Shared worship is the living heart of this congregation. Some of us come early to rest in the solace of sunlight through stained glass and the power of wordless music to order the heart. Some come with a burden of sorrow, regret, or apprehension. Some are radiant with gratitude. Some bring children full of energy and questions. Some bring a living, burning vision of the reign of God. Some come to be known, to be welcomed by name. We come for all kinds of reasons, not all of which can be put into words – but we are here together every Sunday morning at St. Thomas.
We are so very thankful to be together for in-person again. From March 2020 until April of 2021, we gave up in-person worship to keep everyone safe. We worshiped together on youtube, and all our past worship videos are available on our youtube channel. Beginning on Easter Day of 2021, we’re once more offering in-person worship with every precaution we can think of to keep everyone safe. Our service times change with the academic year and season, but you’ll always find current information on the HOME page.
Saint Thomas is an inclusive church. As disciples of Christ who value the faith, gifts, and ministry of all God’s people, and who seek justice and reconciliation, we welcome all God’s children to an inclusive community. This welcome is extended without exception and regardless of sex, race, national origin, educational background, sexual orientation, gender identity, physical and mental ability, age, or economic condition. St. Thomas has been a Reconciling In Christ congregation since the 1980s.
8:30 Sunday morning, indoors and masked
There is a FAQ, and here are the key points:
- In keeping with Monroe County guidelines, masks are required. Masks are available at the welcome desk for those who desire them.
- We will be singing!
- We will gather around the altar for Communion. The elements will be bread broken by our Pastor, gluten-free wafers, and wine and grape juice in recyclable cups.
8:30 a.m. Sunday morning, livestreamed on Youtube
Video of the service will be available the rest of the day.
The livestream will begin at 8:30 on our Youtube channel. The service bulletin is included in the Youtube video and the channel also includes a link to a printable version of bulletin.
11:00 Sunday morning, outdoors and masked
There is a FAQ, and here are the key points:
- Even though the rate of transmission outdoors seems extremely low, we are requiring worshipers to wear masks. We also are asking people to maintain six feet between households.
- We will be on the patio and drop off circle between the worship space and Heritage Hall. Please bring a chair with you; a limited number of chairs will be available.
- It will probably be warm, so please dress accordingly. Outdoor worship is casual; think “camp” more than “high mass.” There will also be a few pop up canopies that will shade about half the area. On extremely hot days or rainy days, we may shorten the service. In case of rain, we will use the pop up awnings over the altar, so please bring an umbrella or wear rain gear. If there is severe weather, we will cancel worship by 8 a.m. on Facebook, (the Facebook feed also appears on the side bar of our website).
- We will be singing!
- We will be receiving Communion. The elements will be bread broken by our Pastor, gluten-free wafers, and wine and grape juice in recyclable cups. The packaging will be collected before worshippers return to their seats.
What’s it like to worship at St. Thomas?
Sunday morning worship at St. Thomas follows the same pattern almost every week. We begin with prayer and singing, then hear three readings from the Bible and sing or read a Psalm together. There’s a sermon, more singing, and a time of shared prayer with prayers for the church, peace among nations, faithful care of creation, healing, and other matters of concern to the members.
At the end of the Prayers of the People, we greet one another with the Peace of Christ. Then comes the Offering. We offer bread and wine to share. Some people make an offering of money. Some people make an offering of their hopes and intentions, or even their questions and doubts. There’s often an offering of music as well.
After we give thanks together for all these offerings, we begin the service of Holy Eucharist.
The invitation to share in the bread and wine comes from Jesus, not from us, and everyone is welcome to come forward and share it. Through sharing in this bread and wine, we are connected to Christians all over the world and throughout time. After everyone who comes forward has received, there are a few more prayers and blessings, more singing, a dismissal, and some closing music.
Worship that follows this pattern is usually called liturgical worship and the service itself is called a liturgy . As liturgical churches go, St. Thomas is middle-range – our worship is dignified and orderly, but not starchy or formulaic. If liturgical worship is new to you, you may find it takes you a few weeks to become accustomed to it – but Christians have worshiped this way for many hundreds of years, so we hope you’ll take time to give it a chance. We come every Sunday to be part of the Church, the Body of Christ, to be fed in Eucharist by the Body of Christ, and to carry the Body of Christ into the world we live in every day.
- 24-Oct-2021 – Twenty-second Sunday After Pentecost
St. Thomas YouTube channel.
Video of the live worship on YouTube.
Video of the children’s message.
Video of the sermon only.
Worship bulletin. - 17-Oct-2021 – Twenty-first Sunday After Pentecost
- 10-Oct-2021 – Twentieth Sunday After Pentecost
- 03-Oct-2021 – Nineteenth Sunday After Pentecost
The 11 am service will be indoors as inclement weather is forecast.
St. Thomas YouTube channel.
Video of the live worship on YouTube.
Video of the children’s message.
Video of the sermon only.
Worship bulletin.
Along with our staff, a small army of volunteers gathers every Sunday to realize this expression of worship. Readers, ushers, greeters, servers, and the faithful behind-the-scenes people who wash and polish altar dishes, arrange flowers, and look after the candles, vestments, and the altar linen. Also, the ‘circus crew’ who put up and tear down the tents for outdoor worship. We welcome volunteers to this enterprise – come join us!
Children are welcome in our worship. Read more about children in worship.
We invite you to add your special concern to today’s Prayers of the People by writing it on the prayer desk on the left as you enter the sanctuary. Read more about our prayer ministries.
Music is a vital, important part of our worship. Read more about our congregational singing, choirs, organ, and concert series.
Sermons are an important guide to this congregation’s values and our role in the Bloomington community. Along with the livestream videos, we also keep sermon texts online for members to read, think about and share.