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36 Main Street, Newtown, CT | |
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Lenten Simple Suppers … with The Stations of the Cross
Beloved Ones, we will begin a season of sharing a mid-week meal together with our
Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper on Tuesday, March 4th . On this ‘Fat Tuesday,’
traditional Christian cooks would use up rich ingredients like butter and eggs before a
Lenten season of fasting and dietary moderation – celebrating with pancakes for
supper! Join us at 5:30pm in the Glover Community Room.
Ash Wednesday follows on Wednesday, March 5th with The Imposition of Ashes at
6:30 PM in the Sanctuary. See a description below!
After Ash Wednesday, we are then invited to gather on Lenten Wednesdays before
Holy Week - with the exception of Wednesday, March 19th when our Vestry meets – no
Supper that day.
Join us on these Wednesdays in Lent:
March 12th
March 26th
April 2nd
April 9th
5:45 PM – Come before Supper to Pray with the Stations of the Cross in the
Sanctuary
6:00 PM – Gather for Supper in the Glover Community Room
Please use this Sign-Up Genius link to RSVP your family’s planned attendance at
Supper. Please also use this link to volunteer to host, or to bring simple dishes to share – soup, salad, bread, or a casserole. Let’s share duties of set-up, clean-up, and cooking.
(This is a family event, and therefore childcare will not be provided.)
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Ash Wednesday Liturgy and Imposition of Ashes
Wednesday, March 5th @ 6:30 PM
Ash Wednesday is our threshold into the season of Lent. With Christians around the
world, we follow the ancient practice of wearing dust and ashes on our foreheads, a
sign of our mortality, of our human limitations and failings.
We will offer the liturgy for Ash Wednesday and the Imposition of Ashes in our historic
Sanctuary at 6:30 PM. There will be lovely music as well.
Our liturgy invites us: “Dear People of God: The first Christians observed with great
devotion the days of our Lord’s passion and resurrection, and it became the custom of
the Church to prepare for them by a season of penitence and fasting. … I invite you,
therefore, in the name of the Church, to the observance of a holy Lent, by self-
examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and
meditating on God’s holy Word.”
Let us prayerfully enter this new season - together.
Peace be with you,
Rev. Andrea
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Lenten Devotional 2025: Coming Back to Life
"In spring, after a long winter’s nap, an amazing thing happens: the world comes back to life!
This devotional is full of ideas and activities that can help us wake up, too, preparing our hearts, minds, and communities for Easter’s great celebration. Each week, biblical texts and creation’s wonders inspire practices you can try yourself, with your family or friends, or with your congregation.
So grab your favorite Bible and some candles (tealights work nicely!), and over the next 40 days, week by week, we’ll look for treasures that can help bring us back to hope, back to love, back to life!"
Grab your copy and a package of candles outside the sanctuary starting this Sunday, 2/23, courtesy of Trinity. We hope the devotional will be a blessing to families of all shapes, ages, and sizes this Lenten season.
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Breakfast Sunday this week!
Everyone, our next breakfast together will be on Sunday, February 23rd in the Glover Community Room. Due to the cost of Eggs, we are rethinking our menu for this breakfast. Do you know that we can buy 20 lbs. of bacon or shrimp for far less money than eggs. Therefore, since we are in the Mardi Gras season and nearing the start of Lent this breakfast will be a little different. We will continue to offer plenty of pancakes along with bacon and sausage as well as biscuits and gravy. However, we will replace our eggs / hashbrowns with a taste of Mardi Gras. We will add to the breakfast a couple Cajun dishes including Gumbo Yah Yah (chicken/sausage), Shrimp Jambalaya, and a vegetarian Etouffee served with rice and cornbread.
If you have any questions or would like to help please contact Patrick or Marcia DeBrock.
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Dorothy Day
Last Tuesday, in 14 degree weather, the Trinity Team served 194 hot meals to those in need at Dorothy Day. We also handed out 175 cold sandwich meals. Our team shops for and cooks all our meals each month. We planned for about 170, so we had to scramble to get the last 15 or so created from donated canned goods at Dorothy Day. We believe we are unique in our home made approach, having been trained by Jean Maurice (our former team leader) to serve cost effective and nutritious food.
We also hosted about 45 who came in to eat in the former shelter behind the Dorothy Day kitchen facilities. This is a new initiative by the Dorothy Day steering committee to provide a place for people to eat the hot meal on the premises.
If you are interested in being on a reserve list to help monitor the eating area, please contact Nancy Cole or Marcia DeBrock. This is about 1.5 hour once a month.
We find the need for food is increasing everywhere in the area and the Little Pantry has been well stocked each day with many using it. The January numbers show 711 items given from the pantry structure. This month, we were given a generous donation of 100 boxes of cereal from a school fundraiser which was much appreciated.
The items needed most continue to be pasta, sauce, canned fruit, cereal, and open and serve.
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The Little Pantry
We continue to get many shoppers at The Pantry. We are so grateful for all the donations that come in from our church family in order to fill our stock in the cupboard room inside the church.
We always have needs!
Peanut butter and jelly
Oatmeal / cold cereal
Canned Fruit
Rice a Roni/instant potatoes
Soups
Canned Stew or any Chef Boyardee
Pasta/Pasta sauce
Rice-regular or minute
Canned legumes (kidney, black beans ...)
Shampoo
Dog and Cat food
Grocery or Walmart gift cards
| As a follow-up to Trinity's screening of the documentary on the ordination of women in the Espicopal church, note that The Philadelphia Eleven premieres on public television around the country starting March 1, 2025. For broadcast dates and times, check the local listings for the PBS or public television station in your area. | |
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“When I fall on my knees with my face to the rising sun, O Lord, have mercy on me.”
Can you name that tune? It’s our beloved communion hymn “Let Us Break Bread Together on Our Knees”, which we will sing together on Sunday. I love this hymn for numerous reasons: Its gorgeous chord structure with unexpected harmonies, its moving text of humility and worship, and, finally, its powerful history and how it came to be in our hymnal.
“Let Us Break Bread Together on Our Knees” is a traditional African American spiritual that has become a beloved communion hymn that spans denominations and is included in our Episcopalian Hymnal 1982. The hymn comes from the oral tradition of the enslaved African Americans, and its lyrics paint a picture of humble and intimate worship with a posture of kneeling and asking for God’s grace. Isn’t this exactly what we do each week at our own communion rail? “When I fall to my knees with my face to the rising sun…” is indeed that act of humility and surrender before God. However, when I think on the history of these words, I also see a symbolic plea for God’s intervention. Not only were the original singers of this hymn seeking God’s help and mercy, but likely also recognizing the unity, solace, and strength they found in their often secret gatherings to worship.
The hymn was originally published in The Second Book of Negro Spirituals in 1926 and over time was included in many hymns of many different denominations, including the Episcopal Church. It endures as a testament to the unifying spiritual music traditions that transcend race and religious denomination. As we sing this hymn on Sunday, let us remember and appreciate the profound contributions of Black musicians and worshippers who have helped shape the church’s musical heritage. Their faith and resilience are still an inspiration through the music that came deep from within their souls during times of darkness and oppression. As we celebrate Black History Month, may this music bring reflection and a renewed commitment to unity in Christ.
In Christ’s Love,
Jennifer
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Join us for some comfort food and fun on Shrove Tuesday, March 4th! A delicious pancake supper will be served from 5:00 – 7:00 PM in the Glover Community Room. Pancake races are scheduled for 5:30 and 6:30 PM. All ages are welcome so bring your A-game!
Upcoming Events:
Sunday, 2/23, Church breakfast, Lenten devotional becomes available
Tuesday, 3/4, Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper and games
Wednesday, 3/5, Ash Wednesday, Lent begins
Sunday, 3/16, Love Our Pollinators: Make your own bug hotel!
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Christian Yoga
Join Christian Yoga class on alternating Tuesdays at 7 pm for an hour of movement that beautifully intertwines prayer and scripture. This is a great way to connect to yourself, with others and with God. The next session will be held on 2/25 and 3/11. All are welcome!
Free will offering is completely voluntary.
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Weekly Happenings
Trinity's nursery is open every Sunday from 9:15 - 11:15, and is professionally staffed by Wee Care Nanny Agency. Click here to review the nursery guidelines.
Trinity's Grief Support Group runs every first and third Thursday of the month from 4-5:15pm, and is open to all.
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Should you wish to make a donation to LL, please mail a check to First Congregational Church of Ridgefield (FCC), 103 Main Street, Ridgefield, Ct 06877. The memo line should read LLGD or click here. | |
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New Process for Vouchers
Thank you to all of you who have seamlessly transitioned over to the new system - it is such a pleasure to be working with Lori Rohrbacher again!
Vouchers can now be submitted virtually. There is a new page on Trinity's website (Vouchers). Please use this online form as a way to submit vouchers. If you need help learning this new system, please contact Kim.
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Praise and Thanksgiving
For those requesting our prayers
Maureen, Janet, Rick, Marie, Jennifer, Joyce, Jacky, Gail, Alveta, Bode, Gracie, Martha, Daniel, Shirley, Dan, Barbara, Lucille, Caroline, Eric, Brent, Judy, Kathy, Joan, Peter, Sandy, Donna.
For those celebrating a birthday this week
Vic Rivera, Ruth Garrett, Noah Webster
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