Christ the Light

Dear Beloved of Trinity Church,

I’m sitting in my office late in the afternoon. The sun has already set, and if someone were to ask me the time by glancing out the window, I’d guess it was much later in the night. Yet, it’s only late afternoon. Moments like these remind me how vital light is, at least for me. The early darkness during these months can feel heavy and oppressive, casting shadows not only over the world around us but sometimes within our hearts as well.

This experience resonates with life itself. Not every day is filled with light and sunshine. There are seasons when the darkness feels overwhelming, pressing upon our hearts and souls. Yet, in those moments, I’m reminded of the incredible gift of Light—both physical and spiritual.

This Sunday, Christ the King Sunday, we will reflect on this profound and transformative gift—the true Light. From the dawn of creation, when God declared, “Let there be light,” to the radiant Light revealed to us in Jesus Christ—the Light that shines in the darkness and cannot be overcome. It is this Light that sustains us, guides us, and holds us through every season of life.

I warmly invite you to join us this Sunday as we celebrate this divine Light—a beacon of hope, love, and promise that illuminates our lives, now and forevermore.

Let there be light!

Grace and peace,

Paul

Anglican Communion Update

You may have read in the news that Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby has announced his resignation. He stepped down in response to a report on horrific abuses perpetrated over decades by a prominent layperson at a camp for elite boarding school students. The political situation surrounding his resignation is extremely complicated, and some believe he was made a scapegoat by people who disagreed with him over other issues in the Church of England. In any event, it has highlighted once again that the protection of vulnerable members of our community is of paramount importance.   

What happens now? In the Episcopal Church, the Presiding Bishop is elected by the House of Bishops and the election is ratified by the House of Deputies. But the Church of England appoints rather than elects bishops. The Crown Nominations Commission, a group selected as shown in the bafflingly complicated diagram below, will select Archbishop Justin’s successor. Along with officials from the Church of England, the Commission will also include five members of the broader Anglican Communion representing Asia, the Americas, Africa, Europe, and Oceania. It is theoretically possible, but very unlikely, that the Commission will choose a bishop from another part of the Communion. 

The CNC will interview candidates and provide one name to the Prime Minister. A second name will be kept “in reserve” in case there is an issue with the first candidate or if they decline the offer. The Prime Minister then conveys the final result to the King. You can read more about the details of the process here: How is a new Archbishop of Canterbury chosen?

As this process unfolds, I invite your prayers for Archbishop Justin and his family, for Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell, and for the Crown Nominations Commission who will select the next Archbishop. If you have any questions about how the Anglican Communion works, send me an email! 

Kara

Rector’s Annual Report 2024

Dear Good People of Trinity,

What an extraordinary year it has been at Trinity Church! Personally, the sabbatical surpassed all expectations, and on behalf of my family, I want to extend our heartfelt thanks for the time away. It was a truly life-changing experience—a gift that would have been impossible without your support and the Clergy Renewal Grant.

I also want to express my deepest gratitude to Kara Slade for her outstanding leadership during this time. We are blessed to have Kara as our Associate Rector. Her integrity, spirituality, intellect, and faithfulness inspire and uplift us all. I am also sincerely thankful to our dedicated staff, who sustain Trinity not only during this sabbatical season but every day, every week, throughout the year. Thank you to Annie, Lily, Meg, Joseph, Char, Donte, Enrique, and Roberto for your unwavering commitment and service. What an amazing team we have!

My sincere thanks as well to David Schneider, our Senior Warden; Victor Gibbs, our Junior Warden; Stephen Evans, our Finance Chair; and our incredible vestry. I am profoundly grateful for each lay leader, volunteer, team, and committee member. Thank you for your faithful service and dedication—I feel blessed to be part of such a remarkable community, and I am deeply appreciative of each one of you.

During the sabbatical, we spent time in sacred remembrance, reflecting on past seasons and recognizing how God has been with us through life’s journey. We engaged in soulful reflection, exploring God’s work in our hearts and souls in this present season. And we opened ourselves to God’s love, seeking renewal of heart, mind, body, and spirit in preparation for the journey ahead. This renewal is alive within us now.

 This fall, the energy and vitality at Trinity are palpable! Attendance and participation are up, members are engaging and re-engaging in a fresh and vibrant way, and newcomers continue to join us and are finding a home at Trinity Church. We are truly blessed. In a time when, unfortunately, many churches face decline, we are on the rise! This is our moment to rise to the occasion, to meet the challenges and opportunities before us. It is time for us to rise above our fears and anxieties and to dream the dream that God has for us. It is time for us to rise and boldly proclaim the love of God—a love beyond compare. It is time for us to rise with confidence and grace, courage and humility, to be the people of Trinity Church, through whom God can and will do infinitely more than we could ever ask or imagine.

Now is the time—our time—to proclaim, to serve, and to rise to the high and sacred calling of God.

What a blessing it is to journey through the seasons of life with Christ and with one another!

Forward in faith!

Peace and Blessings to all!

Christ the Cornerstone

Dear friends,

Last week, I gave some remarks at a meeting of the Theologies of Pastoral Ministry group in New York. I wanted to share a condensed version with you. 

Thus your fathers were made

Fellow citizens of the saints, of the household of GOD , being built upon the foundation

Of apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself the chief cornerstone.

But you, have you built well, that you now sit helpless in a ruined house?

T.S. Eliot wrote these lines in his poetic cycle Choruses from the Rock. As a whole, it’s a meditation on what went wrong for the Church of England when the conditions of the modern world led people to abandon God, not for another God per se, but for the gods of reason, or faith in human progress, or just out of boredom and lassitude. The church, he writes is a ruined house that no one particularly wants in neighborhoods of “decent godless people, their only monument a thousand lost golf balls.”

It could have been written yesterday, but it was written in 1934. We aren’t in a unique situation as Christians in 2024. In fact, I would argue that there are perhaps no unique situations. Sins, heresies, divisions, and diversions may clothe themselves in new garments, but they are the same as they ever were. I would also argue that perhaps the church has always felt like something of a ruined house. If it didn't, there would be no need for reform.

But the church is made up of people, and the church is always rebuilding from what feels like a pile of rubble. The verses I quoted draw on Ephesians 2, where Paul is trying to argue this newborn church out of conflict over the relationship between Jews and Gentiles. He does so by reminding the Gentiles in Ephesus to keep the main thing the main thing, that “in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.”

There’s an internet meme out there that says there are two main themes to all of Paul's epistles: First, we are heirs through unfathomable grace to unimaginable glory. And second, I am just asking you freaks to be normal for 5 minutes. Sometimes the being normal part is too much to ask in a church made up of fallen humans in need of a Savior! 

And yet, what is possible for the church is possible - not because of us, but because in God all things are possible. We are heirs through unfathomable grace to unimaginable glory. Our church is built on the one true foundation, as Paul writes in Ephesians: “In him the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you also are built together spiritually into a dwelling-place for God.”

Here at Trinity Church, we are built together and held together in Christ; we are grafted into the Promise. We may be forever relighting the candle, forever tending the flame of which we are but stewards. But in Christ, and through Christ, we know that this house will never be ruined.

Yours in Christ, and in Christ alone,

Kara+

P.S. The photo is only peripherally related to my letter, but it’s such a beautiful room that I wanted you to see it. I don’t think I’ve ever “done my homework” in a place like this before! This is the library in the University Club, where we stayed for the meeting. 

Rico

Dear Beloved of Trinity,

On Monday morning, we noticed that our beloved dog, Rico, wasn’t doing well. In fact, he hadn’t been for a few days, and truthfully, he had been in decline over the past year. Rico, who was not young by any means, had been living with diabetes, requiring two insulin injections a day. He also had arthritis. Yet, despite these challenges, he remained a faithful and loving part of our family ever since we adopted him from SAVE over 11 years ago.

We always knew that the day would come, and you know the day I mean, but we never imagined it would be Monday. After taking him to the vet, they ran tests, and the results were not good. Rico was in critical condition, and the cost to stabilize him was high, with no guarantee of recovery. As a family, we made the difficult decision to let him go. We gathered together—both in person and by video call—shared our goodbyes, offered our prayers, and gave Rico a final blessing.

And then, with a simple nod to the vet, a word of consent—“okay”—the decision was made. This little creature, who had been a constant source of love and joy in our lives, was going to die.

I’ve hunted and fished before, where the taking of life is part of the process. But this felt profoundly different. It was the weight of that single word—“okay”—that brought the finality of ending a life so dear to us.

In reflecting on this, I’m reminded of how words have immense power. Just as a word can end a life, it can also bring life. God spoke, and through that divine Word, creation came into being. In our own way, with our words—of hope, love, grace, and mercy—we too can create, heal, and bring new life into being.

Life is fragile, and the boundary between life and death often feels thin. Words of fear, despair, and loneliness can weigh us down, but we hold onto the assurance that the ultimate Word—Jesus, the Word made flesh— brings true life and love into the world.

In this unpredictable world, filled with all kinds of words that carry countless meanings and consequences, may our words be ones of love, hope, grace, and life.

Blessings to our beloved Rico.

Peace and love to you all,

Paul

Journeying Together in Faith!

Dear Trinity Church,

Each year on Kick-Off Sunday, we gather with excitement and hope to begin a new chapter in our shared journey. In these moments, I pray that we reflect on just how much Trinity Church enriches our lives. More than a place of worship; Trinity is our spiritual home—a source of strength that sustains us through the many seasons of life. Faithful stewardship calls us to recommit ourselves to this sacred place, our church home where we gather, grow, and serve.

Stewardship means not only maintaining the physical walls of our beloved church but also nurturing the spiritual and communal bonds that make Trinity a true home for all of us.

To continue this important work, we need your support. Your generosity helps us expand our ministries, care for our sacred space, and ensure that Trinity remains a beacon of hope and faith, both in Princeton and beyond.

As we embark on our 2025 stewardship campaign, I invite you to prayerfully consider how you will support Trinity Church. Whether through financial gifts, volunteering your time, or sharing your talents, every contribution strengthens the fabric of our community and moves us closer to fulfilling our mission. You may make your pledge online here; stewardship letters have been sent via US Postal Service as well.

I am profoundly grateful for all the ways you have supported Trinity Church in the past, and I thank you in advance for your continued generosity. Together, we can embrace the opportunities and meet the challenges before us, ensuring that Trinity remains a welcoming and vibrant spiritual home for all. To that end, I ask you to prayerfully consider making a pledge for the 2025 calendar year. 

Thank you for your faithful generosity and commitment to our beloved Trinity Church.

Forward we go - Journeying together in faith!  

With blessings and gratitude,

Paul

On Being Good Stewards

I’m writing to you from the (tiny) airport in New Bern, NC, waiting to return from the Fall meeting of the General Board of Examining Chaplains of the Episcopal Church. I have the honor of serving as Vice-Chair of GBEC, the committee within the national church that writes, administers, and grades the week-long test that candidates for ordination take towards the end of seminary. It’s one of those jobs within the church that is decidedly less than glamorous: students wish they didn’t have to take the exams, and grading 160 papers right after Christmas is somewhat less than fun. 

But it’s a job that has to be done. The canons of the Episcopal Church require that each ordinand to the priesthood be certified as proficient in 6 areas: Scripture, Church History, Theology, Moral Theology, Liturgy, and the Practice of Ministry. The General Ordination Examination as it now exists was developed in the 1970’s to provide a fairer and more equitable measure of proficiency than what had previously been left up to individual dioceses and bishops. While it is a process that ordinands don’t enjoy, it’s the “least bad” system possible and we are constantly working to make it better than we inherited it. Behind the smiling photos at ordinations lies a lot of behind-the-scenes work, both by ordinands and by the church officials who shepherd them through that process. It isn’t glamorous, but we pray that the result glorifies God and makes it possible to pass the Episcopal Church on to the next generation. It’s an act of faith, and an act of stewardship.  

Our stewardship of Trinity Church works in similar ways. We all appreciate the powerful liturgy and music we experience every Sunday, especially the gifts that Meg, Joseph, and our choirs bring. We love our historic building that is meticulously maintained by Enrique, Roberto, the Buildings and Grounds Committee, and a cast of what seems like hundreds of contractors. Our staff is second to none: hard-working and a cohesive team that works for the good of Trinity Church and for the glory of God. Supporting the mission of Trinity Church by filling out a pledge card and writing a check (or setting up direct withdrawals) may not seem quite as exciting. But God is up to such exciting things at Trinity Church that it’s an honor for me to support it with my own pledge. I pray that we, too, can pass the parish on to the next generation even stronger than it is now. What a joy it is to participate in that work of stewarding what we have been given. 

Yours in Christ,

Kara

Important News and Notes from the Rector

Important News and Notes from the Rector

Dear Beloved Community of Trinity,

I’m thrilled to share some exciting updates about the vibrant life at Trinity Church! 

A Fantastic Start to the Year!
We’re experiencing a wonderful surge in attendance and participation across the board. Kara, our beloved “keeper of the numbers,” recently shared this with the Vestry: “Since the start of the program year, we’ve consistently seen over 300 people on Sundays, with an average of 230 attending the 10:30 service. That’s compared to last year, when 180 felt like a ‘good Sunday’ at 10:30. Great things are happening at Trinity—let’s keep the momentum going!”

Kara’s Charts!

Thank you Kara!

Family Ministries Update
Have you noticed more families with young children joining us for worship, choir, and formation? This fantastic news!

However, just before "Kick-off Sunday," we found ourselves unexpectedly needing a new leader for our Family Ministries. While this caused a delay in getting things up and running smoothly, I’m so grateful to our Family Ministries Oversight Committee—Krista Galyon, Luise Lampe, Chris Leavell, and Alicia McCarther—for their hard work and dedication during this transition.

We’ve posted the Family Ministries position and are working diligently to staff our Nursery, recruit Sunday School teachers, and secure leaders for Playful Worship (Children’s Chapel). Thank you for your patience as we rebuild these vital ministries. If you’re interested in volunteering or know someone who might be, please reach out!

 Youth Ministries Update
In case you missed it, we’re thrilled to welcome Donte Milligan as our new Youth Ministry leader! Donte brings great energy and enthusiasm to the role. However, I want to clarify that his part-time position is focused solely on youth, and he is not our Director of Family Ministries.

 Stewardship

Keep an eye out for Stewardship materials arriving in your mailbox next week! A link will also be available on our website. Your financial support is vital to continuing our mission and ministry here are Trinity.

Annual Meeting:

Please note that the Annual Meeting is Sunday, November 10.  This will be a very important meeting as together we speak honestly about our current reality and articulate a vision for the future of Trinity Church. I encourage everyone to participate in this important conversation.

 Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions, comments, or concerns. I welcome all conversations—even the difficult ones!

 As I’ve said many times since returning from sabbatical: “It’s good to be home.”
There’s no place like home, no place like Trinity Church.

Blessings to all,

Paul

Contact Fr. Paul