| July 2016 Trinity Today |

Welcome to our new "mobile friendly" newsletter! We hope that this will help you stay connected and up to date on all the Holy Trinity happenings. Read on to find out more. 

Fort McMurray Update


From the desk of the Rt. Rev. Fraser Lawton
Diocese of Athabasca


June 10, 2016


Dear Fellow Servants of Christ,


The people of Fort McMurray have begun to return to the city and to face the realities of work and restoration. This return process will continue over weeks and months, as some will remain out of the city while children finish school, as they wait for the lifting of the boil water advisory, and as some need to find a new place to live in the city. About a dozen parishioners are in this latter group, having lost everything to the fires.


We are grateful that our buildings are intact and that we were able to join together for worship, using All Saints' building last Sunday (June 5). All our buildings have clean-up work to be done, especially in terms of dealing with the effects of smoke. Nonetheless, both parishes are planning to return to the regular Sunday schedule this week. Both parishes do face a significant amount of work in the buildings and in returning to being fully functional. Our parishioners face the same issues with their own homes, jobs, families, and lives. 


There are a number of ways that you can help the people of Fort McMurray. First, please continue to pray for them and for the restoration process. We face some financial costs that are not covered by insurance or other relief funding. The diocese is still receiving donations to "Fort McMurray Fire" that will be directed to areas of need in the parishes. We are able to make use of volunteers immediately to support the clean-up work and the "chores" that go with returning the buildings and grounds to full usage. Please contact the diocese to participate in this way. We are also planning for summer programming for children, and will be happy to have volunteers help with that. Again, please contact the office for more information.


May God give us the grace and strength for the work ahead.


The Lord be with you,
+Fraser 
Judeo-Christian: truth or fantasy? 
By Adrian Peetoom


Canadians have been debating end-of-life issues, while the US is listening to Donald Trump who wants to make "America strong again." Some Christian voices who support Trump have linked the "again" to the argument that Western civilization is so clearly grounded in the Judeo-Christian tradition, so let's get back to it. Seeing that the phrase has reared its head again lately, this seems a good time to brood upon both its possible meanings and relevance.


I can think of a justification for its use as grounded in what the Bible tells us about Creation. In spite of recurring theological positions that suggest otherwise, the Christian faith is down to earth. God made us from dust. Sun, moon, stars and planets are not divinities but God's handiwork. Human beings were set in a garden with a development task, a task which did not cease after their disobedience in, and banishment from, that garden. (But now the work encounters thorns and thistles!) Created reality is not an embodiment of divinity, in contrast to much pagan thinking. The Bible actually never poses the relationship natural-supernatural - there is nothing supernatural in human experience, even though some Christians love to think so. The author of Ecclesiastes put the matter in blunt terms (3,18ff): I said in my heart with regard to human beings that God is testing them to show that they are but animals. For the fate of animals is the same; as one dies so dies the other. They all have the same breath, and humans have no advantage over the animals, for all is vanity...So I saw that there is nothing better than that all [human beings] should enjoy their work, for that is their lot; who can bring them to see what will be after them?  


"Enjoy their work." That is part of what the Bible, OT and NT both, teaches us. And if we wish to call that Judeo-Christian heritage, I'm fine with it. For what has that Biblical joy in awareness of labouring earthiness produced? Plenty. All because we need not fear that created reality is divine as so many other religions proclaim (and therefore resist investigating nature but hang on to superstitions). Christians celebrate:
  • Advances in science (including that triumph of it, the human genome) would never have happened without the awareness that human beings are free to explore all parts of the universe, for it is "the garden" put in their care.
  • Early Christians in the Roman Empire were known for, and praised for, their care for those in need, Christians or not. That care came to include care for the sick. Some hospitals in the world (including in Kingston, ON) are still called "Hotel de Dieu", (freely translated) "havens of God." Care for the sick, and hence also increasingly sophisticated health science and technology are seen by Christians as gifts of God through the minds and hands of human beings.
  • In earlier ages many (Christian) monasteries controlled large slabs of fertile land. Some locations also became "laboratories" for agricultural experimentation, resulting in more food per acre more cheaply produced, a development especially important when Europe experienced off and on spurts in population. Moreover, monks often grew healing herbs.
  • Researchers who after the Renaissance laid the foundations for the science and technology we now enjoy almost invariably believed that they were doing God's work. They were.
  • And it could be argued that democracy could not have been rooted in anything but in a Biblical view of humanity - all human beings created in the image of God.
These are important areas for which it is easy to make the claim that Christian convictions found in Old and New Testament were the foundation, however often below the surface of consciousness.


By contrast, when I think of the faith-conscious side of being Judeo-Christian, I do not see much evidence of a presence of Torah and Christ in history. Nor of a culture-prevailing Christ-following spirit of serving, being the least, turning the other cheek, loving one's enemies. Given the Christian Church as a dominant societal presence for many centuries, how do we account for:
  • The Crusades;
  • the Thirty-Year War (1618-48), which included Catholics and various Protestants slaughtering each other in large numbers;
  • widespread Western use of slaves;
  • persistent racism of all kinds;
  • the (for me) most peculiar U.S.A. devotion to violence and guns, also by those who call themselves Christian;
  • World War I with its religious overtones;
  • The narcissism of our own times.
I don't see much Judeo--Christian in any of the above.


What I do see is what Jesus (he was a Jew!) suggested that Christians be in the world: a salting salt, a candle on a hill, a leaven in the lump. Little bits of faith insight and practice, without which food would be tasteless, dark would be overwhelming, and bread would not as good as it can be. A Judeo-Christian heritage perhaps, but then barely visible, and then only by a minute  minority in any age. 


Judeo-Christian is a misleading term. It can be a dangerous one, when it is used to stand in the way of God's love shining in areas of human existence dark until now. Dangerous when the phrase is used to say "No" to today in the mistaken notion that life in some past was actually a lot better than it is now. It never was. 
Archives: Early History in The Arts


Dramatic Entertainment at Ross Hall in 1901, provided by members of Holy Trinity. Betsy Baker concerned an old man pretending to be young (played by Mr. Jamieson) who is exposed when his young wife (Mrs. Harry Wilson) pulls off his wig. In the play Chiselling a quack sculptor (Mr. Jamieson) is exposed by an elderly art critic (Mr. McMahon) when one of the works of art, "The Great Alexander" (in the person of Mr. Harry Wilson) comes to life after excessive imbibing. (Photographs lent by Mrs. H.L. Hawe) 




Further information is available in "Holy Trinity Anglican Church 75 Years 1893 - 1968".
 
This book was used as a reference.
 
Ron Fishburne
Archives Committee
Organ Restoration and Enhancement Project, Final phase begins!



Holy Trinity houses one of the oldest operating Casavant organs in the Edmonton Area. In 2012, the church began a multi-year, multi-phase restoration project.  Over the last five years, much work has been done to restore aging windlines, leather fasteners and other decaying parts of the organ chamber, which resides behind the visible pipes above the sacristy, some of which had been held together with string and duct tape to keep it operational for the last decade. We have also done significant work to the floor of the organ chamber as it was beginning to sag under the organ's extreme weight. Along with this needed work, we have been upgrading the original components of the organ console (where the organ is played from), and adding new pipes, or extending existing ranks of pipes to create a newer tone colour.


The final phase of this project is to add ten new stops to a brand new division of the organ, and complete the retuning and revoicing of the entire instrument.  Thanks to a very generous anonymous  community donation, we are able to complete this work far sooner than we had expected.


Preparation for this work has begun, and you may notice materials from the organ company, including crates and pipes, to be located around the church for the month of July. The fa�ade of the organ will be removed and there will be scaffolding around the organ for a few weeks. I ask for your patience as the work continues.


We are very excited about the completion of this project, and we are looking forward to a proper dedication and celebration some time next year!


If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at [email protected]


John Brough
Director of Music
Education for Ministry



Want to learn more about your faith? Want to be part of a group that engages in ongoing theological questioning? Consider enrolling in EfM, a theological study program that goes beyond traditional bible study, covering Old Testament, New Testament, Church History, and topics in Theology. It is a four year program, but students commit and enroll for only one year at a time. EfM will enrich your understanding of the nature of faith and give you the knowledge you need to help you answer the questions of faith that arise in your life. If this interests you, please contact the Rev. Robin Walker, Diocesan EfM Coordinator, at 587-523-4297 or by email no later than July 12th. 


Click to learn more about EfM.

Kompany Family Theatre: Preview Show



Kompany Family Theatre is offering a free preview of their new show "A Squealy-Moo Hoot 'N Holler Hullabaloo" in the church garden during coffee hour on Sunday, July 10. Please bring your kids and come enjoy the fun!


More about the show:
The campers of Camp Squealy-Moo are supposed to be working on their "Library Partner Badge" but shor'nuff that rambunctious gang does get side-tracked! Hoot & holler along with them in songs, stories and adventures of Wild West proportions. 
45 minutes long
Especially for preschool to 7 year olds
Upcoming Young Adults Events



July 10
Join us after the 10:30AM church service as we head to the Whyte Avenue Art Walk. Imagine a 4km walk through the hearts and minds of artists. Cultural explorers are invited to see art-making in action on the streets of Old Strathcona. Over 450 visual artists will bring their art supplies and art works out into the streets. Together they create an outdoor studio and gallery spanning several blocks. The Whyte Avenue Art Walk reveals Alberta's hidden talent and provides an opportunity for patrons to curate their own art collection from many undiscovered masters. 
 
August 14
After church on August 14 we'll explore the Fringe Festival grounds together! The Edmonton Fringe takes place in Old Strathcona for a vibrant 11 days and features Buskers, Outdoor Performers, Artisans and Vendors and over 1600 live theatre performances are hosted by close to 40 venues. 
 
Potluck and Prayer
Our weekly Tuesday night potluck and Bible study has now wrapped up for the summer, but please join us again starting on September 6 as we study the book of Micah. Bring what you can. Come when you can. All are welcome. 
Campfire & Compline



Just what it says! We enjoy an evening together around a campfire and join in praying the Compline. Join us at Sir Wilfred Laurier Park, Picnic Site #6 on July 15th (with Bishop Jane), and August 12th and 26th. We start at 7:00 pm. Feel free to come for the whole evening, or just a little while.


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Trinity Lutheran Church Mural 



After months of consultation and discussion, a design has been chosen for the mosaic that will go on Trinity Lutheran's outside west wall. 
 
Now it's time to paint the roughly 1000 tiles which will make up the mural. You are invited to attend at least one of the tile painting sessions:
  • Saturday, July 9th and Sunday July 10th, 12-4pm - at the Whyte Ave Art Walk
You don't have to be artistic; the artists and volunteers present at the painting sessions will help you. Express your dreams, your faith, your roots, values, personality - your tile will be your lasting gift to the community. The mural will be unveiled on September 11, 2016 at 12:30pm. For more information, please contact Trinity Lutheran Church (email or 780-428-1310) or The Paint Spot (10032 81 Ave., 780-432-0240). 
Clergy Grill 



Monday, August 15th
5:30 to 7:00PM


No we're not grilling the clergy, but the clergy of Holy Trinity are putting some fine grilling on the BBQ!  It's a free grill for the neighbours and community people around Holy Trinity.  Everyone is invited to come on down to the front lawn and grab some delicious cooking. Whether you already and worship here, come and see a concert or play here, live nearby, participate as an artist in our events, walk by the church, read about it on-line, or just saw this announcement, you are invited! 
Hospitality Ministry: Laundry Help Needed 



The hospitality ministry at Holy Trinity is a vibrant group of people that helps with the planning of events, periodic cleaning of the church kitchens, and other important functions. They are currently looking for someone to help with the church laundry (dish cloths, linens, etc.). If you would like to help with this ministry, please contact Gloria Letwin, Hospitality Coordinator. Thank you! 
Script Salon



A Monthly Play Reading Series By Members of the Playwrights Guild of Canada

Script Salon showcases some of the most talented theatre writers in the region with new plays ripe for production read by professional actors in the elegant setting of Holy Trinity Anglican Church. Presented the first Sunday of every month with a different play by a different playwright featured every time, Script Salon is a bounteous buffet of sizzling comedy, drama, romance and adventure forged by the power of imagination.
The First Sunday of Every Month at 7:30PM
Holy Trinity Anglican Church 10037 84 Avenue, Edmonton
Free Admission (Donations Accepted) - Refreshments - Playwright Talk Back 
July 3 - "Together Again For The Next Time" by Reed McColm
The entire blended Frobisher/Wolders clan invites you to a wedding you'll never forget.
August 7 - "The Solstice Mutiny" & "The First Law" by Gerald St. Maur 
Rebellion from within and without. Fighting authority, from within and without.


September 4 - "Bloodhound" by Paul Matwychuk
A man's orderly and boring life turns violent when he falls in love with the seductive talking dog who lives next door.
Fringe Festival


The Fringe Festival is coming! This
August 11th to 21st, Holy Trinity will be home to nine excellent theatre productions, and you can be involved! Many volunteers will be needed to help everything run smoothly. We'll need help with ushers, concession volunteers, the lemonade stand and tea room. Please take a look at the volunteer schedule sign up during coffee hour, or sign up online (see below for online instructions). This is a truly wonderful opportunity to reach out into our community and share the ministry of hospitality. Questions? Please talk to Janette in the church office, or Dwane and Darlene Kunitz.


Online Volunteer Sign Up Instructions:
  • To sign up online, please click here
  • Click all the check boxes next to the times you want to sign up for.
  • Click the big red "Submit and Sign Up" button at the bottom of the page.
  • Enter your name, and, if desired, your email address.
  • You will have the option to create a "Sign Up Genius" account so you can make changes to your schedule later. This is a great feature, but you do not have to create an account to sign up online.
  • Click the brown "Sign Up Now" button.
  • And you're done! 
It's a Messy Picnic!


August 21st, 2:30PM


Join us in the church garden on August 21st at 2:30pm for our next Messy Church event. Please RSVP to Rev. Heather so we can plan for the correct number of people. Hope to see you there! 
Thursday Morning Formation


Starting in September, join us on Thursday mornings at 10:30AM for a new study from Living the Questions. The group will meet initially on September 8th, and the DVD study will begin on September 15th. All are welcome.


More about the study: 


Violence Divine: Overcoming the Bible's Betrayal of Its Non-Violent God



One of the world's foremost historical Jesus scholars helps the church and its alumni/ae rise above the greatest of Christian treasons: that everlasting peace can only be achieved through the onslaught of divine violence.



Filmed before a live audience in a workshop setting, professor and author John Dominic Crossan summarizes the essence of his bestselling HOW TO READ THE BIBLE & STILL BE A CHRISTIAN: Struggling with Divine Violence from Genesis Through Revelation and shows the way forward for those seeking an authentic Christianity for the 21st century.


Professor Emeritus of Biblical Studies at De Paul University, John Dominic Crossan is generally acknowledged to be the premier historical Jesus scholar in the world. He has written twenty books including Jesus: A Revolutionary BiographyWho Killed Jesus? andThe Birth of Christianity. A Roman Catholic monk for nineteen years and a priest for twelve years, Crossan is a former co-chair of the Jesus Seminar and chair of the Historical Jesus Section of the Society of Biblical Literature.
Arts at Holy Trinity - Theatre Tech Intensive


September 16 to 18, 2016


Come join the Arts at Holy Trinity Anglican Church Tech program. Learn the fundamentals of Stage Management and technical theatre with three of the city's top pro theatre technicians. We will chose 8 candidates from the intensive to be our resident techs for our 2016/2017 arts season including the 2017 Fringe festival where we host 9 shows in 3 BYOVs. This intensive is open to anyone with a passion for the performing arts or who has an interest in technical theatre. We will be accepting applicants as young as 14 but the program is open to all ages.
Registration Fee: $150
For more info and to register (by August 15) contact [email protected].
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Upcoming Clergy and Staff Holidays


Please note the following dates when Holy Trinity clergy and/or staff will be on holidays:
  • July 1 to 22: Janette Chambers (Please note that office hours during this time will be limited to 10am-12pm, Monday to Friday.) 
  • July 24 to 30: Fr. Chris Pappas
  • July 31 to August 28: John Brough 
Holy Trinity Anglican Church | 780-433-5530 
[email protected] | www.holytrinity.ab.ca

10037 84 Ave. NW, Edmonton, AB T6E 2G6
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Holy Trinity Anglican Church | 10037 - 84 Avenue NW | Edmonton | AB | T6E 2G6 | Canada