CC Young Senior Care, the Texas Methodist Foundation,…

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June 18, 2020

Sermon for Second Sunday after Pentecost

By Sermons

A Homily for the Second Sunday after Pentecost June 14, 2020 The Episcopal Church of St. Thomas the Apostle Dallas, Texas The Reverend Stephen J. Waller “Go nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no town of the Samaritans, but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, proclaim the good news, ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.” Can you believe that Jesus actually uttered those words? “Go nowhere among the Gentiles?” “Enter no town of the Samaritans?” Go rather only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel… Ok. We all know that that statement of mission was one delivered at the beginning of mission work for the disciples … that statement would be followed at the end of Jesus’ life with his telling his disciples to go into all the world and make disciples of all people. A different commission, indeed….

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June 14, 2020