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St Thomas

Proper 10B Sermon

By Sermons

Proper 10B, July 15, 2018 2 Samuel 6:1-5, 12b-19; Psalm 24 Ephesians 1:3-14; Mark 6:14-29 St Thomas the Apostle The Rev’d Leo Loyola I’m a grown man. And yet I don’t like eating vegetables. Okay, that’s a lie. I do like some: lettuce, tomatoes, bell peppers, spinach, and—what I’ve always considered a vegetable, but my wife disagrees—corn. Intellectually I know they are good for me. But knowing that doesn’t necessarily make them any more tasty or palatable. When I bite into an unadulterated vegetable, I see Melody laughing, as I grit my teeth and make a face that looks like a fake-it-till-you-make-it smile. I look at my plate, and I endure them. I tolerate them. The same can be said about how we view theology. When we hear or read Scripture each Sunday, we gravitate towards the narrative of the Gospels or the collective singing of the Psalms. But when…

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July 15, 2018

What is Foyer?

By Upcoming Events

What today we refer to as foyer dinner groups were born in the Diocese of Coventry, England, in the aftermath of the massive destruction at the height of the German bombings of London and Coventry during World War II. The fourteenth-century Cathedral of St. Michael (Coventry Cathedral) was destroyed in the nine-hour blitz of 14 November 1940, but a ministry of reconciliation evolved from that destruction. Rather than dwell on the violent loss of his beloved place of worship, Provost Howard was inspired to found a ministry of reconciliation that he called the Community of the Cross and Nails. While sifting through the rubble of the cathedral, he gathered many of the old nails that had fallen among the ruins and was inspired to have them twisted together to form a cross. This cross of nails and the words “Father, Forgive” became the unifying symbol of the International Ministry of…

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July 13, 2018

General Convention Update

By News

Mtr. Joy asked that I write an update on General Convention. Please keep in mind that, including today, there are still 3 legislative days left. The convention will adjourn this Friday, having been in session since July 4th. It was my privilege to be in attendance from the 5th through the 9th. There are always many issues taken up, and this year there are over 430 resolutions that were submitted to be dealt with by the convention. However, it is not only about legislation. There were 3 joint TEConversations, which was a new innovation this year. These dealt with Racial Reconciliation, Evangelism, and the Care of Creation. These sessions were sponsored by 3 parishes of our Church, including St. Michael and All Angels here in Dallas. Friday ended with a celebration of the Eucharist, and the United Thank Offering (UTO) Ingathering. These wonderful folks brought in over $3.2 Million from…

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July 12, 2018

General Convention Mobile Event App

By News, Upcoming Events

The Episcopal Church’s Office of the General Convention announced the release of a mobile event app for the upcoming 79th General Convention in Austin, Texas, July 5 – July 13, 2018. The event app, powered by Eventmobi, is compatible with cell phones, tablets, and other data devices, offering attendees pertinent General Convention information including schedules, maps, worship bulletins, restaurant guide, a link to the Virtual Binder for legislative progress and resources, as well as other general convention information. Information related to the Episcopal Church Women’s Triennial Meeting 2018 is also provided. The Office of General Convention developed this tool to enhance attendee experience and provide a personal schedule and means for note taking at events. The app is accessed two ways: Go to https://eventmobi.com/79gc/ This opens it as a website on any device. Or, download the Eventmobi app from the appstore and input the event code: 79gc. If you have…

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June 28, 2018

Vogel Alcove

By News, Outreach

Vogel Alcove is an agency that helps homeless children that St. Thomas supported through one of our outreach grants. Watch Outreach committee member, Lisa Cain, talk about her experience with Vogel Alcove > During the month of May, we shared success stories from the children and families of Vogel Alcove. These stories only happen because of donors like you. These stories show the real face of homelessness and how your donations impact lives on a daily basis. Make a donation to Vogel Alcove today!

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June 22, 2018

Blood Drive – Saturday, July 21

By Upcoming Events

Did you know that more than 41,000 blood donations are needed every day in the U.S.? You can help save a life by taking an hour or so out of your day on Saturday, July 21, 2018 from 10:00 am until 2:00 pm, when the Carter BloodCare Bus will be parked in the north parking lot of St. Thomas. Sign up for an appointment > If you have any questions, contact Volunteer Drive Coordinator Nancy LeGros at

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June 22, 2018

Special Speaker-The Rev’d Canon Dr. Victor Austin

By News, Upcoming Events

We welcome special guest speaker, The Rev’d Canon Dr. Victor Austin, Canon Theologian-in-Residence, Episcopal Diocese of Dallas, to Saint Thomas on Sunday, July 8. He will preach at the 8am & 10 am services and speak at 11:30am in the Parish Hall (lunch will be served). Love, Caring, Death, and God Sometimes it happens that a person we love contracts a disease, which requires that we care in new and costly ways. And sometimes our beloved dies early. How can we understand such things particularly in terms of Christian faith? In Loving Susan: Brain Disease, the Priest’s Wife, and the God Who Gives and Takes Away, Victor Lee Austin explores precisely these things as he came to experience them in his life. He will be preaching at the Sunday Eucharist on July 8, and then after the service will speak about his experience of our God who, although he does…

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June 22, 2018

Presiding Bishop’s message for World Refugee Day

By News

“Our work with and for refugees began when we began to follow Jesus, to follow His way and His teachings. It is because we are followers of Jesus, because we follow the way of love, because we follow the way of compassion, because we follow the way of human decency and kindness that we must be passionately committed to helping the refugees and displaced persons of this day,” commented Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop and Primate Michael B. Curry in his 2018 World Refugee Day Message. “When World Refugee Day comes on June 20, I invite you and ask you – help the refugees of this day. Support Episcopal Migration Ministries.” View the Presiding Bishop’s video > Episcopal Migration Ministries is the Episcopal Church’s foremost response to refugee crises. Working in partnership with offices and groups within the church as well as with governments and non-government organizations (NGOs), Episcopal Migration Ministries…

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June 18, 2018

Proper 6B Sermon

By Sermons

Proper 6B, June 17, 2018 1 Samuel 15:34-16:13; Psalm 20 2 Corinthians 5:6-17; Mark 4:26-34 St Thomas the Apostle The Rev’d Leo Loyola Some might argue that Christianity is a faith of violence, corruption, and bigotry. After this week, I can’t blame them. On Thursday, Attorney General Jeff Sessions defended an immigration policy that began in early 2017. Essentially the policy says that if a family were apprehended entering the country illegally, the children would be separated from their parents at the border. Zero tolerance. No ifs, ands, or buts. It is the nuclear option to our country’s immigration problem. But if current policy isn’t disturbing enough, consider the fact that Sessions cited, of all things, the authority of Scripture to defend it. He said: I would cite you to the Apostle Paul and his clear and wise command in Romans 13 to obey the laws of the government because…

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June 17, 2018