Trinity Newsletter for April 14, 2021

April 14, 2021

The mission of Trinity Church is to share Christ's love and grace in a vibrant community whose joyful spirit empowers people to do God's work.

A NOTE FROM MOTHER CYNTHIA

Dear ones,

Due to the rise in the COVID-19 infection rate, we have to cancel Sunday’s Church on the Lawn. This news makes me sad, and it reminds us that we are called to love God and love one another. This is all about love.

As you know, Bishop Goff says we may gather for worship as long as our infection rate is under 25 cases per 100,000 people. Our bishops are in regular contact with the CDC and other health authorities. Our bishops prayerfully and carefully set guidelines to keep our community safe. These are not easy decisions and they are borne out of love for God and the people of this diocese.

The infection rate in Fredericksburg and surrounding counties has been steadily edging toward the red zone marker of 25 new cases. I’ve had many conversations with our church leadership, wondering together about the wisdom and safety of gathering this Sunday. Today, Spotsylvania crossed into the red zone, and so we again close our doors.

The health and safety of our community is tremendously important. We long to be together and, that longing is both lovely and difficult. The wardens, vestry and I continue to monitor the infection rate, knowing that it may ebb and flow for a while. Thank you for being flexible, we will do our best to keep you informed of our decisions.

Guard your health and the health of your neighbor,

With love,

Mother Cynthia +

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If you’d like to join us in watching the risk levels, please check out this link: https://bit.ly/2RrJfSI

ALTAR FLOWERS, SANCTUARY CANDLE AND OUTREACH FOOD DONATIONS

We have Altar Flowers and a Sanctuary candle during our recorded services in the church. Would you like to donate the flowers or candle in memory of someone or in thanksgiving for someone? The Altar Flowers are $40.00 and the Sanctuary Candle is $5.00 per Sunday.

OUTREACH IS ONCE AGAIN GIVING AWAY FOOD ON THE 1ST AND 3RD TUESDAY- If you would like to donate to Outreach's purchase of food at the Fredericksburg Area Food Bank, the cost is $35.00 for half truck of food or $70.00 for a whole truck of food.

You may send a check made out to Trinity with your donation request on a sheet of paper for any of the above. We will remember your donation in a future bulletin.

TRINITY'S LENTEN OFFERING

The Lenten Mite Box offering will benefit Episcopal Relief and Development for Disaster Relief in Texas. The mite box offering will be collected this Sunday, April 18.

Please write a check for your offering and send to Trinity

or your donation can be submitted online.

SPECIAL OFFERING

This year’s Easter Offering will go to cover the expense of Trinity’s participation in our annual Rise Against Hunger meal packing event that we hope will occur later in the year when it is safe. The combination of your generosity and the hard work of many Trinitarians and guests means that we have packed tens of thousands of meals for hungry people all around the globe.

TRINITY'S MONTHLY DROP-IN GRIEF SUPPORT GROUP will meet again on Monday, April 19, over Zoom, from 10:30 –Noon. Anyone who is finding his/her grief to be impacting daily life may discover some benefit in joining with other folk, who are experiencing difficulty traversing the journey through loss. Loss comes in many forms: the death of a loved one; the loss of good health; the loss of a job, income, home; the loss of good friends, neighbors, co-workers; and the loss of hopes and dreams.

For more information, or if you think you would like to attend, please contact Randall Clingenpeel at 540-207-0600 for information on how you can access the Zoom meeting.

BOOK REVIEW FROM TASK FORCE TO

PLAN TO DISMANTLE RACISM

The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together, by Heather McGhee

This book is a personal journey across the country, tallying what we lose when we buy into the zero-sum paradigm – the idea that progress for some of us must come at the expense of others. The Sum of Us is a brilliant analysis of how we arrived here: divided and self-destructing, materially rich, but spiritually starved and vastly unequal. In unlikely places of worship and work, the author finds proof of what she calls the “Solidarity Dividend”: the benefits we gain when people come together across race to accomplish what we simply cannot do on our own. With a startling empathy, this heartfelt message from a Black woman to a multiracial America leaves us with a new vision for a future in which we finally realize that life can be more than a zero-sum game.

MORNING PRAYER is offered weekdays at 6:30am on Facebook Live.

COMPLINE is offered on Facebook Live weekday evenings at 8:30PM.

To join us, go to https://www.facebook.com/trinityfredericksburg/.

YOUTH AND PARENTS OF TRINITY YOUTH

Amirah Ahmed, of Fredericksburg Muslim Youth, the local Muslim youth group, is looking to begin a Youth Interfaith Committee for the Fredericksburg faith community that will allow youth from all faiths to grow an interfaith community to facilitate important discussions for unity. Panel events, monthly meetings, and programs will be held virtually until it is safe to meet in person. The goal is to uplift youth of faith and to help youth better understand their differences and similarities. Parents, if your youth is interested in being Trinity’s representative to the Youth Interfaith Committee, please have them contact Sam Burton at sburton@rinity-fredericksburg.org for an application. A representative and an alternate will be chosen from those Trinity youth who apply.

ONLINE SUNDAY SCHOOL continues to meet at 10:30 a.m. Sundays on Zoom. If you would like for your child to participate, please contact Sam Burton at sburton@trinity-fredericksburg.org.