Halloween is for "crafts"! The 20's-30's fellowship will meet at Trinity at 6 PM on Sunday, October 29th for Halloween "Craft" Night. Bring your favorite craft beverage - beer, root beer, ginger ale, etc. - and we will share pizza around the fire pit and in Pierce-Bishop Hall. We'll have some pumpkins to carve if you want to participate.
The Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem Unite in a Call for Peace and Justice Amidst Unfolding Violence
The Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem, an ecumenical group of Christian leaders which includes the Anglican Archbishop in Jerusalem, Archbishop Hosam Naoum, have issued a statement calling for peace and justice amidst unfolding violence.
Their statement in full is produced below:
The Holy Land, a place sacred to countless millions around the world, is currently mired in violence and suffering due to the prolonged political conflict and the lamentable absence of justice and respect for human rights. We, the Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem, have time and again appealed for the importance of respecting the historic and legal Status Quo of the holy shrines. In these trying times, we come together to raise our voices in unity, echoing the divine message of peace and love for all humanity.
As custodians of the Christian faith, deeply rooted in the Holy Land, we stand in solidarity with the people of this region, who are enduring the devastating consequences of continued strife. Our faith, which is founded on the teachings of Jesus Christ, compels us to advocate for the cessation of all violent and military activities that bring harm to both Palestinian and Israeli civilians.
We unequivocally condemn any acts that target civilians, regardless of their nationality, ethnicity, or faith. Such actions go against the fundamental principles of humanity and the teachings of Christ, who implored us to "love your neighbour as yourself" {Mark 12:31).
It is our fervent hope and prayer that all parties involved will heed this call for an immediate cessation of violence. We implore political leaders and authorities to engage in sincere dialogue, seeking lasting solutions that promote justice, peace, and reconciliation for the people of this land, who have endured the burdens of conflict for far too long.
In our capacity as spiritual leaders, we extend our hands to all those who suffer, and we pray that the Almighty may grant comfort to the afflicted, strength to the weary, and wisdom to those in positions of authority. We call upon the international community to redouble its efforts to mediate a just and lasting peace in the Holy Land, based on equal rights for all and on international legitimacy.
Let us remember the words of the Apostle Paul: "For God is not a God of disorder but of peace" (1 Corinthians 14:33). In the spirit of this divine message, we implore all to work tirelessly towards an end to violence and the establishment of a just and lasting peace that will allow the Holy Land to be a beacon of hope, faith, and love for all.
May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with us all during these challenging times.
- The Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem
A Litany for the Restoration of Peace in the Holy Land
God of peace, we pray for the people of Palestine and Israel in these perilous and dangerous times.
For all who are fearful for the safety of their loved ones and themselves, we pray that the assurance of unfailing love, even in the midst of danger, settles upon them. Shelter them from despair and protect them from harm.
For all who are wounded, we pray they find healing.
For all who have died, we pray they find rest.
For all who grieve, we pray they find comfort.
For leaders on all sides, we pray for a renewed will to lay down arms, for the strength to put the grievances and wrongs suffered by their people to rest, and for the conviction to embrace a path of reconciliation and peace that preserves the rights and dignity of all of your children.
God of mercy, help us to remember there is no border that can separate us from your great love and protection, no stone that can sound the well of your deep mercy.
God of justice, we pray with hopeful hearts that your beloved children of the Holy Land will be spared a future of sustained violence and unrest and that a recognition of the humanity of all people will prevail.
We ask all this in the name of your Son, Jesus. Amen.
– American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem
A Prayer from The Most Rev. Hosam E. Naoum
Anglican Archbishop of Jerusalem
O God of all justice and peace we cry out to you in the midst of the pain and trauma of violence and fear which prevails in the Holy Land.
Be with those who need you in these days of suffering; we pray for people of all faiths - Jews, Muslims and Christians and for all people of the land.
While we pray to you, O Lord, for an end to violence and the establishment of peace, we also call for you to bring justice and equity to the peoples. Guide us into your kingdom where all people are treated with dignity and honour as your children for, to all of us, you are our Heavenly Father.
In Jesus’ name we pray.
Amen.
One in God's Love
Dear Beloved of Trinity Church,
The world gasped in horror at the images from the most recent outbreak of violence in Gaza. And gasp, we should. Horror is a correct and appropriate response. But what do we do after we gasp? How do we fully understand the situation? How do we process? How do we respond?
Politicians will rally their supporters mostly to secure a victory in the next election. Pundits will offer their “unbiased” insights to enlighten the “misguided.” Preachers will offer prayers and sermons to appear both pastoral and prophetic. And whether we are consciously aware of it or not, each of us inevitably will take a side, and then, everything we hear, see, think, and say will be filtered through our position, “our side,” which is undoubtedly the right side.
There is no question that the attack by Hamas against innocent people is evil and wrong. Likewise, this does not give Israel permission in the cause of self-defense to do whatever they deem appropriate to crush and destroy the Palestinians. Defending does not mean annihilation.
The current violence and carnage are as old as humanity. It is another chapter in the ongoing story of sinful people acting in sinful ways. Broken people acting in broken ways. Traumatized people acting in ways that traumatize more people. It’s the story of sin and our inability to be fully human, as God intended. And since we cannot live fully into our own humanity in God, again and again and again, we dehumanize others because we’re scared, insecure, and broken.
I must now ask myself and us, “What should we do as the people of Trinity Church, as Christians, and as human beings?” And let me tell you that whatever we do will not be perfect and, for many, will fall miserably short of their expectations.
I would, however, like us to gather for a conversation on Sunday, October 22, in Pierce-Bishop Hall during our Adult Forum hour. We will discuss not just the current issue in Israel and Palestine but how we live with the atrocities of our world and the atrocities in our own lives. The things we cannot fully understand, the things we will never be able to solve. What does it do to our souls and our common humanity? How do we resist the temptation to let these events eat away at our humanity, leading to further dehumanization of the other?
I am fully aware that there is no way that one forum conversation will be sufficient. Still, I believe it is necessary to take one step, a first step, to find our way to the next step on our journey to healing, redemption, and the fullness of our humanity when we are truly one in God’s love.
Peace and blessings,
Paul
The Search Begins for Trinity's Next Communications Director
So much is happening at Trinity Church these days! It's a great time for an experienced Communications professional to join Trinity's staff as our next Communications Director. This is a part-time position (25 hours per week). A detailed job description can be found at http://www.trinityprinceton.org/employment. Please forward it to any people you know who might be interested. Candidates should send their resume to communicationsearch@trinityprinceton.org. The search committee for this position, which consists of Tom Scott, Nithila Peter, Annie Bryson, Emily Pruszinski and Phil Unetic, will begin reviewing resumes in several weeks.
It Is Not Good For Us To Be Alone
In response to my recent e-pistle article titled "The Great Dechurching," two parishioners shared with me an insightful piece by Nicholas Kristoff that addresses the pervasive loneliness epidemic not only in America but across the globe.
Loneliness crushes the soul, but researchers are finding it does far more damage than that. It is linked to strokes, heart disease, dementia, inflammation, and suicide; it breaks the heart literally as well as figuratively.
Loneliness is as deadly as smoking 15 cigarettes a day and more lethal than consuming six alcoholic drinks a day, according to the surgeon general of the United States, Dr. Vivek Murthy. Loneliness is more dangerous for health than obesity, he says — and, alas, we have been growing more lonely. A majority of Americans now report experiencing loneliness, based on a widely used scale that asks questions such as whether people lack companionship or feel left out.
Our innate need for one another is woven into the very fabric of creation. In Genesis 2, God proclaimed that it's not good for us to be alone. We are designed to live in community, fostering connections with both the divine and our fellow human beings; it's literally in our DNA. Yet, it seems increasingly challenging for people to discover genuine community and meaningful connections.
Early on, some thought that Facebook and other social media would bind us together, but many experts now think these platforms have instead made us more lonely. People look at Instagram feeds and conclude that everyone else is having fun. Meanwhile, time with screens substitutes for time with human beings. All this may help account for the crisis in mental health of young people over the last dozen years. We often think that older people are most lonely, but polls find that young adults are twice as likely as seniors to report loneliness.
The good news is that we possess the ultimate Good News—the Good News of Jesus Christ. Our faith calls us to be part of a community, for we do not lead our Christian lives in isolation but always in relationship with others. In these times, the church is perfectly positioned to offer a remedy to the growing pandemic of isolation and loneliness. We can provide a sense of community and belonging! One of the individuals who shared the article with me rightly stated, "Recently, a Trinity member told me that they come to Trinity for the 'Community,' and the religious services are an added bonus. If I am honest with myself, I feel that way too. I think we should invite people to join the 'Trinity Community,' not just the church services. We should 'Invite a friend to join in our Community.'"
How true! We aren't merely inviting people to attend a 'service'; we're inviting them to become part of a community, a family. We're inviting them to share in our lives as we wholeheartedly embrace God's love, as revealed to us through Christ. I hope you share my enthusiasm for inviting people to be a cherished part of our Trinity family! It is not good for us to be alone!
Peace and Blessings,
Paul
