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The CDC COVID-19 Community Level is HIGH. This means masks are required at any indoor gatherings at St. Thomas’, including gatherings for worship.
Blessings for Birthdays & Anniversaries are offered the first Sunday of each month. Come to church this Sunday to receive a birthday blessing!
This weekend we celebrate the Feast of Pentecost. You are invited to wear red and, if you speak a language other than English, to come prepared to read Acts 2.1-4 in that language at the beginning of our first lesson, both Saturday night and Sunday morning.
The last day of Sunday School is Sunday, 12 June. In celebration, we are inviting you to join us as Launch Trampoline Park in Deptford at 12:30PM The Sunday School will be covering the cost for all kids. If interested, please contact Barbara K. by 5 June.
On Saturday (4 June) at 4pm in Trinity Cathedral there will be a special prayer office to install new Canons of the cathedral: people being honored for their extraordinary service to the Diocese. Our own Donna Freidel is being so honored: please be sure to congratulate and thank Canon Freidel the next time you see her!
This Saturday at 5.30pm we will celebrate Evening Prayer in the Nave.
This Sunday we begin our celebration of Pride Month. Come at 9am to participate in a special adult formation offering led by Sarah T. and based on reading Scripture together.
The overwhelming message of the Bible, in story after story, is that of God’s radical love and welcome. Every time we think we know who’s in and who’s out, God does something to challenge those assumptions, to unbind our hearts and minds from old ways of understanding, and to draw the circle ever wider. This is setup in a fun, informal reader’s theater – no costumes or props! Readers needed! Starting 5 June at 9 AM in the Lower Level Parish Hall. Find this week’s script here.
5 June is the last day to complete The Strengths and Interests survey! We want to hear from you! The Strengths and Interests Committee is conducting a survey so we can learn more about our parishioners – what are your strengths or talents? What are your interests? Your prompt participation is appreciated, however, please submit no later than June 5th.
- The survey is streamlined and takes no more than 10 minutes to complete
- Each family member should complete the survey individually
- Easily completed on a computer, mobile phone, iPad
- A summary of responses will be shared (anonymously) after survey completion
- Survey Link: https://forms.gle/SWExgCWmUucGXBKr7
- You may scan the QR code below to access the survey
- If you require a paper copy to complete the survey, please contact Jo-Ann T. at (856) 889-7855 or Devin D. at (856) 745-0291.
Marsha P. Johnson
A pioneer for black trans people, Marsha was a driving force behind the Stonewall Riots and LGBTQ+ movements of 1969. Born in Elizabeth, NJ into a large religious family, Marsha often met opposition growing up due to her eccentric tendencies. This did not deter her and “Marsha would remain religious her whole life, leaning on Jesus through many of the hardships that would outline her life.” Accused fondly by historians as the initiator of the Stonewall Riots, Marsha’s impact on the LGBTQ+ community did not end there. Teamed up with Sylvia Rivera (another prominent figure at the time), Marsha launched the Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR), the first LGBTQ+ youth shelter in North America. STAR is also the first organization led by a trans woman of color in the America. Her work led Marsha to multiple police encounters. “Whenever she was asked what the “P” in her name stood for…she quipped back with “pay it no mind.”” Her bold and fearless activism cemented her as one of the most prominent figures in LGBTQ+ history, forever memorialized in film, books and the art world. Tragically, Marsha was murdered in 1992, her case is still under investigation.
Sources:
https://www.glsen.org/activity/lgbtq-history-cards-extended-biographies
https://www.sdblackcoalition.org/post/pay-it-no-mind-the-uprising-of-marsha-p-johnson
https://www.nswp.org/timeline/street-transvestite-action-revolutionaries-found-star-house
May pledge: $15,084.83
May given: $13,213.00 87.59%
YTD pledge. $71,533.15
YTD given. $70,893.00 99.11%
Beware what you encounter online. One member of St. Thomas’ reported this week being approached by someone on Facebook who was fraudulently adopting the names and identities of multiple other St. Thomas’ members and clergy. Even when you think you know who you’re communicating with online or via texts, you may not. Requests for or offers of money, personal information, or the sharing of links to websites all merit great skepticism. Make contact offline to do any needed business.
Our COVID protocol is following the CDC guidelines for Gloucester County. Masks are presently required. Please be sure to stay on top of your recommended vaccinations and masking to protect all those you love.
If you would like to contribute to the work of Episcopal Relief & Development serving refugees from Ukraine, you can donate here.
Lectionary readings for this week: Pentecost – Genesis 11:1-9, Acts 2:1-21, John 14:8-17, (25-27), Psalm 104: 25-35, 37
Lectionary readings for next week: Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31, Romans 5:1-5, John 16:12-15, Psalm 8 or Canticle 13 (or Canticle 2)
Please continue in your daily prayers for: Dennis, Marge, Joann, Jennifer, Lou, Mary Esther, Chuck, Ruth, Lois, Kathy, Jack, Stacey, Jim, Donna, Jim, Kass, Kathleen, Tyler, Carl, Linda
Announcements for the parish email are due via email by noon on Wednesday of each week. You can email them to announcements@stthomasglassboro.org
The church calendar can be seen at https://www.stthomasglassboro.
Are you serving in liturgy? Check the rota!
Prayer requests can be sent to prayer@stthomasglassboro.org
Watch our livestream here Saturdays at 5:30pm and Sundays at 10:30am!
Full-text of the liturgy is available at https://www.sharedprayers.net
The Great 50 Days of Easter at St. Thomas’
- Holy Eucharist Outdoors and Streaming online: Sundays, 10:30am
- Centering Prayer Online: Mondays, 4pm
- Holy Eucharist in the Nave and Streaming online: Saturdays, 5:30pm
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