What better way to observe “Back to Parish” Sunday than to honor Dr. Rebecca Lyman as she begins her ministry as Adjunct Priest to Saint Thomas preaching at the morning services this day.
Two service times will be offered: 8:00 and 10:30 am. Sunday School will not be meeting this Sunday. Instead, children will join their families in communal worship at the 10:30 am service time and participate in a special song presentation to highlight the day.
WELCOME REV. REBECCA
Please join us in offering Rev. Rebecca a heartfelt welcome! Parish Event Planners (PEP) will be celebrating her arrival with a luncheon at noon following mid morning service – see details below.
REMINDER: IT’S ALSO REGISTRATION SUNDAY
Sunday School will meet again on Sunday, Sept. 17th to kick off the 2017-2018 school year. Now is the time to register!
Parents: There will be a registration table available before 10:30 am service to sign up for the new school year. Please arrive early to allow time to complete registration. Sunday School is open to children (ages 4-12) with nursery care available for infants and toddlers (0 to 4 years). If you have any questions, Contact Sue Beckham
WELCOME LUNCHEON IN COWANS HALL @ NOON
We will be having a luncheon to come together in fellowship and welcome Rev. Rebecca personally to the parish. On the menu for lunch, PEP will prepare a “do it yourself” sandwich buffet bar.
BRING A POTLUCK DISH
To complement luncheon offerings, please bring a side dish such as a salad, other garnishes or snacks to share. Drinks will be provided.
A special cake will be served in honor of Rev. Rebecca with a short program to follow.
DREAMS FOR ST. THOMAS
We will look at some of the “Dreams for St. Thomas” that parishioners have submitted so far and see what steps we might take to make them realities.
PARISHIONERS: STILL TIME TO SUBMIT YOUR DREAM FOR ST. THOMAS
If you haven’t submitted your “Dreams for St. Thomas” yet, please do so as soon as you can. Having more dreams will allow the Vestry to see in which direction they should try to channel their efforts.
INTRODUCING DR. REBECCA LYMAN
Our new adjunct priest, the Rev. Dr. Rebecca Lyman grew up in Michigan. She is the Samuel Garrett Professor of Church History emerita at the Church Divinity School of the Pacific, Berkeley. Educated at Western Michigan University in Religion and History, The Catholic University of America in Medieval and Byzantine Studies and Oxford University in Theology, she taught history at The Church Divinity School of the Pacific and the Graduate Theological Union for many years.
She has published numerous articles and two books on ancient Christian history and theology, including Early Christian Traditions for the New Episcopal Church Teaching Series. She has been a Visiting Scholar at Stanford University and is associated with the Ancient History and Mediterranean Archaeology Group at the University of California in Berkeley. At the moment she is working on a new interpretation of the history of the “Arian” heresy.
She is an Episcopal priest in the Diocese of California and associated with St. Mark’s, Palo Alto. She is married to Andrew Bridges, a lawyer, and has two adult children. Her interests include the history and spirituality of landscape, as well as tennis, skiing, and walking.