Our Book of Common Prayer was approved by the General Convention of the Episcopal Church in 1976 for proposed use with final approval in 1979.  The Book is one of the longest serving Prayer Books in the History of the American Church; it is also the 4th Prayer Book since the American Revolution.

Changing Prayer Books is difficult as our people get used to the beautiful words and rhythm of the various liturgies, yet the Prayer Book has always been so much more than a guide to worship.  In the Episcopal Church, it is a living testimonial to what it means to be a part of the Episcopal community.

During the season of Lent, I will offer a facilitated discussion on how to use our Book of Common Prayer for personal devotion.  As we are and will be limited for in-person worship, the use of our Prayer Book in our home prayer life might be a Lenten learning for this quite unusual year.

Please join us as we begin on Thursday, February 25 at 6:30 P.M.

Please click here for the ZOOM link.

Fr. Don

Lent at Holy Trinity 2021

It feels like we have been in Lent for a year, doesn’t it?  We have made sacrifices that seem huge.  Our finances are not what they were, and we have had more alone time than many of us can stand.

The introverts among us might like the quiet and home time, but the extroverts may think they are tied-up in some kind of virus fear prison and that their rights are being denied them because they are being asked to stay home and put a mask on.

Lent is a time of personal discovery, surely this time of the pandemic has been and continues to be a time of personal discovery.  We have all learned how different invisible baddies are shared from one person to another.  We have learned that people respond to these baddies in different ways, some hardly notice it while others die sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly and miserably.  We have learned that the elderly and those who have a worse time, and those with O blood may do better.  We have learned that children may have a better time with the exception of those who respond severely when infected and get really sick.  We have learned, not for the first time, that we are wonderfully made and quite unique. That may be the Lenten learning of this season that just keeps going.

Inasmuch as it does seem that we have been in a kind of perpetual Lent, truth is that we need to learn, we need to discover and we need to hear the healing words of our Lord.  We are never finished in our  Christian learning no matter of our age or experience, there is always something new.  We need to discover how best we can serve, and love, and be a healing voice to those who are finding every hour a struggle.  We need to once again hear the story of how Jesus died and lives.  Somehow, we need to dig down and find our inner selves and, with a modicum of kindness, get reaquainted so we know ourselves well enough to live fully into Easter on April 4th and when we rise from this dark time.

On Thursdays during the season of Lent, (note the day change) I will be offering an opportunity to learn about our beautiful Book of Common Prayer.  We use it every time we worship, and unlike other denominations within the confusing realty of Christianity, what connects us as Episcopalians and Anglicans is how we worship.  No matter where you worship, if you are in an Episcopal Church you will be using the structure if not the content of our Book of Common Prayer.

Our conversations will not be about the history of our Book of Common Prayer as much as we will learn about the book itself and how it is used for public as well as private worship.  We will answer questions about why this and how that.

We will meet at 6:30pm on Thursday evenings beginning on February 25  the week after Ash Wednesday through the Thursday before Holy Week.  We will pause the week of the Vestry meeting on March 11.  Oh how I wish we could be together and have a bowl of soup and some salad as we learn, but that is just not possible this year.  The class will use ZOOM.

Holy Donuts is a new Youth (virtual sigh) weekly gathering for all our youth ages 11-14.  This is open to all (almost) teens of the parish including Grandkids etc.  We are trying to find a time and day that will work.  Parents are asked to make sure that your youth has a way to join us via computer and a donut (or two).  

During Lent our Sunday (live-streamed) services will begin with the penitential order which gives us time to focus on what it means to worship and to carefully consider our relationship with God.  The services are a little more serious than the rest of the year.  The Holy Eucharist will be celebrated each Sunday with distribution available in our parking-lot.

I look forward to Lent as it will remind me and all of us of our many many blessings especially during this awkward time.

Fr. D. 

An interested group of the Holy Trinity community met with leaders Debbie Murphy and Rich Dykstra recently to discuss how we might use our land resource for ministry to and with our community.

Rich and Debbie would like to thank those who attended and shared their thoughts.

The focus of the meeting was to discern two questions:

*How is God’s ministry at Holy Trinity Episcopal church to be seen by the larger community?

* How can we utilize our Commons toward that purpose?

Some ideas: Nutritional Education Foundation, Collaborate with other local churches, Children Center, Dormitory, Art Center, Transitional Housing LGBTQ / young adults homeless.

There were some concerns about the Stations of the Cross and Labyrinth.

Action Goals:

1. Each person at the meeting will invite others to join the next meeting.
2. People host smaller discussion groups (zoom or phone call)
3. Continue to discern with God’s guidance.