NEWS & EVENTS

WORSHIP SERVICES AT ST. TIMOTHY'S

+ Holy Eucharist is celebrated each Sunday at 8 AM (said service) and 10 AM (sung service). The 10 AM service is also shared via Zoom for those who are physically unable to attend in person.

+ Wednesdays there is an in-person Holy Eucharist at 10AM, using the traditional-language rite. This service is followed by tea and conversation in the parish library.

+ Current masking policy: All persons may wear a face mask as a health tool. Some persons (especially those in higher-risk groups) should wear a mask. However, no one must wear a mask. The parish provides good quality face masks for those desiring them.

+ We have an upgraded HVAC air handling system to maximize the safety of our indoor environment.

+ We encourage vaccination for all eligible persons to prevent communicable disease at church or elsewhere.

+ Please contact the parish office for more information, and to be added to our Zoom invitation lists.

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+ Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Notice: We are experiencing difficulties with the Parish Office phone line as we change providers and update now obsolete technology. Our internet connection (and thus email access) is working. Apologies for any inconvenience! We are hoping to have this remedied soon. In the meantime, please call our Parish Administrator, Emma Glennen, direct on her cell phone (503-899-3053) or email the Parish Office at mail@sainttimothys.org.

Word from the Rector

Trinity Sunday
The first Sunday after Pentecost focuses on the revelation of one God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This can sometimes be thought of as a Sunday celebrating a doctrine, but that is not its true meaning. What we affirm is the experience of God as revealed in the Holy Scriptures and the Apostolic witness. There, we encounter the one God, but known in these three ways. Over time, the Church developed a doctrine to speak about the Divine Mystery---the doctrine of the Trinity---but this teaching was based on experience, not speculation or intellection for its own sake.

Over the years I have gradually come to see one of the greatest crises in modern American Christianity as a crises of experience. We have become so wrapped up in theories, speculations, opinions, and ideologies that the simple act of entering into the mystery of God has largely been forgotten. This, in turn, fuels the often bitter yet essentially hollow insistence on narrow conformity we see in many churches---frequently elevating speculation into the position of dogmatic certainty. With so little experience to humble our hearts, we turn to smugness or arrogance instead.

Those who have experienced the transformative presence of God embrace the Trinity for what it is: entrance into the mystery of divine love, rooted in the scriptures (see, for example, the Epistle and Gospel lessons for this Sunday). Rather than a "solution" to the question of the Divine Nature, the Trinity is the end of speculation by entrance into the abyss of Love.

This is why the liturgy for Trinity Sunday is so intensely praise-centered. By giving ourselves over to praising God who loves us in creation, in overcoming death by death, and in raising us to the divine life itself (2 Peter 1:3-4), we abandon fruitless attempts to explain God and instead commune with the Lord, each other, and the Creation itself in "the beauty of holiness" (Ps. 96:9).

One of the most important gifts we have for the world is the means to experience the Risen Christ in ways which transcend human limitation and division. By placing worship in the center of our life, we underscore faith as a practice and an experience, so much more than an intellectual achievement or a catalogue of doctrines.

What we confess on Trinity Sunday is not a desire simply to have the right words---valuable as those words might be---but to see God "face to face" in eternal glory. Each Eucharist, each prayer, each silence, each encounter with the glory of God's creation and with persons made in the image and likeness of our Triune God is another opportunity to enter into that mystery. When we begin each day with a desire for this experience, we are worshipping God "in spirit and in truth" and what we do in liturgy has come to shape our lives into true temples of divine presence. This is what we were made for; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Brandon+

The Week Ahead...

Thursday, May 28: Mechthild of Magdeburg, Mystic, c. 1282

7 PM: Women's Bible Study on Zoom (final session before a summer break)

Friday, May 29: Ember Day

The Parish Hall is in use all day
The return of our Friday observance: Fridays are marked by acts of discipline and self-denial. If you wish to know more about the meaning of this practice and its benefits, please enquire with Fr. Brandon.

Saturday, May 30: Ember Day; Joan of Arc

The Parish Hall is in use all day
Prayers for the the Departed in Christ, traditionally said on this day

+ Sunday, May 31: The First Sunday after Pentecost
Trinity Sunday

+ 8 AM: Holy Eucharist (said). In-person.

+ 9:50 AM: Nursery open (Godly Play is on break for summer)

+ 10 AM: Solemn Procession, Holy Eucharist & Solemn Te Deum (sung). In-person and online.

Following the 10 AM Liturgy:

We will be packing food bags for Nutrition Buddies in the Vestry. Through this project, we are able to provide weekend food supplements for neighbor children at Hoover Elementary. Please come lend a hand!
The poetry group meets in the Adult Ed room. Bring some poetry, or come along and listen to what others have to share.

Monday, June 1: Justin, Martyr, 167

The parish office is closed on Monday.

Tuesday, June 2: Blandina and Her Companions, The Martyrs of Lyons, 177

10 AM: Crafts and Conversation

Wednesday, June 3: The Martyrs of Uganda, 1886

10 AM: Rite I Holy Eucharist

Prayer Requests from this Parish: Joan Williamson, Pat Klopfenstein, Martina Sierra, Anita McIntire, Liz McClure, Dale & Jeanné Cannon, John & Judy Sullivan, Juanita Rivera, Br. Matthew Tenney nOGS, Scott Kohl, Robert Barbor Jr, Rorey DeWitt, Rich Zorko, Mike Martin, Julia Smith, Kerrie Harwood, Family Promise, Salem for Refugees, Mending Wings Youth Ministries. For the diocese of Iran and the people of the Middle East. For peace. For the right use of technology to benefit society and promote human dignity.

For Those with Birthdays Next Week: The Rev'd Calvin Steck, Pamela Lyons Nelson, Bryan Orrio, Karen Melzer, Ivy Joy Glennen

In the Diocese of Oregon: Christ Church, Lake Oswego

In the Anglican Communion: The Anglican Church of Rwanda

Zoom Recording of Last Week's Sermon

Sunday, May 24
Passcode: 5&BldC8&

Links will be valid for two weeks.
The Lectionary Readings for this past Sunday can be found here.

After Ten Forum: Engaging the Body in Worship

Sunday, June 7

Our worship involves our whole selves, including our physical, bodily self.

When and why do we bow?
Why do we genuflect?
What are we doing when we make the sign of the cross?
Why do we stand at certain times?
Why do we kneel at times?
How is Holy Water a part of our bodily worship?
What does fasting have to do with bodily worship?

Fr. Brandon will address these and other questions you may have at our next After Ten Forum on June 7.

Come join the conversation in the Fireside Room.
Coffee and tea will be available there.

Stop and Smell the Roses...
... and consider tending to them too!

One of the striking features of our grounds at this time of year is the Memorial Rose garden. If you've not had the chance to walk through and enjoy their beauty and glorious scent, it is strongly encouraged! (Though picking them is not...).

Many thanks to our incredible and industrious Rose Garden team for all their work caring for this beautiful space.

If gardening is something you enjoy (or perhaps a hobby you've been wanting to start) our learned Rose Garden team will always welcome new volunteers. They typically meet on Wednesday mornings.

Diocesan Renewal Gathering

Saturday, June 6, 9 AM - 3 PM
Hosted at St Timothy's!

Registration is $20, and you can learn more and register on the Diocesan website HERE. Please do register ASAP if you are planning to attend (even if you are a parishioner at St. Timothy's)! Space is limited and all attendees must register online.

Event Details

Our featured preacher and speaker will be the Rev. David “Kawika” Jackson of the Episcopal Diocese of Hawaiʻi, who will lead reflections on the theme E Komo Mai: The Role of Hospitality from a Judeo-Christian Perspective. Through scripture and conversation, participants will explore the biblical call to welcome the stranger and how that call shapes our life together as Christians today.

The gathering will also feature the annual diocesan basket raffle, with parishes invited to contribute themed baskets.

Some Help Still Needed

Many have already reached out to ask how they can be of help as we host this event - thank you! The Diocese will be overseeing the key details, but we have a few areas where help would be greatly appreciated:

1. Setup prior to the event - Thursday 9 AM - 11 AM & Friday 9 AM - 11 AM
We will need to set up tables and chairs throughout the Parish Hall, as well as setup check-in and refreshment areas in the narthex. (Note - this will require some lifting and physical activity!)

2. Morning setup
A few volunteers available as extra helping hands for morning setup. We will meet at approx 7:30 AM. As well as setting things up, you can help greet and direct people as they arrive.

3. General help during the event
It would be nice to have a few people specially appointed to help with hospitality tasks as they come up through the day (e.g. directing people over to the Parish Hall, pointing out restrooms, helping move items from morning check-in over to the parish hall)

4. Lunch help
We need 2-3 volunteers to help set up lunch when it arrives (the event is catered by Baja Fresh) . This will be during the morning presentation.

5. Clean-up
The main task will be to pack up chairs and tables in the Parish Hall as well as general clean-up in all areas.

Diocesan staff will be overseeing and helping with all these tasks, but it would be lovely to have a handful of St Tim's folks on-hand throughout the day! If you'd like to volunteer, please contact Emma Glennen at mail@sainttimothys.org or 503-899-3053.

From the Breastplate of St Patrick

Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks of me,
Christ in the eye that sees me,
Christ in the ear that hears me.

I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through a belief in the Threeness,
Through a confession of the Oneness
Of the Creator of creation.

Mission Statement 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.

St. Timothy's Website

St. Timothy's Facebook

Father Brandon's Blog

St. Timothy's Parish Office Hours:
Tuesday & Thursday, 9 AM - 3 PM
Wednesday, 9:30 AM - 3 PM
Friday, 9 AM - 3 PM via telephone/email/text
The Parish Office is closed on Mondays

Parish Office Contact Info
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 7416; Salem, OR 97303
Email: mail@sainttimothys.org
Phone: 503-363-0601

Rector's Days Off:
Fridays and on Saturday mornings
Please contact Fr. Brandon on his days off if you have an emergency.

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Salem, Or 97303

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Lent at St. Timothy's

Ash Wednesday | March 18th

+ 10 AM: Holy Eucharist (said)

+ 7 PM: Holy Eucharist (sung)
with Bishop Akiyama preaching and presiding

Thursdays during Lent

6:30 AM: Holy Eucharist (said)
In a revival of classic Lenten practice, this simple Holy Eucharist service is an opportunity for those seeking a heightened observance during Lent or an additional time for quiet, contemplative, yet communal, worship. Following the service, those who wish can join together for a simple breakfast nearby.

Fridays during Lent

7 PM: Stations of the Cross
We will once again be using the form of the Way of the Cross and employing short readings from Blessed Julian of Norwich. Parishioners are encouraged to attend at least one of these services in Lent. It is one of the best ways to come to a deeper understanding of the Love of God found in the Passion

HOLY WEEK AT ST. TIMOTHY'S

PALM SUNDAY, MARCH 29

8 AM: Blessing of Palms & Holy Eucharist (said)
10 AM: Palm Procession & Holy Eucharist (sung)
The 10 AM service will be available via Zoom

MONDAY & TUESDAY IN HOLY WEEK, MARCH 30 & 31

7 PM: Antecommunion
Confessions following

WEDNESDAY IN HOLY WEEK, APRIL 1

7 PM: Tenebrae

THE HOLY TRIDUUM

One Liturgy Spread over Three Days
All Episcopalians are to join together for worship if physically able to do so. (Main services in underlined bold text)

MAUNDY THURSDAY, APRIL 2

7 PM: The Maundy Thursday Liturgy
Prayer Watch following until Noon Good Friday
The first part of the Holy Triduum, which does not conclude until the end of the Great Vigil of Easter, this service commemorates Christ’s command to love each other as he has loved us, and his commandment to “do this in remembrance of me” by sharing in the Holy Eucharist. The Holy Sacrament is then removed to the Chapel and the altar is stripped in recollection of Christ’s arrest and being mocked. We then leave in silence as the lights are lowered.

The Prayer Watch at the Altar of Repose in the Chapel now begins, lasting until noon Friday, in remembrance of Jesus’s words in the garden of Gethsemane, when he asked his disciples to spend an hour in prayer with him. Parishioners sign up to take an hour in prayer in the chapel before Christ in the Holy Sacrament. A member of the parish will be at the church all night to let people in and walk them to their cars.

GOOD FRIDAY, APRIL 3

Noon: Stations of the Cross

7 PM: Good Friday Liturgy
The Good Friday Liturgy is the most solemn service in the Church Year. Its starkness points to the truth of both human brokenness and God’s complete identification with us in our need. The highlights are the Great Silence at the start, then the reading of the Passion Gospel according to St. John, the Solemn Collects (intercessions for all humanity), the bringing out and veneration of the Good Friday Cross, and the Communion from the Reserved Sacrament, brought from the Altar of Repose in the Chapel. Once more, we leave in silence.

Good Friday is marked by as complete a fast as health allows, from sunrise until at least 3 PM, the traditional hour of Christ’s death upon the cross.

HOLY SATURDAY, APRIL 4

10 AM: Little Tomb Service of the Burial of Christ
The morning service is a short, spare gathering at the now-denuded altar where we hear of Christ’s hasty burial and contemplate his lying in the tomb, even as God the Son has descended to Hades, there to liberate those long held by the Evil One. A glorious sermon from the very early Christian period is read and prayers for those who have died are offered.

EASTER EVE

Saturday, 9 PM: The Great Vigil of Easter,
followed by the Agape Feast
The Easter Vigil is the heart of our life as a parish and as a people. It is our main Easter service. It must be experienced, not explained, but it consists of the lighting, blessing, and sharing of the New Fire, the great song before the Paschal Candle (The “Exsultet”), the readings of the Old Testament prophecies, Renewal of Baptismal Vows, the Proclamation of the Resurrection, the great Easter Homily of St. John Chrysostom, and the First Eucharist of Easter. This is the high point of the entire Church Year. The Vigil is followed by a grand feast, to which all are invited. Come and see!

EASTER DAY, APRIL 5

11 AM: Holy Eucharist (said, with hymns) in person & online
The Easter Day Eucharist at St. Timothy’s is quite a bit simpler than the Vigil. However, it is a joyous celebration and includes the beautiful, ever-new account of Mary Magdalene meeting the Risen Christ in the garden. With this Eucharist, our celebration of Easter Day concludes…but the Great 50 Days of Eastertide has just begun.