TRINITY CHURCH OFFERS COMPANIONSHIP ALONG THE WAY

Trinity Episcopal Church 484 Lime Rock Rd. Lakeville, CT 06039

Telephone: 860.435.2627 www.trinitylimerock.org

trinity@trinitylimerock.org Office Hours: Wed.– Sat. 9 am –noon

The Reverend Heidi Truax Rector

The Rev. John F. Carter Missioner

Pari Forood Senior Warden

Carol M. Taylor Junior Warden

Allen Berrien Clerk

Bev Becker Treasurer

Martha Nesbitt Assistant Treasurer

Christine Gevert Organist/Choir Director

Terri Brennan Youth Ministry

Geoff Brown, Verger

Lisa Brennan, Bookkeeper Jeff Silvernale, Grounds

Esperanza Nuñez, Sexton Alexis Dorf, Trinity Times

FROM THE RECTOR’S DESK: Are we on the cusp of a new Refor-

mation? Author Phyllis Tickle has posit-

ed in her book The Great Emergence

that every 500 years there is a major

reformation of the Church. In the year Jesus was born,

the world was turned upside down by the Messiah who

was God coming to live among us.

Five hundred years later saw the fall of the Roman Em-

pire and the beginning of the Dark Ages. The Church

went into a time of preservation. Monks and nuns kept

the faith in convents and monasteries.

In about the year 1000 the Church split in what is called

the Great Schism into East and West with one leader in

Constantinople and one in Rome.

Then, after another 500 years, in the year 1517, West-

ern Roman Catholicism was challenged by Martin Lu-

ther when he posted those 95 theses in Wittenberg,

Germany. His great desire was to reform the Church. A

number of new Protestant faiths were born.

Now, five hundred years later in 2017 the Church is

changing again. We’ve all felt the changes as we see

fewer people coming through our doors and fewer peo-

ple coming to church for baptisms, confirmations and

weddings. AND, at the same time, the people who ARE

RINITY TIMES

October 2017

Trinity Episcopal Church

TRINITY CHURCH OFFERS COMPANIONSHIP ALONG THE WAY

gathered here; who worship, and work, and

pledge, and celebrate together are here be-

cause our faith is important to us. We’re here

for the right reasons. There’s something im-

portant brewing in this.

In every case, and in every five-hundred-year

upheaval, the faithful have been in dismay over

the rifts and fissures which seem to signal the

end of the Christian faith. And yet, every time

the Church emerges changed for the better. A

new understanding of our faith becomes clear-

er. We come to a new understanding that God

is working in the lives of attentive Christians.

How lucky we are to live in

this very time! This month

we are celebrating the 500th

anniversary of the

Protestant Reformation cul-

minating with our celebrato-

ry service on Friday, No-

vember 3. Lutherans and

Episcopalians will gather

here at Trinity with three

pastors: Erik Karas from Christ Trinity in Shef-

field, Bob Pohl from St. Peter’s in Cornwall, and

myself. We will hear Christine and our choirs

joined together with the wonderful Reformation

music of Luther, Bach and Telemann.

The pastors will reflect on what it meant to be a

follower of Luther’s Christ in Germany, and

Cranmer’s Christ in England, and what it means

to be a follower of Christ in the 21st century.

Let’s not despair that the Church isn’t what we

remember when we were growing up. Let’s re-

joice that we get to be on the ground floor of

whatever new thing God is doing in this new

time with us. We are called to be patient and

attentive to Christ’s Word for us. God is good…

all the time!

FALL ART SHOW

The Gallery at Trinity

Lime Rock will pre-

sent its Fall juried Art

Show the weekends

of October 7-9 and

14-15. A number of

artists will be exhibit-

ing their works in various media.

The opening reception is Saturday Oct. 7 from

5-7 PM. At that time first, second and third

place prizes will be awarded, along with the

special “people’s choice” award. The event of-

fers an opportunity to meet the artists, enjoy

delicious food and drink and to vote for your

favorite work being displayed.

The show also serves as a fundraiser for Trini-

ty, with the entrance fees and 30% of sales all

going to support our ministries.

We still need to finish funding the lighting that

has made our Art Shows so much more attrac-

tive (unless you liked the old “canned” look).

Checks made out to Trinity with WH lighting on

the memo line will be most appreciated!

BOOK GROUP MEETS OCT. 10

The “second Tuesday” book

group at Trinity will meet on

Oct. 10 at 7:00 PM to share

their thoughts and learnings

from Peabody Award win-

ner’s Krista Tippett’s Be-

coming Wise. Krista is the

host of NPR’s On Being.

One reviewer notes “This

book is for people who want

to take up the great ques-

tions of our time with imagination and courage,

to nurture new realities in the spaces we inhab-

it, and to do so expectantly and with joy."

TRINITY CHURCH OFFERS COMPANIONSHIP ALONG THE WAY

Please join us as we consider not only the frac-

tured world in which we live, but also who we

are to one another in that world. Further infor-

mation from Alexis Dorf.

PLANNING (FINANCIALLY) FOR 2018

The financial stewardship team is beginning its

work on how we will fund our ministries in 2018.

Tom Schindler is again chairing the committee,

and all parishioners will be receiving a letter

from Tom this month.

We do a tremendous amount both inside and

outside our church, and in order to continue to

“do the work You have given us to do” , we

need to fund those ministries. Please consider

offering your “first and best” gift to Trinity’s

work, and return your pledge card on or before

Nov. 19.

Jesus commended the woman in the Jerusalem

Temple who gave her last two coins to the

Temple treasury, trusting that God would see

that her needs were met. We can also give gen-

erously, trusting that God will meet our needs

as well.

MANGIA!

Trinity will again be hosting the community din-

ner at the Bittermann Center on Wednesday,

Oct. 11 from 4:30—6:00 PM. This time spa-

ghetti and meatballs are on the menu!

Boxes of spaghetti, jars of sauce, and cheese

are piling up at Alice Tweed’s home; the list of

needed ingredients and instructions for delivery

are on the bulletin board in the Guild Room.

Meatballs may be made ahead of time and fro-

zen.

Cooking the dinner will begin mid afternoon,

and cooks are needed! Please let Alice know

how you will help.

THOUGHTS FROM THE TRACTOR

I have heard it said that the three phrases peo-

ple most want to hear are: “Welcome home”; “I

love you” and “Supper’s ready!”

For whatever reason,

my mind recently

wandered to a place

where I connected

these three phrases to

Trinity Church.

“Welcome home!” In a

small parish like ours, if you are away for more

than one week (and even if it is only one Sun-

day, sometimes), someone will notice. Some-

one will ask if you are okay, where you have

been, what’s new in your life. When you are not

at Trinity on Sunday, you are missed. You may

have been away for a year, even, and when

you resurface, your fellow parishioners will say

“Welcome home! Where ya been?”

“I love you”. Each Sunday,

we hear/chant readings

from the Hebrews Scrip-

tures and the New Testa-

ment – two from each.

TRINITY CHURCH OFFERS COMPANIONSHIP ALONG THE WAY

The point of all of these teachings is that God loves us. Yes, we slip up; yes, we do some things of

which we are ashamed; yes, sometimes we don’t even love ourselves, much less anyone else. But

the good news is that in Confession and Absolution, we are assured that in spite of who we are – or

maybe because of who we are – God loves us anyway. All the time. Unconditionally. Wow.

Supper’s ready!” At the Eucharist, Pastor Heidi breaks the bread and pours the wine.

She blesses the holy meal and then she invites us to Supper. We approach the Ta-

ble and we are fed, our souls nourished for the coming days and weeks. It may only

be a small wafer and a sip of wine or grape juice, but somehow, it’s enough to sus-

tain us on the Way.

“Welcome home!” “ I love you!” “ Supper’s ready!”

Alexis Dorf

TRINITY TIMES OCTOBER 2017

TRINITY EPISCOPAL CHURCH 484 LIME ROCK RD.

LAKEVILLE, CT 06039

ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED