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Here is a masonry blog layout with no sidebarBreakfast @ Trinity Update
Dear friends,
We are currently four months into Breakfast @ Trinity, and I thought it would be a good time for an update. For a little recap, last September, vestry member Karen Keune submitted a grant to the Diocese of Ohio requesting $5,000 to relaunch and restart our community breakfast as well as beefing up our coffee hour. Our goal budget for the first year knowing we’d have to purchase new equipment, update old, and pay for food was $10,000. If we received the grant, we’d start a grass roots effort to match the other $5,000. Before we received news on the grant, we had the matching funds, and then a few short months later we received the monies from the diocese. It was then a small group of people started meeting to cast this dream for being a safe space for great music and quality food in a food desert on Sunday mornings.
Four months in, we have started our volunteer pods, as well as regular volunteers who decide to show up accumulating in 30-35 people over the course of the month. That is an incredible feat that deserves a lot of recognition. Every week, at least 5-8 volunteers show up between 7:30-8am on Sundays to cook, wash dishes, set tables, serve food, make friends, and be the hands and feet of God. As of this past Sunday, we have served 866 meals. Currently, we are averaging 54 people a week, which means, the likelihood of us having served over 1,000 meals by the end of July is very real. Every week, we see new faces and regulars, the vast majority of which do not worship at Trinity.
I share all of this because, I am so proud of the work y’all are doing here. This community shows up when called, and our downtown community sees it. What we are doing on Sunday mornings in our little corner of the Kindom isn’t happening like anywhere else around this city, and people know it. So, if you’re interested, come on down and check it out. Doors open and music starts at 8:30, coffee, cereal, oatmeal, and juice ready to go; eggs, and the rest of the good stuff is served at 8:45.
Grace and peace,
George
Time flies when you’re having fun!
Dear Friends,
At the end of this month, I will have been serving Trinity Toledo for nine months – the halfway point of my agreement as Interim Rector with your Vestry. “Time flies when you’re having fun” – so goes the old saying. And it has been fun to be with you! The parish accurately reflects the four words often used to describe it: progressive, inclusive, creative, downtown.
Let me add one more word (although I’m not proposing we add it to our communications.) The word is “involved.” At the Vestry retreat this past February, we decided that one of the things we could do to strengthen Trinity before your next rector comes was to expand the involvement of parishioners in the life and leadership of the parish. This is happening! And it’s happening more quickly than I ever imagined. Let me share the evidence with you.
More than 35 people serve in one of the pods that make Trinity’s weekly community breakfast possible. In addition to those helping through the pods, several other parishioners are present every week to pitch in – welcoming everyone to My Brother’s Place, joining with our neighbors in table fellowship, and washing dishes (we see you, Sean Patrick!). A similar number of members and friends of all ages have helped bring the restored Plaza to life, hauling bags of dirt, topsoil, and mulch from the street to the upper level, planting native species, vegetables, pumpkins, and sunflowers. Someone came to stake the tomatoes this week; another person regularly checks the moisture level in the soil and opens the drip irrigation system to keep the garden watered.
The newly-formed Parish Life Committee has many new participants who have sponsored or will sponsor activities that help build community – events like “Baseball with the Bishop” on Father’s Day, the Mac & Cheese Bakeoff last weekend that welcomed over 60 people to the Parish House, and the upcoming Fourth of July celebration on the Plaza – one of the best places to view Toledo’s Fireworks display. A subgroup is beginning to look at how we can better care for each other when the delivery of a meal, or a ride to an appointment, or being a helpful presence when a death occurs in a family.
The Adult Spiritual Formation Committee has planned two activities this summer and will offer Sunday classes in the fall in preparation for the November elections – everything from the mechanics of voting (voter registration, IDs needed to vote) to how we can disagree with our families and friends without being disagreeable. And this coming Sunday, June 30, we’ve invited parents to gather for a “lunch and learn” about hopes for Christian formation programming this fall for children and youth.
The committee planning for our celebration of Pride in late August has organized itself and meets regularly.
Behind the scenes, members of the Finance Committee monitor cash flow, budgets, and investments. A Property Task Force recently studied and prioritized what work needs to be done to ensure that our buildings are in good shape and are safe and secure.
The eight-member Search Committee recently completed a significant phase of its work and hopes to release the Parish Profile and the Office of Transition Ministry portfolio to the wider church at the beginning of August.
Last but definitely not least, attendance at Sunday services this summer – even with the choir on hiatus – keeps growing! So Trinity is progressive, inclusive, creative, downtown and involved.
Have you found your ministry at Trinity? St. Paul used a metaphor to remind one of the churches he planted that the Body of Christ needs eyes and ears and hands and feet – that it needs all the parts – to function effectively. If anything I’ve mentioned in this letter appeals to you enough that you want to be part of it, contact the Parish Office – (419) 243-1231 or trinity@trinitytoledo.org. And if you have a burning desire to start a new ministry, let us know that, too. There are many ways to discover a ministry that brings you a sense of joy and fulfillment!
I can’t wait to see what happens in the second half of my time as your Interim Rector.
Blessings,
Stephen Applegate
81st General Convention
Dear Friends,
The 81st General Convention of the Episcopal Church begins this coming Sunday, June 23, in Louisville, Kentucky. The General Convention is the triennial churchwide gathering where leaders are elected to important positions in The Episcopal Church, legislation is considered and acted upon, networking and fellowship connect people from over 100 different dioceses, and celebratory worship takes place.
An advance team, members of the Episcopal Church staff, have been in Louisville for several days preparing for legislative committee meetings and other pre-Convention events. One of the most anticipated of the pre-Convention events will take place today (June 21) at 7:00 pm, when Presiding Bishop Michael Curry headlines a revival at Louisville’s KFC Yum! Center. You can find out more about the revival here.
This General Convention marks the last one for Curry as Presiding Bishop. His successor will be elected by the House of Bishops in a closed meeting of the bishops on June 26 and installed as the next Presiding Bishop during a service to be held on November 1 in Washington National Cathedral.
Five bishops are standing for election as the 28th presiding bishop of The Episcopal Church. They are Nebraska Bishop J. Scott Barker, Central New York Bishop DeDe Duncan-Probe, Pennsylvania Bishop Daniel G.P. Gutiérrez, Atlanta Bishop Robert Wright and Northwestern Pennsylvania Bishop Sean Rowe, who also serves as bishop provisional of the Diocese of Western New York.
To give you some sense of the size and scope of the General Convention, Episcopal News Service reports that more that 10,000 people are expected to gather in Louisville. Deputations from 108 dioceses, along with the Episcopal Church in Navajoland and the Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe, were invited to attend.
Registered attendees include 167 bishops, two bishop-elects, 829 deputies and 239 alternate deputies. All the hotel rooms reserved for the convention are booked, and General Convention even had to increase its blocks of reservations – about 21,000 “room nights” – because of the high demand.
The General Convention, like the United States Congress, is a bicameral body. As the church’s primary governing body, it splits its authority between the House of Bishops, comprised of all bishops (both active and retired), and the House of Deputies, comprised of clergy and lay deputies elected by their respective dioceses.
In addition to the election of the next Presiding Bishop, who will serve for a term of nine (9) years, the House of Deputies will elect its President and Vice President. Julia Ayala Harris, as the incumbent House of Deputies president, is running for re-election against two challengers, Zena Link and the Rev. Rachel Taber-Hamilton, who is the sitting vice president.
Three people have declared candidacies for the House of Deputies’ vice president: the Rev. Charles Graves IV of the Diocese of Texas, the Rev. Ruth Meyers of the Diocese of California, and the Rev. Steve Pankey of the Diocese of Kentucky. Episcopal Church Canons require that the positions of President and Vice President be held by leaders from different orders, clergy and lay, so the outcome of the presidential election will determine who, if anyone, will be eligible on the ballot for vice president.
If you’d like to know more about the worship services a General Convention click on this link. And, more than you could ever want to know about the Convention can be found at The Episcopal Church’s Media Hub.
Following the June 23-28 General Convention will help you learn more about the wider Episcopal Church.
I ask you to join me in praying for those who are traveling to Louisville, those who are casting ballots, and those who are giving of their time to serve the Episcopal Church as faithful disciples of Jesus of Nazareth.
Finally, please join me in giving thanks for Presiding Bishop Curry’s faithful and exuberant ministry. Through his preaching and presence, he has represented The Episcopal Church in remarkable ways – preaching at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, appearing frequently with Hoda and Jenna on The Today Show, and thrilling participants during one of his 27 different revivals since he became Presiding Bishop in November 2015.
May God bless the work of the 81st General Convention of the Episcopal Church!
Blessings,
Stephen Applegate
Worship @ Trinity
Dear Friends,
For many years, Trinity’s Sunday service has blessed worshipers who have attended in person or at home through our pre-recorded Trinity@Home services and, more recently, our live broadcasts. The music – drawn from traditional hymns, praise songs, Gospel music, and “secular” offerings – has been a special strength. Prayers and statements of faith have also been gathered and carefully curated to respond to the spiritual needs of parishioners and guests. Trinity has often pushed the boundaries of what could be considered “Episcopalian” as we have striven to be a progressive, inclusive, and creative community of faith. Most of all, Trinity’s worship has consistently been joyful – it’s been a communal act of praise honoring the God who loves the world so much that he gave his Son Jesus for us.
One of the things that appealed to me about serving as your interim was the way you worshiped. I passionately believe there’s a place for innovation and creativity in worship in The Episcopal Church because much of the church’s traditional worship and music, while beautiful, has little appeal to a large segment of people seeking to pray with others in community. I say this as someone who grew up with traditional worship and as a priest who still loves the way the Anglican tradition “marries” music and liturgy.
With these things as background, I’m writing to let you know of some changes in Trinity’s worship that will take effect starting next Sunday, June 23.
At the recent Clergy Conference, Bishop Anne directed the clergy who serve the parishes in the Diocese of Ohio to use only worship resources authorized by The Episcopal Church for the principal Sunday service. Such resources are those authorized by the General Convention of the church, and, in some cases, those approved by the diocesan bishop. The church’s Book of Common Prayer is the best-known of these. In addition, resources from the Enriching our Worship series may also be used. You can find a complete list of authorized resources here.
What will not be affected?
- Bishop Anne’s directive will not affect music. Chelsie and Grace, who perform an extraordinary ministry picking music that reflects themes found in the weekly readings, will continue to be able to choose music from all the sources they already are using. This is a huge piece of good news, since a good deal of the joy and power of Trinity’s worship derives from the music we hear and sing together.
- It will not affect the Prayers of the People. We will still be able to pray in such a way that highlights certain intentions and current concerns. For example, the Prayers of the People for the last two weeks have highlighted Pride and Gun Violence. We’ll continue to find and use prayers like these that are relevant.
- It will not affect the blessing at the end of the service. The blessing will continue to be sung or said, or some combination of the two.
What will be affected?
- The opening prayers or “collects.” For some time. we have drawn each Sunday’s opening prayer from Steven Shakespeare’s Prayers for an Inclusive Church. Going forward, the opening collect will come from The Book of Common Prayer. I have respectfully requested that Bishop Anne allow Trinity to use Steven Shakespeare’s collects since they reflect the themes of the readings and point to a world that bears the marks of God’s kingdom. I am waiting for the bishop to reply.
- The “statement of faith.” Trinity has used the Nicene Creed in a rotation with other statements of faith, none of which has been authorized. So, with the exception of Sundays when we’ll use the Apostles’ Creed because there’s a baptism, we’ll recite the Nicene Creed every Sunday.
- The Post-Communion Prayer where, instead of sourcing a prayer from Steven Shakespeare or some other location, we’ll use a prayer from Enriching Our Worship or the prayer book.
These changes give me the opportunity to provide some important information, as this parish moves through the transition to your next rector, about who has responsibility for worship:
- The bishop has the authority and responsibility for worship in his/her/their diocese. As a priest, my authority to baptize, celebrate the Holy Eucharist, and officiate at other rites of the Church is derived from Bishop Anne’s authority. She appointed me as your interim (with the Vestry’s input), and she has licensed me to serve in the Diocese of Ohio. Your next rector’s authority when it comes to worship will also be derived from Bishop Anne.
- Subject to the pastoral direction of Bishop Anne, your next rector will have full authority and responsibility for the conduct of worship at Trinity. Your next rector may delegate some authority to staff members or share responsibility with others, but the rector will have the last word when it comes to liturgy and music.
As your interim, I will continue to advocate respectfully and tirelessly for permission to use liturgical resources that represent “the faith which was once delivered unto the saints” (Jude 3) and, at the same time, touch the hearts and minds of God’s people in the 21st Century. I will do this because Trinity’s progressive, inclusive, and creative worship has a great deal to offer those who are already part of this community and those who are longing for authentic contemporary expressions of faith.
Please let me know of your questions and concerns (which is another way of saying, “speak to me directly about this rather than holding parking lot conversations or grumbling to others about your unhappiness.” I want to hear from you directly!)
Blessings,
Stephen Applegate
Wear Orange this Sunday!
Dear friends,
Today is the observance of the 10th annual National Gun Violence Awareness Day, and the kick-off of Wear Orange Weekend. Last year during Trinity’s Wear Orange Sunday service, we had a community conversation about our hopes and fears about gun violence, and our ideas for addressing it (here is the harvest from that conversation). One of the ideas was to join with other local faith communities to address the epidemic of gun violence. The previous day, I had marched in the Old West End Festival parade with Moms Demand Action and met Mike Linehan, a parishioner from Olivet Lutheran Church. Mike and I had a brief conversation about how our two faith communities were wrestling with the issue of gun violence, and exchanged contact information. Later in June, we began to work together on what is now unofficially called the Multifaith Coalition to Reduce Gun Violence. I say unofficially because that name is often confused with the long-established Multifaith Council of Northwest Ohio (a group that promotes interfaith cooperation), so we are exploring how to “brand” our infant group. In the last year, we have held four public forums which have each been attended by between 60-80 people. Trinity graciously hosted the October 8 forum. Topics have included survivor testimonies, legislative advocacy training, safe gun storage, and updates on the City of Toledo’s new Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (MONSE), which has been working with the community since last summer to develop a five-year plan to reduce gun violence. Prayer has been included in each forum. Over 200 people from 41 northwest Ohio congregations representing many faith traditions have participated in at least one forum, including an impressive 39 Trinity parishioners. Thank you for your commitment to help reduce gun violence!
I have learned a lot about gun violence in the past year. I have participated in countless meetings, training sessions, educational programs and advocacy efforts. I have met many people who are working to prevent gun violence in northwest Ohio, some of whom are now friends. The biggest thing that I have learned this year is that survivors are the leaders of the movement to reduce gun violence. They need and deserve our support. They welcome us to walk with them as allies. I have participated in the Victims and Survivors working group of the MONSE Community Action Table, one of eight groups that are making recommendations to be included in the City’s five-year plan. The MONSE process has been victim and survivor-centered. The voices that have been amplified are those closest to the issue. One of the recommendations of our working group is to create a Compassion and Healing Fund for Gun Violence Victims and Survivors, to provide immediate financial support after the unfathomable loss of a loved one from gun violence. I provided testimony to urge approval of the Fund by Toledo City Council, which was scheduled to vote on it at their June 5 City Council meeting. I’ll let you know on Sunday if it was approved!
This Sunday, we will raise up the voices of the bruised and broken, strong and resilient survivors that are leading the movement to prevent gun violence. Parishioner and survivor Gwen La Croix will share her personal story, and I will preach. We will focus on secure gun storage, which saves kids’ lives. Free gun locks and a free gun lock box will be available for anyone who wants them. Here are many resources to explore for more information on how to reduce gun violence–organizations, safe gun storage, gun sense legislation, books and more. Please email me if you’d like to receive email updates from the Multifaith Coalition to Reduce Gun Violence. See you Sunday with your orange on!
Peace,
Deacon Meribah
Happy beginning of Pride month!
Dear Friends,
I’m writing this week’s “Dear Friends” as an ally and a parent.
I arrived in New York City in the late summer of 1977 to begin seminary – eight short years after Stonewall. The campus of the General Theological Seminary is located in a neighborhood known as Chelsea. If you were to visit now, you’d find upscale restaurants and stores, cutting-edge theaters and performance spaces, and over 200 trendy visual-arts galleries – an enormous transformation of the neighborhood has taken place during the last 45 years.
Six blocks south of the seminary is the West Village where many of us would go for an evening out or just to walk through the more than 50 city blocks that comprise an historic district established by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Committee. The southern boundary of the West Village neighborhood is Christopher Street.
The Stonewall Inn, located at 53 Christopher Street, is the site of a series of demonstrations against a police raid that took place in the early morning hours of June 28, 1969. The Stonewall riots became the defining event that started the gay rights movement in the United States and around the world. The timing of the police raid – in June – is the reason why Pride month begins tomorrow, June 1.
In affirmation and celebration of The Episcopal Church’s LGBTQIA+ members, the church’s Office of Communication unveiled a new Pride shield on May 16. The woman who designed the new shield, Melissa Walker, Senior Graphic Designer on the Presiding Bishop’s staff, had this to say about the shield, “As a longtime ally of LGBTQ+ people, I was so excited to work on this Pride shield for The Episcopal Church. I hope many more people feel seen and included by this new graphic as we enter Pride month.”
When you look at the shield that accompanies this letter, you will see elements of the traditional Pride flag as well as the Progress Pride flag and Philadelphia Pride flag – each flag representing a step toward greater inclusion.
Did you know that The Episcopal Church has been working for 50 years toward a greater understanding and radical inclusion of all God’s children? Resolutions from General Convention (the church’s governing body) in 1976 recognized LGBTQ+ people as children of God with an equal claim to the pastoral care of the church and equal protection under the law.
In 1994, General Convention amended the church’s canons to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation, providing equal access to the rites and worship of the church, including ordination.
In 2015, General Convention voted to amend the canons that regulate marriage, permitting any couple the rite of holy matrimony.
I report these facts to make it clear that the Episcopal Church has sought to create a world and a society where all are loved, where justice is done, and where the God-given equality of us all, especially the LGBTQIA+ community, is honored in our relationships, in our social arrangements, and in law.
Trinity has long been a church where LGBTQIA+ persons are welcome and wanted. Our worship this Sunday will underscore the parish’s continued commitment to be an open and affirming congregation. In addition to joining in worship this week, please mark your calendar for two dates:
Tuesday, June 11, 6:30 pm for Big Love: an evening of music and activism with Equality Toledo’s Community Action group on Trinty’s Plaza.
Friday, August 23 – Sunday, August 25 – Celebrating Toledo’s Pride – a Trinity tradition.
There’s been an enormous transformation since Stonewall in 1969 and much to celebrate. But there are still prayers to be said and work to be done. Happy beginning of Pride month!
Blessings,
Stephen Applegate
The answer is community.
Dear Friends,
This coming Sunday we celebrate Trinity Sunday. This church doesn’t have a patron saint. We’re not named after a person like many other Episcopal congregations are – we’re not a St. Andrew’s, or a St. John’s, or a St. James, or a St. Philip’s. This church was named after the Trinity when the parish had its beginnings in early 1837. So it’s fair to say that this Sunday is our “patronal feast day.”
Trinity Sunday is when we talk about what God is like. We do that every Sunday, of course – at least I hope we do – but on this particular Sunday we are invited to think together about one of the core doctrines of the Christian church – that idea God is three in one and one in three. What’s so important about the doctrine of the Trinity? The answer is Community.
In 2000, a serious, deeply theological book appeared written by the Brazilian theologian and writer, Leonardo Boff. For those who may not recognize the name, Leonardo Boff is a former Franciscan friar who has published widely and has written particularly in the field of what’s called Liberation Theology. He is brilliant and controversial. Both his brilliance and his willingness to provoke controversy landed him in frequent trouble with the Roman Catholic Church. The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith went as far as to silence Boff for an entire year back in 1985 – at a time when Cardinal Ratzinger, who later became Pope Benedict, was leading it.
The book I’m referring to is the book entitled, Holy Trinity: Perfect Community. In the book, Boff talks about the doctrine of the Trinity – how the doctrine helps us see that, in the beginning was “the communion of the Three, not the solitude of the One.” Boff is saying, in other words, that the very nature of God is community.
If the nature of God is “community,” then it makes all the difference for us at Trinity Toledo. It means that when we are called into fellowship with God, we are also called to be in community with each other. And not just any community. We are called to be in holy community the way God is in holy community – a community of love and giving – a community of hope and joy – a community passionate for justice and truth – a community through which others can catch a glimpse of the very nature of God.
So, this Sunday we celebrate God’s community and our Trinity community. It seems like a fitting thing for us to do in this parish church where all are welcome and wanted. And you thought the doctrine of the Trinity was boring and dry. Not so much.
See you soon!
Blessings,
Stephen Applegate
Pentecost (or Whitsunday)
Dear Friends,
The Great 50 Days of Easter come to an end this Sunday when we celebrate Pentecost. Actually, this Sunday has two names. In addition to Pentecost, this Sunday is also known as Whitsunday. Not surprisingly, the name is a contraction of “White Sunday,” a name that derives from the white garments worn by those who were being baptized on that Sunday.
Pentecost, or Whitsunday, is one of the five great baptismal days recommended in The Book of Common Prayer. From the second century on, Pentecost was a time for baptizing those who had been prepared but who, for some reason, had not been baptized at Easter.
We’ll celebrate a baptism here at Trinity this Sunday as Ariel Grube, an adult member of our choir, undergoes the central liturgy of Christian community. As a way of underscoring the centrality of community, she has asked the choir to be her sponsors!
Ariel has chosen to be baptized by immersion, so this will be the first time in several years that the baptismal pool at the entrance to the church will be put to use. Although it’s unusual in the Episcopal Church for a person to be baptized by immersion, it’s the norm in many other Christian communities. The traditional American song, “I went down in the river to pray . . “ made famous by the move, “O Brother, where art thou?”, is often sung at outdoor full-immersion baptisms for obvious reasons.
That immersion baptism has a long history in our own church is borne out by the fact that the rubrics (or instructions) for performing a baptism give immersion as the first option: “Each candidate is presented by name to the Celebrant, or to an assisting priest or deacon, who then immerses, or pours water upon, the candidate . . .”
The connection between water and the gift of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost goes all the way back to something Jesus said in the Gospel according to John, “”Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink. As the scripture has said, `Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.'” John immediately explains the meaning of Jesus’ words this way, “Now he said this about the Spirit, which believers in him were to receive.”
I hope that you will be present on Sunday to witness this very special baptism and that you will pray for Ariel and for all those who long for a deeper relationship with our gracious and loving God. If you can’t find the right words to pray, here are some you might use:
O God, you have created all things by the power of your Word, and you renew the earth by your Spirit: Give now the water of life to those who thirst for you, that they may bring forth abundant fruit in your glorious kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
And, yes, Ariel will be wearing a white robe for her baptism – it is Whitsunday, after all! Let me encourage you to dress for the occasion, too. Wear red in honor of the “tongues, as of fire” that appeared among the disciples when the Day of Pentecost came all those years ago in Jerusalem. No matter what you decide to wear, it will be a festive day!
Blessings,
Stephen Applegate
Mother’s Day is complicated
Dear Friends,
For the last week, my friends from the Village Flower Basket have been posting photos of all the different flower arrangements and gifts they have available for Mother’s Day. Wednesday, they went above and beyond with the announcement that the shoppe will be open on Sunday from 11:00 am – 3:00 pm and sharing a postcard they’re going to have popping up all over town with vases. The postcard has a QR code that can be scanned so customers can view and shop VFB’s Mother’s Day section. To top it off, the store will be hosting Dirty Frank’s Hot Dog Palace’s food truck. Evidently nothing says Mother’s Day like the combination of floral arrangements and franks.
I know the owners and employees of the Village Flower Basket well. They’re former parishioners, and I have been their customer for many years. Holiday centerpieces, prom corsages and boutonnieres, “no special occasion” bouquets for Terry – VFB has done a terrific job with all of it! Most recently, I asked them to do the flowers for the rehearsal dinner on the night before the Bishop of Southern Ohio was going to be ordained. So I’m a fan – not only of their work, but also of their entrepreneurial spirit. One can hardly blame them for advertising so aggressively. Mother’s Day ranks as the second largest “single-day” holiday for florists, falling just behind Valentine’s Day, and it generates a significant portion of many florists’ annual revenue.
But let’s be honest, Mother’s Day is complicated for many. It isn’t a mimosas-and-brunch-kind-of-day for everyone. Here are some reasons:
– Some people don’t have moms.
– Some people don’t have moms – anymore.
And, not even everyone who does have a mom is celebrating.
– Some are estranged.
– Some may be incarcerated & are suffering shame.
– Some may be abandoned.
And then regarding be-ing a mom, some struggle.
– Some struggle hard & long & get success but haven’t gotten there yet.
– Some struggle hard & long & never get their dream.
– Some moms are single moms bringing a new list of complications.
Whether it is due to being widowed, being unwed, being abandoned, they may have no one to head up the celebration of them. They may have mourning attached to their celebration.
That’s a lot of emotion that could potentially be wrapped up in the biggest phone call day of the year.
If you’re excited for Mother’s Day and the day is flowers and cards for you, that’s wonderful. I’m happy for you. And if Mother’s Day is complicated for you, and if you need to take a moment to cry, or hurt, or struggle to forgive, or establish boundaries, those feelings matter too. Sometimes Mother’s Day is complicated. And although I am not a mother, I’ve known enough of them to know that motherhood can be complicated, too.
Now about floral arrangements and franks . . . .
Blessings,
Stephen Applegate
Toledo Streets Newspaper
Dear Friends,
It gives me great pleasure to announce that Trinity will have a new building partner starting next month. Toledo Streets Newspaper (TSN) will occupy the former Next to New space located in the lower level of the church. TSN launched in 2009 as part of 1Matters.org. After five years as a branch of 1Matters, TSN grew to become its own organization. They are part of a global street paper movement of over 110 papers in 35 countries, all with the same goal – giving their communities a program to lift individuals out of poverty through work.
The way their program works is simple: each self-employed vendor starts with 10 free newspapers. Papers are sold with a suggested donation of $1.00. After the first 10 free papers, additional copies are available to vendors at $0.25 each. The vendors keep all profits.
Before this latest development, Trinity already had a solid, positive relationship with TSN. Our volunteers provide a TSN vendor lunch each month, and a generous portion of this year’s Easter offering was designated for support of TSN’s mission.
Trinity is in the process of clearing out the former Next to New space and has been able to donate some of the store fixtures to other area non-profits. However, there’s still much to do. If you’d like to help get the space ready, come on Saturday, May 11, between 10:00 am – 12:00 noon. That day we’ll also be weeding the beds on the Plaza and sprucing up the N. St. Clair side of the church. TSN will use their new space for offices and vendor meetings. They will have their own entrance on N. St. Clair Street. When Trinity delivers lunch each month, the travel distance will be much shorter!
What a blessing it is to be able to welcome an organization that makes such a huge difference in Toledo! And what a terrific thing it will be to have a significant portion of Trinity’s unused space occupied by a group whose mission aligns with the church’s mission! This kind of ongoing partnership is exactly what a progressive, downtown parish should be forming. Welcome, Toledo Streets Newspaper! We look forward to collaborating for a long time to come.
Blessings,
Stephen Applegate
Plazapalooza
Dear Friends,
Many years ago, I attended a meeting of one of the committees of the parish I was serving. Clergy attend a LOT of committee meetings – in the parishes they serve, in the dioceses where they’re canonically resident, and in the communities where their churches are located. I have no idea how many such meetings I’ve gone to, but the number is well into triple digits and may have crossed the one thousand mark. I never thought to count them.
The particular committee whose meeting I attended many years ago was planning a special event – a joyous celebration that would involve both parishioners and people from the surrounding neighborhood. As we talked about the different activities that would be part of the event, excitement started to grow. Finally one of the committee members said, “It’s going to be an extravaganzia!” – not an extravaganza, but an extra-va-gan-zia! I’m not sure why the addition of a single letter – the letter “i” – made the event sound like it was going to be so much more fun, but it certainly did.
This coming Sunday, the big event (other than the celebration of the Holy Eucharist which is always a big event) will be Plazapalooza. Plazapalooza will be an extra-va-gan-zia! (I hope you are smiling at this silliness.) What’s going to happen?
Here’s an overview:
Trinity’s always popular coffee hour will move to My Brother’s Place on the second floor of the Parish House and will be enhanced with special food provided by the Wardens and Vestry. Heather Meyer, Trinity’s Director of Operations, will provide a brief history of the Plaza which she will illustrate with some amazing photos from the parish archives. Finance Committee member Dennis Degnan will “do the numbers” – laying out the cost of this critically important project and how it’s been paid for. And then Bruce & Deacon Meribah Mansfield will invite us out onto the Plaza itself where four “stations” will be set up. We’ll learn what it means to be a Sacred Grounds congregation, and they’ll share aspects of a vision for the terrific restored space and seek input and ideas from everyone present. What fun it will be!
So, plan to come to Plazapalooza – this Sunday’s extravaganzia. After days of chilly and damp weather, Sunday is supposed to be warm with a predicted high of 83 degrees! The three “celebration” maples planted earlier this spring have started leafing out. There’ll be food, fellowship, and Plaza possibilities. Who knows? It may even turn into a Plazapaloo-zia!
Blessings,
Stephen Applegate
Silent Listening Session
Dear Friends,
I’ve got my Interim Rector hat on this week so I can promote the recent request of the Search Committee.
Last week, the Committee sent an email to everyone who is on the Trinity Communications list about the “Silent Listening Session” being held this Sunday, April 21. A “Silent Listening Session” is a novel idea in my experience as an interim – one that has a great deal to commend it. Let me explain.
The last two listening sessions were interactive. Lively conversations went on in small groups as participants responded to prompts and questions from facilitators.
Some people respond well to an information gathering approach that’s verbal in nature. I am not one of those people. I like to have time to think about what I’m going to say before I say it. And you know what? That’s a handicap in group settings. By the time I’ve formulated a response, the conversation has moved on without my input.
If you’ve had a similar experience, this Sunday’s “Silent Listening Session” is for you. You have the questions in advance. You will have had over a week to think about how you want to respond to them in writing. No one will interrupt your prayerful, thoughtful reflections. Conversations will not have gone on without your contribution.
Even if you prefer the give-and-take approach of the last two listening sessions, the way the Search Committee is gathering information this time still works for you. Your written answers will be every bit as valued and respected as if you’d said them out loud. And if you still want to give your answers verbally to a Search Committee member, just write to the Committee at trinity@trinitytoledo.org letting them know days and times that you are available to talk (and a phone number at which you can be reached.) On the off chance you aren’t going to be in church this Sunday, you can use the same email address to send in your responses. So you don’t have to hunt for them among your unread emails, here are the questions:
1. Trinity is a radically welcoming community of faith.
a) How specifically does Trinity do this well?
b) How can Trinity improve our welcoming?
2. Trinity strives for justice and peace among all people, and strives to respect the dignity of every human being.
a) What 3 qualities in a Rector do you think will be the best to represent this vision?
b) How will these qualities in a Rector represent this vision?
3. Trinity stands with those in need.
a) Whom do you see us serving?
4. Trinity is growing a community of learners and disciples.
a) In what ways or areas can we continue to grow this community?
5. How can Trinity improve overall?
Right after Sunday’s 10:00 am service you’ll have the chance to respond using the pens and paper provided by the Search Committee. Or you can write your answers at home, put them in an envelope, and hand them to a Search Committee member after church. (That’s how I’d do it.)
How you respond is not important; that you respond is! I hope you will.
Blessings,
Stephen Applegate
The Big Bang Theory
Dear Friends,
Peter Higgs’ obituary was in The New York Times on Wednesday. In 1964, Higgs predicted the existence of a new particle that would explain how other particles acquire mass. That’s as far as I’m going to go in trying to explain his contribution to what’s known as the Standard Model – a model that captures all human knowledge acquired to date about elementary particles and the forces by which they shaped the universe. My paltry understanding of physics is limited to the long-running (and now syndicated) sitcom, “The Big Bang Theory.”
Dr. Higgs died at the age of 94, sixty years after he suggested the existence of the boson that now bears his name. The Higgs boson is known popularly by another name – “The God Particle.” This name was coined by the media, not because Peter Higgs was particularly religious. The story goes that the name was derived from the title of a book written by the Nobel-prize winning physicist, Leon Lederman. Lederman was frustrated by how hard it was to detect the Higgs boson, so he proposed that the title of the book he had written be “The Goddamn Particle.” The publishers – as publishers will do – changed this to “The God Particle,” and a connection with religion was drawn, one which bothers physicists to this day (and certainly bothered Peter Higgs.)
The announcement of the detection of the Higgs boson was made at the European particle physics laboratory CERN, in Geneva, Switzerland on July 4, 2012. It took until March the following year to confirm that the detected particle was indeed the Higgs boson. Peter Higgs and another scientist, François Englert, were subsequently awarded the 2013 Nobel Prize in Physics, for their Higgs field theory.
The news of Higgs’ death in Edinburgh came during the same week that people across North America observed a total eclipse of the sun. Traffic backed up for miles on interstate highways; Chambers of Commerce calculated the economic impact of visitors to places like Findlay, Tiffin, and Toledo; and businesses, museums, and churches all planned special events. Our “Totality at Trinity” event on the restored Plaza was well-attended, and it was a special gift to welcome guests from St. James Episcopal Church in Grosse Ile, Michigan. (Now there’s a faith community that raises the church potluck to a whole new level!)
As I read articles about the eclipse afterward and scrolled through Facebook, Instagram, and Tiktok, the overwhelming reactions people shared were of awe and wonder – emotions usually associated with religious/spiritual experiences.
We live in an amazing universe, and we have – at least some of us have – the ability to conceive of subatomic particles and forces that help us understand the cosmos. When was the last time you experienced awe and wonder? Maybe it was this past week during the eclipse. Maybe it was when a child or grandchild was born. Maybe, just maybe, it was in church.
A week like this leads me to give thanks for the extraordinary complexity of the created order and how the glory of God is manifested in it. The opening verses of Psalm 19 come to mind:
1 The heavens declare the glory of God, *
and the firmament shows his handiwork.
2 One day tells its tale to another, *
and one night imparts knowledge to another.
3 Although they have no words or language, *
and their voices are not heard,
4 Their sound has gone out into all lands, *
and their message to the ends of the world.
Blessings,
Stephen Applegate
Happy Easter!
Dear Friends,
Happy Easter! We’re still in the Great Fifty Days of the Easter season that began on Easter Day and continues through the Day of Pentecost. This is the most joyous and celebrative season of the Christian Year! Our celebration continues this coming Sunday with four baptisms at the 10:00 am service.
St. Paul connected baptism to Easter in his letter to the Christians in Rome, “When we are lowered into the water, it is like the burial of Jesus; when we are raised up out of the water, it is like the resurrection of Jesus.” As we do at every service of Holy Baptism, we’ll renew our own baptismal covenant and be reminded that, through baptism, we are raised to new life with Christ.
Another metaphor for baptism is re-birth. The prayer the priest uses to bless the water at a baptism service says that through water “we are reborn by the Holy Spirit.” In Orthodox churches, the baptismal font is often referred to as “the Divine Womb,” since, in the font, we receive the second birth as child of God.
These female metaphors of womb and birth, borrowed from our Orthodox siblings, are a helpful counterbalance to the Western Church’s theology and symbolism which are often dominated by male metaphors.
The fact is the Good News of Easter came to women first. The Gospel accounts may differ in the details, but they agree that God chose a small group of women to share the greatest news of all time. And it was the women who told Jesus’ male disciples, “He is Risen!” Luke’s Gospel captures how the disciples responded, “they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense.” Not a very good look!
In the Gospel reading for this coming Sunday we meet the apostle we know as Doubting Thomas, but Thomas was not the only one who had trouble believing. Jesus’ words to Thomas could well have been addressed to the others: ““Have you believed because you have seen me?”
Having spoken directly to the apostles, Jesus then turned his attention to us. He said, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.” May his blessing be on those who are being baptized this Sunday and on all of us who believe without seeing.
Blessings,
Stephen Applegate
A sermon about a sermon
Dear Friends,
This letter will arrive in your inbox early on Good Friday morning. Trinity is offering two ways to observe this most solemn of days:
- The Liturgy of Good Friday at 12:00 noon
- Stations of the Cross at 7:00 pm (this service will be livestreamed)
Easter is still three days away. So it seems premature to bring the Alleluias out of mothballs where they’ve been during Lent. What to write is a conundrum but let me give it a shot.
Years ago, Tony Campolo preached a sermon that has since become famous. The sermon, which later became the title of one of his books, was “It’s Friday, But Sunday’s Comin’”. For those of you who have never heard of Tony Campolo, he’s a sociologist and a Baptist pastor who has been one of the most influential leaders of the evangelical left. He’s been a huge proponent of progressive thought and reform.
Dr. Campolo’s sermon is really a sermon about a sermon. He tells the story of a “preach off” that occurred in the church he attended. A “preach off “ is when several preachers get together and try to top each other’s preaching. Of course, it’s never said that it’s a competition. It’s all for the glory of God! But every preacher knows it’s game on!
According to the story, Tony Campolo preached first and, he says modestly, preached well. He sat down after his sermon and said to the old preacher sitting next to him, “You’re turn. See if you can beat that.” The old man looked at Tony and said, “I’m going to do you in.” And that’s just what he did.
He started with the two phrases “It was Friday . . . but Sunday’s comin’” and built his sermon from there.
Friday. . . Jesus was dead on the cross, but that’s because it was Friday. Sunday’s comin’
Friday. . . people are sayin,’ “as things have been, so they shall be. You can’t change things in this world. But I’m here to give you the Good News. It’s only Friday. . . Sunday’s comin’”
It’s Friday, and they’re saying that a bunch of old people sittin’ in church can’t change the world. That’s because it’s Friday. . . Sunday’s comin’”
People of Trinity, these days it can feel like we are living in more and more of a Good Friday world. Innocents are suffering unspeakable horrors because of conflicts around the world. Bridges – both real and metaphorical – are collapsing. And, if the pundits are right, we are heading into one of the most contentious and bitter election seasons in recent memory.
But Sunday’s comin.’
For every Good Friday, God’s answer always is, “Sunday’s comin’!”
Please join us when Sunday arrives – Easter Day at 10:00 am in person or on our livestream.
Blessings,
Stephen Applegate
A humble ‘self-emptying’
Dear Friends,
In her 2009 book, The Case for God, Karen Armstrong argued that religion is a practical discipline that teaches us to discover new capacities of the mind and heart. What new capacities of the mind and heart might we cultivate during the holiest week of the Christian Year?
Holy Week begins this Sunday, Palm Sunday. Most of the scriptural “airtime” on Palm Sunday is given over to the stories of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem and his subsequent passion, suffering and death. Because of this, we might miss the practical discipline St. Paul offers us. In his letter to converts in Philippi in what is now Asia Minor, Paul quotes a hymn that was, evidently, already well-known to Christian communities. Armstrong writes, “. . . from this very early date (c. 54-57) Christians saw Jesus’ life as a kenosis, a humble ‘self-emptying.’”
Here’s what Paul wrote to the Philippians – in contemporary English: “Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn’t think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn’t claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death – and the worst kind of death at that: a crucifixion.”
This coming Sunday morning, bread will be broken, and wine poured out in remembrance of the one who emptied himself for our sake. He did not seek to save his own life but lost it and is alive for evermore. If we can begin to imitate Jesus’ kenosis – his self-emptying – in the details of our own lives, our hearts will open in response to Christ’s great love for us. They will open to the pain and suffering we see all around us. They will open to those who are on the margins of society. And they will even open to our enemies and those who wish us harm.
Imitating Christ is not without cost, but Jesus tells us that “those who lose their lives for my sake, and for the sake of the Good News, will find them.”
Blessings,
Stephen Applegate
Praying Hands
Dear Friends,
The three traditional practices for Lent are prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. I want to talk about the first of the three – prayer.
Each Sunday, the person leading the Prayers of the People references those on “the Trinity prayer list.” I thought recently, “I wonder where that prayer list is and who keeps it?” Yes, I’m in my sixth month as your interim, but I’m still discovering things about the way Trinity works. (Remember this when your new rector arrives – it will take time for them to learn about the parish’s people and practices. There will be a learning curve!)
I decided to find out more about the parish prayer list. So I conducted an investigation. Guess what? We don’t have one. The reference in the Prayers of the People is a vestige of another time in Trinity’s life. This discovery was enough motivation for me to address this absence and the need for a simple way for parishioners to request prayer.
People preparing for confirmation or reception in the Episcopal Church often are taught the acronym, ACTIP, as a way of remembering the different kinds of prayer. Here’s what each letter stands for: Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Intercession, and Petition. Our Prayers of the People are prayers of intercession – we pray for the church, for our nation and those in authority around the world, for those who suffer in body, mind or spirit, and for those who have died.
One of the bishops in whose diocese I served was adamant that people should stand for the Prayers of the People. He believed that lay people were exercising the priesthood of all believers as they prayed on behalf of others. So, they should stand just as priests stand to celebrate Holy Communion. I am less concerned about people’s postures and more about whether they have what they need to perform this very important ministry. Some adjustments are in order.
Here are the adjustments I’m suggesting we make:
- We re-establish a parish prayer list. We’ll make it easy to request prayers for people or situations through our website: www.trinitytoledo.org or by emailing or calling the parish office. Email is trinity@trinitytoledo.org. Phone is (419) 243-1231.
- When a request comes in, it will remain on the prayer list for four weeks before it’ll be taken off. Requests can always be renewed or submitted again. However, having an “expiration date” will prevent the list from overflowing with prayer requests that are out of date.
- When a request is received, the requester will be asked whether they want it to appear on the public prayer list, which will be read out loud at Sunday services, or be added to a private list. In order for a request to be included in the public prayer list on Sunday, please contact the church office no later than the end of the day on Wednesday. And if we’re praying publicly for someone you know, be sure you’ve gotten their permission to be named aloud.
- If the request is designated to remain private or discrete, the parish clergy and a small prayer team will offer prayer. The request will not go public.
- A small prayer team has already agreed to say prayers of intercession. The team members will pray on their own for now. This is not a closed group. You may ask to join the prayer team by emailing me at stephen@trinitytoledo.org.
The goal is two-fold – to make it easier for people to make prayer requests and to involve more parishioners in the practice of praying for others.
Let me end with a portion of a prayer written by the Rev. Nadia Bolz-Weber, a Lutheran pastor, author, and public theologian. Her online publication, newsletter, and community is called “The Corners.” It’s a reminder to me that nothing is out of bounds when it comes to praying for others:
“Bless the things we mistakenly think are already dead. Bless that which we have already begun to carry out of town to bury. Bless our rocky marriages and our college age kids who smoke too much pot. Bless the person at work who we love to hate. Bless the young adult who wonders if they are too young to really be an alcoholic, and bless the 6o year old woman who’s had too much work done. Bless the public school lunch ladies and the guy who stole my kid’s bike. Bless the chronically sick. Bless the one who has no one. Bless what we call insignificant and which you call magnificent. Bless it all and love what only you can love: the ugly, and abandoned and unsanitary in the wash of humanity upon which you have nothing but a gleaming compassion when we have none.”
And let us all say, Amen!
Blessings,
Stephen Applegate
Gospel
Dear Friends,
Since Henry Louis Gates, Jr. has so much going on, I’m not sure when he has time to sleep.
Professor Gates is the Alphonse Fletcher University Professor and the director of the Hutchins Center for African and African American Research at Harvard University. Most people know him from the popular program, “Finding Your Roots,” which has been broadcast on PBS since 2012. In each episode, celebrities learn about their ancestral histories, discovered by a combination of paper trails, DNA analysis, and forensic genealogy.
“Finding Your Roots” is only one of Dr. Gates’ projects. He’s been the executive producer, host, and writer of “The Black Church,” in which he traces the 400-year history of how Black people have worshiped in America.
His most recent offering is, “Gospel,” a program that honors the legacy of Gospel music in America. Trinity’s staff is tired of hearing me tell them to watch the four-part series, so I’m expanding my evangelistic efforts to you – the readers of Trinity Topics. My message is simple: Spend the four hours it will take you to watch all four episodes. You’ll be glad you did. It’s streaming on PBS Passport, or you can find it here: https://www.pbs.org/show/gospel/.
As a lifelong Episcopalian, I didn’t grow up with Gospel music in church. We sang hymns from the Episcopal Church’s hymnals and anthems from the English Choral Tradition. This genre of music is beautiful, and I will love it to the end of my life. For years, this was the only music one heard in the Episcopal Church. “The Republican party at prayer” is the way Americans used to snicker at the Episcopal Church, the snobby, worldly US branch of the Anglican communion. But the church, like this country, has changed. It’s becoming multi-cultural – thank goodness! – more open and inclusive. And that includes the music we sing.
My introduction to Gospel music happened when I served my first interim assignment at St. Andrew’s Church in Cincinnati. The Director of Music there was Mrs. Irma Tillery, a force of nature and one of the editors of our church’s African American Hymnal, Lift Every Voice and Sing.
Although Trinity doesn’t have these hymnals in pew racks, Chelsie and Grace draw music from the book all the time – songs like “Precious Lord, take my hand,” and “I come to the garden alone.” But Mrs. Tillery took things a step further. She designated the first Sunday of every month as Gospel Sunday. On Gospel Sunday, Mrs. Tillery turned over the keyboard to Jerome, picked up her tambourine (although she was 80, she still played a mean tambourine), and sang in the Gospel Choir. Like the choir here at Trinity, the Gospel Choir at St. Andrew’s regularly brought down the house.
I’ve learned a lot about the origins of Gospel music from watching Dr. Gates’ series – about the emergence of Gospel music in Chicago and then, Detroit – and about the key figures in its development: Thomas A Dorsey, Jr., Mahalia Jackson, James Cleveland, Sister Rosetta Tharp, Aretha Franklin, the Winans, Andre Crouch and many others; and about its power to comfort, inspire, and empower.
If you’re looking for a different way to observe Lent, “Gospel” might be just the thing.
And again, when does Henry Louis Gates sleep? All these PBS programs and teaching undergraduate and graduate courses at Harvard. Wow! I look forward to the next project he has in the pipeline.
Blessings,
Stephen Applegate