Alleluia! Jesus is coming!
Alleluia!
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For many, the church included, this season is one with a
confused if not truly troubled identity.
For some this is a "Lent-like period of disciplined preparation overcast
by eschatological dread." By contrast,
for others this is a "joyful period of anticipation and longing founded upon
eschatological promise."* At times we're not sure how we are supposed to act
and feel. In this season of Advent
(Coming) what does preparation and expectation look like?
Well for me, I fall into the joyful expectation group. How else would I prepare to meet the
incarnation of love, hope and peace? I
compare it to preparing one's home for the arrival of a much beloved friend or
family member. One whose arrival you
prepare for with great joy and excitement.
You can't wait until they arrive.
The house is warm and the fire burning.
The aroma of a feast fills the air.
Your heart is racing. Your senses
are keen and alive. When will they
arrive?! I can't wait!
In this season of Advent, as we prepare for the birth of our
Lord, I invite you to do so with a heart and spirit that is alive and joy
filled. Let us take seriously our weeks
of preparation so that we will be not caught off guard at the moment of the
arrival of our Lord. With expectant
hearts and hopeful spirits, with longing souls and open arms, let us prepare to
greet our Lord. Alleluia! Jesus is
coming! Alleluia!
Peace and Joy in this most holy season,
Paul+
*(p. 24, The Liturgical
Meaning of Advent, Christmas and Epiphany, by J. Neil Alexander)
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About this year's
Christmas Eve Liturgy
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With the changes to our worship space, I feel it most
appropriate to celebrate the Eucharist on Christmas Eve from the High Altar
area for the 8:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. services. I believe that on the two major
feasts of our church year, Christmas and Easter, this is a wonderful addition
to our worship experience and restores a proper reverence, respect and use for
our High Altar. In addition, practically
speaking, this also allows for additional seating in the church for our most
heavily attended services.
In regard to the reception of Communion, due to the size of
our glorious choir and space limitations receiving communion from the altar
rail at the High Altar simply is not possible.
There will be five communion stations: center of main transept, the
north transept, south transept, at the minor crossing (mid-nave), and in the
chancel for the choir.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me (jeanesp@trinityprinceton.org)
Peace,
Paul+
* Please note that we will use incense at the 11:00 p.m. service.
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| Worship & Education
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Sunday, December 13, 2009
The third Sunday of Advent
Click here for this Sunday's Lessons
8:00 a.m. - Holy Eucharist, Rite I
(Traditional Language, no choir)
Sunday morning childcare, for infants to 3-year olds, is available upstairs in the Nursery in Room 202 from 8:45 a.m. until the conclusion of the 11:00 a.m. service.
9:00 a.m. - Holy Eucharist (Rite II)
(Contemporary Language with choir)
The
9:00
a.m. service is perfect for families with children! Children join in
the opening procession and hymn and head upstairs to the Children's
Chapel (Room 201). At the Peace, the children return to their families
as everyone prepares for Eucharist. If you prefer to worship together
as
a family, children of all ages are always welcome in church.
10:00 a.m. - Christian Education for all ages!
Immediately following the 9:00 a.m. service children have choices based on their age:
children
lead the dismissal at the 9am service, and the process out the transept
door and report to their classrooms for Sunday School. Rite 13 ( grades 7-8) meet in room G18
J2A students (grades 9-10) gather in room G09 .
Sr. High students (grades 11 - 12) meet in room 111 (aka, the parlor).
All-parish Advent Brunch in Pierce Hall at 10am. There is no Bible Study class.
Please make sure to sign up outside Pierce Hall to have your picture taken for our Parish Photo Directory.
11:00 a.m. - Choral Eucharist (Rite II)
(Contemporary Language with choir)
The
11:00 a.m. service offers a slightly more classic liturgy, with Mass
settings sung by our gifted choirs. If you enjoy the rich traditions
of Anglican worship, this service is for you.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
12:10 p.m. Holy Eucharist with homily.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
5:30p.m. Holy Eucharist with prayers for healing
Weekday Evening Prayer
5:00 p.m. Transition from your day at work or school to your evening at home by joining us for Evening Prayer, an intimate, daily, twenty minute service of readings and prayers. 5:00 PM Monday-Friday, in the chancel.
The church is open from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. weekdays for meditation and prayer. |
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| Worship Leaders
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December 13th
8am
Reader: Jean Gorman
Acolyte: Sarah Parker
Chalicists: Donna Laessig, Nancy Metcalf, Guy Pierson
Ushers:Lewie
Kingsford, Guy Pierson
9am
Reader: Louise Dunham
Intercessor: Nancy
Hearne
Audio: Charles Anene
Acolytes: Gil Quinton, Christian Schade, Maddie Schade
Verger: James Scott
Chalicists: Connie Brown, Ira Lackey, Maureen McCormick,
Phil Unetic, Anne Zultner
Ushers: John Burns, Dan Haughton, Rob Hearne, Verna
Matthews, Costa Papastephanou
11am
Reader: Eric Garner
Intercessor: Jim
Newcombe
Acolytes: Ann Laughlin,
Lily Leonard, Jolanis Alexandre
Verger: James Scott
Audio: Ruth Scott
Chalicists: Ildiko Antal, Mary Cullen, Steve Isham, Catie
Newcombe
Ushers: Terri Brown, Stuart Duncan, Jim Newcombe, Bruce
Woodger
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THIS SUNDAY, December 13th, Advent Brunch needs more helping hands, especially with
clean-up
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THIS SUNDAY
Please return Advent Angel Tree Projects for TASP and HIP
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Please return your gifts for the students at
the Trenton After School Program (TASP)
and for the families of Housing Initiatives of Princeton (HIP) no later than this Sunday, December 13th.
All gifts should have the original tag on top of the gift; gifts should be left under the Christmas tree in the receptionist's lobby.
Thank you from the children and families of TASP and HIP, two long-time, successful outreach programs of Trinity Church.
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Youth group to see Boston Celtics play January 2
in New Jersey
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So the Nets are pretty good, right? But lets face it, we all want to see the Celtics play.
A great night of watching sports together for a mere $25.00 ($5.00 of which goes to support our friends in Liberia!).
Join us at Trinity before 5:30 PM on January 2. Please rsvp to Michael Lovaglio at
lovagliom@trinityprinceton.org
We look forward to seeing you there!
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Christmas flower and music memorial names due in by
Friday, December 12th
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Crisis Ministry says thanks for CAN-UCOPIA and Turkey Trot
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The Crisis Ministry
is grateful to our Trinity Church friends who coordinated, gathered, and
sorted donated food for our 2009 CAN-UCOPIA. Your participation leading up to
and on November 22 added up to a large portion of the more than 18,000 canned
and other shelf-stable foods collected for hungry neighbors who come to our
Trenton and Princeton pantries. Just days later, the $12,000, good will, and
awareness raised by the 465 participants in the 2nd annual Turkey Trot made for
an incredible show of support for our food budget! As we welcome growing numbers
of clients into our newly improved and enlarged E. Hanover St. location, we
thank you for your enduring partnership in helping neighbors in
need.  |
Your 2010 Pledge envelopes available at Advent Brunch THIS SUNDAY
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"Did you get my pledge?"That is a common question in any parish church.
Elly Matsil our finance staff member here at Trinity, has asked that we ask a reverse question:
Did you get our thank you note from Trinity for pledging?
If you did not receive a thank you, we did not receive your pledge. If so, please call or email Elly at
matsile@trinityprinceton.org
The 2010 pledge envelopes will be outside Pierce Hall on Sunday, December 13th, ready for pick up.If you would like to have pledge envelopes, please contact Elly!
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Please let us know if you find yourself in the hospital!
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Helen Bowerman
An important reminder from your Pastoral Care Commission:
Stricter guidelines regarding patient information are now in place that
impact hospital visits by the clergy and members of the church. If you are hospitalized and
desire pastoral care support, you or your family members should notify
the church office, or one of the clergy. Upon admission to the
hospital, please state both your denomination and place of worship for
the inclusion of your medical records. Otherwise, we have no way of
knowing your situation and needs. This information will be made known to the Pastoral Care Commission.
Helen Bowerman, Chair
Pastoral Care Commission |
Worship leaders for the Christmas Season
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More names will be added next week; worship leaders,
please keep volunteering!
December 24th
12noon
Acolytes: Lily Leonard
Ushers: Robert Hurlbert
4pm
Acolytes: Jack Patterson
Ushers: Dan Haughton, Bill Vogt
8pm
Verger: Richardson
Acolytes:Brad States, Dan States, Julia Saltsman
Ushers: John White, John Shea, Michael Gehret, Randy Currier, Kyle Currier, Guy Pierson
11pm
Thurifer: James Scott
Verger: Juliet Richardson
Acolytes: Malcolm Richards, Christian Schade, Maddie Schade
Ushers: Tim Munoz, Stu Duncan, Noreen Duncan, Jovi Tenev, Ruth Scott, Robert von Zumbusch
December 25th
10am
Acolytes: Gil Quinton
Ushers:
December 27
8am
Acolytes: Lynne Davis, Van Davis
9am
Acolytes: Lily Leonard
11am
Princeton University Chapel
Ushers: Ruth Scott, Costa Papastephanou
Thurifer: James Scott
Verger: Juliet Richardson
Acolytes: Ann Laughlin, Lily Leonard, Christian Schade
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A Note on this Sunday's readings by Gordon Graham
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 This week's readings bring the
Advent theme of judgment to a crescendo. In the Old Testament lesson, the
prophet Zephaniah tells Israel to rejoice because God has ended the terrible
catalogue of acts of judgment that have befallen his Chosen People. The defeat
of their enemies is at hand because God Himself will come amongst them. A
Canticle from Isaiah (in the place of the usual Psalm) repeats the theme and
tells the inhabitants of Zion
to 'Cry aloud, ring out your joy, for the great one in the midst of you is the
Holy One of Israel'. The brief lesson from Philippians provides a New Testament
echo - rejoice because 'the Lord is near'.
The Gospel, however, has a rather
different tone. This is John the Baptist at his sternest. No mention of
rejoicing, just a dreadful warning. John addresses those same inhabitants of Zion, as 'You brood of
vipers' - little better than snakes squirming across the sand to avoid the
flames that will destroy them. No good saying, 'But we are the Chosen People!'
This gives neither right nor privilege, because God could just as easily choose
stones to be his servants. True repentance, John declares, will indeed make a
difference, but only if it includes giving up all the little conventional sins
that everyone expects householders, soldiers and tax collectors to commit.
Will they then see the Messiah,
the mighty warrior whose coming Zephaniah and Isaiah herald? Could the
ferocious John be Him? No, someone even more powerful is coming. The true
Messiah will come amongst us in order to separate the wheat and burn the chaff
'with unquenchable fire'. How strange to think that such a one will be born in
a stable and die on a Cross! But that is the mystery of the Incarnation which
we are about to celebrate.
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You are invited to the all-parish
Advent Brunch
THIS SUNDAY
at 10am
in Pierce Hall
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Thank you to Carol Brooks Thomas for organizing the brunch and all those who helped.
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THIS SUNDAY is the
Youth Group Party
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This Sunday, December 13
It's the date of Trinity Youth's Christmas Party!!!
Join us from 4:00 PM-6:00 PM in Pierce Hall for a raucous night of celebration, Secret Santa, and food eating.
What could be more fun than that?
Secret Santa Gifts should come wrapped and cost no more than $10.
We look forward to seeing you there!
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You are cordially invited to
A Christmas Pageant
Sunday, December 20th
4pm
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Trinity's
Christmas celebrations will begin with a Pageant that takes place in church on
Sunday 20th December at 4pm. The Pageant brings together young
performers who differ widely in age, skill and experience. In dramatic scenes
and special songs they present a version of the Nativity- interspersed with much
loved carols for all to sing.
The Evangelist Luke, assisted by Dorcas, uncovers
the story of Jesus' birth for the book he is writing. The eyewitnesses that
Dorcas finds -- two village girls, a
shepherd, a servant --tell Luke what they saw and heard. Meanwhile, in the more
traditional style of Nativity Play style, Mary and Joseph, shepherds and Wise
Men make their way to Bethlehem, while a 'host' of little angels dance in
celebration of the birth.
First performed in 2008 and adapted this year for a
slightly different cast, the Pageant aims to be a special occasion that is not
so much for children as by children - a time when their
talents, enthusiasm and willingness to work hard in rehearsal can be harnessed
to give the whole parish a wonderfully fresh perspective on a familiar story,
and thus reawaken for us the mystery of God's gracious Incarnation in Jesus.
- Gordon Graham
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Our Services
for the Christmas Season
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Christmas Eve,
December 24
12 Noon
Holy
Eucharist with Carols
4 pm
Holy
Eucharist for children of all ages
8 pm
Festival Eucharist with Combined Choirs
11 pm
Festival Eucharist with Combined Choirs and Choir Alumni
(Incense will be used)
Please Note: The 8 pm and 11pm
services are preceded by a half-hour of Christmas music.
Christmas Day,
December 25
10 am
Holy Eucharist with Carols
The First Sunday after Christmas, December 27
8am & 9am
Holy
Eucharist
at Trinity
Church
11am
Service
of
Nine Lessons and Carols
with the
Choirs of Trinity Church and
brass and
timpani in
Princeton University Chapel
(incense will be used at this service)
There is no 11am service
at Trinity |
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"We'll Always Have Paris"
You can Too!
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Second Chance on Paris Apartment! Did you bid on but lose Sylvia Temmer's Paris apartment at last
Friday's St. Nicholas Bazaar Preview Party Auction? Would you like a second
chance? Please call Lynne Davis at 609-430-0306 if you are interested in a good
deal!
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Lauren Davis Writing Class
encore beginning
January 12th
"Creating Character Emotion"
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Writer-in-Residence at Trinity Church, will be holding creative
writing classes at the church January 12, 19 & 26, from 6:30-8:00. Cost is
$100.00
Beads of perspiration. Fluttering stomach. Tapping toes. Okay,
there's no doubt the character is nervous, but isn't there a less clichéd, more
vivid way of showing it? You bet. In this class we'll look at a variety of
emotions and learn how to evoke them. Anger, hope, fear, confusion, jealousy,
forgiveness, and others-by examining both good and not-so-good examples, and
through writing exercises, we'll learn how to "show" these emotions using
original, vivid language.
For more information, please contact Lauren B. Davis at
Lauren@LaurenBDavis.com.
Class size is
limited to 12 students so please register early.
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Poets here on January 21st
for Trinity Reading Series
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I'm very exciting to report that on Thursday, January 21,
2010 poets Diane Lockward (photo) and Keith O'Shaughnessey will visit us as part of The
Trinity Church Reading Series. 7p.m. in the George Thomas Room.
Diane Lockward is the author of What Feeds Us (Wind Publications, 2006)
which received the Quentin R. Howard Poetry Prize. She is also the author of
Eve's Red Dress (Wind Publications, 2003), and a chapbook, Against
Perfection (Poets Forum Press, 1998). Her poems have been published in
several anthologies, including Poetry Daily: 366 Poems from the World's Most
Popular Poetry Website and Garrison Keillor's Good Poems for Hard
Times. Her poems have also appeared in such journals as Harvard Review,
Spoon River Poetry Review, and Prairie Schooner, and have been
featured on Poetry Daily, Verse Daily, and The Writer's Almanac. She
is the recipient of a 2003 Poetry Fellowship from the New Jersey State Council
on the Arts and has received awards from North American Review, Louisiana
Literature, the Newburyport Art Association, and the St. Louis Poetry Center. A
former high school English teacher, Diane now works as a
poet-in-the-schools.
Keith O'Shaughnessy teaches English at Camden County College in southern New
Jersey. His poems have recently appeared, or will soon be appearing, in
Columbia Magazine, Measure, Sixty-Six: The Journal of Sonnet
Studies, and Able Muse. His first chapbook, "Carnaval," was
published last Summer by Pudding House Press, and his second is due out shortly.
He lives in Princeton.
A reception will follow the readings.
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Bishop's Ball on Friday,
January 22nd
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When: Friday, January 22, 2010
(advance tickets available until January 21, 2010)
Where: Trinity Cathedral in Trenton
Begin: 8:00 PM End: 12 Midnight
Who: 9-12 graders and their adult sponsors
(Churches coming as a group are asked to bring one adult for every 5 youth)
Ticket Cost: $15 each in advance ($20 each at the door)
Dress: Semi-Formal (Optional)
High Schoolers and their adult sponsors are invited to join us for the 51st
edition of New Jersey's Diocesan-wide tradition of gathering for music,
dancing, food, and fun! The evening begins with a high energy concert
by The Sloan River Project. A melding of talent from Virginia,
Tennessee, and North Carolina, SLP toured the southeast extensively in
the summer of 2009 and brings a creative mix of originals and covers to
the stage with energy, humor, and spirituality. A big dance follows
complemented by food and space to hang out with Bishop Councell and
friends from all over the diocese! A great night for good cause!
All proceeds from Bishops' Ball will go to Camp Lebanon in Lebanon, NJ
(host site for Diocesan Youth Events)
To purchase tickets online, go to
the diocese website
http://newjersey.anglican.org/.
For more information, contact
Canon Kep Short at
kshort@newjerseyyouth.org
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Parish Directory Photos
We now are scheduling
into January!
December 23rd has openings and December 26,
from noon - 8pm
Sign up for your FREE family
photo by going to our Trinity website and scheduling a
FREE photo shoot for the
Parish Photo Directory
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Please make sure to get your picture taken for our Trinity family album
(aka. the directory).
It won't be complete without YOU!. Thanks,
Paul+
To schedule your FREE photo session,
click www.trinityprinceton.org
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Here's more information:
Photographs are taken in Pierce Hall. You get to choose the photograph for the directory, looking at your selection from a computer screen. If you decide to purchase any extra photographs, 10% of the purchase price is donated to Trinity Church. Questions? Please email Annie Thomas
at thomasa@trinityprinceton.org
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Collecting NOW for the
40th Annual Rummage Sale;
And we break for Christmas!
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40th Annual Trinity
Church Rummage Sale on
Saturday, February 13th Rummage can be dropped off weekdays, 9am-5pm, but
Thursday is preferred as our rummage team sorts on Friday mornings. The last
day to donate rummage is February 1st;
we'll also stop from
December 17th -December 28th for
Christmas!
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Our Parish Office Hours
are Monday-Thursday, 9am-5pm and
Friday, 9am - 3pm
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You can always reach our clergy in an emergency by
calling them on their cell phones:
Paul Jeanes
609-851-6989
Anne Marie
Richards 609-651-3217
Sarah Kinney Gaventa
609-365-0419
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Would You Like a
Trinity Name Tag?
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Please wear your name tag during church (all services, so we can recognize you and remember you at Evensong and Compline, as well as Sunday morning services. Please email parish administrator Annie Thomas if you would like to have a Trinity name tag!
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Deadline for the Next E-Pistle and Service Leaflet is WEDNESDAY,
10 Am
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Look for your next issue of E-Pistle on THURSDAY. Please keep sending your news for E-Pistle to Alison Roth. Not sure if your news goes into E-Pistle? No
problem! Send everything to Alison, who will direct your information to
the proper person, and keep reading E-Pistle to follow the parish life
of Trinity Church.
Trinity Church
33 Mercer Street,
Princeton, New Jersey.
Telephone 609-924-2277
Fax 609-924-9140
www.trinityprinceton.org
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To Receive E-Pistle,
Annie Thomas Needs Your E-Mail Address |
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Why not have it sent to a friend? Please send the email address to thomasa@trinityprinceton.org
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