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St Thomas

Standing Together

By Christian Formation

Can you guess what the following locations from around the world have in common? Santa Monica, CA New Orleans, Louisiana Amsterdam, Netherlands Zuni, New Mexico Toulouse, France Rio De Janeiro, Brazil Moscow, Russia Caracas, Venezuela The Congo Guguletu, South Africa Barcelona, Spain Umlazi, South Africa Pisa, Italy Mamelodi, South Africa Given what’s going on in the world, you may have guessed that they are locations where people have tested positive for COVID-19. In fact, they are all places from which musicians around the world came together virtually to make an inspiring recording of the 1961 classic song, “Stand By Me.” We all have practices and people we turn to that give us hope and comfort in anxious times. Prayer, friends, family, spending time in nature, and music come to mind. All of these are important to me, and this song, for me, is like a prayer, so I turn to…

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In-Person Services and Events are Cancelled for Two Weeks

By News, Rector's Corner

My Dear People of St. Thomas, It is after much prayerful consideration that your wardens and I have made the decision to cancel all in-person services and events at St. Thomas the Apostle for the next two weeks. This may seem drastic to some, but we (and obviously many others) believe that we really do need to take a physical “time-out” to be able to allow the COVID-19 virus the opportunity to play itself out to the conclusion that it is going to do. While we have not yet had a case tied to St. Thomas the Apostle, we simply cannot, must not risk our vulnerable population to this unknown. Read Bishop Sumner’s updated letter regarding the Coronavirus > For this two week period, we will continue to live-stream services from St. Thomas the Apostle. If you are connected to me on Facebook, you will be able to see that…

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Pastoral Directive from Bishop Sumner regarding Coronavirus-Mar 13

By News

The Rt. Rev. Dr. George R. Sumner, Bishop, Diocese of Dallas, released an updated Pastoral Directive today outlining additional changes due to growing Coronavirus concerns. In a continued effort to protect everyone, especially the vulnerable, the following precautions are recommended. If you have any questions or concerns, please email The Rev’d Christopher Blake Thomas, Rector at: christopher@thedoubter.org Read Bishop Sumner’s updated letter regarding the Coronavirus >

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On this Journey Together

By News, Rector's Corner

My Dear People of St. Thomas, How can it be that we are already three weeks into our Lenten journey toward the Cross? It seems only yesterday that we were marking our foreheads with ashes and preparing to chant the Great Litany in procession. And yet, here we are. Journeys have a funny way of doing that to us. We get so enamored of objects and events and things along the way, and before we know it, we’re out in the middle of deep, often uncharted waters, with little sign of either where we’ve come, or where we’re going. It can be frightening and disorienting. Life can be frightening, particularly when we can’t touch from where we’ve come, or where we are going. And we find ourselves in the midst of the unknown – the uncharted waters of the COVID-19 virus. Every day, things seem to be a little scarier,…

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We Are All Connected

By Christian Formation

I arrived here at Chicago’s O’Hare airport this morning just as the sun was rising. I cleared security quickly and now have some unexpected extra time at my gate. As I am writing this, I am observing an efficient team of workers servicing the plane I am about to board. They are checking the air pressure of the tires, adding fuel, loading luggage, and doing various other service checks. As I sit here, I am beyond grateful for their work and wish I could somehow communicate my appreciation. I am also grateful for the people who work at the hotel I stayed at last night, that made my stay possible, the multitude of people who make up the cleaning and desk staff, the managers, the people who order and prepare the breakfast food, the list goes on and on. And I’m also thankful for the shuttle driver and for the…

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Learning to convey touch through our hearts and minds

By News, Rector's Corner

My Dear People of St. Thomas, It’s hard to believe that just two short weeks ago, we were at the end of Epiphany, celebrating the Feast of the Transfiguration, in which Peter and James and John bear witness to the transformative power of Jesus, and by this witness, are themselves transformed. Their own transfiguration moment comes, not so much from what they see and hear, which inspires fear, but in the transformative, healing touch of Jesus, which drives out their fear and anxiety. It was, in fact, that healing touch that I believe transformed the three that day, and that healing touch that continues to be where transformation occurs. Touch conveys relationship, and relationship is healing and restorative and transformational. The community of St. Thomas the Apostle has a long, rich, storied history of using the transformative nature of touch to heal and restore lives to communion, to relationship with…

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Pastoral Directive from Bishop Sumner regarding Coronavirus

By News

The Rt. Rev. Dr. George R. Sumner, Bishop, Diocese of Dallas, released the following Pastoral Directive yesterday outlining changes in our weekly church services due to Coronavirus concerns. While there are no reported cases in the Dallas area, like the Flu, this virus is highly contagious. So in an effort to protect everyone, especially the vulnerable, the following precautions will go into effect immediately. If you have any questions or concerns, please email The Rev’d Christopher Blake Thomas, Rector at: christopher@thedoubter.org Read full letter regarding the Coronavirus >

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Choosing to Let Go

By Christian Formation

Have you ever had a time where you have several conversations, and they all seem to revolve around a similar theme? I had that experience this week in my private life, my life as a therapist, and in my work with our Living Compass, where we are running an online Facebook group for Lent. Letting go kept coming up in al three of these contexts. Here is a summary of what others, as well as myself, had to say about what they are working on letting go of at this time in their lives: The past, especially past regrets An unhealthy relationship My expectations of others Living up to other’s expectations of me Thinking I am responsible for things for which I am clearly not responsible. Trying to please others My timing for how things should unfold Procrastination Worry Overindulging with food or alcohol Spending too much money Grudges My…

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Sermon for the First Sunday of Lent

By Rector's Corner, Sermons

Christopher Thomas Sermon for the First Sunday of Lent, Year A – 3/1/2020 Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7 Psalm 32 Romans 5:12-19 Matthew 4:1-11 One of my favorite movies of all time is the 1983 cult comedy classic, “National Lampoon’s Family Vacation.” “…Family Vacation” records the ups-and-downs, the trials and temptations of the quintessential American family, the Griswolds. At first glance, the Griswolds, Clark and Ellen, seem to have everything that good, clean 1980’s living can provide – a beautiful home, two seemingly well-adjusted kids, and a dog. They have it all, right down to the proverbial white-picket fence. What, oh what, could possibly make this scene any better? How about a road trip! To Walley World, of all places, that nirvana of theme parks, where happiness and joy abound, the streets are lined with gold, there are no lines for rides or bathrooms, and all things are pristine and perfect! Well,…

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Sermon for Ash Wednesday

By Rector's Corner, Sermons

Christopher Thomas Sermon for Ash Wednesday, Year A – 2/26/20 Joel 2:1-2, 12-17 Psalm 103 2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10 Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21 Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return. Have you ever had the opportunity to touch and to feel ashes? Ashes are kind of grainy, but as they get smeared around, they tend to have a kind of oily, greasy type quality. Ashes are the vestiges, the remains, of something that was. In their very creation, ashes have given up everything that identified what they were in their previous form and content, retaining only their most basic, elemental content. Something that was, at once, distinctly identifiable, say, maybe, a palm branch, woven by human hands into a palm cross, carried around or displayed somewhere for a year, meets the fire of furnace, and, in an instant, forfeits it’s green or brown shaped cross identity, returning to…

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