March, April & May 2020

From the Rector

And pray to God to have mercy upon us
And pray that I may forget
These matters that with myself I too much discuss
Too much explain
Because I do not hope to turn again
Let these words answer
For what is done, not to be done again
May the judgement not be too heavy upon us

Because these wings are no longer wings to fly
But merely vans to beat the air
The air which is now thoroughly small and dry
Smaller and dryer than the will
Teach us to care and not to care Teach us to sit still.

(Ash-Wednesday, T.S. Eliot)

Lent, or Quadragesima, is the forty days ahead of the celebration of Easter and is first and foremost a time of preparation. In the earliest years of the Church, it was a time when candidates preparing for Holy Baptism entered the last stage of their formation ahead of the Easter Vigil which including fasting and intensified prayer and devotion. Now, of course, we closely associate Lent as a time that we “give things up” in order to honor God and, perhaps, unite our personal sacrifice was Jesus’ own sacrifice. While fasting and “giving things up” is doubtless a commendable practice when seen as part of our preparation for Easter, I want suggest that we think of Lent as an opportunity for renewing our relationship with God and reclaiming our identity as baptized Christians.

As Christians, we believe Baptism marks our turning away from sin and death and toward Chris. In Baptism, we turn away from “Satan and all the spiritual forces of wickedness” (the Book of Common Prayer, p. 302) and all those things that have damaged our relationship with God. Baptism, you see, means repentance as much as it means rebirth. When we remember of baptism, we reclaim our identity as people who have turned away from sin and toward God. Lent is an opportunity for us to more fully live into that identity. In Lent, as in Baptism, we “do not hope to turn again” back to those things which separate us from God but to grow in faith and love.

This Lent, we at St. Thomas will be journeying alongside the brothers of the Society of John Evangelist (SSJE) with their study “Signs of Life: Why Church Matters” as we seek to renew our relationship with God as well as with each other as a parish church. During the last few seasons of Lent, we have read a devotional book and have met during the week for discussion and prayer, however, this year we are doing something different. This study, which is designed to be used individually and in the context of community, will be available online for the entire parish to use on daily basis at home at one’s own pace. This study incorporates short readings and a brief video for each week during Lent as well as calendar of suggested Lenten practices and devotions.  A devotional booklet as well as the printed calendar will available in the Narthex before and after services.  In order to sign up for the online content, including the video presentations, please go to https://www.signsoflife.org/. Likewise, there will be two opportunities every week to participate in in-person reflection the video and readings. Every Monday during Lent, we will gather between 12:10 PM and 1:10 PM to pray Noonday Prayer, view that week’s video, and join in conversation. Likewise, in lieu of a sermon at our Saturday evening service, we will view the video and engage in a brief conversation about theme of the week. I hope you will join us as we deepen our relationship with God and one another this Lent.

In Christ,

Dave Radzik+

Outreach

By Ruth Ihde

Outreach Committee –Our next committee meeting will be on Monday, March 9 at 3:00pm., and we need all the ideas we can muster.  Please join us – we need YOU.

We are happy that the Veterans’ Meet and Greet project is growing nicely.  The Friday, February 28 menu will feature breaded cod, scalloped potatoes, coleslaw, cupcakes, and beverages.  If you can donate cupcakes, please sign up on the form on the office window.  There will be no specific program, except for casual conversation.  If you are a veteran or the spouse of a veteran, please join us for these Meet and Greet lunches, usually on the last Friday of the month beginning at 11:00 with a hearty lunch served from 11:30 till noon.  The program usually follows the lunch.

For our March 27 veterans’ lunch we will serve pizza (four varieties), salad, Klondike bars, and beverages.  The program will be a “Community Engagement Program” by the Berea Police.

Climate Change Project – Members of the Outreach Committee would like to start a program to combat climate change.  Do you want to be a part of a group whose goal is to address this most pressing problem of our planet?  Please give your name to Ruth Ihde (440-572-9425) so that we can get this project on the road.  Thank you

Another Lotts Creek Opportunity

(should the other date not work for you!)

Summer 2020 (June 6th – June 13th) Mission Trip. Youth in grades 6 – 12 in the 2019 – 2020 school year are invited to join us in a Multi Parish Mission Trip to Lotts Creek in Hazard, Kentucky. As a response to inaccessibility of learning settings, Lotts Creek Community School (LCCS) was founded in 1933 by Alice H. Slone. LCCS began as a residential settlement school. The school’s first classes were conducted in a location provided by the Masonic Junior Lodge. In 1952 a three-story classroom building was constructed. A gymnasium was added in 1967 and the present modern school building opened in 1998. The new school building was entirely funded by private donations.

Lotts Creek Community School is the last of nearly one hundred “settlement schools” built in the Appalachian Mountains in the early part of the century. These schools were created to provide much needed education where it was unavailable. These settlement schools provided education as well as social services for the region. Today, Lotts Creek is the only school still operating in this manner.

Our total cost for the trip will be $360 to cover food, transportation, a T-shirt and our day off excursion.  All your youth’s and chaperone’s paperwork must be completed and turned into Mary Anthony, Director of Religious Education & Youth Director at St. Paul’s, 317 East Liberty St., Medina, OH 44256 no later than Monday, March 16, 2020.

Paperwork is available at St. Thomas in the church office.

Another Great S.T.A.R. Event

In both January and February S.T.A.R. events were well attended, seeing upwards of 100 folks. These events are so valued by our community. The relationships being formed between our    attendees, musical talent, and the volunteer hosts are priceless.  We would like to thank everyone involved in making this such a success. Also thank you to the Diocese for a grant to help fund all that we are able to provide.