Join us at noon on Thursday, August 15 as we observe the feast of St Mary the Virgin, Mother of Our Lord Jesus Christ. There will be music at this service.
An Inside Job
At this time of the summer in Year B of the Lectionary, we hear Gospel lessons that seem to say the same thing again, and again, and again. This month, we hear different parts of Jesus’ discourse in John 6 where he tells his followers that he is the bread of life. For the preacher this can create something of a dilemma: is there that much to say about bread? It may create the same dilemma in the hearer.
But these saying of Jesus are so important, so central to our faith, that they bear reflecting on over a period of time. Indeed, they bear reflecting on for our entire lives. What a great mystery, what a miracle, that God loves us and wants to be in relationship with us in such a profound way. God is not aloof; God feeds us and sustains us with this bread that leads to eternal life.
Brother Seraphim is an Eastern Orthodox monk at Mount Tabor Monastery in California. On the monastery’s blog, he writes about the traditional clay ovens used to bake flat breads. These ovens, called tandoor in India or tannur in Iran, are used throughout South Asia and the Middle East. They are traditionally buried in the ground, and the bread is baked on the walls of the oven above the fire. The bread is pulled out of the oven with a hook at the end of the baking process. Baking in this way, he writes, is an “inside job,” carried out within the earth and sometimes hidden from view - just as our own transformation in the sacraments is carried out by what we Anglicans call an “inward and spiritual grace.”
Baking bread with a mostly-buried oven: that’s an “inside job.” Eat the body and drink the blood, in Holy Eucharist, in the consecrated Bread and Wine, and He will be doing an inside job on you. The dough has to be heated and baked. We have to endure some sufferings and hardships; Jesus did so, for us. That is how the dough develops into wholesome bread; that is how we develop into purity that can see God…and into closer union with our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ. The bread may be poked by that hook tool; we may be poked by the crosses we carry, to follow Christ. The bread rises. May we rise, too, into everlasting glory with our Savior and all the holy angels and saints.
May the God who has begun such a marvelous “inside job” in all of us continue to draw us ever closer, as we are fed with that wondrous bread from heaven.
In Christ, and in Christ alone,
Kara
Change
To everything turn, turn, turn
There is a season turn, turn, turn
And a time to every purpose under Heaven
A time to be born, a time to die
A time to plant, a time to reap
A time to kill, a time to heal
A time to laugh, a time to weep
(Pete Seeger, based on Ecclesiastes 3)
Life is changing again.
Here we go. Are you ready?
It has been said that August is the Sunday night of summer. I think that’s especially the case for teachers and students who are starting to count down the remaining weeks of freedom. Although we still have another month of summer weather, many of us are feeling the season grind to an end. We’ll transition from the lazy days of summer to a tighter schedule, and earlier wake-up times.
Some of us are preparing to send young adults off to college. Some of us are about to become empty nesters. Some are awaiting the birth of a child or grandchild. Others are watching and waiting as loved ones fade away. Some are facing the challenge of a worsening health condition or are scheduling intimidating medical procedures. Still others are hoping for good news regarding employment status or a resolution to financial concerns.
As a nation we face major changes in the next few months. Some are frightened of the possibilities, while others are encouraged. On a global level, we are witnessing tragedies and anxiously await resolution. Things are also changing in our parish, in our families, and communities.
How do you deal with change? Do you embrace it, running toward the next phase of life? Do you stiffen your upper lip and brace yourself? Are you afraid, seeing change as a bully forcing you into the fight of your life?
Some of the changes will be joyful, some bittersweet, still others will elicit sorrow and pain. We prefer having control over our circumstances, but that is generally an illusion. No matter the outcome, we know that still water becomes stagnant. Change is a necessary part of life. But we can take comfort in knowing that our faithful God is unchangingly present, walking with us, providing “strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow.”
Homefront School Supply Drive
Trinity Church is once again soliciting donations for our Homefront school supply drive! Our goal is to fill 100 backpacks with supplies.
We have the backpacks, but it's up to you to fill them! See the Amazon wish list and have your donation delivered to 'Trinity Church 2024 School Supply Drive' on the menu, or you can manually enter the church address: Trinity Church, 33 Mercer Street, Princeton, NJ 08540.
Reception of Gratitude
This Sunday we will have a reception of gratitude for Wesley, showing him our appreciation for all he has offered and meant to this community. Volunteers are needed! Please come to help set up. Email Carol Thomas (carolbrooksthomas@gmail.com) to sign up. Cookies are also needed! Email Carol to sign up to bring cookies. See you Sunday!
Outreach Updates
During the coming months, we will offer opportunities to hear updates from our various ministry partners. UrbanPromise International (UPI) is one of these. The mission of UPI is to prepare emerging leaders to initiate, develop, and sustain Christian-based youth development organizations and to seed their new ministries as they serve vulnerable children and teens in our world’s most under-resourced communities.
One of these remarkable leaders is Dalo. Experience a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to hear Dalo's incredible story. Meet an extraordinary young woman who survived the unthinkable and transformed her harrowing experience into a powerful mission to protect other girls in Malawi. Join us on Sunday, August 18th, between services to be inspired by her strength and resilience. Don't miss the chance to be moved by Dalo's story and her unwavering determination. We hope to see you there!
Rooted in Love
I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name. I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Ephesians 3:14-19
The parish of St. Mary the Virgin in Painswick, near Gloucester, has one of the most striking churchyards I have ever seen. I visited it briefly on Tuesday evening, just before sunset, as I took a day’s break before heading to Wales for the Oratory of the Good Shepherd’s General Chapter and retreat. It was actually my second visit to this church; the first was almost exactly 40 years ago. I was 12 years old, tagging along with my dad on an extended business trip to chemical companies in England and Scotland that supplied the raw materials for making nylon. At the time, I knew the church was beautiful. Now, I can see the theological depth that beauty contains, and there are three things in particular about the church in Painswick that I’d like to share with you.
First, the churchyard is full of yew trees, traditional symbols of eternal life. In some places, they have grown close enough to form arches over the cemetery paths. In order to reach the church, you walk through the ‘great cloud of witnesses’ of the parish, surrounded by trees that proclaim our resurrection hope. It is a faith that is rooted in the soil and reaches to the heavens.
At the entrance to the churchyard is a beautiful lychgate, added at the beginning of the 20th century. Dating back to medieval times, the lychgate was the place where funeral processions waited for the priest to meet them to receive the body. Over the entrance to the cemetery are the words of the Magnificat, Mary’s song of God’s world-changing victory in Christ. At this boundary between sacred and secular space, the building itself rejoices in what God has done for us in Jesus.
Finally, the parish of St. Mary’s has a traditional yearly festival called the “clypping.” “Clypping” is an old English word that means embracing, and that is what they do each September. The members of the parish stand in a circle around the church building, hold hands, and sing a hymn - quite literally embracing the church.
This, I think, is the kind of love that St. Paul is talking about in Sunday’s lesson from Ephesians. It extends out of the present moment into the past and the future. It is all-embracing, and it is the occasion of tremendous joy. This is the perfect love that casts out fear.
May you, too, “know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”
Yours in Christ,
Kara
P.S. I will be back towards the end of next week, so if you need me I will be available in person then. While I will not open my email during the days of silence between Friday night and Wednesday morning, I will be checking before and after those times.
Trinity’s 49th Rummage Sale is Coming In October!
Please save the dates:
October 18-19 sale
September 8 - October 6 – donations accepted after both morning services
Reservations are needed and information will be included in the E-pistle beginning in late August.
New to this sale:
Please avoid putting any different items in one box or large bag but use smaller containers that are clearly marked. Clothes are OK on hangers.
Close to the sale, there will be times set aside for donors to hand carry in valuable and fragile donations.
To make this sale a success, please donate clean, gently worn clothing for men, women and children and also “better” ladies’ and men’s clothing; treasures for the boutique & framed art; housewares; electrical items; linens; jewelry and costume jewelry; books; toys and holiday decorations; shoes and boots; and items for the ”Vintage This & That” room!
We cannot accept: sports equipment, pet supplies, furniture of any kind, garden items and florist’s vases, and items for children including strollers, high chairs and large plastic toys.
Please save the dates and begin putting aside your donations!
With thanks,
From the Rummage Committee