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Spring Theology Lecture by Fr Austin -updated May 9, 2013
What Is Christian Ethics? Is Christian ethics something different from simple ethics? What is the importance of the Bible to ethics? Are virtues different for Christians than for other people? The lecture took place at 6:30pm on Wednesday, May 1, following the Festal Eucharist for Saint Philip and Saint James. A webcast of the lecture is now available.
Father Austin’s book, Christian Ethics: A Guide for the Perplexed, published by T&T Clark/Bloomsbury in the U.K., is presently available in our bookstore and elsewhere, and also in electronic formats.
Ascension Day with Nancy Mead -posted April 25, 2013
On Ascension Day, Thursday, May 9, Nancy Mead will give an illustrated talk in the Church on her latest walk in Italy, from Rome to the Adriatic shore to the “heel of the boot”. The evening begins at 5:30 p.m. with Festal Eucharist, and ends with a reception after the talk. All are welcome.Many Thanks! March Concert Raises Thousands -posted April 25, 2013
On March 11, 2013 Bach Collegium Japan (Masaaki Suzuki, conductor) joined with John Scott to hold a benefit concert, Music of J.S Bach, to raise funds for the victims who continue to suffer in the aftermath of the tsunami in Japan and Hurricane Sandy in New York. In addition to enjoying Bach’s glorious music which was beautifully performed, the audience heard moving remarks by Japan’s Consul General in New York, Ambassador Shugeyuki Hiroki, and by Alan Gilbert, Music Director of the New York Philharmonic.
The concert raised $13,864--proceeds were distributed evenly to two charities. Tohoku Help in Miyagi, Japan, received $6,932 to aid local organizations serving individuals in the regions hardest hit by the tsunami. In New York, Episcopal Charities received the same amount. To quote from the April 22, 2013 letter of thanks from their Executive Director, Mary Beth Sasso: “Your thoughtful contribution will help support programs that are helping those working to recover and rebuild in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. We continue to fulfill requests from parishes whose communities require disaster-related assistance. Our Director of Programs, The Rev. Sam Smith is working closely with others in the Diocese and beyond to ensure that longer-range impacts are also considered as affected areas continue the process of recovery….Our thanks go out to everyone involved with the benefit concert.”
George Shearing CD to Support Organ Fund-posted April 15, 2013
Recorded in the Shearings’ living room in 1983, the music found in George Shearing at Home was unearthed in 2012 by the bassist who gave it to George’s wife, Ellie. She shepherded it through sound engineers and other musicians who said, “This has got to be heard.”
And now it can be heard. The world-wide release of the CD occured on April 15, 2013. You may purchase it here. Half of the proceeds will be a gift to the Organ Fund from Sir George and Lady Shearing.
From Don Thompson's description in the CD jacket: This is George in the most relaxed recording situation imaginable...playing his own piano in his own apartment. No red light, no producer, no engineer making the piano too bright or too loud and most importantly, he wasn't playing a show. No audience to please, no reason to play except to make beautiful music.
Latest Music List Now Available-posted March 25, 2013
The new music list, covering choral services from the Second Sunday of Easter (April 7) through the Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost (September 1) can be found here.Choirmaster's Conference-posted March 25, 2013
Join us for this year's Choirmaster's Conference on May 5-7, featuring Dr. Christopher Robinson. Complete details as well as a registration form can be found here.Latest Rector's Chronicle Now Available-posted March 14, 2013
In this Lenten Chronicle, the Rector writes about Holy Week, Fr Fletcher, Jon Meacham, Fr Austin, two new assistant organists, the Eton Choirbook, Kierkegaard, Dr Stires and Dr Noble. He does all of this before he answers, at long last, a $77,000 parish history question.Easter Outreach-posted March 10, 2013
Our parish is providing Easter baskets and clothes to children in need. Please help us to provide Easter baskets filled with treats and also Easter outfits for children staying with their mothers at a shelter for victims of domestic abuse.
There are three ways you can help:
1. You may purchase items of clothing, or provide foil covered chocolate egges, wrapped chocolate bunnies, wrapped Easter candy and other small treats for the baskets. Please see Susan Clearwater, Mae Eversely or Anne Daniels for specific information, or simply email Linda Morfi.
or
2. Donate money by sending a check made payable to Saint Thomas Church, earmarked for the Easter Drive, to Saint Thomas Church, ATTN: Linda Morfi, Easter Drive, 1 West 53rd Street, New York, NY 10019
or
Two New Assistant Organists-posted March 3, 2013
We are pleased to announce that Stephen Buzard and Benjamin Sheen will soon join the staff of Saint Thomas Church and Choir School as Assistant Organists. Both Stephen and Ben are of a similar generation. Stephen is currently Organ Scholar of Trinity Church-on-the-Green in New Haven, CT and is just finishing his MMus at Yale. Ben has been our Acting Assistant Organist since November and finishes his MMus at Juilliard School in May. We are delighted that they both have accepted the invitation to join the staff, full-time, after the completion of their studies.Holy Week and Easter-posted March 2, 2013
In depth details are now being added to the website calendar regarding Holy Week and Easter, which begins with Palm Sunday on March 24. Service leaflets will be added to each service listing on the calendar as each leaflet is completed. All choral worship services during Holy Week will be webcast live and then available on-demand. Please join us every day of Holy Week. You will not regret it.- 4-page Printable Guide to Holy Week & Easter
- Palm Sunday
- Holy Monday, including a musical meditation
- Holy Tuesday, including a musical meditation
- Holy Wednesday, including Tenebrae
- Maundy Thursday, including the Mandatum, the Procession of the Blessed Sacrament to the Altar of Repose, the Stripping of the Altar, and the Watch
- Good Friday, including the Three Hours Devotion
- Holy Saturday, including the Great Vigil & First Eucharist of Easter
- Easter Day
Lent Begins-posted February 13, 2013
Join us as we begin the holy season of Lent. Ash Wednesday services on February 13 are at 8am (said), 12:10pm (full choir) and 5:30pm (full choir). Ashes are imposed throughout the day. The First Sunday in Lent is February 17, with a said service at 8am, a sung service at 9am, the Litany and Choral Eucharist at 11am, and Choral Evensong at 4pm.Rector's weekly audio message: lenten discipline
Lenten meditations
Authority Shortlisted for Ramsey Prize- posted December 18, 2012
The Archbishop of Canterbury announced a few days ago the shortlist for the 2013 Michael Ramsey Prize (MRP). The prize will be awarded at The Telegraph Hay festival in May 2013.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, who initiated the prize in 2005, commented, "As in previous years, we have a broad variety of books submitted for the prize, all of them displaying the creative qualities we are looking for. Once again, the Michael Ramsey Prize shows that accessible theological writing of high quality is in good supply, and I and the other judges look forward greatly to tackling these works, and to bringing them to the wider public in the context of the Hay Festival next year."
The shortlisted titles are:
Victor Austin, Up with Authority
Luke Bretherton, Christianity and Contemporary Politics
John Gillibrand, Disabled Church
Paula Gooder, Heaven
Michael Lodahl, Claiming Abraham
Thomas Yoder Neufeld, Jesus and the Subversion of Violence
The shortlisted books will now be read by the seven judges who will come together in Hay-on-Wye on 28th May 2013 to choose the winning title.
The judges are:
The outgoing Archbishop of Canterbury,Dr Rowan Williams;
his wife, theologian and teacher Jane Williams;
Prof Sarah Coakley, Norris-Hulse Professor of Divinity at the University of Cambridge;
Bishop Stephen Cottrell, Bishop of Chelmsford;
Dr Denise Inge, Honorary Senior Research Fellow at the University of Worcester;
Fr Alban McCoy, Catholic Chaplain to the University of Cambridge;
and Neil MacGregor, Director of the British Museum.
The Michael Ramsey Prize for 2013 will be awarded to the author of a theological work that is judged to contribute most towards advancing theology and making a lasting contribution to the faith and life of the Church.
Congratulations, Fr Austin!
Webcast of the Fall 2012 Theology Lecture
On Thursday, October 18, 2012
6:30pm
we welcomed
Brian Davies
of Fordham University
author of
An Introduction to the Philosphy of Religion
Aquinas on God and Evil.
Listen to a webcast of the lecture here.
