Dearly Beloved,
It is amazing to think that Easter Day was nearly 4 weeks ago. And because of that, our Sunday lessons have begun to turn to preparing us for Christ’s Ascension and the coming of the Holy Ghost at Pentecost. This preparation began this past week with our Lord’s words, “A little while and ye shall not see me…because I to the Father.” (John 16:6). This coming Sunday’s Collect and Lessons together signify that we must prepare ourselves for the gift of the Holy Ghost. They point us to the fact that it is only by God’s grace is such preparation possible. In the Collect, we pray and recognize that God alone is the one “Who alone canst order the unruly wills and affections of sinful men…” The Epistle tells us that “Every good gift, and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights….” Those gifts include his Son, the holiness which comes through the Son, and the gift of the Holy Ghost. The Gospel then makes it clear that final gift is possible because Jesus “goes away” to heaven, and presents himself to the Father, who in turn gives all things to the Son, including this gift of the Holy Ghost.
Common Prayer, a commentary on our prayer book lectionary, says that “this mysterious transfer of power made upon the completion of the Son’s earthly mission takes us within the Holy Trinity itself. In the Creed, we confess that Jesus ‘ascended into heaven and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty.’ Being seated at the right hand of the Father suggests a place of authority and privilege. St. Paul expounds the significance of the Ascension in his Epistle to the Ephesians: ‘When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men…He who descended is he who also ascended far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.’ (Eph. 4:8, 10) In his high priestly prayer, Jesus had looked forward to this time, ‘I glorified thee on earth, having accomplished the work which thou gavest me to do; and now, Father, glorify thou me in thy own presence with the glory which I had with thee before the world was made.’ (John 17:4, 5) A return to this glory makes possible the outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost.”
How many times, though, have we not thought how fantastic it would be to actually have our Lord present with us, to see Him, touch Him, hear Him. Wouldn’t that make all of our doubt and difficulties just vanish? Wouldn’t that make the world’s despair just melt away? Not hardly, because He would only be able to be located in one place and at one time. The Holy Ghost, though, is able to be everywhere, wherever “two or three are gathered together in his name.” It is only by the Holy Ghost that our Lord can make good on His promise to be with us, “even unto the end of the world.” It is by His Spirit that He can be with all believers, in all places and in all times, preparing them for His final return at the Last Day.
Trinity Church, Connersville, Indiana
As you know, our Lenten Offering this year was directed to Trinity Anglican Church, where a friend of mine, Fr. Richard Tarsitano, is the Vicar of this new church plant. I would like to thank all of you for your generosity via your mite box and other offerings to this worthy endeavor of evangelism, bringing the Light of the Gospel and returning the solemn worship of Almighty God in our Anglican Way of Christianity to this economically depressed community of Connersville, which is about 1 hour east of Indianapolis. This week we mailed a check to Trinity Church in the amount of $6000.00, which was fully funded by your gifts! Wow! This outpouring of support brings much joy to this pastor’s heart. Thank you! Now it is time to continue our prayers for this mission church that our Lord will bless this work and bring the increase!
Wednesday Bible Study
We began digging into the text of the Book of Ruth this past Wednesday evening. We made it all the way through 14 verses (inside joke!). It is not too late to join us as we continue this story of steadfast love and loyalty from the Old Testament. Be sure to bring your dinner with you. Class starts promptly at 7:00 p.m.
Tuesday Book Study
Our Tuesday morning book study just returned this week. The class is studying In His Image by Jen Wilkin. There are still a few books available at a cost of $10.00. See Dss. Cynthia on Sunday to pick up a copy. Class begins at 11:00 a.m. Please read Chapters 2 and 3 for this coming week’s class.
Ministry Opportunities
As we are slowly but surely fully re-opening our church, we have certain jobs in the congregation with which we need your help. They are:
- Ushers—We are in need of ushers for the 11:00 a.m. worship time each Sunday. Please contact Loretta Reynolds or Dss. Cynthia Hensley if you are interested in ushering.
- Kitchen Keeper—We are looking for someone who will keep a running inventory of supplies and keep the kitchen area organized. A special thank you to Cam & Brewster Ward for maintaining our kitchen area these last few years. If you would like to volunteer as our Kitchen Keeper, please see the Wards or Dss. Cynthia.
- Pew Patrol—Pew patrol volunteers tidy books, replace pencils and envelopes, and generally make sure the pews are ready for church each Sunday. This ministry would require about 30 minutes a couple of times each month.
Vacation Bible School
The dates for our Vacation Bible School are June 21—25. We will gather each morning at 9:00 a.m. and close each day at 12:00. Please let Dss. Cynthia know if you are interested in volunteering for this most important ministry to children.
You can register directly on our website. Click here to register NOW! Please be sure and spread the word to families with young children, ages 3-12 years old. There is no cost involved for any of the participants.
Food Bank Offerings
Please do not forget to bring in non-perishable foods for our monthly food collection. Bread of Life in Transylvania County is the recipient of our gifts for May this year.
Feast Day of St. Philip & St. James, Apostles
Tomorrow, Saturday, May 1, is the Feast Day of Ss. Philip & James. We will celebrate the Holy Communion at 12 Noon. Come out and join us!
That’s about all the news for this week. Once again, thanks so much for your generosity to Trinity Church. May our Lord bless each and every one of you with His Love and Grace.
Fr. Erich
Update on Fr. Greg Miller
Fr. Greg Miller, Rector of our sister church of St. Matthew’s up in Weaverville, had surgery last Thursday, April 22, to remove the lung cancer with which he had been diagnosed. Unfortunately, the surgery was a bit more involved than had been anticipated. Fr. Greg was able to return home this past Tuesday evening to begin his recovery. He is awaiting to hear what the next steps will be for him to be able to fully recover and return to ministry in his parish. Please keep him and his wife Shirley in your prayers for our Lord’s strength and grace as the healing process continues.
As you know, our Deacon Louis is caring for St. Matthew’s Church by being present for Sunday morning worship. He will continue to do so until Fr. Greg feels ready to return to caring for his parish.
This Week in the Parish
Saturday, May 1, Ss. Philip & James, Apostles
· 12:00 p.m., Holy Communion
Sunday, May 2, Fourth Sunday after Easter
· 8:30 a.m., Holy Communion
· 9:45 a.m., Sunday School
· 11:00 a.m., Holy Communion
Tuesday, May 4
· 11:00 a.m., Book Study
Wednesday, May 5
· 6:00 p.m., Holy Communion
· 6:30 p.m., Choir Practice
· 6:30 p.m., Dinner Break (Bring your own!)
· 7:00 p.m., Bible Study
