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Dear Friends,

This weekend, we will usher in Daylight Savings Time at 2:00 a.m. EST on Saturday, March 9th, by “springing” our clocks ahead an hour. With it comes extended daylight hours and the anticipation of warmer weather. Spring is approaching.

Like all changes, there are challenges even when we anticipate and welcome them. We switch our external clocks an hour forward while our internal clocks lag a bit, trying to catch up. For many of us, our biorhythms take much longer to adjust to this hour shift.

Time, or the changing times, seems to have that effect on us. Whether we’re adjusting the hands of a clock or witnessing history unfolding before us, we can all agree that change is often an unsettling yet undeniable constant. Still, it endures, just as we do.

Lent is also upon us, just before our time change on Saturday. A sacred time of sacrifice, giving, and prayer. One could imagine no bigger change or uncertainty than Jesus’ experience as he walked into the desert ahead of his impending death. Alone, weary, tired, hungry, tempted, afraid, yet persisted for us and with us.

As we walk through our metaphorical clocks springing forward, watching the world in all its chaos swirl, let us be reminded of the persistence, faith, and hope of Jesus during his 40 days and nights in the desert. That the loss of an hour is no comparison to the loss of a life for us and our sins. However, we choose to sacrifice, give, or pray during this Lenten season, a time of change and a change of time, let it be knowing that we can do so with the assurance that no more tremendous sacrifice was made than that which he made for us. And he will rise, as will we. Through trials and uncertainties, chaos and hatred, he suffered, died, and was buried…but rose again. So shall we.

Karen Keune

Dear friends,

It is hard to believe that March is Saturday. After January lasting for three years, and February seeming to fly by, we look forward to the season of Lent and a time of exciting change. If, somehow, you have not heard, our new Rector Jon M. Richardson, and his husband Michael arrive on the 16th for their first Sunday. But before we get there, we have some exciting news about a new team member!

This Sunday you will see a few new faces around our humble corner of Adams and St. Clair, specifically in our nursery. I am excited to announce that Trinity has hired a new Nursery Attendant, and her name is Nichole Ramirez. Nichole is a Toledo native and is a graduate of Performing Arts School of Metro Toledo and went on to Albion College on a preforming arts scholarship.

Having worked at Children’s Discovery Center for a long time, Nichole has a lot of experience working with children from pre-school to middle school ages. She also has a little one of her own who will be here from time to time. Aside from spending all this time with children, Nichole really enjoys reading, attending live theatre, art museums, but really enjoys her time with her partner, daughter, and four cats. We are thrilled to say to Nichole and her family, WELCOME HOME!

Dear friends,

We’re coming up to my favorite liturgical season: Lent. Reading that, you probably fall into one of two camps: What’s Lent? or Lent’s Your Favorite? Really

What’s Lent? Even if you haven’t observed Lent in the past, you probably have heard stories of people who have. The stories I heard growing up were from Catholic friends, most commonly “I’m giving up chocolate for Lent.” When I asked my friends why they gave chocolate up for Lent, they invariably answered, “I’m suffering because Jesus suffered.” Back then, I knew very little about church traditions. What I’ve since learned is that Lent is the season that leads up to Easter, from Ash Wednesday through Maundy Thursday. Traditionally, this was a time of preparation for people wishing to be baptized at Easter and is associated with penitence and fasting. There are many spiritual practices associated with Lent: giving something up, taking something on, being intentional in spiritual reading, donating money to charity, and changing eating habits on some or all days of Lent.

If you made it this far, you may now be leaning to the other camp.

Lent’s Your Favorite? Really? Penitence and fasting don’t sound like much fun, so why is Lent my favorite liturgical season? Life is full of distractions, even distracting me from God. Lent lets me refocus my attention on God: Where am I falling short? What have I made more important than God? Where is God calling me to new life? Over the years, my lenten practices varied, such as coming to Wednesday soup suppers at church, being more intentional about daily prayer. Every year, I stumble over the same obstacles, like taking on the most challenging disciplines, so I can prove to God I’m serious, then feeling bad when I give up halfway. (Of all the things to give up for Lent, the hardest is ego-centered thoughts.) Lent is an intentional invitation to all of us to look at our relationships with God at the same time. Our faith community supports us, beginning with the imposition of ashes on Ash Wednesday (March 5).

Whether you are brand new to Lent or are looking for a refresh, join the Spiritual Formation Committee on Sunday, February 23, for What do you mean I don’t have to give up chocolate? An introduction to Lent. (It’s helpful to RSVP, but not required.) Grab a snack at coffee hour and meet in the Walbridge room. Bring your curiosity and your questions.

Maybe you’ll find your way to the third camp: Oh, Lent is My Favorite Season Too!

Jolene Miller
Chair, Spiritual Formation Committee

Dear Friends,

The Trinity Response Team (TRT) had their first gathering this past Sunday in My Brother’s Place to contemplate and act on many justice issues – gun violence, food insecurity, racism, and LGBTQ shaming – to name a few. This gathering was specifically to discuss appropriate actions and reactions to the new president and his administration these last two weeks.

Twenty-two of us attended and there were many contributions and ideas during our active discussion. Folks collected handouts that contained:

1. contact information for elected representatives and Senators in DC;
2. a description of “how to” speak to a staffer when one calls or writes an email/letter, and
3. a brief description of 10 Executive Orders (E.O.’s).

Postcards with the Trinity logo on one side were written to senators and representatives during our time together kindly stating our objections to the Executive Orders. Those were mailed out this week.

Those gathered agree this is just the beginning of TRT’s advocacy for people, both in our community and around the country, who find themselves excluded or oppressed by these E.O.’s. It was suggested that the TRT plan to meet monthly for continued advocacy and support. We will work on doing just that.

Please prayerfully consider whether you have a role to play in TRT. All people of goodwill are welcome! Please contact George Benson at Trinity with any questions, contributions, or concerns. george@trinitytoledo.org

God’s Peace,
Mark Dubielak

Dear Friends,

As we move through these turbulent and uncertain days, it seems an appropriate moment to reflect together on Jesus’ radical teaching about speaking truth to power. In a world that often feels divided, where voices of justice are sometimes drowned out by those in authority, we turn to the life and words of Jesus for guidance and strength.

Throughout the Gospels, Jesus did not shy away from speaking truth to the powerful of his time—whether they were religious authorities, political leaders, or those who wielded control over the lives of the marginalized. He called out hypocrisy, injustice, and the exploitation of the vulnerable, even when it meant risking his own safety. Jesus’ message was always one of love, but it was not a message that ever compromised on the need for justice and truth.

Jesus did not mince words when he confronted the leaders of his time, whether they be religious or political, he called them out for their self-righteousness and their exploitation of the people. He spoke against the ways they burdened the poor and oppressed, warning them that their position of power would not protect them from the consequences of their actions.

And yet, in speaking truth to power, Jesus was not motivated by anger or a desire to tear down, but by a deep love for all of God’s children. He sought to awaken hearts and minds to the truth, not just about the world around them, but about the nature of God’s justice and love. His message was always an invitation—to repent, to turn toward a life of compassion, humility, and peace.

As followers of Christ, we are called to do the same. In our own time, we see so many ways in which power is used to oppress, to marginalize, and to silence voices that seek justice. Whether in our local communities or in Washington, D.C., we are reminded that speaking truth to power is not just a political act—it is a deeply spiritual one. It is an act of witness to the Kingdom of God, which calls us to stand alongside the poor, the oppressed, the voiceless, the marginalized, the unseen, the frightened.

This is not easy work. Jesus did not promise it would be. But he also gave us the strength to speak with boldness, to seek justice with humility, and to love even those who may stand in opposition to us. Speaking truth to power, as Jesus showed us, is an act of love that can change hearts and transform systems. It is a way of embodying the hope of the Gospel in a world that desperately needs it.

Let us remember that truth is not merely a set of facts to be defended, nor a particular political ideology, but a powerful force that moves us toward a world where all will be seen, heard, and valued. Let us be bold, let us be compassionate, and let us be people of truth.

Love and light-
Jeffrey Albright
Senior Warden

Speaking truth and standing for justice in a world that does not want to hear it is tough. It’s one thing, I think, most of us can agree on. And this reality is not a new one. Luke Chapter 4 concludes with people who were so upset with Jesus, that they tried to throw him off a cliff after listening to him talk about the prophet Isaiah’s words. I have given some sermons in my time, but none have been received like that. To pray into a kin-dom we seek as followers of The Way takes bravery and a deeply rooted faith; much more than we like to admit.

Sherre Owens Smith, a dearly departed friend and former Trinity member, invited me to her home for lunch one afternoon. I had mentioned that I was prepping for that week’s prayer service and needed a setting of the Prayers of the People. She introduced me to the Litany for Social Justice, from the Office of Young Adult and Campus Ministries of the Episcopal Church. To say I was moved was an understatement; it was exactly what I needed and has become a staple during our chapel services ever since.

I share these with you all today, so our lips, hearts, and minds continue to bend towards a world of justice. May we continue to seek it in the streets.

Prayers of the People: A Litany for Social Justice, Office of Young Adult and Campus Ministries of the Episcopal Church

Intercessor: Creator of All, you have promised to hear when we pray in the name of your Son. Therefore, in confidence and trust we pray for the Church. God, enliven the Church for its mission:
People: That we may be salt of the earth and light to the world.

Intercessor: Breathe fresh life into your people.
People: Give us power to reveal Christ in word and action.

Intercessor: Creator of all, lead us and every people into ways of justice and peace.
People: That we may respect one another in freedom and truth.

Intercessor: Awaken in us a sense of wonder for the earth and all that is in it.
People: Teach us to care creatively for its resources.

Intercessor: God of truth, inspire with your wisdom those whose decisions affect the lives of others,
People: That all may act with integrity and courage.

Intercessor: Give grace to all whose lives are linked with ours.
People: May we serve Christ in one another, and love as he loves us.

Intercessor: We pray for those on our Trinity Prayer List, and those we now name silently or aloud. (All are invited to offer their prayers silently or aloud at this time.) God of hope, comfort and restore all who suffer in body, mind, or spirit.
People: May they know the power of your healing love.

Intercessor: Make us willing agents of your compassion.
People: Strengthen us as we share in making people whole.

Intercessor: Give comfort to those who mourn.
People: Bring them peace in their time of loss.

Intercessor: We praise you for all your saints who have entered your eternal glory.
People: May their example inspire and encourage us.

Intercessor: Lord, you have called us to serve you.
People: Grant that we may walk in your presence: your love in our hearts, your truth in our minds, your strength in our wills; until, at the end of our journey, we know the joy of our homecoming and the welcome of your embrace, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Come, Lord Jesus, do not delay; give new courage to your people, who trust in your love. By your coming, raise us to share in the joy of your kingdom on earth as in heaven, where you live and reign, one God for ever and ever.

Amen.

Grace and peace,
George Benson (he/him)

Dear friends,

There are a lot of things I’d like to say or share about the week we have had. As of writing this, President Trump has just rescinded the 1965 Civil Rights government contractor order, and a school shooter has shot a student and himself. Who knows what else may have happened by the time you read this on Friday morning, but whatever it is, we will face it together. Something to remember during this time when it feels so overwhelming is that this is what oppressors want you to feel. They want you to feel small and overwhelmed. But we are not and there is strength in numbers. The work continues, and so does the Kin-dom of God.
So, I am going to suggest we all do something radical.

Let’s rest. No one can work on a cup that is less than half filled.

During these times, I am reminded of the story of Genesis where there is a massive amount of creation. There is also a lot of uncreating of what was, to what is and could be. And God rested. The God we love reminds us time and again through the Biblical narrative that Sabbath is required for our health and survival. Jesus goes away from the crowds when he is overwhelmed and needs restoration. And that is okay for us too. Trinity is a community, and communities rely on collective strength. Right now, some of us can show up and do the work, others cannot, and that is holy and okay.

Right now, we are at the start of a marathon, and as an asthmatic I wish it were a relay race. But I know that you all are where God has called you to be. And that by God’s grace we will make it through together. Sabbath is important for who and where we are.

May you find the time this week and, in the time to come, to welcome rest as resistance.

Grace and peace.
George

Dear Friends,

Today is the first issue of Topics since we learned of our new Rector’s name. It’s the first Friday we get to celebrate an answer to our search for Trinity’s next rector together. We have a direction; a name; a date. We can see it now- the light at the end of the tunnel.

We have great ideas of what we’ll do when Jon and Michael arrive. What shows they need to see, what color his office will be painted, and which of the fabulous Toledo restaurants are absolutely necessary for a good Toledo introduction (Sidon, Tandoor, Tony Packo’s…) just to name a few.

And yet, there is a vast amount of space and time between now and the next. We know that our work is not done. From a mountaintop, we stand looking at our next valley.

So what do we do now?

Now we have the chance to walk together in the shoes we’ve worked so hard to repair. To keep our breakfast food and community warm through these difficult winter months. To prepare a new home and landing space for our incoming rector, and to keep our beautiful, vibrant, progressive, inclusive, creative community full of love and light. To continue to be a beacon for those wishing to find a home… just like we were, when we first walked through Trinity’s doors. Let’s keep being the home we want to be. Who we are called to be in the place we love so dearly.

And how awesome that we get to do this together. And this staff? We’ve got your back.

With a humble heart, I share with you a prayer I wrote for the next leg of our transition.

Dearest God, who knows our hearts better than we could ever imagine, who holds us in the palm of your hand; thank you for your never-ending love and the promises you’ve made to us through our baptismal covenant. Remind us of the peace only your love can instill. And even though we walk again through a valley of transition, let us rest in the knowledge that change is your love language; for you are always redeeming, as our God of the resurrection. Guide our work through the next two months; that your kin-dom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. May we work to usher in the change you wish to see. In our brother Jesus’ name, we pray, Amen.

With a whole bucket of love,
Chelsie Cree, Director of Music and the Arts

Dear Friends,

This coming Sunday, January 12, will be my last one as your Interim Rector.

When I was a kid, the Mickey Mouse Club was one of the few programs we were able to get through our rooftop antenna. The original run featured a regular but ever-changing cast of mostly teen performers. ABC broadcast reruns weekday afternoons during the 1958–1959 season, airing right after Dick Clark’s American Bandstand. Each Mickey Mouse Club show ended the same way, with the song that began, “Now it’s time to say good-bye to all our company . . .”

Siblings in Christ, now it’s time for me to say goodbye to all of you after fifteen plus months at Trinity Toledo. Thank you for the opportunity to serve Trinity during this time of transition! It has been a privilege and a joy. I will cherish this season of ministry and rejoice always in the people with whom I’ve had the privilege of working.

I am grateful to have been part of a team whose combined efforts have helped strengthen the parish in preparation for your next rector – Bishop Anne Jolly, Canon Jessie Dodson and the Diocese of Ohio; your Wardens, Donna Steppe and Jeffrey Albright, and those who now serve and have served on the Vestry; the people who lead the various ministries of the parish; those who make Trinity’s extraordinary worship possible – especially the Choir and the Altar Guild; and, of course, the staff whose gifts and dedication will continue to support and bless you as you await the arrival of your next rector. Until then, Father Robert and Deacon Meribah will provide spiritual leadership and pastoral care.

Above all, I am grateful for the Holy Spirit whose gracious presence has sustained us through this time of transition. I’ve ben reminded again and again that God’s power working in us can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine. (Ephesians 3:21, 22)

I look forward to watching from a distance as Trinity Toledo goes “from strength to strength,” and I will keep you in my prayers. As is always the case when I leave an interim assignment, I will miss the relationships formed and the friendships made most of all.

After leading five congregations in a row through their transitions, I’m moving on to a sixth – St. Paul’s, Cleveland Heights. Because I’ll still be serving in the Diocese of Ohio, I’m sure I’ll see some of you at the Winter Convocation at the end of the month and at other diocesan gatherings.

Please continue to show up, to say your prayers, and to support your next rector. The people of Downtown Toledo need a progressive, inclusive, creative Episcopal Church – one that welcomes everyone – no exceptions! Trinity is that very special place. But then, you knew that already . . . .

Blessings,
Stephen Applegate

Dear Friends,

“O star of wonder, star of night, star with royal beauty bright – “ so begins the refrain to the well-known Epiphany hymn, “We three kings of orient are. . . “

This coming Sunday, January 5, we’ll observe the feast of the Epiphany. Although Epiphany is actually on January 6, Bishop Anne has given us the green light to celebrate Epiphany a day early.

The church has long celebrated the feast as the day the Wise Men found Jesus and his parents after following the star. Christmas cards and pageants often depict the creche with shepherds and their sheep AND Wise Men and their camels at the stable in Bethlehem all at the same time. But tradition has separated the two visits, with the Magi arriving at the end of the twelve days of Christmas.

Epiphany isn’t a word we use much anymore. It means “revelation” or “manifestation.” The Magi’s visit to Jesus was seen as the manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles – since the Wise Men were not Jews. The event foreshadowed how Christ would be the Savior of the whole world, not just the Jewish Messiah. For a long time, the celebration of this Epiphany was a much bigger deal than Christmas because the growing Gentile church was so grateful to be included in God’s plan of salvation.

But Epiphany is more than one day – it is an entire season that stretches all the way to the beginning of Lent on Ash Wednesday. During the Epiphany season, the Gospel readings contain little revelations or manifestations – unveilings, as it were, of who Jesus really is. One of the hymns for this season – #135 in Hymnal 1982 – contains a list of many of these unveilings:

• manifested by a star by a star to the sages from afar; (the Epiphany itself)
• Manifest at Jordan’s stream, Prophet, Priest, and King supreme; (Jesus’ baptism)
• and at Cana, wedding guest, in thy Godhead manifest (changing water into wine)
• Manifest in making whole palsied limbs and fainting soul (healing miracles)
• Manifest on mountain height, shining in resplendent light (the Transfiguration)

To highlight the Epiphany season, the Adult Spiritual Formation Committee will give each of us the opportunity to receive a “star word” to reflect on – a word that has been chosen for us by the Holy Spirit.

We’ll also chalk the front door of the church at the end of the service. The chalking will include the new year’s date – 2025 – with 20 and 25 separated by C+M+B – in the center. C+M+B can represent the first letters of the names of the Magi – Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar – or the Latin words Christus Mansionem Benedicat, which means “May Christ bless this house.” We’ll pray that Christ will indeed bless Trinity this coming year.

Whether you plan to travel by camel caravan or by modern horsepower, I hope you’ll join me and your fellow parishioners on this first Sunday of 2025.

Blessings,
Stephen Applegate

Dear Friends,

If you are reading this week’s Topics on its publication date – Friday, December 27 – happy third day of Christmas. I’m in Granville for a couple of days enjoying time with our family. It’s been joyful chaos since I arrived home late on Christmas morning.

Yesterday, as I walked Bernie downtown for a “leg-stretcher,” we passed several Christmas trees already put out to the curb. These are the same trees I saw freshly-cut tied to the tops of cars driving into town the day after Thanksgiving. Their special time indoors has come to an end.

Christmas is already over for some people. The radio stations that converted to an “all Christmas – all the time” format have returned to their regular programming. Amazon, the US Postal Service, and brick-and-mortar stores are all handling returns. And we’re on the brink of a New Year.

Not so fast, I want to say. Christmas is twelve days long. We have at least one song that reminds us of the tradition – The Twelve Days of Christmas – the 18th century English carol celebrating true love, gift-giving and birds.

Originally published in 1780, it was a children’s memory game, and the words were chanted as each player attempted to recite the lengthening list of gifts. The melody was added in 1909 by Frederic Austin, who presumably gave the middle line its elongated flourish, “fiiivvve gooollld riiinnngs”— a detail best left off the composer’s resume. If it had never become a song, the multitude of leaping lords and milking maids might have disappeared completely right along with the traditional twelve days.

Some people love the song, and there are terrific versions of it – the one sung by John Denver of the Muppets is a classic with Miss Piggy claiming the five gold rings – and Straight No Chaser’s send up of the song still makes me smile every time I hear it, even though it’s been around since 1998. Others describe it as the Christmas equivalent of “99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall.”

One year (2013, in fact), the independent writer Pamela Forsythe “wondered about the preponderance of fowl [in the list] – six of the 12 days feature gifts of birds: partridge, turtle doves, French hens, colly or calling birds, geese, and swans.” She asked, “Aside from the hens and geese, which could provide eggs, what was the recipient to do with all the rest? Stock an aviary?”

And then she went on to compose her own fresh set of lyrics. Here they are:

The Twelve Smart Days of Christmas

On the 12th day of Christmas my true love gave to me:
Twelve consoling kisses,
Eleven geeks-a-helping,
Ten friends advising,
Nine coders weeping,
Eight teens-a-texting,
Seven new devices,
Six thrilling e-books,
Five ibuprofens,
Four “Downton” downloads,
Three apps to save time,
Two tiny earbuds, and
A smart phone delivered by drone

If you were to write your own list of gifts for the Twelve Days of Christmas, what would the list include? Fowl? Electronic devices? Experiences? Something for you to ponder in these days between December 25 and January 5.

Blessings,
Stephen Applegate

Dear Friends,

In a few days, it will be Christmas once again. This year, everyone is coming home to Granville for Christmas – everyone except one son-in-law whose work in the New York financial world requires him to be in the city as 2024 comes to a close. To keep track of all the comings and goings, Terry and I have put together a color-coded calendar. If I read it correctly, everyone will be together for at least a few hours on December 26 – adult children, grandchildren, dogs . . . all in one place filled with happy chaos.

Our third child, Kate, and her husband, Mike, are expecting their first child in April. I haven’t seen Kate in person since her pregnancy began, but the photos she’s sent leave no doubt that she is “with child” as they used to say.

The Gospel for the Fourth Sunday of Advent – this week’s Gospel – is the story of not one, but two pregnant women – cousins – meeting. One of the women is Elizabeth, who will give birth to John the Baptist. The other is Mary, whose son, Jesus, will be born in humble circumstances in Bethlehem. I’m grateful that we acknowledge and honor Mary now in The Episcopal Church. It wasn’t the case when I was growing up – probably a resistance to seeming “too Romish.” Restoring her as an important figure during Advent is just right, it seems to me. Birth is inevitably preceded by a time of preparation, and the birth of Jesus is no different.

Just as a “pregnant pause” is a moment of hesitation that creates a sense of anticipation, so does a human pregnancy create a sense of expectation. Such is the case for Mary, who is known by many titles: Madonna, Theotokas (God-bearer), Star of the Sea, Queen of Heaven. The simplest and most profound of them is Our Lady – or in French, Notre Dame.

The Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris recently reopened after the catastrophic fire of 2019. One of the stories that came out of its re-opening was of Thomas Weinbeck, a land and environment manager from Bourgogne. His family had come to Parish to celebrate a friend’s birthday and had made it to the cathedral after visiting the city’s catacombs. “We didn’t even know there would be a Mass!” he said. I was particularly taken with what their friend, Annabell Kasynski, had to say about her experience, “To be honest, I also came to pray a little, even though I don’t really believe in it. There’s always hope that there may be someone up there, and this is not just any place, so maybe in here He’ll hear me.”

I suppose you could interpret her statement in many different ways, but the way I choose to read it is that there may be something waiting to be born in her. “There’s always hope that there may be someone up there. . . “ That hope, however tiny, has the potential to give birth to a full and rich faith.

If you see yourself at all in Annabell Kasynski, then this coming Sunday, with its theme of waiting for someone or something to be born, is especially for you. Please join us as we make our final preparations for the coming of Jesus.

Blessings,
Stephen

Dear Friends,

The season of Advent is always four Sundays long – the four Sundays before Christmas. However, the season’s actual number of days varies depending on which day of the week Christmas falls. This year Advent began on December 1 – one of the shorter observances of the season. Maybe this is why I feel like I’m running out of time. When I dropped some items off this past Wednesday morning at the dry cleaners, the person at the counter asked, “Are you ready for Christmas?” I’m sure he asks every customer the same question, but it stopped me in my tracks. Well. . . . no, I’m not.

An article from a couple of years ago by Tish Harrison Warren had the title: “I’m Not Ready for Christmas. I Need to Take a Minute.” Ms. Warren wrote that she could not force herself to dive into all the festivities and holiday cheer that these December days so often demand of us. “I need a season to notice, reflect on and grieve what we collectively and I individually have walked through this year (and the past few years, really). I need to take stock of where I am and how I got here,” she says. So, she continued, she was particularly glad for the season of Advent – this precious time of spiritual preparation for Christmas.

I am, too. Aren’t you?

Tish Harrison Warren continued, “We recall that we require ransom and rescue. Another year has gone by and we still live in a world in need of mending. We have learned anew through these long years that a virus can suddenly change our lives, that our illusions of control and predictability are fragile and faulty, that lies are often mistaken as truth, that we cannot keep ourselves or those we love from pain, that the wreckage of poverty, injustice and darkness persist. This is the very world of heartbreak, Christians say each year, into which Christ came and will come again.” Christ came and will come again. In between, we wait and watch and hope.

I’m not ready for Christmas. I need a minute. But I will be better prepared if I set aside some time for reflection and prayer. I invite you to join me in preparing during these remaining Advent days, so that when we celebrate Christmas, our celebrations will be rich and full of joy.

Blessings,
Stephen Applegate

Dear Friends,

Clergy are notorious bibliophiles. We buy books. We are given books as gifts. And we inherit books from older priests or their surviving spouses. We read a lot of the books that we have – or at least parts of them. The rest of the books serve as backdrops in our offices; as we sit in front of them, they make us appear more learned than perhaps we really are. Back in the day, clergy had “studies” where they read and contemplated. One of the gifts my father gave me after I was ordained was a hand-carved wooden sign that reads, “Parson’s Study.” Now, more often than not, we clergy have “offices,” suggesting that what we do is more managerial than it is pastoral. Since words matter, the change in terminology is worth pondering.

Over the last several years, I’ve drastically reduced my library. Part of the reason is that I move every year or two, and books are heavy! Part of the reason is that I no longer kid myself that I’m going to read or refer to most of them. The books I have kept are the ones I go back to again and again.

Every Advent, I take one particular book down from the shelf and read an excerpt from it every day. The book’s title is Watch for the Light: Readings for Advent and Christmas. Just like Advent calendars, Watch for the Light gives me something to open every day – short pieces by some of the great spiritual writers. Some are from the distant past, like St. Bernard of Clairvaux and John Donne, and some are from more recent times, like Kathleen Norris and Madeleine L’Engle.

One of my favorites is by J.B. Phillips called “The Dangers of Advent.” Phillips was an Anglican clergyman and a pioneering Bible translator best known for his The New Testament in Modern English, a translation that had its start during World War II, while he was vicar of the Church of the Good Shepherd in London. He found the young people in his church did not understand the King James Version of the Bible, so he used the time he spent in the bomb shelters during the London Blitz to begin a translation of the New Testament into modern English.

Here’s how “The Dangers of Advent” begins: “By far the most important and significant event in the whole course of human history will be celebrated, with or without understanding, at the end of this season, Advent. The towering miracle of God’s visit to this planet on which we live will be glossed over, brushed aside or rendered impotent by over-familiarity.”

Further on the in article, he continues, “The particular danger which faces us as Christmas approaches is unlikely to be contempt for the sacred season, but nevertheless our familiarity with it may easily produce in us a kind of indifference.”

Indifference due to over-familiarity. I don’t know if that’s a problem for you. I know it sometimes is for me. So I count on J.B. Phillips to remind me every Advent that the coming of Jesus at Christmas is – in his words – a “towering miracle.”

“The Dangers of Advent” is too long a piece for me to include here. So, in addition to the brief snippets I’ve already shared, let me close this Dear Friends letter with the words Phillips uses to close his article. He writes: “. . . behind all our fun and games at Christmastime, we should not try to escape a sense of awe, almost a sense of fright, at what God has done. We must never allow anything to blind us to the true significance of what happened at Bethlehem so long ago. Nothing can alter the fact that we live on a visited planet.”

We live on a visited planet. What an extraordinary thing to realize! I can’t possibly become overly familiar with the idea, or indifferent to it either. How about you?

Blessings,
Stephen Applegate

Dear Friends,

The season of Advent begins this coming Sunday, December 1, with the first of the four Sundays of Advent. The season provides time and space for the coming of Christ as we celebrate his first coming at Christmas and anticipate his second coming at some future unknown date – the time when, as the Nicene Creed says, “He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead.”

Read several of Paul’s letters to the churches he founded, and you’ll quickly see how the first Christians were standing, as it were, on tiptoes. They expected Jesus to return at almost any moment and looked forward to that time with joyous anticipation. They saw themselves living in an in-between-time; the awareness of this inspired them to share the Good News with as many people as possible, to serve the world in which they found themselves, and to risk everything since they believed they would be called upon right away to give an account of the gifts God had given them.

Two thousand years, and then some, have passed since the early church waited with eager longing for the return of their Lord and Savior. Quite understandably, people found it harder and harder to wait for Christ’s return. The church settled down for the long haul and created institutions and orders of ministry that could sustain the faithful for a longer journey than they had anticipated. So, with the exception of a few believers, most of us don’t stand on our tiptoes in anticipation of the Second Coming. That’s why, it seems to me, the season of Advent is so valuable. For four weeks out of fifty-two, we recapture some of the joyous anticipation of those first Christians.

I will admit that most of the joyous anticipation this time of the year seems more directed to the celebration of the first coming – Christmas – than to the second coming. But I believe we can anticipate more than one thing at a time – and I hope we’ll try.

What might that look like? Here’s a suggestion. Take some time each day of Advent and remember a time when you waited excitedly for something – perhaps the birth of a child or grandchild, the return of your college student after a semester away, a service member’s homecoming after a deployment, how about the arrival of Trinity’s new rector sometime early in 2025 – you get the idea – and then ask yourself this question, “how would I live my life differently if I was waiting excitedly for God to come into my life?”

I look forward to observing Advent joyfully with you again this year. How will you be transformed while you wait?

Blessings,
Stephen Applegate

Dear Friends,

I may hold the record for attending the most school holiday concerts of anyone you know. Our eldest child is 18 years older than our youngest. That means that – starting with elementary school concerts and ending with the last high school concert – we were in school gyms and theaters for a lot of years listening to kids sing or play in an orchestra or band. Not that I am complaining. I enjoyed all of the concerts – with the possible exception of the performances by those young people who were learning to play strings: violin, viola, cello, and bass. Heaven holds special reservations for middle school string teachers.

For seven of the above-mentioned years, we were able to secure tickets for the Granville High School Holiday Concert. These are as hard to come by as the tickets for Hamilton were when the original cast was performing on Broadway. The reason is simple – the music program is terrific, the percentage of the school’s kids participating is astronomical, and the performing arts center simply doesn’t have enough seats to accommodate everyone who wants to attend.

The culmination of every holiday concert was the singing of the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel’s Messiah. Somehow, they were able to get every single kid on the stage – the choirs, members of the orchestra, and concert band members. It took two conductors to pull it off – one for the instrumentalists and one for the choirs!

Perhaps sometime between now and Christmas, you will hear the Hallelujah Chorus sung live – or if not live – on your record player, CD player, or streaming service. It was always a showstopper at the end of the concert at Granville High. I’m guessing you already know the words. The lyrics are quite repetitive – stop and count the number of times “hallelujah” is sung!

But there’s more there than a bunch of hallelujahs – and the more there underscores that Jesus is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. I know you can hear the music as you read these words: And he shall reign for ever and ever. The kingdom of this world/Is become/The kingdom of our Lord/And of His Christ.

It’s unclear how the Hallelujah Chorus became associated with Christmas. It actually appears in Part II of the oratorio – the part that covers the passion, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus – rather than Part I, the part that draws its texts from the Christmas readings. It’s probably included because it’s a much more exciting way to bring a concert to its climatic conclusion than the chorus with which Part I ends: “His yoke is easy” – great music, but one wouldn’t fill a stage with teenage musicians to sing it!

The Hallelujah Chorus will be going through my head this Sunday – not because Chelsie has the choir singing it – but because the theme of this Sunday – the Last Sunday after Pentecost – is Christ the King (or if you prefer a less-gendered name: the Reign of Christ).

What does it mean to talk about Christ as King? To call him King of Kings and Lord of Lords? And if the kingdom of this world has become the kingdom of our God and of his Christ, how come it so often feels as if someone else is ruling or, perhaps equally troubling, no one is ruling over the darkness and the chaos?

I hope you’ll come this Sunday as we celebrate Christ the King and as we pray our way through what it might mean to acknowledge his reign.

Blessings,
Stephen Applegate

Dear Friends,

On Sunday, November 3, we invited people to bring their loose change for a “Day of Change” fundraiser to benefit Breakfast at Trinity. I am happy to announce that it was a rousing success, and we received $3,701.60 in total donations. This amount will continue to bolster and support our rapidly growing signature ministry. Thank you so much. Over the past month we have averaged about 100 people a Sunday, and this past week we served our 2,500th meal. For a ministry that has been in full operation since Easter, I am constantly impressed with its growth – not just in numbers of people, but, more importantly, in the relational aspect that we value the most. Our incredible volunteers, who show up every week and continue to listen to the stories of those present, are an important part of who we are at Trinity.

Before we know it, it will be time to decorate our houses for Advent and Christmas. Trinity, at one point, had a history of making custom ornaments. This is something we are bringing back in the form of another fundraiser for Breakfast at Trinity. Starting this Sunday, November 17, you will be able to purchase custom-designed ornaments for $30 (about what it costs to feed a table of eight people on Sunday). All proceeds will support Breakfast at Trinity. It is getting colder, and as the number of guests on Sunday climbs due to inflation affecting the cost of groceries, your purchase of an ornament will help put us further ahead of our financial goals as we wait to hear whether we will be the recipients of another Episcopal Community Service (ECS) grant for Breakfast at Trinity.

Finally, as has been announced in a previous issue of Topics and on Sunday in church, we received a gift from a long time Trinity member to provide meals for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Our Thanksgiving meal will be served 11:30 am-12:30 pm on Thanksgiving Day. Most of the food we need has already been purchased. However, if you are interested in volunteering and want to bring something as well, please feel free to do so! We are asking for volunteers to arrive by 10:30 am to help set up and to review some brief training about serving the meal. We expect 100 guests to come and eat, so we could use all the help we can get! Please sign up to help by clicking here.

This is the stuff that matters in the times we are in. Shine bright my friends.

Grace and peace,

George Benson
Director of Community Engagement

Dear Friends,

The deadline each week for Trinity Topics, our weekly e-newsletter, is Wednesday at 5:00 pm. This means that I am writing my “Dear Friends” letter on the day after the election.

I’ve had little time to process my own feelings, much less reflect on the meaning of all the election results. Although I follow politics and economics closely, I don’t have formal training in either. My training is in scripture, church history, and theology. So, rather than opine about what the election might portend in terms of the political or economic implications of one-party rule at the level of the federal government, I’ll write about what I know.

First, scripture contains story after story of the ways human beings have thwarted God’s hopes and dreams for the world. The list is long. I know that some who call themselves Christians believe with all their hearts that the election results match God’s hopes for the world. I respectfully disagree. What scripture also says is that God can take the ways we have thwarted God’s hopes and dreams and redeem them. Exhibit A: We crucified Jesus of Nazareth. And God raised Jesus on the third day. What this means, in part, is that everything Jesus stood for – and stands for – ultimately wins: love, joy, compassion, kindness, life. . . .

Second, church history, which begins with the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost to a tiny community in Jerusalem, tells how that community – and every faithful community of Christians ever since – has kept hope alive, stood with the marginalized, and actively resisted evil. Sometimes, as a result, members of the Jesus Movement have given their lives rather than capitulate to “the evil powers of this world which corrupt and destroy the creatures of God.” What this means is that, come what may, we must hold fast to the Baptismal Covenant: persevering in resisting evil, seeking and serving Christ in all persons, and striving for justice and peace among all people, and respecting the dignity of every human being. Trinity Toledo is linked by its witness to faithful Christian communities throughout history and to faithful Christian communities that exist now in the country and around the world. The work continues.

Third, theology, which is, in part, trying to discern what God is up to. Years ago, one of my clergy colleagues, Jim Hanisian, decided that he would ask his parish to focus on a single question: “Where do you find God in this?” The question completely transformed the Church of the Redeemer in Cincinnati. Every time something happened in that congregation, whether it was tragic or joyous, the question, “where do you find God in this?” caused people to look for where God was at work. I will be honest: I don’t know where God is at work in this, but I know it’s the question I need to be asking today, tomorrow, and for the foreseeable future.

We gather again this Sunday, as the Trinity community does every Sunday, to remember who we are and whose we are, and to ask ourselves and each other where we find God. I hope to see you.

Blessings,
Stephen Applegate