Dear St. Thomas’,

How are you feeling?

What did you see Wednesday?

What are your fears?

What are your hopes?

I feel grief. I feel bewilderment. I feel an utter lack of surprise, but it made this week no less awful.

Officials and the press have described this week’s events with emotionally charged words like insurrection and terrorism. Indeed, I saw images of lawmakers, our democratically elected representatives, crouching in terror. I saw the confederate battle flag, an expression of racial grievance, waving in our nation’s Capitol. An attack on an institution of government, on the public servants that you and I elected, felt in some ways like an attack on all of us. How are we to understand this?

The attack on our nation’s Capitol highlights for me the danger of wishful thinking. What we witnessed was the disorder and chaos that results from preferring lies to truth. Lies cynically uttered and cynically repeated have consequences. “Conspiracy theories” are not just good, clean fun.

In the Gospel of John (8.42ff), Jesus speaks to his opponents frankly, pointing out their steadfast refusal to acknowledge the truth about who Jesus is. They have chosen lies over the truth because the lies fit better with their preferred view of the world. They cannot bear to face the reality that Jesus represents, so instead they express contempt for him, diminishing the value of this fellow human being who disagrees with them.

To know God is to know truth, a truth that liberates. Truth acknowledges the sacred, uncountable value, the image of God, in every human being. What does it mean to tell the truth? Whose truth do we need to tell? Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14.6). As followers of Christ, we are invited to figure out what it means for us, personally, to follow the “true and living way” that is Jesus, to practice the life of the “beloved community,” to seek first the Kingdom of God. Jesus calls each of us to live and to act in a way that will imprint the truth of our faith, including our respect for one another, onto the world around us. That might look like feeding the hungry, contributing to a worthy cause or, crucially, disagreeing with someone without giving in to the temptation to feel contempt or disrespect.

These are hard things. Fortunately, as Christians, we have a secret weapon. We change the world and change ourselves by accessing the power of God through prayer. Sometimes we pray with our bodies, in the act of fasting. Bishop Stokes is calling all of us, the Diocese of New Jersey, to participate in a day of prayer and fasting today, Friday, 8 January. He will be leading us personally in prayer for each of the four daily offices: Morning (7.30am), Noon, Evening(5pm), and Compline(8pm). You can join us on Zoom by registering here: http://bit.ly//LamentationPrayer

Will you join me in praying for our nation today?

Faithfully,

Todd+

St. Thomas’ was there for me when…

St. Thomas’ has been there for our family during difficult times, many times. Our hearts were deeply touched many years ago when a toy donation for our children appeared anonymously during tough times. When I lost my mother unexpectedly, the warmth, love and caring from our church family immensely lifted us up. Pastor Idalia came to see Mom when she was in ICU, and even though Mom was not conscious, I am certain she felt her presence. Deacon Lou spent time helping me prepare the funeral service, and his spiritual counseling helped me through one of the most difficult days of my life. Deacon Lou was the celebrant at the service, and the homily he gave honored my Mom and fit her spot on; our entire extended family was deeply touched. Lou then drove almost an hour to the cemetery to minister at her burial and as he said the committal prayer, a huge ray of sun appeared from the clouds directly on Mom’s grave. St. Thomas’ is the light that shines bright in sad times and celebrates joyful times together! This reminds me of our Lord’s promise to us in John 8:12, “I am the light of the world.” He said. “Whoever follows me will have the light of life and will never walk in darkness.”

(This story was written on the back of a pledge card, to be shared with the parish.)

• 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, 6.00pm: Online Youth Group for Teens
  Contact Dan O. for connection details
• Sunday, afternoon: Holy Eucharist at St. Thomas’ (recorded)

• Daily Morning Prayer (Monday through Saturday)
• Monday, 4pm: Centering Prayer
• Tuesday, Noon: Coffee Hour
• Tuesday, 6pm: Small Group Bible Study: Hebrews
• Wednesday, 5.30pm: Holy Eucharist (outdoors at Lych Gate, rain or shine)
• Wednesday, 7.00pm: Bible Study with Bishop Stokes

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

The state of New Jersey has open a “pre-registration portal” for residents to sign up to receive vaccination against Covid-19. Since the vaccine is being rolled out in phases, registering will help ensure you are notified when your turn comes. Register at: https://covidvaccine.nj.gov/

On Monday, 1 February, the St. Thomas’ Book Group will start a new title, The Cross and the Lynching Tree by James H. Cone, chosen to compliment our annual celebration of Black History Month. Join us on Zoom on Monday nights at 7pm. You can purchase a copy in your favorite bookstore. Please read the introduction and chapter 1 in advance of our first gathering.