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St Thomas

Advent 1B – Love Means You Never Have to Say You’re Sorry?

By Rector's Corner, Sermons

Advent 1B, December 3, 2017 Isaiah 64:1-9, Psalm 80 1 Corinthians 1:3-9 Mark 13: 24-37 St Thomas the Apostle The Rev’d Joy A. Daley “Love Means You Never Have to Say You’re Sorry?” On the Saturday after Thanksgiving I was taking a bike ride in my neighborhood trying to work off some of the pie I had eaten on Thursday. I wasn’t riding very fast. All of a sudden in the distance but not too far ahead I heard one of those old fashioned ice cream trucks playing a song. Now usually they play some peppy kid’s song like Pop goes the Weasel But the song that was playing that day was familiar but I couldn’t place it . What was it? Then as I was peddling along it came to me. It was the theme from the movie, Love Story. It seemed strange to hear a song from a…

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December 7, 2017

Sermon Proper 28A

By Rector's Corner, Sermons

Proper 28A, November 19, 2017 Judges 4: 1-7, Psalm 123 1 Thessalonians 5: 1-11 Matthew 25: 14-30 St Thomas the Apostle The Rev’d Joy A. Daley There are many ways that members of the church go about spreading the love of God rather than holding on to it for ourselves. This morning I’d like to tell you about how one group has done this in a particular area over the past couple of years. Several years ago someone made a gift to the church in the amount of $42,000 and it was designated for outreach. That’s a big chunk of money that you don’t want to be careless about. So there’s a group in our parish known as the outreach committee and what they do is to discern carefully about such things. First   they take the risk of stepping up to be on the committee, using their knowledge and wisdom…

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December 6, 2017

“Lord, make us instruments of your peace.”

By Outreach, Rector's Corner

There are consistent reminders of the brokenness of our world and the need for the grace and peace of Christ to heal. As we pray for those hurt by violence of any kind may we also pray that we may be instruments of peace. ~ Joy † A Prayer Attributed to St. Francis (insert p. 833 BCP) Lord, make us instruments of your peace. Where there is hatred, let us sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is discord, union; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. Grant that we may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that…

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June 16, 2017

Thoughts on Manchester – Rev’d Joy Daley

By Rector's Corner

Thoughts on Manchester –Joy Daley It has been said that after people die that survivors must adjust to a “new normal” in which we acknowledge that the world has changed and we learn to live with loss. In some ways I believe that this is wisdom that we need to take to heart. I do have a fear, however, that we can come to accept the violence that erupts repeatedly in unexpected places as the “new normal.” This can lead us to minimize what happens in our world and the degree of loss that so many of our brothers and sisters suffer. In our humanity it becomes difficult to take in one more devastating event. Compassion fatigue may lead to a desire to just turn away. Our desires are not all of who we are though, so we take another look and realize that we are all in this together….

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May 25, 2017

Lenten Opportunities

By Rector's Corner

Lent, a time of New Beginnings On Wednesday March 1, Ash Wednesday, we enter into the season of Lent which in many ways is a season of new life, new beginnings. Repentance is traditionally the word most associated with this season and if we understand what the term really means, we can embrace it as an avenue to new life. You may have heard me say once or twice (or perhaps more as I seek to remind myself), Repent means to turn or turn around. Sometimes we need to turn away from things or practices that harm our relationships with ourselves, our God, or others. Other times we need to be more intentional about turning toward God who nurtures our lives. It brings to mind the words from Ezekiel 18, “For I take no pleasure in the death of any one, declares the Lord God, Turn then and live.” I…

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March 1, 2017

Centering Prayer Group

By News

Join us for our Centering Prayer group on Wednesday evenings. The discipline of Centering Prayer will meet on Wednesday evenings beginning at 5:30 to sit together. We will have 2 twenty minute sessions each evening, the first from 5:30 until 5:50, and the second from 6:00 until 6:20, with a 10 minute break in between. The second “sit” will be followed by our regular Wednesday Eucharist. There will be no teaching involved, only the experience of sitting in silence before God in community. All are welcome to attend either one, or both if you like.

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November 9, 2016

Becoming the Solution – In Response to the Dallas Shootings

By Rector's Corner, Sermons

Proper 10C, July 10,2016 Deuteronomy 30:9-14 Psalm 25: 1-9,Colossians 1: 1-14 Luke 10:25-37 St. Thomas the Apostle The Rev’d Joy Daley   The parable of the Good Samaritan – One of the most famous parables of Jesus, one that is used as an example of what the law is really saying about loving God and neighbor. I have to admit when I realized this was the gospel for today early last week, I thought, “Everybody’s heard it a million times with pretty much the same moral. What more is there to say?” But over the course of this week I find I am no longer tired of this gospel for it has many things to say to us in the hour we are facing.   We see the state of our human family up close and personal. There is no way to be in denial. It was a peaceful gathering…

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July 13, 2016

Love Wins: A Reflection on Orlando

By Rector's Corner

Dear St Thomas Family, This has been such a sad week for our world. As I have read through so many descriptions of the terror in Orlando and the responses of those who are outraged saddened and discouraged, I find my own soul weary from the knowledge that hate still has such power in our world, in our communities, even in our church.    Almost a year ago we all celebrated the Supreme Court decision that we never thought would come.  We all rallied around the cry that “Love Wins.”  I know many of us wonder this week if that is really true.  So many times we walk by faith and not by sight so I want to encourage all of us to continue our walk in faith in the midst of sorrow, to honor our grief, to express our anger but to not let it stop there or immobilize…

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June 16, 2016