july 2009 trinity topics newsletter, trinity toledo episcopal church

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

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

J U L Y

2 0 0 9

The community that

plays together

stays together.



l i t u

r g y

& e

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t s

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SUNDAY, JULY 5 — PROPER 9 2 Samuel 5:1-5, 9-10; 2 Cor. 12:2-10; Mark 6:1-13

10a Parish Eucharist

SUNDAY, JULY 12 — PROPER 10 2 Samuel 6:1-5, 12b-19; Ephesians 1:3-14; Mark 6:14-29


SUNDAY, JULY 19 — PROPER 11

2 Samuel 7:1-14a, Ephesians 2:11-22;Mark 6:30-34, 53-56


SUNDAY, JULY 26 — PROPER 12 2 Samuel 11:1-15; Ephesians 3:14-21; John 6:1-21


SUNDAY, AUGUST 2 — PROPER 13 2 Samuel 11:26 — 12:13a; 2 Eph 4:1-16; John 6:24-35


SUNDAY, AUGUST 9 — PROPER 14

2 Samuel 18:5-9, 15 – 31-33; Eph 4:25-5:2; John 6:35, 41-51


New service timebeginning

Sunday, July 5

10:00

Ordination

David Nelson, along with 4other candidates, was or-dained to the transitionaldiaconate (the final stepbefore priesthood) last

month at Trinity Cathedral.

David is continuing in hisrole at St. John’s, Bowling

Green as the Campus Mis-sioner to Bowling GreenState University.



f

r om

t h e

r e c t or

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I’ve been hearing some wonderful sermonslately, and many of them haven’t strictly beensermons at all.

Sermon 1: A few weeks ago, I attended thefestival of homiletics in Atlanta, a five day

preaching and teaching marathon. This yearthe festival was honoring Desmond Tutu forhis life’s work. Bishop Tutu was slated topreach, but he more or less reflected on thesermon he has always preached. I’ll save youa thousand words: let the picture with thisarticle tell you how he preached.

Truth be told, Tutu may only have onesermon—I would call it God loves us all in joy,and that’s the truth, so tell the truth in love andrejoice. I don’t think Bishop Tutu planned to

do that as a young boy:he simply found God’sstory in his experienceof apartheid and lived itout. He’s become, moreand more, a living ser-mon, a walking thinspace, a man late in hislife who is fiercely,

joyfully in love withheaven and earth.

Sermon 2: A fewweeks ago, a bunch ofchurch folk went out ona Sunday night to see“Up.” (Note: we will goout for movies again, but it’s prettyspontaneous, so be in church to catch theannouncement). The premise of the movie:78-year old Carl ties thousands of balloons tohis house to take the trip of a lifetime to SouthAmerica, only to find himself with a stow-away, a young “Wilderness Explorer Scout”named Russell. The journey he takes quickly

becomes very different from the one heexpected.

I admit I was going for companionship, airconditioning, and an excuse to don 3-Dglasses. I came away with several sermons,mostly in the forms of questions: How do youlive into the journey you did not plan? Whatdoes faithfulness really mean? Others came

away with sermons, too. When Peggy Heiderasked Butch (now age 10,) what the movie wasabout, he thought for a minute, then said, “Al-ways keep your promises.” Preach it, little bro.

Sermon 3: You preached this sermon a few

weeks ago, when I asked you to turn toanother person and tell and listen to stories ofwhen you sensed God’s presence in your life.My friends, each of you is a born preacher.KEEP TELLING YOUR STORIES!

Sermon 4: This is the sermon yet to come.It is summer time, the universal vacation time,but I am also aware of all of the interior

journeys people are taking that they did notplan to take: illness, major changes in familystructure, financial change, career change.

And yet, those are theunexpected turns thatgive us the fodder forour life sermons.We need only to bewilling to see it not

just as “just MYstory,” but as sermonin community, theplace where God’sstory and each of ourstories intersect.Divorce makes Jesus’calling out of Psalm22 much more real toyou. Dry mouthfrom chemo makes

Abraham’s desert stick to the roof of yoursoul. The new child or grandchild makes youKNOW that we were all created in the imageof God.

No matter where you are going—or not—there is bound to be a journey you didn’t quiteplan. May your new sermon start here.

Remember that God’s story is always, alwaysin your story, and your story happens incommunity. And when you have lived into ita while, may you find God’s love, pulling youever up, giving you the courage to dance.

Liddy

What’s your sermon?

Reuters/Mario Anzuoni



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c o n

g r e g

a t i o n / w o r

l dBirthday Blessings

July 5 ..... .................... Ronald Heider July 6 ..... .................... Aaron Crawford July 8 ..... ... ................. Bonnie Boes July 9 ..... .................... Ken Brown July 10 ... .................... Scott Dibling

July 12 ... .................... Frank CooperChris Windnagle July 13 ... .................... Adrianne Crawford July 15 .. .................... Adrian Kidney July 16 ... .................... Christopher Nitz July 17 ... .................... Chuck Abood July 23 ... .................... Chloe Rick July 24 ..... .... ............. Kristy Schuster July 25 ... .................... Jennifer Siebold July 29.... .................... Marjorie McIntosh

Mary Windsor

If your birthday rolls around but youdon’t see it listed here, that means the churchdoesn’t have a record of it. Contact the officeby phone (419.243.1231) or email ([email protected]) to add your special day tothe membership database, so we can cele-brate it with you!

Parish Work Day July 19th

Who needs HGTV? On Sunday, July 19,bring your lunch and come to churchdressed to enhance the Curb Appeal of ourbuildings and grounds. After the liturgy,

we'll be weedingthe plaza and paint-ing the infamouspink door, alongwith indoor projectsfor those who pre-fer them. There’ll

be something for everyone, so please pitchin to enhance our Divine Design!

Recycle Vases

The Altar Guild would like to recycle the vasesused for flowers. If you've received flowers, pleasebring the vases back to church and give them toany usher or Altar Guild member.

Many thanks to Barbara Clarke for arrangingour flowers into smaller vases and distributingthem after church each Sunday.

Ready Oar Not, It’s Dragon Boat Time

Join us on Saturday, July 25, as we paddle, cheer, race and celebrate to support Partners in

Education. The Great Maumee River Dragon Boat Festival takes place at International Park, rightacross the river from Trinity. It lasts from 8am ‘til 5pm, and Trinity’s Righteous Rowers willparticipate in three races throughout the day. We need:

Paddlers! No experience or talent required, just a willingness to learn and participate. There isno fundraising expectation this year. But there are two mandatory practices, on Tuesday, July21 and Thursday, July 23 from 6:45-8:00pm in International Park.

Tent sitters! One or two people to watch our stuff while we row.

Fans! (Can double as tent sitters.) Comedown to cheer on the paddlers and enjoyfun in the sun and a parish picnic. Greatpeople-watching guaranteed.

T-shirts! If you’ve paddled in the past orhave otherwise nabbed one of the brightred Righteous Rower t-shirts and arewilling to loan it out (freshly laundered,of course) to a 2009 paddler, let KarenWabeke know. Karen’s also the one tocontact for more information about thisevent.



MEMBER MATTERS

Dorothy Mason entered new life on Wednesday, June24. May Dorothy and all the saints, through the mercyof God, rest in peace.

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Spiritual Formation Program

The Dominican Center at Marywood of GrandRapids is once again offering its Spiritual FormationProgram, a year-long program for those hungeringto deepen their personal relationship with God. Thisis a study of the mystics and saints in the Christian

tradition, the practice of contemplative prayer andthe writing and living of a personal Rule of Life. Itwill be hosted in Toledo by Washington Church,3925 W. Central Ave., on ten Saturdays from August2009 to May 2010.

For more information about the program (in-cluding costs), visit www.dominicancenter. Com/Programs/SpiritualFormation or contact ReneeDaniels at 616.643.0162 or rdaniels@ dominicancenter.com.

A deeper level of radicalhospitality

When Jesus asks us to treat everyone with love, itsounds like a good idea. Then there’s the realworld, in which we meet people who are different,diseased, and/or disagreeable. At Trinity we say

that all are welcome. Whilethat’s true, there’s more – allare welcome, but not anythinggoes. Some of God’s belovedwho come in for coffee, fellow-ship, warmth, or worship maynot have the social boundariesor mental processes we’re usedto, and they may make us feeluncomfortable. Here are a fewsuggestions to keep in mindwhen that happens:

Most people just want to be listened to. Youdon’t need to fix, control, or even understandwhat they’re saying. Just listen. Invite othersyou know into the conversation so it is not one-on-one. Two people listening to and praying forone in need is beneficial on several levels.

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

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

Trinity’s NCD Prayer

Merciful Creator, we invite you to be with us

here and now. As we embrace NaturalChurch Development, keep us mindful of our purpose in this work – to empower your peo-

ple, grow and strengthen your church, and glo-rify your name. Fill us with your Spirit of Wis-

dom and Truth as we humbly examine our-selves and our community. Help us to em-

brace new opportunities for growth and im-provement. Renew our energy, guide our work, and lead us to new life in you; through

Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A Note From Susan Lowrey

As many of you know, I dealt with breast cancer 6years ago. I have recently received a diagnosis of can-cer that is consistent with that cancer although locatedin lymph nodes near my sternum. After many tests,

procedures, and doctor appointments it looks like Iwill be having radiation treatments for four to fiveweeks. Although this is not how I thought I wouldspend my summer vacation, I am thankful for all themedical personnel and equipment that can help meget rid of this disease.

I appreciate the loving embrace that the Trinitycommunity so freely gives me. Thank you.

Susan

Hunger Doesn't Take a VacationRemember the Feed Your

Neighbor basket as you shopfor groceries this summer.Make it a habit to purchase anitem (or two or three!) for theparish food basket every timeyou shop. The need for foodincreases in the summer when

school breakfast and lunch pro-grams are not available.



Recycling Bottles forFood For Thought

Food for Thought is offering us another opportu-nity to help local people in need and re-use resourcesat the same time. FFT needs clean plastic pop andwater bottles (6-24 oz.) with caps. Liquid soap andshampoo (which FFT gets in bulk) will be decantedinto these bottles for their food pantry clients.

You’ll find a large box for bottles next to the box forclean plastic bags in the hallway outside the nursery.

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A Postcard fromHonduras

Construction continues onthe nursery supported byTrinity’s contributions at theEmanuel Children’s Home in

San Pedro Sula, Honduras.The nursery will be part of atwo-story addition to the

older boy’s dorm. Comple-tion of the nursery portion isexpected by late October,2009.

The Children’s Home plans toopen the nursery to four orfive infants to start, once fundsare raised (totaling $20-30,000per year) to pay the wages of several infant care staffers.

MultiFaith Council Picnic

This free potluck picnic will be held on Sunday, July 12 from 3 to 7 p.m. at the Islamic Center ofGreater Toledo Picnic Shelter, 25877 Scheider Rd. inPerrysburg. This is a large covered picnic shelter withample seating, so the picnic will take place, rain or

shine. There will be a children’s play area, andactivities (for all ages) including crafts, music, soccer,volleyball, basketball, and other games. There will beno child care—parents are responsible for their ownchildren. Please bring an appetizer, salad or dessert toshare, and a lawn chair or musical instrument if youwish. The MultiFaith Council will provide beverages,tableware, grills, kosher hotdogs, buns, corn andwatermelon. For more information, email WoodyTrautman at [email protected].

Warming Toledo, One Blanketat a Time

The Fiber Arts gathering in the Living Room willcontinue through the summer. Since there is only oneSunday worship service until Labor Day, we willgather at 9-9:15 for Fiber Arts.

Pre-cut fleece is now being provided to be tiedduring this time too. You can use this opportunity tohelp make sleep sacks* for our Blanket Blitz project. Ifyou forget your needlework, or just want to try your

hand at something dif-ferent, join the grouparound the Living Roomtable to “Talk & Tie”.

In addition, on the 2ndSunday of each monththere will be a mini-Blanket Blitz for an hour

or so after church. Ourfirst one yielded 6

completed sleep sacks. Join us on July 12, August 9,September 13, and October 11.

*Sleep sacks are a newstyle of blanket we’re making.One end is not cut or tied,which makes them faster tocomplete.



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Paying Your Pledge Online

Have you ever gotten halfway to Trinity onSunday and realized that you forgot to pick up yourpledge envelope to put in the offertory plate? Haveyou ever been unsure about whether or when youpaid your pledge? There’s another way to keep up

with your pledge that doesn’t involve rememberingto write a check and grab an envelope during yourSunday morning routine. You can use your bank’sonline bill-paying service to automatically pay yourpledge. It’s typically very easy to set up.

Go to your bank's website for information on howto use this service, which is usually offered free ofcharge. It only takes a few minutes to provide thebank with instructions about the amount of yourpayment, the frequency of the payment, and theTrinity Episcopal Church mailing address (see theback cover). The bank will often ask for a “Payee

Account Number” so that the payment can becredited to your account. In this case your “accountnumber” will be “Your Name Pledge” (e.g., “GraceHoster Pledge”. This tells the church that this check isfrom you for your pledge contribution.). A physicalcheck will be sent by your bank to Trinity in theamount you’ve indicated and according to thefrequency you’ve selected.

You can arrange to pay your pledge at a time thatworks best for you – on the first of the month, whenyour paycheck or pension is issued, or whenever you

choose. You can pick which one of your accounts thepayments come from. You can arrange for recurringpayments so the check is issued automatically eachmonth, or authorize one payment at a time for moreflexibility. And you can update these paymentinstructions online anytime.

If you feel more comfortable bringing your checkto church on Sunday for the offertory, do so! Do whatworks best for you. Online payment through yourbank is just another means to pay your pledge consis-tently, securely and conveniently.

To follow General Convention:

Ohio Deputation Blog

The Diocese of Ohio deputies, both lay andclergy, will be blogging throughout theConvention. You’ll find their posts athttp://ohiodeputies.blogspot.com. A link to the blog can also be found on the diocesanwebsite, www.dohio.org.

Episcopal Church Media HubFor a broader picture of General Convention,visit the Episcopal Church Media Hub at

www.episcopalchurch.org. Live and on-demand video of sermons, interviews, and alate afternoon daily news wrap-up, as well aslegislation tracking, photo galleries, Twitterupdates, and more.

Ohio’s Deputies to General Convention

Denise Caywood Bill Joseph

R. Stephen Gracey Susannah PerkinsonRev. Alan James Rev. Conrad Selnick Rev. Gay Jennings Rev. Brian Wilbert

Please pray for these deputies, for our bishops,and for all those doing the work of the churchat this month’s General Convention:

Almighty and everliving God, source of

all wisdom and understanding, be

present with those who take counsel in

Anaheim for the renewal and mission of

your Church. Teach us in all things to

seek first your honor and glory. Guide

us to perceive what is right, and grant us

both the courage to pursue it and the

grace to accomplish it; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

(BCP, p. 818)

http://localhost/Users/marieharkey/Downloads//79901_108850_ENG_HTM.htm



One of the signature emotions of the currentrecession, besides widespread anxiety, is survivorguilt. If you’re still earning as much as you did a yearago, you’re among the lucky ones. In differentcircumstances, you might have ended up in the ranksof those whose income has been lost or significantly

reduced. With the unemployment rate in LucasCounty around 12%, many of us have friends orrelatives in this situation. Members of the Trinityfamily have suffered layoffs, hour and benefit cuts and

job eliminations.

What can you do to help? There are a number ofway in which you can provide real support, bothfinancial and emotional, without making someone feellike they’re taking a handout. A few ideas:

Things to Say (or Not Say)

Lose the platitudes. When someone you knowloses their job, don’t say: “Things happen for areason,” or “When one door closes, another dooropens,” or “This could be a huge opportunity!” Mostpeople need time to mourn. As much as you want tocheer up a friend, respect their need to just feel rottenfor a while. On the other hand, exclaiming, “Oh myGod, what are you going to do?” isn’t helpful. Don’task, “Did you see this coming?” which makessomeone look bad no matter how they answer.

Don’t make any assumptions. Start by saying asneutrally as possible, “I heard the news.” Then reallylisten to the response and ask, “Can I help?” If yousense that the person doesn’t want your help, back off.

Be careful not to tell people how they should feel(“Don’t worry.”) or what they should do. Avoidglaringly obvious advice like, “You should lookonline,” or the equally unhelpful, “In this economy,finding work could take awhile.”

It can be tricky to know how often you shouldinquire about how the job hunt is going. Asking toofrequently can be annoying, but if you don’t ask, you

could appear uncaring. If you’re not sure whether tobring up the topic, you can simply ask: “How do youwant to handle this? Do you want me to ask everytime because I care, or would you rather I didn’t?”

Remember that your friend has a life off the job, soyou can always ask about hobbies, family, and volun-teer roles. Their financial struggles may also present achallenge in their faith life; be open to conversations

about that. Again, thoughtful listening is vital.

A simple but effective morale booster to someonewho’s unemployed and may be feeling useless as aresult – ask for their input on something, whetherpersonal or professional.

If you’re still working and your life is largelyunchanged by the economic times, don’t complain tounemployed friends that you’re “broke”; it’s insultingto those in real financial trouble. On the other hand,don’t tell them in high-def detail about your vacationtrips and major purchases; it’s insensitive to revel inthe things that others are doing without.

If you’re still employed at the place where acolleague has been laid off, ask if s/he wants to befilled in on the latest work happenings. Some peopleenjoy being kept in the loop, and can feel hurt whenformer co-workers just drop out of sight. Others findit hard to get over a job loss when they’re continuallyreminded of the business that’s still going on withoutthem.

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Blessing for Those Seeking Employment

Loving God,you created the human raceand you know each one of us by name.Through Christ you have chosen us

to be your sons and daughtersand to build up your kingdom on earth.

Give N. the work he/she seeksso that he/she may share his/her talents with othersand know the dignity and satisfactionthat you give us through our work.Give him/her patience while you open doorsand grant him/her the wisdom to see your will.

Keep our family in your careand provide for all our needs.Never let stress diminish our love for each other

nor the desire for material thingslessen our love for you.

With confidence and trust, loving God,we make this prayer through Jesus Christ our Lord.Amen.

(From Blessings and Prayers for Home and Family)

Still Have a Job? How to Help Those Who Don’t



Things to Do (or Not Do)It can be a dark and scary time when you’re

looking for work and don’t see anything on thehorizon. A little support can go a long way. Don’ttreat an unemployed friend like they’ve contracted acommunicable disease you don’t want to catch,ignoring their emails or phone messages. Stay intouch with someone who’s going through this rough

patch, to help them know that they’re still important.A feeling of self-worth is one of the most importantassets in a job search. Real friends care enough tocheck in periodically and provide moral support.

If your own material resources are limited, youcan still send an unemployed friend an encouragingcard or email describing their talents and abilities (not

just in an employment context, but generally as well)and what they have to offer, which can mean a lot at atime when they seriously doubt their own value.

Offer to look over a résumé, for typos if nothingelse. Brainstorm with someone who’s been laid offabout options they have and directions to consider(without offering unsolicited advice). If you’recomfortable doing so, you might make an introduc-tion, or offer to serve as a reference.

Invite your unemployed friend over for a home-cooked dinner, but save the prime rib and fine winefor another night. A lavish dinner feels like acelebration, which this is not. A nice home-cookedmeal can make someone feel nurtured and grateful forthe food and companionship without the cost of goingout to dinner. And don’t be offended if your frienddoesn’t feel like socializing right away; offer a raincheck. Then invite them again next month.

Do things with your friend that are no-cost or low-cost: stroll the temperature-controlled galleries of theArt Museum; go swimming at Maumee Bay; discuss abook you’ve both read; explore your nearest Metro-park; enjoy one of the free outdoor concerts offeredaround town in the summer.

Even little things can be meaningful, like picking

up the tab when you meet for coffee, or offering todrive to save gas costs. Buy your friend a Starbuckscard for the networking they’ll do, or simply for atreat.

Don’t resent your friend for enjoying the fewfreedoms that joblessness brings. They can do thingsyou can’t during a workday, like sleep late or see amatinee. They’d probably trade their freedom foryour regular paycheck in a heartbeat.

Look after your friend’s children for a few hours.For your kids it’s a playdate, but for your friend it’s anopportunity to search for a job. This help is probablymost useful on a weekday, since that’s the best time tomake calls or attend interviews. But nights and week-ends can help too, giving weary parents the chance todecompress at the movies or relax at a cafe.

How about the gift of entertainment? Somemuseum memberships admit the member plus aguest. If you’ve got tickets to the Valentine or a Mud-hens game you can’t use, give them to a friend whomight appreciate a night out.

For someone on a tight budget, Internet accessmay become an unaffordable luxury. An invitation tocome over and use your Internet service (more com-fortable and private than Burger King’s Wi-fi, andwithout the time limits of the library’s heavily-usedpublic terminals) can be thoughtful.

There are still plenty of people who don’t have anonline profile who could benefit from one if they’relooking for work. If you can help them create a moreprofessional Facebook page, or teach them how to useLinkedIn, that’s a real gift.

Someone you know may need to sell some valu-ables to raise quick cash. If you’re an experiencedeBay seller, your help might get them a better price fortheir items.

If things get desperate, or an unemployed frienddecides to move to improve their career prospects,they’ll need to sell their home quickly. Can you movesome of their clutter into your basement so that theirhome shows better and they don’t have to rent storagespace? Can you help with painting or other touchups?

Finally, keep unemployed friends in your prayers.Bringing their situation to mind regularly in prayercan sometimes trigger ideas about how to help andcare for them. At a minimum, it’s a reminder to begrateful for what you have.

Adapted from two New York Times articles:“Not Laid Off? How to Aid the Less Fortunate” by RonLieber (March 21, 2009)“Navigating a Delicate Subject: The Layoff of aFriend” by Alina Tugend (April 25, 2009).

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~~~~~



Graduating from DivinitySchool, some friends and I had thebright idea to spell out the word “R-E-P-E-N-T” on the top of ourmortar boards. Assembled together(and in the right order!) we pokedfun at a stereotype of Christians:the crazed evangelist on the citystreet corner, wearing his sandwichboard and waving his leaflets.

Though our act was lighthearted, itpointed out our own discomfortwith our religious tradition. We’renot those people, we were saying.And we have enough distance fromthem that we can make fun ofthem.

After the street corner-

sandwich board image, when Ithink of “evangelist,” I see John theBaptist staggering from thewilderness in his wild and woolystate, warning the people of Israelto prepare the way. My thirdconnotation with the word is thatof the earnest Christian, usuallymore theologically and politicallyconservative than me, who speaks

in a heartfelt way of the love of Jesus, and warmly invites me to hischurch. I appreciate his generousdesire to bring me into the fold,but, to be honest, am oftensuspicious of his invitation. Hisfreshly shaven face, crisp shirt andrelentlessly cheerful demeanorcauses me to wonder if the wholeof who I am would be embraced at

his church Sunday morning: mysarcasm, my doubt, my ambition,my irreverence. Politics andtheology aside, I suspect that hewill soon ask me to give up somepart of myself (and the culture Iboth embrace and confront) to be“good.”

I live in New YorkCity and I’m 28years old. Thepeople I meet atbars or at partiesa r e a r t i s t s ,m u s i c i a n s ,designers, andwriters. Often,they seem tophysically take astep back from mewhen I tell them Iwork at a church.Their heads tilt

slightly to the side and their brows

furrow in suspicion as they try tofigure out if I’m suddenly going tospring some Jesus speech on them.They’re waiting for the other shoeto drop, waiting to see if I’m justpretending to be a normal humanbeing and if I’m actually here inthis bar for some other reason. I’velearned how to get through theseuncomfortable moments with as

much ease as possible, explainingquickly that my church isprogressive. Often I’ll laughinglysay, “But don’t worry, I’m notcreepy.” I may be laughing, but I’mnot actually joking. For some of thefolks I talk to, the disconnect is noteasily overcome. They lookshocked when I swear or makecrass jokes. They seem to think they

need to be careful or delicatearound me and avoid talking aboutsex. We could write volumes on thetheological implications of thisresponse – the ways in whichChristians have come to seethemselves as needing to be insome way protected from therealities of the secular world.Reading of Jesus sitting down toeat with prostitutes and taxcollectors, I wonder that peopleshould be so shocked to meet achurchgoer at a bar on the LowerEast Side. But this seems to be theexpectation. The people I meetseem to think that they need to be“good” when they’re around me …when all I want them to be ishonest. Honest, and figuring thingsout.

And so the question becomes:what does it mean to be anevangelist in our current cultural

context? When the simple act ofinviting someone to church can beso easily seen as a judgmentaldeceit, an aggressive attack or adesire to co-opt, how do we liveour lives as evangelists, sharing theGood News with all people?

I’m the founder of a congre-gation in New York City called St.

Refraining from Invitation: Evangelism in ContextBy Emily M. D. Scott

Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. When they saw him, they wor-shipped him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, andteaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age." Matthew 28:16-20

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Lydia’s. We’re in the very begin-ning stages of this thing, and I don’tknow that it will be successful. Ionly know that God is calling me todo this, and I’ve decided to listen.Along the way, I’ve learnedsomething important things aboutevangelism: in a bar on the Lower

East Side in New York City, themost powerful tool of evangelism isnot inviting someone to church. In abar on the Lower East Side of NewYork City, good evangelism doesnot have to be about preaching,proclaiming, pamphletting, orproselytizing. It is about relation-ships.

Return in your mind to that barstool where I sit talking with some

poor soul who doesn’t realize I’m aChristian. He asks me what I do. Idrop the bomb. He looks at mesuspiciously. I tell him my church isvery progressive. I don’t invite himto church. He says, “So you don’thate gay people?” I say no. I lovegay people. I don’t invite him tochurch. He asks me what it meansto be a liturgist. I tell him it’s likebeing a director and dramaturg inthe theatre, but everyone gets toparticipate. I don’t invite him tochurch. We get started talkingabout theatre. I don’t invite him tochurch.

You get the idea. And thoughthis is a caricature of an interactionI might have on a Friday night, likea caricature, it is an exaggeration ofthe truth.

What happens next on thatbar stool is key to reworking our

understanding of evangelism.

1. We wrap up our conversationand go our separate ways. My newfriend has a new (and positive)impression of at least one Christian,which, in and of itself, is a work ofthe Spirit.

2. We wrap up our conversa-

tion, but run into each other again – even become friends. Somewherealong the line, my new friend and Istart talking about life and how itunfolds, maybe God, maybecommunity, maybe doubt. It’s not aformal relationship, but one day hebegins to joke that I’m his spiritual

advisor. I have a number of peoplelike this in my life, and I’ve neveronce (other thanto hear mepreach) invitedany of them tochurch. This isnot to say thatthey will neverwant to come.But I believe thatthey will tell me

if they’d like to.

3 . W econtinue talking. We talk a lot.About faith and doubt and God andrelationships. And at some point heopens a door and says somethinglike, “You know, I’ve really beenlooking for a place to have thisconversation.” And then I invitehim to church. In context. These arethe people who are coming to St.Lydia’s.

Often we think that evangelismis all about converting theunconverted. My experience hasbeen that it’s all about reaching outto people who are looking forsomething that they can’t find. St.Lydia’s has been designed aroundfilling that need. We’re building ourcongregation around the idea thatthere are people out there who aredesperately seeking God, and

haven’t found a Church to do thatwith.

In all three cases above,evangelizing – bringing the GoodNews – is not about convincingsomeone to believe in Jesus. It’sabout bearing witness to what Godhas done with the whole of ourexistence, within the context of our

cultures and the patterns of ourlives. I bear witness to my GoodNews every time I sit on a bar stoolon the Lower East Side and meetsome new people, because that’swhat I like to do. Through that act,which is fully and wholly natural tome, I’m telling a story of how God

doesn’t need me to hide from theworld within the confines of the

Church, but to bea part of thewhole of theworld around me.I bear witness tomy Good Newsevery time I’msarcastic, edgy,q u e s t i o n i n g ,bre aki ng the

stereotype of a“good Christiangirl.” I’m telling a

story of a God who gave us brainsand guts and bodies so that wecould use them to love the world. Ibear witness to my Good Newsevery time I refrain from invitation,and try, instead, to listen. I’m tellinga story of how God’s love is so deepand so wide that she doesn’t ask meto change people, but to walk withthem, trusting that that she will doher work naturally, easily, in thecontext of relationship.

Emily M. D. Scott is a lay liturgistand an Episcopalian. She is currentlythe Director of Worship at The

Riverside Church in New York City,and the founder of a buddingcongregation called St. Lydia’s, thatmeets weekly in Manhattan.

Reprinted by permission fromhttp://www.episcopalcafe.com/daily/evan

gelism/refraining_from_invitation_eva.p

hp

Good evangelism

does not have to be

about preaching,proclaiming,

pamphletting, or proselytizing. It’s

about relationships.

11

http://www.episcopalcafe.com/daily/evangelism/refraining_from_invitation_eva.php









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

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

Parish Offices Mon thru Fri, 8:30 am – 4:30 pmPhone 419.243.1231 Fax 419.243.0920

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services

SUNDAYS 10:00 am, Holy Eucharist

HOLY DAYS as announced

prayers

F O R T H E P A R I S H C O M M U N I T Y

Remember those for whom our prayers have been requested: Susan Lowrey,Hank Coyle, David C. Nelson, Jessica Snyder, Nancy Paulas, Herb Landis; the children andstaff of Emanuel Children’s Home; those on death row, including John Fautenberry, whois scheduled to be executed by the state of Ohio on July 14 and Marvellous Keene, whois scheduled to be executed by the state of Ohio on July 21; all victims of war andviolence; Sean and Nina Elliot, awaiting the birth of their first child; Mary Windsor,celebrating her 100th birthday this month; Marie Harkey and David S. Nelson in theircontinuing vocational discernment; and David S. Nelson and Beth Anne Swartz, preparingfor their marriage on July 25.

Prayers for those who have died: In the parish: Dorothy Mason, Ruth Archer (RicArcher & Wayne Anthony).

vision & mission

Trinity is called to be a progressive, inclusive, creative urban faith community.

We will practice radical hospitality.

We will be engaged in the life of our city.

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

We will actively invite all to experience and celebrate God’s living presence.

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

july 2009 trinity topics newsletter, trinity toledo episcopal church

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