✢ E-PISTLE WEEK OF SUNDAY, JANUARY 4th, 2025 ✢

WEEK OF SUNDAY, JANUARY 4th, 2025
✢ SECOND SUNDAY AFTER CHRISTMAS ✢

A New Year’s Blessing

Dear Beloved of Trinity Church,

As we begin this new year together, I am drawn to the words of the Irish poet and priest John O’Donohue, from the introduction to his book To Bless the Space Between Us:

“There is a quiet light that shines in every heart.
It draws no attention to itself,
though it is always secretly there.
It is what illuminates our minds to see beauty,
our desire to seek possibility,
and our hearts to love life.
Without this subtle quickening,
our days would be empty and wearisome,
and no horizon would ever awaken our longing…
We enter the world as strangers,
who all at once become heirs
to a harvest of memory, spirit, and dream
that has long preceded us
and will now enfold, nourish, and sustain us.
The gift of the world is our first blessing.”

In the days and months to come, I invite us to open ourselves to the sustaining, guiding, comforting, encouraging, and healing light of Christ—a light that is indeed present in every heart. A light set ablaze at the beginning of creation, the light from which all other light has come to be.

As the true light, it does not burn for its own glory or for praise or attention. Rather, it burns to break through the darkness. It burns to help all living things flourish. It burns to set us free, to show us the way home, to keep us warm, to give us courage, and to remind us that we are not alone. It is the light around which the cosmos revolves, and the source from which all of us find our life.

May we, this year, find ourselves illumined and blessed by this holy, subtle, sacred, blazing flame of life and love.
May it shine within us and through us—
with each breath,
each word,
each act.

Peace and blessings,

STEWARDSHIP

Greetings Friends,

If you haven’t yet pledged for 2026, we invite you to do so today. Every gift makes a meaningful difference.

You can pledge in one of three easy ways:

Complete a hard copy form, available in the narthex or at the front desk
Use the Trinity website link: https://www.trinityprinceton.org/giving
Scan the QR code provided

Thank you for being an essential part of our community.

Bill Hackett & Cynthia Westbrook,

Co-Chairs of Stewardship

This Sunday’s Sermon:

The Rev. Paul Jeanes III

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9:30am Adult Forum

Epiphany breakfast in Pierce-Bishop Hall

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SUNDAY READINGS

First Lesson:

Jeremiah 31:7-14

Second Lesson:

Ephesians 1:3-6, 15-19a

Gospel:

Matthew 2:1-12

Download Bulletin

January 4th

10:30 AM BULLETIN

LIVESTREAM

Trinity’s Children and Family Ministries

I hope everyone is enjoying their holidays. We loved seeing many of you at our services on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and Christmas Lessons & Carols. We have extra copies of the nativity story Father Paul shared on Christmas Eve. Please reach out if your family would like a book.

This Sunday we will be celebrating Epiphany with the whole church. We’ll party in Pierce and eat a delicious breakfast together. Looking forward to it!

Upcoming Events

1/4 9:30 a.m. Church Family Breakfast, Epiphany Party! No Sunday School or Youth Group, Children’s Chapel during second service

1/5 8:30 a.m. Move on Mondays

1/6 6 p.m. Epiphany service, Burning of the Greens

1/11 9:30 a.m. Joint Baptism of our Lord Sunday School session, Children’s Chapel, Youth Group

REGISTER BELOW:

CHILDREN AND YOUTH RETREATS

The Blessing of the Plough with songs and molly dances by Handsome Molly to mark the occasion will take place on Plough Monday, 12 January 2026, 6:30 pm, at the front entrance of the church.

Plough Monday is the first Monday after Epiphany. In medieval times, the ploughboys were to return to work on this day to start the new ploughing season, but the day provided one last day of festivity as the ploughboys would disguise themselves and go from house to house threatening to plough up the yard if the landowners did not provide them food and drink.

Trinity Church has been marking this day for many years now. Rev. Canon Dr. Kara Slade will serve as Officiant. Please come.

- Curtis

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Adult Formation Corner

Are you new to Trinity Church, new to the Episcopal Church, or just looking for a refresher course? Join us for the all-new Foundations course, a four-week introductory class. We will start meeting THIS SUNDAY, January 4, at 9:30 AM in the Library. RSVP here if you’re interested, or just show up!

See you there!

Adult Formation This Week:

Sunday, January 4 at 9:30 AM: Epiphany breakfast in Pierce-Bishop Hall, Foundations class in the Library

Monday, January 5 at 7:30 PM at Yankee Doodle Tap Room: Pub Theology

Tuesday, January 6 at 6 PM: Epiphany service and Burning of the Greens

As you probably know, our choir will be touring the UK this August, spending the first week at Ely Cathedral and the second at Westminster Abbey. Trinity Church invites YOU to join the choir for the London week of the tour, August 8-17. We have been running a blurb about the tour in the E-Pistle for a while, but this Sunday is your chance to hear a presentation on the accompanying tour. We will be traveling on British Airways and staying in London about 10 minutes from Westminster Abbey. In addition to supporting our choir at Evensong and Sunday services, we will have time to tour some historic sites in London as well as travel to Oxford and Canterbury for a day. There will also be plenty of free time for shopping or your own activities. Thanks to some good group rates, the cost should be quite reasonable for a week in London. We do need to make a commitment for the group airfare soon, so please join us on Sunday at 9:30 in Pierce-Bishop or indicate your interest on this Google Form: CLICK HERE PS: In this season of Advent, do you have theological questions or questions about prayer and discipleship? These are my very favorite things to talk about! Email me and we’ll find a time to get together, or you can use my robo-scheduler here: CLICK HERE

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Travel to the Holy Land

A couple of years back, some members of Trinity Church traveled with our Rector, Paul Jeanes, and The Rev. Keith Marsh and to the Holy Land.

It proved to be a marvelous and spiritually uplifting experience for all who made the pilgrimage! After retiring in June of 2023, Keith started Spirited Pilgrimages, a business devoted to planning, promoting and hosting unique, small-group pilgrimages around the world for people of faith.

Two pilgrimages have been planned for the fall of next year and you are invited to join:

The Footsteps of Paul – September 9-19, 2026 – travel through Turkey and Greece by land and sea - visit sites from the Book of Acts associated with St. Paul on his missionary journeys: Ephesus, Patmos, Corinth, Athens and more, including the islands of Crete and Santorini
Celtic Christianity – October 12-24, 2026 – follow the path of Christianity’s early years in the Celtic kingdoms, beginning in Ireland and expanding into Scotland and northern England – trace the spread of Celtic Christianity from its introduction by St. Patrick to its demise at the Council of Whitby.

These pilgrimages will be led by Keith, an experienced pilgrimage planner and host. To learn more about these two all-inclusive pilgrimages – expansive itinerary, roundtrip airfare, lodging and meal details, price and deadlines, as well as how to reserve your spot – visit the Spirited Pilgrimages website at: spiritedpilgrimages.com

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PRAYER LIST:

Please keep the following individuals in your prayers:

Susan Barry, Zoe Beaton, John Bertalot, Gordon Brooks, Peter Brown, Peter, Chip Dongara, Daryll Eatmon, Gus Escher, Amy G., Pat Grabiec, Reverend Dana Hall, Ellen Jane, Patricia Killian, Edwin Metcalf, Nancy Metcalf, Billy Mitchell, Joan Nester, Bob Pietrucha, Cornelia Jane Reeder, Carol Reynolds, Jennifer Sanborn, Nancy Slade, Clive Muncaster, Dulcie Muncaster, Amber Schuppan, Dianne Senko, Samantha Seto, Isaiah Stevens, Gary Sykes, P.A. Tippett, and Phil Unetic

Please pray for the following souls who have recently passed:

Larry Evans

Individuals will remain on the prayer list for one month, unless we are otherwise notified.

➨ 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.”

PARISH CARE

Please know that we are here for you, to support you and pray for you however best we can. Feel free to reach out to the clergy.