St Timothy's e-Tidings + Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
This Week +
Tuesday: Saint Barnabas the Apostle - Holy Eucharist (Rite I), 10 AM in the Chapel
- Newcomers Commission Meeting, 4:15 PM
Wednesday: Enmegahbowh, Priest and Missionary, 1902; Wednesday in Summer Embertide - Crafts, 10 AM
- Art & Architecture Committee Meeting, 10 AM
Friday: Basil the Great, Bishop of Caesarea, 379; Friday in Summer Embertide - Commemoration of the Crucifixion: day of discipline and self-denial. A note on our Friday Devotion practice in the Episcopal Church may be found here.
+Sunday, June 16th: The First Sunday after Pentecost; Trinity Sunday
This day celebrates the mystery of One God in Trinity of Persons--a central teaching of all authentic Christianity.
8:00 AM: Holy Eucharist (said) 10:00 AM: Solemn Procession & Holy Eucharist (sung), with the singing of the Solemn Te Deum at the conclusion.
The Te Deum is one of the oldest hymns of praise in the Christian Church, and is sung on this Sunday in praise of the Trinity while two censers are used to offer incense. It brings to a fitting conclusion a day of great solemnity.
Fr. Brandon will lead a discussion on the hymn St. Patrick's Breastplate in the Chapel after the 10 AM liturgy. This prayer comes to us from the Celtic tradition, as translated by a 19th century Anglican hymnographer. It combines many features to make for one of the great hymns of the Anglican tradition.
Cancellation Notice:
The Conference on Prayer: “The Still, Small Voice & Us”
The Practice of Daily Conversation with God
Saturday June 29th
has been cancelled due to Fr. Brandon needing to be away on that date.
The conference will be re-scheduled.
A Word from the Rector
Holy and Undivided!
This Sunday we do something very unusual: we celebrate a doctrine of the Faith. Normally we celebrate events in the life of Christ or the saints in the Eucharist, but on this Sunday we take time to proclaim and rejoice in a teaching: There is one God in Trinity of Persons. Why all the focus and attention?
The Trinity is a central point of Christian Faith because it expresses something of the Divine Nature and our own.
The Trinity shows us that God’s oneness is expressed in relationality; our oneness as beings must be grounded in relationship, as well. In other words, one cannot become an individual except in community, and all our human difference has its fulfillment and meaning in a common, shared humanity.
Our society is currently being divided by ideologies, agendas, and identities. The amount of division seems to grow deeper by the day. Some Christians seem to find this not only acceptable, but desirable, writing off whole swathes of humanity on the "other side." The notion that we are all “one” is being replaced by the idea that only those with whom we share absolute affinity can truly be our brothers or sisters. A Trinitarian faith--if more than lip service--will not accept this idolatrous thinking or behavior.
Aside from the profound theological considerations found at this Feast, there is a very important social point to be made: to be made in God’s image means being in communion, being in community. To withdraw from this effort into some mutilated, diminished parody of that communion is not Christian. It is a violation of the Gospel’s command to see Christ in the other, and an invitation to commit great wrong while thinking we are practicing some sort of virtue.
It is in this spirit that I invite all you to participate not in a quaint tradition or an arcane ritual this Sunday, but in a vital exercise of being holy healers in a divided world. This is our commission, and our privilege as a priestly people. We must be about this work: our society needs what only a grounded, whole, and Trinitarian faith can provide.
Faithfully in the Triune God,
Brandon+
+ Notices
Merryn Grae, interim Librarian, announces that Bonnie Bonham is taking over as Parish Librarian. We thank them both for their care of our books and readers.
The Episcopal Church welcomes you wherever you go this summer; you have a home away from home. We always like to see service bulletins from the churches you visit!
Nursery:
The nursery, with care provider Selena Mariaca, continues to be open for the 10 AM Eucharist on Sundays through summer.
Elementary-Age Godly Play News:
The Godly Play ministry is expanding this fall, with the partition between the two classrooms on the south side being opened to make two spaces in one large room. Currently, the room is "under construction," but more information will be forthcoming about its opening, content, and plans for an open house.
+ About this Season
+We are now in the Season after Pentecost, a time for focusing on ministering the Gospel in our daily lives. The readings and prayers make this the major emphasis until Advent. The liturgical color for this period in the calendar (outside of Major Feasts) is green - expressive of growth in faith.
+ The first Sunday after Pentecost is a celebration of the revelation of One God in Trinity of Persons: Trinity Sunday. The liturgical color for Trinity Sunday is gold and/or white.
+ On Trinity Sunday we resume the practice of beginning the Eucharist with “Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And blessed be his kingdom, now and forever. Amen.” This affirms both our belief in One God in Trinity of Persons and that our worship is a direct participation in the worship of Heaven through the power of God the Holy Spirit.
+ On Trinity Sunday the Song of Praise after this greeting will be the Gloria in excelsis, an ancient hymn praising God the Holy Trinity used on festal occasions. On the Sundays following, we return to the equally-ancient Trisagion (“Thrice-Holy”) hymn, “Holy God, Holy and mighty, Holy Immortal One, have mercy upon us” as both a song of praise and a prayer of humility before our God.
+ With Trinity Sunday, the confession of sin returns to the Sunday liturgy.
+ With the season after Pentecost, Fridays are once more to be marked by “acts of self-denial and discipline” in honor of the crucifixion. A whole and transforming faith connects our liturgical and prayer practice with physical actions, and the Friday Observance is one of the main ways we re-affirm this connection on a week-by-week basis.
Standing Notices
Being prayed for at St. Timothy’s:
+ The Sunday bulletin carries those intercessions of a more urgent nature. Contact the parish office if you have a name to added to this list.
+ An intercessory team of parishioners offers prayer daily on requests through the week. E-mail marymraney@gmail.com or phone Mary Rainey or Marsha Witt to add a name to this list. All prayer requests to this group are treated with discretion.
New to St. Timothy’s? Recently change your contact information? Please make sure the parish office has your contact information so that you may receive the monthly parish newsletter (The Tidings), e-mails, and a phone call in case of sudden and important parish news.
Record of Baptism & Basic Data: If you are worshipping with us regularly and receiving the Holy Sacrament, you are asked to provide a record of baptism (baptism with water in the name of the Trinity is a prerequisite for receiving communion in the Episcopal Church); you may then be entered as a baptized member of the parish; full adult membership in the Church is through Confirmation (preparation for this is through participation in the Catechumenate).
If you are already an Episcopalian, you may ask your previous parish to transfer you to St. Timothy’s. Questions? Please contact the parish’s Registrar, Sue Bergquist or the Rector. We are very ready to help.
Birthday and Anniversary information. If you desire to have dates listed in the Sunday bulletin and the monthly Tidings, please make sure to get them to the parish office, where the database is kept.
Holy Baptism:
- Adult Baptism is by preparation through the Catechumenate and is administered at the Great Vigil of Easter by immersion.
- Infant Baptism, after preparation of the parents and sponsors, is celebrated at a major Holy Day agreed to by the priest.
- Please make your desire to be baptized (or your desire to have a child baptized) known to Fr. Brandon or a catechist as soon as possible.
Receiving Holy Communion:
- All persons of whatever age baptized with water in the name of the Trinity who accept Christ's presence in the sacred bread and wine are welcome to receive at the Eucharist.
- In accordance with the Episcopal Church's teaching and the custom of the Christian Church from its beginning, unbaptized persons are not to receive Holy Communion; a blessing will be given instead. Indicate your desire for a blessing by crossing your arms over your chest when at the altar rail.
- In times of serious spiritual crisis or after committing a grave sin, sacramental confession with a priest prior to receiving is appropriate.
Sacramental Confession:
Confessions are heard before Major Feasts (announced to the parish in its various publications), but may be made at any time by contacting the priest directly.
Marriage:
- Please contact the parish office before any public date/location for a wedding is announced. Fr. Brandon will work with you on the necessary preparation process so that your marriage will begin with strong spiritual support.
- All details regarding weddings at St. Timothy's or performed by Fr. Brandon must be approved by him. A Guide to Weddings at St. Timothy's is available for your perusal.
Hospitalization:
- Please notify the Parish Office if there has been a hospitalization so a pastoral visit may be arranged.
- Due to privacy laws, hospitals do not automatically contact the parish with this information; the parish can only respond if we know you have a need!
Funerals:
- All funerals use The Book of Common Prayer and are to be in accord with its teaching.
- Receptions at the church may be arranged; please make your desire for a reception known to the priest.
- Verbal remembrances, when desired, are made at the reception following the liturgy.
- Forms for parishioners to choose the variable parts of the Burial Liturgy (readings, hymns, &c.) are available through the parish office.
- Burial of cremated remains in the parish's Memorial Garden may be arranged and is free of charge.
Fr. Brandon's days off are usually Friday and Saturday. You may contact him if you have an emergency at any time. On his days off he tends not to check e-mail frequently.
The Parish Office is normally open Tuesday-Friday, 9-Noon, 1-3 PM, except for major holidays.
+At the prayers of the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Timothy our Patron, and all the Holy Saints of God, may you be strengthened for service, showing forth the glory of God in all you do, think, and say. Amen.
The Mission of St. Timothy's Episcopal Church: We gather to experience the Holy Trinity through Scripture, worship, study, and fellowship. Receiving and reflecting God’s love and grace, we are sent out to love and serve our neighbor, see the Christ in others, and share the Gospel by the example of our everyday lives.
