October 2009 Trinity Topics Newsletter, Trinity Toledo Episcopal Church

8/8/2019 October 2009 Trinity Topics Newsletter, Trinity Toledo Episcopal Church

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Trinity TopicsThe Newsletter of Trinity Episcopal Church in Toledo, Ohio

Dont spend your precious time asking,Why isnt the world a better place?It will only be time wasted.The question to ask is, How can I make it better?To that, there is an answer.

Leo Buscaglia

OCTOBER

2009


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Our combinedsummer service

begins at

10:00

One combinedservice continues

at

10:00

liturgy

&e

vents

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 4PROPER 22

Job 1:1; 2:1-10; Hebrews 4:1-4; 2:5-12; Mark 10:2-169a EucharistAnimal Free10a Parish Eucharist & Blessing of the

Animals

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 11PROPER 23Job 23:1-9, 16-17; Hebrews 4:12-16; Mark 10:17-31

10a Worship & Tree Planting atPearson Metropark

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 18 PROPER 24Job 38:1-7, (34-41); Hebrews 5:1-10; Mark 10:35-45

10a Parish Eucharist

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 25 PROPER 25

Job 42:1-6; Hebrews 7:23-28; Mark 10:46-5210a Parish Eucharist

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 1ALL SAINTSSolomon 3:1-9; Revelation 21:1-6a; John 11:32-44


SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8PROPER 27Ruth 3:1-5; 4:13-17; Hebrews 9:24-28; Mark 12:38-44


Canticum Novum

MUSIC OF RANDALL THOMPSONSunday, October 25 3p

The Peaceable KingdomAlleluia!

The newest addition to the Toledo musical scene.This professional 20 member ensemble makes itsinaugural concert debut with two masterworks by the20th centurys foremost composer of American choralmusic.

Tickets: $15 / $10

Northwest Ohio Chapter, American Harp Society

MAEVE GILCHRISTWednesday, November 4 7p

Singer and harpist, Maeve Gilchrist, has been creditedas an innovator on the Celtic harp, fusing chromaticimprovisation with the traditional folk music of hernative Scotland. She will appearing with Scottish JazzAwards recipient Aidan O Donnell on bass in anevening of rivetingly compelling Celtic music.

Free Admission


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Its All Gift(Note: This article was inspired by, and in a few places paraphrased from, a recent article from The Church Well-ness Project. Youll find the original article at www.churchwellness.com.)

We are near the beginning of the program year,and near the end of the fiscal year. Some signs arepointing to the end of the recession, but its not overyet. We have had members lose jobs, find jobs, startand end businesses. Its still ragged out there.

Ive been really impressed with the conversationsI have had with those of you who have made transi-tions during this time. Many of you have told me thatyou could see God in these changes, even when theywere scary ones. As a church community, were nostrangers to financial difficulty. As Episcopalians,were comfortable with seeing God in paradox. Nowmore than ever, we need to practice 360 degreestewardship.

What does that wordstewardship mean, really?Stewardship in a faith com-munity is not just aboutmoney. Its a lifestyle whichinvolves seeing Christ ineach person, looking at allthat we have and all that weare, recognizing that all of itis given freely from God, andthat, at the deepest level, itisnt really ours. Out of that realization, we live our

lives to make the world a better place, invest inbusinesses that help the world rather than harm it,help others in need, and put our resourcestime,talent, and treasureto the wisest uses possible.

As for the 360 degree part? Albert Einstein iscredited with saying, There are only two ways to liveyour life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. Theother is as though everything is a miracle. When webegin to see everything as gift, everything as miracle,then we can begin to practice stewardship all the time.It will come far more naturally.

If I have one dream, one vision for Trinity, andone goal for myself, it is this: that we live in such away that we are constantly aware of all of life asmiracle, as gift from God. In order to do this, I believewe need to embrace some practices as a community.They may not cost much money, but they will cost inenergy, ego, and time.

First, total transparency. Now is the timefor us to understand that things are not perfect,but they are okay. We will keep publishingwhere the budget is and how we are doing,even if those numbers dont always look sogood. We will talk when there are problems,even when it is painful.

Second, total optimism. I dont mean achorus of Always Look on the Bright Side ofLife. We are the Body of Christ, not a bank orbusiness. We follow one who had no home,few if any possessions, and was resurrectedwhen everything looked like it was over. Wewill live into grace, blessings, and the missionand ministry we are asked to do. We will talk

and learn what wecan do to make thisdeep and lastingcommunity of faitheven better.

Third, total col-laboration. We willneed to pool resourcesand share leadership,recognition, respon-

sibility and reward. That means every member needs

to pitch in, not just to keep the doors to One TrinityPlaza open, but to keep mission and ministry going sothat we can see Gods gifts everywhere, and helpothers see them too.

Christianity has many paradoxes. One of them isthat when a faith community has limited resources, itoften binds together better and finds a creative wayforward into the heart of faith.

I ask you to keep talking, keep sharing yourstories of faith and places where we need more guid-

ance. This is an opportunity for us to discover whatwe are truly made of, and to realize our potential aswe work toward a true kin-dom of God.

Liddy

fromtherect

or


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Birthday Blessings

October 3..... ... ............. Nicholas CrawfordOctober 4..... ... ............. Helen Hilfinger

October 7........... ............. Patricia Kropp

October 11...... ................ Alice JamesOctober 14 ...... ................ Lois AeyOctober 20...... ... ............. Virginia DickeyOctober 22 ...... ................ Ann MatherOctober 25 ...... ................ Mary WabekeOctober 29 ...... ................ Willy Aey

Jeanette HabibKitty Beth Millhon

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cong

regation

/world

Remembering All Saints

We will celebrate the Feast of All Saints & All theFaithful Departed on Sunday, Nov.1. If there are lovedones that you want recalled by name during this serviceof solemn remembrance, please submit their names tothe church office via email or using forms that will be onthe curved wall in the nave. Use first names (HelenSchneider, not Mrs. Karl Schneider), and remember tohelp us with pronunciation. The deadline for names isMonday, Oct. 26.

Blessing of the Animals Oct. 4

Trinitys annualSt. Francis Day cele-bration on Sunday,October 4 willwelcome our animal

companions as wehonor Gods furredand featheredcreatures. Therewill be two services

on this Sunday: a brief animal-free liturgy at9:00, and the animal-friendly 10:00 service.Please remember that your pets must be on aleash or in a carrier.

This year we will also be collecting dona-tions of dog and cat food (dry or canned) on St.Francis Sunday which will be given to the

Toledo Area Humane Society. If animals arepart of your family, please consider donating abag or can of pet food in their honor on thisday.

MEMBER MATTERS

Lester Armitage entered new life on Wednesday,September 9. May Lester and all the saints, through themercy of God, rest in peace.

Altar Flowers

Enclosed in this months Topics isa card to fill out and return to thechurch letting us know which Sun-day(s) in 2010 you would like AltarFlowers placed in memory of some-one, or to honor a person or event.The requested donation (our cost) forSunday flowers is $45.

Blanket Toledo with LoveWere making no-sew fleece blankets for thosein need in our downtown neighborhood this

winter. This is a community project, soeveryone is invited to participate!

You can make a difference in someone's life.Help us to help the most vulnerable,

who are Gods beloved.

Our goal is 500 blankets in 3 days.

Together, WE CAN DO THIS!

When? Thursday, Oct. 22: noon - 7pFriday, Oct. 23: noon - 7pSaturday, Oct. 24: 9a - 5pBlessing of the Blankets at 10:00

service on Sunday, Oct. 25

Who? Everyone. It couldnt be easier. Noskill is required. Well teach youeverything you need to know.Bring your friends, your family, yourco-workers.

Where? In the nave.


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August found us continuing to fall behind in prom-ised parishioner pledge payments by almost $18,000.Quarterly contribution statements will be mailed outearly this month; we'd appreciate your help in closingthe pledge deficit we find ourselves in.

As of the last Topics, we had not received an invoicefrom Webb Builders, the contractor who repaired thedamage we suffered from a burst pipe in January of thisyear. This allowed us to use fewer trust spending policydollars, because we were using the insurance paymentwe had received. We have now received that invoice, sowe can expect our trust income draws to be closer to thebudgeted amount going forward.

We continue to be in a favorable position on ournave loan interest, due to Greg Shumaker's tireless workwith our friends at KeyBank. Hats off to Greg for all hedoes on Trinity's behalf.

Respectfully submitted,Jane BuecheParish Accountant

The financial health of our community parish is ashared responsibility, and we welcome your questionsor comments. Contact Jane Bueche, Parish Accountant,at [email protected].

Budget Update2009 Budget

AugustYTD

Actual Variance

Revenue

Plate Offering 3,004 (1,246)

Pledge Payments 72,227 (17,939)

Combined InvestmentIncome 129,928 (43,406)

Other Operating Income 295 (371)

Total Revenues 205,454 (62,963)

Expenditures

Personnel 129,179 (2,174)

Buildings & Grounds 117,958 18,701

Total Expenditures 308,879 (14,419)

AugustYTD

Budget

4,250

90,167

173,333

667

268,417

131,353

99,258

323,298

Operations 20,234 16,712 (3,521)

Diocesan Assessment 27,677 19,729 (7,948)

Local Outreach 3,667 4,326 659

Programs 18,709 13,111 (5,599)

Loan Interest Payment 22,400 7,864 (14,536)

Net Surplus/(Deficit) (54,881) (103,424) (48,543)

Now you can earn money for Trinitywhile doing your grocery shopping. Ifyou have a Kroger Plus Card, all youneed to do is link your card to TrinityEpiscopal Church, and youllautomatically start earning contributions

to Trinity every time you shop. Krogerwill write a check to the church eachquarter.

At www.krogercommunityrewards.com, youll find a 2-minutevideo that explains the program as wellas detailed step-by-step instructionsabout how to sign up.

Within 7-10 business days ofsuccessfully registering your Plus Card,you will see this note at the bottom of

your Kroger receipts: At your request,Kroger is donating to Trinity EpiscopalChurch.

You can earn reward dollars onalmost everything, every time you shop.However, some items are excluded:alcohol, tobacco, postage stamps,Kroger gift cards, Michigan bottledeposits, lottery tickets, fuel, fuelcenter purchases and sales tax.

Please consider this simpleway of letting Trinity benefit fromthe trips you already make to thegrocery. If you have questions, or needhelp linking your Kroger Plus card toTrinitys account, contact Jane Bueche.

Kroger Community Rewards Can Pay Off for Trinity


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Tent City is an annual event held on the Civic Center Mall in downtown Toledo that provides tens ofthousands of dollars in direct services to the homeless and poor in our neighborhood. These services in-clude clothing, medical care, dental care, prescription medications, eyeglasses, job and housing assistance,voter registration, and help securing government IDs, all in one weekend. Tent City also highlights thegrowing issue of homelessness in our city.

Tent City 2009 will take place October 30 November 1. Lots of help is always needed; consider howyou might be a part. Youll find plenty of details at 1matters.org.

PERSONAL HYGIENE PACKS:During October well be filling personal hygiene packs for distribution to those living in shelters. The

bags with a list of contents will be available each Sunday during October. Please bring in your filled hy-giene packs on Sunday, October 25.

VOLUNTEER:Tent City runs from Friday afternoon until Sunday at noon. Volunteers are needed for a variety of

tasks, including set up and tear down, food serving, guides for Operation Homeless Connect, clothingdistribution, volunteer and guest registration, and more. Whether you can volunteer for one hour or the

whole weekend, your help is needed. Get the scoop at 1matters.org.

DONATE:More than 1500 people received free clothing at Tent City 2008. Winter clothing is badly needed by the

end of October when Tent City is held; long underwear in particular is a precious commodity. Thismonth, all City of Toledo, Perrysburg, Perrysburg Township, Maumee, Rossford, Oregon, Monclova,Springfield, Lake Township, Sylvania and Sylvania Township fire stations will be winter clothing drop-offpoints. Clothing donations will be accepted through Monday, October 26.

Tent City

outreac

hings

Food For Thought, Trinity Church, and the CaterMeGroup have joined forces to re-open "My Brother'sPlace." Many of you remember this restaurant, locatedon our second floor. With Elizabeth Sorge of CaterMetaking the lead, the hope is to have the restaurant openbefore years end.

The new My Brother's Place will be a terrific place togather downtown for a reasonably priced and tastymeal, but it will also provide on-the-job training

opportunities. The goal of CaterMe, which will berunning the restaurant, is to help those in tougheconomic positions, whether through an inexpensivemeal for downtown workers, a job for some of themany unemployed people in Toledo, or a chance at anew life for someone who has been living on the street.

Renovation of the dining space is well underway.Watch for updates on the grand opening!

My Brothers Place Restaurant to Re-Open with a New Mission

In contrast to the old My Brothers Place (pictured here), the newrestaurant will feature warm, bright colors, and pieces from the oldTrinity nave used in a whole new way.


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Stewart Academy Fall Collection

Its time to collect hats, scarves, gloves andmittens for the students at Stewart Acad-emy for Girls. In past years weve col-lected these items in January, but theyare needed much earlier. Any color is

welcomethe brighter the better! Pleasebring them to church to be blessed on Sun-day, November 15.

Welcome, Imagination Station!

Trinitys neighbor across thestreet, the Science CenterFormerly Known as COSI, is nowthe Imagination Station, and itsgrand opening is set for Saturday,

October 10. Having merged thebest of the former COSI exhibits(including the High Wire Cycle,the BOYO and the Gravity Room)with exciting new additions andenhancements, more than amillion dollars in renovationshave been done since COSI closedat the end of 2007, creating a

dynamic new center thats pure science and pure fun.

The Imagination Station will be a place wherefamilies can explore, learn and grow together. Forinformation about visiting, volunteering or becominga member, go to www.imaginationstationtoledo.org.

News From Next to New

Next to New, the thrift shop in Trinitys basement,has seen its revenue fall 10% this year in spite of tre-mendous sales. A primary reason fewer donations ofgood clothing for the shop. With fall upon us andclothes closets being changed from summer outfits to

fall and winter wear, please review your wardrobe andbring the stuff that doesnt fit or that you no longerwant to Trinity. Next to New will happily take bothsummer weight and winter weight clothes, so bringthem to church with you on Sundays.

Last month, the shop received a huge gift of cloth-ing from the estate of Robert Lutes, a local Vietnamveteran who wanted his donation to especially helphomeless vets. The family contacted the VA in AnnArbor, which referred them to Trinity since Next toNew has always supplied clothing to homeless vets

referred by the local VA. Mr. Lutes was a very largeman and Next to New can use only so many clothes ofthat size, so approximately 25 boxes of his clothes willbe donated to this months Tent City event.

Remember Next to New whenever you haveclothes to donate or when youre shopping for some-thing new.

Worship, Cookout, and TreePlanting at Pearson Metropark

This year well be holding our liturgy, picnic andtree-planting at Pearson Metropark on Sunday, Oct. 11.Bring your own food, beverages and table service, anddress for the outdoors (cool temps and uneven, dampterrain). Following worship and lunch, well plantcherry trees near the tennis courts, a site that will allowall to be present for the tree-planting. If you can pitchin, boots and work gloves are recommended. This isTrinitys third year of celebrating and supporting Godscreation by planting trees at Pearson.

Trinity is now sponsoring two children at the EmanuelChildrens Home in Honduras: Jose David Meijia Hernandez(David) and Estrella Nicole Cabellero Garcia.

Please send letters and cards to David and Estrella,especially on holidays and their birthdays (David willturn 3 on Nov. 5, and Estrellas 4th birthday is Nov. 2).Its important that they know that we are praying forand caring about them. The kids love learning abouttheir sponsors; feel free to tell them about yourself andyour family. But the Childrens Home asks that wenever send gifts (no matter how small) or money di-rectly to the children or to the Home.

The address is: Childs NameEl Hogar de Ninos EmanuelApartado Postal 716

Colonia BogranSan Pedro Sula, HN C.A.

Its recommended that you take your card/letter tothe Post Office for mailing, to besure it has the correct postageand markings. Mail time fromToledo to the Childrens Homeis around 12-14 days.

Writing to the Children at EmanuelChildren's Home


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NCD Kitchen Table Meetings

The Church Health Team hosted a series of KitchenTable meetings in the last half of September. Thesesmall group gatherings around town gave our com-munity a chance to talk and reflect together aboutwhat passionate spirituality is, and why its the part of

our life together that needs the most nurturing.

The Health Team is deeply grateful for the honestand open exploration that took place at these sessions.The focus was on understanding a need rather thansolving a problem, and the thoughts and personalexperiences that you shared were critical to this under-standing.

The next step in theNCD process is for theHealth Team to pray, studyand discuss this opportu-

nity further, in order todevelop a preliminary ac-tion plan for growing anddeveloping our passionatespirituality. That proposedplan will then be sharedwith the community foryour review and feedbackbefore its finalized andimplemented.

Well be exploring ways to nurture our spirituality

throughout the next year. Please pray regularly forTrinitys vitality and for our involvement in the NCDprocess. Our NCD prayer is printed below.

Finding Time for the Timeless

Not too long ago I gave a talk at an Episcopalchurch in Burlington, North Carolina. I said inthat talk that performing a daily spiritual practicehad increased the quality of my life. During thetime for questions, a young mother said, My lifeis already too full. How am I going to make thetime?

That is the problem of our era, isnt it?

My answer was, and is: dont. Dont makethe time. Dont adopt a practice that you have toforce into an already crowded day. Somehow wealways find the time for that which we like doing.Each of us has the ability to find a spiritual prac-tice (perhaps, if we are fortunate, more than one)that fits our nature so well that we will perform it

because we want to. When we discover that, wewont carry it out because it leads to somethingelse or because it makes us a better person; wewill do it because it is an end in itself.

For 25 years I played tennis. I didnt have toforce myself to playI wanted to. At age 51, Ifound that I enjoyed golf more than tennis at thattime in my life. I dont play golf, and I didnt playtennis, in order to improve myself. Playing was,and is, an end, not a means.

My grandmother tried to get me to read theBible each day. It worked for her; it didnt for me.But 30 years later I started taking a few minuteseach morning for some spiritual reading. I onlyread books that interest me. I look forward tothose 20 to 30 minutes each morning even morethan I do to playing golf.

I am told that daily life itself can be a spiritualpractice if it is lived with the right openness toexperience its magic. Of course, only saints man-age that on a consistent basis. However, it isnttoo much to hope that we can accomplish that fora few minutes from time to time. All we have todo is find the practices that bring us joy.

From Finding Time for the Timeless: Spiritualityin the Workweek by John McQuiston II

Trinitys NCD Prayer

Merciful Creator, we invite you to be withus here and now. As we embrace NaturalChurch Development, keep us mindful ofour purpose in this work to empoweryour people, grow and strengthen yourchurch, and glorify your name. Fill us withyour Spirit of Wisdom and Truth as wehumbly examine ourselves and our com-munity. Help us to embrace new opportu-nities for growth and improvement. Re-new our energy, guide our work, and leadus to new life in you, through Jesus Christour Lord. Amen.


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As I was driving to St. Lukes this evening whereDavid had been admitted, the song that came into myhead was a traditional hymn tune. The words are,Love divine, all loves excelling, Love from Heaven to

earth come down, Fix in us Your humble dwelling Ihad not heard this song or thought of it in some months.I recall that we had this song in our wedding ceremony,39 years ago this week. As I walked around the circletonight, I was awed by Gods love that surrounds us inthis beautiful evening, and humbled by His care for usin the little details of each day, like David safely drivinghome to Toledo when he could only see out of one eyetoday. The song continues, bid my anx-ious cares to cease and Songs ofpraises, songs of praises I will ever sing toThee.

I have never been a morning person, somy quiet time was 5-10 minutes before fal-ling asleep until the 3am twenty years agowhen the phone rang and the song thatsprang into my mind was, God is sogood, which I had not heard in at least tenyears. I knew before I picked up the phonethat my mother had died. In the morning Ithen started the practice of a sacrifice ofpraise, praying a canticle Trinity oftenused in morning prayer, Glory to You, Lord God ofour fathers....

A friend gave me a book of Catherine of Siennasprayers. The first prayer praises God for 7 full pagesbefore there is a single prayer for intercession. Otherthan for forgiveness, she did not pray for herself at all.Very different from my prayers, that grow out of anxi-ety or the fatigue that comes from being a Martha ratherthan trusting that God is in control and that there isenough time to be a Mary. Trust and obey has beenthe single most frequent song entering my brain in thelast six months.

I read through at least part of a psalm sequentially

almost every day. Frequently I find something new,and at some point I started to record the verse and whatit was saying to me. Currently, Be still, and know thatI am God. I am exalted among the nations, I am exalted

in the earth. (Psalm 46)

After an injury several years ago, stretching exer-cises became part of my morning routine. During themonths that I could barely play music at all, open a jar,or peel an orange, it took me 1.5 hours to get dressedand undressed each day because of a skin condition, Iwas able to keep up with my work schedule. This ex-

perience proved tome that God is incontrol of time.And when I have

stayed up late tojournal during thepast month, I havenot been too tired.Not to journalwould be forget-ting (or ignoring)the movement ofthe Spirit in thatday.

Sometime last fall, I started waking up rememberingdreams, along with the song I also often woke with.

The song is sometimes one Ive heard or played re-cently, but often not. The single most important song:Be Thou My Vision.

Music is an important part of every day and hasoften been a source of healing. Movementmy exer-cises, walking regularly, and the movements of trans-formation from a small book on Hebrew mysticism--was consciously added in Lent. I especially praise Godfor the prayers, lunches, walks, conversations, and sup-port of you all which I know has been with us and helpsme do new things that I find difficult, and for the oppor-

tunity to share this with you.

Notes on the Journey[Editors note: Lois Nelson shares the spiritual practices that have kept her in touch with the Holy throughout her adult life, including now asshe copes with her husband David Nelsons metastatic cancer.]

Great Web Resource for Spirituality

Looking for a treasure trove of spiritual practices you can use in everydaylife? Try Spirituality & Practice (http://www.spiritualityandpractice.com).Spirituality & Practice is a multifaith organization providing a wealth of use-ful resources for your spiritual journey. Check it out!


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The four basic gesturestaking,blessing, breaking, and givingat thecenter of the Eucharistic Prayer pro-

vide a shape or outline forChristian life. As we consider thepattern of prayer at Table, thesegestures provide a basis forChristian action at the Lords Tableand at the other tables aroundwhich we gather. The shape of theprayer at table builds on the shapeof the gospel as it provides apattern for our lives.

In a world driven by consump-

tion and greed, the notion oftaking can easily be misconstruedas an excuse to grab what onewants. In a time when there is anever-growing gap between thehaves and the have-nots, taking isnot a justification for personal gainat anothers expense. Instead, tak-ing is rooted in the language of theprayer at table. In this context,taking is more akin to the act ofreceiving. For example, in theGospel scenes of the feeding of themultitudes, the act of Jesuss tak-ing bread is rooted in an act ofgenerosityin one instance sharedby a young boy who offers hislunch and, by the presence of God,provides enough for all to eat.

Jesus accepts what is offered.Similarly, at the table we practicereceiving in gratitude that which ishanded to us as a sign of Godsfaithfulness.

Blessingis the peculiar act ofnaming Gods presence in ouractions. To invoke Gods name inour daily lives is to recognize thepresence that is already there. Inthis act of naming, we look for thesacred characteristics that runthrough our lives. All times havethe potential to reveal the divinepresence as we name and discover

Gods presence. As we take bread,we give thanks for it so that we areopen to encountering God as we

gather around the table. At othertimes in our lives, we look backlike Jacob and declare, SurelyGod was in this place. The act ofblessing recognizes Gods presence

and favor on those who havegathered.

Breakingis the mostproblematic of these practices. Inone sense, breaking is simply theact of dividing what we have toshare with those around us. It isrooted in the vision of the early

Christian community in Acts 2,

which shared all things in commonand distributed as any had need.In another sense, breaking thebread metaphoricallyacknowledges the brokenness ofour lives and our need to seekGods healing. This form of bro-kenness is rooted in the Gospelnarrative of Christs brokenness onthe cross. Christs act of faithful

witness over against the powerstructures of the day leads toGods work of resurrection.

Givingbegins with the simpleacts of sharing that are notedabove, but in following the patternof Christ, it moves to the point of

self-giving. As the communionpraye r o f fe rs the go s pe lproclamation, it claims us asparticipants in this narrative. Aswe respond fully to the invitationto the table, we find our livesreshaped in the pattern of JesusChrist.

These central gestures of theChristian life are offered inmemory and hope. In memory ofChrists faithful witness of taking,blessing, breaking, and giving, weparticipate in this pattern. Weoffer our lives in hope that the Onewho was present in Christsministry will be present in ourservice. We anticipate Gods mul-tiplying the gifts that we bring in

order for Gods reign of peace and justice to take hold. In the face ofdeath, we cling to the promise andpower of the resurrection.

This is the eucharistic life. It isreceiving and accepting the markof Christs life upon our own lives.It is trusting the Spirit to call us

Continued on page 11

Eucharist as a Way of Lifeby Paul Galbreath

eucharist: from Late Latin eucharistia, from Ancient Greek (eukharistia), gratitude, thanksgiving

Blessing is the peculiar act of naming Gods

presence in our actions. To invoke Gods namein our daily lives is to recognize the presence

that is already there. In this act of naming, welook for the sacred characteristics that run

through our lives.


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Continued from page 10

away from the selfish patterns of greed,consumption, self-absorption, and deceit.Celebrating communion regularly in acommunity that fully participates in the prayerat table allows the narrative of thanksgiving to

take root and grow in our lives. Congregationsthat steadfastly hold and embody the prayerand action around the table discover reliableresources for growth and maturity in theChristian faith.

Similarly, regularly gathering around thetable to participate in communion provides atemplate for Christian virtues and practices:living with thankful hearts, forgiving ourneighbors, depending on Gods provision,welcoming strangers, practicing hospitality,sharing our belongings, recognizing Christs

presence, caring for all of Gods creation, andgiving up power.

In the end, this vision of congregational lifethat is grounded in worship renewal draws onthe admonition to the church in Colossae.There, the author encourages the community tomake room for the Spirit to bring gifts for theupbuilding of the community: Clotheyourselves with compassion, kindness,humility, meekness, and patience (Col. 3:12).Wrapped up, clothed, in these virtues,

Christians grow into the image of Jesus Christ.Acts of charity and love hold us together inharmony and serve as a sign of peace to thosearound us. When we gather around the table,we practice these virtues. When we breakbread with those with whom we disagree, thenour differences are set aside in light of thiscommon table practice that we share. When thecup is passed for all to share, our tendency tothink primarily of our own needs is challenged.In this way, eating and drinking together at thetable create a community grounded in the

language of thanksgiving. When thanksgivingbecomes the primary focus of our lives, then theprayer in Colossians becomes our own: Andwhatever you do, in word or deed, doeverything in the name of the Lord Jesus, givingthanks to God (Col. 3:17).

From Leading from the Table , copyright 2008 bythe Alban Institute.Alban Weekly Number 197

The Passionate Church

"Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to theearth; it is not peace I have come to bring, but a sword."

(Matthew 10:34)

Wow! If Jesus said this, he was surely not expect-

ing the religion of niceness, of pretty words and feel-good experiences that we have become. He knew thatBig Truth always divides before it can unite a few at adeeper level. I think most of the thousands of sermonsI've heard in my life have been about being nice inone way or another. That's how domesticated the gos-

pel has become--as if Jesus were a Divine MissManners, and the Church existed to maintain propersocial order and class. Yet many are entirely contentat the level, and Church has not usually been a pas-sionate search for God. The word nice isn't foundanywhere in the Bible, to my knowledge.

There's nothing more dangerous to true religiousthinking than conventional thinking, easy conformity,

being like every-body else in our so-cial group. There'sno depth or powerat that level. Massconsciousness isnever going to beready for anythingthat asks them todie or that doesnot make them feelsecure and superior.So we have settledlargely for civil re-ligion and culturalChristianity. It's somuch more comfort-ing to be nice andmoral at a small

level--than to be faithful to Big Truthwhich cuts usall open like a sword.

Adapted from Letting Go: A Spiritualityof Subtraction by Richard Rohr

Church has not usually been

a passionate search for God.

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There is God. And there are im-ages of God. And some peopledont see any difference between thetwo But in fact, our images of Godare rather different from Gods real-

ity. We are finite beings, and God isinfinitely greater than any thoughtswe can contain about divine realityin our wondrous but tiny minds.We are sinful beings, and God isdifferent from what we conceive inour selfishness and pride. Finiteand self-centered as we are, we of-ten forget Gods warning throughthe prophet Isaiah: For as the heav-ens are higher than the earth, so aremy ways higher than your ways

and my thoughts than yourthoughts (55:9). When we forgetthat, we unwittingly reduce Godsways to our ways and Godsthoughts to our thoughts. Ourhearts become factories of idols inwhich we fashion and refashionGod to fit our needs and desires

Two false images of God areparticularly irresistible to many ofus mostly unconsciously. The firstIll designate as God the negotiatorand the other, God the Santa Claus.Thought we have fashioned both toserve our interests, they are eachothers opposites. With one, wewant to make advantageous deals.From the other, we want to getwarm smiles and bagfuls of goodies.We run from one to the other. Someof their features are reminiscent ofthe God of Jesus Christ. But wevedrawn these images of God mostlyfrom the two currents of the culture

in which we swim the current ofhard and unforgiving economic re-alities, in which we exchange goodsto maximize benefits, and the cur-rent of soft, even infantile, desires,in which we long to be showeredwith gifts simply because we exist.

God the NegotiatorMany of us believe that God

is a negotiator. We propose to dosomething for God, and God in turnagrees to do something for us. Al-ternatively, God demands some-thing of us, and if we do as God de-

mands, then God gives. This is theway God is, such reasoning goes.God is basically a negotiator.

We dont think very far aheadwhen we embrace the image of God

as negotiator, however, because ifthat really were the case, humanbeings would always end up with araw deal. For one ting, God doesntneed any thing we have to offer.God can walk away from any pro-position. And as any negotiatorknows, it is impossible to strike agood deal under these conditions

Second, even if we could enticeGod into making a deal with us, wewould have no way of enforcing

compliance. Since God doesnt needanything and divine power infi-nitely exceeds human, God canbreak any contract give us a bit ofcash as compensation, and leaveus out in the cold

But thats not the end of our dis-advantages if we basically see Godas a negotiator. Before we even

think of offering anything to God,God has already made demands onus, tough demands. Take, for exam-ple, the law of Moses as encapsu-lated in the Ten Commandments, a

summary of Gods will for human-ity. It was a heavy burden for thepeople of Israel. Even though Godgave it to them for their well-being,it proved to be too difficult for themto fulfill, and we today find itdaunting as well.

If we see the God of Jesus Christas negotiator, well experience thelaw of Christ as an even heavierburden than the law of Moses

Even tougher than the Ten Com-mandments, what Jesus is urgingupon us in the Sermon on theMount is nothing less than to beperfect, as your heavenly Father isperfect (Matthew 5:48). Clearly animpossibility for mere humans!And yet if we had to relate to Godas a negotiator, we would have to bedivinely perfect before we couldfulfill our end of the bargain andreceive anything from God.

But God is not a negotiator. It istrue that Scripture portrays God inways remarkably similar to that im-age. In the Old Testament we read,for instance, If you will only obeythe Lord your God all these bless-ings shall come upon you and over-take you, if you obey the Lord yourGod (Deuteronomy 28:1-2). Yetbefore the commandments weregiven to the people of Israel, Goddelivered them from slavery in

Egypt. But it wasnt to get some-thing out of them. They were deliv-ered for the simple reason that Godheard their cried of affliction, keptthe promises made to their ancestorAbraham, and through deliveranceand faithfulness wanted to manifestthe greatness of Gods love in theworld

Made in the Image of God the Giver


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Gods goods are not for sale;you cant buy them with moneyor good deeds. God doesntmake deals. God gives.

God the Santa ClausWe know that we are at a dis-

advantage in trying to make

deals with God. Size andstrength matter. So we run to aGod who will shower us withgifts. We want God to be ourheavenly Santa Claus

Santa gives. He doesnt laydown any conditions prior to giv-ing the gifts, even if parentslamely try to warn little imps thatSanta gives only to good boysand girls. After dispensing his

gifts, Santa makes no demands.With a bottomless bag of goodies,he comes out of nowhere well,almost nowhere. And aftergranting everybodys wishes, hereturns to nowhere.

Some scholars of popular re-ligion describe Santa as a god ofconsumerist materialism whosesole purpose is to give. And in-deed, many people think of Godin this way, as a Santa Claus con-veniently enlarged to divine pro-portions. God is an infinitelyrich, always available, and unfail-ingly generous giver or at least,thats what we feel a god worthyof divinity ought to be. Godgives without conditions andwithout demands. As the sun

shines and a spring flows, so Godgives solves our problems, ful-fills our desires, and makes usfeel good. A Santa Claus God

demands nothing from us

But is it true that God de-mands nothing? If it were true,how could Jesus urge us, as hedoes in the Sermon on theMount, to be perfect as God is?Here is what we do as worship-

ers of a Santa Claus God: we em-brace the conviction that God isan infinitely generous source ofall good, but conveniently forgetthat we were created in Godsimage to be in some significant

sense like God not like God inGods divinity, for we are humanand not divine, but like God intrue righteousness and holi-ness (Ephesians 4:24), like Godin loving enemies (Matthew5:44). To live well as a humanbeing is to live in sync with whoGod is and how God acts.

If it werent for our propen-sity to sin, wed live like Godlives, just as little bears live theway mother bears do. Sadly,

however, in some mysteriousway, it is possible for us to think,act, and exist contrary to theways God does. In fact, withoutexception, all of us live contraryto God For this reason, and inlight of our God-given purposeto mirror who God is in the

world, the infinitely generousGod in whose image we werecreated becomes for us the Godwho demands. As a help to ourfrailty, God gives a law that says,You should

Unlike Santa, God doesntjust scatter gifts, smiling in bliss-ful affirmation of who we are andwhat we do no matter who wehappen to be and what we hap-

pen to do. God also urges us tothis or not to do that Gods facetwists in the pain of disappoint-ment and even frowns in angrycondemnation when we fail tolive as we ought to, bringing dev-astation to ourselves as well as tothose around us.

God generously gives, soGod is not a negotiator of abso-lute dimensions. God demands,so God is not an infinite SantaClaus. So what is the relationbetween Gods giving and Godsdemanding? In other words,what is the difference between aSanta Claus God and a gift-giving God? The bare bones an-swer is this: a Santa Claus Godgives simply so that we can haveand enjoy things; the true Godgives so we can become joyfulgivers and not just self-absorbedreceivers. God the giver has

made us to be givers and obligesus therefore to give.

From Free of Charge: Giving andForgiving in a Culture Stripped of

Grace by Miroslav Volf.

We embrace the conviction that God

is an infinitely generous source of allgood, but conveniently forget that we

were created in Gods image to be in

some significant sense like God.


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Par ish Vest ry Jeff Albright, senior warden; Jason Rahe, juniorwarden; Karen Wabeke, clerk; Solveig Barnes, LuciaCooper, Jane Gomersall-Zohn, Jennifer Siebold,Sherre Owens Smith, Jim Zechman.

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Episcopal Diocese of Ohio2230 Euclid AvenueCleveland, Ohio 44115-2499800.551.4815 216.771.4815The Rt. Rev. Mark Hollingsworth, Jr., Bishop Ordinary

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servicesSUNDAYS 10:00 am, Holy Eucharist

HOLY DAYS as announced

prayersRemember those for whom our prayers have been requested: Sam Bish, JoshuaCowan, Caroline Daman, Marie Harkey, Herb Landis, Tracy Lewis, Susan Lowrey, DavidC. Nelson, Nancy Paulas, Jessica Snyder and Mary Windsor; the children and staff ofEmanuel Childrens Home, especially David and Estrella; those on death row, includingLawrence Reynolds, who is scheduled to be executed by the state of Ohio on October8; all victims of war and violence; our new ministry with Food for Thought andCaterMe.Prayers for those who have died: Lester Armitage (Joan, Brenda & Jeff Armitage)

vision & missionTrinity is called to be a progressive, inclusive, creative urban faith community.

We will practice radical hospitality.

We will be engaged in the life of our city.

We will stand with those in need: the poor, the sick, the friendless, the marginalized.

We will actively invite all to experience and celebrate Gods living presence.

We will journey together toward a Christ-centered life, pursuing personal ministriesthat connect us to God, to one another, and to the world around us.

Documents

October 2009 Trinity Topics Newsletter, Trinity Toledo Episcopal Church