Holy Trinity
Parish eNews
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A Preamble for Regathering
Towards the end of Paul’s letter to the Romans, he shares some wisdom that I think is appropriate for the season ahead of us as we begin to gather again. Although I will not print all of Romans 14 – 15:13 here, it would be helpful to read it for yourself (I recommend reading it from
The Message
or
NIV
). One of the underlying themes throughout Romans is Paul’s drive to make sure we understand we are all in the same boat, spiritually speaking.
Romans 3:10 says,
“There is none righteous, no not one.”
For Paul, he was talking about the Jews and the Gentiles, who both had very different ways of relating to the world. The one thing they had in common was
sin
. Everyone misses the mark and comes up short when measured against God’s holiness, as well as His expectations for being in relationship with Him. The Jews and Gentiles were no different in this way.
As he gets to the end of this letter, Paul moves away from the theological points he had been making throughout the letter and into the more practical aspects of being the Church: living with each other’s differences. The specific example is on the issue of eating “unclean foods.” The Jews were raised with the Law that dictated what they could and could not eat. The Gentiles, however, had no such law nor did they have the same sensibilities. The modern-day equivalent would be those who are vegetarian, vegan or pescatarian compared to the omnivores (like me). If you have ever been around someone who is vigilant with their eating habits AND has an opinion about it, you’re getting close. Throw in a smattering of religious overtones and a hint of judgement and you will be close to what Paul was addressing.
Eugene Peterson translates this in
The Message:
“a person who has been around for a while might well be convinced that he can eat anything on the table, while another, with a different background, might assume he should only be a vegetarian and eat accordingly. But since both are guests at Christ’s table, wouldn’t it be terribly rude if they fell to criticizing what the other ate or didn’t eat? God, after all, invited them both to the table. Do you have any business crossing people off the guest list or interfering with God’s welcome?”
It is the same attitude Peter had when God asked him to eat “unclean” food with Cornelius (not a Jew) in Acts chapter 10. When asked, BY GOD, Peter says,
“By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is profane or unclean.”
“No thanks God. I know what’s best.”
The Jewish converts could be
a little
judgy.
They had thoughts about those who didn’t eat like they did and had more “freedoms.” So, the Church being new and all, Paul has to set some boundaries for how they should relate to one another in order to maintain the whole “love God and love your neighbor” thing. In the process of laying out some boundaries, Paul makes some points that, I think, are important for us to understand.
· Living in community can be difficult because of our
differences
· It is easy to forget that God is in charge
· Our focus should be on oneness rather than flexing
our rights
· Our actions need to build one another up
· Our goal is supposed to be about pleasing others
before ourselves
· Kingdom living is about righteousness, joy, and peace
So what’s the big deal about all of this?
We will need to have this as a goal for our community as we gather together for worship services.
What follows are the guidelines that we will pursue as we initially start meeting again. As the conditions change, we will adjust how we gather together.
Many blessings to you,
brad+
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Guidelines for Regathering
Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
It is nearing the time when we will get to see each other face to face again. The state, county and Office of the Bishop have given approval to gather in-person, and we have decided to resume services on the 14th of this month. In order to facilitate a smooth regathering transition for the services, we will maintain these guidelines for all who come to the church services.
There are some perspectives for regathering that we will need to remember during this season of transition.
The first can be seen in 1 John:
“There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.”
1 John 4:18a
Even though much of the news and communication about this via the media has been largely fear based, when we gather, we gather in love as a community, sensitive to those around us and what they may be feeling or have experienced.
The second can be seen in Romans:
“May the God of steadfastness and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, in accordance with Christ Jesus, so that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Romans 15:5-6
Even though we may have different opinions about what has been going on, how we should regather and what will be allowed for this season, we will seek to be together as one during this time through the leadership of the Rector, Vestry and Regathering Team at Holy Trinity.
Staying at Home
As an act of love, we are asking anyone who may have underlying health issues which could be complicated by contracting the COVID-19 virus to stay at home. We will not be policing or excluding anyone from gathering, but we ask, for the short term, if there is any doubt about your health, please self-select to stay at home. We are working on continuing livestreaming services, but will need to adapt to a different format to continue doing so. If we cannot provide livestreaming services for the short term, we will provide either an audio or audio/visual recording of the services.
Service Times
We will continue to have 2 services, at 8:30 and 10:30. You may be asked to attend another service if it seems there is a need to accommodate for better social distancing.
Face Coverings
For the time being, we will all wear face coverings to reduce the risk of transmitting the COVID-19 virus, as has been directed by the Office of the Bishop. Although wearing a face covering will not eliminate the risk of contracting COVID-19, it will provide a greater level of protection than going without. If you do not have a face covering, we will provide one for you. Please know that if you refuse to wear a face covering, you will be asked to not attend services. We are not anticipating this will be a permanent condition to gather, so great patience will be asked of all who come to worship as we manage the addition of face coverings.
Bathrooms
Bathrooms will be sanitized prior to all services and disinfectant wipes will be available in the bathrooms for anyone who desires to disinfect surfaces prior to use.
Seating
We will be sitting in
Family Units
(
A Family Unit is a group of people from the same family who have been exposed to one another previously.)
. I
n an effort to maintain the recommended 6’ spacing during the services, you may only sit inside the marked areas of the pews. You will notice a pattern when you arrive. Please pick a place that will best accommodate your Family Unit.
While we
should
have space to accommodate everyone who comes to services, in the event the service reaches capacity for distancing guidelines, additional people would need to be turned away.
Service Booklets
We will
not
have service booklets available. Like we have been doing, we will email a PDF document of the service. Because the liturgy of the service will not change, you may print out your own copy of the booklet to bring and take from the service. The readings and music will be emailed each week as well. If you need something printed out prior to a service, please contact the office.
Singing
The consensus of our Regathering Team was that we will continue our practice of singing. When you are singing, we ask that you continue to wear your face covering. During this season, we will have a very limited choir to meet our distancing and safety goals.
Sharing the Peace
The normal atmosphere during the peace is one of happiness, noise and embracing. During this season, we will be sharing the peace by giving a respectful bow or other appropriate gesture without physically touching anyone. We discourage movement to other parts of the sanctuary during the peace, keeping to your row and the pews that surround you. This may seem overly cautious or restrictive but, again, like face coverings, it is how we will gather for the time being.
Pledging
We will not be passing the plates at the offertory during the service. We will have an offering box clearly marked to take the place of the plates. You may also continue to pledge by mailing a check to the church or by using our
Tithe.ly
online giving account.
The Eucharist
During the Eucharistic prayer, both the wine and the bread will be consecrated. We will, however, only be consuming the bread. The chalice will remain on the altar and the consecrated wine will be returned to the earth after the service is over. You will be released by an usher to come up to the center of the altar rail with your family unit. The host will be placed in your hand; please do not reach for it. You may remove your face covering to take the host and then reset it after you are finished.
Children and Youth
We will not have Sunday School or Youth Group during this season of transition. We will, however, seek to provide devotional and/or creative materials for our children and youth during this time, in the forms of worksheets that can be printed out at home (children) or online resources for study (youth).
Forums
We will not be having in-person forums at this time. We will, however, attempt to offer virtual forums through a Zoom meeting, and will announce the different topics as we put them together.
Support Groups, Grief Groups, Team Meetings and Vestry Meetings.
We will have a lag time between when we start in-person services and when we allow other meetings in the building. Other meetings in the building will likely be delayed by 4 weeks after our first in-person service, as assessed by our Regrouping Team.
Needs
During this time, we will need volunteers for each of the following areas. All volunteers will be given guidance and/or training, as necessary. If you are interested in helping, please email or call the church. Here are our needs:
·
Greeters
Greeters will be responsible for helping people get into the building, making sure everyone has a face covering available and that they are being worn. Greeters will also direct people to any service materials needed for the morning.
·
Ushers
Ushers will be responsible for making sure people are directed to seats appropriate for their Family Unit. Ushers will also be responsible for releasing people to receive communion.
·
Lectors
Although we have a regular cadre of lectors, we will need to make sure that our temporary practices are understood. We will provide any additional training needed.
·
Cleaners
Cleaners will be responsible to disinfect our space in between and following all services. They will be given specific training and guidance regarding proper cleaning practices.
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Women’s Spiritual Formation
Group Enjoys Study
& Fellowship via “Zoom”
Fourteen women from Holy Trinity and Emmanuel Episcopal Churches have been participating in a weekly study led by Canon Mary Hauck on Tuesday mornings. Eleven of the women connect via Zoom through their email accounts. A twelfth makes an auditory connection to the weekly meeting through her phone, and two women are studying together through a weekly telephone conversation between them.
The study is based on “A Spiritual Formation Workbook - Revised Edition: Small-Group Resources for Nurturing Christian Growth” by James Bryan Smith with Lynda L. Graybeal. Individuals can download the book to their Kindle or purchase it in paperback.
Each week, the group receives a handout based on a particular Christian spiritual practice. After reading the chapter and responding to the study questions, the women are ready for the weekly “online Zoom meeting” with Canon Mary, or for a telephone chat with their study partner.
The goal of the class is to discover and explore the many ways that our gracious God calls us into deeper relationship through Jesus Christ and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. During the course of the study, we learn about and experience six classic spiritual traditions of the Christian Church: the Contemplative, Holiness, Charismatic, Incarnational, Evangelical, and Social Justice traditions – all means of encountering Jesus and growing in personal faith and Christian character.
This spiritual formation group, or something similar may be offered again in the Fall, depending on the level of interest. If you are interested in this course, please let Canon Mary know. You may email Canon Mary at
canonhauck@gmail.com.
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ON-LINE GIVING INFORMATION
If you cannot mail your pledge offering to Holy Trinity
and you would like to continue supporting the ministry here,
please click on the link below. Thank you
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Happening at Holy Trinity
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Dinners for Our Neighbors
Tuesday Dinners
This week, we saw more of our homeless neighbors for dinner. We continue to pass out "lunch bags" in lieu of serving dinner in the Bishop Kip room. I'd love to have someone bring a pizza, so we could at least pass out one food item. Otherwise, we will continue packing our (big) bag lunches until the cautionary measures are lifted. We can always use more volunteer cooks and food providers for our homeless program.
Holy Trinity will be serving the following Tuesdays:
June 9th
June 23rd
If you are interested on being on our mailing list, please call or email me (information is below).
We always welcome new volunteers!
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Food Donations
The Big Blue Bin
We are still most gratefully accepting canned goods, pasta, and other non-perishable food items for the Interfaith Food Ministry.
If you wish to donate BEFORE we can return to regular church services, you can leave your grocery items in the big blue bin inside the gardening shed at the side of the church.
In addition, our homeless dinner guests have indicated that no food banks are delivering directly to Nevada City anymore. I would like to stockpile items for those with limited (or no) cooking facilities: just-add-water soups, top ramen, Knorr single-serve pasta bags. They can also be put in the blue bin. (I'll sort them.)
I am very thankful for the care and assistance you give to our neighbors who are less fortunate. You give so much
!
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Utah's Place
As we have for the past two months, due to the sheltering in place, we are sending a check to cover the costs of our Sunday dinner, instead of cooking at Hospitality House ourselves. Hopefully, we can return to cook and serve in July.
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If you would like to help serve, or provide food, please contact Carol.
Carol Fegté
Ph: (530) 432-0659
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Pentecost Sidewalk Chalk Challenge
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May 19th the Bishop issued a "sidewalk chalk challenge" to parishioners in our diocese. A few artists of Holy Trinity took up the challenge, (a good part of which was dodging the rain) and had a wonderful time working together, (from a distance) to create a spirit-filled submission to Bishop Megan's challenge. Many thanks to Carol for the design and Karen for the wonderful photos!
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Anyone interested in participating in possible future chalk painting or other creative projects may contact the church office at
trinitynevadacity@gmail.com
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Our own Sarah Skotnicki (daughter of Ann King & Leonard Skotnicki) has graduated with the class of 2020 class at Nevada Union High School.
Congratulations
Sarah!
Sarah has been attending Holy Trinity regularly since she was a toddler and has always been a bright shining star among our youth. During her time at Nevada Union, Sarah was a varsity wrestler on the wrestling team, she studied piano (and played some recitals) and earned her 2nd degree black belt in Kuk Sool Won. In the Fall, Sarah will be headed to UC Berkley to study Biology. We are so proud of you Sarah! It is a great honor for all of us to watch God working in your life. We wish nothing less for you than a brilliant future filled with all of the love, joy, hope and peace that this life might provide.
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Trinity Trivia
We all miss gathering together in our beautiful worship space on a regular basis. Even though we can't all be here together quite yet, here are 3 photos from around the church....
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Can you can tell:
.
- What is the object?
- Where is it in or around the church building?
- What else is nearby?
- Can you share any additional information or stories about it?
You may "reply" to this email to provide responses
to the above questions.
Responses will be posted
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NOTE: If you have photos from Holy Trinity, past or present, to share for a future edition of Trinity Trivia, please email them to the church office.
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Women's 2020 Silent Retreat
Cancelled
:(
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Unfortunately with all that is going on lately the ladies of Holy Trinity who were originally scheduled to attend the silent retreat at the Abby of New Clairvaux in May decided to wait to attend next year. We will post the new 2021 date as soon as it is available. If you are interested in attending next year please contact the church office at
trinitynevadacity@gmail.com.
Thank you
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The Downstairs Restoration has begun!
The Buildings & Grounds Committee has been talking about some pretty impressive remodeling ideas coming up in the lower level office/workroom area.
Ellen Gammelgard and Elizabeth Kalstein are working together, with a little help from Debbie Unruh, to make sure the new space will be functional as well as beautiful.
The work has begun with Deacon Dave's former office, which will be transformed, (along with the front office space) to re-create a more functional and convenient workspace.
Stay Tuned! We will continue to keep you posted as the work progresses!
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NEWS FROM THE CHOIR LOFT
A Blessed Restoration Project is Happening!
Historic Holy Trinity's Pipe Organ
has been repaired!
We have been particularly blessed for many years by the beautiful organ music played by Tina Spriggs, our dedicated organist who plays for us almost every week.
Unfortunately, for years the bellows of this old organ, has literally been held together with duct tape where leather bellows have worn and cracked.
Now, thanks to the benevolence of an anonymous benefactor, this historic organ will have new life and depth, and will be considerably more enjoyable for Tina to play each Sunday! We are ever so blessed, we have much to be grateful for.
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Here are a few photos from the Choir loft with work in progress. The top left photo is of the inside of the organ. The other photos shows the pipes having been removed and the location of the problem.
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...are a few things of note from the back hallway....
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Rejoice Yoga
Christian Yoga Classes
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All Rejoice Yoga classes, including Monday evenings at Holy Trinity, are still cancelled due to health concerns.
We plan to re-start no sooner than 2 weeks after in-person church services resume.
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For updates and information please check the website:
or contact Paula at:
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Holy Trinity Outreach Ministries
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TUESDAY NIGHT DINNER:
Our upcoming dinners for the homeless will be Tuesday
June 9th and June 23rd
at 5:00PM at
Holy Trinity
. Sign up to help by contacting Carol Fegté (
432-0659 or
cfegte@yahoo.com
)
to bring food and/or serve. You can bring food to the church between 4-4:30pm on Tuesdays.
HOSPITALITY HOUSE:
We will not be serving at Utah's place in June (no outside volunteers at this time) - However Holy Trinity has made a special contribution from our Outreach Fund to cover the cost and the meal will be prepared by folks already working at Hospitality House.
You may also contribute by writing a check to ‘Holy Trinity Church’ and in the lower left-hand corner write,
"
Outreach Ministries
."
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June Birthdays & Anniversaries
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June Birthdays:
6/01 Carly Painter
6/3 Sally Jones
6/07 Dett Ferrell
6/11 Kristie Garcia, Judi Lafferty
June Anniversaries:
6/10 Scott & Sherry Dunn
6/12 Hank & Kathy Acker, Robin & Maryke Williams
6/15 Amy & Jim Butler
6/16 Rick & Polly Tuggle
6/22 Todd & Kristie Garcia
6/30 Andrew & Michelle Harris
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If you would like to submit a request for prayer, please contact the church office at
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Requests for Prayers:
Members:
Al Jones, Jim & Mary Booth, Polly Tuggle, Jean Hoy, Scott Dunn, Alberta Seymour, Pam Bergthold, John Azevedo, Karolyn McElwain, Scott Gillette,
Rainey & Ron Spiller, Hank Acker, Doris Schaffarzick
Friends & Family
:
Colleen Vini,
Tanya Markis-Meyer, Brett Boyle & family, Kevin & Sandy Moorehead, Leda Chavarria, Ron Tapp, Susan Silburn, Afton Wasley, Linda Menge, Peter Phelps, Dave Schafferzick, Louis Ceci
,
Lucie Thomas, Jason Adams, Melinda Day
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Prayers for the Departed
:
Wanda Perez, Carolyn Newton-Power, Rev. J. Barrett Miller, Chester Ennis, Linda Bolelli, Elta Barber, Mervin Baker, Roy Brooks, Maxine Davidson, Si Reedy and all of those whom we love but see no longer.
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Your Help is Requested!
We are updating our parishioner Birthday and Anniversary information.
- Thank you!
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OFFICE HOURS:
CLOSED DURING COVID SHELTER IN PLACE
- Normal office hours, Mondays and Fridays from 11:00 - 4:00, will resume when it is safe. Meanwhile, you may contact church staff by leaving a message at (530) 265-8836, or email the church office: trinitynevadacity@gmail.com
THE eNEWSLETTER
is generally published monthly, the first Friday of the month.
All are invited to send announcements, articles, & suggestions to the church
office:
trinitynevadacity@gmail.com
.
Articles need to be approved and received no later than the 15th of each month for the upcoming publication.
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SUNDAY SERVICE READINGS
Attention Lectors! Have trouble pronouncing Bible words? Here's an online guide for pronouncing Biblical words:
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Rector:
The Revd
Bradley Helmuth
Associate Priest:
The Revd Canon Mary Hauck
Organist:
Tina Spriggs
Choir Director:
Stan Thomas-Rose
Youth Pastor:
Ben Mills
Parish Secretary and Nursery:
Paula DeGiorgis
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Kristie Garcia, Sr Warden
Todd Hoida, Jr Warden
-todd@hoida.net
Lee Adams, Treasurer
Midge Gallagher
John Griffin
Andy Moisey
Summer Green
-livingbetwixandbetween@gmail.com
Rob Stepp
-rgs724@telis.org
Larry Hoy
-lrjphoy@hotmail.com
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Holy Trinity Episcopal Church
202 High St, Nevada City, CA 95959
Phone:(530) 265-8836
Fax: (530) 265-8837
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