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

Help, Thanks, Wow

The well-known Christian author and speaker Anne Lamott often says that three simple words lie at the heart of the life of prayer: Help, Thanks, and Wow. This has been the case throughout Christian history, even though we might use different terms to talk about the ways we pray. There is a particular pattern of prayer that seems almost to transcend time. In its most basic shape, it has three simple, but essential parts: supplication (help), thanksgiving (thanks), and doxology or praise (wow).

 When we pray, our first instinct is usually to ask God for something. But on what possible basis might we dare to approach God in prayer? Because God is the Creator and we are creatures, what emboldens us to ask something of God? The answer is simple, and we can see it in the pattern of the Daily Office: we ask for God's help in prayer. We ask for God to draw near to us, so that we can be drawn nearer to God. "Lord, open our lips," we pray each morning in the Daily Office, asking God to make possible the prayers to follow. 

But our supplication - our prayers for ourselves and for others - are intertwined with our prayers of gratitude. We dare to approach God in supplication because we also recognize God's faithfulness to us. And so, we render our “humble thanks for all of God’s goodness and loving-kindness, to us and to all that God has made.” (BCP, 101) Thanksgiving and supplication go together. 

But we don’t stop there. Supplication and thanksgiving also draws us towards doxology, or praise. When we pray, we don’t seek guarantees so much as ask that God’s will be done. We place before God the hopes and needs of our hearts and minds, knowing that all we are or hope to be will be caught up in God’s desire for us. As we offer our supplications and then let go of them, allowing them to take their place in the larger story of God’s goodness and loving-kindness towards us, it leads us to praise. It is as if we have prayed and now say to God, “come what may we praise you, we bless you, and we give thanks to you, Lord our God.”

As you pray this month, both in church and in your own private devotions, I hope you will pay attention to this rhythm of prayer, all of which draws us into closer communion with the God who calls us to be his holy people. 

Yours in Christ,

Kara 

Waffle House!

One of the great gifts of the South is Waffle House. Every time I find myself back "down South," as they say, my Waffle House radar is activated. Open 24 hours a day, Waffle House serves as a safe harbor in an often unpredictable world. People come in at all hours, for all sorts of reasons, and each one of them has a story to tell.

It's early Friday morning, and here I sit in a Waffle House. Some are here after a long night shift, and others getting ready to start their day. A woman sits alone at the counter, meticulously wiping it down as she prepares her glass of sweet tea, and awaiting her scrambled eggs and hashbrowns. The waitress approaches me with a lightness in her step and asks, "Can I get you some coffee, honey?" I place my usual order, and she replies with a smile, "Ok, baby, we’ll have it right up for you." Moments later, faster than expected, the cook brings over my eggs, bacon, and hashbrowns. "Here you go, sir. I hope it’s OK. Is that bacon too crispy? I’m happy to make more if it’s not right."

Before long, Lonni, the cook, and I strike up a conversation. I ask, "Do you mind if I make a video?"

This moment reminded me of a video I had made early in my sabbatical, also during an early morning at a Waffle House. Life comes full circle in these quiet, simple moments.

 We all have a story. We have dreams and people we love. We want to be happy. We want a good life and a better one for our children. We’re all just trying to make it in this world, and with a little dignity. Whether you're dining at a Michelin-starred restaurant or sitting in a booth at Waffle House, that’s not the point. It’s about living your life with the people you love, having a dream, and trying to make that dream come true.

 I pray that Trinity Church is a place where people can come as they are, with the truth of their lives, their hopes and dreams, fears and struggles, sadness and joy. A place where, together, we find a safe harbor, and even more so, a home. A home to ground and sustain us on this amazing, challenging, unpredictable, and blessed journey of life.

Peace and Blessings,

Paul

P.S. Just before I left, Lonni came over and said, "Hey, nice talking to you. One day, I want to go back to Michigan. I want to open a diner—like one of those 1950s vintage diners." I gave him my number and said, "I’ll pray for you. You’ll do it! And when you do, call me. Because I’m coming."

On Friendship Human And Divine

“Friendship is genuine only when you bind fast together people who cleave to you through the charity poured abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who is given to us.” - St. Augustine, Confessions, Book V

This has been a difficult week for me. We are approaching the first anniversary of our beloved Sonia Waters’ death. Then, my dear friend Fr. Everett Lees of the Diocese of Oklahoma died, only a couple of weeks after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Everett leaves behind his wife Kristin and three young children, and I ask your prayers for them all. He was a loving husband and father, but I knew him as the kind of friend who helps everyone around him be a better Christian. It was true for his parishioners at Christ Church Tulsa, it was true in the Diocese of Oklahoma, and it was true in the Episcopal Church where he was a tireless advocate for evangelism. Christ Church has been one of the fastest-growing congregations in the Episcopal Church, in no small part because of Everett’s relentless focus on what Good News it is to be made a new creation in Christ. 

St. Augustine tells us that true friendship is found not when we love our friends for worldly reasons, to gain some kind of advantage or favor. Friendship, by which he means Christian friendship, is a model of the friendship between humans and God. We love our friends because we love God in them, and because we love each other towards God. Sonia and Everett were both the kind of priests, and the kind of friends, who loved people towards God - who drew out the best in everyone around them. 

This isn’t a grace that comes only to members of the clergy - far from it! I suspect that each one of us can name people in our lives who have loved us towards God. But it can take intentional action as well as prayer on our part to be that kind of friend to others. I hope that in the year ahead, Trinity Church will grow not only numerically (which, praise God, it is!), but in the kind of friendship that helps us grow in holiness, and in the love of God. It may not be the only way we can experience the truth of the Gospel, but it is one way. As Stanley Hauerwas writes,

“I do not think that questions concerning the truth of Christian convictions can be isolated from what is necessary to sustain friendships that are truthful. I am not suggesting that Christians can be friends only with other Christians. Some of my most cherished friends are with non-Christians. Rather I am suggesting that if what it means to be a Christian is compelling and true, then such truthfulness will be manifest and tested through friendship.”

Your friend in Christ,

Kara

P.S. This interview with Fr. Everett on what makes a good church is outstanding and I commend it to you:

https://bencrosby.substack.com/p/church-growth-discipleship-and-the.

Kick-Off Sunday

Dear Good people of Trinity Church,

This Sunday, as you well know, is kick-off Sunday! With the celebration of Labor Day, summer is “officially” over yet we long to hold on to it.  School buses are back on the roads, football season is underway, and fall is just starting to make its presence felt. All of this signals that it’s time for us to come together, to recalibrate, and to prepare for the year ahead. It’s a moment to open ourselves to the possibilities of what God may have in store for us as the people of Trinity Church.

As we live into this new year, I am reminded of the words of the Celtic teacher, J. Philip Newell, who writes, “At key moments of transition in the history of Christianity, inspired Christian teachers have asked, ‘Who is Christ for us today?’” We now find ourselves in such a moment—a significant time of transition not only within the Church but also in our nation and the world. Newell goes on to say, “What are the brokennesses of our world today? What are the battlefields among the nations and the gaping wounds of creation’s body? What are the discords in our communities and the struggles in the most important relationships in our lives?” There is work to be done, Good News to be proclaimed, and love to be shared!

As we embark on this new program year, what will be our role and responsibility in this season? Who is Christ for us today? The ability to articulate clearly and embody fully the answer to that question will determine who we are and what kind of church community we will be.

I so look forward to seeing you on Sunday!

It’s good to be home. 

Let’s go!!

Peace and Blessings,

Paul