Saint Thomas’ Online for Sunday, 22 March:

• 8.00am: Morning Prayer with Sermon(pre-recorded)
• 9.00am: Sunday School for children
  To join the meeting via the Internet click here: https://zoom.us/j/6676782042
  To join the meeting via telephone, dial (646) 558-8656 and use Meeting ID: 667 678 2042
  Alternate phone numbers: (312)626-6799 or (301)715-8592
• 10.00am: Adult Formation
  See instructions above for joining.
• 11.15am: Holy Eucharist with Spiritual Communion
  at the  Washington National Cathedral

Saint Thomas’ Online for Saturday, 20 March:

• 4.30pm: Adult Formation
  To join the meeting via the Internet click here: https://zoom.us/j/6676782042
  To join the meeting via telephone, dial (646) 558-8656 and use Meeting ID: 667 678 2042
  Alternate phone numbers: (312)626-6799 or (301)715-8592
• 5.30pm: Evening Prayer with Sermon
  To join the meeting via the Internet click here: https://zoom.us/j/6676782042
  To join the meeting via telephone, dial (646) 558-8656 and use Meeting ID: 667 678 2042Alternate phone numbers: (312)626-6799 or (301)715-8592
• 7.00pm: Alcoholics Anonymous
  To join the meeting via the Internet click here: https://zoom.us/j/528974628
  To join the meeting via telephone, dial (646) 558-8656 and use Meeting ID: 528 974 628
  Alternate phone numbers: (312)626-6799 or (301)715-8592

Plus Daily:

• Morning Prayer
• The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis

Dear Friends,

With careful discernment, paying attention to our Presiding Bishop, our Governor, and federal bodies, Bishop Stokes has advised us that church gatherings are prohibited at least until 1 May 2020. Outside gatherings and off-campus gatherings, including during Holy Week and Easter, are not permitted. Bishop Stokes writes, “It is vitally important for us all to recognize that the steps we are being asked to take as a society and as a church are for the sake of the love of our neighbors – all of our neighbors.”

Bishop Stokes goes on to reflect on the Desert Tradition of early Christianity and the invitation we have received, unbidden, to explore aspects of that tradition in our sudden isolation.

See Bishop Stokes’ entire communication here and click the “Subscribe” button to receive weekly communications from the Diocese first-hand.

The news of continuing closure is sobering but not unexpected.

St. Thomas’ is committed to continuing to be a community of worship and mutual care, even during our sojourn in the desert. Please keep an eye on our homepage and keep in touch in with one another. Now is the time for our love for God and each other to shine forth, be fanned into flame, that we may see the Holy Spirit doing something new among us!

Faithfully,

Todd+

As we continually seek new ways to be Church in community with each other during these challenging times, you are invited to join an online bible study with Bishop Stokes.  This bible study will take place via Zoom web conference every Wednesday at 7 PM until further notice.

Tonight we’ll explore the upcoming week’s Gospel reading—this week is John 9—the man born blind from birth. “Who sinned?  This man or his parents?” Studying the text in light of the current pandemic could lead to a rich conversation and study,

We have set up these recurring weekly meetings through Wednesday, May 27.  Registration is required, but you can register all the way up to and even during any meeting.  Please note that you can join by cellphone (or even landline) – internet access is not required.

To register for any or all of these bible studies:

• Click here:  http://bit.ly/StokesBibleStudy
• Where it says “Please choose only one meeting to attend,” that doesn’t mean you can only attend one meeting.  It means you need to register separately for each meeting you want to attend, so we can keep a more accurate head count of how many people to expect at each meeting.
• From that drop-down menu of dates, pick the date of the meeting for which you want to register
• Include your name and email information as requested, check the box to prove you’re not a robot, and click “Register”
• A confirmation screen will appear, and there will be a link allowing you to add the meeting to your calendar if you so desire
• If so desired, hit the “back” button and repeat the process for each meeting you want to attend.

After registering each time, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting – including instructions for joining by phone.  You can access this same link at any time to register again for an upcoming session.  We look forward to having you join us as we explore God’s Word together.

n.b. The previously scheduled Evening Prayer and Bible Study at 6.30pm will be replaced by a brief check-in and prayer “In the Early Evening” (BCP 139). Then we will join the Bishop’s forum before 7pm. Please register separately for the Bishop’s forum! No registration is required for the St. Thomas’ meeting.

Dear St. Thomas’,

What a week it has been! We have all received an abundance of information, much of it conflicting. The news around the world doesn’t match up with our lived experience, and the lack of hard data means even the experts are only guessing. It’s hard to take it all seriously when I don’t yet personally know someone who is dangerously ill from this virus.

However, yesterday, Monday, I heard a similar message coming from the White House and Governor Murphy: now is the time when we can make a difference and save lives. Due to its long incubation period, most people don’t know they’re infected until long after they’ve begun spreading the virus to others. Many people will have mild cases that don’t seem bad at all: but the effect of spreading that mild case to another person could be deadly.

My prayer is that the skeptics are right, this will blow over, and we’ll feel silly for having made a big deal out of it. Evidence from other countries suggests that won’t be the case. The situation remains very fluid and my plan is to take these isolation guidelines very seriously until health experts tell me it is safe to do otherwise.

For me that means avoiding being around people (other than those I live with) as much as possible. I do this not only for my own sake and the sake of my immediate family, but for the sake of every person I might come into contact with in the future and accidentally infect before I ever knew I was sick!

In the meantime, St. Thomas’ continues to be a community of worship and mutual care. What does that look like this week?

In consultation with many of you, we are working out a schedule of online events. Links for these events will be found at www.stthomasglassboro.org.

Daily:

• Storytime for all ages, reading C.S. Lewis, The Great Divorce
• Musical offerings from St. Thomas’ and Others

Tuesday:

• 6.30pm: Small Group Study continues online!

Wednesday:

• 6.30pm: Bible Study, followed by Evening Prayer about 7.30pm.
  To join the meeting via the Internet click here: https://zoom.us/j/777304867
  To join the meeting via telephone, dial (646) 558-8656 and use Meeting ID: 777 304 867

Thursday:

• 7.30pm: Vestry meeting

Thursday & Friday:

• Phone Tree
  We will try to make contact this week with everyone at St. Thomas’. If you get a call from someone checking in, let them know how you’re doing and how you’re staying connected with St. Thomas’. If you have a few minutes, offer to make a call or two from their list. Many hands make light work and joyful conversations!

Saturday:

• 4.30pm: Adult formation: Psalms, followed by a brief form of Evening Prayer.
  To join the meeting via the Internet click here: https://zoom.us/j/480151251
  To join the meeting via telephone, dial (646) 558-8656 and use Meeting ID: 480 151 251

Sunday:

• 9:00am: Sunday School for children
  To join the meeting via the Internet click here: https://zoom.us/j/897315461
  To join the meeting via telephone, dial (646) 558-8656 and use Meeting ID: 897 315 461
• 10:00am: Sunday School for adults
  (same connect info as Sunday School for children)
• 11:00am: Holy Eucharist with a pre-recorded service at www.stthomasglassboro.org

Matters remain fluid and this schedule is subject to amendment. But this is our direction for St. Thomas’ this week as we continue to live out our vocation as the body of Christ in this time and place.

God’s blessings be upon each of you: take care of yourselves and each other. Be gentle, be kind, be faithful to the disciplines of this season. May you continue to observe a Holy Lent.

Faithfully,

Todd+

Let us pray.
O God of peace, who hast taught us that in returning and rest we shall be saved, in quietness and in confidence shall be our strength: By the might of thy Spirit lift us, we pray thee, to thy presence, where we may be still and know that thou art God; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (BCP, p. 832)