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 From the Vicar... The day I "lost Jesus" One of the joys of a long career in the priesthood is that, inevitably, unintentionally funny things happen. Many years ago, late in the Easter season, I was celebrating the Holy Eucharist at the Church of the Holy Spirit in Orleans, Mass. Holy Spirit was a beautiful, hand-crafted church built over several stages by the labor of loving parishioners. When I was there (sadly no longer true 30+ years later), there was not a "store-bought" thing in the building. The chalices and patens were hand-crafted, the crosses and chairs were home-made - even the candelabra. One Sunday, in that lovely setting, I celebrated facing a congregation of nearly two hundred with my Rector and mentor, the Rev. David White, by my side. After holding up the Bread and Cup for the elevation at the end of the Eucharistic Prayer, I remember looking at the assembly and noticing that something was amiss. Sometime in the course of the Eucharistic Prayer I became aware that the host was not on the paten. As the people prayed the Lord's Prayer, I asked David under my breath, "Where is he?" David responded, "He is not here. He is risen." I confess we both cracked up. Suddenly two hundred parishioners were looking at the altar wide-eyed. They had never seen their priests breaking up like this before at the altar. We found him, fortunately. (I had inadvertently dropped the host on the floor it seems.) I doubt there were many reverent receptions of Holy Communion that day. What was on everyone's mind was, "What were they laughing at?" I write to you as the brief post- Ascension Day "season" of Eastertide gets underway. The essential point of this ten-day period is not that the Risen Lord has gone to heaven but that he is here, as he said, even to the end of the ages. I'm still losing Jesus in my life from time to time. And sometimes I find him in joy; sometimes I find him when I am lost on the edges of sadness or questioning. He's here, even if I have a hard time recognizing him and responding to him. One of the ways we sustain knowledge of Christ's presence among us is through the sign and witness of our Christian communities, through our buildings, through our worship and by what we do with the rest of our lives. Churches remind people of God. Beautiful churches like that gem on Cape Cod are a powerful witness to belief in God. Prayer and service are powerful vehicles of presence. And when a Christian community is clear about its identity, the assembly of the baptized is the greatest sign of all of God's presence and of God's love. The rich heritage of Christian worship provides many avenues for our lives to be renewed in knowledge of Christ's presence and the work he has given us to do. Sometimes all one has to do is enter a church building to experience the peace of God which passes all understanding. If you are looking for Christ never be afraid to come to church. It's one of the easiest places to encounter him. Fr. Chip Ascension Day Taizé service this evening at St. John's  The Seacoast Convocation of the Episcopal Church will offer a joint celebration in the Taizé tradition in honor of this occasion this evening at 7:00 p.m. the service will be held at St. John's Church, Portsmouth. I encourage you to come. Fr. Chip
The Remarkable Life of Celia Thaxter
Saturday, May 16 at Hobbs House, Trinity Church
 Tickets will be available at the door for "The Remarkable Life of Celia Thaxter" at Hobbs House at Trinity Church on Saturday, May 16.
This program, featuring actor Stephanie Voss Nugent, is being put on as a benefit at no cost to Trinity and Christ Churches as a tribute to Kay Scott whose efforts made this event possible and in memory of Jean Wadman, a tireless worker for her church and for the theater.
Tickets are $10 each. Refreshments will be served beginning at 6:30 and the presentation begins at 7.
Our Shared Ministry Cycle of Prayer
Each week, in both of our churches, we pray for one ministry we share and one or two households in each church. About once every six weeks, we will instead using the Shared Ministry Collect we prayed throughout the opening months of our Shared Ministry.
In our prayers the next two weeks, we give God thanks for...
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May 17
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The Worship Committee at Christ Church; Dan & Barbara Nicholson of Trinity Church; Paula Kidder of Christ Church
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May 24
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(concluding collect for our shared ministry)
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Let's wear red for Pentecost! 
On the Day of Pentecost, Sunday, May 24, we will continue our custom of wearing red as a small sign that the Holy Spirit lives within each of us. Our services in both churches that day will feature some powerful Pentecost hymns - including some from more contemporary sources - and a multi-lingual reading of the Pentecost Gospel. (Do you know another language? Let me know so you can help out with this!) I'll be adorned in bright red vestments, the altar will be decked in red as well - why don't we all wear red to make the scene a "sea" of Pentecost color!
Fr. Chip
May 31 liturgy and June 7 brunch to kick off celebration of Trinity's 60th anniversary
Trinity's 60th anniversary is rapidly approaching! The celebration kicks off on Trinity's actual 60th anniversary: Trinity Sunday, May 31. We will have a special Eucharist in honor of the occasion that day - but the "festive event" referenced in last week's article will come one week later, on Sunday, June 7, when we will invite all Trinity "alumni" to return and join us for brunch following the 8:45 a.m. service. (Note: We had previously announced this as a picnic, but decided that, with the variable weather we've been having, that might not be wise in early June.) At the brunch, we'll have some historical displays up to help us enjoy our Trinity memories. Between then and the end of 2015, we plan to theme a number of events around this milestone, so stay tuned.
Let your talents shine!
This coming week, our members should receive, either electronically or in the mail, Time and Talent Pledge Forms. After you have reviewed the list of possibilities, please fill out one form for each member of your household who plans to serve in some capacity in the program year to come (June 2015-May 2016). 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 Sunday, May 31.
Your Bishop's Committee
A big change coming to our bulletins this summer
Beginning in June, we will be making some changes to cut down on the amount of paper we use each week. Instead of a full bulletin for each Sunday, we will be producing seasonal booklets that stay in the pew for a liturgical season at a time, with a one-sheet insert containing the particular Sunday's hymns, readings, and announcements. By eliminating between eight and twelve pages of material on a weekly basis, we not only "go green" in a big way, we save money as well. This fall, we'll ask for your feedback to see whether or not to continue come Advent. Several other churches around New Hampshire have changed to this approach and they report it has worked well for them.
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