TRINITY ePISTLE Sunday July 27th, 2025

WEEK OF SUNDAY, JULY 27th, 2025
✢SEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST✢

Set Your Sails — Be Ready

Dear Beloved of Trinity Church,

I write to you from Harbor Springs, Michigan, a beautiful town along the shores of Lake Michigan, just south of the Upper Peninsula and not far from Mackinac Island. For over twenty years, my family and I have been blessed to spend part of our summers here. If our timing is right, we get to witness the annual sailing regatta—an event that draws boats and sailors from across the Great Lakes.

These boats are not only beautiful but often extremely sophisticated. Their crews are seasoned and skilled. And yet, despite all their training and technology, they remain utterly dependent on one thing: the wind. Without it, they sit motionless. And when the wind comes, they must set their sails carefully and wisely to capture its power. No amount of skill or equipment can compensate for its absence.

This, dear friends, is a powerful—if imperfect—metaphor for our spiritual lives. Whether we are navigating life with seasoned faith or just beginning to explore the waters of belief, we all need the wind of the Spirit to move us. We may prepare our vessels, hoist our sails, and chart our course, but without the breath of God—without the Spirit—we go nowhere.

The Spirit of God is the wind that fills our sails, the unseen force that moves us forward with purpose, power, and direction. It is only in relationship to that divine movement that we find our true course. It is the tension between our sails and that sacred wind that carries us across the waters of life—sometimes calm, often choppy—toward a destination that is holy and meaningful.

So, I invite you in the week ahead: in your heart, in your soul, in your imagination—set your sails. Be ready. Wait and watch for the Spirit’s stirring. It may come as a gentle breeze or a sudden gust, but it will come. And when it does, may it move you in ways that are wondrous and unexpected, sometimes challenging, yet always sacred.

Forward in faith!

Peace and Blessings,

Summer Schedule

Holy Eucharist Rite I at 8 AM

Holy Eucharist Rite II at 10AM

This Sunday’s preacher:

The Rev. Cn. Stephen Connor, STM (Canon to the Ordinary, Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey)

The Rev. Canon Stephen Connor is the Canon to the Ordinary. Rev. Connor recently served as Rector of Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Ocean City from 2018 to 2024. He was co-chair of the Committee on Priesthood for 4 years. He attended General Theological Seminary for an Anglican Studies Year and completed a Master of Sacred Theology (STM). Rev. Connor was received into the Episcopal priesthood on June 30, 2018. Rev. Connor is a former member of The Paulist Fathers, a Roman Catholic religious community where he served from 1983 – 2005.

During his time with the Paulist Fathers, he received an M.Div. from Catholic University, and he was ordained to the Roman priesthood in 1989. Rev. Connor served in a variety of ministries with the Paulist Fathers including urban ministry, campus ministry, religious publishing, vocations, and a member of the Paulist Fathers leadership team. Leaving the Paulist Fathers in 2005, he worked for ten years in religious publishing for Loyola Press in Chicago as the Director of Adult Spirituality Resources leading a team of writers and editors. It was during his time in Chicago that he began attending the Episcopal Church.

Rev. Connor authored The Dynamic Leader: Balancing Faith & Work published by Renew International and Loyola Press in 2017.

SUNDAY READINGS

First Lesson:

Genesis 18:20-32

Second Lesson:

Colossians 2:6-15, (16-19)

Sunday Forum: There will be no Sunday forum during summer.

CONTRIBUTION

Rooted in Faith. Moving Forward in Hope.

Trinity Church has stood as a beacon of worship, learning, and service in Princeton for nearly 200 years. As we prepare for the next chapter, we are launching a $7.5 million comprehensive campaign to ensure our ministries thrive and our historic campus is preserved for generations to come.

Inspired by the beloved hymn, God of Grace and Glory, this campaign reflects our gratitude for God’s past provision and our collective call to invest in Trinity’s future.

READ MORE

Meg’s Trip to Duke 🎵🎵

Hi all!

Here are some pictures from the past week I spent as organist in residence for the Royal School of Church Music summer residency at Duke University.

Duke University has four stunning pipe organs in different styles, built by Flentrop, Brombaugh, Aeolian, and Richards & Fowkes respectively.

The residency involved working with 70 visiting singers from around the country for daily Evensong and rehearsals, as well as giving daily organ lessons to the organ scholar.

I had a great week, and am looking forward to seeing you all back at Trinity this Sunday!

All best,

Dr. Meg Harper

Is God Calling You or Your Child to Serve on the Altar?

Trinity Church is launching a new Acolyte Program for children and teens in grades 5 and up—and we’d love for your family to be part of it!

Youth are invited to join our team of adult and seminary acolytes in the important role of torchbearers during worship. This meaningful ministry offers a unique opportunity to grow in faith, learn the rhythms of our liturgy, and take an active leadership role in the life of the church.

What’s Involved?

Low commitment: Serve just 6 times a year, at the 10:30 a.m. service (or 10:00 a.m. in the summer), using a simple online sign-up.
Initial training: A single one-hour session will prepare participants for service.
Ongoing mentoring: New acolytes will receive support and guidance as they grow in confidence.
Treble Choristers are encouraged to acolyte on their off Sundays—offering a fresh and enriching view of the liturgy.

To sign up or learn more, please email:

Allie Graham: allie.graham@gmail.com

Include your child’s grade for the 2025–2026 school year and height so we can assign appropriate robes.

Curious adults are also warmly invited to explore this ministry!

Homefront School Supply Drive

The Outreach Committee is supporting HomeFront again this year by providing back to school backpacks and school supplies. 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 2025 School Supply Drive' on the menu, or you can manually enter the church address:

Trinity Church, 33 Mercer Street, Princeton, NJ 08540.

Parishioners:

➡️ (1) Donate funds for us to buy school supplies; and/or

➡️ (2) Buy supplies on the Amazon link to for the Outreach Committee to distribute and;

➡️ (3) Volunteer to fill the bags with the school supplies we have collected on Saturday, August 9th and Sunday, August 10th after the 10 a.m. service.

Summer Choir Returns!

For the months of July and August, we will have a come-and-sing summer choir open to all.

Each Sunday in those months, simply show up at Ivy Hall for rehearsal at 9:00 a.m. (arrive no later than 8:50) to learn the music for the 10:00 service.

You can sing as many or as few weeks as you like!

The music will be fairly straight forward, so it’s a great way to give choir at Trinity a try if you love to sing!

All ages are welcome, but please check with Meg if you have a child younger than age 10 who wants to sing so that we can make sure it’s a good experience for them.

You could even bring your whole family to sing together!

Contact: Meg Harper harperm@trinityprinceton.org

Treasures for Trinity Luncheon

July 30th 10:30AM-2:00 PM

Donate and Celebrate!

As a tribute to our 50th Annual Rummage Sale on October 16th-18th the Boutique Department is reviving the tradition of the Treasures for Trinity Luncheon. Bring your treasure and join us in the George Thomas on July 30th, from 10:30am-2:00 PM for a celebratory lunch and conversation. Your early participation will enable the Boutique staff to properly price your contribution and provide buyers with a provenance, or a great story.

So, scour your attics, basements and closets for treasures you would like to part with which will support our outreach partners in the Trenton area! Tax deduction forms will be available.

Please rsvp by July 25th to eschercon@msn.com or rjcilenti@gmail.com

Let's collaborate on making this the best sale ever and celebrate this legendary sale on its half century anniversary!

50th Trinity Church Rummage Sale

This is an amazing time for Trinity Church…

50 years, and going strong with the Rummage Sale!!!

Save the date: October 16th-18th 2025

Please start putting all your treasures aside this summer to support our sale! Collections will begin in September but start sorting your donations now! As always, we are not collecting furniture, pet items, baby items, broken electronics, and/or torn damaged goods.

Questions? Please email: rummage@trinityprinceton.org

PRAYER LIST:

Please pray for the following souls who have recently passed:

Charlie Huebner

Please keep the following individuals in your prayers: Thomasina Allen, James Arnold, Cynthia Bellamy, Gloria Bellamy, Boden, Peter Brown, Katherine Burke, Clark, Ruben C, Evon Cassier, Jason Clark, Shereese Clark, Donna Crafford, Cullen Creel, Patricia Domino, Don Edwards, Christopher Dismas Eldredge, Steve Evans, Gus Escher, Marty Fitzgerald, Pat Grabiec, Shane Greene, Kate H, William Hannan, Sissy Hoover, Tamara James, Ellen Jane, Patricia Killian, Lerose, Charles Lewis, Lillie Lim, Jay Lipscomb, Makenna, Julie Meidlinger, Richard and Marianne Merkelbach, Nancy Metcalf, Les and Joanne Miley, Candice Miller, Chris Moser, Clive Muncaster, Steven Murray, Rosemary Parish, Paul, Ed Perrott, Linda Perrott, Katrina Poskay, Kim Prior, Jason Chandler-Renfro, Freddy and Daneel van Rensburg, Roger Quinn, Kathy S, Amber Schuppan, Dianne Senko, Samantha Seto, Nancy Slade, Maria Smarsh, Mary Stevens, Isaiah Stevens, Colina Stanford, Marcia Thompson, Trisha Thorme, Phil Unetic, Anthony Wilmoth, Mike Zimmerman, Betty Zuray.

➨ If you want to add someone to the list, please email Annie Bryson at brysona@trinityprinceton.org.

RECOVERY MEETINGS: Looking for recovery meetings? See our list of recurring meetings here.

ZOOM EVENTS: Join all Zoom meetings, unless otherwise advertised, at ZOOM.US/J/2859819016 [By phone: 1 646 558 8656 Meeting ID: 285 981 9016 Password: 1979].

ABOUT US: Trinity Church ➨ Est’d 1833 ➨ An Episcopal Church in the Diocese of New Jersey ➨ 33 Mercer Street, Princeton, New Jersey 08540 ➨ (609) 924-2277 ➨ The Rev. Paul Jeanes III, Rector; The Rev. Cn. Dr. Kara N. Slade, Associate Rector ➨ Website: trinityprinceton.org

“We believe God’s love is expansive and unconditional and that through Christ, God has called us to love one another as God loves us. We welcome all people of every gender, race, age, culture, ethnic background, sexual orientation, economic circumstance, family configuration, or difference of ability. We celebrate the worth, dignity, and gifts of every person as a child of God.”