Holy Thursday - A prayer for going forth
This night is our calling to go into the world,
scattered to the ends of the earth
to love as Christ loved
and serve in the name of Christ.
It is our calling to remember,
even in our darkest hour,
who we are.
We remember that Christ is always with us.
And we remember that on this night,
we were taught how to love.
On this night, eternity begins
and the fullness of God's Reign begins to spill into our lives.
So go into the world to give yourself for others,
in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Go into the world and love
in the name of the One who loved you until the end.
It all begins and ends and begins again with Love.
That IS the story.
Amen.
Dear friends,
One of the aspects of the recent pandemic was the lack of the ability to celebrate. While we improvised in creative and wonderful ways (outdoor baptisms, for example), events large and small were constrained and unbridled celebrations were few and far between. As we continue to come together in old ways and new, Trinity is a place of celebration! All In Sundays, lemonade on the porch, guest preachers, and more. Faith and fellowship are alive and well at your beloved Trinity.
Last Sunday we celebrated the ministry of the Rev. Christopher W. Whiteman as we said good bye and wished him well as he begins his time as the rector of St. Peter's in Beverly MA. We will miss his passion for the Gospel, his kindness and warmth. We celebrate that God has called him to new leadership in the Church, and give thanks that Trinity was a part of his vocational journey.
We presented Christopher with a painting (shown above) as a reminder of those of us who support his ministry and pray for him wherever he is called to serve. The prayer for "Holy Thursday" goes with the painting as we bless his journey:
Go into the world and love
in the name of the One who loved you until the end.
It all begins and ends and begins again with Love.
That IS the story. Amen.
In a recent special edition Window, Sr. Warden David Weiss announced the vestry's Passion Group Initiatives; inviting each of us to live with passion and delight in the ways God has called us to serve and to pray. If you missed it, please read David's message HERE and consider the question for yourself: What is my passion? How can I engage more deeply in this community in ways that give me life and contribute to our life together at Trinity?
Please prayerfully consider this question and reach out to David or me or Rev. Julia to talk about what gives you joy. There are so many ways to join in the celebrations we share at Trinity: working with our young people, singing in the choir, serving with our ministry partners, organizing fellowship events, arranging flowers, ushering, acolyting, praying, visiting, writing notes of care and welcome, and much more! What is YOUR passion? Let's celebrate it together in community!
Peace and blessings always,
Nancy+