Dear St. Thomas’,

This coming Sunday, our first reading is of an encounter between a Deacon of the Church (Philip) and a man who is identified in the Bible not by his name or his accomplishments, but by his “exotic” nationality (Ethiopian) and by his sexual identity (a eunuch). This person has an important government position at home, being a court official, and he gets to travel in first class (seated in a chariot). But in Jerusalem, his reception is probably more ambiguous.

The law of Moses would restrict this person’s participation in the worship of God (cf., Deuteronomy 23.1). On the other hand, the prophet Isaiah promises that someday God will honor both the foreigner and the eunuch with a place in God’s house even as that house is called “a house of prayer for all peoples” (Isaiah 56.3-8).

The eunuch is someone who is seeking God. The eunuch has made the journey to the Holy Land, is reading Isaiah, asks Philip for help in interpreting Scripture and, hearing Philip’s proclamation of the Gospel, demands to be baptized. God was already at work in the life of this nameless person, a foreigner, a sexual minority. He was simply awaiting a sufficiently full proclamation of the Gospel to find that he, too, was included in its call.

Philip’s faithful obedience was the missing piece of the puzzle, that which God used to do God’s redemptive work.

Maybe you can identify with the eunuch from Ethiopia. Maybe you have been rejected or felt unworthy before God or other people. No matter: God has God’s eyes on you. God is sending people into your life (including your church community) to invite you into God’s redemptive work in your life.

Maybe you can identify with Philip. Do you hear God prompting you to carry God’s love to others?

There is some of the eunuch and some of Philip in each of us. We are wonderfully made by God, and wonderfully loved.

Faithfully,

Todd+

The Diocese, following the advice of the CDC and medical professionals, has given us permission to use our hymnals once more! We will only use them outdoors, since we may only sing outdoors.

The hymnal you receive outdoors will have been untouched by anyone else for at least four days, and will remain untouched for at least four days after you turn it back in. This period of quarantine is believed to mostly eliminate chances for transmission of the coronavirus by surface contact. If you would prefer not to take a hymnal, the lyrics for our hymns are available, along with the entire liturgy, on https://sharedprayers.net. Just scan the QR code on the front of the worship bulletin with your phone’s camera to go straight there!

Hymnals should be returned after the service to the same place where you received. A volunteer wearing gloves will receive your hymnal and place it back in the cart. Would you like to volunteer to help hand out and collect hymnals next week?

• Saturday, 6.00pm: Holy Eucharist in the Nave (limited capacity: RSVP here)
• Sunday, 8.00am: Holy Eucharist in the Parish Hall and on Zoom (limited capacity: RSVP here)
• Sunday, 9.00am: Online Sunday School for pre-school to pre-teens
• Sunday, 10.30am: Holy Eucharist Outdoors at St. Thomas’
• Sunday, afternoon: Holy Eucharist at St. Thomas’ (recorded)
• Sunday, 6.00pm: Youth Group Online
  Contact Dan O. for details.

• Daily Morning Prayer (Monday through Saturday)
• Monday, 4pm: Centering Prayer
• Tuesday, 6pm: Small Group Bible Study: Hebrews
• Wednesday, 5.30pm: Holy Eucharist (outdoors at Lychgate)
• Wednesday, 7pm: Foundations of Faith via Zoom

Online events hosted by St. Thomas’ are accessed via Zoom: instructions here.

Diocesan Baccalaureate Celebration with Bishop Stokes May 23, 3:00 p.m.

Register Now

This year‘s Baccalaureate with the Bishop will feature the presentation of scholarships, a virtual parade of graduates featuring your submissions, a multi-language reading of Acts 2:11 for Pentecost, and more!

If you are graduating this year (or know someone who is), please contact us at youth@dioceseofnj.org so we can include you in this year’s celebration!

Register Now