~~Collect for the Seventh Sunday of Easter

An invitation from Roy McAlpine

Dear Everyone ~

With these days of physical separation, we at Trinity have been finding ways to come together: worship on Sunday, Noonday Prayer on Thursday, occasional Evening Prayer services (for instance, this Thursday for Ascension), and various meetings at other times.

We'd like to add another way to gather: a Trinity Bible study. Rev. Norman and I after some discussion decided we'd like to offer a Bible study through Zoom. We'd like to use a cool approach created by folks at Yale specifically for parishes, and requiring no previous academic study. You can check it out at www.yalebiblestudy.org.  (Please do! It's pretty interesting.) Each meeting starts with a conversational introduction to the subject from two faculty members, then offers discussion questions, and options for further reading. I find the curriculum both accessible and flexible. We can do as much or as little as we like with each session. It's up to us to use it in a way that works for us.

Most of the Studies have eight sessions, each focusing on one book of the Bible. I    propose that we start with two introductory courses in sequence, each lasting just two sessions.

1.          The formation of the biblical canon - Who decided which writings would be in the Bible? When and how were these decisions made?.

2.          Reading the Bible - What are some of the issues that cause some of us to find the Bible intimidating and confusing? How can it enrich our own spirituality? How can we understand its challenging presentations of violence slavery, and sexual behavior?

After that we can decide if we want to proceed, and which book to explore first.

I invite you to gather together with friends to explore The Book is which is the anchor of our faith.  If possible, let's start on Tuesday, June 2. To enroll please send me an email or call me with time-slots on Tuesdays that would work for you. (As you know, some of us are working at their jobs at home or their workplace, and some of us are home with other occupations. Let's see if we can find a time that works for the most people.) We would like to have 8 to 12 people for the study. And for this first session we should probably plan on an hour and 15 minutes, since it will include some logistics for how we would like to learn together.

Please respond - to enroll or to ask questions - to me, Roy McAlpine, at rmcalpine.comcast.net, or by phone at (860) 338-4525.

 

Although we are not physically in the church, we can continue to take prayer requests and put them in our Sunday leaflet. Please contact Barbara Roos at office@trinityhartford.org with any names you would like added.

 

Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Michael Curry to join other faith leaders in remembering those who have died in global pandemic

The Episcopal Church is honored to share the following invitation from the National Council of Churches (NCC):
 
The National Council of Churches USA (NCC) will hold a public online memorial service on Sunday, May 24, 2020 at 6:00 pm ET to mourn the more than 300,000 people worldwide who have lost their lives to the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 90,000 of whom were in the United States. The NCC is comprised of 38 member communions ranging from mainline Protestant to historic African American and Orthodox churches.
 
This service, A Time to Mourn: An Ecumenical Memorial Service for Lives Lost to COVID19, will be broadcast on YouTube and Facebook Live.
 
The plans grew out of a profound concern by faith leaders that, due to the lock-down and other restrictions surrounding the coronavirus, people have been unable to properly grieve the passing of loved ones. The nation has not had a public moment of collective grief to acknowledge and mourn the impact of losing so many lives in such a short period of time.

 

Read the full article here.  

Register for the event by visiting http://nationalcouncilofchurches.us

Add names to the list of those who have died from COVID19, by clicking here. 

 

 

Baptistry Window.

We pray guided by the words of the Psalm 46:

 

Compassionate, Comforting, Empowering God, you are our refuge and strength, a very present help in times of trouble. Amid the turmoil in the world, your love is steadfast and your strength never fails.

We pray for those infected by COVID-19. We remember especially healthcare workers, first responders, persons in isolation and those who grieve the loss of their loved ones.

 

Your love is steadfast and your strength never fails.

 

Merciful God, grant order to the chaos of our racing minds and our pounding hearts. We remember especially those who are overwhelmed by the uncertainty, in particular those most vulnerable because of preexisting health conditions, and those who have lost, or will lose, their jobs.

 

Your love is steadfast and your strength never fails.

 

Compassionate God, grant courage and hope in the wake of this unprecedented path as we navigate and re-navigate our lives in this global crisis. We remember especially elected government officials, educational administrators, religious leaders and all policy-makers who are expected to offer decisive leadership in this time of crisis. We remember the medical scientists and researchers who are working assiduously to develop a vaccine or treatment.

 

Your love is steadfast and your strength never fails.

 

Empower us to be open to your unfolding purposes even as the waters around us roar and foam. Reassure us of your divine presence and peace with us, now and always.

 

Amen!

 

 

 

  

 

Alan Rice and Martha Freimuth

Wardens  

 

It is proudly displayed on the front of the church.

 

 

Kate and Drew Smith's virtual CF walk, run or cycle event is well under way. We invite anyone to join us to keep busy during this difficult time. This is meant for fun and it's free. Email me your miles: they add up quickly. Here are the details:

 

Our granddaughter, Sarah, was born with Cystic Fibrosis; she is now 10 years old and doing well. She and her family are sheltering at home in Illinois, as Sarah is a high risk person. Team Strolling for Sarah does an annual walk (about 3 miles or one hour) to support the Great Strides program which raises research dollars for this genetic lung disease. The exciting news is a new drug, Trikafta, which Sarah will be able to take when she is 12. It will treat some of the causes for her illness and not just the symptoms. Research is important!

 

This year, instead of our walk in Whickham Park, Team Strolling for Sarah will be doing a "virtual walk", each on our own, anytime between Saturday May 16th and June 5th. We thought it would be fun to see how far we could walk over a 3 week period, so we're going to walk or run more than once. Now we've added cycling. Join in our efforts to see how many miles we all can cover. Send us your information and let us know how far you walked, ran or cycled and maybe send us an electronic photo. Together can we reach 650 miles? The great thing about a virtual walk, is that you can do it any time you like and your walk can also be as short or long as you want! We'll keep you posted on our website below. This is meant to be a fun, free event.

 

Why through June 5th (6/5) ? Way back in 1965, a little girl overheard her parents talking about the disease. She thought they said "65 roses" instead of cystic fibrosis, which is a mouthful. So the rose has been a symbol of our cause and 6/5 is always the day that the national Cystic Fibrosis Foundation holds its annual celebration. The bake and plant sale has been canceled.

Visit our website : http://fightcf.cff.org/goto/KateSmith for more information. Any questions? My email is: Kate48smith@comcast.net or call 860-519-1591.

 

Thanks so much, Kate and Drew Smith

 

You are invited to Trinity Church's 2019-2020 Annual Meeting which will take place following the Morning Prayer Service on Sunday, June 7. Please mark your calendars and participate in this very meaningful yearly event in the life of the parish. The meeting will last approximately 45 minutes. Any questions, please contact Barbara Roos at office@trinityhartford.org

General Israel Putnam dons his mask at Bushnell Park

Shouldn't you do the same?

 

All visitors, friends, members, guests, and workers on the Trinity Campus or in any of our buildings are reminded to please cover their faces while at Trinity.  While worship services are taking place viritually for the time being, the church office and buildings are staffed and work is proceeding on several fronts, indoors and out.  For the health and safety of all, and in keeping with the guidance of our bishops and the state of Connecticut, we ask you to keep your mouth and nose covered while you are with us.  While a simple cloth mask, scarf, bandana or what-have-you may not protect YOU from virus, it will definitely protect OTHERS from any contagion that you may unknowingly be carrying.  Let's continue to love one another from a safe distance.

Azalea in the Garden.

Heads Up! Hartford has announced that camp, scheduled for June 19-26, will shift to a virtual structure, as the in-person, overnight format isn't possible due to COVID-19 restrictions. The HUH team is working hard to create virtual activities that will keep the HUH spirit, love, and energy alive. Youth who are graduating from 8th-12th grades are eligible to attend, and there will be no camp fees. Stay tuned for more information! In the meanwhile, please get in touch with Camp Director Julie McGarry with any questions you may have; she can be reached at julie.a.mcgarry@gmail.com or 860-212-5859.

 

Linda MacGougan, Trinity's liaison, receives emails from Heads Up! Hartford about activities. If you would like her to forward those emails to you, please let her know at macgougans@gmail.com. (Or ask Julie M. to put you on the mailing list.)

 

 

Sunday, May 24th  - Seventh Sunday after Easter (Youth Sunday)

       10:00 A.M. Morning Prayer with hymns- via Zoom

Sunday Forum - College Students check in with Trinity - following the service

 

 

Monday, May 25th

      Memorial Day

 

 

Tuesday, May 26th

       8:00 P.M. RSCM Course - via Zoom

 

Wednesday, May 27th

     

 

Thursday, May 28st

       12:00 Noon Noonday Prayer - via Zoom

 

 

Friday, May 29th

 

 

Saturday, May 30th

 

 

Sunday, May 31st - Pentecost -

       10:00 A.M. Eucharist with Sermon and Hymns - via Zoom

 

 

Call us at

 

 

Visit us at 

www.trinityhartford.org 

 

 

View Sunday and Special Liturgies at 

Trinity YouTube Channel

May Altar.