Simul Iustus et Peccator

As I’ve been sick this week, Greta took care of me as only a good dog can. We had hours of snoozes together. And as I write this, just as I was starting to feel much more like myself — just then — she threw up on the bedroom carpet. In our little domestic drama of 11 Mercer Street, we stumbled upon one of the most important doctrinal debates of the Reformation: how good Christian people (and good dogs) still metaphorically throw up on the carpets of our lives. We are saved in Christ, and yet how often do our lives look relatively unchanged? (Quite often.) This is the question of Christian identity as what Luther called simul iustus et peccator — being both a sinner and a saint.

Our friends at Mockingbird Ministries have a nice explainer of the topic:

The Reformers believed that people who believe in Jesus live by faith in him…This does not mean that the Christian life is unconcerned with doing good, only that it is important the good that might be done not cause us to forget the fundamental neediness of the person doing it. In other words, the Christian is someone who needs to be given a fish every day. Luther described this state as being ‘simultaneously justified and sinful at the same time,’ or simul iustus et peccator in the Latin.

So Christians are two things at the same time, both enduringly sinful and completely forgiven and justified by the imputed righteousness of Christ. Their identity is dual. This is not a half-and-half relationship; it is 100% and 100%. Paradoxically, we are fully saved and made righteous in Christ, and at the same time we are still the same old sinner we used to be. A Christian is seen by God as “hidden in Christ” (Colossians 3:2). As the Apostle Paul puts it, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

Luther was a man of tremendously troubled conscience who spent many days as a young monk worrying if he was holy enough to enter into the kingdom of heaven. But he realized that our righteousness in God isn’t based on making it 75 percent towards Christlikeness, or what have you. It isn’t about keeping up a passing average. We rely on what God has done that we can’t do for ourselves, and we forge ahead knowing that every day we need Jesus just as much as we did the day before.

 

The Rev. Cn. Dr. Kara Slade, Associate Rector

 

Calling for Graduate Submissions

On Sunday, June 4, we will recognize all of our congregation’s graduates.

If you want your graduating child or grandchild, whether high school or college seniors, graduate or post-graduate students, to be in the booklet, please email Adam Bond a picture, their full name, the high school or college from which they are graduating, their degree if applicable, and a short summary of future plans.

All information must be in by Sunday, May 28 to be included in the booklet.

Science and Faith Series

For the next three weeks, Trinity Church will host a special Adult Forum series on Science & Faith with the Rev. Dr. Andrew Davison of Cambridge University and the Center of Theological Inquiry.

Sunday, April 30, 9:30am — Recent Developments in Evolutionary Biology

Sunday, May 7, 9:30am — Cooperation Between Species


Sunday, May 14, 9:30am — Life Beyond Earth



Dr. Davison has been the Starbridge Associate Professor in Theology and Natural Sciences at Cambridge since 2014. Before he moved into theology he was a scientist, and he holds undergraduate degrees and doctorates in both natural science and theology. Before his current appointment, Andrew taught Christian doctrine at Oxford and Cambridge. He is a fellow of Corpus Christi College, where is he also Dean of Chapel, having been ordained in 2003.

From 2015-21 held the position of Canon Philospher at St Albans Cathedral, the first such position in the Church of England. Since 2021, he has been Canon Emeritus. He has been a fellow of Corpus Christi College since 2014, and Dean of Chapel since 2019. He is news editor for the journal Theology and Science, and editor of the Cambridge University Press series Cambridge Elements in Christianity and Science. He is a regular contributor to Church Times and the Times Literary Supplement.



Don’t miss this extraordinary opportunity!

The forum will be available on Zoom at the usual link:

 
Meeting ID: 285 981 9016
Passcode: 1979

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Ensuring the Future

 
 

Dear Good People of Trinity,

I want to extend my sincere thanks for your participation in our parish meeting last Sunday. It was informative and truthful, challenging and inspiring, positive and hopeful.  There was a wonderful spirit of true dedication and love for our Church and an evident bond of affection between us, as the people of Trinity.

I am so thankful for our leadership team, staff, and all of you!

“Glory to God whose power, working in us, can do infinitelymore than we can ask or imagine: Glory to God fromgeneration to generation in the Church, and in Christ Jesusfor ever and ever. Amen.”
— Ephesians 3:20,21

There are more conversations to have, dreams to articulate, plans to develop, strategies to employ, gaps to close, and work to be done. I am most confident that we are up to the tasks, challenges, and opportunities before us.  We are Trinity Church! Now is our time to do our part to ensure the future of Trinity. Now is the time for us to do what must be done to leave our legacy of love and faithfulness for those who will come after us. 

More to come!  Forward in faith!

In Christ,

 

The Rev. Paul Jeanes III, Rector

 

Review slides below for insight into our conversation!

Remembrance Day 2023

On behalf of the
Memorial Garden Committee,
it is our honor to invite you
to attend our annual

Day of Remembrance

at Trinity Church
in the Memorial Garden
following the 10:30am service
on Sunday, May 7
for a time of prayer,
remembering,
and thanksgiving.

This is always a special day for our parish and a beautiful time in the garden. Please feel free to extend this invitation to anyone who you feel would like to attend.

We hope you can join us on May 7.

Creator of all, we pray to you for all those whom we love but see no longer. Grant to them eternal rest. Let light perpetual shine upon them. May their souls and the souls of all the departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

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