Trinity Stories

Dear friends,

I’ve always been fascinated by the idea of composting. I toyed with starting to do it in New Jersey, but we were afraid that the smells of food waste outside might attract our neighborhood bears. We saw enough of them without putting out bait!

I know – it seems like a weird thing to be fascinated by. But I’ve always been drawn to the idea of not only reducing the waste I generate by living through my daily routines, but even more by the idea of finding new value in that waste. What was waste – through a process that, because of my ignorance, seems to me to be mysterious – gets transformed into something new that is beneficial in new ways.

As I write to you this week, we are in the final, waning days of Lent. And by the time you read this, we will be deep in the heart of the Triduum – those holiest days from Maundy Thursday, through Good Friday, and into Holy Saturday that give us our last moments of preparation for Easter and Resurrection joy.

It’s a strange time to write and reflect, because our practice of faith is sort of in a time that’s like mid-compost. Our old and used-up ways of looking at the world are, through a mysterious process, being reformed and transformed into something entirely new – something with new, profound value; something that will feed starving souls.

As we make our way into this, our first Easter together, I invite you to consider that. Consider the idea that God is actively working within you to break down the useless leftovers of hurtful faith traditions that you may be holding; and consider that God can, through the power of resurrection and love, transform them into something new and powerful.

That is the Easter hope and that is the promise of Resurrection.

Blessings,
Jon+

Dear friends,

This Sunday, we begin our journey to Holy Week by celebrating Palm Sunday. This entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem on a donkey is full of expectations on his followers’ behalf. From the zealots, an over throwing of Rome’s power in Palestine, from his disciples perhaps the kin-dom of heaven establishing to earth, and everything in between. The story of Jesus’ last week of ministry this side of death is something Christians all over the earth have celebrated for almost two millennia.

It is impossible for me to prepare for Holy Week without thinking of the humanitarian crisis happening in the Middle East. For over 100 years, the Presiding Bishops of the Episcopal Church have taken up a Good Friday offering in support of The Episcopal Church in Jerusalem. This year’s offering will go to support specific ministries in The Episcopal Church in Jerusalem, look to the Easter appeal letter for more information.

For the past 18 months in our Noon Prayer Service, we have been praying for those in Palestine and Israel, and this Easter we can pray with our actions. We are inviting you to commemorate this holy season by making a special gift, beyond regular giving, to partner in this Easter offering appeal. Every cent that goes above our budgeted amount will go towards this offering.

We will continue our local direct missional support offering for the Christmas season. With everything happening in our world, we want to embrace our larger identity as Episcopalians and join the larger Episcopal Church in supporting those in the Middle East.

Thank you for your continued support of Trinity Episcopal Church and we look forward to seeing you Sunday.

Grace and peace,
George Benson (he/him)

Dear Friends,

Last week I had my first visit to the Plaza! I’d seen it through the windows before, but I hadn’t had a chance to wander around outside. At last, though, a Property Committee meeting sent me up there. It’s certainly a brilliant space, and seeing it in this phase before the Spring planting and growing is beautiful and moving in a very specific way.

I remember learning in school about kinetic energy and potential energy. The plaza is bursting with potential energy. Even now, as I write this, it’s raining up there and feeding the earth and the plants are readying for a new creation.

This phase of Lent, along with our phase of life here at Trinity, are both filled with energy. From the outside, both Lent and Trinity may seem like the abundance of kinetic energy leaves room for nothing else. But living in this energy reveals that it’s really so much more. The kinetic energy here at Trinity is very real, but what it really drives us toward is the potential energy that’s buzzing just under the surface.

And that’s where we are in Lent, too. The potential energy is fed by the promise of resurrection. At Easter, it is released in all its kinetic glory.

My prayer is that we live into that Easter promise. May it guide us as we grow together.

Blessings,
Jon+

Dear friends,

Our trans siblings have always existed, and will always exist no matter what any political or religious entity says. According to the Williams Institute, 0.6% of Americans identify as Transgender, yet, our siblings have been attacked time and again. As we look to celebrate Transgender Day of Visibility on the 31st, we will also celebrate it on Sunday morning. As a church that recognizes the image of God in all peoples, we look forward to raising up our Trans siblings not just this weekend, but throughout the whole year.

Trinity drew its line in the sand in 2023 when we adopted “Protect Trans Kids” as our theme for Pride, and we still proudly stand with our trans siblings. We are still committed to calling our representatives and working to steer them to protect our trans siblings in any way possible, and we always will be.

May we remember always that trans rights are human rights, and all human rights are worth protecting.

Grace and peace,
George Benson (he/him)