page 12 trinity episcopal churchfebruary 2018 upcoming events … · feb 21 wednesday, 21 above:...
TRANSCRIPT
Trinity’s Mission Statement
“To bear witness of God’s reconciling love, to proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ,
and to seek and serve Christ in all persons.”
419 South Fourth Street, Redlands, CA
Nonprofit Org.
U.S. Postage Paid
San Bernardino, CA
Permit No. 1184
Change Service Re-
The Messenger
Page 12 February 2018
Weekly Schedule:
Sunday
8:00 a.m. Spoken Eucharist
10:15 a.m. Choral Eucharist With Sunday School
Monday
8:30 a.m. Morning Prayer in St. Jerome Library
4:00 p.m. Adult Education
6:00 p.m. Centering Prayer
Tuesday
7 p.m. Book Study/Lenten Study
Wednesday
11:00 a.m. Healing Service with Eucharist
4:00 p.m. Bible Study
Daily Evening Prayer
5:30 p.m. St. Jerome Library
Upcoming Events
Feb 11 Scout Sunday 10:15a.m., & Youth Group
Feb 13 Tuesday, Shove Tuesday Pancake Dinner 5p.m., Great Hall
Feb 14 Ash Wednesday services: 7a.m., 11a.m., & 7:30p.m.
Feb 18 Sunday: Lenten Music Forum 9:10a.m., Church
Feb 18 Sunday, Celtic Eucharist/Potluck 5 p.m., Great Hall
Feb 20 Tuesday, Potluck & Lenten Study begins, 6-8 p.m., Lounge
Feb 21 Wednesday, 21 Above: Theology on Tap, 7p.m., Escape Brewery
Feb 25 Sunday, Youth & Family Service 5p.m. with potluck, Church
Feb 27 Tuesday, Potluck & Lenten Study: 6-8p.m., Lounge
Mar 25 Palm Sunday—the beginning of Holy Week
Office hours
Mon & Thu 9 a.m.-1 p.m. and Tue & Wed 9a.m.-5p.m.
The office closed February 19.
Next Messenger Deadline
Feb 22 Thursday, Articles submitted by Noon.
Mar 1 The Messenger is printed and mailed by 4p.m.
Trinity Episcopal Church
The Messenger February 2018
Contents
Annual Meeting 1
Paul+ 2
Liz+ 3
Bulletin Board 4
One is Enough 5
21 Above 5
Mother Liz’s Ordination 6
Mother Liz’s First Mass 7
Musings from the Choir 8
Musica Viva 9
Scouts & TEPS 10
Youth & Family Service 11
Staff Directory 11
Foot Notes 11
Calendar 12
The Messenger is a monthly publication of Trinity Episcopal Church, Redlands.
Editors: Fr. Paul Kathy Eskander Liz Zeller
Photographers: Hopi Hayes Cheryl Desloge
Trinity’s Annual Meeting Trinity moves forward into 2018 By Liz Zeller
If you were not able to attend the
Annual Meeting, here is what you
missed. If you did attend, here are some
reminders about important items that were
discussed.
The short version of this report is that there
were three Vestry candidates, Lindsey
Christopherson, Lois Musmann, and Wendy
Weniger, and three spots for the incoming
Vestry so they were elected by acclamation.
There were six candidates for delegates to the
Convention and four available slots. Those
chosen as delegates were: John Dunbar, Hopi
Hayes, Neil Hartschuh, & Cheryl Price. The
reports of Parish programs were accepted as
submitted by acclamation. The congregation
does not vote on a budget but, the total annuity
is back up to over one million dollars including
the $340,000. debt for the Great Hall.
A more detailed account of the meeting
would include the fact that the meeting was
called to order at 11:24. Fr Paul opened with
two prayers from the Book of Common Prayer
including one for the Parish Family. Lois
Musmann was out so Marc Weniger was
appointed clerk for the Annual Meeting.
Trinity has 258 parishioners who meet the
qualifications to vote. A quorum is 40%, 104
people in this case, and we exceeded that. Last
year's minutes were accepted without
amendment.
John Dunbar, the outgoing Senior Warden,
thanked Cheryl Flynn for her service as Junior
Warden and noted that she is the incoming
president of the Trinity Preschool Board. He
also thanked Lois Musmann, who was absent,
for her service as Vestry Clerk over the past
three years. Nancy Doss will be the incoming
Senior Warden.
T rinity has more delegates to the
Diocesan convention than any other
church its size. We have four from the
congregation, one from the Vestry, and five
clergy who are qualified to go, making a total
of ten.
New Vestry members Wendy Weniger and
Lindsey Christopherson were introduced.
Wendy has just completed a PhD in accounting
and will serve as the new treasurer. She was
married here at Trinity at the end of January
and she and her husband Marc are building a
house in Redlands.
Matt Marnell, the outgoing treasurer,
talked about the budget, which is, in most
respects, like the previous year’s budget. There
are several funds in the Parish resources which
have specific purposes. The Boyne Fund, for
example is to be used for the health of the
Parish. To this end, there are plans for an ADA
compliant automatic door to be installed at the
end of the Great Hall.
Article continues on page 4
John Dunbar, outgoing Sr. Warden welcomes Nancy Doss,
our incoming Senior Warden with Fr. Paul.
Page 2
L ast month I wrote about being in relationship,
especially about being in relationship with creation. I stressed the importance of creation, our mother earth, as the
one place we have to sustain us. Maintaining our relationship with creation also builds relationship with the future. Our
children and theirs, and so forth, rely on the earth for survival.
Breaking creation, allowing it to fail, in a way that will not sustain our future, destroys our relationship with future
generations.
It is important for us to know that we are built for relationship. If we believe the story about creation at any level,
God made humanity for each other. We also understand that God made humanity to be in relationship with God. Look
again at the stories in Genesis. Each of them has a story about
humanity—whether it be Adam & Eve, Abraham & Sarah, or the children of Israel—and God. God longs to be in
relationship with us.
As we move through the Bible we read stories of the Chosen Ones; their encounters with God, their movement from
God to other gods and back again. God is constantly seeking
them out. It does not matter if we believe that God uses others to punish Israel or not, what matters is that we understand that
the consequences for straying from God, is being without God. It is not that God is not there anymore, it is that we have turned
ourselves away from God and no longer feel God’s love.
The theological idea about being in relationship starts early
in the history of Christianity. Early theologians spend their time writing about and discussing the humanity and divinity of
Christ. Those discussions are about relationship. How can God be both divine and human? Where this fits in for us, is that
Jesus becomes that perfect example of what God looks like
walking this earth. While we have no picture of Jesus, and I believe that is important, we can paint a picture through his
actions.
Jesus uses his humanity to walk the earth and encounter others. He uses his divinity to heal, free, love, die, and raise
from the dead. There can be no healing without the other to heal. There can be no freeing without the other to free. There
can be no loving without the other to love. There can be no
dying without the body to die. There can be no resurrection without death.
Jesus in relation to humanity, to us, is God loving us. The
frailty of the body of Christ is a reminder of our own frailty. The interactions of God, in the form of Christ, shows the hope
God has for us. Jesus is no longer physically with us. The
human body does not last that long. Paul reminds us that while
Jesus’ physical body is no longer here, the body of Christ
exists, even today.
K arl Barth writes of fellowship with God and explains it as though it is a relationship between parent and
child and then parent and parent. Indeed, we are like children to God. The Gospel of John even tells us that we have the
power to be children of God through our belief if God. Barth
then questions whether there is a further relationship or fellowship of humanity that we must consider. He writes in
Church Dogmatics III, 4 that we have another sphere outside that of family we must consider, and that is neighbor. While
Barth goes on for some time discussing the attributes and
geography of neighbor, he tells us that all are our neighbor. As such, he writes:
And if he [humanity] seriously intends to be obedient to
the command of God as it meets him totally, … He must will it to be rightly, as he must will to speak his own language rightly.
What is meant by rightly he will not, of course, learn from any
abstract idea of blood and soil, from any nomos [law] supposedly lurking in the mind of his people and his own mind,
from any independent theology or ethics of place, home and motherland invented by sentimental or wicked fools. (p. 292)
Barth is reminding us that the command of God is higher
than the command of man. So then, to be in relationship with
God, we must also be in relationship with our neighbors. This is exactly what Jesus teaches us. This is exactly what the
summary of the law reminds us.
Now, in our society we have trouble with relationship and neighbor. We have children bringing guns to school and adults
to churches and meeting places. We have homeless that are
shunned and moved to the outskirts of society. We refuse to bring healthcare to all who need it, regardless of their ability to
pay for it. And yes, hospitals will rarely turn away people who need healthcare but lack the ability to pay; it makes it easier to
come by healthcare if you can pay though. We are even
kicking out the alien and stranger in our land, immigrants.
The Anglican Communion came to the realization that
church is more than coming to Sundays to receive the
sacraments and hear a sermon. Church had to enable the followers of Jesus to actually do the ministry of Jesus.
Movement toward social justice came in the age of industrialization when we were seeing the affects
industrialization had on people: the loss of jobs and benefits
put more people on the streets. Homelessness was increasing
Relationships Created to be in communion And the second is like unto it, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thy self
by the Rev. Paul A. Price
Continues on page 9
February 2018 Page 11
On January 28th, we had our first Youth and Family
service at Trinity! It was a fantastic evening of
worship, reflection, and fellowship. In fact, we had such a great
time we forgot to pause to take photos! The evening started
with gathering music as everyone filed into the choir chancel
and settled into their seats. David Wells led worship on guitar
and piano, and all of the youth present who were able partici-
pated in one way or another by reading scripture, leading the
prayers of the people, serving as ushers and acolytes, running
the slide show (yes, I said slide show!) which projected all of
the lyrics to the songs, and helping to set up and clean up from
the family meal we shared together after the service was over.
The concept for this service was brought about from the
desire to find a way for youth to be able to assume more leader-
ship roles within the church, while also creating a space for
them to celebrate the learning and service projects they partici-
pated in over the course of the month. Not surprisingly, what
we found is that the youth group at Trinity is full of incredibly
talented, thoughtful, spiritually attuned students who are ready
and willing to share their gifts for the greater glory of God and
in service for the church. So, we are going to continue holding
a 4th Sunday Youth and Family service at 5pm in the church,
followed by a potluck meal in the Great Hall (this month the
theme of the potluck is
chili – contact Mo. Liz
for more info).
While this service
was designed with youth
in mind, it is open to fam-
ilies with smaller children
as well. The reality is that
we’re all one big church
family here at Trinity, so
even if you don’t have
children but would like to
join us, we’d be happy to
welcome you! Our next
service will be held on
the 4th Sunday of Febru-
ary, the 25th, at 5pm. We
look forward to celebrating with all of you the ways that God is
present and active in the lives of our youth.
Trinity Episcopal Church 419 S. Fourth Street,
Redlands CA 92373
(909) 793-2014,
www.episcopalredlands.org
Staff:
The Rev. Paul Price, Rector, (909) 748-5027 (o), (949) 842-6623 (c) [email protected]
The Rev. Liz McQuitty, Associate (909) 748-5037 (o), [email protected]
Cheryl Desloge, Parish Administrator [email protected]
Nancy Gould-Plank, Financial Secretary (909) 748-5056, [email protected]
Charity Wilson, TEPs Director, (909) 748-5041 [email protected]
Jeffrey H. Rickard, Minister of Music (909) 748-5092 (o), [email protected]
Linda Apmadoc, Director, St. Cecelia’s Choir lindaapmadoc.lindaapmadoc@verizon,net
Kevin Bryant, Director Handbell Choir [email protected]
Assisting Clergy:
The Rev. Birbal Haldar, Assisting [email protected]
The Rev. Cn. Louis L. Hemmers, Rector Emeritus (909) 792-4460, [email protected]
The Rev. Pete Wright, Assisting, (951) 255-7942, [email protected]
Vestry:
Nancy Doss, Senior Warden, (909) 228-1336, [email protected]
Matt Marnell, Secretary, (909) 387-5466, [email protected]
Henry Simms, (951) 532-8203, [email protected]
Cheryl diPretoro, (909) 684-1214, [email protected]
Rodney Hume-Dawson, (310) 892-8195, [email protected]
Maurine Deen, (909) 793-0536, [email protected]
Lois Mussman, (951) 922-3205 [email protected]
Lindsey Christopherson, (951) 233-2219 [email protected]
Wendy Weniger, Treasurer, [email protected]
4th Sunday Youth and Family Service by Liz+
In a recent sermon, Fr Paul referred to the spiritual strength
and example of his little old Polish Grandmother. I was re-
minded of something I learned from my friend Phebe. Phebe
says she very much dislikes the English term, “housewife”. I’m
not married to my house, she says. Instead, she prefers the
Spanish term, “ama de casa”, which depicts the woman as the
spirit or soul of the house. I took this thought to heart a few
years back when there was a family event that required that I
have a large number of relatives staying at my house who were
sometimes both stressed out and challenging. I took it upon my
self to be the “ama de casa”, the spirit of the house, to minister
to each person individually as best I could and take my job of
hospitality as a spiritual duty. I can't say everything was per-
fect, but it was a lot better than it would have been otherwise.
Foot Notes --- Walking in the Way
Page 10
Musings from the Choir continues from page 8
and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.’” —Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21
So in light of all this, why the ashes on Ash Wednesday? Is it really counter to Jesus’ teaching? Or could the ashes be a solemn reminder of our own insignificance on this earth, or at least the insignificance of the airs and pretenses most of us put on in the face of others?
I submit that in spite of the apparent conflict between the outward sign of the Imposition of Ashes, and the
teachings of the past several weeks, this amounts to no less than a call to action for all of us. Perhaps those ashes should serve to remind us that each of us must journey through this period of Lent, this period of self-reflection, and make whatever course corrections are needed in our lives for each of us to follow the roadmap to our own salvation that our Savior has laid out for us.
Put slightly differently, shouldn’t we be living examples according to these teachings, and in so doing, letting the light of Christ shine in our lives as models for others to see?
All of us have heard these words countless times: “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good
works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16)
Last year in an Epiphany sermon, Fr. Lou told us we must “do what is right, yes,” but not “for appearances.” We must do it because our hearts and minds “dictate that action.”
So why the ashes? Recently we have begun to sing a lovely hymn after the Blessing of our Children at
the late service every Sunday, and the last verse of that hymn seems appropriate:
“Teach me all thy steps to trace, Strong to follow in thy grace; Learning how to live from thee; Loving him who first loved me.”
Simply stated, if we can follow in our Lord’s footsteps, through His grace we have a shot at getting our lives right on the inside. Only then, will that show through on the outside. So as long as we’re on that track, then maybe those ashes are just part of the process. And after all, isn’t that what Lent is
really all about? Amen
Cub Scouts Pack at Trinity
We are looking to revamp our Cub Scouts pack at Trinity
beginning this Fall. Your child is eligible to be a Cub Scout if he
or she is in Kindergarten to 4th grade. The pack will be divided
into dens (according to age and gender). The needs of this effort
involve finding a Cub Master, Den Leaders (male and female),
an advisory committee (ideally made up of parents and support
leaders), and most importantly KIDS to participate! Registration
for the Cub Scouts pack will likely begin in August with hopes to
launch in September, so please start thinking about participating
and recruiting others who you think might have interest! For
further information or to get involved, contact Craig Lesh at
Trinity Episcopal Preschool
Celebrates Grandparent’s Day!
Join Episcopalians every where to read the Gospel of Luke and
Acts of the Apostles during Lent and Easter. We start reading Luke
on the First Sunday of Lent and read a portion every day until we get
to Easter. The first Monday after Easter, we start reading the Acts of
the Apostles and finish that on Pentecost. Check out:
goodbookclub.org for the daily schedule or check with the clergy.
February 2018 Page 3
I refuse... to make peace with oppression by the Rev. Liz McQuitty
A lthough other forms of recognizing the vital
contributions that black Americans have made to
American history and culture have existed for many
decades, it was sometime in the 1970’s that the celebration
of black history month sparked across America, and in later
years it followed in Canada and the UK as well. In thinking
about black history month this year, I was reminded of the
photo here of Martin Luther King Jr. This photo comprised
the entire back page of the service bulletin at my ordination
last month as an advertisement to
attend a service in recognition of Dr.
King for MLK day. I’ve been thinking
about the ways that the various colors
comprising Dr. King’s face in this
image communicate the complexities
and vast beauty of diversity, and it
strikes me as such a paradox that
diversity has historically—and in
many ways still is—seen as something
threatening and undesirable.
In a subtle way, this is illustrated
in the fact that although many people
jump at the chance to celebrate the
achievements of black Americans
throughout our nation’s history,
criticisms regarding the existence of
black history month have made their
entrance to the conversation as well.
These criticisms range from the notion
that celebrating the accomplishments of black Americans in
the month of February implies that their achievement need
not be recognized throughout the rest of the year, to the
more volatile notion that it in and of itself is a racist
observance.
While those criticisms might be valid, because we find
ourselves in the month of February where the observance of
black history month continues to fill up calendar events,
blog post, and, well, Messenger articles, I suggest one
response could be that whether we wholeheartedly embrace
the month of February as black history month or not,
perhaps arguing about the existential nature of this month-
long observance creates a diversion by which we no longer
have to confront the reality that the integral work of black
Americans to the arts, culture, innovation, music and
beyond have historically been undervalued, pushed away,
and abused, as have the people themselves.
I suggest that as we have opportunity to learn more
about and celebrate the achievements of so many
remarkable black Americans that we do so willingly and
openly, and that while we do we also renew our
commitment to the continued work of racial reconciliation
and of taking a stand against the ways in which our systems
refuse to recognize the dignity of all
human beings. The civil rights movement
in the 1950’s and 60’s marks a dramatic
breakthrough in confronting the evil
systems of oppression that allowed for
egregious atrocities like slavery, public
lynchings, white supremacy, and countless
other evils, but if the events of last Fall in
Charlottesville tell us anything, they tell
us that work is far from over.
Just as the many colors of paint that
comprise Dr. King’s face in this painting
might represent the breathtaking beauty of
diversity, they might also represent the
myriad of ways that people of color,
members of the LGBTQ community,
immigrants, and other minority groups
continue to be downtrodden by systems
that do not have their interests in mind.
This month, as we recognize the many
ways that diversity has enriched our country beyond our
imagining, may we also recognize that the social justice
work of the 1950s and 60s is not over. The only way we
can be participants in building bridges is to name and
accept the reality of the existence of the gap that divides
and creates the need for the bridge in the first place.
As we work for equality among all people, let us
remember that the work of social justice is
Kingdom building work, and pray for God’s help, guidance,
and wisdom.
Almighty God, who created us in your image: Grant us
grace fearlessly to contend against evil and to make no
peace with oppression; and, that we may reverently use our
freedom, help us to employ it in the maintenance of justice
in our communities and among the nations, to the glory of
your holy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives
and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and
for ever. Amen. (Collect for Social Justice, BCP p. 260)
Page 4
The Bulletin
Board
Shrove Tuesday Tuesday, February 13, please join us for Mardi Gras Youth Fundraiser Pancake Supper. Starts at 5 p.m. Adult meals are $5 and children under 10 are $3. Fun, Food and Fellowship.
Lenten Study & Potluck Tuesdays, starting February 20, 2018. Potluck at 6 p.m. Program 6:45 p.m. in Trinity Lounge.
Vestry retreat Our Vestry with Fr. Paul & Mo. Liz, will be on retreat February 16 and 17. Please keep our parish leadership in your thoughts and prayers.
Youth Sunday School continues to start in church at 10:15 a.m. every Sunday. Thank you teachers, parents, ushers and altar guild for your support. Middle school Ethics continues twice a month. Youth Group on Feb. 11. Mark your calendar, next Youth and Family service on Feb. 25 at 5pm with dinner following.
Trinity Camp Camp Packets/Registration available in office and on parish website. Camp dates are June 17-23, 2018 in Big Bear Lake.
Did you know? Please email or call the office with any illness, surgery or death in family. If you would like a visit by a priest or CCLM person, please let us know.
Trinity’s Annual Meeting Continued from page 1
Thank you!
Thanks to Marc
Weniger for add-
ing new signage
for our preschool.
Check out the
banner on the
front lawn too!
Have you Seen the TEPS New Signage around the Neighborhood?
Doughnut Ballot Box
Thank you Matt for this creative use of
a doughnut box! I’m sure that the sugar
content was much less than the original
ingredients. We’ll have to keep that in
mind when the balloting for the
national elections are here in June!
O ne difference in the budget is
that this year is that Mo. Liz
is a full time employee with full pay.
It was noted that we intend to rent
out the Great Hall for events as a
source of revenue. There is a higher
rate for outside parties than for
Parishioners. John Dunbar gave special
kudos to Don Schroeder and Steve
Petite for their work on the Great Hall.
And, ever practical, Pat Meyer
reminded us that there is more to the
church campus than just the Great
Hall.
The annual meeting also serves as
a forum for individuals to address
specific concerns or comment on items
of personal note. This is a good and
healthy thing for the Parish so that
concerns are addressed and not glossed
over or left to fester. Steve Petite
apologized for letting a perceived
personal slight cause him not to finish
out his Vestry term last year. Ruth
Emma expressed concern that there
was not enough funding in the budget
for Youth programs. Francoise and
Mary Frances both noted that there was
a lack of communication about
administrative decisions, particularly
with the 8 o’clock congregation. Ray
Totten reminded the Vestry that they
should strive to all work together for
the good of the church without
factions. And a question was raised
about the office being closed on
Fridays, since there was some prior
conversation about it being open five
days when we got an assistant. Noting
that it is opened five days a week now:
Sunday through Thursday. The Vestry
will talk about this and make a
recommendation.
Fr Paul gave a closing prayer
and the meeting was
adjourned to the Great Hall for a
wonderful lunch prepared by Alan Nall
and the Hospitality committee.
February 2018 Page 9
Musica Viva: January Event by Linda Apmadoc
For anyone who has “weathered” the experience of a
snow-bound geographical area, the Musica Viva concert
January 16 at Temple Emanu El certainly roused all the
memories of the season. The program titled “Special Music
for a Special Place” could have included a special season as
well, as the feel and tone of the program was influenced
somewhat by
the chosen first
concerto.
Director Lois
Musmann
opened with
Vivaldi’s
“Winter” from
the well-known
The Four
Seasons. It’s
bitey grace note
-embellished solo lines and well-executed whirling violin solo
work by JingYu Lou provided for me realistic bone-chilling
remembrances of walking a mile to school bare-legged in the
blizzards of North Dakota.
Harpist Jerry Ripley, organist At Congregation Emanu El,
and violinist Mark Vargas shared a delicate duet by the
eighteenth-century Swedish composer J. H. Lorentz that
underlined the sensorial substance of the evening. The
plucking of the harp was not unlike the string work of the
Vivaldi and reminiscent of the dripping of melting ice.
Choosing unusual pieces has become a trademark of Dr.
Musmann’s programming and this unknown offering
prepared us for the shiveringly beautiful Psalm 23—From the
Bay Psalm Book—by Jean Berger that followed. As an
homage to the evening’s host and Berger’s Jewish ancestry,
Dr. Musmann led a nineteen-voice chorus through a difficult
and harmonically close composition that became kin to the
very intensely dissonant Vivaldi, and it was stunning. “In
fact, it was the acoustics of the building that inspired me to
dream of a concert in this sacred space that would draw on
fragile sounds such as the dripping raindrops (pizzicato) in
the second movement of the Vivaldi, the fragile sounds of the
harp and of the glass armonica, and the slow-paced, colorful
chords of the Berger”, said Musmann recently.
A familiar Inland Empire fixture, William Zeitler,
introduced the crystalline tones of his glass armonica with a
solo by Mozart, followed by another work of Mozart’s which
combined the glass armonica with string quartet from Musica
Viva in his Adagio and Rondo. In closing we were warmed
by the light- hearted Suite for Strings, a work based on four
English folk songs of varying characters by the contemporary
English composer, John Rutter.
This particular presentation was sponsored by The Spinet
and was well-attended. People are always eager to visit the
beautiful and spiritually moving synagogue.
Should you have missed this opportunity to support our
own Musica Viva which makes its musical rehearsal home
right here at Trinity, you will have another chance, and you
will get to hear the reprise of Psalm 23 . Dr. Musmann has
developed a program in honor of the 500th anniversary of the
Reformation scheduled for Sunday, April 29 at 4:00PM. A
forum featuring
a film by Rick
Steves, “Luther
and the
Reformation,”
will be offered
that morning as
well at 9:15AM
in Trinity
Lounge.
Relationships continued from page 2
as was disease and sickness. The Church cried out and started
to lead the movement to be more than faithful attendees.
O ne clergyman in England led the cry. In 1838 F. D. Maurice wrote:
Christianity is far more a polity than a system—Christ
came to establish a kingdom, not to proclaim a set of opinions. Every man entering this kingdom becomes interested in all its
relations, members, circumstances; he cannot separate himself
in any wise from them…. In this highest sense, the churchman must be a politician…. If he is a citizen of the world, he is also
a citizen of his own country, and everything which affects its weal or woe, everything which concerns the bodily or the
external, as well as the spiritual condition of its inhabitants,
must be important to him. —F. D. Maurice, The Kingdom of Christ
In order for us to stay in right relationship with God,
we must work to establish relationship here. Christ to us is that model of relationship—it is the kingdom of heaven.
We know what we must do to put us on the right path with God
and one another. We can no longer be quiet. We must speak out, Now all that is left is for us to do it. Good thing that God
doesn’t abandon God’s children. While the task is not easy, the
rewards are incredible.
Page 8
Musings from the Choir By John Dunbar
“R emember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”
They say “time flies” as we get older, and does it ever! Three years ago I was elected to the Vestry for a 3 year term, and at the time that seemed like forever! Now those 3 years have passed, and we have 3 newly elected Vestry members.
And if you will pardon the cliché, “life goes on,” not only here at Trinity, but also for me – except that for me, it seems as though those 3 years went by in an instant!
In much the same way, this past year has flown by, and Ash Wednesday is upon us again. And for me, it’s a rude awakening from the “relative” slumber of my Advent, Christmas and Epiphany seasons.
For a variety of reasons, I’ve had a lot of trouble with Ash Wednesday over the years. Not with the liturgy so much, but with what it stands for, and for the changes it always brings in my life. It’s also smack in the middle of winter, which for me, and for many, is an unexciting part of the year where days are still short and its often relatively gloomy outside—maybe not so much here in southern California, but I digress.
It also marks the beginning of our Lenten journey of reflection and penitence, etc., which takes us through an emotional journey in which we relive Christ’s Passion beginning with His triumphant entry into Jerusalem—on Palm Sunday, His last supper—which we commemorate on Maundy Thursday, and his Crucifixion and death on the cross—Good Friday, then His glorious resurrection in both the Easter Vigil and on Easter Sunday.
But what purpose does Ash Wednesday really serve other than as place marker between Epiphany and Lent?
As a cradle Episcopalian (Anglican), I’ve seen a lot of changes in the church over the years, but one of
the biggest changes I’ve seen is the slow migration from the “low” churches I attended in my youth to the “high” churches of today – including Trinity to some extent.
And I guess the imposition of ashes that takes place on Ash Wednesday is all part of that.
In a previous column on this topic, I quoted the 19th Century English theologian Robert Chambers who wrote:
“…Soon after the Reformation, the use of ashes was discontinued as a 'vain show' and Ash Wednesday then became only a day of marked solemnity.”
So if you will pardon the cliché, actions speak louder than words. And if that’s true, then why do we really need to spread ashes on our foreheads?
We’ve all been taught that God knows every hair on our heads, right? “Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered.” (Luke 12-7) If that is true, then who else needs to know what we believe?
There is a rather famous poem by Bruce Caroll entitled “I’d Rather See a Sermon.” You can Google it for all the words, but here are a few:
“…the good Lord and his blessing Are what made him act that way I'd rather see a sermon Than to hear one any day I'd rather one would walk with me Than merely show the way Actions speak much louder Than all the words can say That's why I'd rather see a sermon Than hear one any day.”
B ut it is our Gospel reading for Ash Wednesday which causes me the most difficulty:
“Jesus said, ‘Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven.
‘So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
‘And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
‘And whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces so as to show others that they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
‘Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in
continues on page 10
February 2018 Page 5
One is Enough by Liz Zeller
It is not by accident that America was mostly founded
as, and to a great extent remains, a Protestant country. America’s stereotype has been that of the rugged individualist,
the person who pulls him or herself up by their bootstraps. There is a belief in believing in oneself and striking out on
one's own. Just consider the Pioneers or Homesteaders or the
Gold Rush.
In Ancient Israel, there were prophets and priests who were intermediaries between the people and God. Jesus opened
the kingdom of heaven to all believers and the disciples and Apostles who formed the first church were a community of
brethren, each filled with the Holy Spirit and individually open to the word of God. By the Reformation, the Catholic Church
had fallen back into the pre-Christian attitude of leaders who
were in communication with God and hoi polloi who weren’t expected, or even allowed, to think about God on their own.
God was not accessible to them without the Church. Don’t
read the scriptures, don’t understand the language, don’t see the actions, depend on the church to mediate God’s grace. The
“Mass” was the trickle down of God’s grace from the leadership to the mass of people. The American independent
attitude was antithetical to this approach. The post reformation
Protestant expression of individual faith was more in harmony with the American character.
F or years, Nike has had the slogan, Just Do It, in all their advertising. Athletes know that there is nobody
else to do it for you, you just have to suck it up and put forth
maximum effort. Musicians know this too. It is no coincidence that the Apostle Paul used so many images of running the race
to explain the course of his life in Christ.
When God called Jonah to go to Ninevah, God just called
Jonah. God didn’t tell Jonah to go find a committee to help, God only sent Jonah. And similarly with so many other
prophets in the Old Testament, they were the lone voice crying out from the wilderness to call people back to God. God
expected them to go do what God told them, mostly without
help from other people. Jesus, in the Garden of Gethsemane
before his Passion, was left alone by his disciples who couldn’t
stay awake to watch with him. He went forward on His own.
The book out of which we read each evening before Evening Prayer, Holy Women, Holy Men, is full of people
who persevered on their own. Take for example, the missionary to China who, although he suffered a disease which
left him mostly paralyzed, translated the Bible into Chinese by
typing with one finger, one letter at a time for 20 years. Somebody else could certainly have done it faster and more
efficiently but the fact is that nobody else did it and in the end this important work did get done.
My mom was as aware of social issues as anyone I
have ever known. I watched all the causes she promoted over the years and saw what approaches seemed to
be most effective. There were two categories of things.
Sometimes she would be standing out in front of Walmart with fliers about sweatshop labor or finding speakers for the Church
Women United group. The message of these sorts of efforts, in my mind, was, “You ought to do something”. That may or may
not have had any effect. Other times, she would actually be the
one doing the labor. She went to visit kids at Juvenile Hall and did crafts with them or took objects or books for show-and-tell.
She did this faithfully even when no one else was interested in going (and long past when she should have been driving by
herself). She also faithfully went solo over to the Food Bank in
Riverside, picked out the best of the available donated items, loaded them in her car, and brought them back to Family
Service in Redlands. These sorts of activities fell into the category of, “I will do it, even if it’s hard or somebody else
could do it better, because nobody is is doing it and it needs to
be done”.
T here are so many things in the world today that need our attention. There are all the social issues about
homelessness and hunger and injustice. If God calls you to act, the right answer is always, “Here I am, send me”. And the
bottom line is that if there is no one to help you, you have to be willing, with God's help, to go it on your own to do what God
has called you to accomplish. God will help.
21 above: Theology on Tap by Rev. Liz
Theology on Tap continues to meet once a month at
Escape Brewery on Nevada St...and we’ve added
numbers to our gathering! This means more stories,
more testimonies of personal journeys, and more
perspectives on God and theology are gathered around
the table to enrich our fellowship and discussion. This
is a community-based ministry that is focused on
deepening our knowledge and love of God through
fostering relationships with each other as we together
seek to know God more. If you are 21 years of age or
older, please join us on February 21st at 7pm for our
next gathering!
Page 6
The Ordination of the Reverend Liz McQuitty: January 13, 2018
February 2018 Page 7
Sunday, January 14, 2018 Mother Liz’s First Mass