TRINITY TIDINGS. 100 Harwood, Lebanon, MO. March 8, 2018, Volume 6, Issue 2. From Behind the Altar

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TRINITY TIDINGS 100 Harwood, Lebanon, MO March 8, 2018, Volume 6, Issue 2 From Behind the Altar A few years ago, a newcomer to The Episcopal Church asked me about the use of holy (blessed) water.

1 TRINITY TIDINGS 100 Harwood, Lebanon, MO March 8, 2018, Volume 6, Issue 2 From Behind the Altar A few years ago, a newcomer to The Episcopal Church asked me about the use of holy (blessed) water. I wrote the following article for the newsletter at the time. Since there are now a good number of people in the congregation who are new to The Episcopal Church, I decided that I would once again dedicate my article to the subject. Holy Water, that is, water that has been blessed by a bishop or priest is a sacramental. A sacramental is a sacred sign that the Church has instituted to help Christians prepare for and receive the sacraments of the Church. A sacramental is similar to a sacrament but does not confer the grace of the Holy Spirit in the unambiguous and certain way that a sacrament does. It is important to make a distinction between a sacramental and a sacrament. A sacrament is an outward and visible sign of inward and spiritual grace, given by Christ as a sure and certain means by which members of the Church receive God s grace, which is God s undeserved favor. God s grace forgives sins, enlightens minds, stirs hearts, and strengthens wills. (Catechism, Book of Common Prayer) The two great sacraments of the Church are Holy Baptism and The Holy Eucharist. Holy Baptism and the Holy Eucharist are considered necessary for salvation in the Anglican tradition. The other sacraments are penance, unction, confirmation, holy matrimony, and ordination. The blessings of crosses, ashes (Ash Wednesday), medals, statues, icons, and use of holy water are all sacramentals that can contribute to the devotion and faithfulness of the individual Christian. They are not essential like sacraments but are considered helpful. The use of water in religion is very ancient. Water is the natural element for cleansing, 1

2 and hence its use was common in almost every faith to denote interior purification. Among the Greeks and Romans, the sprinkling of water was an important feature of religious ceremonies. Cities were purified by its use, in solemn processions. Fields were prepared for planting by being blessed with water. Among the Egyptians the use of water was even more common; the priests being required to bathe in it twice every day and twice every night that they might thereby be sanctified for their religious duties. Among the Jews the sprinkling of the people, the sacrifices, and the sacred vessels was enjoined by the regulations laid down by the sacred writers in the books of Exodus and Leviticus; and it was undoubtedly from these practices of the Mosaic Law that the Church took many of the details of her ritual in regard to holy water. It is not exactly certain when the use of holy water became common place in the early Church. However, it quickly became the practice in lots of places for Christians to take water from the baptismal font at church home with them for devotional purposes after the celebration of baptisms at Easter and Pentecost. By the fourth century, prayers were provided for the setting aside (blessing) of water at Mass to be used by the faithful to remember their baptisms and to take home with them to extend ritually their participation in the sacraments of the Church. In many churches holy water can found at the entrance of the church. Some Christians choose to place one of their fingers in the font and then trace the sign of the cross on their bodies. In other places, the faithful are sprinkled with holy water before the liturgy as a reminder of their need to be purified before the sacred liturgy is offered to the Most Holy God. If any member of the parish would like a container of holy (blessed) water to use in their devotions at home, please let me know. Also, during the seven weeks of Easter, I will keep blessed (holy) water in the baptismal fount. Members of the congregation can use the water to sign themselves with the cross or simply touch the water with their hand as a way of remembering that is by and through baptism that God has made us a part of his divine life. Father Miller Holy Week/Easter at Trinity Episcopal Church Sunday of the Passion: Palm Sunday Liturgy (March 25) 10:00 a.m. Wednesday in Holy Week (March 28)) 5:30 p.m. Holy Eucharist Maundy Thursday Liturgy & Stripping of Altar (March 29) 6:00 p.m. Good Friday (March 30)) (Fast Day) 12 noon Ministerial Alliance Liturgy at First Methodist Church 6:00 p.m. Good Friday Liturgy 2

3 Mass of the Resurrection and Renewal of Baptismal Vows (April 1) 10:00 a.m. Easter Sunday At the Eucharist on Easter Day, after the Paschal Candle has been blessed, we will hear the ancient proclamation of Easter (the Exsultet) sung by Alan Northcott. The text can be found in the Book of Common Prayer, pages 286 and 287. This ancient and moving proclamation helps us understand more fully the meaning of the Resurrection of Jesus, and has been a part of the Church s Easter traditions since the seventh century. The Exsultet will be printed as an insert in the Easter bulletin to enable the congregation to follow the text and make responses where indicated. Also on this day we will renew our baptismal vows. A festive coffee hour will follow in the parish hall. There will be no Sunday School classes this day. Bishop's Warden Report You have noticed that the pews are not very comfortable during lent. No, this is not to make your season of Lent more penitential, although it may seem that way. The cushions are at Vogue Upholstery being repaired and recovered in a very nice looking fabric. The pews have been cleaned and refinished by Smith Boys Construction and are back in the Church and ready for the new cushions. We expect the new cushions to be installed before Easter. The hope is that they will be in place by Good Friday. The lawn will be seeded and the irrigation system working by Easter also. This work is being done by Forever Green Landscaping owned by James Johnson. There will be a layer of chopped straw on top of the grass seed to prevent the seed from being blown away and also to aid in the growth of the grass by retaining moisture. The yard will look a little messy for a while but the reward will be a beautiful lawn this summer. Trinity is an important place for all of us and these improvements are just a way to honor our special place of worship. Karen Miller Youth News As spring semester continues, there's fun on the horizon in youth land! Junior High Retreat on April 6-8 at St. James, Springfield and is for youth in grades 5-8. It is a great opportunity to spend time delving deeper into your faith journey with other youth your age. Don't forget to start making plans for camp this June! As always, check with Amanda if you have any questions. Amanda Perschall Welcome to Your New Trinity Reference Library We are planning to provide a variety of categories for all ages which will include reading materials, books, DVDs, work books, etc., to assist you in your Bible study or just pique your interest in other words, a first class library! You will find authors whose works and theories have been and will continue to be classic. It will be an ongoing process so keep looking for new materials. 3

Trinity will be very happy to accept monetary donations but not books. Your donations will be used to purchase books and materials which will lend themselves to your studies.

4 Trinity will be very happy to accept monetary donations but not books. Your donations will be used to purchase books and materials which will lend themselves to your studies. We'll use an old-fashioned check out system where you will sign the card in the back and put the card in the nearby file box. Materials may be checked out for two weeks. You will not want to be late returning items, because then I will have to announce your name, or worse, come after you! If I can be of any help to you, please let me know. Enjoy your studies and readings! Kathleen Stretton Church of the Holy Sepulchre The Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, the place of the crucifixion and the tomb of Jesus of Nazareth, is a major pilgrimage center for the world's Christians. Located in the Christian Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem, the Edicule, (the "Tomb of Christ") within the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is the most holy site for many mainstream Christian denominations. Here is where Jesus Christ suffered, was crucified, died, buried and resurrected from the dead. The first eight Stations of the Cross are found in the Exterior Courtyard. The final five Stations are within the walls of the church. Several mutilations and reconstruction occurred as political and religious control vacillated since early 4 th Century discoveries. The Holy Sepulchre has become a fascinating complex of structures that is widely imitated in Europe. The Greek Orthodox Church, Roman Catholic Church, and Armenian Apostolic Church are the custodians of the Holy Sepulchre and control the most holy pilgrimages within the church along with the Coptic, Syriac, and Ethiopian Orthodox churches who also hold some chapels. Pilgrimages dating from the 4 th Century visit the site where Constantine the Great constructed the first building in 335 AD. Beginning in the 14 th Century, a Holy Light appears just before Easter and two candles are lit from the light. Inside the church are many traditional locations for the events associated with the Passion and death of Jesus: The Stone of Unction (the anointing place of Christ's body); the Prison of Christ (where Jesus was held, incarcerated, before his Passion); the Chapel of the Crowning of the Thorns; a treasure room which holds relics including fragments of the True Cross; the Latin Calvary where Jesus was nailed on the cross; and of course the Rock of Golgotha where he was crucified (Station 12); the Chapel of the Division of the Robe built where the soldiers cast lots for Christ s clothes; the Chapel of the Angel featuring a small piece of stone taken from the massive stone that was rolled at Christ s tomb; the Sepulchre (Station 14) itself; and the Catholicon or the main church that faces the 4

5 Tomb of Christ along with the Navel of the Earth representing the earth s spiritual center; David Daniels Crosslines Ministry Report March 2018 newsletter, is the first of a new series of articles to help you get to know the people with whom you worship. Each issue will feature a different member of our congregation in each future issue. This week, Amanda Perschall is in the spotlight In summary of 2017, Crosslines is grateful for Trinity s ministry. During 2017 Trinity donated 570 food items, 15 blankets, 20 miscellaneous household items, coats and other clothing, 249 socks and undies, and $100 plus $315 in pledges from the Hunger Walk in May For the last several years Trinity Episcopal has done a food drive for Crosslines in February which was a month when no groups were doing a food drive. This year it is the month of March that does not have any major food drives. Last year the church collected 151 items so let s see if we can t reach 200 items for March. Buying an extra one or two items with every trip to the grocery store this month would be a good Lenten practice as a show of love to those less fortunate. The special needs for the month of March are pancake mix, syrup, pop tarts, and fruit bars or other quick and easy thing for children to grab after school. Viola Blankenship, Crosslines director, said anything that a person wanted to donate would be used and appreciated. There is a thank you note on the bulletin board to Trinity for increasing their annual contribution to Crosslines. Peggy Graydon In the Spotlight How well do you know your fellow Trinity Church members? Featured in this Amanda outside the theater in Chicago to see Hamilton. As the daughter of a priest, Amanda grew up being steeped in church tradition, worship, and ministry; being in church are some of her earliest and fondest memories. Amanda was born in St. Paul, MN and also lived in Alpine, TX before moving to St. Louis just before her third birthday. Her parents have since moved to Illinois and then back to Texas. 13 years of Roman Catholic school imbued Amanda with an appreciation for the catholic half of our Episcopal balance between Catholicism and Protestantism. Her four years at an all-girls high school at Cor Jesu Academy honed Amanda s feminism and perfectionism. Like most high school students, she spent her time being over involved in activities and studying. 5

6 Well, mostly she was doing those things and only sometimes goofing off with her friends. :) Amanda attended Truman State University earning a Bachelor of Arts in history and a Master of Arts in Education in history/social science. She spent many hours as a student working in the campus library reshelving books, many of which she had personally checked out for a paper. One glorious summer, Amanda worked at the Gateway Arch in St. Louis. Thought-provoking comments included You can see Kansas City from here! and Is that the Nile River? At the end of her collegiate journey, Amanda had the incredible opportunity to do her student teaching internship on a US military base in Bamberg, Germany. As a UNESCO World Heritage site, Bamberg is a truly beautiful place. She still misses having students whose initial response to authority is to stand still and reply yes ma am. While at Trinity Kirksville, Amanda sang in the choir and served as a lector. She was employed as a Peer Minister, helping to reboot the campus ministry program. This position also gave her a seat on the Bishop s Committee where she learned how to read a balance sheet from the statistics professor she sat next to. Southern Deanery Council. This summer, Amanda will represent the diocese as a General Convention Deputy. In her professional life, Amanda teaches Honors Political Science and Advanced US Government & Politics at Lebanon High School. She has held numerous leadership roles at school including Professional Development Committee member, Professional Learning Community facilitator, Positive Behavior Supports Committee secretary, new teacher mentor, and curriculum writer. Amanda enjoys stirring up discussion in her classroom around current events topics and making her students think beyond their comfort zones. Ask any of them how much they love this. In her free time (wait she has free time?) Amanda loves to travel. This summer she should get to the last of the 48 contiguous states she hasn t been to yet. Internationally, she s been to Spain, France, England, Scotland, Germany, Austria, Italy, Czech Republic, Vatican City, and Israel/Palestine. Amanda loves to bake and can often be found with her nose in a book. She also thoroughly enjoys a good musical theater performance. Amanda moved to Lebanon in August Her first Sunday in town was an Instructed Eucharist followed by warm hospitality at coffee hour. She became a member of the Bishop s Committee in 2007 and served as Bishop s Warden from Amanda continues to represent Trinity as a Convention and Deanery Delegate. On a Diocesan level, Amanda was a member of the Youth Ministry Commission from August 2011 until May She is in her final of four years on Diocesan Council and also currently serves as the Vice-dean of the The BEST part of Amanda's life is her amazing little sister, Abigail, who she molded to be a little too like herself. (Guess who wrote that one.) 6

The Power of Music As we move toward the end of Lent and enter Holy Week and the Easter Season, it is timely to think about how hymns mirror the broad scope of human emotions and how they enhance our

7 The Power of Music As we move toward the end of Lent and enter Holy Week and the Easter Season, it is timely to think about how hymns mirror the broad scope of human emotions and how they enhance our worship experience. Hymns reflect both suffering and celebration, our thoughts and emotions, and give an additional meaning to our worship. David Adams, an organist in Ireland, articulated this idea of the power of hymns well when he said: Music is one of the greatest gifts to mankind. It is an incredible miracle of creation. Melody, rhythm and harmony can carry the full range of emotions from joy to sorrow, affecting us deeply from inside out. When we sing together, we create harmony. Surely, in itself, a perfect symbol of the Christian ambition. In hymn singing, quite apart from the strength of the tunes and soaring melodies, we also have the words to instruct, encourage and inspire us. We have hymns of supplication for forgiveness. We have hymns of gratitude and, above all, we have hymns of praise to our Lord God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Maryann Campbell 7

TRINITY TIDINGS 100 Harwood, Lebanon, MO

TRINITY TIDINGS 100 Harwood, Lebanon, MO Father Jerry Miller, Priest-in-Charge August 2, 2018, Volume 6, Issue 4 From Behind the Altar Every year on August 15, the Episcopal Church celebrates the feast