Upcoming Programs for Forming Disciples

Exciting things are afoot at Trinity!

First, on Sunday, October 30, join us after the 10:30 service for the first meeting of the 20s & 30s Fellowship. If you’re a young adult at Trinity — student or not, single or partnered, with kids or without — you’re invited to participate in our group for fun, fellowship, and service.

Our first gathering will be an interest meeting to talk further about what we want to do this year. Lunch will be provided, so come on out and meet other young adults in our congregation. Contact me or Angel with any questions.

Second, our Theology Book Club returns on Monday, November 7, at 7pm on Zoom. We’ll read Fully Alive: The Apocalyptic Humanism of Karl Barth by Stanley Hauerwas. Find out more about the book here.

Living through an apocalyptic time, Swiss theologian Karl Barth influenced Christianity in the twentieth century profoundly. He publicly rejected Hitler’s Nazism, advocated on behalf of workers and laborers, and ministered to prisoners. Barth was named by Pope Pius XII as "the greatest theologian since Thomas Aquinas" and in 1962 even appeared on the cover of Time magazine. In Fully Alive, one of America’s best and most provocative theologians, Stanley Hauerwas, demonstrates that Barth’s radical theological perspective is particularly relevant and applicable to the challenges of our own time.

Hauerwas argues that Barth’s engagements with the social and political struggles of his day can help us see what it means to be fully human in the twenty-first century. The ecclesiastical and the political were inseparable for Barth; similarly, Hauerwas shows why it is crucial for theological claims to produce insights that make it possible for our lives to be well lived. Including chapters on race, disability, and the church in Asia, Hauerwas shows how Barth’s political theology can be read as a training manual that can help us maintain our humanity in a world in crisis.

Third, the Episcopal 101 class will be held during Advent for newcomers, as well as everyone who would like to learn more about who we are and what we believe as Episcopalians.

Stay tuned for more information!

One Unpopular Church Service that Changed the World

JANET GEDDES IN ST GILES’ CHURCH, EDINBURGH

Let me tell you a story. The year was 1637. On Sunday, July 23, at St. Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh, a service began that used a new liturgy for the first time. “The Booke of Common Prayer and Administration Of The Sacraments: And other parts of divine Service for the use of the Church of Scotland” had been compiled at the instruction of King Charles I for use in Scotland. Its imposition by the crown was not, shall we say, universally popular. At that first service, a woman named Jenny Geddes allegedly threw a stool at James Hannay, the Dean of Edinburgh, as he began to pray the collects. She was said to have exclaimed "De’il gie you colic, the wame o’ ye, fause thief; daur ye say Mass in my lug?" meaning “Devil cause you colic in your stomach, false thief: dare you say the Mass in my ear?”

This act started a cascade of events that would shake kingdoms. The congregation began hurling Bibles and furniture, and shouting abuse at the Dean as well. Rioting broke out in the streets and spread to other cities. Charles I refused to compromise on the use of Anglican liturgy, and in 1638 his opponents in Scotland signed a document called the National Covenant to oppose both the Prayer Book and the role of bishops in church governance. Then, in 1639, the King sent troops to suppress the rebellion started by the Covenanters’ movement. The “Bishops’ War” that followed would lead in time to both the Irish Rebellion and the English Civil War, and finally to the execution of the King.

When Cromwell and the Puritan Parliament took over, they attempted to suppress Prayer Book worship, not always with success. Some priests memorized parts of the 1559 Prayer Book and recited them under the guise of extemporaneous prayer. Others used the Prayer Book privately for occasions like family baptisms.

Then, in 1660, King Charles II was restored to the throne. A new Prayer Book was commissioned, a mild revision of the 1559 book that was intended to steer a peace-preserving ‘middle way’ in its flexibility: “It hath been the wisdom of the Church of England, ever since the first compiling of her public Liturgy to keep the mean between two extremes, of too much stiffness in refusing, and of too much easiness in admitting any variation from it,” the Preface states. The 1662 Prayer Book became the standard liturgy not only in the Church of England, but in many other parts of the world where English missionaries traveled. It remains the authorized Prayer Book of the Church of England, although there is a supplemental 20th century book called Common Worship that provides rites equivalent to our Rite II liturgy.

On Sunday, October 30, at 5pm, we will remember this heritage of prayer and worship with a 1662 Book of Common Prayer service. We are fortunate to have Drew Keane, an expert in the 1662 liturgy, consulting with us to help us structure the service as it would have been done in the late 1600s. We aren’t doing this as merely a historical curiosity, but rather as a way to discover how the “habits of the heart” practiced by Anglicans more than 300 years ago are so close to our own — and why they have lasted.

Won’t you join us?

Yours in Christ,

The Rev. Cn. Dr. Kara N. Slade, Associate Rector

Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost

I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.— Jeremiah 31:33

Jeremiah 31:27-34

The Three Questions, by John J. Muth

2 Timothy 3:14-4:5

The Noisy Paint Box, by Barb Rosenstock

Luke 18:1-18

Knuffle Bunny, by Mo Willems

In this week’s text from Jeremiah, God makes a promise to watch over the people, to write the law on their hearts, and to be their God. But wait, wasn’t God already God? And weren’t the people already God’s people? Well, yes, but the people forgot God and God’s ways. When God restores them to their home, they will all know God without forgetting because God’s ways will be written on their hearts instead of just on some scrolls. Have you ever experienced something like this?

The great Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy wrote a story called “The Three Questions,” in which he thought about how hard it can be to know the right thing to do. John J. Muth adapted this story for children and illustrated it with his signature watercolors. The main character, Nikolai, wonders, “When is the best time to do things? Who is the most important one? What is the right thing to do?” His animal friends give him answers, but they are unsatisfying. Nikolai goes to visit a tortoise, in the hopes that he will find the answers to his questions. During his visit, he must help the tortoise in his garden and rescue a panda bear and her cub. After these experiences, he discovers that he knows the answers after all. The tortoise (named Leo) explains it this way: “There is only one important time, and that time is now. The most important one is always the one you are with. And the most important thing is to do good for the one who is standing at your side.”

For older readers (teens and adults) who are curious about Tolstoy’s other work, Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky have completed wonderful and accessible translations of both War and Peace and Anna Karenina.

In this week’s epistle text from 2 Timothy, Paul exhorts Timothy to cling to what he has learned about God and to persevere even if he experiences suffering. Paul focuses the tradition. However, it is also important to remember that God is always doing new things. Last week, at our Youth Led Evening Prayer, Rev. Joanne pointed out that we were experiencing a new thing God is doing in our Parish life – this past Sunday was the first time the Youth of Trinity have fully led an evening prayer service. Barb Rosenstock’s book about Vasily Kandinsky, The Noisy Paintbox, offers another example of making room for creativity and newness. Vasya grows up in traditional Russian society, and his parents are trying to teach him how to be “proper.” When he receives a new paintbox from his aunt, his life changes. As an adult, Vasily Kandinsky pioneered abstract art as a new art form. He was only able to do this new thing by moving away from more traditional art forms. What are some of our traditions in the Episcopal church? How have these traditions changed over time to make room for new things that God is doing?

In this week’s gospel text, Jesus reminds his disciples to pray always. He offers a parable about an unjust judge. This judge did not fear God or care about his neighbors. And yet – he gave justice to a

persistent widow, who asked and asked and asked him to give her justice. This parable is a comparison between lesser and greater things – if even a bad judge can give justice to a persistent claimant, how much more will God (who is unlike the judge because God is both good and just) hear and respond to our persistent prayers. There are a lot of weird aspects to this parable, that make it tricky for children (and adults). Mo Willems’ book, Knuffle Bunny, cuts through the confusion to focus on the importance and the fruit of persistence. When she was very small, Trixie (Willem’s real- life daughter) lost her favorite stuffed animal (The Knuffle Bunny of the title) at the laundromat. Trixie has a problem. She can’t talk yet. But she knows that Knuffle Bunny is missing, and she does everything she can to rouse and alert her parents. Trixie literally does not let her parents sleep until she had her bunny back. (Maybe you parents have similar stories from your children’s infancies and toddler days?) Finally, when they understand the cause of her distress, they run to the laundromat to find the missing bunny. Have you ever prayed for the something persistently? What was that like? Did God respond in the timing or in the way you expected? If you are still waiting on God, what makes you want to give up? What helps you to be persistent without giving up?

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Whenever possible we’ll share links to independent to booksellers. Please consider supporting local and other indepedent bookstores.

Life-giving Waters

[Transcript]

Dear beloved of Trinity Church,

Greetings, I come to you from Colorado this evening. I’m here this week and weekend. I’ve been invited by one of our members to come and officiate their wedding. What a blessing it is. I’ve never been to Colorado. I’ve never seen the Colorado Rockies. I’ve never seen nature quite like this, mountains quite so high, streams so pure and lovely. What an amazing gift. When you come here, you simply have no doubt of the majesty, the beauty, the enormity of God. What an amazing sight and how wonderful to experience it.

Tonight, we’re at the rehearsal and I’m standing next to a stream which happens to be by the property where we're gathering tonight and I looked at that stream and I thought of Matthew 7:38. It speaks to the fact that we, as follows of Jesus Christ, the streams of life-giving water flow within us. The waters of God’s love — baptismal waters — flow in us and flow through us, that we might bring life and living water to all those in need, all those who are hurting, all those who are hungry, all those who are lonely.

What a gift it is to stand here this evening. And I bring you this message of living water, of life and hope. May you know and feel the living water of Christ in you. And may you open yourself to allow it to flow through you, to bring life to those with whom you walk this journey.

Peace and blessings to all of you, dear friends, and we’ll see you next week. Take care. God bless.

Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. — Luke 17:15

2 Kings 5:1-15

Lion and Mouse by Jerry Pinkney (2+)

2 Timothy 2:8-15

The Light of the World: The Life of Jesus for Children by Katherine Paterson (PreK 4+)

Luke 17:11-19

The Thank You Book by Mo Willems (PreK 3+)

Saint Francis’ Feast Day

Saint Francis of Assisi, by Demi (PreK 4+)

Brother Son Sister Moon by Katherine Paterson (PreK 4+)

Francis: Poor Man of Assisi by Tomie de Paola (K+)

This week’s text from 2 Kings tells the story of Naaman, who was an army commander for the Arameans, Israel’s neighbors in the ancient world. Naaman became sick with leprosy. His wife, who was from Israel, told him that Elisha, Israel’s prophet, could heal him of his leprosy. So Naaman got the king of Aram to the king of Israel on his behalf. When Naaman arrived at Elisha’s house, he was decked out in all his military splendor. He expected a spectacular cure. However, Elisha instructed him to go wash himself in the Jordan River seven times. Naaman was underwhelmed. He followed Elisha’s instructions anyway. Lo and behold – he was healed! He praised God and thanked Naaman. Jerry Pinkney’s Newberry Award winning book, The Lion and the Mouse, connects well to this story. The book depicts Aesop’s fable wordlessly with. gorgeously rendered illustrations. When they were little, my kids loved to notice the details in the illustration and add in their own words to supplement the pictures. Have you ever received help in an unexpected way or from someone unexpected? If yes, how did that experience change your perspective?

In our epistle text from 2 Timothy, Paul reminds Timothy of how important it is to remember Jesus and to practice endurance and truthfulness. Remembering Jesus’ life is central to our life as his followers. Katherine Paterson’s book, The Light of the World, aims to help children remember and internalize Jesus’ life through story and picture. You might wonder together when it is easy to remember Jesus and when it is difficult. Are there other things you do as a family to remember Jesus together? Are there things we do as a church? Next time you are in church together, keep your ears open for things we say all together or words that the priests say about remembering Jesus.

After Naaman’s leprosy was healed, he returned to Elisha to say thank you. In this week’s gospel text, Jesus heals ten people suffering from leprosy. Out of the ten lepers Jesus healed, only one of them went back to Jesus to say thank you. Is this surprising to you? Saying thank you is one of the most important things we learn as children. It is also easy to forget to give thanks. Gerald and Piggy worry about remembering everyone they need to thank in The Thank You Book, by Mo Willems. Can Piggy remember everyone she needs to thank? This season, you might create a “thankfulness tree” for your family. Add leaves to your tree which name people for whom you are thankful or things for which you are thankful. See how full of leaves your tree gets in the next few weeks. If you and your family are interested in doing some biblical detective work, you

might explore what leprosy is and the how communities in the ancient world treated it. Have things changed in modern times?

This week (October 4) was St. Francis’ feast day, which we usually celebrate at Trinity with a Blessing of the Animals. Saint Francis of Assisi, who was a mystic Catholic friar (monk) was born in 1181. He found God in God’s creation—in the Sun, the Moon, the flowers, and the animals—throughout his life. At Trinity, we have a window in the south transept dedicated to Saint Francis. Try to find it next time you are in church. If you are curious about Saint Francis, there are a number of excellent picture books about him, such as Saint Francis of Assisi, by Demi, Brother Sun Sister Moon, by Katherine Paterson, & Francis: Poor Man of Assisi, by Tomie de Paola.

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Of Preservation and Blessings

The Rev. Scott Gunn is a dear friend of mine. He’s also the director of Forward Movement (the people who make the Forward Day by Day pamphlets), and the author of a wonderful introductory book on Christian faith and the Episcopal Church (Walk in Love). He’s also, as you see in the picture, very, very tall. Recently, Scott was traveling to Singapore for work when he suffered an extremely serious medical incident. He has since made an astounding recovery, and in this little essay he talks about how almost dying has affected his Christian walk. He writes,

...when I first became aware of what had happened to me, I was struck anew by the precarious nature of my life — and of all our lives. As I thought about the possibility of dying, I realized that I’m unafraid of death. All these years, I intellectually believed that was true, but when the possibility gets serious you really ponder this stuff! Maybe you’ve had this experience. But I am here to testify that I believe that Jesus Christ has conquered death and sin on the cross and in the empty tomb. God our Father raised Jesus to new life, and he can surely raise each one of us to new life, also. “Death no longer has dominion” is not an abstraction. By God’s grace, I am not afraid.

I encourage you to read the whole thing. It was a tremendous gift to my faith, and I hope it will come as a gift to you as well.

Do you have a question about the Bible, theology, or the church? Email me!

Is Anyone Up There?

There is this story — you probably know it — of a man who falls over the edge of a cliff and grabs on to a branch for dear life to keep from falling to the bottom of the ravine. In desperation he cries out for help, “Is anyone up there?” But no one answers. His desperation increasing, he calls out to God: “Oh God, are you up there? Send someone to save me!” And a voice from heaven says, “Let go of the branch.” The man hangs there over the ravine in fear and in silence, looking up to the edge of the cliff just out of reach and down to he yawning abyss below him. At last he takes a deep breath, looks up... and yells, “Is there anyone else up there?!”

We smile, we chuckle, with a knowing shake of the head because we have just heard an apt description of how often our own absolute trust in God actually hangs in midair.

True, there are some remarkable souls with great trust borne of mature faith in God. But for most of us mere mortals, our trust is limited — limited by our understanding of what trust in the Lord really is, what trust in the Lord is meant to accomplish.

When Jesus hung on the cross, taunting words were hurled at Him. “He trusted in God. Let God deliver him!” That caustic cynicism exposes a belief that a trustworthy God would keep God’s belovèd from all harm or failure.

Is that our definition?

Our Lord trusted that God would be present fully in times of joy, times of shattering suffering, and ultimately in the time on the other side of suffering as well. Such trust led our Lord to live a fearlessly full life as something held in hands other than His own. Do we likewise trust in the hands that will bear us all up through the best and through the most trying of times? Hands that will never let us down, but will gently set us down in place of peace and beauty at the last?

My go-to psalm in a myriad of circumstances in Psalm 131:

“O Lord, I am not proud;
I have no haughty looks.
I do not occupy myself with great matters,
or with things that are too hard for me.
But I still my soul and make it quiet,
like a child upon its mothers breast;
my soul is quieted within me.
O Israel, wait upon the Lord,
from this time forth for evermore.”

The Psalm quells the question, “Is there anyone else up there?” The Psalm in poetry says, “Let go of the branch.” These sacred verses are given to us so that we might live fully and fearlessly and abundantly. I commend them to you in trust that they will serve you well.

Yours in Christ,

The Rev. Joanne Epply-Schmidt, Associate Rector

Imputed and Infused Righteousness

This semester, I've been teaching an online class in Anglican Theology and Ethics at Bexley-Seabury Seminary. We recently dealt with the question of what holiness means in light of different theological models developed before and after the Reformation. One way to think of holiness is what's called infused righteousness: God works a change in us in our baptism and through the sacraments. This is a historically catholic perspective that dates to the early church. Imputed righteousness in associated especially with Martin Luther, but it emerged in several streams of Reformation thought. Under imputed righteousness, what changes is how God sees us - and then we respond to that change by living as forgiven people. The Prayer Book includes both models as part of its via media approach to theology and practice. I made a little video to illustrate the difference between the two, and I hope you enjoy it!

Do you have a question about the Bible, theology, or the church? Email me!