Trinity Episcopal Church 218 East Benton Street Aurora, Il. 60505 Serving Aurora's Faithful since 1849 Volume 16 Issue 4 www.trinityaurora.org (630) 897-7283 April/May 2016 Dear Friends, Have you ever had a life changing encounter or experience? You know, the ones that cause you to have a new outlook on life, but exactly how or what has happened just can't quite be explained in words? You simply know that something has happened. Something fundamental has changed. It may take days, weeks, even months, before we truly comprehend what has happened. Suddenly we understand, and it becomes one of those AHA! moments. The world appears new! Some people exclaim in those moments they are "a new person." The disciples weren't expecting EASTER. They went to Jesus tomb that morning not knowing the impact their visit to the tomb would have upon the world. The real significance of finding the tomb empty was not immediately realized. When the women - Mary Magdalene, Joanna and Mary the mother of James - told the other apostles about their experience, their news was received with great skepticism. Those hearing "did not believe them." (Luke:12:10-12) Recall Thomas and his doubt...there Jesus stood, right there in front of him. In his novel, Outsider in Amsterdam, Janwillem van de Wetering tells a story of the joy of an older gentleman who finally meets someone like himself. Until then, he had felt as if he were strange and out of step with the world. His new acquaintance, like him, did not enjoy sports, but really fancied jazz. "This is a good moment," he tells to his new friend. "They happen at times. You don't expect them and they happen." Pondering a childhood experience he relates: I remember when such a moment happened for the first time. I saw a hornbill in the zoo. Some people call them rhinoceros-birds. It looked so weird that suddenly my whole life changed. I saw my life differently. I knew it would change back again and become boring again, ordinary everyday life. But that moment it was all different. The logic had been knocked out of it. The "this happens because of that and that happens because of this." All gone. I never forgot...nobody can explain a hornbill to me. That's the beauty of it, maybe. (p.89) Though not every Easter Sunday observance comes with a personal life-altering experience, the Church does continually invite us to ponder and to enjoy the opportunities we have placed before us during the 50 days of Easter to celebrate the newness of life in Jesus Christ. Let us join the disciples in an experience with the logic knocked out of it, and open ourselves to the possibility of life-altering growth, inside and out! As we journey through Easter toward Pentecost, may this blessed Season be filled with hope and new life for each of you and your families. In Christ, Denzil J. Luckritz, Rector Inside this Issue Page 2: Gregory of Nazianzus Community Outreach Page 3 Financial Snapshot Prayer Chain Pictures Page 4 Pentecost and the Holy Spirit Page 5 Atrial Fibrillation (Afib) Page 6 May Calendar Page 7 June Calendar Page 8 Best for Last Upcoming Events Tuesday, May 10th, 2016 at 7:00 pm - Father Luckritz s Installation Cerimony with Bishop Lee in attendance
Page 2 Volume 16 Issue 4 Gregory of Nazianzus; Bishop of Constantinople, 389 Gregory of Nazianzus, one of the Cappadocian Fathers, loved God, the art of letters, and the human race in that order. He was born about 330 in Nazianzus in Cappadocia (now Turkey), the son of a local bishop. He studied rhetoric in Athens with his friend Basil of Caesarea, and Julian, later to be the apostate emperor. Gregory, together with Basil, compiled an anthology of Origen s works, The Philokalia. Two years later, he returned to his home, a town then rent by heresies and schism. His defense of his father s orthodoxy in the face of a violent mob brought peace to the town and prominence to Gregory. In 361, against his will, Gregory was ordained presbyter, and settled down to live an austere, priestly life. He was not to have peace for long. Basil, in his fight against the Arian Emperor Valens, compelled Gregory to become Bishop of Sasima. According to Gregory, it was a detestable little place without water or grass or any mark of civilization. He felt, he said, like a bone flung to the dogs. His friendship with Basil suffered a severe break. Deaths in his family, and that of his estranged friend Basil, brought Gregory himself to the point of death. He withdrew for healing. In 379, Gregory moved to Constantinople, a new man and no longer in despair. He appeared as one afire with the love of God. His fame as a theologian rests on five sermons he delivered during this period on the doctrine of the Trinity. They are marked by clarity, strength, and a charming gaiety. The next year, the new Emperor Theodosius entered Constantinople, and expelled its Arian bishop and clergy. Then, on a rainy day, the crowds in the Great Church of Hagia Sophia acclaimed Gregory bishop, after a ray of sunlight suddenly shone on him. Power and position meant nothing to Gregory. After the Ecumenical Council of 381, he retired to Nazianzus where he died in 389. Among the Fathers of the Church, he alone is known as The Divine, The Theologian. Almighty God, you have revealed to your Church your eternal Being of glorious majesty and perfect love as one God in Trinity of Persons: Give us grace that, like your bishop Gregory of Nazianzus, we may continue steadfast in the confession of this faith, and constant in our worship of you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; for you live and reign for ever and ever. Amen. Community Outreach Sharing Sundays Do you remember the wave of generosity and compassion for those in need that flowed through Trinity during the Thanksgiving and Christmas season? The response was amazing! So many lives in our community were touched and blessed by you! That was such a fulfilling experience for everyone that your Outreach Committee wondered if we could feel this kind of love and connection more than just a couple of times a year? We d like to try. So, beginning in June, the first Sunday of each month, we invite you to participate in Sharing Sunday. Each month we hope to address a different need in our city, in our community. On June 5, our first Sharing Sunday kicks off with a food drive to benefit the Interfaith Food Pantry. There will be baskets at each of the church doors in which to place your non-perishable food donations. (These baskets will remain there all month just in case you are not able to bring your donation on that Sunday.) If you want to donate but do not want to shop, we are happy to accept any cash donations; there will be envelopes available in the Church. There are no more loving, caring people than those at Trinity; let s feed God s sheep!
Volume 16 Issue 4 Page 3 Financial Snapshot (Year to date figures through March) Financials: Pledge and Plate $17,551 (Year to date budgeted Pledge and Plate) $15,976 Endowment Income $12,700 Total Income $35,016 Budgeted Income $33,317 Expense Building and Grounds $11,813 Office & Admin $ 1,501 Total Expense $46,623 Budgeted YTD Exp. $43,241 Net Income $-11,607 Endowment Balance $577,584 Memorial Balance $338,282 Checkbook Balance on Mar. 31st, 2016 = $17,344 Be a part of Trinity s prayer chain! When a prayer request is received, the first person on the list calls the next one, and he/she calls the next one, so on. Power through prayer! If you d like to be added, please talk to Janet Stephens.
Page 4 Volume 16 Issue 4 Ritual, Reason, and Why - Pentecost and the Holy Spirit The Holy Spirit, the promised one, came down to the disciples of Christ on the Jewish festival of Pentecost. On that day, according to Luke in the Acts of the Apostles, the men and women who were cowering in an upstairs room, afraid of the crowds that had descended on Jerusalem, were suddenly transformed. What happened to them was simply miraculous. Suddenly, they were able to walk out of the upstairs room and become involved with the travelers in the city. And although these travelers were from all over the area, from places such as Egypt, Libya, Rome, and Crete, with many different dialects and languages, somehow these formerly fearful folk were able to communicate with these people. And not just communicate, but to convert many into believing that Christ was indeed the Messiah, the savior of all. All through the readings during the Easter season, we hear about the beginnings of the new Christian faith. And in those stories, we hear references to the spirit. We of course know the meaning of the Spirit. We have heard the story of the upper room, of the disciples gathered together, of the sound of a rush of violent wind, of the tongues of fire resting on them, and the moment when they were filled by the Holy Spirit. But Pentecost is more than just another piece of the history of who we are as Christians. It s not just a part of our past, a bit of church history, or something that happened to some people hundreds of years ago, a story that we are simply retelling to remember the event. The gift of the Holy Spirit wasn t just for them. It was for all of us. Pentecost is not just another event in the life of our church. It is the beginning. It is our birthday, the day we were born. When Jesus met with his disciples on the day he rose from the dead, he gave them the gift of the spirit: Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you. When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, Receive the Holy Spirit. (John 20:22-23). When Jesus gave them the Holy Spirit, Jesus gave them new life, and he created our future. This is the second time our God gave us life. In Genesis, he gave us life the first time: Then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being. (Genesis 2:7) The Holy Spirit is with us here and now. Jesus tells us so: And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. (John 14:16) C.L. Basso
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Trinity Episcopal Church 218 East Benton Street Aurora, Il. 60505 Phone: (630) 897-7283 Fax: (630) 897-8783 Web Site: www.trinityaurora.org Serving God and God s People Since 1849 Trinity is a congregation that strives to be a thriving, vibrant, open and affirming, diverse community of hope that, with God s help, heartily welcomes the stranger, joyously worships the Lord in the beauty of holiness, and lovingly serves the least of these, a church that changes people s lives for the better. The Best for Last Greetings from the Parish Office! Things are a hopping today. Linda and Gale are prepping food for Trinity s turn at the Sandwich Board tomorrow. I am wrapping up what has become May s newsletter with hopes to get it distributed by Friday the 6th! Our garbage and recycling bins have been overloaded by our neighbors prompting us to get smaller but lockable bins that should solve that problem. Joe Dispensa, the owner of the building behind us is embarking on a beautification campaign which will greatly enhance the appeal of our parking lot. It should be complete by the end of May. Check it out! Gary is finishing up with a project to relocate our electronic public address system in the church to a space in front of the organ. That will solve two problems. The cabinet that the electronic equipment in was right in the way of the handicapped accessible ramp that we ve been working to get installed for years now. The other problem solved is limiting access to the controls so we don t have to adjust them every week. I hope you have noticed that the holes in the ceiling plaster in the Church and the Parish Hall have been repaired. I cannot tell where they were? Nice Job Robinson Plasterers!. Yesterday our beloved Maria was out mowing the lawn and grooming our grounds,; when you see her say thanks! We had eight people at our Wednesday Morning Prayer Service; our average continues to grow! Join us at 8am on Wednesdays. last week we changed our phone service from AT&T to Comcast, saving us a considerable amount of money. Then yesterday we had Velocita Technology come in and network all our computers and printers. They turned the computer I use into the server for the network. It sure makes sharing of information much easier and more efficient!. Bible Study is still going on after Morning Prayer. The study group is also growing. And finally - since I am running out of space. We are preparing for Father Denzil s Installation ceremony next Tuesday, May 10th at 7:00pm. I pray you all can join us! Blessings! Trinity Vestry Senior Warden: Marilou Clohessy Junior Warden: John Heath Richard Blogg John Kuney Janet Stephens Karen Dolan Rob Borchert - Clerk