is our annual

Trinity Sunday Worship & Picnic

as we celebrate the community that is Trinity.

We begin at 10 am in the

Centennial Memorial Garden with worship (in the Parish Hall in the event of rain).

We follow with picnic and games for all, including some water games!

We’ll provide the burgers, hotdogs, buns, condiments and beverages.  Please bring your favorite salad, side or dessert to share.

Faith, food, fellowship and fun.  What a day!  All are welcome – bring a friend or neighbor!

I have often heard people speak longingly for a simple life.  There is something within us that seems to yearn for a way of living that is less demanding, less complicated, and more centered on the simple things that give life meaning.  The simple life appears to be a utopian dream of another way of operating that gives us permission and freedom to a life not entangled in the complexities of modern life.

There is a trap in the desire for the simple life, and there is a grace in it.  The trap is that the desire for the simple life, the uncomplicated life of authenticity, leads us away from realizing the divine presence in the present moment.  The grace is that the desire for the simple life provides us a point of discernment about the way we are living. Let me share with you a story.

A man living on the island of Crete has a plot of land deep in the interior of the island where he practices the traditional (and organic) farming of his ancestors.  He loves this little plot of land.  He grows his vegetables and eats from the produce all through the summer.  He cans the peaches and apricots.  He makes bread from the wheat he has grown and milled.  He makes wine from the grapes on his little plot of ground.  He even has a small number of sheep that provides him the festive meals for the holidays.

When he talks about this plot of ground and his farming, he comes to life.  He explains this farming as an important counterpoint to his very active life as a hotelier in the major city of the island.  His work takes him deeply into the life of commerce, hospitality, travel arrangements, tax laws, managing a staff of people, and continual openness to the needs of others.  The plot of ground stands in direct opposition to his active professional life.  He leaves his complicated life to the side when he goes to his plot of ground and as his ancestors farms the land, providing for his family and friends from the fruits of the earth.  He loves the sense of doing what his father and grandfather and his great grandfather did on this plot of land.  It is a way of connecting to a simpler way of life more in tune with the realities of rural living close to the earth.  But he also loves the way his modern life provides funds for his children’s education and future; he enjoys providing hospitality; he likes operating hotels.  The simple life and the complicated life are both places of personal and professional fulfillment.

He realizes that he cannot leave his city professional life in order to live in his farming utopia.  That is impossible.  But he can use his utopian farming life as a means of keeping him honest about what he truly values in his professional life.  In other words, the simple life keeps his complicated life honest, and his professional life always stands in contrast to the simple life of his ancestors on the island.

What the desire for the simple life provides us as spiritual individuals is a point of reference for discerning where our lives are fully attuned to the reality of God among us.  When we find ourselves yearning for the simple life, it tells us that something in our active and complicated life is not fulfilling.  The desire for the simple life opens a space to examine the realities of our active lives.  It gives us the opportunity to examine and change how we relate and how we live.  It is important spiritual work.  We cannot fall into the trap of thinking we can create that simple life unconnected to the complexities of our modern living, but we can use the desire for the simple life to guide and direct the way we live in our complicated world.

In truth, God is present in both.  God is equally active in our simple life and in our complicated life.  There is not a place or way of life that does not participate in the divine energies.  God is everywhere.  So our desire for the simple life is as divine as the reality of our complicated lives.  The interplay of the desire for the simple life and the reality of our connected and complicated lives leads us to consider the way we live and work in God in the present moment.  The desire for the simple life presents both a trap and a grace; the difference is how we transform, divinize, or sanctify our lives whether simple or complicated.

There are several ways we can intentionally provide moments of simplicity in our lives.  I have outlined two below.

Pilgrimage

Some of our early church fathers and mothers were intense travelers who went from holy place and holy person to all the great spiritual sites where they could observe and study the lives of famous saints and visit the Holy Land where the Israelite and Christian people lived.  The most famous is the rich Spanish lady, Egeria, who left her travelogue, her descriptions of holy people and holy places, for her sisters back in Spain.  She travelled across the Mediterranean, across North Africa and Egypt, and ended her trip in Jerusalem.  She needed to “be there” to understand; she wanted to be “in place” among the holy people and holy places in order to see, feel, and experience for herself the “very place” where holiness and salvation were evident.

Pilgrimage sets us free from the daily routines of life and sets us on a path of discovery of the different and new.  Sometimes our pilgrimage involves travel to another physical place; sometimes pilgrimage involves a spiritual travel to an inward place; sometimes it involves elements of both.  But the objective is to see the world and God through new eyes and through new experiences outside the norm of daily living.  Pilgrimage is a kind of spiritual vacation for relaxation (even though travel is tiring) and refreshment that is similar to living a simple life.

There was a teenager, whose mother became critically ill.  The doctors were not sure she would live, telling the family each day that she had reached a low point and would not make it.  The boy’s aunt called the priest and gathered the family before the icon of the Mother of God and they prayed asking for the mother to be preserved from death and given life to raise her children.  They gathered each evening after their consultation with the very depressing doctors.  Quite miraculously, the boy’s mother pulled through.  It was

Wonder Working Shrine

a long recovery, but she was released from the hospital to recover (if she could) at home.  The boy made a vow to the Mother of God that he would make a pilgrimage to her wonderworking shrine, in the Cyclades Islands of Greece, a shrine known for its healing through prayer and vigil.

Pilgrimage takes us to different places, both physically and spiritually.  The boy’s youthful vow, fulfilled later as an adult, became a moment of trust in something both mysterious and profound.  He remembered well the depth of emotion those evenings praying for his mother, and he saw before him his inner life being played out by other desperate people praying for a miracle.  In his normal life, he would probably dismiss the expectation of a miracle, but on his pilgrimage miracles were common.  The pilgrimage led to an interior healing of memories for him, as well as a physical fulfilling of a vow and a participation with others who were experiencing the same trauma that led to his vow.  He was transformed.

Many in the Early Church often went on pilgrimage to force a change in their perspectives and their ways of living.  It was a practice that led through transformation by breaking the bounds of normal living and venturing into unknown worlds.  The transformation that resulted changed the body, the mind, and the soul, as well as becoming a time of renewal for the community left behind.

Fasting

Fasting is one of the foundational and common practices of the spiritual life.  Monks throughout the ages live a life regulated by periods of fasting.  And yet fasting is the most misunderstood spiritual practice because it has been confused with hatred of body.  Fasting is indeed a bodily discipline, but the intent of fasting is not to punish the body, but to use a bodily discipline to remind the person of the reality of God’s providence, care, and presence.  In other words, fasting is like a book-mark that reminds you where you are in the story of salvation.

Fasting relates to the memory of God.  By interrupting the most common pattern of living, our eating, we place a stumbling block in our path so that we may remember God.  We interrupt our day with a reminder that God is present by changing our normal patterns of living.  In this way, God breaks into the mundane activities of the day and the day becomes transfigured by the memory of God.  Fasting is nothing more than that.  It does not punish the body, nor is it to be confused with distrust of the body; it is simply the instrument for the memory of God.

I grew up with Orthodox friends who observed the typical Orthodox regime of fasting: no milk products, no meat or chicken, and on certain days no wine or oil.  So during Lent they would take a “Lenten lunch” to school.  They would bring boiled shrimp or steamed lobster tail for me with a few vegetables, some hummus, and some bread.  I was always outraged!  I would say to them “How could eating boiled shrimp or lobster be fasting?”  For me, fasting was a matter of self-denial, of penitence, of self-sacrifice which I learned from my Catholic mother.  But for their family, and the Orthodox community, fasting was a joy, a gift of remembrance, a time of renewal by the memory of God.  I understand now that they put strict limitations on allowable food so that they were in constant remembrance that they were operating in a divine system.

To be fair, I know that they engaged as a family in self-denial.  When they were not in school, their families would often eat only one meal a day, after three o’clock, especially on days when they would attend the Presanctified Eucharist at the neighborhood Orthodox Church in the early evening.  They told me that these times were, however, times of intense prayer so that they were not aware of the denial, but more aware of the freedom from patterns to pray intently and intensely.  Throughout it all, the practice of fasting related to the memory of God.

If you have traveled to Greece then you probably know that one of the most anticipated times for Orthodox Christians in the country is when Lent approaches and the grocery stores begin to stock traditional fasting foods.  The Fall’s pickled vegetables are ready, salted fish from the summer are ready, halvah (the sesame seed sweet) is put on the counter, olive and caper barrels are opened, and the community settles down to a liturgical feast as well as a food feast for the season.  They seem to enjoy periods of fasting because the food is so different and special for them.  And the shift in foods both in the house and in the grocery store is a sign that they should remember God, that they should turn their minds to God, and that they should focus their attention on the reality of God in their everyday lives.  I see this as delectable fasting and something that can be understood in our Anglican tradition of fasting.

In our postmodern times, fasting might with this understanding take a number of different directions.  The goal is to change patterns in order to remember God throughout the day.  Eating patterns might shift to become more healthy, changing patterns from eating fast food to eating prepared food.  Or, in our busy lives, fasting might include eating together as a family on “fasting” days.  Or, fasting may become a regimen of walking or exercise that interrupts our patterns to remember God.  Almost anything that disrupts our normal day in order to remember God becomes a fasting practice.

Prayer Without Words (Contemplative Prayer)

Often when I hear people pray, I hear a prattle of words that fill the time we spend talking to God.  That does not mean that the prayer is meaningless, but that it is often filled with too many words, too many directions to God about what God should do in our lives and in our world, too many reminders to God about the problems in our lives and relationships, and too many requests for healing, or for divine intervention, or for solving a problem.  This is not wrong, but it is often not enough.

The ancient contemplative masters also spoke about prayer without words, that is, prayer without the articulation of anything verbal.  The ancients describe this form of prayer as a lifting of the heart to the divine presence and simply living in that divine presence without verbal articulation.  The term the ancients use is “the descent of the mind into the heart.”  This descent of mind to heart unites the emotions and the intellect in such a way as to be connected to the divine energies without any interference of either mind or heart so that there is direct communion as a total experience of divine presence and union.  It is a kind of prayer in which we gather all the fragments of our personality as best we can simply to wallow in the divine presence.  It is not that we put aside thoughts and feelings, but that we do not focus upon them so that the divine presence becomes real, and we can experience the divine presence immediately without reflection or reaction.  Prayer without words brings an incredible joy to the spirit and body, a joy of union with God that taps deeply into our being.

It is a silent prayer, maybe even a danced prayer, that transforms the very essence of our being, now released from verbal or emotional diversions to experience directly the divine energies of God and to wallow in the divine presence.  This prayer without words, this unmediated communion with the divine presence, transforms and divinizes ourselves, our relationships, our cosmos so that it becomes afire with the divine energies working within the created universe.

Praying with Icons

Praying with icons is an ancient prayer practice that involves keeping our eyes wide open, taking into our heart what the image visually communicates. We focus not on what is seen in the icon, but rather on what is seen through it — the love of God expressed through God’s creatures.  This type of prayer is incarnational by nature because it seeks to connect God directly to the material created world. Icons usually depict Jesus Christ, an event from scripture, or a Saint from the church as seen in the examples below.

Jesus Christ

St. Gregory of Nazianzen (aka. St. Gregory the Theologian)

Final Judgment from the Book of Revelation

Praying with icons is about  focusing on being in God’s presence rather than performing in God’s presence. It is a right-brain experience of touching and feeling what is holy — a divine mystery. Icons are not simply art; they are a way into contemplative prayer, and are therefore one way to let God speak to us. They are doorways into stillness, into closeness with God. If we sit with them long enough, we too can enter into the stillness, into the communion. And if we listen to them closely enough, with our hearts, we may begin to discern the voice of God.

Anglican Rosary

The Anglican rosary, also known as Anglican/Episcopalian prayer beads, has elements of the Orthodox and Catholic traditions. It has thirty-three beads, which represent Jesus’ thirty-three years on Earth. There are four sets of seven “weeks,” recalling the Jewish and Christian belief in the perfection of the number seven; there are also the seven days of Creation, the seven days of the week, the seven seasons of the church year, and the seven sacraments of the church. Four slightly larger or different colored beads called “cruciforms” separate these four weeks; equally spaced in the circle of the rosary, they form a cross and remind us of four seasons and four directions of the compass. Attached to the last cruciform is an “invitatory,” from which hangs a cross. As prayer starts at the cross, the invitatory “invites” us to pray along the remaining 32 beads. Moving to the right, three times round the rosary brings us to ninety-nine, the complete number of the Divine Names in Middle Eastern traditions; adding the cross at the beginning or end brings us to one hundred, which is the total of the Orthodox rosary, in addition to representing the fullness of creation.

There is no set prayer for the Anglican rosary; there are several traditional and contemporary prayers available, or you can assemble a set of prayers on your own.

Your Way around the Beads

1)         Loosely hold the beads in your hand, grasping the cross in your other hand. If desired, say your opening prayer.

2)         With your thumb and forefinger, grasp the invitatory bead and say your chosen invitatory prayer.

3)         Move your fingers up the chain to the first of the 4 cruciform beads and say your chosen prayer.

4)         Move your fingers up the chain to the first set of weeks to the right (you will be saying the rosary in a counterclockwise direction). Grasp the first bead and say your chosen prayer for the weeks. Repeat this prayer on the next six beads.

5)         Move your fingers to the next cruciform bead and say your chosen cruciform prayer.

6)         Continue in this manner until you have completed the circle of the rosary.

Some Prayer Suggestions

The Cross

In the Name of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Or

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.

Or

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and will be forever. Amen.

Or

Blessed be the one, holy and living God. Glory to God forever and ever. Amen.

The Invitatory

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.

Or

Open my lips, O Lord, and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.

Or

O God make speed to save us, O Lord make haste to help us. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, I snow and will be forever. Amen.

The Cruciforms

Oh Lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us.

Oh Lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us.

Oh Lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world, grant us thy peace.

Or

Guide us waking O Lord, and guard us sleeping; that awake we may watch with Christ and asleep we may rest in peace.

Or

Behold now, bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord. You that stand in the house of the Lord, lift up your hands in the holy place and bless the Lord.

Or

Holy God, Holy and Mighty, Holy Immortal One, Have mercy upon us.

The Weeks

Almighty and merciful Lord, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, bless us and keep us. Amen.

Or

Jesus, lamb of God, have mercy on us.

Jesus, bearer of our sins, have mercy on us.

Jesus, redeemer of the world, give us your peace.

Or

I lift up my eyes to the hills; from where is my help to come?

My help comes from the Lord, the make of heaven and earth.

Or

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, Have mercy on me, a sinner.

Not an artist?  No need to be, but the arts (including music) awaken and stir in our soul things that mere words cannot.  We can express ourselves as children once again with colors and glue and glitter and collage, if only we give ourselves permission, and let the Holy Spirit pray with ‘sighs too deep for words’ in the works we create.  Here are some easy (and quick) ideas for using art in your daily time with God:

Prayer Cards

Materials needed: index cards (3×5 or 4×6, preferably a colored), glue sticks or paste, magazines and catalogs.

What to do: Light a candle and play instrumental music in the background.  Sit quietly with eyes closed and become aware of your breathing.  When you’re ready, pray, asking that the Holy Spirit guide you in choosing imagery that will nurture your prayer life.  Then, go through magazines and cut or tear out pictures and words that are symbolic or helpful to you.  Glue them in collage fashion onto each side of a card until it is as full as you wish.  You may want to have a ‘theme’ for each card, e.g. a forgiveness card with images that describe what it is like to be forgiven or to forgive; a card for feeling hurt or lonely; a card for joy; a card to dwell on the beauty of creation; a card about loved ones in your life; cards for peace, compassion, justice, etc.  The possibilities are endless.  Each time you create a card, ask God to bless it for you.

How to use them:  Keep these cards near where you pray.  Whenever you settle in to be with God, choose a card for a focus or to complement what is on your heart.  Keep cards on the refrigerator or on your desk to remind you to pray.

Below is a picture of one I made several years ago at a retreat, the theme, as you might guess from the phoenix in the middle and some of the words, was allowing myself to fly with the Holy Spirit, to try new things, to enjoy the journey.

Visual Journaling

If you are a person who finds journaling with words difficult, try journaling with pictures, using crayons, instead.  There are probably many excellent sources for methods, this book is one.  It begins with your intent for journaling and allows space for you to go deeper than mere words, and then allow the Holy Spirit to help you understand what you have created.  Crayons allow us to become like little children again and no one needs to see our work except us.

Working with Clay

The image of God as a potter, shaping us is found in a number of places in the Hebrew Scriptures.  And if we look back at Genesis, in one of the Creation stories, we remember that God has formed us from the dust of the earth and breathed life into us.  While we may not be able to breathe life into what we create, we can still have much pleasure and participate as co-creators with God in working with clay, whether as a potter, or simply with modeling clay.  Allowing our hands to feel the moist earth and shaping it time and again, kneading it, pressing it, creating, re-creating as we sit in silence or listen to the wind and birds, or instrumental music, can be deeply soothing and a springboard for conversations with God.

Making Crosses

Here’s another great resource for creating spiritual objects out of found materials around the house, garage, yard or woods.  Use wire, buttons, popsicle sticks, the individual pieces of a pinecone, vines, woven yarn, fatlighter, or whatever you find to quietly create crosses that represent your walk in the woods, or your rambling through the storage closet in the garage.  Collect the crosses you make if they are ones that keep.  Use them as foci for prayer.

Sunday, January 8th – The Feast of the Baptism of Our Lord:
8:15 am Holy Eucharist Rite I
9:30 am Parish Brunch to Welcome the Rev. & Mrs. Yawn back from their honeymoon/
Kickoff for SPARK!! Children’s Program
10:30 am Holy Eucharist Rite II