TIDINGS Trinity’s Mission: Acting in God’s love, Trinity Episcopal Church welcomes everyone to enthusiastically live the Christian faith. We call our members to worship and prayer, lifelong education, spiritual growth, cheerful giving, and active ministry with our community. All members serve as witnesses to Jesus Christ.
Vol. XXV No. 8 August 2016
FROM THE INTERIM RECTOR by The Reverend Michael E. Carlisle
Inside this Issue Stewardship page 2 Christian Formation page 3 Children, Youth and Family Ministries page 4 Young Adults page 5 Mission and Outreach page 5 Trinity Connections pages 6, 7
Some thoughts from somewhere I have just read the last several “lead articles” of Trinity Tidings to figure out what I might write in my first article. I arrive here a bit later than the Vestry and I had anticipated. That delay was caused by circumstances beyond my control. When I reflect on things beyond my control I realize how much of life is beyond my control and how much I would like to control all of my life, and in my worst days how I would like to control some other folks’ lives as well. The news of life is that we are not always in control. The Good News of life is that God is always in control and we are to seek how we might respond to God’s control of our lives for us to have the joy God has for us. Trinity Church is a wonderful Church where God’s life has been lived out in wonderful ways for many years, but I would imagine if you looked at all the Tidings articles or all of the Vestry minutes you would find that all of its history was not a bed of roses. I bet there were times that there were bitter disagreements and despair over who was in control or who was right or who was in possession of the truth and who was the false prophet in the midst of the church. I arrive here to be the person who is the human being whom God has called to be the one who is the Rector in the “between times” or in the interim. I will be here for a short time. I follow a person of great faith and gifts who led Trinity Church to be a vital and blessed place in the life of the City of New Orleans. I am very honored to have the privilege to follow Henry Hudson and be in this place to help us all lose our control so we can allow God to have control. I have always found that to let God or surrender to God or listen to God usually means I have to change something—or lose control of something. This time of the “in between” will be a time of change. That’s what happens when God gets a hold of us and we lose control! I pray for all of us to have the courage to lose our control so that God may be the one who leads us into the Joy that we are created to enjoy. Yours in Christ,
Corky Carlisle
Stewardship
by Raina O’Neil, Director of Development and Communications
When you think about stewardship, do you associate it with giving or with sharing? Giving suggests a transaction, a handing off, while sharing implies a relationship, a connection. God invites us into relationship – with God and with each other – and encourages us to open our eyes and to see what God is showing, telling, and teaching us. Our Annual Stewardship Season will be launched this fall. As that time approaches, I invite you to reflect on what it means to be a member of Trinity Church and to consider what God is calling us to. Every choice we make, no matter how small, is an opportunity to align ourselves with God’s will. Generous God, we dream of happy families, societies of justice and a world of peace. Draw us to risk such dreams and aim beyond the horizons we see, setting our sights upon you. You are our strength, You are our joy. Use this church to make your dreams come true. Amen.
Thank you! Despite the technical glitches on GiveNOLA day, Trinity Church placed third in total revenue raised! This is a true testament to the generosity of Trinity members and friends, like you! Thank you! We recently received the final results from the Greater New Orleans Foundation and are excited to share them with you: Number of Gifts: 115 Total Raised: $87,075.00 Prizes: $3,000 (for placing third) Lagniappe Fund: $8,945.87 Credit Card Fees: $2,033.32) Net Distribution: $96,987.55
When you shop with AmazonSmile, 0.5% of your purchase is donated back to Trinity Church. Simply go to smile.amazon.com, choose “Trinity Episcopal Church New Orleans” and every time you shop on the site Trinity Church will receive 0.5% of our purchase. 2
SAVE THE DATE SEPTEMBER 11th (Please note date change.)
Please join us for a welcome coffee hour honoring The Reverend Michael Carlisle, Interim Rector, and his wife, Doris, hosted by the Women of Trinity Church (WOTC) on Sunday, September 11 after the 10:30 am service!
Christian Formation by The Reverend Kit McLean, Associate Rector
Thank you, thank you, thank you to all who have participated in making Operation Nametag Trinity a success! Wearing our nametags is a HUGE help to our Interim Rector, who has both a name and a nickname (The Reverend Michael Carlisle also goes by Corky), and his wife, Doris. Our nametags will help them get to know us more quickly. We appreciate your patience and cooperation as we fine-tune our system. As we enter August, two important feasts are on our liturgical calendar. The Feast of the Transfiguration of Jesus is observed on August 6, and on August 15, we celebrate Saint Mary the Virgin, the blessed mother of Jesus. These happen to be two feasts I find especially meaningful because in each, God issues a call, and a response of faith is received. In Luke’s gospel telling of the Transfiguration we hear God say, “This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him.” God tells us to listen to Jesus, to obey him. God knows that Jesus’ “yes” is a “yes” of faithfulness unto death and beyond, a faithfulness born of pure Love, just as Jesus knows that the Father has called him out of pure Love and will equip him through that Love which is the only force that can give life. In Mary’s case, she, too, was chosen of God, and she, too, said “yes” to God without equivocation, negotiation or qualification. Her answer was, “Here I am, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your Word.” Lifelong Christian formation is about listening and looking to and for God in our lives and responding in and with faith. Could God be calling you to serve on the Altar or Flower Guilds? As a Reader? A Greeter? A Eucharistic Minister? A Godly Play teacher? A Youth Leadership Team person? On the Loaves and Fishes Truck or with
Undoing Racism? On the Hospitality Team? In the WOTC? In a prayer group or Bible study? Or in so many other capacities? OFMs (Opportunities for Ministry) abound at Trinity. We’ll gladly help you discern how you can use your God-given gifts of time, talent and treasure to serve God and each other and the wider community. With the help of the Spirit, listen for God and to Jesus, and like Mary, say and live “YES!” BODY, MIND & SPIRIT=Yoga! Joy Meade, of Trinity Choir fame, is also a certified yoga instructor. She is going to be offering a class at 2 pm on Sunday, August 14 and Sunday, August 21. Exact location TBA, but save the dates.
Summer Faith & Film Series
This exciting summer program will gather for monthly discussion to examine issues of our formal and personal faiths as we do, or do not, encounter them in contemporary “movies.” Each month, a group viewing of the selected film will be scheduled on a Thursday from 6:00 pm - 8:30 pm in Bishop Polk Hall, although members may choose to view the film on their own. The discussion will then take place on the following Sunday, from 9:15 am 10:15 am in the Parish House. Please contact Ashley Eastham at aeastham@trinitynola.com or 504-670-2526 with any questions. August Film: The Way (2010) Rated: PG-13 VIEWING: Thursday, August 11, 6:00 pm DISCUSSION: Sunday, August 14, 9:15 am 3
Children & Family Ministries by Ashley Bond, (abond@trinitynola.com) Director of Children, Youth and Family Ministries
August 4-6. Godly Play Core Training in Covington. Godly Play is a Montessori approach to the spiritual formation of children. This is the formation curriculum used here at Trinity for ages 3yrs-5th Grade. If you are interested in becoming a Godly Play teacher and/or you are interested in deepening your own understanding of children’s spirituality, please consider attending a Godly Play Core Training hosted at Christ Episcopal in Covington. In this training you will experience and learn Godly Play stories, practices, and theology in a collegial, prayerful setting. If you wish to join our Godly Play Team of amazing teachers, we will cover your expenses. Email Ashley for details. To register: http://bit.ly/GPCore2016.
August 21. Registration for the 2016-17 Godly Play school year. Parents please mark your calendars for our Godly Play Opening Celebration & Orientation, when parents and children register for the year on this day, meet their Godly Play teachers and explore their child’s classroom. Parents will head to church at 10:30 am and children will meet you for communion.
August 28. Blessing of the Backpacks. All children, youth and anyone else serving in the field of education will be invited up to the front of the church after communion for a blessing of backpacks. Everyone will leave with a special reminder of this blessing and God’s love for you.
August 28. Save-the-Date for our End of Summer EYC & Acolyte Party! Goodbye summer... hello friends (new and old). More details to come but there will be food, fun, a big body of water and a canoe (or two).
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Young Adults
by Ashley Eastham, Young Adults Minister (aeastham@trinitynola.com)
Young Adults Pool Party Potluck at The Smiths’
Please join us on Friday, August 19 from 6:30 pm – 9:00 pm at the home of Denise & The Reverend Mitch Smith (5658 Durham Drive, NOLA, 70131). Please bring a dish to pass, dessert and/or beverage to share! Please RSVP to Denise Smith at denise.smith1@gmail.com by Wednesday, August 17. Bring your swimsuit and towel!
Young Adults Trivia Night at DAT DOG
On Wednesday, August 31 at 7:30 pm, join other Trinity young adults for pub trivia at Dat Dog (3336 Magazine Street, NOLA 70115). Everybody always has something to contribute to the trivia team – so don’t miss it! Please RSVP to Carrie Wright at carriewright80@gmail.com.
Mission and Outreach
Trinity Educational Enrichment Program (TEEP) For fifty years TEEP has remained true to its mission of developing character in the youth of New Orleans while providing them with an environment rich with learning. Nearly 90 children participate in discovering what they can achieve academically, creatively and physically. On Sunday, July 10, they shared with us and their families some of the accomplishments of the past five weeks. The 10:30 am service was alive with their songs and dance, and during coffee hour we were able to see in further detail what Alvin Edinburgh and his faculty have encouraged the TEEP students to accomplish. We at Trinity are blessed to have this program, its children and leaders at our church.
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Trinity Connections
Out and About August at the Ogden! Please save these dates and reserve your space for two opportunities to go out and about with Trinity friends. To make a reservation call or email Maria Elliott 670-2535 or melliott@ trinitynola.com by August 5. Thursday, August 11 meet at Trinity at 9:30 am to go together to see the Ogden Museum of Southern Art’s collection including Louisiana Contemporary, an exhibition that promotes contemporary art practices in the state of Louisiana. The Museum is free to Louisiana residents on Thursdays. We will plan to have a Dutch treat lunch at The American Sector following our tour. ...also on Thursday, August 11, come to Trinity’s Summer Faith and Film Series. See page 3 for details. On Thursday, August 18 - Ogden After Hours will present singer-songwriter Kristen Diable performing from 6:00-8:00 pm. Join us for an evening of music and art - $13.50 or Free for Ogden Museum of Southern Art members.
September at the Solomon Center! Come and refresh yourself with a quiet day at the Conference Center. The Reverend Kit McLean will lead us on Friday, September 23 at the Solomon Episcopal Conference Center in Robert, Louisiana. Please save the date and plan to spend the day with us as we offer our gratitude for nature and enjoy this beautiful facility together.
Altar Flower Memorials Would you like to honor the memory of a loved one and contribute to the church at the same time? You can give the flowers/greens on the altar in their names. Contact Joey Brown at joey@awb3.com for more information. 6
Join us in a Mission to Forgive
Registration is Now Open for Forgiveness Training Weekend Are you tired of living in a resentful world, a world that: • Places a huge value on revenge • Confuses revenge and punishment with justice • Doesn’t know how to find the freedom of forgiveness • Has no idea what Jesus meant when he said: “Love Your Enemies” If you said yes to any of these then come and join us in our mission to help people learn how to forgive. Forgiveness Retreat: Resolving Resentment Dr. Rob Voyle is an Episcopal Priest, psychologist and executive coach. His personal mission is to be helpful, humorous and healing which is manifested in his passion for teaching people how to forgive. Saturday, October 1, 2016, 9:15 am - 3:30 pm Trinity Church, New Orleans EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION IS $75 BEFORE SEPTEMBER 1 For brochure or to register visit http://tinyurl.com/ j84duer
Eucharistic Visitors Perhaps your loved one has an illness, or is recovering from an operation, or maybe has a hospital stay, or resides in a nursing home? If they can’t be at church, we can bring church to them. We have 14 Eucharistic Visitors who go out as our church family’s representatives to share communion from our table with your loved one who is not able to join us at Sunday services. To request a visitor, contact Deacon Alyce at 909-1326 or ajefferson@trinitynola.com.
Daily Meditations
Each weekday, Trinity offers a Daily Meditation written by one of our clergy, staff or parishioners. If you would like to receive this in your “inbox”, please let us know and we will mark your record. If you like to write and would like to be among our writers in the fall, please contact Maria Elliott atmelliott@ trinitynola.com.
Trinity Connections
Wit & Wisdom from the WOTC
by Karyn Kearney, Women of Trinity Church President
Mark your calendars for some cool weather BARGAIN SHOPPING! The WOTC semi-annual Rummage Sale will be held on September 30 and Oct. 1, with a pre-sale for the church and school on Thursday, September 29. This is WOTC’s largest fundraiser so please consider volunteering during the sale week. More details will be provided in the next Tidings. Meanwhile, are you cleaning up and organizing your home during these warm summer months? Then now is a good time to think about donating items to the sale. Clothes, shoes, handbags, jewelry, hats, toys, books, CD’s, records, kitchen items, baskets, linens, decorative items, picture frames, artwork, small electronics, and sports equipment, etc. are all needed. Bring items to the church office any weekday. Money raised from this all-volunteer effort is donated to church ministries and community projects. Thanks for supporting this great WOTC ministry!
Trinity Artist Series Sundays at 5 pm August 7 Matthew Blaize plays Baroque Banjo. August 14
The Truffle Honeys, a popular female singing trio, in a program of Broadway show tunes, and 20th century American hits spanning folk, pop and jazz genres.
August 21 .
Sanford Hinderlie, Jazz pianist. Professor of Music and Director of the Music Technology Center at Loyola University
August 28
Albinas and Friends remember Katrina.
Every Tuesday at 6 pm Organ and Labyrinth with Albinas on the 5000 pipe tracker organ. From classical baroque to vintage rock and popular tunes.
Inheritance by Maria Elliott, Director of Pastoral Care and Spiritual Growth
By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to set out for a place that he was to receive as an inheritance; and he set out, not knowing where he was going. - Hebrews 11.8 From the book of Genesis and onward, the Bible has a lot to say about inheritance. The books of Numbers and Deuteronomy outline strict laws about lines of succession. But we are reminded by Paul in the New Testament that Abraham’s legacy was left to us by faith, not by law. He set out for a promise, offered by God, on the thin hope that even at his advanced age, his legacy and offspring would be multiplied. And it was. One of the reasons we enjoy a vibrant church life today, is due to the inheritance we have been left by those remembered in our Trinity Perpetual Memorial and Endowment Fund. And while we enjoy the buildings, beautiful stained glass, two magnificent organs, and lustrous carved woodwork, we are now called to consider our part in paying the legacy forward - “not knowing where we are going.” The Minister of the Congregation is directed to instruct the people, from time to time, about the duty of Christian parents to make prudent provision for the well-being of their families, and of all persons to make wills, while they are in health, arranging for the disposal of their temporal goods, not neglecting, if they are able, to leave bequests for religious and charitable uses. Book of Common Prayer p. 445 If you have not made a will, or need to update your will, please do so for your own piece of mind and for the sake of your family. And if Trinity has been important to your faith formation, a place where you have marked life’s passages, or a sanctuary for your soul, please consider including a gift to Trinity in your will. 7
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Clergy
Worship Schedule
The Right Reverend Morris K. Thompson, Bishop The Reverend Michael E. Carlisle, Interim Rector The Reverend Mitchell T. Smith, Associate Rector The Reverend Katherine S. McLean, Associate Rector The Reverend Alyce Jefferson, Deacon The Reverend Jay Albert, Deacon The Reverend E. Gary Taylor, Head of Trinity School The Reverend Dr. Hill C. Riddle, Rector Emeritus
SUNDAY 7:30 AM: Morning Prayer in the chapel 8:00 AM: Eucharist in the chapel 10:30 AM: Eucharist in the church 5:00 PM: Trinity Artist Series in the church 6:00 PM: Eucharist in the chapel
Vestry
TUESDAY 7:30 AM: Eucharist in the chapel
John Fay, Jr., Senior Warden Barbara Waller, Junior Warden Kelly Duncan, Clerk of Vestry Keith Crawford, Treasurer Dawn Buckley, Elaine Haney, John Hevron, Ellinor Howard, Susu Kearney, Gordon Kolb, King Logan, Chris Martin, Margaret Murphy, Marguerite Redwine, Jonathan Shaver, Jim Theis John Wogan, Chancellor Karyn Kearney, WOTC President Sandy Villere, Trinity School Board Chair
MONDAY through FRIDAY 8:30 AM: Morning Prayer in the chapel
THURSDAY 10:30 AM: Holy Eucharist and Healing Service in the chapel
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