The Triune God

Dear Good People of Trinity Church,

This Sunday is uniquely ours—Trinity Sunday. It is the day we celebrate the magnificent mystery and the sacred simplicity of one of the greatest truths of our Faith: God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer.

Since the fourth century, the Church has wrestled with the doctrine of the Trinity. It has been explored and examined, discussed and debated through the centuries. Theologians have written volumes, councils have convened, and believers have pondered. And yet, despite all our efforts to explain it, I wonder if we sometimes try too hard to understand something that is not meant to be fully understood but rather experienced.

We can dissect the Trinity with words and doctrines, but true understanding dawns only when we encounter the living God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—in the depth of our lives. Once we experience the triune God, no theological argument can make that experience more real, and no debate can take it away.

The Trinity, I believe, is not merely something to be believed about—it is a divine reality we know, deep in our hearts, when we have encountered Love itself.

Fr. Richard Rohr once wrote:

“Many of us say we believe in the Trinity—but we really don’t, because we don’t know what to do with it. We can’t even imagine it; all of our metaphors are simply words trying to grab at the reality, at the experience of God that ultimately can’t be verbalized. It can only be experienced.”

Julian of Norwich, the 14th-century mystic, knew this well. In a time of illness and deep contemplation, she received a series of divine visions—what she called “showings.” In one of these, she encountered the Trinity so fully that her heart overflowed with joy. In the words of translator Mirabai Starr, Julian writes:

“In the midst of this showing the blessed Trinity also revealed itself to me and filled my heart to overflowing with joy. I realized that this is what it will be like in the world to come, for all beings, and for all time. For the Trinity is God, and God is the Trinity. The Trinity is our creator and our sustainer, our Beloved forever and ever, our endless joy and bliss.”

This Sunday, may we move beyond analysis and into awe. May we allow ourselves not just to contemplate the Trinity, but to encounter the Trinity—and in doing so, be transformed.

In the name of the Triune God,

Paul+

I Can See Clearly Now

Dear Beloved of Trinity Church,

In 1972 Johnny Nash recorded the hit song “I can see clearly now, the rain is gone.” It’s light and joyful melody, wonderfully invites your body to sway and puts a smile on your face. I was reminded of this song while reading Passions of the Soul by Rowan Williams.  He writes that “our habitual mental and spiritual condition is one in which we quite simply don’t see clearly.” He continues on to say, “We don’t know things as we ought to know them; we don’t see them as we ought to see them.” Our brokenness - our sin - distorts our vision and understanding.  We struggle to see the truth of things as they really are, whether good or bad, beautiful or painful.

To help us see more clearly, Williams draws on the wisdom of Evagrius of Pontus, a 4th-century monastic theologian. Evagrius described three ways of seeing: the angelic way, the human way, and the diabolic way.

·       The angelic way is to see reality as it truly is “as things emerge from the hand of God.”

·       The diabolic way sees the world through the lens of self-interest and consumerism, where everything is reduced to its usefulness to us: “What can you do for me?”

·       The human way wavers between the two, struggling to see clearly but often sliding back into ego-driven perception, “stuffing the world into the bag of the self.”

Knowing this, we strive to see the world the angelic way. This does not mean wearing rose-colored glasses or pretending things are better than they are. Rather, it means seeing the world truthfully—through the redemptive lens of God’s love and grace. It means recognizing both the pain and brokenness of life and the beauty and possibility that can and will be in and through the love of God.

And one day, one glorious day, it really will be a bright, bright, bright, bright sunshiny day—for all of creation.

Peace and Blessings,

Paul+

A Chance to Meet: Campaign Events

Dear Good People of Trinity,

We are thrilled to invite you to two special upcoming events as we launch God of Grace and Glory—a bold and prayerful comprehensive campaign for the future of our beloved church. (Event details are below.) 

We welcome you to join us for one or both events as we come together to celebrate our church and embark on this important journey forward.

You should have received a more detailed letter in the mail with additional information about the campaign and upcoming events. If not, keep an eye out—it’s on its way!

This is a truly exciting and hopeful time in the life of our church. As we cast a shared vision for the future, may we continue walking forward in faith sustained and guided by God’s grace and glory.

Peace and blessings,

Paul+

A Sweet, Sweet Spirit in This Place

Princeton is alive with energy and joy as people return for Reunions Weekend. From across the country and around the world, they come back—to see old friends, to party, to reminisce, and to sing once again Old Nassau. There’s something deeply moving about remembering together: sharing stories, laughter, and those classic “Do you remember when?” moments.

But alongside the joy, there can be an experience of melancholy and pain. The passing of time brings with it the loss of beloved friends, and some relationships fade. This, too, is part of the tapestry of our lives.

This time last year, I began my sabbatical with a trip to Kentucky. On my first weekend there, I visited Walnut Street Baptist Church—the church of my youth. I stopped in on an adult Sunday School class and was greeted by those who had known me when I was a boy. Many of them are now in their late 80s and 90s. In that moment, I was no longer an adult visitor—I was again the young boy known as “Little Paul,” sitting in the church balcony with my parents, peering down at my grandparents below and spotting my sister across the way with the youth group.

Fifty years have passed in what feels like a nanosecond, yet so much has changed. And in our hearts and minds, through the gift of memory, we can travel through time and experience for but a brief moment, experience our own sacred reunion. I can close my eyes and return to Mrs. Paine’s Sunday School class. I can feel the waters of my baptism and feel Dr. Dehoney’s hands upon my shoulders. I can hear the congregation singing what we sang almost every Sunday:

There’s a sweet, sweet Spirit in this place,
And I know that it’s the Spirit of the Lord…

This Reunions and Memorial Day weekend, I invite you to enter into a sacred time of remembering. Let your heart be a place of reunion—a gathering space for the beloved cloud of witnesses who have walked with you on your journey of life and faith. Hear their voices. Feel their presence. Give thanks for their lives and the ways they continue to be with you.  

How beautiful it is to remember. How holy it is to gather. How powerful it is to sing:

Sweet Holy Spirit, Sweet heavenly Dove,
Stay right here with us, filling us with Your love…

Let us gather. Let us remember. Let us sing. Let us rejoice—for the gift of life, for the presence of the Spirit, and for the love that binds us together across the years.

Peace and Blessings, 

Paul+

The coming of a new dawn

Dear Beloved of Trinity,

I just had the joy of being on retreat at the Washington National Cathedral with my dear friend and first boss at Christ Cathedral in Louisville, Fr. Keith Marsh, our own beloved Rev. Joanne Epply-Schmitt, and 30 other beautiful children of God. We were guided by the wisdom of John Philip Newell—spiritual teacher, speaker, and author rooted in the Celtic tradition, and former warden of Iona Abbey in the Western Isles of Scotland.

Together, we entered a sacred time of prayer, reflection, sharing, and healing, centered on his powerful work Sacred Earth, Sacred Soul: Celtic Wisdom for Reawakening to What Our Souls Know and Healing the World. John Philip’s teaching was a clarion call to awaken—from the slumber of disengagement and disillusionment, from the false gods of greed and power—and to be grounded again in the truth of God’s love revealed in Christ which is deep in our hearts and the truth of our identity.

He reminded us that we, as children of the Living God, are beautifully and wonderfully made. And as we live within the painful reality of a broken world, our faith is not an escape hatch; it is a sacred pathway that allows us to live as people of light and love in the midst of pain, division, and strife.

We are pilgrims on this earth—not knowing where the journey will lead, yet “seeking one’s place of resurrection, setting sail into the unknown in search of new beginnings.” (p. 222) As Newell writes, “Each one of us is a voyager. This is what the universe invites us to be in our lives and relationships, because the universe keeps changing, unfolding, evolving. Anything that resists new beginnings and new ways is finished.” (p. 248)

In this sacred time together, we received an invitation to “voyage faithfully” — even through the darkness — always looking for God’s light, always watching for “the coming of a new dawn.” (p. 248)

As we continue to live in this Easter season, may we open our hearts and souls to destinations yet unknown. For God who is faithful and loving—will surely lead us. And we, beloved voyagers, will indeed find our way home and to the coming of a new dawn.

Easter Blessings,

Paul

Habemus Papem

Dear beloved of Trinity,

Yesterday, on the second day of the conclave, white smoke rose from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel—a signal to the world that a decision had been made. The 133 Cardinals, representing 70 nations, had reached a sacred consensus: a new pope had been chosen. Through these men, it is believed, the Holy Spirit has moved—God Himself has spoken.

Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, becomes the 267th successor to St. Peter and the spiritual leader of 1.4 billion Catholics around the globe. He now bears the mantle not only as the Holy Father, but as one of the most recognizable symbols of Christianity in the world.

From the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, overlooking a sea of thousands gathered, Pope Leo addressed the faithful with words of hope and challenge:

“We have to look together at how to be a missionary Church—building bridges, engaging in dialogue, always ready to receive others with open arms. Like this square—open to all—so must we be open to everyone who needs our charity, our presence, our dialogue, our love.”

In these uncertain times, we are in need of a leader who can call us to unity, who can help us rise above division. We need someone with open arms and an open heart to embrace the beauty and dignity of all God’s children. We need a shepherd marked by both humility and courage—ready to proclaim the Good News of Christ to a world aching for truth, justice, and love.

In the days and weeks ahead, I invite you to pray for Pope Leo. May his leadership and ministry breathe new life into the Church—one, holy, catholic, and apostolic. And may we, wherever we are in the Body of Christ, be inspired to live out our common mission: to share God’s boundless love with the whole world.

Easter Blessings,

Paul

Wake Up

Dear Beloved of Trinity Church,

There was a time when sleeping was no problem for me. Once I went to bed, I could sleep through the night without stirring until morning. But then, the battle would begin. The alarm would go off, and no matter what I set my “clock-radio” to—classical music, smooth jazz, or nature sounds—no matter how soft or soothing the volume, it always felt like a fire truck siren pounding my eardrums with a sledgehammer. I would groan as if in pain, hit the snooze button, and repeat the cycle every eight minutes for three or four rounds until someone downstairs would yell, “Paul, wake up! Get up! You’re going to miss the bus!”

Waking up can be hard. Sometimes we don’t want to wake up—we’d much rather stay wrapped in the warmth of our bed and the comfort of our dreams. But life isn’t meant to be slept through. We sleep because our bodies and minds need rest in order to live and thrive. What would life be if we slept through it? Unfortunately, at times that’s exactly what we do.

Easter calls us to wake up. Wake from our slumber. Open our eyes, ears, hearts, and souls to the amazing gift of life and the truth of God’s love.

In Growing into God: A Beginner’s Guide to Christian Mysticism, John Mabry writes:

“We come from God, and to God we long to return. But how? The Christian tradition is filled with saints and sinners just like us, pilgrims and mystics who have traveled this road in search of spiritual maturity. They sent us letters outlining exactly how to wake up, how to remember our true nature, and how to return to the Divine Presence.”

John Philip Newell, in Sacred Earth, Sacred Soul, reminds us that our Christian journey—perhaps more accurately, our human journey—“is about waking up to a knowledge that is deep in the very fabric of our being. It is about living in relationship to this wisdom.” He continues, “The problem is that we keep going back to sleep, or otherwise live in ways that neglect this deep knowing.”

Dear friends, the alarm has sounded in the joyous proclamation of Easter:
Alleluia. Christ is risen. The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia.
Wake up, dear ones!
Wake to life and love.
Wake to joy and hope.

Wake to beauty and possibilities.
Now is the time to live—fully awake, fully alive—in the truth of God’s redeeming love.

Easter Blessings,

Paul

Easter Blessings

Dear Beloved of Trinity,

As we draw ever closer to the celebration of the Resurrection, I share with you these beautiful words of Easter blessing from John O’Donohue:

"On this Easter morning, let us look again at the lives we have been so generously given. Let us lay down the useless baggage we carry—old pains, old habits, old ways of seeing and feeling—and find the courage to begin again.

Life is so short, and we are no sooner here than it is time to go. We must use to the fullest the time we have been given. We often underestimate the good we can do. A kind word, a listening ear, a helping hand—these can be the light someone needs in a time of darkness.

We weren’t put here to chase wealth or status. We are here to seek the light of Easter within our hearts—and once we find it, we are meant to share it freely and generously.

May the spirit and light of this Easter morning … bless us, watch over us, protect us on our journey, and draw us out from the shadows into the light of peace, hope, and transfiguration."

Easter is a miracle, a promise, and a calling. The truth of Easter is a sacred invitation to reawaken our souls to the gift of life and the infinite possibilities before us. The Easter proclamation stirs us from the slumber of indifference, opening our hearts to see the world with renewed wonder—to feel again the joy of simply being alive, and to walk more fully and freely in the way of the Risen Christ.

May we embrace, with joy and renewed spirit, the days before us. And may the light of Easter continue to guide, sustain, and encourage us for the journey yet to come.

Easter Blessings,

Paul