A Warm Welcome to All Visitors & Newcomers.

A warm welcome to all visitors & newcomers.

At Trinity Church, 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 regardless of gender, race, age, culture, ethnic background, sexual orientation, economic circumstances, family configuration, political affiliation, or difference of ability. We celebrate the worth, dignity, and gifts of every person as a child of God.

We warmly welcome the presence and participation of children.

They are a blessing and gift to our worship experience.

Dear Good People of Trinity Church,

I want to bring your attention to two important updates to our bulletin.

The first is a small but significant change to our long-used words of welcome. After prayerful reflection and meaningful conversations with several Trinity members, I have added “political affiliation” to our litany of welcome. I never thought such words would be necessary, but in this season of intense political division, I believe they are. As followers of Christ, we are called to be a community that welcomes all. Trinity Church will not be a “Left” church or a “Right” church, but rather a church that imperfectly yet faithfully strives to follow Jesus Christ and live out the Gospel message for the healing and transformation of the world. This is not easy work. It is work that will not be completed in our lifetimes. Yet each day, in small but meaningful steps, we move closer to God’s dream for our broken world.

The second addition is a welcome directed especially to families with children. Children are essential to the life and vitality of the Church. While their sounds and movements may at times feel distracting, without them there is no future for the Church. These movements and voices are signs of young believers beginning to find their way into the sacramental life of the community we call Trinity. We know how much effort it takes for parents and caregivers to prepare children for worship—and how much energy is spent helping them participate once here. Their efforts deserve our deepest encouragement and our warmest embrace. We must support them with open hearts, open minds, and open arms.

We are especially blessed in this season to have Anne Thomsen Lord, Catherine Breed, and Donte Milligan guiding and nurturing our children and youth. Please reach out to them—or to me—if you feel called to help grow this vital ministry.

I close with the prayer I offered at last Sunday’s forum, a prayer I hope will remain before us as we continue the work of being Trinity Church:

Quicken, O Lord, we pray, all members of your church, that we may be alive to the opportunities and responsibilities of our times. Save us from complacency and from fear of new ways; inspire our minds with the hope of your kingdom; give us joy in what lies before us; and stir our wills to pray and to work until your will is done on earth as it is in heaven. Amen.

Peace,

Paul+

Let’s Talk… and Listen!

Dear Good People of Trinity Church,

I invite you to join me this Sunday for our Adult Forum time, which will serve two important purposes.

First, we will kick things off with an update on our Comprehensive Campaign. We are steadily closing in on our $7.5 million goal to secure the future of Trinity Church. Our dedicated co-chairs, Jeannie Garner and David Schneider, will share the latest progress and outline the steps ahead as we work together to cross the finish line.

The majority of our time together will be devoted to reflecting on the current state of our country—particularly the ways we speak and listen to one another. In light of the recent assassination of Charlie Kirk, we are once again reminded of the divisions, hostility, and intensity that characterize our national life.

As Christians, we are called not to withdraw from this reality, nor to wield our faith as a weapon to dominate others. Instead, we are called to enter the conflict with humility, courage, and love.

A friend recently shared with me the book Truth Matters: A Dialogue on Fruitful Disagreement in an Age of Division by Robert P. George and Cornel West. This conversation models civil discourse and robust intellectual engagement around vital questions of truth. Along the way, they remind us that truth-seeking requires conditions such as freedom of speech, and virtues such as intellectual humility and courage. To their call to be “truth seekers” and “truth speakers,” I would add this: we are also called to be truth listeners.

Too often, we speak in order to persuade or to win an argument, rather than to share honestly from our own hearts. Likewise, we listen not to understand, but only to prepare our rebuttal. This cycle keeps us locked in hostility and division.

This Sunday, I invite us into something different. Let us practice speaking with honesty and humility, and listening with openness and grace. When we do, we create the possibility of genuine understanding and deeper unity.

I look forward to being with you. Let’s talk… and let’s listen.

Peace and Blessings,
Paul+

TRINITY CHURCH’S 50TH ANNUAL RUMMAGE SALE COMING IN OCTOBER

50TH ANNUAL RUMMAGE SALE

October 16th - 18th

 
 

Trinity Church volunteers and staff are making final preparations for the 50th Annual Rummage Sale to be held October 16th - 18th in the historic Princeton church at 33 Mercer Street.  Shoppers can expect bargains in housewares and electronics, shoes and clothes for men, women and children, as well as books, toys, jewelry, framed art, and linens.  Unique silver and china can be found in the Boutique, and suits, ties and designer apparel will be available in the better men’s and women’s departments.  Proceeds will benefit Trinity’s local and international outreach programs.

“Bargain hunters and treasure seekers know that this celebration of sustainable reuse is a mark-your-calendar event,” says Susan MacGregor, head of the Trinity Rummage team. “There’s something for everyone whether you’re looking for gifts or for yourself.  You’ll find cookware, coffee-makers and crock pots, plus special occasion dresses and holiday decorations. Our friends and parishioners have opened their hearts and their closets to us and new donations are coming in every week.”

This year’s rummage sale starts with a first-day ticketed sale on Thursday, October 16 from noon - 5 PM.  Admission for the first day is $10.  Friday hours on October 17 are noon - 5 PM, and Saturday hours on October 18 are 9 AM - noon, with everything priced half off.

Thursday, October 16 from noon - 5 PM

Friday hours on October 17 are noon - 5 PM

Saturday hours on October 18 are 9 AM - noon (50% Sale)

MacGregor acknowledges it takes “the efforts of so many wonderful people who allow us to provide a fun and meaningful way to engage our town and neighboring communities. We’re truly grateful and hope to see you there.”  For more information or to volunteer email  rummage@trinityprinceton.org

50th Trinity Church Rummage Sale

Countdown to Trinity Church’s 50th Rummage Sale has Begun!

October 16th-18th

Donations will be accepted on Sundays after the 10:30 am service September 14th, 21st, 28th, and October 5th.

What time? Between Noon and 12:45

Where? At the PODs in the Trinity Parking Lot

Are reservations necessary? Yes, by email rummage@trinityprinceton.org

Can you make more than one reservation?  Yes

Which donations will help put our 50th sale over the top? 

Here are some suggestions based on past sales:

Jewelry – gold earrings & charm bracelets, broches with semi & precious stones, and costume items; books; clothes for men, women and children – “better” and “bargain”; framed art & treasures for the Boutique; craft & knitting supplies; holiday decorations & toys; housewares - glassware, fine and everyday china, kitchen pots & pans etc); linens; vintage items - hats, purses, scarves & gloves and dolls & doll houses with furniture; shoes & boots in good condition.

Electrical items in working order are in great demand: coffee pots, tea kettles, crock pots, blenders, toaster ovens & electric griddles; lamps; sewing machines; holiday decorations with lights in working order; small TVs.

YOUR SUPPORT NEEDED

I would also like to help put the 50th sale over the top and will send a message to rummage@trinityprinceton.org when I will be available:

  • Sundays at the PODs accepting donations

  • Saturday, October 11 from 9:30-11 am setting up the sale

  • Sunday, October 12 from1-3:30 pm bringing donations from PODs to rooms for the sale

  • Monday-Thursday, October 13-16 any time between 9 am-2 pm setting up, displaying and pricing items

  • Thursday-Saturday, October 16-18 at the sale: “meet and greet” and welcome shoppers; be a cashier or a “wrapper”; sell “art in the hallway” & shoes; help shoppers find a holiday gift; pass on information about Trinity Church; take unsold items to the Goodwill truck; be an unsung hero and help clear up and return the rooms for Sunday programs!!!

With thanks for your support,

The Rummage Committee

(Susan, Margot, Dan, Helen, Linda & Bob, Sylvia, Helen & John, Harry & team, Helene, Alison, Terri, Carol, Ireen, Connie, Rosemary, Fred, PA, Camille, Anderson, Amy, Kim, Katie, Liz, Chris, Barb & Barb & Wendy, Rob, Martha, Tracy)

Make Our Life Together a Sign of Christ’s Love

Dear Good People of Trinity Church,

Just before the 5:30 Eucharist on Wednesday, my phone buzzed with news: Charlie Kirk had been killed. A conservative political activist and a deeply polarizing figure—followed by millions, despised by millions—his death was immediately met with words of horror, outrage, and disgust. The airwaves filled with the usual rhetoric about political violence, gun control, and the deep divides in our society.

I walked into the chapel for worship and offered a reflection—disjointed, raw, unrefined. Today, on 9/11 of all days, I am trying to write something more thoughtful. As a priest, people expect me to offer a word: grounding, hope, faith. What follows is simply my heart and mind in this moment. Yesterday my words were different; tomorrow they may be different still.

First - why are we shocked? We live in a world steeped in violence. Every day, people are shot and killed. According to the Pew Research Center, nearly 47,000 people died of gun-related injuries in 2023—38% were murder. That is nearly 18,000 murders in one year. Someone gets angry, picks up a gun, and takes a life.

But violence is not only personal—it is systemic, national, global. Governments plot and plan wars. Entire populations are sacrificed because of power, anger, greed, and fear, but under the guise of something good and noble, necessary and courageous. Violence is not an occasional interruption in our world; it is all too often the normative reality.

And the violence of our world is not only about guns, not by any means. There is economic violence, relational violence, sexual violence, emotional violence, “tribal” violence, religious violence – violence contaminates the very fabric of our being. Some is public, graphic, and on display. Some is quiet, subtle, cunning, and seductive—yet just as destructive, just as damning.

Second - on Sunday, I said that Jesus warns us: following him will get very real. Because the world is broken—broken in a uniquely human way with envy, fear, jealousy, and hate. Since the beginning, we have continually responded to that brokenness with violence.

So, what do we do as followers of Christ? We cannot stand on some imagined moral high ground, as if we have special clarity because we “follow” Jesus. No—we fall to our knees and pray. We beg for forgiveness. We search our souls, honestly confronting the truth of our own violence—sometimes hidden in the shadows of our hearts, sometimes shockingly exposed. And we trust in God’s love and grace. Only then can we begin to live differently, see differently, speak differently, act differently—not adding to the darkness, but bringing even the faintest light. And this we believe: the darkness cannot and will not overcome the light, even when it shines dimly from our fragile human souls.

Finally - I do not know if these words bring any comfort or clarity, but I offer them in faith, as we seek our way forward together. My dear ones, there will be more violence - there always is. But, there will also be more love, more hope, more life. There always is!

I leave you with a prayer from the wedding liturgy, written for couples beginning their life together, but just as fitting for us, as we continue on this sacred journey.

Make [our] life together a sign of Christ’s love to this sinful and broken world,
that unity may overcome estrangement,
forgiveness heal guilt,
and joy conquer despair. Amen.

Peace and blessings,
Paul+

Welcome to Our Interns

Rachel First

“Hello! My name is Rachel First, and I am a second-year M.Div. student at Princeton Theological Seminary. Growing up in a military family, I spent my childhood in both St. Louis, Missouri, and Santa Barbara, California, where I was active in youth ministry, Sunday school, and worship before moving to Chicago to complete my undergraduate degree in theology. I have worked as both a teaching and research assistant in theology throughout my undergraduate and graduate studies, with specialized interests in medieval theology, church history, and the role of gender in religious language and tradition. In my free time, I enjoy practicing the harp, playing video games, and spending time with my beloved husband Zach and our parakeet, Quill. I have been a member of Trinity Church for over a year, and I am eager to serve the congregation as an intern!”

Rob Long

Rob Long is second-year student at Princeton Seminary, but before that he was a writer and producer in Hollywood. He began his writing career on TV’s long-running “Cheers,” and served as co-executive producer in its final season. During his time on the series, “Cheers” received two Emmy Awards, and two Golden Globe awards. He graduated from Yale University in 1987, and spent two years at UCLA School of Film, Theater and Television. Rob has been twice nominated for an Emmy Award, and has received a Writers Guild of America award and a Golden Globe. He is a member of St. James Church in New York City and is discerning ordination in the Diocese of New York. 

Emma Stewart 

“Hi everyone! I’m Emma Stewart, a second-year MDiv student at Princeton Theological Seminary from Birmingham, Alabama. I’m looking forward to meeting each of you throughout my time this year and learning about what makes Trinity Church such a special place. I have a background in elementary education and worked previously in children’s ministry, but I am looking forward to stretching my skills and trying new avenues of ministry at Trinity. In my free time, I love to read for fun (send me all your recommendations!) and walk on the canal path with my pup, Billie. I can’t wait for a great year!”

 

Get Ready...

Dear Good People of Trinity,

This Sunday, we gather for Homecoming Sunday and begin a new program year together. I always love the excitement, energy, and possibilities this season brings. It is a time of life and abundance as we look forward to the ways God will work through the people of Trinity Church in the coming year. Trinity now enters our 192nd year of ministry, rapidly approaching our bicentennial.

As we prepare to gather this Sunday, I pause to reflect on the thousands of families and individuals who, over nearly two centuries, have found at Trinity Church a place of grace, service, prayer, and praise.

When the first families gathered at Trinity, Andrew Jackson was President of the United States. Since then, the people of Trinity Church have gathered for worship through the Civil War and abolition of slavery, the Industrial Revolution, World War I, the birth of the Soviet Union, the Great Depression, the Holocaust, World War II, the Cold War, the Korean and Vietnam Wars, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Civil Rights Movement, the assassinations of President Kennedy and Dr. King, the moon landing, Watergate, the fall of the Soviet Union, September 11, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the explosion of technology and emergence artificial intelligence—and that is only part of the story!

Through it all, God’s people have gathered here: to sing and pray, to serve and love, to learn and grow in faith. In and through it all, we strive to make our broken world a little more like the image and likeness of God’s hope for us. We know there is still much work to be done.

Get ready …our journey continues! Forward in faith! There is love to be shared, people to be welcomed, and Good News to be proclaimed.

I look forward to welcoming you home this Sunday.

Peace and Blessings,

Paul+

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