ST. THOMAS’ LIFELINES VOLUME 26, NO. 6 JUNE 2019

Dear St. Thomas Family,

The stars have aligned in such a way this year that I have a family trip which will have me away in

Maine for the next two Sundays. The first of these Sundays is an important feast of the Church,

Pentecost, which comes from the Greek word for fiftieth because this Sunday is the fiftieth day of

the Easter season. The roots of Pentecost are the Jewish feast day Shavuot (“Weeks”), which is

celebrated fifty days (a week of weeks!) after Passover. In ancient Israel there were traditionally two

major harvests. The early harvest of wheat was in May or early June which corresponded with

Shavuot. Shavuot also came to be a celebration of thanksgiving for the day that God gave the

Israelites the Torah, or Law.

Shavuot was, like Passover, a pilgrim festival. According to the Jewish Law, adult Jewish men would

travel to Jerusalem for the celebration. At the time of Jesus, Shavuot was a great harvest

celebration when two loaves of freshly baked wheat bread were offered to God in the Temple. So

this would be the setting for the familiar story of Pentecost told in the Acts of the Apostles, chapter 2.

It would also explain why people speaking so many different languages were already gathered in

Jerusalem. The Torah they celebrated was the Law that bound them together in worship of the

Lord.

Pentecost is also the setting for an important event in the life of the English church from whom we

are descended. On Pentecost Sunday (Whitsunday), 1549, which just happened to fall on June 9

(as it does in 2019), the primary language of public worship in England became, well…English. This

was made possible by the debut on that day of the first Book of Common Prayer. The publication of

the Prayer Book required the work of a commission of scholars, led by Archbishop of Canterbury

Thomas Cranmer, who translated and revised existing Latin texts. This event allowed the English

people to worship in their own tongue and bound them together in worship of the Lord.

Today churches like our Episcopal church that belong to the Anglican Communion make up one of

the world’s largest Christian communities with members in more than 165 countries. The Book of

Common Prayer, in one form or another going back to the original 1549 edition, has been

translated into more than 200 different languages, making accessible our tradition of worship to a

vast portion of the earth’s population.

As you pick up your prayer book to worship this Pentecost, realize that it is a part of the story begun

in Jerusalem where the Holy Spirit empowered the followers of Jesus to spread the Gospel in diverse

languages. I will see you in a couple of weeks!

Yours in Christ,

Mark

S T . T H O M A S’ L I F E L I N E S JUNE 2019 PAGE 2

MORTGAGE UPDATE

The current balance on our mortgage is

$26,445.77. We have 71 payments left to make.

This means payoff is in 6 years, 2025!

Evelyn Rebecca Frazier graduated from Glenvar High

School (class ranking: 1) and

Burton Center for Arts and

Technology (Mass

Communications and Digital &

Web Design programs). She is

headed to the School for the

Arts at Virginia Commonwealth

University, where she will

complete the Cinema program, which includes

two summer-long film intensives after her

sophomore and junior years. In addition, she plans

to minor in French and perhaps to earn VCU's

Certificate in Sustainable Innovation.

Church Upstairs & Church Together

Church Upstairs finished the

2018-2019 season with the

last Church Together

focusing on the Eucharist.

The kids in CU made the

communion bread for the

last Church Together during

their last session.

During the summer,

we'll be making plans

for next year’s CU,

which likely will start

back sometime in

September. Whether

or not you had a child

in CU, you are

encouraged to share

comments about this

year's CU/CT and suggestions for next year's with

Amy Frazier or Father Mark.

Cameron Graham Cameron graduated from

Christiansburg High School on

June 2. He earned several cer-

tifications in auto. Cameron

has decided to join the U.S.

Marine Corps and will be leav-

ing for boot camp on July

28th. Upon graduation, he will

then go to school for MotorT mechanics.

ALTAR FLOWERS

You can sponsor the altar flowers in

memory of or in thanksgiving for

someone. There are order slips

below the Altar Flower Calendar

which is on the wall across from the

coat hooks in the parish hall. Simply

sign up on the calendar and fill out the form. Then

leave it in the box on the parish secretary’s door or

in the collection plate. You can also email your

request to the parish secretary. Donations of $25

are requested.

The altar flower ministry can always use more

volunteers. If you like to volunteer in this ministry,

contact Janet Webster for more information.

VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL

St Thomas is planning a Vacation Bible School with

Christ Church for kids ages 3-8. It will be held here

at St. Thomas July 29-August 3 from 10am-2pm.

Lunch will be included. Please contact Amy

Frazier or Susan Bathgate if you are interested.

Evelyn, Anna, and Emilia Samantha, Mary Ella, Hayden

Anna, Mary Ella, Evelyn, Amy, Emilia

AMERICAN RED CROSS BLOOD DRIVE

We are hosting another Red Cross blood

drive on Saturday, June 8th, from 10am—

2pm. You can sign up on the Red Cross website:

https://www.redcrossblood.org/. Walk ins are wel-

come!

Contact Susan Bathgate for more information or

to sign up to donate.

S T . T H O M A S’ L I F E L I N E S

Servers for MAY Area of Service 2 9

PENTECOST 16

MORNING PRAYER 23 30

Acolytes S-Akan N. C-Dara N.

S-Sara S. C-Macaela R.

TB-Allie P, Seth R. C-Amara O.

S-Cameron G. C-Casey G.

S-Akan N. C-Dara N.

Altar Guild

Lora Beeken Judy Koland

Jacquie Graham Gail Leist

Jacquie Graham Gail Leist

Kathy Pollard Lynn Straub

Kathy Pollard Lynn Straub

Announcements Jeff Pasciak Susan Bathgate Shirley Hallock Bill Kennan Harvey Leist

Chalice Bearer

Mark Priest Rachel Morgante-

Richmeier Danielle Bland Carol Cummings

Cleaning Crews

Cleaning Service Gail Leist

Lynn Straub Cleaning Service

Coffee Hour Gwynn Polidoro

Lynn Straub Liz Swinfen Lora Beeken Danielle Bland

Lay Reader Joel Hagen Judy Koland Bill Kennan Bridget Miller

Nursery Amara & Uche

Okoronkwo Natalie Miller Marie Painter

Dara Ndem Stella

Okoronkwo

Anna Frazier Sara Stauffer

Amara & Uche Okoronkwo

Ushers Jeff Pasciak Mark Miller Sarah Farmer Scott Farmer

Gwynn Polidoro Mark Priest

Francis & Janet Webster

The first Sunday of every month is

FOOD BANK SUNDAY.

The next Food Bank Sunday is

June 2nd.

In April we collected 65 items for

the food bank.

Birthdays

1 Val Tweedie

2 David Jones

Mark Priest

6 Evelyn Frazier

9 Tristan McCarty

10 Emily Pasciak

11 Matthew Pollard

15 Dara Ndem

16 Harvey Leist

22 Jon Greene

Amy Williams

24 Katie Priest

25 David Oliver

26 Tom Bland

30 Sam Okoronkwo

Barbara Piersol

Anniversaries

12 Ann & Mike Alexander

24 Charlie & Lynn Straub

Serve at St. Thomas!

Try serving on Altar Guild, as an

Usher, Acolyte, or in the nursery!

For more information on how you

can serve, contact Jenny Stalvey.

SUNDAY SUMMER SUPPER

Our first Summer Supper will be

Sunday, June 9th, at 5pm at the

home of Jane Carper, 1962 Tyler Rd,

Christiansburg. Bring a dish to

share, something to sit on, and

enjoy a summer evening of good

food and great fellowship with

fellow St. Thomas parishioners!

HAPPY EASTER!

Easter Sunday’s loose plate offering

was designated for the Montgomery

County Emergency Assistance

Program (MCEAP). Thanks to your

generous contributions Easter Day,

$278 was sent to MCEAP!

ST. THOMAS’ LIFEL INES PAGE 5 JUNE 2019

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St. Thomas’ Episcopal Church 103 East Main St.

Christiansburg, VA 24073 540-382-4365

mysthomasoffice@yahoo.com http://www.stthomaschristiansburg.dioswva.org/

ST. THOMAS’ LIFEL INES

SCENES FROM THE BLESSING OF THE BIKES

BEGINNING IN CHRISTIANSBURG.

FR. MARK AND PASTOR WANDA PRESIDING

THE GROUP THEN PROCEEDED ON TO BOYS

HOME IN COVINGTON FOR TOURS AND FOOD.