Dear Friends,

I’ve been thinking about my sermon. This is something I do every week I’m preaching, of course, but so much is going on this Sunday that I’m having trouble narrowing the focus. And since the professor of my advance preaching class in seminary told us students not to start writing a sermon until we could complete the statement, “what I want this congregation to do is . . .” I find that I’m paralyzed. Here are the strands I’m supposed to weave into a coherent sermon:

  • The Day of Change – two things to remember – the first is to set your clocks back one hour – “fall back.” If you don’t you’ll be an hour early for church! Related to the time change is our request for you to bring in your loose change (Day of Change – get it?) Every quarter, dime, nickel, and penny will go to support our Community Breakfast program – a program that welcomes more and more of our neighbors every week.
  • Ingathering Sunday – Thanks to everyone who has already turned in their pledge card for the 2025 Annual Pledge Drive. The tally of pledges is encouraging: Trinity hopes to receive $215,000 in pledge commitments from 80 households. As of this writing, we have $142,704 from 38 households. Thirty-two additional households pledged $63,708 for this fiscal year. If those households renewed their pledges, we’d only be $8,588 shy of our goal. Let’s do this!!
  • All Saints’ Sunday – one of my favorite church holy days. We’ll remember the giants of the faith – apostles, prophets, and martyrs – and we’ll also remember loved ones whom we hold dear in our hearts. Those you want to have remembered in the parish’s prayers will be chanted by the choir as we begin the service. Please email their names to heather@trinitytoledo.org no later than today at 5:00 pm
  • Baptisms – two adults will be baptized during this Sunday’s service, and we’ll all have the opportunity to renew our baptismal covenant. Congratulations to Taylor Marshall and Alyssa Thomas as they take this step in faith!
  • Garage Black Out – as if Halloween weren’t scary enough, the lights will be out in the Four Seagate garage this Sunday as the building undergoes necessary maintenance. You may want to bring a flashlight or have your cell phone handy to find your way to one of the two entrances from the garage to Trinity.
  • Election Day on Tuesday – a consequential day under normal conditions, this Election Day on November 5 feels particularly significant. Remember that there will be a prayer vigil at St. Andrew’s, 2770 West Central Ave, across from FoodTown, on Monday, November 4, at 7:00 pm. Trinity will have its usual noon celebration of the Holy Eucharist on Wednesday, November 6 – the day after the election – in St. Mark’s Chapel.

You can see where my problem lies. What do I want this congregation to do? All the things I’ve listed above! And if you have trouble remembering them, most – if not all – of these will be repeated below.

See you this Sunday. And if you want to volunteer to preach, let me know. I’d be grateful for the help 🙂

Blessings,
Stephen Applegate