Love One Another

Love One Another

Dear Beloved of Trinity Church,

Summer is most definitely upon us. We have celebrated graduations, end-of-year gatherings, and a church picnic with fried chicken, hot dogs, and all the fixin's.

Next Tuesday, I will be departing for Michigan to fulfill my duties at St. John's Church in Harbor Springs. Mother Kara and Father Steve will guide the ship here, caring for our flock and leading the team. As we embark on this season of transition, I encourage us all to be more intentional about caring for one another.

Our church is large, and while many gather on Sundays, there are others who are unable to for various reasons. Let us set our hearts, minds, and souls toward hospitality, care, and outreach. People sometimes hesitate to reach out, fearing they will burden us or that we are too busy. Yet this is precisely how we live out our calling as the Body of Christ—loving and caring for one another as if we were caring for Christ Himself.

During the coming months, I ask everyone to be intentional about supporting and loving those around us. Please help our Trinity clergy and staff remain aware of the needs within our parish. Pastoral ministry is a team effort, and you are an integral part of ensuring that all people are cared for.

I give you a new commandment: to love one another as I have loved you. By this, all will know that you are my disciples. (John 13:34–35)

Let us proceed into this summer with faith, hope, and love. You will be in my heart and prayers continually. Though I will be away in Michigan, please do not hesitate to reach out.

Peace and Blessings,
Paul

P.S. As you know, Angela DiJoseph and Greg Geehern will both be ordained to the Sacred Order of Deacons on June 20. Greg's parish in Bordentown collected a purse to support him with essential items for ministry. We would like to do the same for Angela. If you are willing to contribute to Trinity Church in honor of her ordination, the funds will assist Angela as she begins this ministry—with items such as clerical shirts, prayer books, and other necessities. You can contribute by sending a check to the Finance Office with “ordination gift” in the memo line, or give online here. Thank you for your generosity.

A Time to Rest

Dear Beloved of Trinity Church,

As summer begins, I am reminded once again that life unfolds in seasons. Creation itself is built on rhythms: day and night, ebb and flow, inhaling and exhaling. The trees bud in spring, flourish in summer, shed their leaves in autumn, and rest through winter. Everywhere we look, God has woven a sacred rhythm into the fabric of creation.

Yet many of us live as though every season should be a season of striving. We move from task to task, obligation to obligation, rarely pausing long enough to notice that even God built rest into the pattern of life. Rest was not an afterthought. It was part of creation from the very beginning.

Summer offers us a gentle invitation to rediscover this rhythm. While our schedules may not completely stop, the season often brings a different pace. The days are longer, the evenings linger, and nature seems to encourage us to slow down and pay attention. Summer can be a time to exhale.

Jesus understood this rhythm. Again and again throughout the Gospels, he withdrew from the crowds, stepped away from the demands placed upon him, and sought quiet places for prayer and renewal. At one point, seeing the exhaustion of his disciples, he offered a simple invitation: "Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while" (Mark 6:31).

The spiritual life is not just about doing more “God” things, but also about learning when to stop, become still, and trust. Summer invites us to embrace that holy balance. To spend time outdoors. To marinate in rich conversation. To watch a sunset. To sit quietly in prayer. To remember that God is present and lavishing us with grace in our time of rest and renewal.

As this season begins, may you find moments to breathe deeply, to slow your pace, and to rest in the assurance that you are beloved. May summer become a season of renewal for body, mind, and spirit—a time to exhale and simply be in the presence of God.

"Come away... and rest a while."

That may be one of the holiest invitations in all of Scripture.

Peace and Blessings,
Paul

Where’s the RED?

Dear Beloved of Trinity,

In 2024, we lost one of our dear parishioners, Lisa Belshaw, after a long and courageous battle with a brain tumor.

Among the many gifts Lisa shared was her Instagram account, wheresthered — a joyful collection of moments in which she noticed the color red woven throughout everyday life. She photographed red wherever she found it and invited others to pause and see the world with fresh eyes. As we approach Pentecost Sunday, I want to borrow Lisa's practice.

As we prepare for Pentecost, keep your eyes open — not only for the color red, but for signs of the Holy Spirit moving in our world and in our lives. Red is the liturgical color of Pentecost, recalling the tongues of fire that descended upon the apostles and symbolizing the Spirit’s power, presence, and love. It is a vivid reminder that God is still at work among us, igniting courage, compassion, and hope.

So, this Sunday, I invite you to wear red as we celebrate the feast of Pentecost. But more than that, I invite you to look for red in the world around you — and to be red in word and deed. To be an outward sign of the Holy Spirit's presence. To be a witness to the grace and love that God pours out upon all people.

May we carry the spirit of Pentecost with us well beyond Sunday, so that wherever we go, people might sense that the Spirit is near — to hold them, protect them, and sustain them always.

Looking forward to seeing you in your RED!

Happy Pentecost,
Paul+

Onward—and Welcome to the Rev. Stephen Connor

Dear Friends,

I am overwhelmed with emotion and gratitude for the outpouring of kind words and support since last week’s announcement of my upcoming retirement. I am profoundly thankful for your encouragement, appreciation, and love.

But, dear ones, there is still much to do — nine more months to serve together as the people of Trinity Church. As we enter this time of transition, we will not be idle, but rather this will be a season of reflection, discernment, and preparation.

With that in mind, it is my great pleasure to introduce our new Associate Rector, the Rev. Stephen Connor. Stephen is already part of our Trinity community. He and his husband, Ron, have been members of our church for many years. He will be joining Kara and me as a much-needed third priest on our staff.

Onward, dear ones! There is work to be done, prayers to be lifted, songs to be sung, love to be shared, and Good News to be proclaimed.

Peace and Blessings!

Paul+

The Gift of Joy and Wonder

Dear Beloved of Trinity,

Thursday was “Take Your Child to Work Day.” For those who could, it meant a day away from school and an adventure alongside a parent—getting a glimpse into their world. I remember going to work with my dad during the summertime. It was always such a joy to spend that time with him. I was “Little Paul” and entrusted with my own special tasks, helping with whatever project was at hand.

This week, we were blessed with the presence of Lily McCarther, whose mom, Alicia, serves as my administrative assistant. As it happened, the day of her visit was also the ninth anniversary of her baptism!

We prepared a “Letter of Agreement” for her first official day in the working world. (See below!) For those who know me well, no further explanation is needed.

Her presence was truly a gift to all of us. Throughout the day, I found myself returning again and again to the prayer we say at baptism:

Heavenly Father, we thank you that by water and the Holy Spirit you have bestowed upon these your servants the forgiveness of sin, and have raised them to the new life of grace. Sustain them, O Lord, in your Holy Spirit. Give them an inquiring and discerning heart, the courage to will and to persevere, a spirit to know and to love you, and the gift of joy and wonder in all your works. Amen.

I have long held this prayer close to my heart—not only for my own children, but for all of us. This is who we are called to be as the people of God at Trinity Church: sustained by the Spirit, inquisitive and discerning, courageous and persevering, always growing in our desire to know and love God—and one another—more fully.

And alongside all of this, we are invited to keep our souls open: open to the abundance of God’s joy, open to awe and wonder, open to the sacred gift of creation and of life itself.

For me, Lily embodied that beautifully.

Thanks be to God for the gift of our children, who so naturally and generously reveal joy and wonder to us. Perhaps we really should have more “Take Your Child to Work” days—we might all be better for it.

Peace and blessings,

Paul+

P.S. This Sunday, there will be a special surprise in the bulletins—courtesy of Lily!

Alleluia. Christ is risen. The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia.

Dear beloved of Trinity Church,

Alleluia. Christ is risen. The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia.

What a glorious Easter it was! The church was filled, the music was beautiful, and the vibrant, joyful spirit was palpable. I could not have been more proud of our beloved community. Thank you to all who made our Easter celebration so meaningful and radiant.

Now we enter the Great Fifty Days of Easter, leading us to the feast of Pentecost. In these days, I invite us to live more deeply into the fullness of Easter’s power. While the liturgical calendar names this a season, Easter is far more than a moment in time—it is a way of life. It is the defining truth of our faith: that love is stronger than death, and life will have the final word.

Inspired by St. Augustine, Pope John Paul II reminds us, “We are an Easter people, and alleluia is our song.”

I invite you to prayerfully consider how you might embody Easter in your daily life. How might resurrection take shape in your words and deeds, in your intentions and desires? Where is God calling new life to emerge in you?

Our world is in deep need of Easter—not only within the Church, but for all people. We long for hope, for renewal, and for the assurance of God’s never-failing love.

Alleluia. Christ is risen. The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia.

Easter blessings,

Paul+

Jesus Christ is Risen Today—Alleluia!

Dear Friends,

“Jesus Christ is risen today, Alleluia!” With these joyful words, we awaken once more to the song that has echoed through the centuries—the song of life stronger than death, hope stronger than fear, love stronger than anything that would hold us back.

Easter is not simply a day we celebrate; it is a reality we are invited to enter. As the hymn proclaims, “our triumphant holy day” calls us to lift our hearts and voices, to join creation itself in praise. The stone is rolled away. The tomb is empty. Christ is alive—and because he lives, we are given new life as well.

Easter joy is not shallow or fleeting. It is born out of the depths of Good Friday and carried through the silence of Holy Saturday. And so our “hymns of praise then let us sing” are not naïve, but courageous—rooted in the promise that nothing, not even death, can separate us from the love of God.

I invite you to join us this Sunday, as we gather to celebrate the resurrection. Come and hear the Good News again. Come and sing “Alleluia.” Come and be renewed in the life that the Risen Christ offers to all.

Easter Blessings,           

Paul+

I’m Sorry, but I Don’t Understand.

Dear Beloved of Trinity Church,

As I write this letter, I’m sitting in the teachers’ lounge at the school where Sophia is working in Madrid, Spain. My Spanish is elementary at best. The teachers come in and warmly welcome me, but after a brief exchange most conversations quickly and politely come to an end. If we continue, we both have to work very hard because we are, quite literally, speaking different languages with very limited fluency in the other. Two phrases I do know are : “Lo siento, pero no entiendo.” (I’m sorry, but I don’t understand.) “Hablo solo un poco de español.” (I speak only a little Spanish.)

So…it takes work—real work—if we want to engage in conversation. It takes patience, creativity, and a willingness to explore different ways of communicating.

This can also be true at times even when we speak the same language—it can seem as if we don’t. Even if we understand every word being said, we may not truly comprehend one another. We see the world through different eyes. We hold different perspectives and opinions about what is true, or right, or good. We may be speaking the same language, but we still fail to understand—and sometimes, even when we do understand, we simply no longer want to engage.

It takes work and commitment, especially in our current reality, to truly communicate with one another—to genuinely seek understanding and to discern a way forward. Many of us are tempted to take the easier path: to throw up our hands and walk away. After all, it’s so much easier to be with people who speak the same language and think the same way we do.

We must resist, however, that temptation and do the hard work to keep the conversation alive. Only then do we have any real possibility of finding a way forward. And perhaps that way forward, precisely because of our differences, will be richer and more vibrant for everyone.

Peace and blessings,
Paul+

Olga y Marta (Two of Sophia’s co-workers)