Snowflakes & Starlight
Snowflakes & Starlight
Now that the New Year has begun everyone here at Trinity is hard at work on making this year’s auction the best ever! But as always it success depends on the Trinity community. Looking for ways to help? Here are some ways to get involved:
• Join the acquisition committee and help us find unique treasures to auction
• Donate something special for the auction
• Host an after or before-auction party to further entice your friends to the auction
• Volunteer the night of the auction – kitchen help, servers, ticket takers, check out people runners – we need you all.
• And of course – come to the event – bid high and often!
Mark your calendars for Friday, February 10, 2012. Enjoy elegant winter hors d’oeuvres and wine while perusing silent & live auction items. The Silent Auction begins at 5:30 PM, followed by the Live Auction at a new time – 7:45 PM. Admission is still only $10. All proceeds to benefit Trinity Church
Help make the 2012 Trinity Auction the best ever
Are you an artist or craftsperson? Do you have a box at the ballpark, Sabres or Bills tickets, a vacation cottage, theatre tickets, antiques or artwork? Do you own a store or restaurant? Share a gift with Trinity and be a part of the fun.
Drop off your donated items at the Church every Sunday in the red carpet area – make sure you fill out a donor sheet on the donation table so you get proper credit (including tax letter). For more information call Colleen at 852-8314 or email:
Ash Wednesday Worship - Feb 22nd
Shrove Sunday Pancake Breakfast - Feb 19th
Epiphany IV (January 29)
Trinity @ 7 (January 29)
Epiphany III (January 22)
Trinity @ 7 (January 22)
Epiphany II (January 15)
Trinity @ 7 (January 15)
Parent’s Night Out
Parent’s Night Out
Trinity Parents, the Youth Group offers you the opportunity of a lifetime! For one night, and one night only, they are offering you PARENTS NIGHT OUT! The big event takes place on
Martin Luther King Day
Trinity Church and the Parish Offices will be closed on Monday, January 16th in observance of Martin Luther King Day
Epiphany I (January 8)
Trinity @ 7 (January 8)
2012 Auction
New Year’s Day (January 1)
Christmas Day (December 25)
Christmas Eve service 10:30pm (December 24)
Christmas Eve 5pm Service (December 24)
Lessons & Carols (December 18)
Christmas 2011 tile
Christmas @ Trinity
Christmas @ Trinity
December 24-Christmas Eve
5:00 PM Sweet Joy - the generations gather to celebrate and sing, led by children and fed by community. Full choir, ensemble, harp and organ!
10:30 PM Quiet Night, Holy Night - the children are in bed and the rest of us gather in candlelight for carols and communion in a sacred time andplace.
December 25-Christmas Day
10:30 AM A wee small stillness in the eye of the storm - a quiet gathering in the light of Christmas Day to share communion serenaded by harp.
Post-Christmas: No Wednesday, Thursday or Sunday night worship the week of December 26 through January 1. Parish Offices will also be closed during this time.
Advent 3 (December 11)
Trinity @ 7 (December 11)
Paul Cena Christmas Recital
Please join us on Friday, December 16th at noon in the main church as Trinity’s talented meastro of the organ plays Christmas music of both of contemporary and classical nature for your listening pleasure. Feel free to bring your lunch and some friends.
Advent 2 (December 4)
Trinity @ 7 (November 20)
Thanksgiving (November 20)
We all have power (November 13)
All Saints’ (November 6)
Vestry of Trinity endorses declaration from the Network of Religious Communities
Stewardship 2012
Stewardship 2012
Stewardship 2012
Each autumn we ask people in our congregation to consider financial giving as an appropriate expression of mutuality. As a community we are utterly dependent upon one another to sustain Trinity in its worship, programs and outreach. Faithful stewardship invites and challenges us to use all of the resources we have at hand in ways that reflect our appreciation for the gifts God has bestowed upon us. This campaign is about how we use our money and time, and most importantly how we engage the world.
When it comes to supporting and growing a vibrant community there is no safety net waiting to catch us if we fall. It is all on us. We have no endowment to speak of - only a very small amount that is dedicated for support of the building and outreach. We earn income through leasing, renting and fundraising but over fifty percent of our budget comes directly from individual contributions.
The annual drive goes toward funding our worship, programs and staff. It represents the total cost of operating for a year. Our goal is $320,000 towards a budget of $645,000. This year’s campaign combines our annual stewardship drive with the second year of a three-year initiative – the One and One Third Campaign. The name of this campaign derives from our request that each member of the community increase their 2010 contribution by 1/3 for three years.
The One and One Third Campaign
“The One” - Trinity’s Annual Goal $320,000
“The One Third” - Our special 3-yr Campaign Goal $375,000
Annual Fund Components
That would be almost everything you see and hear and encounter at Trinity. From salaries for Cam, Holly and the musicians, as well as everyone else who works at Trinity, to heating the sanctuary and coordinating outreach and making Creator Quest go - it all depends upon the contributions of the congregation. What you give to the Annual Fund will determine how vibrant we are as well as how far we can reach. It is also true that there is a direct relationship between how personally invested you are in the community and how much you will deepen and grow through your participation in the community. We need us all to be giving and sharing.
One and One Third Campaign Components
We have received $255,500 in pledges and contributions towards our three-year goal for the One and One Third Campaign. In addition we have received additional state and federal grants that are enabling us to preserve the buildings. The work and the opportunities of our contributions and the grants will start soon and help to sustain as well as transform Trinity. We need the generosity of the community to continue so that we can meet both these goals - the annual and the three-year goal.
Preservation Partnership
The work scheduled to begin this fall will restore, repair and protect the fabric of this historic campus by re-grading the green space to rectify damaging drainage, replacing and/or repairing three of our four roofs, glass covering for tower window, caulking and painting of exterior windows, and renovating the undercroft (including demolition, a new HVAC, upgraded electrical system, new copper piping, and repair of masonry foundation.)
Fund to Strengthen our Spiritual Community
There are six elements of this fund: Green Initiative will better seal the buildings, as we become stronger stewards of the environment. House Church will create a new form of faith community. Covenant Partnership with Massachusetts Avenue Project will fulfill the dream that began as “WOOP”. Banta Center will repair and enhance the Marfield complex to increase our abilities to host the wider community and fund our mission. Cyber Church will invite our eight to ten thousand monthly website visitors to venture in a little further by making http://www.trinitybuffalo.org interactive. Organ Restoration will enhance worship for generations to come.
Trinity @ 7 (November 6)
Trinity @ 7 (October 30)
Power (October 30)
Trinity @ Buffalo Outreach Opportunities
This is the hands-on way that Trinity Church is out and helping in the immediate Buffalo community. Following in the path that Jesus himself walked, we are inspired to stand in solidarity with the marginalized around us and to use our own resources, and the resources gathered by this church community to help in what ways we can. For more information contact Holly at 852-8314x19.
Wednesdays @ 11
Each Wednesday at 11am a community forms around brief morning prayers or an abridged Holy Communion in the main sanctuary, followed by coffee and conversation in the red carpet area. The worship is led by one of the Trinity clergy and designated lay leaders.
Tailgate Eucharist
Tailgate Eucharist (Sunday, September 11th)
We move to the green space for worship followed by a tailgate pot luck lunch. We roll out our vehicles, open up those tailgates, cook some burgers and dogs as we share a meal that celebrates a longstanding Buffalo tradition (we may even throw a football around). Bring your favorite dish to share and we will supply the beverages, the burgers and dogs.
Worship 10:30; Lunch 11:30
One and a Third Tile
Scattered (July 10)
The Garbage & The Rose are One (July 10)
Yokes & Burdens (July 3)
Trinity @ 7 (June 26)
Open up and let more in (June 26)
Trinity Sunday (June 19)
Share the Love Within (June 19)
“How it all began…” (June 12)
Bishop Franklin’s Sermon (June 5)
2011 Yoga Webtile
“Isn’t the creation wasteful?” (June 5)
In the water with us… (May 29)
Who would have thought truth changed so much? (May 22)
The Hunger that Nourishes (May 22)
Safe Haven (May 15)
The Voice (May 15)
Small Love (May 8)
Undulating Waves (May 8)
May Fourth Sunday Forum
On Sunday, May 22nd the Fourth Sunday Forum will be “Journey from Home.”
We are a community of spiritual refugees and Katie McClain-Meeder, Megan Kwacz and John Callahan will lead us in a conversation about migrating to Trinity from Evangelical and Roman Catholic traditions. This forum will take place immediately after the 10:30am worship in the red carpet area.
The New Bishop is Coming!
On Sunday, June 2nd, Bishop Bill Franklin (brand spanking new in the job), will be with us to celebrate, confirm and receive folks into The Episcopal Church at the 10:30am service. Big event, big party: come enjoy wile supporting yoru friends in community.
Vestry Thank You BBQ
Vestry Courtyard BBQ “Thank You”
Put it on your calendars now, and join us as the vestry cooks and serves the congregation to say “Thanks” for a great year.
“Don’t know what a prayer is” (May 1)
What are your prisons? (May 1)
2011 White Elephant Sale
I saw it! (Easter Sunday - April 24)
Getting too close for comfort (April 17)
Daily Reflections for Holy Week
MONDAY The Loving of Life (Gospel of John)
Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said, “Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?” (He said this not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; he kept the common purse and used to steal what was put into it.) Jesus said, “Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.” When the great crowd of the Jews learned that he was there, they came not only because of Jesus but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. So the chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death as well, since it was on account of him that many of the Jews were deserting and believed in Jesus.
Reflection Question: How do we find the balance between loving and being loved, giving and receiving? Reflection offered by Sally Cook.
“If I am not for myself, who will be for me? And if I am only for myself, what am I? And if not now, when? Hillel
Loving, being loved, giving and receiving. Closed fists, open hands.
Self-reliance, acceptance of limitations. How much is enough, or is too much? Why not now?
I really don’t know.
These days my sanest solution to any question I have, any worry, any doubt, is to ask God.
When I ask God I remember all the good stuff I have, all the joy I experience. I ask for help when I feel overwhelmed, for guidance when I’m unsure, for patience with God’s timing.
I get answers by showing up every day and practicing. I practice loving. I practice letting go of my idea that I have all the answers. I remember that I live in abundance, there is always enough.
So this is why daily I have the opportunity to interact with some folks that wouldn’t normally choose to be around. This is why I often find that I have too much to do, so I need to ask for, and accept, help.
I can’t find my answers alone. I need God, and I need God’s community to help me. My answers are given through all the people I interact with, through the situations in which I find myself. I don’t necessarily like all the people I run across, or all the tasks I perform, but I can find understanding and solutions if I’m willing to receive.
I trust that wherever I find myself, whatever I’m doing, in some way is God’s will, and His will is in perfect balance.
TUESDAY The Nature of Life (Gospel of John)
Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honor.
Reflection Question: How do we prepare ourselves (what do we need) so that, when necessary, we can endure pain and loss for the sake of growth? Reflection offered by Diann Takens-Cerbone.
“With an alcoholic father and an “absentee” mother, the home I grew up in was chaotic, neglectful and often violent. Like all my siblings, my brother Dan, barely a year older than I, could sense when “the storm” was coming. It didn’t take long for my siblings and I to realize that “waiting for the storm” was as bad as the storm itself, so early most mornings Dan would stuff food in his pockets, then walk into the fields to find solace. I often would not see him again until twilight.
Nearly four years ago, my brother Dan’s 15-year-old daughter Hannah went out for ice cream with a friend and never came home. She and her friend, Holly, were killed when a teenager talking on a cell phone rammed their car at 71mph. I staggered through the agony of watching Dan bury his beloved daughter. Hoping to comfort him, I subsequently sent many books, poetry, prayers, emails, gift cards, and even the National Parks DVD series. Recently I was at his home and saw that most of these items were unused.
But Dan has told me about his tramps through the woods behind his house where he has cried, hollered and sobbed for Hannah. Dan has grown while many parents instead “die with their dead children”. Why? Long before this tragedy and throughout his life Dan had continued the simple act of “going into the fields”, that is, surrounding himself with nature, surrounding himself with God.
Unbeknownst to him, Dan had been preparing his whole life to not only endure the greatest loss but to grow through it. I literally caught my brother when he collapsed with grief, but I also have witnessed my brother’s resurrection.
May we do the same, may we “prepare”, be it through music, prayers, poetry, silence, Scripture, lingering walks, investing in relationships, meaningful books or watching the birds in your backyard.”
WEDNESDAY The Betrayal of Life (Gospel of John)
At supper with his friends, Jesus was troubled in spirit, and declared, “Very truly, I tell you, one of you will betray me.” The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he was speaking. One of his disciples-- the one whom Jesus loved-- was reclining next to him; Simon Peter therefore motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking. So while reclining next to Jesus, he asked him, “Lord, who is it?” Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.” So when he had dipped the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas son of Simon Iscariot. After he received the piece of bread, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, “Do quickly what you are going to do.”
Reflection Question: What can we do to strengthen ourselves so that we do not easily betray our own values? Reflection offered by David Devereux
“In life, we expect that in most situations we will be true to our values and upbringing, but in truth, this is difficult if not impossible for anyone to fulfill at all times. We have all experienced moments when we hurt someone or say or do something that we know is going to cause pain and damage. We also have had that done to us and have felt the anger and shame that is created as a result. What then can we learn from the story of Judas’s betrayal of Jesus, leading to his death? In many respects the story is at odds with our experience. Jesus knew what God had planned for him and was aware of the betrayal that was to occur, if as the New Testament suggests, Jesus knew his fate. Judas is the character who is more like us. Here was a close friend and disciple of Jesus who was bribed to perform an act that delivered Jesus to the authorities, but did not know that execution would follow. We must struggle all the time with the knowledge that actions have consequences, often unforeseen. What then makes something betrayal? Surely it must be the sense that what one is doing is at a price paid by someone else. If perhaps we could manage to think carefully about what an action will mean for others, or that we are doing something that those who love us know is wrong, then we can avoid the inevitable pain and suffering that true betrayal brings, including to ourselves.”
THURSDAY The Bread of Life (Matthew 26:17-29)
Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Where will you have us prepare for you to eat the Passover?” He said, “Go into the city to a certain one, and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, My time is at hand; I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.’”
…Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you I shall not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”
Reflection Question: What is Communion for us? Reflection offered by Sharon Rogers
“I thrive on metaphors, I adore them and often have them over for tea. However, there was a metaphor that was evading my invitation for understanding, and that was Communion. There seemed to be a line of demarcation between what I wanted communion to be and how the large and slightly hairy metaphor named Church was defining it. Blood, sins, forgiveness, salvation, and (Here I shiver) : transubstantiation weren’t concepts I bought into. Where, oh where was the community in Communion? With my insatiable curiosity as impetus, I began to research any information I could find on the Holy Communion and the Last Supper. I soon became mired in literal and figurative dogma and doctrine that made my brain cells say, “Ouch.” Perhaps I could find a thread of meaning in pagan roots of communion? There I met Orpheus and Dionysus (They can come to tea anytime!) and learned of joining as the essence of communion, of connecting with God through the partaking of food and wine. “Aha!”, I said. I think that Jesus meant for us to connect with the Divine within us, through him and this could be done in an experience of sharing bread and wine, and that this was one of many ways to connect with God. I now had a golden nugget of community in Communion. I wanted more, so I turned to the poets and artists, (Often harbingers of spiritual gold.) and found this is where I should have began my search for the meaning of Communion. Look at the deliciousness that fell into my lap:”
“The Vast Ocean Begins Just Outside Our Church: The Eucharist
Something has happened to the bread and the wine. They have been blessed. What now?
The body leans forward to receive the gift from the priest’s hand, then the chalice.
They are something else now fro what they were before this began. I want to see Jesus, maybe in the clouds or on the shore, just walking, beautiful man and clearly someone else besides. On the hard days I ask myself if I ever will. Also there are times my body whispers to me that I have.” -Mary Oliver
FRIDAY The End of Life (Gospel of John)
Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. And the soldiers wove a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and they dressed him in a purple robe. They kept coming up to him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and striking him on the face…Pilate brought Jesus outside and sat on the judge’s bench at a place called The Stone Pavement, or in Hebrew Gabbatha…Then he handed him over to them to be crucified.
So they took Jesus; and carrying the cross by himself, he went out to what is called The Place of the Skull, which in Hebrew is called Golgotha. There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, with Jesus between them. Pilate also had an inscription written and put on the cross. It read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.”
…When Jesus knew that all was now finished, he said… “It is finished.” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
Reflection Question: How do we get through grief? Reflection offered by Brian Donaghy
In times of grief I think the pat answer would be to turn to God and prayer, right? An essay on how I use prayer not just in times of gratitude but also in times of loss? But I don’t. What I usually do is stumble through my loss thinking that I can man-handle my way through it and if I keep trying, I will find a solution all on my own. But there isn’t really a “solution” to grief and loss, there is just the other side. And I think that other side comes like crossing a river in the early morning fog. One minute you only see the side you are leaving and then, almost suddenly, you can only see the side you are headed to.
I am pretty sure God or a higher power is involved in that dimming of the grief. And I do turn to God when things get bad, often to first question why me but eventually to ask for help and usually the help then comes. Later on, I probably attribute the help to my managing the grief but sitting here today, it hasn’t been me that has lit the other shore, it’s been God.
What’s the answer? Ask for help sooner? Not for me, I think I ask for help when I need the help. I need to stumble through grief on my own for a little while, bathe in it. And then paddle to shore with help.
Good Friday at Noon, Paul Cena offers a Good Friday organ recital with traditional Good Friday music for your meditation.
Trinity offers the traditional Prayer Book liturgy for Good Friday at 5:30 PM
SATURDAY The Fear of Life (Gospel of Matthew)
When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who was also a disciple of Jesus. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus; then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. So Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn in the rock. He then rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb and went away. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb.
The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate and said, “Sir, we remember what that impostor said while he was still alive, `After three days I will rise again.’ Therefore command the tomb to be made secure until the third day; otherwise his disciples may go and steal him away, and tell the people, `He has been raised from the dead,’ and the last deception would be worse than the first.” Pilate said to them, “You have a guard of soldiers; go, make it as secure as you can.” So they went with the guard and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone.
Reflection Question: What are the fears in 2011 that keep us guarding the tomb instead of opening it? Reflection offered by Cynthia Lehman
“How can we believe such a thing? If we roll back the stone and find the tomb empty, what does that mean? Dead, without question, buried for three days, and yet, risen, alive, and freed from a guarded tomb. It defies anything in our experience. It defies logic and all we know of science. Finding an empty tomb means that we have to set aside all that we think we know, our certainty about how the world works.
The chief priests and Pharisees set a guard and sealed the tomb wanting to avoid deception and in the hope that Jesus and his influence would melt into obscurity. In fact, over the years, some of Jesus’ followers have done much to assist the chief priests and Pharisees by portraying Jesus as unfailingly gentle and sweet, and by watering down the power and challenge of his message. Rolling back the stone means that we have to look squarely at what we have done to Jesus and his message, not only in his time, but in our own. The empty tomb cries out to be filled by our conscious and conscientious work as Jesus’ hands in the world. It demands that we follow the example of his life and work to fulfill the kingdom on earth, not only for ourselves, but for every living thing.”
EASTER SUNDAY The Hope of Life (Gospel of Matthew )
After the Sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. For fear of him the guards shook and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples, `He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.’ This is my message for you.” So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”
Reflection Question: Is there a resurrection moment waiting for us? Reflection offered by Ursie Bankhead
Resurrection Moments
“Resurrection is such an interesting word and an even more interesting concept. Christians accept resurrection to mean Christ’s corporeal return to life; the dictionary adds the definition of “revival.” I define it as those times when spiritual darkness invades the soul, eventually turning to light and eventually back to darkness again—the spiritual cycle of death and life.
What adult has not experienced that intense darkness we hide from others, suffering alone? But without these experiences, how do we know that a light exists? Resurrection moments are the gifts of God’s light. Both Marys knew it at Jesus’ tomb when they were filled with fear and joy --realizing a great gift was given. Our gifts may be more mundane, like those times when we acknowledge feel of the sun, or belly laugh, or gain a new exciting experience such as a new job or love. Our resurrection moments are when we have a resurgence of hope. We just need to acknowledge them.
Usually, “resurrection” is part of the “Big Event” of the Easter season, full of seriousness and sobriety. We fulfill our religious obligations before eating Peeps and chocolate bunnies. We speak of Jesus’ gift of sacrifice and rebirth, forgetting He died so we can live. Our resurrection moment is waiting on us, it’s our gift. And, what better gift than to be alive, eating chocolate bunnies and belly laughing. Isn’t that what Jesus would want? Wasn’t that the point? Our Moment is still waiting.”
One Worship Only on Easter Day at 10:30 AM
Can these bones live? (April 10)
Teaching God to Talk (April 10)
Messing with Jesus (April 3)
Across hardened divides (April 3)
The Other Side of Good (March 27)
Slip on the chambray shirt (February 27)
Herd Animals (February 27)
Right Brain: Explanations; Left Brain: Explorations (February 13)
Sense of Humor (February 13)
“Do, Love, Walk…” (January 30)
Coddle your brokenness (January 30)
Reflections from El Salvador
Auction Webtile
Minions in the Mud (January 2)
It’s still Christmas (January 2)
Pregnant with God’s Dream (December 26)
Advent 2010 Tile
Blade Running
“Bladerunner” was the name of a movie I never watched, but it is a compellingly graphic image that feels about right as a descriptor for the religious life I live and share with many of you. In my imagination, if you run on the exact edge of the blade it won’t cut your feet – like testing the sharpness of a knife on your thumb. But fall out of balance even a pinch to the left or right and, yikes, there is blood.
As you probably know, I was originally a Chinese Philosophy major in college until I shifted to Western Philosophy in my junior year. At the time I knew far more about Buddhism, Taoism and Confucius than I knew about Jesus and Christianity. But then came the long, slow trek up the mountain of Church History in seminary, and learning about the endless wrestling sumos of doctrine and dogma, both Roman and Protestant. That has been followed by a steady wade against the current of popular religion to fish in the deep pockets of progressive Christians and the Un-churched. Now it seems, and in truth for many, many years, I am surrounded by people that participate in the community of Trinity and at the same time have beliefs and spiritual practices that likely would not be affirmed in most Christian churches, even Episcopal churches.
The vibrancy, the utter exuberance of spirit that we share together, is directly related (I believe) to the thick and textured nap of beliefs in Trinity. We have people who have lived and studied in ashrams in India and others who have been passionate partisans of Evangelical Christianity. Think about the texture of that landscape. We have folks that practice yoga as their central spiritual practice and others that offer copious intercessions to Christ as their weekly spiritual discipline. Conjure the tensions and shared mojo of such a difference. We have many, many people that know far more about the daily content of the New York Times or Wall Street Journal than the content of the Bible, and others that study the Bible, Tao te Ching or Sutras. How rich is that soil?
The precariousness of such blade-running for Trinity is derived from who and what lies on either side of the balance. There are those who are actually hostile to the fact we host such a broad and rich community. They say we are not Christian, or that we are not Episcopalian enough, or that we have left the broad faith of the Christian tradition because we welcome people with so many different journeys. On the other side, there are people who are hostile to us simply because we are a Church. All religion is bad in their minds, and Trinity is suspect and dangerous along with all the other churches. Somewhere in between there are those who earnestly desire a deep spiritual life and pick and pull from popular authors and seemingly exotic traditions but consider Christianity a dark splotch on the spiritual landscape, and so wouldn’t step near Trinity. The blade upon which we run is quite fine and the risks, it seems, expansive and numerous.
If I was going to rant about this precariousness, i.e., vent my frustrations and anxiety about it to you, I would complain about the attacks and hazards and pull on the chain of easy judgmentalism I can get into if not careful. When I get too close to that well of negativity the best thing to do is stop, take a deep breath and look around. I have the best view in the house on Sunday morning and evening, and from my perch I see your faces and hear your voices and all of it evokes gratitude. “How could I be so fortunate,” I frequently wonder. Blade-running has its obvious risks but oh, my, what spectacular rewards.
In peace,
Cam
Yoga Wed Ad
Arrogance & Prejudice
I arrived at my locker in the basement of the Jewish Community Center as usual, the world shuttered tight on the outside of my quieted mind. A routine can be meditative and I have a routine at the JCC into which I was slipping. The man getting dressed next to me was on the outside and I hadn’t really taken note of anything about him in favor of falling inward. Yes, even outrageous extroverts like me travel inward.
“Maybe you should preach about arrogance and prejudice” he muttered under his breath.
Unaware that I knew him the fact that he knew I was a preacher was a little startling.
“I beg your pardon?” I said.
“Maybe you should preach about arrogance and prejudice,” he said again, this time more firmly and yet from a distance.
“Are you saying that you think I am arrogant and prejudiced?”
“I am not saying anything else,” the man said as he scurried about a little faster now, getting ready to leave.
“If you feel that I have been arrogant and prejudiced, I wish you would give me some feedback about how or why I came across that way.” I have been on vacation so any defensiveness I might normally have felt was mercifully absent. I felt calm and curious, ready to listen and learn from this unexpected encounter.
It seems that I did know the man and he reminded me that we had met several times. I felt crest-fallen that I had not recognized him and angry at myself. To make things worse, I had been ignoring him for some time at the gym, even when he smiled in recognition to me. Even when he was standing between me and my wife. I felt deep sadness for my neglect, and marveled that I could be so outgoing and observant and yet so walled-in and obtuse. It brought to mind the movie, “Schindler’s List” in which the main character, a Christian, was so utterly oblivious for so long, to the pain of Jews who suffered around him. I don’t mean to trivialize Christian murder by comparison with my small oversight, but Liam Neeson’s character is what came to mind.
Anyway, I apologized for not recognizing him and explained as best I could that at the JCC I was like a taxi with its light turned off—shut down in order to recharge and that must be the explanation for my neglect and insensitivity. I could not explain it otherwise and that it had nothing to do with my arrogance (which I have at least a normal strain of) or prejudice (of which I likely have more than I am aware).
So why do I tell you about this sad moment in my day? Because it strikes me as symptomatic of the newish cultural acceptance to publicly withdraw while still in public. I am thinking of my ipod, which I could hardly wait to insert that morning. I am thinking of cellphones, and of my own blackberry that I was reading as I heard his whispered comment. I am thinking of television monitors in every direction in so many of our public spaces and the zoned out stares of people unconsciously sharing the same space without any actual recognition of one another. I love my ipod as much as anyone does, and find the phone useful if not pleasurable, but reflecting upon that chance encounter I realize I have slipped further into the cultural ooze than I realized.
I like people, I like being around people, and I pride myself on being keenly observant and easily cognizant of nonverbal cues. So if I am publicly withdrawing while still in public then it has likely reached profoundly toxic proportions. It is Ramadan, perhaps one discipline to practice might be disengaging from public withdrawal while in public. For those of us not celebrating Ramadan, it may just be a good thing to practice anyway.
It’s a thought. Let me know how it goes.
An August Break
Just so you know, I am taking a break in August. I hope you have a nice long, slow deep breath in your future too. Cam
8:30 Traditional
A small, quiet Communion offered without music or sermon. It follows the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer and follows the liturgical calendar of Christian seasons. This service runs from September through May.
Homespace & Massachusetts Avenue Project
We have targeted these two programs to expand our outreach opportunities and will be forming teams over the course of the coming year. Homespace (like Compass House, was originally organized and created by members of Trinity) provides housing, life skills and parenting guidance to young mothers. MAP is a Buffalo Westside organization offering urban gardening and micro-business opportunities to Westside neighborhood residents.
The Hunger that Nourishes
A hunger that nourishes…
Deep at the bottom of the stomach, below anxiety and underneath nausea, there is a deep well of emptiness. We know of it from because of a gnawing hunger we attempt to staunch with any available pleasure or pain. We feel it as a thickening thirst that begs to be slaked. We rarely, if ever, peer into it directly and see it for what it is. Like the eclipsed sun, we cannot look at it directly and see it in its fullness. Instead, we become aware of it several ‘floors’ above, in our loneliness, anxiety and fear.
It is the place, were we to visit it, where we live alone with God—or swim alone with God if you want to use Jungian imagery. It is a deep, vast subterranean (or its psychic equivalent) reservoir or aquifer that flows beneath our daily consciousness and upon which we ride like the the oceans are cradled in the arms of tectonic plates. Most hungers or thirsts require nourishment in order to still but the hunger or thirst derived from this chamber we inhabit with God, actually nourish us by their continued and gnawing presence. To be drawn into it through our hunger to know more, or want more, or seek more is actually life-giving. As we drill down into this mysterious ocean of life beneath the surface, we are fed by insights and revelations and understandings and perspectives we can receive from nowhere else.
But alas, we mostly attempt to fill that dangerous hole underneath our fear. We attempt to drown the thirst with alcohol or drugs, self-medicating what we perceive to be harmful loneliness instead of allowing ourselves to be drawn into it and discover the potential bliss of aloneness. We attempt to fill the hole with business that keeps us distracted from anything that does not feel good. We race away from our hungers in hopes of outrunning them, and when if ever we stop in exhaustion, we start running the minute we can hear the thumping of our own hearts again.
The hunger that nourishes is within us and cannot be satiated. Instead of trying to stuff ourselves full, or drink ourselves drowsy, we do well to slowly lower ourselves down, down, down into the deep well of aloneness where were swim with God alone.
Broken System - Broken Thinking
Every once in awhile I take down an old systematic theology volume and read for little bit just to remind myself of the way I used to think. It is not so much the content of the thinking, as in Jesus is God and here is why… It is more the idea that thinking must be systematic and construct a little log house made of logic in which every end is tucked into another with nothing out of place. It is the idea, the big fat idea, that Reason dictates logic, and logic is required for describing truth.
The Rev. Al Kirshaw was the rector of Emanuel Church, Newbury Street in Boston when I was in seminary, and I remember hearing him say that theological language is a dead language in our world—and that music is the only language conveying holiness. He was ahead of his time, and certainly far ahead of me. Then again, he was the “Unofficial Chaplain to Jazz.” The Fundamentalist-Evangelical system of thinking still necessitates systematic theology because as irrational as many of its faith claims seem, it is a belief system built upon an extremely rigid matrix of logic. If you believe that the Bible is the direct revelation of God to humankind, and therefore it cannot contain mistakes or contradictions, which is a belief they share exactly with Muslim thinking about the Koran, then one error in logic proceeding from that assumption will undo the whole system. It requires the kind of systematic thinking that would make Aquinas just glow inside.
But modernity has blown that kind of thinking away. Are there 13 dimensions to the universe, an infinite number or zero? Physicists can’t agree. If we do not even know how many dimensions there are, how can the pyramidal universe of Genesis or flat world of Renaissance theology reveal anything other than the imagination of human culture during a moment in history? The problem that modernity creates for such thinking is that the scientific method has totally secularized the culture and cultural ways of thinking. When a team of scientists unveil a new discovery, they do it in a professional journal and expect—they don’t fear it or resist it or deny it, they expect—that their findings will be challenged and debated and confirmed or disproved. Argument and debate are not only expected, they are embraced as means of furthering human knowledge and understanding. Dogmatic and doctrinal thinking neither welcomes nor opens to debate, refinement and change. It pronounces and then attempts to defend and protect itself from any challenge. Silliness, utter silliness in 2010.
Faith is not rational. Religious experience is mystical. Revelation is historic and open to endless interpretation. Nothing about God is proven or replicable or in any way worthy of a systematic argument. Rather, it is worthy of embrace, openness, experiential learning and the shared wisdom of a community engaged in seeking the presence of God in their midst.
So what do you think?
2010 Golf Tournament
Domesticating God
What passes for Christianity in the United States, is more often than not, actually “Civil Religion.” I was reminded of that fact this past week
as I drove across Ohio and Indiana, then across Pennsylvania and back up to Buffalo.
All along the way I noticed churches with massive American flags waving in the wind, or even colorful digital flags waving across the huge screens in red, white and blue. When the nation or the constitution becomes the “ultimate” to which citizens are asked to pledge their lives, or even give their lives, the nation takes on the mythic dimensions of religion.
Claims about God get totally intertwined with claims about the nation, and they become indistinguishable for many people, so that the nation or the constitution or the flag becomes the “ultimate” value to which people give their all.
Now this is in contrast to the primal narrative of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, each of which claim that making the nation, or anything other than God the ultimate concern, is idolatry. God and only God is ultimate, according to Christianity, and nothing can replace or mediate God as the essential meaning of life.
But this thing called Civil Religion, American Civil Religion in this case,
is pervasive and powerful and it is co-mingled with Christianity to such a degree that millions do not recognized the difference between the two. If you are not certain which religion, civil or Christian, you participate in, here are the bare bones of American Civil Religion as expressed in 21st century political rhetoric.
U.S. Civil Religion runs something like this:
The United States of America
is the biggest, best-est and onli-est
true Democracy in the world.
We are God’s gift of freedom and,
as Ronald Reagan used to say,
“The beacon of light upon the hill.”
In earlier times,
leaders and speech-makers spoke of
The United States as the New Jerusalem –
(but that was before Americans
understood how complicated Jerusalem is).
Our way of life, according to this rhetoric,
is enshrined in The American Dream;
a dream that is never clearly defined
but has something to do with
owning our own home and upward mobility.
The American Dream
has become inextricably linked to Capitalism,
and “Free Market” Capitalism in particular,
which rooted in Consumerism.
The narrative of this Civil Religion
is told in numerous stories,
and through the image of numerous personalities
from George Washington to Joe the Plummer.
Anyone that threatens our way of life,
that is, anyone who threatens our ability
to own our own homes
and drive our own cars
and get wealthier by the generation,
is our enemy.
We declare and warn the world
that we will fight our enemies.
We will defend ourselves, and the world,
for the sake of Freedom –
our special brand of freedom
the likes of which no one else
anywhere in the world has ever achieved.
American Freedom and the American Dream
are somehow rooted in and supported by
Biblically-based Christian faith.
Now when said like that, it sounds absurd. Yet that is pretty much our political rhetoric on the left, right and middle. Imagine any politician of any stripe today arguing against those tenets?
Under the terms of our Civil Religion, it is our highest duty – the ultimate sacrifice – as individuals and citizens of the nation, to serve our country by protecting the Constitution…with our own lives if need be.
That is American Civil Religion in a nutshell, and it’s Primal Narrative is found in our earliest history, and runs from the revolution against an oppressor and continues with our advancement against aboriginal tribes. It is being graphically reborn in the rhetoric of the so-called Tea Party movement in 2010. Christian churches participate in this rhetoric and willingly give it a theological tinge, some of them even unknowingly.
American Civil Religion’s Scripture is the Constitution; it’s altars are Arlington National Cemetery and the Washington Monument; and its authority to take and sacrifice life, is absolute within the confines of the law.
Personally, as a pluralist and desiring to honor the dignity of any person of faith, whatever their religion, I am not espousing the eradication of this civil religion that seems so inviolatable in U.S. society. Rather, I am agitating for its radical severance from authentic Christianity and for its disabuse of the Gospels. As Santa is a bastardization of Christmas and the Easter Bunny a commercial trivialization of the Resurrection event, the domestication of Christianity into the US civil religion is an abomination.
House Church: A spiritual “Base” Community
I am interested in exploring the creation of a “house church” as an extension of the Trinity community and I am wondering if that has an appeal to anyone else. Trinity is already a constellation of different worshipping communities and a house church would be another unique contribution.
The concept of a base community and the idea of a house church are not new or unique, they populate the world and even Buffalo. Christian base communities emerged from the Liberation Theology movements in Latin America and South Africa and are a way of doing church that is smaller, more concentrated and with a higher degree of personal commitment required than the more traditional version of Church. It normally involves some kind of action/reflection process, commitment to a neighborhood-focused outreach, and worship.
So I am running it up the flagpole to see who salutes, so to speak. It would involve purchasing a house on the near Westside and giving it some care, creating one or two market rental apartments in it, and opening up the first floor for a worshipping community of twenty-five to fifty people. From there, the community would meet, serve and worship together with a clear set of expectations and commitments for membership. It would also, remain connected to and serve Trinity and our mission.
If you are interested in exploring this possibility, join me for a casual discussion on Tuesday, July 13th at 7:00 PM in The Connector conference room (come to the double glass doors all the way in the very back of the courtyard). Maybe I’ll see you there!
Secret #8: A Theology of Congregational Leadership
Okay, so you want a theology of congregational leadership to assure you that you are doing the right things because a functional description is not enough. Look no further than the story of the Gerasene demoniac (Mark 8:28-34). The bruised and battered madman who was feared and pitied all at the same time by those who knew of him, begged Jesus to take him in the boat with the disciples. “No, you go home to your friends and tell them how much God has done for you, and what mercy you have received.” As an ordained minister who is in the leadership of a congregation you have been left behind like the madman; left to those who have become your friends but with whom you are always an outsider. You may have wanted to go on a more prestigious adventure with Jesus but you have been left behind to tend the congregation because that is where your power lies. You are the steward of that power. You need to let Jesus and his closest disciples go do their thing and then go on doing the thing you have been given to do: figuring out better and more successful ways to grow a thriving congregation because that is your job. The larger your congregation the more opportunity you will have to share the gospel and that is the point of all this splendid effort after all.
Secret #7: ‘Good’ Worship is what works in your place
You probably gave up your corner hardware store for Home Depot because of price and convenience not because you didn’t like the corner store. In fact the corner hardware store was lovely and sometimes we miss it especially when we go into Home Depot or Lowe’s looking for customer service. But, and this in an important exception, we still do most of our shopping at the Big Box store even though we may have liked the little hardware store better. Likewise, mega-churches are winning over more and more people because of congregational culture and programs not doctrine or politics. Americans aren’t flocking to mega-churches because they thirst for conservative theology but because growth-oriented congregations adapt their worship to our indigenous pop culture rather than hanging onto the forms, customs and music of 19th century classical Europe.
Imagine how long Home Depot would last if its Business Plan were to offer the consumer only the supplies and materials it believed the consumer “should” use rather than what the consumer wants. When we offer worship designed to preserve what we presume is the only right way to worship then we are simply saying to those with a spiritual yearning, “Go elsewhere.” The question is how not whether you will adapt your worship to exploit the niche you have chosen and so attract the prospects that inhabit that niche. The criterion for “good” worship is what works in attracting and retaining a growing number of people with whom we can then share the gospel.
Check back tomorrow for #8
Special Announcement coming Monday
Secret #6: Feeding the Consumer
The times have changed, get over it. Sure there is a nugget of church-folk at the core of your congregation and they still want to get their hands dirty in the committee life of the congregation but most of the people you will succeed in attracting simply are not interested in institutional maintenance. Why should they be? You want people giving their best energy to living out the Gospel where they live not propping up your institutional structures. So how can you get all those dirty deeds done with the minimum of people and effort while at the same time broadening your member’s investment in the congregation?
The first and hardest step is to convert that hard core of church-committee types to the belief that all of their efforts are dedicated to pursuit of those who are not part of your congregation yet: the prospective members and seekers. So instead of building a nest to their liking and the hell with everyone else, they need to move beyond their own self-interest and make a nest that is attractive to prospects and seekers. It is all about meeting people at the door as they are and inviting them in rather than expecting them to be something else before they can enter and take part. What is your product and what are the best and most accessible ways to get it into the hands of those who might be interested? Will they have to buy and read an entire instruction booklet before they ever get to taste the product or benefit from its fruits?
Check back tomorrow for #7
Secret #5: Be Powerful
Did you talk about power, your power, in seminary yet? Don’t hold your breath. Power is a bad word among Christians and yet, like money, it is morally neutral. Also like money, if we do not know how to talk about and use our power then we are in danger of becoming negligent stewards.
A community organizer’s definition of power is organized people and organized money and the task of congregational leadership is to organize both in such a way that they have maximum impact on the congregational mission. Another definition of power is the ability to influence change and under this definition the task of congregational leadership is to use your power to guide and move the congregation toward the fulfillment of its mission. In either case you will need to maximize your power, otherwise the enemies of adaptation and growth will marginalize you. Be powerful or stay at home.
Check back tomorrow for #6
Secret #4: It’s the Leadership Stupid – Your Leadership
The word “pastoral” has become synonymous with conflict-avoidance and passivity. Be a leader and save the pastoral stuff for the hospital and hospice. Leadership is about mobilizing the congregation to discern and fulfill its mission and that will not take place without engaging people at a visceral level. High emotion and conflicts of interest are bound to be part of a mission discernment process, but then again, so is congregational growth if you lead it well.
Leadership ignites the passions of the congregation and that won’t be done without also raising the temperature of the atmosphere. Managing conflict and tension are necessary elements of your responsibility. If you shy away from these uncomfortable aspects of your job then you are in the process of abandoning your station. Always remember, it is about the mission, not you, so if you become the issue it is time to redirect the conversation toward the mission or the golden thread it represents. If you do not have adequate skills in these areas then go out and get them. If you want to be liked and loved too much to get it done, then go get some therapy. This may seem a cruel or unfair charge but if your congregation is not growing and thriving then you are failing in your job as a congregational leader and probably in your vocation as preacher.
Check back tomorrow for #5
Secret #3: Finding the Golden Thread
All congregations have stories about the people and events that constitute their history. The leadership task is to edit the life script of the congregation with the prominent stories it remembers. You can do this by pulling the golden threads that run through the core of those stories. Mining and naming these core values, represented in the people and events and how they are remembered, may not have been done previously in any formal way but great power to influence change awaits the congregational leader who is able to find and pull those threads successfully. A clear and compelling congregational mission will emerge from the Golden Thread of congregational history and preaching on the text of that mission will re-awaken and energize the congregation as never before. The task of congregational leadership is to find those golden threads and use them to string together every program and initiative the congregation carries out.
Check back tomorrow for #4
