The dove descending breaks the air
With flame of incandescent terror
Of which the tongues declare
The one discharge from sin and error.
The only hope, or else despair
Lies in the choice of pyre of pyre-
To be redeemed from fire by fire.

Who then devised the torment? Love.
Love is the unfamiliar Name
Behind the hands that wove
The intolerable shirt of flame
Which human power cannot remove.
We only live, only suspire
Consumed by either fire or fire.

— T. S. Eliot, Little Gidding

I think I’ve already talked to you recently about the church at Little Gidding, but on this weekend of Pentecost I have another story about it for you. It’s a story about the work of the Holy Spirit. In 2008, after a year and a half of not knowing what I wanted to do with the rest of my life, I took a trip to the UK and ended up at the church at Little Gidding — setting of the T.S. Eliot poem and home of the 17th century Anglican clergyman Nicholas Ferrar. (Ferrar, as you might recall, was the first to re-institute something like a post-Reformation monastic community in the Church of England.)

My name is Emmanuel Moreland. I am a second year M.Div. student at Princeton Theological Seminary. I was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia. Before Seminary I worked as a campus minister at Georgia Southern University which I graduated from with a BA in Philosophy and Religious Studies and a minor in Sociology.  I have a particular love for the Old Testament, and I have dedicated a lot of my time at Seminary to studying it.

Outside of school I enjoy fishing and playing board games with friends, listening to music, reading sci-fi and fantasy, and writing within the same genres.

As the program year comes to a close, so does our season of evening services. However, before bidding adieu to another fantastic year at our June 4 Celebration Sunday, we would like to invite you to the last Choral Evensong until September, followed by a delightful reception that you wouldn't want to miss.

If you've never attended a choral evensong before, this is the perfect opportunity to experience it as we pull out all the stops and lift every voice to conclude the program year. The unparalleled beauty of the Anglican choral tradition is always showcased in these services and you will experience some of the most excellent musicianship, musical passion, and spiritual depth in our sacred tradition. Additionally, attendees will have the pleasure of partaking in our post-service reception, complete with delicious refreshments and an opportunity to socialize.

We are holding our end of season Parish Picnic on Celebration Sunday, June 4. We need volunteers to help with set-up, serving, and clean up. If you have any questions or want to help, please contact Carol Thomas by email at carolbrooksthomas@gmail.com or by phone (609) 954-2913. We also need folks to bring desserts for the picnic. Please make sure they’re already in individual servings.

Do you struggle with praying on your own outside of public worship? Would you like to spend time more regularly in prayer and reading Scripture, but aren’t sure where to start? Would you like to learn how to pray with the church, joining your prayers with Christians around the world and through the ages?

If your answer to one or more of these questions is yes, join the Rev. Ben Crosby, President of the Society of St Mary Magdalene, for a ‘Daily Prayer 101’ workshop on Tuesday, May 30, from 7:30–8:30pm Eastern! Ben will give a talk about the history and spirituality of the daily office, or Christian liturgical daily prayer. He will share his testimony about what difference the daily office has made in his own life of faith. He will also provide resources and tips for how you could start a daily prayer practice, either individually or with others.

Thank you to everyone who has pledged to financially support Trinity Church this year.   Many people make payments towards that pledge by putting cash or checks in a pledge envelope and dropping it in the collection plate. That traditional method is perfectly fine. But a growing number of parishioners are making it easier for themselves by setting up a monthly payment through their bank's online banking system. That automatic payment ensures that you fulfill your pledge total for the year without remembering to bring checks or envelopes to the service.   

Alternatively, if you aren't using an online banking system, you can authorize Trinity Church to deduct your pledge payment each month from your bank account using an Automated Clearing House (ACH) transaction. You’ll see a description of this ACH deduction in your checking account transaction history each month and you can change the amount or stop it at any time. To start your automatic pledge payments using this ACH option, send an email to Lily Leonard, Finance Officer, at leonardl@trinityprinceton.org.  She’ll send you a short form to complete and the deductions can begin the following month.

Arm In Arm gets a great many volunteers from local schools and colleges throughout the school year. Now that many students have gone home they are looking for volunteers to help with their mobile deliveries handing out groceries at different sites in Trenton.

Please reserve your spot now to help them out. They do a great service to neighborhoods that do not have a food pantry nearby.  

From now until May 31, 2023, you can increase your donation fourfold to our outreach partner, Episcopal Relief, which helps communities struggling with hunger, poverty, disaster and disease around the world.

Any amount you give by May 31 will be matched by Trinity Church’s Outreach Program, and that combined amount will be matched by a private donor. So, if you give $100 to Episcopal Relief, your gift will be quadrupled to $400.

July 9-14, 2023 at Trinity Church
Registration Deadline: June 2, 2023

After a four year pandemic-related hiatus, the Prosopon School returns to Trinity Church for a six-day workshop during which first-time students will complete an icon of the Archangel Michael using natural materials and centuries old techniques. Previous artistic experience is helpful but not necessary! You will be given step-by-step instructions and all materials are provided. Click here for further information and to download a flyer and registration information or contact Maureen at maureen@iconodulestudio.com.

Please note that the registration deadline is soon: June 2, 2023, so hurry to reserve your spot!

Coordinator: Maureen McCormick (maureen@iconodulestudio.com)

June 26–29, 5:30–8pm
at Trinity Church
(33 Mercer St, Princeton)

Compassion Camp is a program where kids and families explore what it means to have compassion for others, ourselves, and the world. When we bring compassion into our relationships and into the world, we partner with God in bring God's love and justice into the world.