Sixth Sunday after Epiphany

 
 

Choose life so that you and your descendants may live, loving the Lord your God. — Deuteronomy 30:19-20

Deuteronomy 30:15-20

The Magic Word, by Mac Barnett (PreK+)

1 Corinthians 3:1-9

Farmer Will Allen and the Growing Table, by Jacqueline Briggs (Grade 1+)

Matthew 5:21-37

Julius, the Baby of the World, by Kevin Henkes (PreK+)

 

In this week’s text from Deuteronomy, Moses speaks to the Israelites before they reach the promised land. “Choose life!” he tells them. What does it mean to choose life? The short answer Moses gives is “loving the Lord your God, walking his ways, and observing his commandments.” When we have small children, we encourage them to choose sharing over grabbing, being a friend instead of a mean-y, using gentleness instead of hitting. We offer them simple choices to grow their independence within boundaries. “Would you like an apple or a clementine with your lunch today?” As our children grow, choices multiply and grow in complexity. Our kids navigate choosing friends, choosing to study for a test (or not), and all kinds of other more hair-raising issues. We find ourselves shouting “Make good choices!” at them as they slam the car door and run into school. It turns out that choosing life over death is a complicated thing that takes a lot of practice. In Mac Barnett’s book The Magic Word, Paxton chooses to substitute his own “magic word” for the “please” his babysitter expects. “Alakazoomba!” turns out to be a word that gets Paxton whatever, and I mean whatever, he wants, no matter how absurd or extravagant. Eventually, Paxton has wished everyone away, because they did not agree with him, and discovers that he is lonely. Barnett’s humor is enhanced by Elise Parsley’s expressive illustrations.
Older readers will appreciate Roald Dahl’s book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Jump to the resources from September 4 for that one.

Paul’s letter to the Corinthians is famously full of scolding. The church in Corinth is struggling to choose life. They keep getting distracted by unimportant things. Paul reminds them that they need to focus on growing in their ability to follow God’s ways. He compares the church to a field full of seeds ready to grow. He says that it does not matter who planted the seeds, but it matters that God gives them what they need to grow. Those of you are gardeners may already be looking ahead to the spring and planning your garden beds. Gardeners put time, energy, and planning into their gardens, even in winter. Jacqueline Briggs Martin’s book, Farmer Will Allen and the Growing Table, tells the story of former professional basketball player Will Allen and the magnificent garden he dreamed into existence. Instead of seeing death and ugliness in an abandoned lot in urban Milwaukee, Will Allen saw potential and dreamed of a garden that could feed an enormous table of hungry people. With creativity, persistence, innovation, and collaboration, Will Allen transformed the lot into a thriving urban garden. He was awarded a MacArthur Foundation Genius Fellowship in 2008. While Will Allen’s farming projects have changed over time, his commitment to growing remains strong. While the kind of growth in this story is visible and edible crops, Will Allen’s story connects back to the invisible growth that

happens in our spirits, our hearts, and our minds, when we follow God. With your loved ones, you might talk about the following questions. What kinds of seeds are growing in your own spirits right now? What seeds have not yet sprouted?

This week’s text from Matthew’s Gospel continues the Sermon on the Mount. Chapters 5-7 in Matthew’s Gospel contain this dense portion of Jesus’ teaching. For Matthew, Jesus is like a new Moses—he wanted to remind his readers of Moses giving the law to the Israelites from Mt. Sinai. Can you see connections between the short text from Deuteronomy (where Moses talks to the Israelites about following God’s ways) and this text? Jesus teaches that when we are in a disagreement, we should “be reconciled to our brother or sister” before coming to offer gifts at the altar. While we often think of our entire church community as a church family, and apply his teaching to disagreements in that context, it is also helpful to remember the importance of making up with our biological families when we fight. Kevin Henkes, beloved children’s author and Caldecott Medal winner, has a book that connects will with this theme. In Julius, Baby of the World, Lilly gets angry with her baby brother Julius for monopolizing everyone’s attention. He is just so infuriatingly cute! She resents him. But (there’s always a but...) when her cousin insults Julius, she leaps to his defense. Lilly realizes that Julius is pretty great after all, and the two mice are reconciled. Anger is a powerful emotion that can get out of control before we know it. Let’s be real—a lot of have lost our tempers at some point. When we end up “Hulking out,” we need tools to repair our relationships afterward. Helping our children practice reconciliation at home is a good place to start. With your loved ones, you might wonder together: what makes it hard to calm down when you are angry? What helps you calm down after you have felt angry?

 

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Whenever possible we’ll share links to independent to booksellers. Please consider supporting local and other indepedent bookstores.

Way of St. Paul to be Rescheduled, Andrew Davison Interviews Kara Slade on CTI’s Theology Matters

Way of St. Paul to be Rescheduled

The Way of St. Paul program that was scheduled for Saturday has been canceled due to the fact that Canon Droste came down with Covid. It will be rescheduled for early next month. Stay tuned for more information!

Andrew Davison Interviews Kara Slade
on CTI’s Theology Matters

Also, I recently recorded an interview on my book and the theology of time with Andrew Davison of Cambridge University and CTI — and part of our Trinity family! You can listen to it here:

Twenty-third Sunday after Pentecost

 
 

They shall build houses and inhabit them; They shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. — Isaiah 65:21

Surely it is God who saves me;
I will trust in him and not be afraid. — Isaiah 2:2

Isaiah 65:17-25

Global Babies, by The Global Fund for Children (Infant +)

2 Thessalonians 3:6-13

Little Guys, by Vera Brosgol (PreK 3+)

Luke 21:5-19

So Tall Within: Sojourner Truth’s Long Walk Toward Freedom, by Gary D. Schmidt (PreK 4+)

 

Note: This week’s resource corner focuses on the Hebrew Bible text from RCL Track 1 and the Epistle and Gospel texts from both RCL tracks. Typically, we read the RCL Track 2 texts at Trinity on Sundays.

When they were exiled from their homeland, God’s people left everything behind—homes, gardens, and ancestral places of worship. In this week’s text from Isaiah’s prophecies, God offers hope to the exiles—they will build houses and get to live in them, plant gardens and get to enjoy the fruit they produce. Animals will live peacefully with each other—"the wolf and the lamb shall feed together.” Babies will grow up into adulthood, and old people will enjoy their old age. Global Babies, published by the Global Fund for Children, is a celebration of babies and a fun way to prepare for the Incarnation of Jesus at Christmas. The babies pictured in the book are from all around the globe. As you look through the pages at their tiny faces, breathe in God’s expansive love for all of God’s people, and breathe out a prayer of blessing for babies from all around the world and for the diverse cultural expressions of God’s image.

In this week’s text from 2 Thessalonians, Paul issues a command to his readers. He instructs them, in no uncertain terms, to avoid people in their community who are idling their time away instead of working to contribute to the good of the community. What Paul says is harsh! It is really important to remember the context of his words – some people in the Thessalonian church had stopped working because they believed the rumors (from last week’s text) that Jesus was returning soon. They were just waiting around! Other communities throughout history have taken his words, about who should get food and who should not, and made them into strict laws on social welfare. The Jamestown settlement is one example from early American history. In one commentary on this passage, scholar Mariam Kammel writes, “This passage has nothing to do with whether a social welfare should be in place to catch the helpless in society; this is entirely concerned with those who should and can work but refuse and instead direct their energies to causing chaos in the community.” The Little Guys, by Vera Brosgol, illustrates the mischief caused by (tiny) agents of chaos with the hilarious hijinks of some small, but mighty forest dwellers. All their showing off throws the entire forest into upheaval. The little guys have power, because there are so many of them and they work well together. How could they channel this power to work for the good of the forest and its creatures?

In this week’s text from Luke’s Gospel, Jesus reminds his disciples that following him will not be easy. They will encounter hardships, difficulties, and trials. He also reminds them not to give up hope because he will be with them, giving them strength to endure what comes. Many of us have experienced hardships in the past few years due to the pandemic, isolation, political upheaval, and related uncertainty about the future. Practicing perseverance and cultivating hope for and in God is something that we can help our children learn amid these experiences. Gary Schmidt’s story, So Tall Within: Sojourner Truth’s Long Walk Toward Freedom, connects well with these themes. Sojourner Truth (named Isabella Baumfree at her birth) was born into slavery, and so Schmidt’s story begins in “Slavery Time—where hope is a seed waiting to be planted, when Chains tore families apart like the wind frays a flag.” She grew up in New York and endured many horrors because of enslavement. When she was freed, she changed her name to Sojourner Truth and began living in “Freedom Time— when hope kindled a fire in the dark and Happiness winked over the horizon.” Jesus tells his disciples in the gospel passage that they will have opportunities to testify before kings and governors and that He will give them the words and the wisdom for this testimony. After she gained her freedom, Sojourner Truth traveled the country testifying to the horrors of slavery and of perseverance and faithfulness to God through these horrors. Her story is a powerful depiction of the kind of courage, tenacity in faith, and hope in God that Jesus offers to us.

Note: Because of a loophole in the 13th Amendment to the US Constitution, many people in our nation still live in Slavery Time, although the details are different from institutional slavery on plantations before the Civil War. Just this week, in ballot initiatives, four states in the US (Alabama, Vermont, Oregon, and Tennessee) outlawed slavery as punishment for a crime. This is good news! But the struggle is not over. Louisiana rejected a similar ballot measure.

 

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Whenever possible we’ll share links to independent to booksellers. Please consider supporting local and other indepedent bookstores.

Striving to Live Deliberately

Last Sunday, Paul led a wonderful conversation at our Forum hour on what we think of we we hear the words 'church,' 'religion,' and 'spirituality.' It wasn't surprising that folks had a lot of negative associations with 'church' and 'religion.' The authority of the Church has been used so many times throughout history to harm instead of heal. So many people experience religious practice, and religious community, as a closed fist rather than an open hand.

That's why I was so encouraged by Friday's reflection on James 1:27 in Forward Day by Day app: 'Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.'

The author writes, 'So often we automatically associate the term with an insincerity of faith. But in truth, religion is merely the mechanism of faith. It’s the mode by which we express and walk out what we believe. In reality, we are all religious—and should gladly claim the word...the remedy for insincerity is intentionality. What we get out of faith and practice is ultimately what we put into it. We must strive to live deliberately.'

How is God calling you to live deliberately and intentionally today?

P.S. On this Veterans' Day weekend, we give thanks for all those who have served our country, in peacetime and in war, on the front lines of combat and in the many support roles that make military technologies and operations possible. We remember as well the Armistice that ended the First World War on November 11, 1918 and those who gave their lives in that horrific conflict. I ask your prayers especially for those veterans who struggle with the aftermath of war, and for those who care for them.

Twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost

 
 

Take courage, all you people of the land, says the Lord; work, for I am with you. — Haggai 2:4

For I know that my redeemer lives, And that at the last he will stand upon the earth. — Job 19:25

Haggai 1:15-2:9

Granddaddy’s Turn: A Journey to the Ballot Box, by Michael S. Bandy and Eric Stein (1st Grade +); City of Ember, by Jean DuPrau (4th Grade +)

2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17

What James Said, by Liz Rosenberg (K+)

Luke 20:27-38

I Walk with Vanessa, by Kerascoët (PreK+)

 

Note: This week’s resource corner focuses on the Hebrew Bible text from RCL Track 1 and the Epistle and Gospel texts from both RCL tracks. Typically, we read the RCL Track 2 texts at Trinity on Sundays.

When the people of Israel returned to their ancestral land after the Babylonian Exile, they found the temple in ruins. In the words of the Rev. Dr. Wil Gafney, the people are “disheartened and disenchanted.” As you reflect on this passage, you might dig into the meaning of those two emotions. In this week’s text from Haggai, the prophet (Haggai) reminds the people to “take courage” because the Lord is with them in their work to restore the temple. Even if the temple is not as fancy as it used to be, God is still with the people, just as God was with their ancestors in the “glory days” when the temple was shiny and splendid, and just as God went with the people into exile.

Two books connect well with this lectionary text. The first, Granddaddy’s Turn, by Michael S. Bandy and Eric Stein, is best for younger readers. This book tells the story of the African American struggle for voting rights through the lives of Michael and his grandfather. After waiting for a long time, Granddaddy finally gets a chance to cast his vote in the elections. Michael goes to the ballot box with Granddaddy, but they both experience the bitterness of disappointment when he is turned away without getting a chance to vote. When will justice come? How long must they wait? This issue has recently become contentious again, with pushes for redistricting and increased restrictions on voting throughout the US. As you reflect on this story, you might explore how to advocate for voting rights and justice today.

The second book is better for advanced elementary and middle-grade readers. In Jean DuPrau’s book, City of Ember, the people of Ember are disheartened, much like the Israelites when they return to find their temple in ruins. Built underground, the city of Ember was designed to be the last refuge for humanity. In the past, it was gloriously overflowing with abundant provisions. Now, it is in decay, and the people are struggling to find enough food. The generator which used to power the lights of the city is literally failing. Lina and Doon, two teenagers living in the city, are not ready to give up hope. They team up to find a way out of the failing city. In the final pages, a glimmer of hope appears. This book is the first in a four-part series. As you reflect on the theme of hope in Haggai which connects to both stories, you might discuss what hope looks like in different situations.

In this week’s lectionary text from 2 Thessalonians, Paul exhorts the church in Thessalonica not to trust rumors that Jesus had already returned and that the Day of the Lord had already happened. He writes, “we beg you, brothers and sisters, not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed.” This is, of course, easier said than done. In Liz Rosenberg’s story, What James Said, the main character is shaken up when she hears a rumor that her best friend James said she thought she was “perfect.” Now they are in a fight. She doesn’t want to talk to James anymore. It turns out that he actually said that her painting for the art show is “perfect.” What a relief! Have you ever been shaken or alarmed by rumors? How did that feel? If you found out the rumors were not true, how did that new information change your feelings and thoughts? Often, our emotions effect our bodies. Have you noticed how your body responds to different emotion like joy, fear, sadness, contentment, or relief?

In this week’s text from Luke’s gospel, some people test Jesus with a tricky question about the resurrection. They want Jesus to be very specific about what happens after death. This topic still causes many of us to worry. Talking to children about what happens when we die pushes us to think carefully about our own theology (our way of talking about God). Jesus’ answer to his challengers can help us. He says that God is the God of our ancestors and “the God... of the living.” Somehow, the ancestors we think of as dead are still living with God. This is a mystery that shows us the great power and love of our God. Because we know that God loves us so deeply, the way we live now changes. We can be brave in our lives, reaching out in compassion toward others, because we know the depth of God’s love for us, for our neighbors, and for our world. In the wordless book, I Walk with Vanessa, by Kerascoët, a group of children observes one girl (Vanessa) being bullied by another child. They are worried and afraid. The next morning, one of the group shows bravery by knocking on Vanessa’s door and walking with her to school. This act of compassion prompts other children to join them on their walk. With your loved ones, you might share stories of a time when God’s love was reflected in your actions.

 

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Whenever possible we’ll share links to independent to booksellers. Please consider supporting local and other indepedent bookstores.

Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost

 
 

You are my hiding-place; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance.— Psalm 32:8

Isaiah 1:10-18

Brother Bartholomew and the Apple Grove, by Jan Cheripko (K+)

2 Thessalonians 1:1-4, 11-12

Paul Writes (a Letter), by Chris Raschka (Grade 1+)

Luke 19:1-10

Wings, by Christopher A. Myers (PreK+)

For Halloween

Zen Ghosts, by John J. Muth (PreK+)

For All Saints

The Name Quilt, by Phyllis Root (PreK+)

 

This week’s text from Isaiah reads like a counterpoint to the alternative lectionary text from Habakkuk. In Habakkuk, the prophet is surrounded by destruction. He cries out, “how long?” but resolves to wait and watches for the Lord to act. In Isaiah’s prophecy, the Lord has grown tired of waiting for the people to follow her God. The people spend all their time planning extravagant festivals, when what God wants is for them to “do good, seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow.” Jan Cheripko’s book, Brother Bartholomew and the Apple Grove, connects to this idea of doing justice and the importance of justice for worshiping God well. In the story, the young monk Bartholomew learns about justice by tending an orchard. This orchard is an important source of food for his small community of monks. When he first begins to take care of the trees, he comes up with lots of plans to take care of them, so that they will produce lots of fruit. One of the first things he does is to fix the fence surrounding the orchard to keep the animals out. But when a stag is injured on the fence, Brother Bartholomew learns that keeping the animals out is not truly just. God will still provide enough for the monks to eat, even if the deer and other animals get in and munch up some of the fruits. How might you practice justice in your own lives? How might our church community practice justice together?

Our epistle text this week come from Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians. Paul, as you know, wrote lots and lots of letters to small church communities all over the Mediterranean. He also travelled constantly to visit these churches and to encourage them as they lived out their faith in Jesus. This letter begins with encouragement – Paul is so proud of the Thessalonian church for being faithful and brave, even when things get difficult. Have you ever received a letter full of encouragement? Have you ever sent someone a letter like this? Chris Raschka’s book, Paul Writes (a Letter), is a colorful celebration of Paul’s lively correspondence. After reading this book, you might try writing your own letters. Who would you like to encourage? You can write something simple, like “I’m glad I know you!” or “Hey, I was thinking about you today, and I want you to know how much I love you!” Say a blessing over the postcard or letter and drop it off in the mailbox.

Our gospel text from Luke is the story of Zacchaeus, the tax collector, who climbs up a sycamore tree just to get a glimpse of Jesus when he passes through town. Jesus sees him, and he tells Zacchaeus, “Hurry up and climb down because I’m coming to stay at your house.” Because he was a tax collector, Zacchaeus was an outcast – no one trusted him. Jesus’s visit is an experience of grace that gives him a fresh start. Christopher A. Myers’ book, Wings, tells the story of Ikarus,

who is an outcast at his school because he has wings. One of his classmates overcomes her shyness in order to stand up for Ikarus. Her bravery is an expression of grace that transforms them both. Remember that sometimes compassion takes bravery, and that you can be brave with God’s help. Have you ever been left out until someone noticed you, and reached out to include you? How did that feel? Have you ever reached out bravely with compassion when someone else being excluded? How did that feel? What helped you to be brave in that moment?

Finally, next week, we will celebrate All Saints’ Day, after Halloween. One of my favorite Halloween books is Zen Ghosts, by John J. Muth. Stillwater the panda tells a ghost story to his human friends, Addie, Michael, and Karl. Muth’s watercolor illustrations are hauntingly gorgeous, and Stillwater’s story-within-the-story is provocative and multilayered. The Name Quilt, by Phyllis Root, connects well to All Saints’ Day. Sadie’s grandmother has a quilt with the names of generations of relatives stitched into the squares. At bedtime, Sadie points to names on the quilt and her grandma tells her stories of their ancestors. All Saints’ Day is the perfect occasion to share family stories of our ancestors and their faith. What are your favorite family stories?

 

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Whenever possible we’ll share links to independent to booksellers. Please consider supporting local and other indepedent bookstores.

Experience Early Modern Anglicanism

On Sunday at 5pm, we will hold a service of Evening Prayer with Communion from the 1662 Prayer Book, and at the 9:30am forum, we’ll have an opportunity to learn more about Anglican liturgy of the 16th and 17th centuries. Introduced soon after the restoration of the monarchy, the 1662 Book of Common Prayer is a light revision of its predecessor, the 1559 book. In its own time, it was seen as a compromise between catholic and Reformed practice in the Church of England. To our eyes, however, it seems deeply Protestant. Many aspects of our current liturgical practice are absent: colors in hangings and vestments, candles on the altar, and most of the ritual gestures that you would see in an Episcopal service today.

The 1662 service reflects the influence of the Reformers, as it is deeply grounded in the reading of Scripture. Most of the music is based on the Psalms, the original songs of praise that were so important in the Reformation. The communion service is celebrated from the “north end” of the altar to avoid any implication that the Eucharist repeats the sacrifice of Jesus offered once for all on the Cross, or that the priest is a mediator between the people and God. Because Communion was a more infrequent service, it would be added on to the end of Morning or Evening Prayer which were the regularly scheduled services of the Church.

While the format of the 5pm service may feel different, many of the prayers can be found in almost identical wording in Rite I of our current Prayer Book. Through the Prayer Book tradition, we are connected with our ancestors in the faith, and we hope that connection will enliven your faith today. Come and see!

Our Director of Communication, Adam Bond, in addition to serving as clerk for the 5pm service will be displaying before and after both the 9:30am forum and 5pm service folio editions from his personal collection of the Book of Common Prayer printed in 1662 (rebound in the 1850s) and the first complete print edition of Richard Hooker’s “Of the Lawes of Ecclesiasticall Politie” printed in 1723 in its original binding.

A Transforming and Transformed Community

In his book The Provocative Church, Bishop Graham Tomlin tells this story about his days as a chaplain at Oxford (emphasis mine):

I once talked with a young student who was considering carefully whether to become a follower of Christ or not. He had looked closely at the reasons for and against and found it hard to decide. There seemed good reason to believe, but then again, there was nothing absolutely conclusive about the arguments. He was stuck, not knowing which way to turn. I suggested to him that he try an experiment. For a few weeks, live as if it's really true. Pray as if God is really listening, read the Bible as if God is trying to speak to you through it, meet with other Christians as if God is really present among them. And live not only as if you are loved by God; live as if everyone you meet each day is as well. He thought this sounded reasonable and not impossible, so he agreed to give it a try. He came back a week later. I could tell immediately that something was different. The worried frown he had worn before was transformed into a definite smile. "I did what you said, and it worked! I started to live as if it was true; now I know it is true." He had begun to experience transformation.

Tomlin goes on to say that one mark of a thriving church is that it's a transforming community. It's a place where people's lives are changed, and where people then go on to transform the wider community around them. Individual growth leads to community growth, both spiritually and numerically. Being generically welcoming isn't really sufficient. As Christians, as the people of Trinity Church, we welcome people to something in particular: a transformed life in Jesus.

As we continue to explore our values of love, compassion, and community, I invite you to "live as if it's really true." Pray, read, and love knowing that wherever you go, God is alive, active, and present in your life. I invite you also to pray for Trinity Church, that we may be a transforming community in Princeton.

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