The Corner
Trinity's e-newsletter for the week of April 26, 2020
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O God, whose blessed Son made himself known to his disciples in the breaking of bread: Open the eyes of our faith, that we may behold him in all his redeeming work; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
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Here are the latest opportunities to strengthen
your faith and connect with the community.
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WORSHIP TIMES
Sunday, April 26, 2020
Third Sunday of Easter
10:30 a.m.
Morning Prayer
READINGS
The Liturgy of the Word
Livestream link:
Bulletin link:
Wednesday, April 29, 2020
7 p.m. - Evening Prayer
Livestream Link:
Bulletin link:
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Upcoming Event: Trinity Youth Group
Date: Sunday, April 26
Time: 4:30 p.m.
Location: Zoom
Description: We will use Zoom to meet online and join the weekly Diocese Youth Group's online meeting.
Meeting ID:
560 802 994
Upcoming Event: Children's Story Time with Susan
Date: Tuesday and Thursday
Time: 10 a.m.
Location: Livestream
Description:
Susan Hires is reading from "The Lion, the witch and the Wardrobe" this week. Weather permitting, we'll look in on her bees.
Upcoming Event: Friendship Circle
Date: Wednesday, April 29
Time: 4 p.m.
Location: Zoom
Description:
If you would like to join us, please contact Susan Ralston at
sralston@sunflower.com
for an invitation. The Friendship Circle welcomes those who are widowed, divorced, single, or who are seeking friendship from parishioners. All are welcome.
Upcoming Event: Evening Prayer Service
Date: Wednesday, April 29
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: Livestream
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From the Rector's Desk...
Last week, I began to talk about the shared Christian history of liturgy, music, and worship, beginning with the earliest generation of the Church. The time between those first Christian communities and the time of Constantine (roughly 100 to 313 CE) can be described as “the Domestic Church” because so much of Christian life occurred in the context of people’s homes.
One of the biggest cultural shifts during this time was the complete expulsion of Christians from the Jewish community, assisted by outside Gentile cultures growing increasing anti-Semitic after two Jewish revolts against the Roman Empire. Christians began to dedicate space within their homes for communal worship, often located in courtyards or interior rooms where worshipers could be shielded from outside noise and critical gazes. The focus on new Christian traditions meant that dedicated Eucharistic vessels were now being created, including those made out of precious metals.
This era also saw the creation of specific Christian hymnody and Scripture, although the consistency of a “New Testament” had yet to be established. In addition to the books that we are familiar with, there were literally dozens of other apocryphal letters, Gospels, and other stories in circulation. One fascinating aspect of this period regarding music is that there is some evidence that many Christian communities found the use of instruments to be overly pagan and instead insisted on using the “God given gift” of human voice alone.
At the end of this period, two major architectural developments occurred, both in conjunction with a growing public acceptance of Christianity. The first were dedicated catacombs in which Christians would bury their dead, which later became sanctuaries during times of heightened oppression. The second was the whole buildings set aside for worship – the first churches.
But since that is more emblematic of the next period, I’ll go into more detail then. See you next week!
Yours in Christ,
Fr. Rob+
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Reminder, if you do not see the "This Week at Trinity" at the bottom of the newsletter, there should be an expand button to click to view our complete newsletter.
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Family Promise Responds
to Pandemic
We are connected to each other in a completely different way, as we navigate and process the shared difficulties, anxiety and fears of the global COVID-19 pandemic. Our world is smaller. We clearly need each other to stay safe, to stay healthy. We recognize essential workers are those we may not have necessarily noticed as essential previously. There will be good changes that must come out of this unimaginable frightening and difficult time: good changes in our perspective, in our cultures, and in how we treat and respect all in our community.
There is hope, there is light and there is change coming, even in the crisis. And that is quite a story for Easter Season.
At Family Promise of Lawrence, we have pivoted our programs and services in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the past month we have:
- Suspended our rotation program and are sheltering families in temporary housing units
- Continued intake for new families in the HUMI Prevention Program, the Diversion from Shelter Program, and the Shelter Program, when space is available
- Worked with the Lawrence Community Shelter and The Willow Domestic Violence Center to help move families out of congregant living situations using some available HUMI funds
- Strengthened our stabilization program – knowing that families will need extra support to maintain housing through these difficult times.
We are remaining open and serving families through and after this crisis. We are very grateful to our network, our community and for your support.
May we all find hope, light and participate in the good change that is coming.
Only through God’s love and grace, Dana Ortiz
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We would like to know about hospitalizations, illnesses or special needs you are experiencing. Please call Fr. Rob, Deacon Deborah Burns, the Church office or a Vestry member so that we can help.
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Library in Exile
So you cannot come to the Parish Library. I found that some of my favorite authors represented in the library actually have TED Talks or other videos on YouTube.
Try Barbara Brown Taylor, Joan Chittister, Bruce Feller or Bart Ehrman.
If you want to stretch your brain, attend one of two Open Yale Courses: New Testament History and Literature, taught by Dale Martin; and Introcution to the Old Testament, taught by Christine Hayes. I have watched both and learned a lot. We watch them on our smart TV, but you can see them on your computer. Call me if you have problems.
Margaret Bearse
785-842-1091
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Prayer Chain
To add a person's name to the prayer list or to become a prayer chain member, please contact the parish office...
Prayers... or call 785-843-6166; or Carol Hatton, Prayer Chain coordinator (
caroldonhatton@gmail.com).
The Prayer Chain prays daily for those who are ill, suffering or troubled; who have died; or who wish to offer praise and thanksgivings. Prayer Chain members find that their own private prayer life with God also deepens during this daily practice.
Pray for those who are ill: DJ, Kim, Verla, Tate, John, Bob, Annelise, Ollie, Susan, Karen
Pray for those with special intentions: Norma, Gary, Susie, Elise, Beth and family, Kelly, Kevin, Eleanor, Phoebe, Nicole, Lindsey, Thomas, Katie, John
Pray for those in the hospital: Jon, Bob, Anne, Rev. Susan O'Shay
Pray for the departed: Karen Lind, Samuel Levi Adams, Jr, Rev. Lewis T Johnson, Elsa Fuller, Tom Morris, Deacon Oroke
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Easy Access to Livestreams
on Facebook
Trinitarians are getting more familiar with watching services via livestream.
No need for a Facebook account – our Facebook page is available to everybody.
Here are the quick-and-dirty steps to “go to church” on Sunday morning and Wednesday night, attend organ concerts, and join Story Time on Tuesday and Thursday mornings.
- Go to the Trinity page by clicking this link, clicking the link in the Worship Times section of this newsletter, or typing www.facebook.com/TrinityLawrenceKS/ into your browser window.
- The livestream, will appear at or near the top of “Posts” in the middle of the screen. Fr. Rob is making it easy to find by putting up a screen announcing the service. If you’re more than a few minutes early, hang on.
- Click the link to the service bulletin in a post underneath the livestream or in the Worship Times section to open the service leaflet.
- You can watch a recording of the livestream later if you can’t join in live. It’ll be in the “Posts.”
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BackSnack Finds New
Ways to Serve
While the BackSnack program has changed its distribution, Trinity’s program continues to find ways of serving hungry kids in Lawrence. When Back Snack was not reaching the neediest kids by offering the food packets at Trinity, Tod Sutton and Greg Hazen took quick action to put out a notice to our 12 school contacts to find how our church could best serve the students. A pilot program was conducted to deliver 60 food packs to hungry Woodlawn students the second week of April at the school site. .
The program continues to develop and reach out to the community while staying within the COVID-19 guidelines. BackSnack plans to deliver food packets to Hillcrest and Kennedy students at their schools during the week of April 19. We will be evaluating the program each week. Any plan will put the health and safety of our volunteers, the children and their families first.
The food distributed is provided by Harvesters. At this time, no fruit is being distributed and as a result, the BackSnack program has no expenses. While we are not in need of contributions, your prayers are very much appreciated.
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Corner Changes
As we are apart physically these days, communication is more important than ever to keep our Trinity family connected. The Corner is an important means of communication! If you have an article to submit to The Corner, please keep the length to 150 words or so. This will help to make The Corner as welcoming and readable as possible. Articles will run for two weeks and then will be removed.
And don't forget to read The Corner!
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The Bottom Line
The wisdom of having an operating reserve was demonstrated in the first quarter of this year, when Trinity had to discontinue normal, in-person worship services due to the coronavirus pandemic. Thanks to your ongoing and generous financial support, Trinity's financial condition is strong.
Income and expense results through March 31, 2020, are summarized below:
Budgeted Income: $106,824.99
Actual Income: $132,861.61 (Note: includes 2020 prepaid pledge income received in 2019)
Budgeted Expenses: $106,813.53
Actual Expenses: $102,642.76
A number of parishioners have already paid their entire pledge for 2020, and that has allowed Trinity to continue to pay all staff at budgeted salaries, even though cash flow (income minus expenses) was negative during the month of March. Trinity is current on all its expenses, including apportionment.
We know that the stay-at-home order has created financial hardship for many people, and it may not be possible for you to sustain your giving as originally planned. Please reach out to the Rector and Vestry members if we can be of assistance to you during this difficult time.
For those parishioners who can continue to sustain their giving, your ongoing financial support is needed to maintain Trinity's staffing, buildings and virtual operations. We all look forward to the time when we can come together again in community in Trinity's sacred space. Stay safe and be well!
Liz Miller
Treasurer
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Volunteer Corner
Even though our in-person services are suspended, are you looking for something to do to help your Church once public services start up? Several positions are currently open.
Please contact our office if you are able to spare a few hours at
Facebook Caretaker - Looking for a person to take care of our Facebook Page: changing profile and cover page as the seasons change, creating and adding event pictures to albums, loading videos, and posting special notices of our happenings.
Trinity Youth Group Mentor - Will Chaney will be leaving the Canterbury House and heading back to school. We wish him well and a big thank you for the fine commitment to our middle school and high school kids. If you would like to work with our Youth Group next year, please contact Fr. Rob at
rb@trinitylawrence.org.
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TEST Tidbits—Earth Day:
A History and a Warning
Happy 50th birthday to the wonderful spring event we call Earth Day. However, this year there will be no fun parade down Mass. Street, no families and friends strolling in South Park, no face-painting, no booths full of ideas to honor and protect the planet (our Team has had one for years). Sad as this is, we can all celebrate and ponder the tremendous achievements made because of the vision of Earth Day’s founder and his co-workers, and rededicate ourselves to the goals of Creation Care.
The vision for Earth Day began with U.S. Senator from Wisconsin Gaylord Nelson’s wish to bring attention to just how polluted our American skies, waters and land had become by 1970, despite the warnings Rachel Carson had made in her book “Silent Spring,” written in 1962. Senator Nelson convinced Representative Pete McClosky, a member of the opposite political party, to join him in planning events to be held on campus at some colleges.
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Vestry Meetings
The next scheduled Vestry meetings are:
May 4, June 1, July 6
Minutes through March have been added to our website.
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Our newsletters are available on our website and Facebook page.
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Save the Dates
Episcopal Summer
Mega Camp
Sunday, May 31, 2:30 p.m. to
Saturday, June 6, 11 a.m.
Camp Wood YMCA, Elmdale, Kansas
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Trinity Vestry 2020
Rob Baldwin, Rector 785-424-4312
Steve King ‘21, Senior Warden 913-645-3135
Richard Lungstrum, Junior Warden ‘20 jrwarden@trinitylawrence.org
Jennifer Attocknie ‘20 785-760-2938
Elizabeth Miller, Treasurer ‘20 785-766-8175
Dave Severance ‘20, 785-691-7261
Betsi Anderson ‘21 785-843-9083
Leslie Foust ‘21 785-979-1829
Camille Olcese ‘21 620-704-4180
John Broholm ‘22 785-766-7002
Donna Griffin, ‘22 785-865-6039
Linda McCoy ‘22 785-550-6743
Bill Perkins ‘22 785-331-4401
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THIS WEEK AT TRINITY
Thursday, April 23
10 a.m., Story Time for Kids – Livestream
9 p.m., Tea and Compline at Canterbury House – Livestream
Friday, April 24
6 a.m., Pump 'n' Pray
Saturday, April 25
9 a.m., Organ Practice
10 a.m., Food Pantry
Sunday, April 26
9:30 a.m., Trinity Children's Sunday School – Livestream
10:30 a.m., Morning Prayer and Music Concert – Livestream
4:30 p.m., Youth Group – Zoom
Monday, April 27
6 a.m., Pump 'n' Pray
Tuesday, April 28
10 a.m., Story Time for Kids – Livestream
1 p.m., Food Pantry
Wednesday, April 29
6 a.m., Pump 'n' Pray
4 p.m., Friendship Circle – Zoom
7 p.m., Evening Prayer – Livestream
Thursday, April 30
10 a.m., Story Time for Kids – Livestream
9 p.m., Tea and Compline at Canterbury House – Livestream
Friday, May 1
6 a.m., Pump 'n' Pray
Saturday, May 2
9 a.m., Organ Practice
10 a.m., Food Pantry
Sunday, May 3
9:30 a.m., Trinity Children's Sunday School – Livestream
10:30 a.m., Morning Prayer and Music Concert – Livestream
4:30 p.m., Youth Group – Zoom
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785-843-6166
1011 Vermont St. Lawrence, Kansas 66044
Office closed due to stay at home
Facebook @TrinityLawrenceKS
Twitter @trinity_kansas
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