Attention all music lovers! Acclaimed English organist Anna Lapwood will play a recital at Princeton University Chapel this coming Monday, April 8 at 8:00 p.m. A group from Trinity will attend the concert together. We will meet outside the church office at 7:00 p.m. Please join us! For more information on the concert, check out: https://chapel.princeton.edu/events/organist-anna-lapwood-concert.
I AM the Alpha and the Omega
Dear Beloved Ones,
Earlier this week, I had the chance to be in New York for the morning, and I took the opportunity to go by The General Theological Seminary. I sat in the Chapel of the Good Shepherd and turned back the clock 28 years. As the weeks draw ever closer to the beginning of my sabbatical, I found those few moments in the Chapel to be profoundly meaningful. I sat in the same spot where I would sit for Morning and Evening Prayer during my Anglican Studies year in the fall of ’96 and spring of ’97. I walked up and stood in the pulpit where I preached my “Senior Sermon” and sat in the officiant’s seat, where I led Evening Prayer for the first time.
As I was sitting there, I couldn’t believe how fast the time had gone. I remember as if it were yesterday, the day that Christina and I drove into the city in a U-Haul truck that was much larger than we needed, but it was the only truck they had. I remember our excitement as new friends helped us move our belongings into the apartment on a scorching day in August.
On our first night, we slept on a futon in the front room because we wanted to look at the Empire State Building, which we could see clearly from the window. We couldn’t believe that we were living in New York. What an amazing year it was!
During the spring term, I was tired and needed a break. A friend who had studied at Princeton Theological Seminary invited me to “get out of town for an excursion to Princeton.” I had never been and immediately took her up on the offer. We got off the Dinky and walked up Alexander, and our first stop was Trinity Church. The doors to the church were open for all to enter, just as they are today. We walked in and sat for a time of quiet and prayer. After looking around a bit, we stood before the central altar and then left for a walk around town. I had no idea that 11 years later, I would have the sacred gift and privilege of being your rector. What an amazing and blessed journey it has been. I still can’t believe it.
All of this is merely an introduction to what may seem like a rather insignificant insight. As I sat in the Chapel of the Good Shepherd, I looked to the wall above the altar and saw what I had seen a thousand times before - Λ and Ω with a beautiful stained-glass window in between.
All of our lives, all of our beginnings and all of our endings, and everything in between are held within the embrace of the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. Every second, every breath, all of our days and nights, all of the seasons, and all of the years of our lives are part of the ongoing story of God and God’s people. We are a part of the sacred tapestry, song, poem, painting, sculpture, and story that is the artistry of the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End of all that was and all that ever will be. How fast it goes! How fragile it can be. How precious it is! How sacred a gift!
“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.” (Rev. 22:13)
Easter Blessings to all!
Paul
He is risen, He is risen!
Dear Friends,
This Sunday, we will gather to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. We celebrate the truth of God’s love. A love that created the universe, a love that holds us and sustains us, and a love that will not leave us in the darkness of the grave but breaks the chains of death and sorrow to set us free to Easter life and joy.
Our closing hymn, He is risen, he is risen!, beautifully articulates our Easter hope and our Easter call.
He is risen, he is risen!
Tell it out with joyful voice.
He has burst his three days’ prison;
Let the whole wide earth rejoice.
Death is conquered; man is free.
Christ has won the victory.
Trusting in the truth of the resurrection and the victory we have in Christ, we are to “Tell it out with joyful voice” so that all the world might know the Easter message.
I look forward to seeing you this Sunday as we gather with our siblings in Christ from around the globe to celebrate the victory over death and our freedom from the bondage of sin … for Christ has won the victory
Easter Blessings,
Good Friday Anthem
Hello dear Trinity family,
Back in college I came across this painting above: Jesus on the cross, juxtaposed above Abraham and Isaac at the scene of near sacrifice. The text at the bottom reads, “Gen. 22:8 - God will provide the lamb.” I was so moved by this painting that I felt inspired to create in response to it. The result was a Good Friday choral piece called Elahi, from the Aramaic phrase, “Elahi! Elahi! Lema sebaqtani?” (“My God! My God! Why have You forsaken me?”) I invite you if you are interested to listen to this piece as part of your meditation on Christ’s sacrifice for us this Good Friday.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RJf5FzDHLUtDMwhx-A0oF877RaSvusat/view?usp=drive_link.
Peace,
Char
One Last Night with Dr. King
Join the United Black Agenda as we listen to Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s prophetic last speech and discuss the role of his economic vision to today’s society.
Volunteers Needed for Agape Meal!
The Agape Meal will take place on March 30, 2024, directly following the Easter Vigil (around 9:30 pm).
Volunteers are needed at 7:30 to help with setup. Volunteers are also needed for cleanup duties. Please email Carol Thomas to sign up: carolbrooksthomas@gmail.com.
Voices Chorale: In Conversation with Haydn
Date and Time: Saturday, May 11, 2024 at 4pm
Location: Trinity Church
Join Voices Chorale NJ and the Berks Sinfonietta chamber orchestra in appreciating the mastery of one of Franz Joseph Haydn’s most distinctive and memorable compositions: Missa in Angustiis (Mass for Troubled Times), more popularly known as the Lord Nelson Mass. Between sections of this liturgical work, the chorale will perform contemporary pieces that respond to themes within the Mass, bringing new perspectives on forgiveness, praise, faith, peace, and unity in a divided world.
VCNJ continues its tradition of presenting various musical styles and eras together in thought-provoking concerts to delight and inspire audiences and musicians alike. Contemporary works include Fragile by Sting and Exsultate! Jubilate! by Kyle Pederson.
Tickets and information are available at https://www.voiceschoralenj.org
Adult: $20 ($25 at the door); Child/Student: $10 ($15 at the door)
Contact Linda Silber (lindafsilber@gmail.com) for more information.
Knitting Ministry
Celebrating 15 years of knitting prayer shawls and prayer squares as outward and visible signs of God’s grace and love. We give thanks for this important ministry.
From left on the photo surrounding the shawls: Liza Morehouse, Robbie Ellsworth, Donna Crafford, Judy Maksymovich, Susan Finlay, Martha Lashbrook, Molly Schneider.