december 2009 trinity topics newsletter, trinity toledo episcopal church

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

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Trinity Topics The Newsletter of Trinity Episcopal Church in Toledo, Ohio

D E C E M B E R

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artwork by Julie Vivfrom her bookThe Nativity


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Canterbury ChoirTHE O AN TIPHONS OF ADVENTSunday, December 6 7p

Trinitys annual lessons and carols celebrating thecoming Messiah through music, word, ritual andsymbol.

Free Admission

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Canterbury ChoirA CANTERBURY CHRISTMASWednesday, December 24 10:30p

Bennett The Many Moods of Christmas

A musical prelude to the 11pm Christ Mass. This yearwill feature suites I & II of Robert Russell Bennetts

beloved collection of familiar songs and carols.

Free Admission

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6ADVENT 2CBaruch 5:1-9; Philippians 1:3-11; Luke 3:1-6

9:30a Childrens Formation10a Parish Eucharist

7p O Antiphons

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 13ADVENT 3CZephaniah 3:14-20; Philippians 4:4-7; Luke 3:7-18


SUNDAY, DECEMBER 20ADVENT 4CMicah 5:2-5a; Hebrews 10-5-10; Luke 1:39-45, (46-55)


11:30a Greening of the Church

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 2 4CHRISTMAS EVEIsaiah 9:2-7; Luke 2:1-14

5p Family Eucharist10:30p A Canterbury Christmas

11p Christ Mass

SUNDAY , DECEMBER 271ST SUN AFTERCHRISTMA SLESSONS & CAROLSIsaiah 6110-62:3; Galatians 3:23-25, 4:4-7; John 1:1-18


SUNDAY, JAN UARY 32ND SUN AFTERCHRISTMAS

Jeremiah 31:7-14; Ephesians 1:3-6, 15-19a; Luke 2:41-529:30a Childrens Formation

10a Parish Eucharist

PRAY FOR PEACE,PEOPLE EVERYWHERE p h

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Measure in Love. Jesus said, "There will be signs in the sun, the moon,and the stars, and on the earth distress among nationsconfused by the roaring of the sea and the waves. Peoplewill faint from fear and foreboding of what is comingupon the world, for the powers of the heavens will beshaken. Then they will see 'the Son of Man coming in acloud' with power and great glory. Now when thesethings begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads,because your redemption is drawing near." (Luke 21)

This may not be the lesson you wantedto hear during the first week of Advent. Westarted a new year of readings on Advent 1,and this year the primary Gospel will beLuke. But before Jesus birth, we first shootto near the end when Jesus is actuallypreparing for his death.

Advent always ties Christs first comingwith his second--ALWAYS.

To prepare us for the meaning of thechild, the readings in Advent remind ushow his life and death and resurrectionshould direct our lives. He will comeamong us as an infant to teach us to tendthe love of Christ in this world as we wouldtend and infant, and to teach us that Christshould never be accepted out of fear, butout of love. Do or die, turn or burn, is not

the message of Advent.

Rather, it is this: do not be distracted.No matter what happens around you,whether empires crumble or earthquakeshappen or life simply falls apart, keepliving with Gods incarnate love as thefocus.

Talk of the end of the world alwaysgives rise to conspiracy theories--so I inviteyou into a great conspiracy: the conspiracyof Advent (www.advent conspiracy.org). Its aconspiracy of GOOD, a way to take this season that isstill very far away from Gods dream and turn it intolove incarnate once again. Instead of buying presentsfrom Santa for folks who dont need more stuff,how about we plan for the Incarnate One by getting Jesus some presents?

Those shepherds who came to visit Jesuslost their sheep, may have lost their jobs. Getthem--or other folks who could improve thelives of their villages-- another flock.(www.heifer.org)

Joseph and Mary may well have beenstaying in a barn during the census becausetheir family would not take them in. For $5

each, they can have a warmnutritious meal together, a step upfrom shelter food. (Check to TrinityEpiscopal Church, MPB FamilyMeals on the memo line)

Some of Jesus siblings in Hondurasdont have a Mary and a Joseph--yet. (www.hogaremanuel.com)

It might be cool weather now, butmosquitoes can get nasty insummer. Keep our Lord safe frommalaria and get him a net. (http://www.episcopalchurch.org/netsforlifeafrica. htm)

Some pre-natal visits would putMarys mind at ease and give thisyoung mom some education. Andwhile were talking about education, Jesus

will get one, but in some parts of theworld, his sisters need your help.(Episcopal Relief and Development,http://www.er-d.org)

Now, spend the time you would havespent on shopping writing a letter to theperson you love. Speak your love andinspiration, and explain the gift you havemade in his or her name. Add anornament or cookies if youd like.

Whether you want to prepare for the infant inhumility or the risen one in glory, the focus is thesame: Do not be distracted. Prepare for the baby bytaking care of Christs family. And then, stand upand raise your heads, because your redemption isdrawing near.

Liddy

f r om

t h er e

c t or


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Flu FactsSome people may have concerns about the spread

of the flu in public gatherings like Sunday worship.The most important advice: be sensible and responsi-ble. If you or a family member is feeling ill or experi-encing flu-like symptoms (a fever of 100 degrees ormore, plus a cough or sore throat), you serve Godskingdom and the Trinity community best by stayinghome and contacting your health care provider.

The single most effective way to protect yourselfand others from spreading any virus is to wash yourhands frequently using soap and warm water or analcohol-based hand sanitizer. There are bottles ofhand sanitizer on the communion rail.

Current information holds that intinction (dippingthe bread in the wine at communion) spreads bacteriaas readily as drinking from the common cup, as itallows so many hands near the chalice. Rememberthat the sacrament is complete in either form alone.

Find more at www.flu.gov.

December 4... ...........Wayne AnthonyDecember 5 ... ...........Katie StyglesDecember 7 ... ...........Peter Brown........................ ...........Rene SalanderDecember 13 . ...........Diane ElliottDecember 15. ...........Betty MaukDecember 18 . ...........Todd AlcroftDecember 21. ...........Courtney McClellan II

December 22 . ...........Brandt TennantDecember 23 . ...........Karen RamirezDecember 24. ...........Lucie LaboeDecember 25. ...........Joshua ZechmanDecember 27. ...........Richard Twining........................ ...........Elizabeth WindnagleDecember 29. ...........Phyllis LavaletteDecember 30. ...........Erin Gadway........................ ...........Jane Gomersall-Zohn

Birthday Blessings

MEMBER MATTERS

Herbert Dresnek entered new life on Thursday,November 5. May Herbert and all the saints, through themercy of God, rest in peace.

We will baptize Izzy Durham into the family of God onSunday, December 27, the Feast of the Holy Family.

David C. Nelson remains under the care of Hospice of Northwest Ohio.

David Nelsons OrdinationDavid S. Nelson is expected to be ordained to the

priesthood by Bishop Mark Hollingsworth nextmonth (on a date still to be chosen) at St. Johns Epis-copal Church, 1505 E. Wooster St. in Bowling Green.

Show your support for David by attending the or-dination service, by sending him a note of support,and by keeping him in your prayers.

Christmas Flower MemorialsEach Christmas, we decorate the church

and cloister with memorial flowers and otherdecorations. Those who wish to contribute tothe cost of these decorations should providethe names of donors and those being remem-bered or honored by Wednesday, December16, in order to list them in the Christmas lit-urgy booklet.

We ask donors to provide the full Christianname of persons memorialized or honored(Helen Schneider, not Mrs. Karl Schneider).$25 is the usual gift but larger donations areespecially welcomed. An envelope is enclosedin this issue of Topics for your convenience.Please make checks payable to Trinity.

A tiny visitor takesa pause amid thegenerous gifts of food, pantry itemsand pledges sharedby the Trinitycommunity at theThanksgiving liturgyon Nov. 22.


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You can see that the amount we've saved in ourLoan Interest Payment is around the same amount asthe difference between our budgeted and actualincome for the year so far. The amount we're behindin pledge payments has continued to grow to nearly

$26,000.

The Vestry and the Finance Committee workedhard to develop a budget that would not takeadditional funds out of the Trust. We're asking foryour help to make sure we don't end the year in adeficit. Taking money from our Trust to cover a deficitwill reduce the amount available for the 2010 budgetand the wonderful programming we provide.

If you havent already done so, be sure to bring ormail in your 2010 pledge card now, so we can build abudget for the new year.

Respectfully submitted, Jane BuecheParish Accountant

The financial health of our community is a sharedresponsibility, and we welcome your questions orcomments. Contact Jane Bueche, Parish Accountant, at [email protected].

Budget Update2009 Budget

OctoberYTD

Actual Variance

Revenue

Plate Offering 3,296 (1,454)

Pledge Payments 86,435 (25,898)

Combined InvestmentIncome 226,598 9,931

Other Operating Income 297 (536)

Total Revenues 316,626 (17,958)

Expenditures

Personnel 158,491 (5,806)

Buildings & Grounds 130,669 10,711

Total Expenditures 363,079 (36,860)

OctoberYTD

Budget

4,750

112,333

216,667

833

334,583

164,297

119,959

399,940

Operations 25,117 18,204 (6,913)

Diocesan Assessment 34,597 26,729 (7,868)

Local Outreach 4,583 5,034 451

Programs 23,387 14,666 (8,721)

Loan Interest Payment 28,000 9,286 (18,714)

Net Surplus/(Deficit) (65,356) (46,454) (18,903)

Do you love the community of TrinityChurch? Are you willing to get yourhands dirty? Are you a person of visionwho dares to dream as big as God'screation? Do you have specialized skills

that might be helpful as we work towardour vision and mission? If so, then we'dlike to hear from you.

The vestry is comprised of 9 peoplewho help to discern the vision towardwhich God is drawing our community,articulate and communicate that vision,hold us accountable for its realization,and keep the mission of the Church and of ourindividual congregation clearly before our community.

The vestry is not a board of directors or a seniormanagement team, though there are some similarities.

A vestry is different because thechurch is different. God creates thechurch, and invites us to participate inthe process. A congregations leadersare the stewards of that creation andhold it in trust. We believe weve been

given the resources needed to do the job God has called us to do. Ourleaders identify and allocate thoseresources, enabling the parish to carryout its mission. They also lead ourcommunity in celebrating and givingthanks for those resources.

In 2010, there are three vestry positions to be filled.This continues to be an exciting time for the parish andthese leadership positions offer unique opportunitiesfor ministry. Nominations or expressions of interest

can be given to Jason Rahe, our junior warden.

LOVE GOD. LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR. REPEAT. ~~ LOVE GOD. LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR. REPEAT. ~~ LOVE GOD. LOVE YOUR NEIGHBO

Seeking Nominations for Vestry


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Christmas Angels 2009This year were sponsoring eight families plus one

single woman, a total of 28 people. Were sponsoringfewer people this year than in 2008, in part becausemany other local groups provide support for those inneed at the holidays.

Gift suggestion cards are still available from theOutreach Committee. The gifts should be new items,especially for children. Larger household items inlike new condition are acceptable. A dollar limit of$25 per item is recommended. Some clients ask forgift cards, allowing them to make their own gift selec-tions.

Bring all of the wrapped gifts to church with youon Sunday, Dec. 13 to be blessed. Gift distributionwill take place during the following week.

Thanks from MarieDear Trinity community,As you might imagine, it was hard for me to come

back to Trinity. I am aware that my actions have dis-appointed many of you and it wasn't easy to come andface you all. However, as always, you lived out Jesus'commandment to love one another as he loves us.Many of you went out of your way to welcome mewarmly and assure me of your continuing love, whichreflects God's love for all of us, imperfect as we are.Please know that as I continue in my walk with Jesusand my discernment about what God has for me afterI graduate, your love and support continue to groundme. I give thanks to God for you, from the bottom ofmy heart.

Love, Marie

A deeper level of radicalhospitality

When Jesus asks us to treat everyone with love, itsounds like a good idea. Then theres the real world,in which we meet people who are different, diseased,and/or disagreeable. At Trinity we say that all arewelcome. While thats true, theres more all are

welcome, but not anythinggoes. Some of Gods beloved

who come in for coffee, fellow-ship, warmth, or worship maynot have the social boundariesor mental processes wereused to, and they may make usfeel uncomfortable. Here are afew suggestions to keep inmind when that happens: Most people just want to belistened to. You dont need to

fix, control, or even understand what theyresaying. Just listen. Invite others you know intothe conversation so it is not one-on-one. Twopeople listening to and praying for one in need isbeneficial on several levels.

Do not give out money. We are a house ofprayer, not a bank. You can say No, but this iswhat we can give you, - a cup of coffee, aprayer, something to eat if were having coffeehour.

Find an usher or a staff person if you havequestions or are too uncomfortable.

New WGTE DocumentaryHoly Toledo

WGTE, Toledos public televi-sion station, has produced a newdocumentary in its Toledo Storiesseries. The program, entitled HolyToledo, showcases some of themost significant historical places ofworship in the greater Toledo area.Trinity, St. Marks, and St. Pauls Maumee are someof the sacred landmarks featured on this video tour ofToledos historic church architecture.

This hour-long program will be broadcast threetimes during the month of December:

Thursday, Dec. 3, at 8:00 pmMonday, Dec. 7, at 9:30 pmThursday, Dec. 24, at 8:00 pm

Exploring Spiritual PracticesA six-week program of video/discussion exploring

a number of spiritual practices will begin on Sunday, Jan. 10. One-hour sessions will be offered on Sundaysat 11:30am, and repeated on Wednesdays at 7:00pm.

If youre interested, look for sign-up sheets on thecurved wall in the nave for both series. If fewer thanfive people sign up for either Sunday or Wednesday,

that series will not be held. Contact Mary Figgins formore details.


7/16

My Brothers Place re-opensNew life, new mission for an old favorite

You wont believe how it looks...or tastes!Elizabeth Sorge and her family and friendshave transformed the second floor into abright and warm gathering space includingmany touches of Old Trinity.

Come taste an incredible mix of comfortfood and dishes from Toledos internationalheritage.

Lunch is served from 11-2, Mondaythrough Friday.

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Help Emanuel Childrens HomePrepare for a Babys Arrival

Yes, theyre expecting! The first infant will arriveat Emanuel Childrens Home within the next twomonths. They dont know exactly when, or whethertheyll have a boy or a girl (or both!). But they doknow that a newborn will soon arrive at their door.As they spend this Advent preparing for the comingof their first baby, theres a way that you can help.

Consider participating in their Virtual BabyShower by sending a monetary gift representing thecost of much-needed infant supplies. Whether its thevalue of a high chair ($30), cloth diapers ($20) or anannys salary for a month ($350), all are very wel-come gifts. Please do NOT purchase these items; the

Childrens Home can avoid shipping costs and oner-ous import taxes by buying the items in Honduras,stretching your dollars dramatically. Make yourcheck payable to Western PA District Church of theBrethren and mail it to 115 Spring Rd., Hollsopple,PA 15935. Your designated gift will be purchasedand delivered to the Home on your behalf.

For more information, or a list of the most neednursery items, contact Lucia Cooper.

Food For Thought Toy DriveFood for Thought is currently preparing a

Christmas Shoppe for the families that use theirfood pantry, where parents will be able to shop(for free, of course) for the toys they think theirkids will love. FFT is accepting donations ofnew, unwrapped toys for all age groups. Lastyear, they provided gifts for 225 children.Based on the increase in pantry use, they esti-mate that this year theyll have requests for400-500 gifts. Can you help stock the shelves?

They are accepting donations through Sunday,December 12th. Every donated toy you give will helpFFT bless others. Suggested toys include: Play-Doh;craft items; board games; puzzles; books; dolls; Legos/blocks; action figures; stuffed animals; toy cars, trucksand accessories; sports items (forolder boys); beauty items (forolder girls).

Please no used,wrapped, violent or

suggestive toys. Alsokeep in mind thatteenagers are often leftout at this time of year.If you know a tween orteen who can help youchoose some gifts for thisage group, that would be very helpful.

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Sacrificial giving, the spiritual surrender of self toGod that we proclaim in our diocesan mission state-ment, is a comprehensive act. It is carried out in ourservice of others, in our financial giving to parish anddiocese, in our participation in the life of the church, inour leadership as Christians in the world, and in ourprayer. It is this last, giving ourselves to prayer, that Iwant to focus on this morning...

The gospel lesson appointed for this day recounts Jesus directing the disciples about how to give them-selves in response to the great needs of the world. Theharvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; thereforeask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into hisharvest. (Matthew 9:38) In this story, the first act ofgiving ourselves to God is prayer. Ask the Lord. Myimage of this scene is that Jesus expected the disciplesto do just that. To pray, right then and there, together.With each other. Not to wait for him to pray on theirbehalf, nor to go home and kneel alone in prayer, butto launch right in together, in that very moment. Jesusknew, doubtless from his own prayer discipline, thatasking God to send out laborers would itself transformthe disciples own labor.

There is some evidence that this didnt come easilyto the disciples. Prayer doesnt appear to have been thedefault response to the considerable challenges of theirlives and ministries. Remember how they reacted to the

hunger of the multitudes and the storm at sea. It wasnot with prayer. Remember how in Lukes gospel, afterthey had seen Jesus praying, one of the disciples asked

him, Lord, teach us to pray. And remember how in theSermon on the Mount Jesus instructed them, Pray thenin this way: Our Father (Matthew 6:9) Pay attentionto the pronouns. It is significant that the prayer Jesustaught the disciples uses only plural pronouns give usthis day our daily bread, forgive us our trespasses, as we, etc. He taught them to pray together. Again, truly I tellyou, if two of you agree on earth about anything thatyou ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven.

For where two or more are gathered together in myname, I am there among them." (Matthew 18:19-20)

There is similar evidence that this sort of prayerdoesnt come that easily to all Episcopalians. We prayin church, or go along with what is being prayed onour behalf, and we say our prayers privately, withvarying degrees of discipline. But I observe that manyof us struggle to pray with one another for the every-day concerns and needs of our and each others lives,

and for the things we either fear or yearn for in ourown lives, in our faith, and in our congregations.

Twenty years ago a colleague and I started amonthly Saturday morning mens group in the parish

where I served as rector. We had a dozen or morefaithful participants, guys whom I had watchedwhite-knuckling it through church on the averageSunday, who rarely said aloud the word Godunless it was followed by damn it. Somemonths into our meetings, one of them became illand was hospitalized. When he recovered, hereported to the group at our monthly meetinghow calm he had been in the hospital, and howhe had felt our prayers for him. A few minutes

later, another member of the group offered thanks forour companions recovery, and quite awkwardly con-fessed that he, in fact, had not been praying for him. Inoticed that somewhat self-consciously heads werenodding all around the circle. It was in fact a generalconfession. The man who had been ill was not hurt bythis; the comfort and confidence he felt in the hospitalhad been genuine and the bond of companionship

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Bishop Mark Hollingsworth on Praying Together(from the sermon and Episcopal Address at the Diocesan Convention Eucharist on Nov. 14, 2009)

I want to serve a church that gives itself to the power of Gods love in ways thatchange everyone it touches. And I ampersuaded that it begins with our givingourselves to God in prayer.


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Proposed NCD Action PlanAfter listening to your input from the fall Kitchen

Table meetings, the Church Health Team has puttogether a draft action plan to nurture the passionatespirituality of our community during the next year.

The Natural Church Development process specifiesthat this plan should involve 2-3 specific, measurablesteps intended to develop our spirituality. The wholecongregation will work together for a year to imple-ment the plan, and then take the NCD survey again.

The proposed plan involves 3 components:

1. Spiritual education programs to be offered Sundaysat church & Wednesday evenings in the community

A video/discussion series on spiritual practicesA group reading Marcus Borgs Reading the Bible

Again for the First TimeA series on the spiritual classics and spiritualformation

2. Small group prayersEach parish group will develop a prayer for itself,specific to its ministry. The group will pray itsprayer together every time it gathers/ministers.

3. Online community for Gospel chat & prayer requestsThe upcoming Sundays Gospel reading will beposted for online discussion.This might also be a place where prayer requests

can be submitted.Community prayer calendar with links to smallgroup prayers (from #2 above) on appropriatedays (so all could pray the Choirs prayer onThursday, Next to News prayer on Monday,Bread Guilds prayer on Saturday, etc.).

Consider these, pray aboutthem, and share your questions,ideas and reactions with mem-bers of Trinitys Church HealthTeam by Dec. 20th .. HealthTeam members are ToddAlcroft, Don Barnes, JaneBueche, Liddy Hoster, MikeLowrey, Becky Roth, KarenWabeke and Joni Zechman.

And please pray regularlyfor Trinitys vitality as we workthrough the NCD process.

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Continued from previous page

among the group was strong. But together they beganto face in a new way both their limited experiencewith prayer and their common reticence to givethemselves to it.

Their confession reminded me of Annie Dillardsdescription in Teaching a Stone to Talk of theChristians general lack of consciousness about andconfidence in the power that Jesus said can bind andloose on earth and in heaven. She writes:

On the whole, I do not find Christians, outside of thecatacombs, sufficiently sensible of conditions. Doesanyone have the foggiest idea what sort of power we soblithely invoke? Or, as I suspect, does no one believe aword of it? The churches are children playing on the

floor with their chemistry sets, mixing up a batch of TNT to kill a Sunday morning. It is madness to wear ladies straw hats and velvet hats to church; we shouldall be wearing crash helmets. Ushers should issue life

preservers and signal flares; they should lash us to our pews. For the sleeping god may wake someday andtake offense, or the waking god may draw us out towhere we can never return.

Crash helmets, life preservers, and signal flares.Being drawn out by the waking god to where wecan never return. That is the church I want to serve. Achurch that gives itself to the power of Gods love inways that change everyone it touches the members,the community, the beloved of God it serves, theworld. And I am persuaded continually that it beginswith our giving ourselves to God in prayer. Ask,instructs Jesus. Get together and ask together.

...The two things I hear week after week from com-

municants and vestries in the parishes I visit is thatthey need more people and more money. This soundsfamiliar, doesnt it? Yet never, not once, have I heardpeople praying explicitly for those things during theintercessions. Now I recognize that a few prayers ona bishops visitation are alone unlikely to change thelife of a parish, but I am certain that a sustained life ofpraying together will. Jesus tells us so. Ask the Lordof the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.Ask.

It is significant that the prayer Jesus

taught the disciples uses only pluralpronouns give us this day our dailybread, forgive us our trespasses, as we,etc. He taught them to pray together.


10/16

Five Reasons to Celebrate Advent5. Its the Antidote to the Commercial Christmas Season.

Modern culture has replaced the babe in a manger with an ever growing list of products for sale. What better wayto keep the truth of Christmas in mind than to intentionally focus on Advent?

4. Its An Opportunity To Rehearse and Emphasize The Whole Gospel as Part of the Christian Year.

To know the seasons of the Christian year is to know the milestones of Christs earthly ministry from the prom-ise of His coming at Advent through His resurrection at Easter and the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.

3. Its a Way To Live In Hope (Even In Perilous Times).Advent is about anticipation and hope. Its about putting our faith in Gods promise to send a Prince of Peace.

2. It Provides A Place and Structure For Lament.As the great Advent song cries: O come, o come Emmanuel - and ransom captive Israel. This world is filled with

suffering and injustice. Christians must acknowledge it and be saddened and outraged by it. This does not show a lackof faith; its what the Bible teaches us to do particularly in the Psalms.

1. It Reminds Us to Watch and Pray For the Second Coming. Just as Gods people waited for the first coming (advent) of the messiah, we await His promised return. And we

arent literally awaiting a newborn baby in a manger. Rather, by rehearsing the expectation that saints of old experi-enced before Jesus came, were reminded that Scripture has promised one more coming.

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An Advent carol by Daniel Kantor

Cold are the people, Winter of life,We tremble in shadows this cold endless night,Frozen in the snow lie roses sleeping,Flowers that will echo the sunrise,Fire of hope is our only warmth,Weary, its flame will be dying soon.

Voice in the distance, call in the night,On wind you enfold us you speak of the light,Gentle on the ear you whisper softly,

Rumors of a dawn so embracing,Breathless love awaits darkened souls,Soon will we know of the morning.

Spirit among us, Shine like the star,Your light that guides shepherds and kings from afar,Shimmer in the sky so empty, lonely,Rising in the warmth of your Son's love,Star unknowing of night and day,Spirit, we wait for your loving Son.

(Listen for this to be sung simultaneously with Silent Night, marking the transition from Advent into Christmas,at Trinitys Festive Christ Mass on Christmas Eve.)

NIGHT OF SILENCE

What good is it to me that Mary gave birth to the Son of God fourteen hunyears ago, and I do not also give birth to the Son of God in my time and in m ture? We are all meant to be mothers of God. God is always needing to be bo

~Meister Eckhart


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She walks the trails until her ankles swell and her back pulsates with pain. Her abdomen, swollen with eightmonths of pregnancy, slows her down, and with each step she cannot help but think, Will I be left in the middleof nowhere to give birth among the dirt and desert pines? Does anyone out there care to take me in, give meshelter?

Similar questions were certainly asked by Mary, the brave young woman who carried Jesus across borderstrying to please the mandates of the Roman Empire. Only this time, Mary does not have a partner or a donkeyto help, and there definitely is no pleasing the empire.

After two days of searching and wandering, someone does hear her cry, but instead of giving her shelter,warmth, and hospitality, she is thrown into a cold detention center without medical attention, food, or water, andshe is told, in no uncertain terms, at the United States border, there is no room at the inn.

This Mary, or Maria, pleads and cries asshe is released back to the other side of aborderline, dumped into the violent and

vulnerable streets of Northern Mexico. Thatswhere, as a No More Deaths humanitarianvolunteer, our lives recently connected and myseason of Advent came to life. Maria asks mehow it is possible that there is no room on theother side, when in comparison to thedesperate and poor conditions of Oaxaca, theland to the north is like a five-star hotel. Evenmore, she wonders, how it can be that there isno room when she has already spent yearslaboring in U.S. factories and chickenslaughterhouses? Indeed, the situation is evenmore complex as Maria thinks about her otherchildren, two little boys American citizens,waiting for her with anticipation and grief toreturn to their home in a Midwest city.

With every day that passes, Mary is closer to her due date, which could possibly be Christmas. It appears asthough she has no other choice but to give birth on Christmas day in a humble stable, far from all family andfriends. More than likely, poor shepherds and neighbors who have heard the news will visit her and the newbaby. This stable sits juxtaposed to great power, wealth, and large walls.

As we sing carols, look at lights, and admire the miniature nativity scenes adorning our homes this holiday, letus not forget the most foundational elements of the Christmas story and how they come to life in our lives eventoday. All around us are strangers wandering the land looking for an open door and asking for compassion and

justice not detainment or criminal status. May we not miss our chance to welcome them, as they have much tobring and to teach. In fact, they are the hope for our future that comes to us humble and expectant. Not unlike thebaby Jesus.

Maryada Vallet works with No More Deaths (nomoredeaths.org), a humanitarian initiative on the U.S.-Mexico border that promotes faith-based principles for immigration reform.

From http://blog.sojo.net

Border Walls Keep Out Mary and Babyby Maryada Vallet


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Advent is the time in our churchcalendar that redirects us toward oursource of sustenance, the hope thatGod will come, and the promise thatGod is with us now and forever. Weneed the reminder desperately, forimages of burning buildings, breath-taking greed, and continuous terroristalerts have taken their toll. Advent is atime of preparation, of patience, ofremembering what grounds andsustains us.

In one sense, we are always livingin Advent: As people of faith we are

continually waiting and watching forsigns of God. But waiting is a riskyventure. When we wait for any-thinga friend, our turn at the gaspumpwe wait expectantly. We are

in a state of suspension, temporarilyneglected, unattended to. Minutes ormonths or years tick by, and theoutcome we're hoping for may fail tomaterialize, at least not that we cansee. And then we start to wonder. AmI in the wrong place? Did I get thetime wrong? Where is everyone?Somehow I've taken the wrong bus,and it's dropped me off in a neighbor-hood, alone, where all the houses aredark. Somewhere, everyone else isgathered, admiring by candlelight thesoft skin of the baby Jesus, basking inthe glow of his holiness, seeing thesweetness of Mary's face. How am Ihere in this desolate place, by myself?

We get lonely, then angry. Is Godever going to show up? How couldGod leave us? And when we'vewaited for oh, so long, and in themeantime suffered the loss of some-one we love, the horror of cruellyaimed airplanes, the roar of war, westart to believe we are mistaken. Godis not going to come.

Or worse, God is not even there.Fear sets in. We've been fooled, andwe've been fooling ourselves. We'vebased the foundation and structure ofour lives on a product of our imagina-

tions, and we areutterly alone in

our pain andsuffering.

More minutes,months, or yearstick by. At timeswe beat the dark

air; at others we live buoyed by akindness, perhaps, or an unexplainedcalmness, or a string of good luck.And when we're tired of being alone,of living in this dimly lit place, we

look around to see whoor what else is out there.Pieces of a story surfaceand we remember thatthere was a moment inhistory that God choseto come to us, in a formwe could easilyrecognize, a baby withskin, eyes, hair, and amouth, who grew into aman who sometimes gotfed up with the peoplearound him, many ofwhom he loved, a manwho also suffered and felt utterlyabandoned, all the while being lovedby God.

It's a story so familiar to us thatwe've stopped hearing it. The fullweight of each word has beencrowded out by gift lists and goodintentions.

This baby is delivered and named:Immanuel. God with us. The name ties everything together: the birth thatmarked a moment in history and theWord that's been with us since thebeginning, the Word that dwellsamong us now. God with us. Presenttense. Here and now.

We've been sitting on the frontstoop of an unlit house, blinking into

the darkness, waiting, or so wethought. What were we waiting for?Fear and anger have kept us fromremembering. Oh yes, we were ex-pecting God. We're not sure how wemissed this, but suddenly we knowGod's already been by. The night air iselectric, the faint sound of a familiarmusic plays, somewhere a door hasbeen set open; the moment is pregnantwith possibility. God is near.

From: www.sojo.net

Waiting by Molly Marsh

Somewhere, everyone else is gath-ered, admiring by candlelight the softskin of the baby Jesus, seeing thesweetness of Mary's face. How am Ihere in this desolate place, by myself?

ENTER THE STORY. THIS YEAR, GIVE PRESENCE.


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It's Advent again. And if anyonecares about Advent, Americansshould.

Advent may have more to do withAmerican life than any other season ofthe year. Yet, Advent remains theperiod of spiritual preparation that istoo often least appreciated, littleunderstood and commonly ignored.

One of the problems with Adventis that it gets swallowed up byChristmas. The truth is, of course, thatAdvent signals the coming of Christ-mas. But the kind of Christmas theliturgical period of Advent is meant tosignal is not the Christmas we cele-brate in the United States. CivilChristmas is about the storing up ofthings. The Christmas to which Ad-

vent points is about being emptiedout so we can become full.

Advent is about the spirituality ofemptiness, of enough-ness, ofstripped-down fullness of soul.Advent points to the essentials of life;commercial Christmas points to itssuperfluitiesAdvent is about theriches of emptiness.

The Jesus "who did not cling tobeing God," but is like us in all things,models what most of us take thegreater part of our lives to learn: howto "be ourselves." The divinity whocomes to us as an infant is theparadigm of what it means to learnfrom life as we grow into who andwhat we're meant to be. The God whocomes without retinue or riches is the

metaphor of a humility that requiresus to remember how really small weare in the universe--and to come tothe point where that is enough forus.

Advent is about the power ofemptiness and the spiritual mean-ing of smallness.

When we have little to begin with,we have even less to lose. We know,then, that we don't have all the ideasor all of the answers. It means thatwe have nothing to fight over andeven less to boast about in life. Webecome full of possibility.

When we know who we really

are, when we present no disguisesand parade no pretensions, when weare honest bothwith ourselves andwith others, wefind ourselves freeto be ourselves.We have no imageto keep up, no liesto gild in a gilded society. We becomefull of integrity.

When we learn to live with thebasics rather than to hoard what doesnot belong to us, we can never bemade bereft by the loss of life's littlebaubles because we never dependedon them in the first place. We becomefull of contentment.

When we recognize our ownlimitations, we need never fear failure.

Then we can't possibly be destroyedby losing because we never anointedourselves entitled to win. We becomefull of confidence.

Finally, when Advent seeps intoour souls, we come to understand thatsmall is not nothing and empty is notbereft. To be small is to need, todepend on the other. Smallness bondsus to the rest of the human race andfrees us from the arrogant isolationthat kills both the body and the soul.To be empty is to be available insideto attend to something other than theself. We become full of the blessings oflife.

Then, emptied out by theawareness of our own smallness, wemay have the heart to identify withthose whose emptiness, whosepoverty of spirit and paucity of life isinvoluntary. Then, we may be able tobecome full human beings ourselves,full of compassion and full of con-sciousness.

An Advent spent in serious

reflection on the power of emptinessand the meaning of smallness puts

everything else in perspective. Most ofall, ourselves.

From the National Catholic Reporter,by Joan Chittister, O.S.B.

Advent Speaks to the Power of Smallnessby Joan Chittister

The God who comes without retinue or riches is the metaphor for a humility thatrequires us to remember how really small

we are.


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How people love Christmascarols! When I was a priest back inLondon, carol singing around theparish really seemed to get everyonein the mood for Christmas. We al-

ways had a real accordion and anold-fashioned lantern on a pole; wewere always wrapped up warmly,and we would stop and sing carolsunder selected streetlights. It was ascene fit for a Christmas card....People came out in droves, mostlynon-churchgoers, to listen and putmoney in our collecting box for thehomeless. When we were finally allsung out, we would trudge back tosomeone's house for mulled wine

and minced pies all very English!Great memories.

But we need to beware! Our cul-ture loves a sentimental Christmas,and the Christmas carols that we singare a big part of that. The wordsoften paint an idyllic picture of sani-tary bliss that has very little to dowith the reality of what Jesus cameinto this world to do. This week Jimwas reading the Christmas story toour son Luke. He read of how Maryand Joseph traveled to Bethlehem onthe donkey, that there was no roomin the inn. But there was a stable,and, as Jim read, "the stable waswarm and clean!"

But this sanitization of theChristmas story is a relatively recentdevelopment. It's interesting thatbefore the Victorian era, Christmassongs were much more likely toreflect the reality of Jesus' entry into

our world. Carols would not hesitateto refer to the blood and sacrifice of Jesus or the story about Herodslaughtering the innocent children.As an example of the contrast, readthrough the words of "Away in aManger." Jesus is the perfect baby,and "No crying he makes...." Myguess is that Jesus cried a lot. Weknow from the gospels that the more

Jesus saw of the world in which helived, the more he mourned andwept regularly. A Jesus who doesn'tweep with those who weep, a Jesuswho's just a sentimental myth, may

be the one that our culture prefers,but that Jesus can do nothing for us.

In Britain there's a very popularmusician called Cliff Richard. About10 years ago he released a Christmassong that reached the top 10 in thecharts. The lyrics of "Saviour's Day"reflected his Christian faith and in-cluded lines such as, "Life can beyours on Saviour's Day, don't lookback or turn away...." I picked up ateenage pop magazine where therewas an article reviewing the season'sChristmas songs. When it came to"Saviour's Day," the writer said, "Thissong is OK, but there's no holly, nomistletoe and wine, no presentsaround the tree, no snow, no Santa,in fact this song hasn't got anythingto do with Christmas at all!" A radioDJ in this country once said, "WhatChristmas is all about is the celebra-tion of living in a great nation likethis." It's not a celebration of this

"great" nation; it's about Jesus Christ.It's so easy to let the world reduceour spirituality to nostalgia andsentiment. As Evangelical Covenant

Reverend Dr. Michael Van Hornsaid, "We must be careful not to losethe connection to the truth of thestory because it is that story thatshapes our identity as the people ofGod."

Another danger of sentimentalityis that we tend to lose interest in theparts of the story that are not so

comfortable. We smile at the warmcozy nativity scene, but have youever spent a night in a barn? Or givenbirth in a barn? The reality is verydifferent. Most scholars suggest that

in Luke's account it's not just that theinns were full but that Mary and Joseph were forced to take the barnbecause their family had rejectedthem. Joseph has relatives or friendsof relatives in Bethlehem. So ratherthan being received hospitably byfamily or friends, Joseph and Maryhave been shunned. Family andneighbors are declaring their moraloutrage at the fact that Joseph wouldshow up on their doorsteps with his

pregnant girlfriend.

No sooner have the wise men leftthe stable then King Herod plots to

kill Jesus. He is so determined that heis willing to sacrifice many innocentlives in order to get to this one baby.Herod recognizes something about Jesus that in our sentiment we fail tosee: that the birth of this child is athreat to his kingdom, a threat to thatkind of domination and rule. Jesuschallenges the very power structuresof this evil age. Herod has all the

Putting Herod Back Into Christmasby Joy Carroll Wallis

Herod represents the dark side of the gospel.He reminds us that Jesus didn't enter a worldof sparkly Christmas cards or warm spiritualsentiment.

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male infants in Bethlehem murdered.Not so cozy. This is the Jesus whoentered the bloody history of Israel,and the human race.

But we don't want to think aboutHerod. Van Horn calls him the

"Ebenezer Scrooge without the con-version, the Grinch without a changeof heart." We Christians like to talk

about putting Christ back intoChristmas, but let's not forget to putHerod back into Christmas.

Herod represents the dark side ofthe gospel. He reminds us that Jesusdidn't enter a world of sparklyChristmas cards or a world of warmspiritual sentiment. Jesus enters aworld of real pain, of seriousdysfunction, a world of brokennessand political oppression. Jesus wasborn an outcast, a homeless person, arefugee, and finally he becomes avictim to the powers that be. Jesus isthe perfect savior for outcasts,refugees, and nobodies. That's howthe church is described in scripturetime and time again - not as the bestand the brightest - but those who intheir weakness become a sign for theworld of the wisdom and power ofGod.

My boys and I enjoy watching theanimated movie Rudolph the Red-

Nosed Reindeer. Do you remember theisland of misfit toys where all thestrange and unusual toys lived? Theisland is an interesting picture of ourchurch communities. The church isnot a gathering of people who have itall together, who look and act alike,who have no problems to speak of.The church is a community of peoplewho are broken and needy, who in

their weakness trust in the grace ofGod. This is the kind of church that Jesus the outcast, the misfit hascreated. The gospel that ac-knowledges brokenness, pain, andthe tragedy of life is good news for usall. There is hope for all who find this

season tinged with despair or pain.Perhaps we mourn the loss of a lovedone and their absence on Christmas

day is more painful each year. Per-haps our lives are full of struggle.Perhaps we despair over the state ofour world.

The news of ever-increasing pov-erty in this country and the news ofthe war in Iraq - whose mission was

supposed to be accomplished by nowbut is clearly not - is a mess and

getting worse by the day with moreand more casualties. A war, like mostwars, that has not lived up to itspromises seems so much out of syncwith the message that we sing in ourChristmas carols. The Jesus of theBible came to give life to those whoare living with real grief and pain.This is not often the stuff of ourChristmas carols.

The greatest Christmas song isthat of Mary's, found in the secondchapter of Luke:He has shown strength with his arm; He hasscattered the proud in the imaginations of their hearts. He has brought down the powerful fromtheir thrones, And lifted up the lowly; He has filled

the hungry with good things, And sent the richaway empty.

Mary's "Magnificat" tells us thatthis new king is likely to turn theworld upside-down. Mary's declara-tion about the high and mighty beingbrought low and the lowly exalted isat the heart of the Christmas story.The son of God is born in an animalstall. Mary herself is a poor youngwoman, part of an oppressed race,and living in an occupied country.Her prayer is the hope of the down-trodden everywhere, a prophecy thatthose who rule by wealth anddomination, rather than serving thecommon good, will be overturnedbecause of what has just happened inthe little town of Bethlehem. Her

proclamation can beappropriately applied toany rulers or regimesthat prevail throughsheer power, instead of

by doing justice.

This story that begins ina smelly barn finallyends on a cross. Byhuman standards it is amessage of weakness.Christmas reminds usthat our God has comeinto our broken world,

and that human judgments are notthe last judgment, human justice is

not the last justice. The power thathumans exercise over us is not thelast power. As we enjoy our caroling,let's remember to put Herod back intoChristmas. Amen.

Joy Carroll Wallis is an Anglican priest and the author of The WomanBehind the Collar.

From www.sojo.net

A Jesus who doesn't weep with those who weep, a Jesus who's just a sentimental myth, may be theone that our culture prefers, but that Jesus can donothing for us.

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Trinity Episcopal Church One Trinity Plaza Toledo, Ohio 43604-1585

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

Par i sh Off ices Mon thru Fri, 8:30 am 4:30 pmPhone 419.243.1231 Fax 419.243.0920

Email: [email protected]

Episcopa l Diocese o f Ohio 2230 Euclid AvenueCleveland, Ohio 44115-2499800.551.4815 216.771.4815The Rt. Rev. Mark Hollingsworth, Jr., Bishop Ordinary

Next -to -New Thr i f t Shop Mon & Thurs, 9:30 am 3 pm;

Jeanne Mitchell, Manager

services SUNDAYS 10:00 am, Holy Eucharist

HOLY DAYS as announced

prayers Remember those for whom our prayers have been requested: Linda Keblesh,Tina Kerr, Herb Landis, Susan Lowrey, David and Lois Nelson, Joann Nelson, NancyPaulas, Jessica Snyder, and Mary Winsor; the children and staff of Emanuel ChildrensHome, especially David and Estrella; the vestry and wardens; those on death row,including Kenneth Biros, who is scheduled to be executed by the state of Ohio onDecember 8; all victims of war and violence; our involvement in the Natural ChurchDevelopment process; our new ministry with Food for Thought and Cater Me.

Prayers for those who have died : Herbert Dresnek (Mary Hitchcock)

vision & mission Trinity 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.

december 2009 trinity topics newsletter, trinity toledo episcopal church

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