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Who
we are and What we do
The
Christian Faith as Experienced in the Episcopal Church
Worship Services
Music
WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE
DO
Here is the Good News that Changes Lives
The good news is the church's story. At its heart it is the
proclamation that God loves us more than any imaginable barrier,
even death itself. We know this truth through the life and death
of Jesus of Nazareth. This Jesus we call the Son of God. He
grew up in Palestine two thousand years ago. He became an itinerant
teacher, surrounded by followers who more often than not stood
on the fringe of that day's society: tax collectors and women
to name but two examples. He ate with the unclean and offered
health to the ill. He chastised the religious leaders of his
day for their emphasis on ceremony rather than justice and humility.
His life exemplified love without strings; so much so, in fact,
that he died as a result of the unconditional love he showed
to the people around him.
What Easter Means
After Jesus' death, his followers were understandably dispirited
and confused as they prepared to return to life as it was before.
Scripture captures the joy of their discovering the resurrected
Jesus in their midst in many different accounts of his appearances.
Indeed, it was the fulfillment of Jesus' promise that even death
would have no dominion over him. In the event of the Easter
resurrection the disciples discovered that even a brutal and
unjust execution could not overcome the unconditional love of
God. Jesus, once again in the midst of his people, encouraged
them to continue the work that he had begun to, quite literally,
transform the world. And he promised them to be present with
them in the power of the Holy Spirit even to the end of time.
It is the Easter event that transformed that same dispirited
group in the Body of Christ that continues his work to this
day.
The Early Church
Thus, the early church began. Christians began eating with
one another as a sign of their thanks to God for loving humankind
so much. It was the beginning of what we now call the Eucharist,
the sharing of bread and wine in church each week and our primary
sacrament of Christ's continuing presence. The sign that they
would lead this new life of mirroring God's love was to cleanse
new members with fresh water. It signified a washing away of
their feelings of shame and sinfulness. Thus, baptism began,
a practice continued to this day.
The Episcopal Church as a Community of Faith
The Episcopal Church continues to proclaim the good news to
all people in a setting appropriate for today's world.
- The church still gathers each week to share bread and wine
in a service open to all people. Many of its prayers from
the Book
of Common Prayer and hymns have been used for centuries.
- It trusts people well enough that it lets them make up their
own minds on how to interpret the historic statements of the
church, giving guidance as they seek it.
- It looks at the Bible as the story of God's love for humankind,
not a rule book to be slavishly followed. Each week significant
portions of the Bible are read in a three year lectionary
cycle.
- It asks people who trust in God's truly unconditional love
to proclaim it by being baptized as the early Christians were.
At baptism Episcopalians promise to:
- Respect the dignity of every human being
- Love their neighbors as themselves
- Proclaim the good news to others
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The Christian
Faith as Experienced in the Episcopal Church
Long before anyone was called Christian, people who followed
the teachings of Jesus Christ were called "People of the
Way". We profess to be on a journey with others toward
a more whole world. Episcopalians are people of the way, striving
to figure out how God would have us live. We say that God was
uniquely present in the life of Jesus of Nazareth. One word
we use to describe this belief is that God was "incarnate"
in Jesus, that is, God's own self was present in Jesus' very
body. Following his death, his disciples found that Christ still
lived in their midst. Thus, they found themselves connected
to God as they discovered themselves to be part of Christ's
resurrected body. And that is still the case today. We Episcopalians
say that we human beings are united to God through Christ. And
that is Good News, indeed!
We take that relationship seriously. When we worship we are
called to see the risen Christ in the persons around us. In
our daily lives we are called to see the risen Christ in family,
acquaintances, and co-workers. Ultimately, we are called to
seek and serve Christ in all persons, to strive for justice
and peace among all people, and to respect the dignity of every
human being.
Our church is not a community of like-minded people. We do
not exist for ourselves alone. Instead, we are a people set
apart to be the personal presence and witness of God to the
world. We struggle with many issues and we disagree with one
another, but we still gather each week to hear the story of
God's love for us, to ask for forgiveness from one another and
God, and to offer our lives up to God.
In our teaching, we learn the grace to live with questions
that cannot be answered with certainty. In our worship we are
nourished for life's journey. In our faith we trust that God
is working through every one of us, and that one day God's very
self will be evident in all creation. This is the good news
that we proclaim, and we believe that it is the good news that
will lead us to lives of peace, self-control, and hope for the
future. We invite everyone to join us in that journey.
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Worship Services
St. Thomas Church is committed to worship. It is at the heart
of what we do. Every time we enter a church to gather with other
people, we come to be with other people who are on a similar
journey toward finding God. All people are welcome in our church,
regardless of their age, family situation, or social status.
On a typical Sunday you will find some people who are longtime
members, some new people, two or three one-time visitors to
Springdale, singles, divorced people, and parents with small
children. We also have folders that contain materials to assist
young children in their worship experience. We hope that our
greeters will answer your questions and make you feel at home.
What Happens on Sunday
We offer two different worship styles on Sunday, each of which
is focused on the Eucharist, or what others might call Holy
Communion or Mass. Everyone is invited to receive Holy Communion.
We do not ask you to stand up and make your presence known as
a visitor. Each service is based on the Book of Common Prayer,
the worship resource of the Episcopal Church.
- At 8 a.m. we have a service using traditional language in
an order of worship that is several hundred years old. There
is no music at this service, and the congregation is usually
small. It takes about 45 minutes and is followed by an invitation
to visit with others in our fellowship hall.
- At 9:15 there is Christian formation program for all ages.
There is more about our educational offerings elsewhere on
this website.
- At 10:30 we have a service with music, congregational hymns,
and choir. Traditional music is definitely one of the primary
ways in which we worship at this service. The service lasts
about an hour.
- Young children (ages 3-7) have the choice of processing
out to "Children's Chapel" that runs concurrent
to the first part of the service at 10:30 a.m. They return
after the sermon and prayers.
- Children of all ages are welcome as a part of the worship
service, but if you prefer, the nursery is located down the
hall to your left as you are leaving the sanctuary. The nursery
is staffed from 9:00 a.m. through the conclusion of the 10:30
service. Please feel free to get your child either during
announcements or at communion to come to the altar as a family.
What Happens on Weekdays
St. Thomas Church is open during business hours each Monday
through Friday. People are welcome to come in to the church
to pray or meditate if they wish.
Morning Prayer
A group of lay persons in the church share duties leading a
brief service of Morning Prayer in the Chapel of the Transfiguration
on Tuesdays at 8:00 a.m. Contact the church office for more
details. All are welcome.
Mid Week Eucharist
On Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m. we celebrate Evening Prayer in the Chapel. Taize music is employed to lend to the contemplative
nature of this service. All are welcome.
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Music
In keeping with the traditional style of worship that is common
in the Episcopal Church, we have organ accompaniment to the
hymns and music that are a rich part of our worship. David O.
White, Jr., is the Organist and Director of Music Ministries
at St. Thomas Church. There is a choir who leads us in worship
on Sunday mornings, and anyone who is interested in joining
the choir is encouraged to speak with the Director of Music.
The choir rehearses on Wednesday evenings at 7:00 and at 9:45
on Sunday mornings. In addition to singing on Sunday mornings,
our choir sings on special occasions and at services held on
feast days.
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