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Studies have shown that 80% of the people who make New Year’s resolutions fail by February. By that measurement, and by the time you read this, eight out of ten of you will break your newly-formed resolutions within three to four weeks! How does that feel? What a lousy, torturous way to start off the New Year.
The Church provides us with a better and more thorough way to amend our lives. Nearly every Sunday throughout the year, we have during the service the “Confession of Sin” and absolution.
Within that confession, we acknowledge our participation in thoughts, words, or deeds, or omissions that are not very helpful to others. It’s kind of like making New Year’s resolutions every Sunday but with the added benefit of frequent and regular review of how we may have “missed the mark” and then receive encouragement and strength and
forgiveness by the Holy Spirit. Wow! Simple New Year’s resolutions look like solitary acts of frustration in comparison.
So, here’s an idea. Be resolved to attend every Sunday service throughout 2018 where we are fed by God in Word and Sacrament, enjoy good music, a caring community with lively fellowship and plenty of laughs, and then move forward into the week in peace to love and serve the Lord. Thanks be to God, indeed!
Blessings,
Fr.Bruce+
Resolutions Volume 3, Issue 2
United & Empowered
by the Love of
Our Lord Jesus Christ
Page 2 V OLU ME 3 , IS SU E 2 T HE CR OSS TI ES
IT IS NOT TRUE that creation and the human family are doomed to destruction and loss.
THIS IS TRUE: For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believe in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.
IT IS NOT TRUE that we must accept inhumanity and discrimination, hunger and poverty, death and destruction.
THIS IS TRUE: I have come that they may have life, and that abundantly.
IT IS NOT TRUE that violence and hatred should have the last word, and that war and destruction rule forever.
THIS IS TRUE: Unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder, his name shall be called wonderful coun-cilor, mighty God, the Everlasting, the Prince of peace.
IT IS NOT TRUE that we are simply victims of the powers of evil who seek to rule the world.
THIS IS TRUE: To me is given authority in heaven and on earth, and lo I AM, with you, even until the end of the world.
IT IS NOT TRUE that we have to wait for those who are specially gifted, who are the prophets of the Church before we can be peacemakers.
THIS IS TRUE: I will pour out my spirit on all flesh and your sons and daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions and your old men shall have dreams.
IT IS NOT TRUE that our hopes for liberation of hu-mankind, of justice, of human dignity, of peace are not meant for this earth and for this history
THIS IS TRUE: The hour comes, and it is NOW, that the true worshipers shall worship God in spirit and in truth.
Written by Daniel Berrigan, S.J., in Testimony: The Word Make Flesh (Maryknoll, N.Y.: Orbis Books, 2004).
Advent Credo
Women of the Church
January Meeting
St. Thomas’ Lower Parish Hall
Monday, January 15th at 11:00 a.m.
Gifts for the King
presented by Lynda Turbeville
Lunch will be served
V OLU ME 3 , IS SU E 2 Page 3
A BIG Thank You from the Outreach Committee
T HE CR OSS TI ES
Hebrews 13:16 – “And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.”
The Outreach Committee has not only been pleased, but at times overwhelmed with your generous giving to local programs that support those in need in Lee County. You have supported the Breadbasket with food and supply donations; Christians United Outreach Center (CUOC) through their school supplies distribution, Back Pack Pals, and food; Family Promise by providing 3 meals 3 times during the year; Carolina Animal Rescue & Adoption by providing food, supplies, and financial contributions in conjunction with our Blessing of the Animals; and this past month many of you were angels to 16 residents of Keller Oak Haven Retirement Center.
In addition to your direct gifts, we have used the money allotted us in our budget to purchase flooring at the Family Promise house and make a donation to the Helping Hand Clinic. We have supplied a gift box of doughnuts for the first responders in our community.
As we get ready to plan for 2018, please let us know of opportunities for giving you might like for us to consider. You are also welcome to join our committee if you would like to be more involved in this area of service at St. Thomas.
Thank you for all you have done.
The Outreach Committee
Page 4 V OLU ME 3 , IS SU E 2 T HE CR OSS TI ES
Office of Adult Formation and Lifelong Learning Video Library
http://www.dionc.org/School%20of%20Ministry/school-of-ministry-video-library-episcopal-diocese
With the support of a grant from the Jessie Ball duPont Fund, the former School of Ministry pro-duced these courses for use in congregations, and are intended as a stimulus for adult group dis-cussion. The DVDs cover a variety of biblical, theological and ecclesiological subjects. The brief programs, usually lasting between 12 and 15 minutes, draw upon the rich human resources of our diocese. Facilitator's guides for each course are also available for download, as are course evalua-tions.
All nine courses (more than 35 programs of varying lengths from 5 minutes to 25 minutes) are also available on DVD through the diocesan office in Greensboro. Please contact Shelley Kappauf if you'd like to borrow a DVD series.
Along with the courses available below, in Spring 2012 the Swindell Speakers' Fund Committee worked with Diana Butler Bass and created a six-week book study on her book, Christianity After Religion: The End of Church and the Birth of a New Spiritual Awakening. The book study that in-cludes a weekly video and discussion guide is still available for use. Click here for all of the re-sources you need.
COURSES
DREAM A NEW WORLD: HEARING A DEACON'S CALL Click here for more information on the diac-onate
CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE KINGDOM OF GOD Facilitator's Guide
CONVERSATIONS ABOUT A THEOLOGY OF PARTNERSHIP Facilitator's Guide
HARSH GROUND, HOLY GROUND: ESTABLISHING THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH IN NORTH CAROLI-NA Facilitator's Guide
LIVING THE WAY OF JESUS: REFLECTIONS ON THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT Facilitator's Guide
REFLECTIONS ON CHRISTIAN FORMATION Facilitator's Guide
A RECKLESS FAITH: STUDIES IN THE GOSPEL OF MARK Facilitator's Guide
A THEOLOGY OF FOOD: WHAT WE EAT AND WHY IT MATTERS Facilitator's Guide
TOWARD A MISSIONARY DIOCESE Facilitator's Guide
T HE CR OSS TI ES Page 5 V OLU ME 3 , IS SU E 2
Is Anyone Missing Baby Jesus? by Jean Gietzen
About a week before Christmas, the family bought a new nativity set. When they unpacked it, they found two figures of the Baby Jesus. "Someone must have packed this wrong," the Mother said, counting out the figures. "We have one Joseph, one Mary, three wise men, three shepherds, two lambs, a donkey, a cow, an an-gel and two babies. Oh, dear! I suppose some set down at the store is missing a Baby Jesus because we have two." "You two run back down to the store and tell the manager that we have an extra Jesus. Tell him to put a sign on the remaining boxes, saying that if a set is miss-ing a Baby Jesus, call 7126. Put on your warm coats. It is freezing out there."
The manager of the store copied down Moth-er's message and the next time they were in the store they saw the cardboard sign that read, "If you are missing Baby Jesus, call 7126." All week long they waited for someone to call. Surely, they thought someone was missing that im-portant figurine. Each time the phone rang, Mother would say, "I'll bet that's about Jesus.", but it never was. Father tried to explain there are thousands of these scattered over the coun-try and the figurine could be missing from a set in Florida or Texas or California. Those packing mistakes happen all the time. He suggested to just put the extra Jesus back in the box and for-get about it.
"Put Baby Jesus back in the box! What a terrible thing to do!" said the children. "Surely someone will call," Mother said. "We'll just keep the two of them together in the manger until someone calls.
"When no call had come by 5:00 PM on Christ-mas Eve, Mother insisted that Father just run down to the store to see if there were any sets left. "You can see them right through the win-dow, over on the counter," she said. "If they are
all gone, I'll know someone is bound to call tonight."
"Run down to the store?" Father thundered. "It's 15 below zero out there!" "Oh, Daddy, we'll go with you," Tommy and Mary began to put on their coats. Father gave a long sigh and headed for the front closet. "I can't believe I'm doing this," he muttered. Tommy and Mary ran ahead as father reluctantly walked out in the cold. Mary got to the store first and pressed her nose up to the store window. "They're all gone, Daddy," she shouted. "Every set must be sold." "Hooray" Tommy said. "The mystery will now be solved tonight!" Father heard the news still a half block away and immediately turned on his heel and headed back home. When they got back into the house, they noticed that Mother was gone and so was the extra Baby Jesus figu-rine.
"Someone must have called and she went out to deliver the figurine," my Father reasoned, pull-ing off his boots. "You kids get ready for bed while I wrap Mother's present." Then the phone rang. Father yelled "answer the phone and tell 'em we found a home for Jesus." But it was Mother calling with instructions for us to come to 205 Chestnut Street immediately, and bring three blankets, a box of cookies and some milk.
"Now what has she gotten us into?" my Father groaned as we bundled up again. "205 Chest-nut. Why that's across town. Wrap that milk up good in the blankets or it will turn to ice before we get there. Why can't we all just get on with Christmas? It's probably 20 below out there now. And the wind is picking up. Of all the cra-zy things to do on a night like this!"
Finish on Page 7
WOC December Event
Page 6 V OLU ME 3 , IS SU E 2 T HE CR OSS TI ES
A large and appreciative group gathered to enjoy the "open to the public" December meeting of St. Thomas' Women of the Church on December 4. Anita Burroughs-Price, harpist of the North Carolina Symphony, was guest recitalist. Her program contained seasonal carols as well as works by Britten, Handel, Haydn, and Bach.
The audience thrilled to the beauty of the instrument and the virtuosity of the harpist. A reception honoring the guest performer was held in the Lower Parish Hall following the recital.
Page 7 T HE CR OSS TI ES V OLU ME 3 , IS SU E 2
Continue: Is Anyone Missing Baby Jesus?
When they got to the house at 205 Chestnut Street, it was the darkest one on the block. Only one tiny light burned in the living room and, the moment we set foot on the porch steps, my Mother opened the door and shouted, "They're here, Oh thank God, you got here, Ray! You kids take those blankets into the living room and wrap up the little ones on the couch. I'll take the milk and cookies."
"Would you mind telling me what isgoing on, Ethel?" my Father asked. "We have just walked through below zero weather with the wind in our faces all the way." "Never mind all that now," my Mother interrupted. "There is no heat in this house and this young mother is so upset she doesn't know what to do. Her husband walked out on her and those poor little children will have a very bleak Christmas, so don't you com-plain. I told her you could fix that oil furnace in a jiffy." My mother strode off to the kitchen to warm the milk while my brother and I wrapped up the five little children who were huddled together on the couch.
The children's mother explained to my father that her husband had run off, taking bedding, clothing, and almost every piece of furniture, but she had been doing all right until the furnace broke down. "I been doing washin' and ironin' for people and cleanin' the five and dime," she said. "I saw your number every day there, on those boxes on the counter. When the furnace went out, that number kept going' through my mind... 7162... 7162.Said on the box that if a per-son was missin' Jesus, they should call you. That's how I knew you were good Christian people, willin' to help folks. I figured that maybe you would help me, too. So I stopped at the gro-cery store tonight and I called your missus. “
I'm not missin' Jesus, mister, because I sure love the Lord. But I am missin' heat. I have no money
to fix that furnace." "Okay, Okay" said Father. "You've come to the right place. Now let’s see. You've got a little oil burner over there in the dining room. Shouldn't be too hard to fix. Proba-bly just a clogged flue. I'll look it over, see what it needs."
Mother came into the living room carrying a plate of cookies and warm milk. As she set the cups down on the coffee table, I noticed the fig-ure of Baby Jesus lying in the center of the table. It was the only sign of Christmas in the house. The children stared with wide-eyed wonder at the plate of cookies my mother sat before them. Father finally got the oil burner working but said, "You need more oil." "I'll make a few calls tonight and get some oil." "Yes sir, you came to the right place," said the woman.
On the way home, father did not complain about the cold weather and had barely set foot inside the door when he was on the phone. "Ed, hey, how are ya, Ed? Yes, Merry Christmas to you, too. Say, Ed, we have kind of an unusual situa-tion here. I know you've got that pick-up truck. Do you still have some oil in that barrel on your truck?" "You do?" By this time the rest of the family were pulling clothes out of their closets and toys off of their shelves. It was long after their bedtime when they were wrapping gifts. The pickup came. On it were chairs, three lamps, blankets and gifts. Even though it was 30 below, Father let us ride along in the back of the truck.
No one ever did call about the missing figure in the nativity set, but as I grow older, I realize that it wasn't a packing mistake at all. Jesus saves, that's what He does. Based on Jean Gietzen writings on the internet from the book "If You're Missing Baby Jesus". Published by and available at Random House
Page 8 V OLU ME 3 , IS SU E 2
T HE CR OSS TI ES
For those who are ill:
Barbara; Joan; Jack Beyer; Chuck Boyd; Carol Bradford; Ruth Cameron; Scott Caviness; Pat Clark; Claudia Cox; Di-ane Hancock; Charlotte Hohenstein; Bill Hyde; Cindy Julich; Pat Kirkman; Mary Klancher; Rhett Louis; Mary Louise Matthews; Rebecca Pascoe; Steve Smith; Layne Wright.
For strength and guidance:
Sarah and Justin; Claudia Cox; Anne L.; Victoria Naegele & family; John Rogerson; Vicki Russell; the Vestry; Steve and Barbara Yuskevich.
For those serving in our armed forces deployed and at home.
Praises: For the continuing growth of St. Thomas’
Our Prayer List
4 Jeremy Linney
6 John Rogerson
17 Jessica Linney
27 Ruth Cameron,
Jan Carlson
7 John and Pat Kirkman
Birthdays and Anniversaries in January
Please note that if your birthday is not listed please contact the Church office.
Caretaker’s Corner
As we begin this year of 2018, let us be mindful of all the changes of 2017 and what look ahead to what is in store for us in 2018. It has been an exciting year that has seen wonderful changes in
attitude and openness between us. Seeing this growth and the release of pass of hurts has been a blessing of its own. So, to begin this new year I give you this lovely blessing for the year to come
(See the following page). I hope you all hold it in your hearts and minds through this coming year.
Victoria
T HE CR OSS TI ES Page 9 V OLU ME 3 , IS SU E 2
In out-of-the-way places of the heart, Where your thoughts never think to wander, This beginning has been quietly forming, Waiting until you were ready to emerge.
For a long time it has watched your desire, Feeling the emptiness growing inside you, Noticing how you willed yourself on, Still unable to leave what you had outgrown.
It watched you play with the seduction of safety And the gray promises that sameness whispered, Heard the waves of turmoil rise and relent, Wondered would you always live like this.
Then the delight, when your courage kindled, And out you stepped onto new ground, Your eyes young again with energy and dream, A path of plenitude opening before you.
Though your destination is not yet clear You can trust the promise of this opening; Unfurl yourself into the grace of beginning That is at one with your life’s desire.
Awaken your spirit to adventure; Hold nothing back, learn to find ease in risk; Soon you will be home in a new rhythm, For your soul senses the world that awaits you
Taken from the book: To Bless the Space Between Us
by John O’Donohue
For A New Beginning by John O’Donohue
“Cross Ties”
is published monthly by
St. Thomas’ Episcopal Church
312 N. Steele St., Sanford, NC
Office: (919) 774-8644
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://stthomassanford.dionc.org
Office Hours
Beth Wood, Admin. Asst.
M & F, 9AM- 12PM
Tu, W, & Th, 9AM – 1PM
Rector
The Rev. Bruce Heyvaert
We extend a warm welcome from our church
community. We at St. Thomas’ believe that:
Whatever your religious background
Whatever your history
However you have come to be drawn to the Lord
You are welcome to walk your journey of life with us
at St. Thomas' Episcopal Church.
For Quiet Confidence
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 page 832
The Parish Staff
Director of Music
Dr. Jo Ann Bowman
Organist
June Burbage
Nursery Care
Katie Yuskevich
Lay Leaders
Andy White, Treasurer
Women of the Church
Cornelia Olive
Outreach Committee Chair
Pat Kirkman
Cross Ties Editor
V. Naegele
The Parish Vestry
Cornelia Olive, Sr. Warden
Wendy Seymore, Clerk
Serving through 2018
Wendy Seymore
Elizabeth Zeph
Bob Carlson
Serving through 2019
Bill Bradford
Jeremy Linney
Cornelia Olive
Serving through 2020
Kay Hefllin
Barbara Duffy
Joann Thaxton
@ St. Thomas
