December 2017 &
January 2018

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From the Rector

Dear St. Thomas,

STIR up, we beseech thee, O Lord, the wills of thy faithful people; that they, plenteously bringing forth the fruit of good works, may by thee be plenteously rewarded; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
This collect, or prayer, was originally used in the 1662 edition of the Book of Common Prayer on the Sunday before Advent which we now call Christ the King Sunday. It appeared in the 1928 Book of Common Prayer but fell out of use in our current 1979 Book of Common Prayer. In earlier times, and still in Great Britain, this Sunday was called “Stir-Up Sunday” not only for the obvious reason that its collect begins with those words but also because it was the traditional day that the lengthy process of making traditional Christmas puddings needed to begin. You’d hear those words “Stir up, we beseech thee” and remember that it was time to get the ingredients together and “stir” them up in order that the pudding would have time to mature by Christmas.

Advent itself, is very much like making a pudding or any other food item. It is a season of preparation, where we “stir up” within ourselves the expectation of the coming of Lord Jesus at Christmas and at his coming at the Last Day. Part of the recipe of a good Advent is making room for all the ingredients of the season. Advent is not all about the ancient peoples expectation of the coming Messiah nor is it all about St. Mary, Joseph, and the Archangel Gabriel. Advent is also about our waiting and preparation for Jesus’ return at the end of the age and the hope that should instill in us. We remember the expectation of long ago and we ourselves live into our own watching and waiting. We sing both O Come, O Come, Emanuel and Lo, He Comes With Clouds Descending because Advent is about remembering our sacred history and living into our present moment of waiting. Our liturgy and prayer in the Anglican tradition bears out both dimensions of Advent very well and teaches is to “stir up” within ourselves the hope of this season.

And here at St. Thomas we are beginning a few new things this Advent season. All of them are designed to help live into our calling to wait upon the Lord. We will be beginning our Rector’s Forums at 9:10 on Sunday morning which will be initiation for us to dive into the familiar words of the Lord’s Prayer and discuss its meaning and application to our prayer lives as Christians. Likewise, we will begin to observe the Feast Days that are laid out in the Book of Common Prayer in order to help us remember how the saints of ages lived into their calling to bear Christ into the world. On Thursday, December 21st, at 6:00 PM we will observe the Feast of St. Thomas with a celebration of the Eucharist. I hope to see you all at both of these new practices and hope that we at St. Thomas can stir things up together in preparation for the coming of our Lord Jesus at Christmas.

Advent Blessings,

Dave Radzik+

Wednesday Evening Bible Study

The Wednesday Evening Bible Study will be meeting at the home of Linda Kinsey until further notice. Please call the church office for more information.

Rector’s Forums

by Fr. David Radzik

Faith, the Swiss Theologian Karl Barth reminds us, “is not concerned with a special realm, that of religion, say, but with real life in its totality (…) it is concerned with the whole of living and the whole of dying.” (Barth, Karl, and G. T. Thomson. Dogmatics in Outline (New York: Harper & Row, 1959), p. 20)

Starting on Sunday, December 3rd, we will begin holding Rector’s Forums every Sunday between the 8:00 AM and 10:00 AM Services. These brief sessions will give us an opportunity to discuss key concepts of the Christian faith as well as their application to our lives. The first series of forums, running from December 2nd through December 30th, will be entitled The Lord’s Prayer in Slow Motion and we will be an opportunity to slowly read and pray through the Lord’s Prayer, discussing how we as Christians are called to be a people of prayer.
The second series, running from January 7th to March 25th will be entitled the Apostle’s Creed in Slow Motion and will be an opportunity for us to discuss what we believe about God, the world, and ourselves as Christians. Future series will include The Beatitudes in Slow Motion, the Ten Commandments in Slow Motion, and the Liturgy in Slow Motion.

Unless otherwise noted, the forums will be held in Oglivy Chapel from 9:10 am until 9:50 am. I will provide coffee and breakfast items for the first meeting but hope that as we develop of as a community, others will help in providing simple breakfast items.

Feast Day Service

by Fr. Dave Dadzik

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us – Hebrews 12:1

As Christians we believe in the Communion of Saints – that is, we believe that all those who have died to themselves in the waters of baptism, are united together as one body in Christ. Indeed, we believe that Christians both living and dead are forever united in this body. On November 1st (or, in our case, the closest Sunday to it) we celebrate the Feast of All Saints in remembrance of all those saints who have gone before us, especially those saints whose witness and example have inspired us on our pilgrimage.

Likewise, our Anglican/Episcopal tradition sets aside special days during the year where we remember the lives of particular saints whose examples of holiness and perseverance inspire us as we seek to follow the path Jesus has trod for us.

These feast days are typically set on the dates traditionally associated with their death or martyrdom and are, in a sense, celebrations of their heavenly birthdays. The Christian Year as laid out in our Book of Common Prayer sets aside many such feast days for Biblical saints such as the apostles, the evangelists (authors of the Gospels), and several commemorating events in the life of Jesus or St Mary the Virgin. There is great value in marking these feasts, or holidays, within the life of our parish church as it gives us time to reflect on how we too are called to be saints in the 21st century.

Starting at the beginning of this coming Church Year in November, we will be observing the major feast days found in the Book of Common Prayer with at least a simple said Holy Eucharist at 6:00 PM on the day of the feast. I hope you will join us in marking these holy days with us as they are a wonderful opportunity for us to grow together in holiness together. The following is a list of the dates:

• Thursday, Nov. 30th – St. Andrew, Apostle
• Thursday, Dec. 21st – St. Thomas, Apostle
• Thursday, January 18th – the Confession of St. Peter, Apostle (Beginning of the Week of Christian Unity)
• Thursday, January 25th, – the Conversion of St Paul, Apostle (End of the Week of Christian Unity)
• Friday, February 2nd, – The Presentation in the Temple (Candlemas)
• Wednesday, April 25 – St Mark, Evangelist
• Tuesday, May 1 – Sts. Philip and James, Apostles
• Thursday, May 31st, – The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin
• Monday, June 11th – St. Barnabas, Apostle
• Monday, June 25th – the Nativity of St. John the Baptist
• Friday, June 29th – St. Peter and Paul, Apostles
• Monday, July 23rd – St. Mary Magdalene
• Monday, July 25th – St. James, Apostle
• Monday, August 6th – The Transfiguration
• Wednesday, August 15th – St. Mary the Virgin (the Dormition)
• Friday, August 24th – St. Bartholomew, Apostle
• Friday, September 14th – the Exaltation of the Holy Cross
• Friday, September 21st – St. Matthew, Evangelist
• Thursday, October 18th – St. Luke, Evangelist
• Tuesday, October 23rd – St. James of Jerusalem
• Monday, October 29th St. Simon and  St. Jude, Apostles

Family Christmas Tree

By Anita Cooper

The Family Christmas Tree is returning again this year and will be put up December 9th. The ornaments that are stored each year will be on the tree.
Years past have brought family ornaments, memorial ornaments and ministry ornaments. If you have missed any of the years, please include them this year. There is lots of room on the tree for your beautiful ornaments.

This year’s theme is going to be our beloved pets (past and present), Tags will be available for labeling ornaments. Please contact Anita Cooper at 330-635-3752 if you have any questions.

New E-Mail Address Coming

By Ginny Kubiak

With the recent events involving the hacking of the church’s Gmail account, we have decided to take measures to ensure more security within our mail program.

Through our website, stthomas-berea.org, we have the capability of creating specific e-mail accounts for the rector and staff. We will be working with our webmaster, Danielle to create these new accounts, and hopefully have them up and running by year end.

This means, we will shut down our accounts with sbcglobal and gmail. Don’t panic! We are going to try and make the transition as smooth as possible. We will keep you posted on the roll out date for these new accounts.

Daughters of the King

Our purpose is to bring others into a living, loving relationship with Jesus, our Lord and Savior and to help strengthen the spiritual life of our parish and missions. We dedicate ourselves to prayer, service and evangelism for the spread of the Kingdom of God. We have changed our meeting times, our Chapter now meets on the second Sunday of each month at 12 p.m. (after the 10:30 am service). We would love for you to join us and let us share with you our mission. If you are interested, please contact Elaine Willis.

Daughters’ Motto

For His Sake.
I am but one, but I am one
I cannot do everything,
but I can do something.
What I can do, I ought to do.
What I ought to do,
by the grace of God I will do.
Lord, what will you have me do?

Los Amigos Episcopales

by Ruth Ihde

Thank you all for participating so wholeheartedly in the recent Los Amigos Episcopales Soup Supper, It was a very successful event earning over $2,000 to support schools in El Salvador, plus much more in donations following the supper. The facilities at St. Thomas proved just right for the event, as we welcomed the Bishop of El Salvador and heard about the success of the schools we have supported for so many years.

The next meeting of Los Amigos will be our annual holiday event and dinner on Saturday, January 5. Please note information in coming Sunday bulletins for the specifics of this party to which you are all invited.

February/March 2018 Wayfarer

by Ginny Kubiak

Articles for the February/March issue of the Wayfarer are due by January 20, 2018. Please forward articles to the church e-mail address at: [email protected].

Photos are always welcome!!! Please submit your photos of St. Thomas events to the above e-mail address for publication.

Thank you in advance for promptly sending your articles and observing the submission due date.

Devonshire Tea

by Rosalie Ferline & Dolly Doyle

It is with sad hearts Dolly and Rosalie are having just one seating for the next Devonshire tea, which is on Saturday, February 24, 2018 at 12:00 pm. We have struggled with this decision for a few years. Last year having difficulty with having enough servers and table setters it was much work on only a few.

Over the years we have all grown older and moving less quickly. We have added some tables for the noon seating on February 24^th and need people to set a table and servers.  Please contact Rosalie at [email protected] if you would like more information.

Please make your paid reservations early to guarantee your seating. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased by contacting Rosalie. The Devonshire Tea will remain as regal as it has always been with artists, harpist and raffles. Thank you all so much for your support over the years. A special thank you to Marion, Jean and Sarah who are no longer with us but are in spirit, Betsy who is just not able to do as she has over the years. Marlene who now travels, David and Sonia, Frank who is ailing. So many of us are not able to do as we once did. We are looking forward to the 17^th Tea on February 24, 2018.

From the Desk of the Music Minister

by Kira Seaton

Exciting Concert Honors Vets and Brings Donations to Veteran Services

St. Thomas and Tri-C hosted a lovely concert to honor our Veterans and their families on November 12th, and the Sanctuary was HOPPIN’!

We had 24 different individual and group performances, including Alyse Hancock-Phillips, Nancy Braford and Jan Smith, the Tri-C Chorale, both CCC and Cleveland State faculty and students, and other area professionals. Just a tremendous job by all performers! A huge thank you to all our performers, and St. Thomas Church for hosting this annual event. A shout-out to Sandy Shoenfelt and Bev Smith, and other folks who helped us with a lovely post-concert reception!  Our donations for this event totaled about $600, which we will send on a check to Veteran’s Suicide Hotline Association soon!

Great Celebration of the Ohio Diocese’s 200th Anniversary!

St. Thomas was well-represented at the Bicentennial celebration and Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Ohio, with delegates Linda Kinsey and Sue Griffith, Eucharist Choir members Randy and Marcy Molmen, Mary Lee Stowell, Nancy Braford, Sue Griffith, and Kira Seaton, and our Rector Father David. Great week-end, wonderful service, and Bishop Curry gave an incredibly stirring message.  Our membership added to the 100+ member choir from all over Northern Ohio, and it was WONDERFUL!  Look for Bishop Curry’s message and other goodies from the Convention on our Facebook page.

What is your favorite Hymn or Anthem?

by Kira Seaton

Ephesians 5:19-20 says, “Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your hearts to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

What does THAT mean?

Music is such a great way to bring people together, to express the un-expressible, to soften our hearts and to encourage us! No doubt when Paul wrote this to one of his beloved churches, he knew what he was talking about!

So we want to know – WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE HYMNS, ANTHEMS, SPIRITUAL SONGS? Send the church an e-mail, leave a note for Ginny or me, or catch me or a member of the Choir after worship and let us know. We want to make our services “draw you into the tether of God’s love”.  Help us do this by expressing what you would like to hear and sing!

Outreach Committee

by Ruth Ihde

Veterans’ Meet and Greet – We are very happy about the growing interest in this project (see attached flyer for December). We are now serving well over 50 veterans and spouses (plus those who help) every month. If you are a veteran (or spouse of one), please join this group for a wonderful lunch and program, usually on the last Friday of each month. Please note that, because of Thanksgiving, we have already had the very successful November program, and the date of the December program is December 29th. We will start out the new year with our lunch on January 26.

I want to say “thank you” to committee members who work tirelessly every month to purchase food, cook, serve, assist with this program and support it. I also want to thank those who have donated cookies, other desserts (in November our speaker brought a huge, decorated cake), decorations, individual treats for each veteran, and food, We have a core of about 10 regular volunteers, but we could really use more. CAN YOU HELP? Do you have suggestions for speakers for our Meet and Greet? We welcome you to our next Outreach Committee Meeting which is Wednesday, December 8 at 6:30pm.

Berea Community Meal on Wednesday, November 29 at 6:00pm at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church on Bagley Road. Many thanks to all of you who brought those delicious pies (there were at least 24 of them), and to those who worked at the community meal event on November 29, (Sally Catalano, Charlotte Rodriguez and her friend Mary, Laura Gaba, Etta and Katrina Scheu, Peggy Cramer and Ruth Ihde). It was a grand meal indeed, followed by our wonderful desserts. There are leftover pies in the St. Thomas refrigerator, which you can test for yourself at coffee hour after the 10:30 am service on Sunday, December 3.

Donations for veterans and Church Street Ministries – Please continue to fill our containers in the narthex for these worthy groups. During December we are collecting powdered laundry detergent for Church Street and cups and glasses for veterans. In January we will collect toothpaste and toothbrushes for Church Street and sweatshirts and sweatpants for veterans. Thank you for your generous commitment.

Please see further notices in this Wayfarer concerning other outreach projects.

Gift Cards

by Ginny Kubiak

Christmas is less than a month away!  Have you thought about ordering gift cards through the Shop with Scrip program at St. Thomas?  When you purchase gift cards through our Shop with Scrip program, St. Thomas earns an average of 5%? But our program only works with your support!

With over 300 popular retailers to choose from for your shopping, dining, travel and on-line purchases, there is something for everyone! You can do all your shopping quickly and easily without wasting time, gas or braving the cold and snow! During the holiday season, many retailers are offering small denomination cards which make a great gift for the special people in your life; like teachers, nurses, coaches, (your favorite parish administrator!) mail carrier, neighbor, etc. Cards are available after services or call the church office at 440-234-5241 to place an order. You can also purchase, reload and manage cards directly from the website at www.shopwithscrip.com.

The last date to order cards for delivery before Christmas is 9 am on December 18th, so place your order now!

Medieval Dinner

By Bev Smith

Come back with us to the Medieval Era when life was non-digital and communities gathered for big feasts at the local Castle.

We transform our Great Hall into a banquet lit by candlelight, with music from Medieval era instruments and foods created from honest medieval cookbooks (translated into modern English). The walls are decorated with Coats of Arms of guests (and we’ll make one for you also if you make an early reservation.)  The young table servers come from our own church. (We are looking for more St. Thomas kids to serve at the meal). Our food artist Randy Molmen creates an amazing delectable dessert. (That alone is worth the price of admission.)

Tickets are $30 each and would be a delightful Christmas gift for family or friends. Costumes are encouraged and we have a stock on hand but not required.  We provide you with a dagger for your meat and a spoon for the soup but the fork has not been invented during medieval times.  Bev Smith and Etta Scheu and John Staub work under direction of a master chef to bring you this event.

The feast is on Saturday January 20th, 2018 (even though we think it’s 1478.)  Come enjoy, come back in time. Tickets may be purchased at the church office or mailed on receipt of payment. For further information call Bev Smith at 440-235-3585. If you would like a coat of arms created, you must put in your request and purchase your tickets before January 7th.

Native Plants Garden

by Marcy Molmen

Goldfinch

After several months of study, the Vestry voted in October to convert the neglected former community garden to a native plants garden to help birds cope with climate change and provide information to help people choose suitable bird-friendly native plants for their own yards.  Soon afterwards, a colorful bulletin insert described the project and invited interested people to sign up.

The planning group has met twice.  We’ve discussed the goal given to us by the Vestry and all of us offered our own vision for how to achieve it.  These visions were varied, but compatible.  We are all eager to help birds in ways that create an attractive, low-maintenance space.

Tall Ironweed

To begin the design phase, we walked through the garden area, noting its permanent features such as trees, telephone poles, paths worn across it by students, and of course the church building.  We will include these in an accurate, detailed plan to use in our discussions.

The first decision was to make sure none of the plants we add cast shade on any of the church windows or do anything to darken the interior.   We’ve also set a tentative height limit of 10-15 feet and are thinking of adding about 3 trees or shrubs in that size range, or more if they’re much smaller.  Members of the group are researching choices to consider at our December meeting.

We welcome questions or constructive suggestions from members of the parish.  Contact any of the members on the sign-up sheet on the office window.  Or sign up yourself – there’s still room.

Blanket Project

by Barb Emigh

Now through December 3, we are collecting blankets for the impoverished and homeless. These blankets are very much needed during the upcoming cold winter months.  Please note this this collection is in addition to the Duffle bag project.

New or excellent condition blankets can be put in the marked donation box near the entry way of the church, which will be set out in early November.  Twin size blankets are especially needed.

Thank you for helping those in need. If you have any questions, please contact Barb Emigh.

Christmas Flowers

We are now taking orders for the Christmas poinsettias that will enhance our church during the Christmas season.  It is a perfect time to remember parents and family members or to honor special people in your life with your donation.

Forms are on the literature table in the entrance hall. The cost is $25 and payment is due with order.  The deadline for placing your poinsettia order is December 17. Please contact the church office if you have any questions.

Christmas Duffle Bag Project

by Barb Emigh

St. Thomas is again participating in a special Christmas project sponsored by the Episcopal West Side Shared Ministry.

As a gift to the impoverished and homeless, we have been asked to donate 80 (40 men’s and 40 women’s) filled duffle bags/backpacks. Please label the gift as “man’s” or “lady’s”.

Individual items will also be accepted which will be used to make additional filled bags. These gifts will be presented as part of a Christmas dinner gathering and later distributed to other people throughout the area.

Contributions should be turned in as soon as possible, but by no later than Sunday, December 3^rd and should be new or in excellent condition. Please look for the donation bins, which will be set out in early November.

This is a wonderful opportunity for us to give some much-appreciated, practical help to those in need! Please see the flyer in this issue of the Wayfarer with the list of items needed for this project.

Coat Collection

by Barb Emigh

Through the month of December, we are collecting new or gently worn coats to donate to St. Luke’s West Side Shared Ministries in addition to the duffle bags and blankets we are also collecting. Please make sure there are no broken zippers, torn linings or holes.

Please leave your donation under the sign on the coat rack in the hall way. Barb Emigh will be delivering the donations to St. Luke’s. Please contact her if you have any questions.

Photo Section

From left to right: Bishop Persell, Bishop Hollingsworth, Presiding Bishop Curry, Bishop Williams

From left to right: Fr. David Radzik,, Marcy Molmen, Randy Molmen, Sue Griffith, Mary Lee Stowell, Linda Kinsey, Kira Seaton, Nancy Bradford

Baptism

Baptism of Kash Wyatt Children on October 1, 2017

Advent and Christmas

Greening of the Church

If you are able, please stay after the 10:30 am service on December 17th, to help decorate the sanctuary and church for Christmas. See Anita Cooper for more details or to volunteer.

Christmas Service Times

Advent 4 Saturday, December 23
5:30 pm Holy Eucharist

Christmas Eve Sunday, December 24
(no AM services on 12/24)
5:30 pm Family Eucharist
10:00 pm Choral Eucharist

Christmas Day, Monday, December 25
10:00 am Rite II Holy Eucharist

New Year’s Eve, Sunday, December 31
8 am Rite I Holy Eucharist
10:30 am Rite II Holy Eucharist

Annual Meeting Notice

The Annual Meeting of the Parish of St. Thomas will be held on Sunday, January 28, 2018, There will be a catered luncheon after the 10:30 am service, followed by the Annual Meeting.

Please note the 10:30 am service will be the only service the weekend of January 27-28, 2018. There will NOT be a 5:30 pm Contemporary Eucharist on Saturday nor an 8:00 am Holy Eucharist on Sunday.

All members of the parish are encouraged to attend. The event will be catered, but we do ask that parish members bring a dessert to share. A sign-up sheet will be posted in late December.

All committee leaders and ministry heads, please submit your annual report to the Parish Administrator no later than Wednesday, January 17, 2018.

Please be respectful of this deadline, as the Parish Administrator needs adequate time to collate, edit and create the annual report!