From the Vicar...

Winston Churchill once described the nation then known as the Soviet Union (now Russia) as "a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma." This was his way of saying that it was almost impossible to understand what that nation was all about.

This Sunday, May 26, will be Trinity Sunday, and like the old Soviet Union, it celebrates a doctrine many find "a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma." Who, or what, is the Holy Trinity? How do we go about describing what Martin Luther once called "the mathematics of the Godhead?"

Indeed, given all the debates of the last couple of decades concerning the limitations of human language in describing God, can we find appropriate words with which to describe the One whom we can scarcely understand? It's a challenge that causes even the most theologically facile to tremble with a holy fear.

Scripture tells us our duty is to love God with our minds as well as our hearts - but have we carried this command a bit too far? I sometimes get the sense, as I read some of the many articles scribbled in the past few years, that God has become "a problem to be solved" - One about whom we invent all manner of high-sounding theological verbiage, all of which reduces God to a phenomenon to be studied rather than the loving Presence scripture reveals God to be.

As much as I enjoy the sophistication of our age, I somehow find myself longing for the simplicity our New Testament forebears possessed. They followed a Jesus who embodied the fullness of God, who captured in human form the authority of God - yet never once delivered what today we would call a theological treatise. He simply brought those who followed him to the threshold of understanding by his nature, his being. He let them explore the depths of God by giving them opportunities for exploring him and examining and emulating what he was doing.

As, this coming Sunday, we celebrate the Feast of the Trinity, perhaps we find ourselves called to be lifted up beyond the level of the cerebral, to that place where the indefinable, the mysterious, the enigmatic within us joins the journey that heretofore has only been explored in the realm of the mindful, the rational. It is a time to place ourselves within the loving embrace of the One who is "a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma" - and let the experience of so being move us to a deeper understanding of our triune God.

Faithfully,

Fr. Chip

"Let Your Talents Shine" campaign...

Time and Talent pledge drive enters final week

We have received Time and Talent Pledge Forms from some of our households - but there are a number from whom we have yet to hear. Please fill out one form for each member of your household. After results are collated, you'll be contacted by a Bishop's Committee member or ministry chair. You are asked to return your form(s), in person, by mail, or electronically, no later than Friday, May 31.

- Your Stewardship Team

Do you have storage space available?

Gary Dozier, a member of Christ Church who lives in Hampton, needs to find space about the equivalent of a double-bay garage (or less) to store some personal possessions that cannot fit into his apartment storage unit. He is willing to pay a rental fee, and assures us the items in storage are NOT "yard sale junk."

If you have space you are willing to rent to Gary, please contact him by phone at 603-929-7222 or by email at g.dozier@comcast.net. Time is of the essence as he needs to relocate it quickly.

For further details, click  here 

•  YARD SALE  Saturday June 8th - It's time to clean out the house (and garage)of all that clutter - put it into a box and bring it to church!  Please remember that we can not accept electronic equipment!  We will begin accepting all your other donations on Sunday June 2nd!  

• Adopt a pot - a flower pot that is!  There are 4 large flower pots - 2 in front of Hobbs House entrance and 2 on the front sidewalk entrance to the church.  They need flowers and caregivers who are willing to oversee their care thru-out the growing season.  If interested, please let Nita or Patrice know!

 

New Hampshire Fisher Cats Vs Portland Sea Dogs 

at Manchester

  JUST FOR THE FUN OF IT!!!

The Holy Roller bus-will leave Portsmouth at 5:45. Don't want to take the bus??? No problem, we can car-pool, tool!     

We had a lot of fun last year so let's see if we can top our 35 fans of 2012.   20 tickets have been donated for our use and JR is working on recruiting some "young-uns" from the area youth groups to join us!!   Sign-up sheets can be found at both Trinity and Christ Churches - Lets have some fun!

 

Tickets are $7.00 each - what a deal! 

When:  Saturday, June 29, 2013  at 7:30 pm 
Where:  At Delta Dental Field, Manchester, NH  

  

 

Women Singing Out Concert

2013 SPCA Paws Walk

   

Children and Youth Programs  

Gospel for Kids

During the Gospel for Kids we will be looking at how we sometimes reject Jesus from our lives and do things that do not please him. We will look at how when people rejected him in his hometown. We will work on ways that we may welcome him into our lives.

Youth Database

If you have a youth between preschool and High School please consider sending J.R. Bridle your e-mail address, so that he can add you to the youth e-mail list, and get you the most up to date information the fastest. 

JR Bridle 

j_bridle@hotmail.com

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Sunday Schedule

          1st & 3rd Sundays

• At Christ Church: Godly Play (10:30 am) 
• At Trinity: Gospel Lessons for Kids (8:45 am) 

 2nd & 4th Sundays

• At Christ Church: Gospel Lessions for Kids (10:30 am) 

• Gospel for Kids 

Volunteers Needed: J. R. needs a volunteer to help out at each church to run the Gospel for Kids programs. This commitment is for two Sundays. If I could get six volunteers that would mean every volunteer would miss TWO Sundays the whole year to offer our expanded Sunday school offerings.    

Alexis Zaricki, Music Director

• Trinity: 8:00 am - 8:30 am
• Christ Church: After the 10:30 am service

• Saturdays: Food Pantry at Hobbs House Trinity. 10:00 am - noon (Sandi Nickerson & Gordon Lane)
• Sundays: The Christ Church "Holy Roller" Bus (Chuck Ott)
• 1st Saturday of the month: Portsmouth Salvation Army Suppers, 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm (Jean Wadman)
• 2nd & 4th Mondays of the month: St. Vincent Soup Kitchen, Hampton (Ginny Bridle-Russell & Phoebe Bischoff)
• 1st Sundays of the month: Pastoral Visit to the Oceanside Rehabilitation Center, Hampton (Bob Main & Belinda Wilkes)
• The Canister Ministry at Trinity. Have you ever walked out of Trinity Church, and noticed those random boxes by the exit? Were you curious to what that ministry was all about? Well there are actually several ministries being offered in a one drop stop. Learn more   

Contact Amanda or Aidan for clothing donation drop off or clothing needs 603.918.6816 or email dress4schoolsuccess@comcast.net.

 Content Submission Guidelines 

The Shared Ministry E-News is an electronic newsletter for members of Trinity Episcopal Church, Hampton and Christ Episcopal Church, Portsmouth. It is published weekly on Thursdays. We welcome submissions that have a connection to the ministry of these churches. Inclusion of submissions is at the discretion of Reverend Robinson.

porthamp@gmail.com or mail to the office at Trinity Church, 200 High St, Hampton, NH 03842 or Christ Church, 1035 Lafayette Rd, Portsmouth, NH 03801. Entries should follow the Submission Guidelines.

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