A Reconciling in Christ and a Stephen Ministry congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

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1 The Trinitarian Trinity welcomes all to a community in Christ; serving others, growing in faith, living in hope, and reaching out in love. January 2016 From the Pastor The oldest baptismal font in Latvia dates from the time of the great evangelizer of Latvia, St Meinhard. It was originally located in his Cathedral in Ikškile. Today it stands at the very center of the Lutheran Cathedral in the country's capital, Riga. The placement of the font so near to the Cathedral's ornate pulpit speaks of the relationship between baptism and proclamation, and the calling shared by all the baptized to proclaim the mighty acts of the Lord the theme of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity for 2016 prepared by the churches in Latvia. There are many issues that have divided Christians from one another. Christians have separated from one another: over Christian teachings (sometimes significant and other time not so significant), over who can be allowed to be a member of the church (race, nationality, or sexual orientation), and over how the church is to be governed (by bishops, elders, or the congregation). I need to be reminded that Jesus' prayed for his disciples that "they may be one so that the world may believe" (John 17:21), and that all Christians are called to proclaim the mighty acts of the Lord. It is important that we gather together around the word of God, pray together, confess our shared faith with and to one another, and sing God's praise together for our own spiritual growth and for our witness to the world. My heart is always touched in this worship we share and it is one way that we can begin to heal divisions and be enriched by people of other traditions. The congregations of the Bethesda /Rockville area have been gathering for worship together for more than two decades in January. This year we will all gather at St. Elizabeth Roman Catholic Church (917 Montrose Rd, Rockville, MD) at 3:00 pm on Sunday 31. January. I hope that you will take time (with your whole family, if possible) and pray with people of more than a dozen Christian traditions and be open to the spirit that will bring us together in a world that has far to many divisions. Roger L B, Pastor God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may you give to all Christians, and especially to those entrusted with leadership in your Church, the spirit of wisdom and revelation. With the eyes of our hearts may we see the hope to which you have called us: one body and one spirit, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above and through all and in all. This we ask through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. Trinity Lutheran Church Old Georgetown Road North Bethesda, MD A Reconciling in Christ and a Stephen Ministry congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America office@trinityelca.org web: TrinityELCA.org facebook: facebook.com/trinityelca

2 Annual Cook-Off 31. January 2016 Trinity's Annual Cook-Off: Jell-o fest It's that time again...time to dust off your favorite cookbooks, and start experimenting. It's Cook Off Time! This years theme is Cheers from Anita! Faith is caught more than it is taught. One of the big lessons I learned in seminary was Faith is caught more than it is taught. Study after study tells us that the most important people in the faith life of a child are their parents. One of the many things that youth learn is the importance of participation at worship. During our December Kids Morning Out, I got to see an example of this infectious faith. We were gathering in the sanctuary, and I looked up to see our youth playing church. They took turns behind the altar, repeating from memory, the Pastor s words from our worship service. The youngest person playing church was 4. One of our youth said, Look! I m a pastor! One youth recited the entire Great Thanksgiving through the Words of Institution. Children watch what we do. Children know what we value. They value our community time in worship. They watch what we do, they want to participate and they want to be leaders in our community. Thank you for sharing the importance of faith with your children. jell-o. Taste and Presentation If you do not want to enter, then please hang around to taste and vote. It is always a great fellowship event. Funds raised will go to support Trinity's youth group trip to their Mission Trip in York, PA, 31. July-5. August. Entry sign up will be in the social hall; please help us make this a delicious success. General Funds as of 30. November Income $403, $408, Expenses $399, $409, Over (Under) 3, ($ ) Pledging Update as of 13. December Trust in the Promise 62 families have pledged $285,123 to our annual stewardship campaign. BIGGER than a Building! 60 families have pledged $476,640 to our 3 year mission appeal. Total amount received to date for BTAB! Is $11,652. Thank you for your generous support. Please accept our sincere thanks to all the members of Trinity for the gifts given to us at Christmas. Your generosity and thoughtfulness are greatly appreciated. Sarah B Cathy L Kathy B Pastor Roger B Erna B Regi G If you have not returned your commitment cards for Trust in the Promise and BIGGER than a Building!, please prayerfully consider the blessings God has given you and respond generously. The information for our annual stewardship program and our special mission appeal are on the Trinity web page under the Giving tab. Thank you and God bless you in your generosity! 2

3 Trinity Men s Group Meeting The January meeting will be on the Wednesday 6. January 2016 at 1:00 pm at the home of Larry J Larry lives in a gated community and the gate guard needs advance notice, so please let Larry know if you plan to attend by 12:00 noon, Tuesday 5. January. Hunger Sunday is the 1 st Sunday of each month. Use the special envelopes in the pew to make a donation to ELCA World Hunger. Bring non-perishable food items for Bethesda Help. Beans (dried and canned) Canned Soups Macaroni & Cheese Rice Breakfast cereals and oatmeal Canned meat & fish Canned fruits and vegetables Pasta sauce (in plastic containers or cans) Peanut butter (in plastic containers) A Bible Study Circle for Women The Women's Bible Study group met recently for the last time. For a number of years a small group of us have enjoyed studying lessons especially geared toward women's lives. We've also enjoyed the friendship and support of our close knit group. However, all the members of our little group are facing life changes and continuing the group is no longer feasible. But life always involves change that brings new opportunities. We've all enjoyed our time together and will take many fond memories along to our next adventures." Susan Sh Rides to Church Have you missed Trinity events because you lacked transportation? Trinity has missed you too and the following members of the congregation would like to provide you with a ride to Trinity events: Carol B Marilyn C Margaret F Peggy & Dick J Miriam M Nancy N Len S Zip codes are provided to aid in finding a driver close to you. Do not hesitate to call. If you would like volunteer to drive, call Dick J. 8. December 2015 As of 30 November 2015, 59 households have made a pledge to the annual stewardship appeal (for our General Fund). This is a 20.65% dollar increase and a 13% household increase over As of 30 November 2015, 57 households have pledged to the BIGGER Than a Building! mission appeal. Comparing the two weeks after Renewing for Generations 2 and BTAB! began, RFG2 had 33.33% greater household participation, but BTAB! had a 16.34% increase in dollars pledged over RFG2. Trinity will have a hearing with the Maryland Tax Court on 12 February 2016 concerning our appeal to restore our 100% tax exemption status. Jim K, Secretary Sunday Christian Education Opportunities for Every Adult! Adult Forum Sundays at 9:30 am Room 10 We will continue the study of Luke through 14. February. All are welcome to attend. 3

4 Blessing for a Home at Epiphany 20 + C + M + B + 16 On Epiphany Sunday (or the actual day of the Epiphany of Our Lord, 6. January) family and friends gather at the main entrances to homes or apartments (nursing home quarters, extended care facility, hospital rooms!), and ask God's blessing on their dwellings and on all who live or visit there. Greeting May peace be to this house and to all who enter here. By wisdom a house is built and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures. Reading As we prepare to ask God's blessing on this household, let us listen to the words of scripture. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was with God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth. From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. Using chalk, people are invited to inscribe the lintel of the home (the horizontal frame above the door) with the inscription shown below. The letters C M B come from the traditional (9th century) names for the "three kings" Caspar, Melchior & Balthazar. Some also suggest "Christus Mansionem Benedicat" which means "May Christ bless this dwelling!" Each person is afforded a turn to make one or more of the marks: 20 + C + M + B + 16 Prayer of Blessing O God, you revealed your Son to all people by the shining light of a star. We pray that you bless this home and all who live here with your gracious presence. May your love be our inspiration, your wisdom our guide, your truth our light and your peace our benediction; through Christ our Lord. Amen. Then everyone may walk from room to room, blessing the house with incense or by sprinkling with water, perhaps using a branch from the Christmas Tree. How can I support a good mission? Nominate it for a Trinity Mission Endowment Award! The Mission Endowment Committee looks to the congregation for recommendations of organizations to receive awards in spring Each year the Mission Endowment Fund generates income, which is used to enhance the mission outreach of Trinity apart from the operating budget. By sustaining the annual awards, the fund is a gift that keeps on giving! Mission Endowment Fund awards are made in three categories: 1. Special (non-budgeted) projects of Trinity Lutheran Church our congregation 2. Special ministries in the community 3. Special benevolence supporting mission of the church beyond our congregation S u b m i t n o m i n e e s t o K i m B (bettcherk42@gmail.com), place this form in the offering, or return it to the church office. Nominations are due by 15. Jan If you have questions about the fund, come talk to me or a member of the Mission Endowment Committee: David C, Susan D, Dick J, Julie N, or Steve S. Kim B, Committee Chair MISSION ENDOWMENT FUND Nomination Form Nominations are due by 15. January Consider the following organization for a Trinity's 2016 Mission Endowment Fund award: I recommend this organization for the following mission and reason: Submitted by: 4

5 A few months after we got married, Eric turned to me with feigned casualness and announced that he: (a) was hearing the call of Christ; (b) intended to find a Lutheran church; (c) envisioned church being a substantial part of his life going forward; and (d) rather hoped I d join him in all this. I was horrified. Sure, I had pleasant enough memories of my childhood church (Roman Catholic), but since leaving college I had drifted into a vague, unreflective agnosticism. And I thought Eric was right there with me. We had never attended church while dating. We didn t get married in a church. This was a bait and switch. So I kept my distance. I treated church as one of Eric s hobbies, like cycling or skeet shooting. As his enthusiasm grew, I skillfully nursed a mild sense of resentment. I distinctly recall once hearing about the Small Catechism from across the breakfast table, while I tried desperately to steer the conversation back to Downton Abbey. Finally, under some duress, I agreed to attend church sometimes which I clarified meant no more than once every three weeks. But over the next year or so, things changed. I got interested. I started attending church more than every third week. I started looking forward to it. I read; I talked to Christian friends; I tried awkwardly to pray. I felt unsettled, unsure of things. As for precisely when or how unbelief yielded to belief... it just sort of happened. The Holy Spirit at work, I guess. At this point, my faith in the promises of Christ feels tentative, weak, full of doubt yet it s there. That s why I keep coming back to Trinity each week: to be fed with Word and Sacrament, to share in Christian community, and, I hope, grow in faith. Jane R Notes from Sarah... During the Christmas Season and Epiphany, we celebrate Christ s incarnation a term that means God s becoming embodied. Two anthems you ll hear in upcoming weeks highlight Christ s incarnation in unique ways. The traditional English song Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day gives a first person account of the incarnation (referred to as my dancing day ) and uses the dance metaphor to call for a life in harmony with Christ. This and other Christmas songs tell how the incarnation was revealed to Mary, to shepherds and wise men, and then to his community at his baptism, as we hear in The Baptism of Jesus (a hymn from 1980 by the British Methodist minister Fred Pratt Green). Jesus came to share repentance with all who mourn their sins, to share temptation, our utmost woe, and to die upon the cross. Everything in Christ s incarnation, from his conception by the Holy Spirit and Mary, to his suffering and death, was done to call my true love to my dance --or as Jesus put it, because God so loved the world." Sarah B It s time to De-decorate! All are welcome. Saturday 9. January :00 am Please join us to move the sanctuary from Christmas to Epiphany! Due 15. January 2016 Committee Chairs, Choir Directors, Church Officers, Youth Leaders, Financial Reports. The deadline for your Annual Report to the congregation is due in the church office on 15. January. Thank you for your prompt response. 5

6 Super Bowl Sub Sale Sunday 7. February $7.00 each. Order your fresh made Subs! Name Total # subs ordered Pick up after: (check one) service Sunday School service Condiments Turkey Ham BLT # of subs Mayonnaise Oil Mustard Chipotle Mayo Cheddar Swiss Provolone Tomato Onion Pickles Lettuce Buffalo Wings 6 ($4) 12 ($8) Dressing choices: ranch bleu cheese Salad bleu cheese caesar ($7.00)Dressing choices: balsamic vinaigrette ranch Call the church office for details. Sarah & Casey B Natasha B Rainer B & Judy G Vivica & Carl-Oscar Joseph C Scott D Timothy F Karin & Terrence H Karen L David & Kirsten M Carter, Noah, Taylor & Piper Joseph & Shannon M & Clara Warren & Pat M Amelia S Frederick & Claudette V Please place in offering plate. Proceeds help send Trinity youth to the 2016 Youth Mission Trip. 6

7 Birthdays Youth Group (6th - 12th Grade) - We ll embark on a retreat January. Watch your s for more info. Junior Youth Group (1st - 5th Grade) - We will gather on 17. January at 6:00 pm for a board/card game night. Bring your favorite game! We'll also have dirt for dessert! Watch your /this space for information on an upcoming lock-in! The ANNUAL Cook-off (31. January, after worship)...this year includes... JELL-O! There are 2 categories for jell-o: taste and presentation. Sub Sale - The annual Fundraiser for the youth mission trip will take place on 7. February (Super Bowl Sunday). Watch the Tidings and the Bulletin for more information. Shrove Tuesday - Pancake flippers and decorators are needed for 9. February. Please let Anita know if you are interested. Looking Ahead Kids Night Out February, 6:30 PM Little Ones Fellowship February, 12 Noon Youth Group February, 6:00 pm 6 Ron S 7 Charles M 8 Chloe D 9 Karin H 11 Alex T 12 Nancy M 13 Sophie M 14 Laurel C 15 Keith C, Elizabeth W 16 Nalini A, Carol H 17 Sophia J, Brian L Nevil S 21 Kirsten M, Helen H 24 Robyn K-V 27 Elaine D, Lee Ann W 28 Emily B 31 Jim L, Wedding Anniversaries 14 Kristin & David M 29 Glenn & June M Ordination Anniversary 17. January Pastor Roger L. B Deaths Gail D November 2015 Carmen von B + 1. December 2015 Louise D +15. December

8 Opportunities to Serve in January 2016 Serving As 3 2 nd Sun of Christmas 10 Baptism of Our Lord 17 2 nd Sun after Epiphany 24 3 rd Sun after Epiphany 31 4 th Sun after Epiphany Acolyte Joshua B Andrei Sch Anjali An Anusha An Joshua B Nicholas C Anders Sp Assist.Min John B Len S Nancy N Jim K Bill B Sarah G Jerry B Nathan L Carol B Nalini A Children s Ch. Jessie M Donna S David C Margaret F Greeters Tom M Margo W Joan E Mary Nora Jane R & Eric S Peggy J Nancy J Margo W Diana B Mary Nora Lector John B Sabrina R Jerry B David C Matthew C Susan Smi Nancy J Margo W Nancy N Christine B Ushers Mike J & Ross A David C & Robert P Nancy & Tom M Mark P & Rich G Nancy & Thor N David C & Robert P Joan E & Mike J Margaret & Greg F Nancy & Thor N Peggy & Dick J Coffee Hour Altar Custodians Carol Bruno Bulletin Assembly Prior Thurs 31. Dec 7. Jan Nancy M 14. Jan Dick J 21. Jan Trinity Singers 28. Jan Nancy M Tellers Julie N & Thor N Annie A & Mina Peggy & Dick J Margaret & Greg F Lynn & Bud B Christian Unity Service Called to Proclaim the Might Acts of the Lord Saint Elizabeth Catholic Church 917 Montrose Road Rockville, MD January 2016 Sunday 31. January :00 pm 8

9 Remember in Your Prayers... the church our synod & bishops Bishops Elizabeth Eaton & Richard Graham 3. Jan 2 nd Sunday of Christmas Jeremiah 31:7-14 Psalm 147:12-20 Ephesians 1:3-14 John 1:[1-9] Jan Baptism of Our Lord Isaiah 43:1-7 Psalm 29 Acts 8:14-17 Luke 3:15-17, Jan. 2 nd Sunday after Epiphany Isaiah 62:1-5 Psalm 36: Corinthians 12:1-11 John 2: Jan. 3 rd Sunday after Epiphany Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10 Psalm 19 1 Corinthians 12:12-31a Luke 4: Jan. 4 th Sunday after Epiphany Jeremiah 1:4-10 Psalm 71:1-6 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 Luke 4:21-30 our missionaries Stephen Deal & Marta Giron, Cent. America our congregation Trinity Church... the nations Afghanistan, Ctr African Rep., Congo, Egypt, Haiti, Indonesia, Iraq, Iran, Israel, Liberia, Libya, Myanmar, Namibia, Palestine, the Philippines, Somalia, Sudan(Darfur), Syria, Ukraine, the United States, and Zimbabwe... the sick and suffering nursing/rehabilitation center Margaret B, Aarondale Assisted Living Dottie B, Villas at Suffield, Warrenton, VA Elaine D, Potomac Valley N. & W. Helen H, National Lutheran Home home Jean B Fred K June L Vimala P family and friends Terri B, friend of Marilyn C, Georgette B, friend of Marilyn & Bob C Missy Flynn, friend of Marilyn C Rosemarie C, friend of Brooke C Will D, friend of Cathy C Brad H, friend of Len S Clara Lou K, mother of Tom K Shilah L, mother of Jill L Rice family, cousins of Sara M & Tom K Eric R, cousin of Margo W Carol N, friend of Lynn & Bud B Phyllis S, friend of Peggy J Wayne S, friend of Lynn & Bud B Daniel R, friend of Thor N... in the Middle East Alexander L, son of Ione & Brian L Bryan Sr, nephew & cousin of Sp family January Highlights 8-10 January Youth Retreat 9. January 10:00 am Church De-decorating 15. January Annual Report Deadline! 31. January Annual Cook-off Jell-o fest 3:00 pm Christian Unity Service at St. Elizabeth Catholic Church 9