St. Thomas Tiding: May 15, 2025
St. Thomas Tidings: May 15, 2025
The collect for Fourth Sunday of Easter: O God, whose Son Jesus is the good shepherd of your people: Grant that when we hear his voice we may know him who calls us each by name, and follow where he leads; who, with you and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
May 15, 2025 is the Memorial of Pachomiums of Tabenissi, Monastic 348 Pachomius is commonly regarded as the founder of coenobitic monasticism, the form of Christian monasticism in which members live together in community rather than individually as hermits, and he was the author of the first formal monastic rule of life.
Born to a pagan family in 292, Pachomius first encountered Christianity when he was imprisoned as part of a forced military conscription. The Christians of the city visited everyone in the prison, bringing them food, supplies, and comfort, and Pachomius was astonished. He asked the other prisoners, “Why are these people so good to us when they do not even know us?” They answered, “They are Christians, and therefore they treat us with love for the sake of the God of heaven.” When he was released from prison, he was baptized, and began to lead an ascetic life of manual labor, prayer, and care for the poor.
In time, a community of people was drawn to Pachomius, they began to organize themselves into a formal monastic community. This way of life was particularly attractive to those who were drawn to monasticism but could not withstand the hardship of a solitary life, particularly those who might be elderly or ill or very young. Before long, a federation of monastic communities was created, with houses for both men and women, which were organized into a common structure. Pachomius and his disciples wrote the first monastic rules to organize the life of these communities.
By the time that Pachomius died, his monastic federation included several thousand monks and nuns, and within a generation the monastic movement would spread from Egypt to Palestine, Turkey, and Western Europe.
A Bible Moment:
Reading: I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands… Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, robed in white, and where have they come from?” I said to him, “Sir, you are the one that knows.” Then he said to me, “These are they who have come out of the great ordeal; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb…” (Revelation 7:9, 13-14)
Meditation: There are two predominant interpretations of the term, “the great ordeal.” The original interpretation was that the ordeal corresponds with the entire time between Jesus’ ascension following His resurrection – and the time when he will return. A more recent interpretation, adopted by some Protestant denominations, is that there will be a period of especial tribulation in the future that will presage Christ’s return. In either case, we see many people in Heaven prior to what some call the general resurrection.
Now What? This question can relate to how we pray. Here, we see people from around the world in Heaven. In 1 Peter, 3:18-20, Jesus is shown ministering to the “spirits in prison” (dead) after his crucifixion and His resurrection. The catholic (small c) tradition allows for praying to the saints for intercession with God. While some have argued that this isn’t possible because the general resurrection has not yet occurred, these passages appear to give a biblical warrant for intercessory prayer.
Men’s Breakfast: Second Saturday of each Month. Next Men’s Breakfast June 14, 2025 Meet at the Denny’s at South and Bellflower at 8:00am for food and fellowship
St Martha’s Guild: Please join us at St. Martha’s Guild. We are a very friendly group that gathers each Tuesday morning. We crochet, knit and handcraft items. We would love to give free lessons in knitting and crocheting. This is also a great opportunity to build community and have a nice chat. We meet Tuesdays in Larkin Hall from 9:30-11:30 am.
Supper Club and game night at St. Thomas: May 27, 2025. To be held in Larkin Hall. Please bring a friend. Signup sheet is in the Narthex of the Church. Donations accepted.
Study of the Rule of St. Benedict continues at St. Gregory’s: Have you ever wondered what monastic life is like? Ever been curious why The Rule of Benedict is still important 1500 years after St. Benedict’s life? Would you like to know how Benedictine spirituality can help everyone better live as Christians in today’s world? Then please consider signing up for this year’s book study on The Rule of Benedict: A Spirituality for the 21st Century. Using Benedictine Sr. Joan Chittister’s commentary on the Rule and its applications for life today, we’ll learn about how a rule of life written in the sixth century can still inform and nurture us today. The class began on Thursday, April 24 and runs through mid-September (exact date to be determined, as we will miss a few Thursdays here and there over the course of the summer). We’ll meet from 6:00 to 7:00 PM in the Parish Hall Conference Room at St. Gregory’s. You are welcome to purchase and use either a print copy or an e-copy of the book; both versions are readily available online or your favorite bookstore. Contact Mother Sharon if you have any questions. See you there!
From the Diocese
Camp Stevens summer camp registration open
Registration is now open for summer sessions for children at Camp Stevens, the diocesan facility in Julian, California. Camp sessions will be held as follows:
Session 1: June 22 – June 27, ages 8-15
Session 2: July 6 – July 11, ages 8-15
Session 3: July 20 – July 25, ages 8-15
Session 4 (International Odyssey): August 3 – August 9, ages 12-17
“At Camp Stevens, summer campers experience the best of childhood and young adulthood; they find wonder in the natural world, build meaningful connections with peers, gain confidence from trying new things, and strengthen their own values with the support of caring counselors and staff,” the Camp Stevens website says.
Tiered pricing is available, for families to pick the price that best matches their ability to pay. For those in need of additional financial assistance for camp fees, applications for “camperships,” offering additional financial support, are available.
Learn more and register here.
https://campstevens.org/summer/#programs_summercamp
Bishop Search Committee offers updated timeline
The Bishop Search Committee has released an updated version of the Bishop Search timeline. The estimated dates for milestones in the Bishop Search are below:
Early May, 2025: Transitions Committee is announced.
Early June, 2025: The diocesan profile is published, and the call for nominations is announced.
June 27, 2025: Nominating period closes.
July-August, 2025: The Search Committee reviews candidate files, conducts Zoom interviews and reference and background checks, and invites finalists to a discernment retreat.
Early September, 2025: The slate of candidates is announced, and the nominating period for petition candidates opens.
October 20-25, 2025: "Meet-and-Greets" are held across the diocese to introduce all candidates to the members of the diocese and the diocese to the candidates.
November 7-8, 2025: The election of the bishop takes place during the annual diocesan convention in Riverside.
May 2026: The bishop-elect begins work in the diocese.
July 11, 2026: Consecration and ordination of the new bishop.
July-September, 2026: Bishop Taylor remains as a consultant, providing support during the transition.
October, 2026: Bishop Taylor retires.
St. Thomas Post Scripts
Hospitality Sign-ups
Maya 18 8:00 am_________________________
10:15 am Sanjay and Melissa
May 25 8:00 am John Cordi
10:15 am Wendy Craft
June 1 8:00 am Lainy
10:15 am Shelley
May Canterbury Tales: We are in need of articles for the St. Thomas Canterbury Tales publication. Please send all article information to Bill Henderson at whender808@yahoo.com, whender808@gmail.com or Rick Fridrick at stlb47@verizon.net, or call the Church office. Articles should be submitted no later than noon on Monday, May 28, 2025.
St. Thomas Tiding: If you have any article/announcement for the tiding please send to Rick Fridrick at stlb47@verizon.net or call the Church office.
Service Reminder: All our services stay on our Facebook page so you can view them whenever it’s convenient for you. It’s always better to view a service later in the day than not at all! The link to the page for all our services is here: https://www.facebook.com/Saint-Thomas-of-Canterbury-Episcopal-Church-of-Long-Beach-CA-124554214274325
Share Our Services: Please feel free to share our Sunday services. The more people we reach, the better we do at evangelism. People are hungry for what we have to offer, and I encourage you to do your part to share our services with your friends and neighbors. Send them the link when you email them, invite them to join you on Facebook or in person… whatever way works best for you to share what we have to offer.
Episcopal News Updates: These email updates from the diocese are a great way to stay informed about what’s happening all over our six-county diocese. If you want to receive the Episcopal News, visit https://diocesela.org/episcopal-news/contact/ and enter your email address in the box provided.
Reminder the Church office is open Monday-Friday: If you have any need, Rick Fridrick is in the Church office Monday-Thursday from 9:00 am – 1:00 pm and Friday from 9:00 am – Noon. 562-425-4457
Pastoral Care: If you have normal “every day” pastoral concerns, contact Rick in the office at 562-425-4457, or Allen at (714) 381-5910. We hope to have a more detailed pastoral care plan soon.