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So Move Every Human Heart
In the weeks since Christmas, more than once we have heard in worship of the Holy Family’s escape from their homeland. As cruel and corrupt Herod threatened their lives, Mary and Joseph – the infant Jesus in their arms – fled to Egypt for refuge. With that soundtrack of scripture and song on our hearts, neighbors in our own country are facing mortal threats from our government. From Minnesota to Maine, the images and videos ache the Christian conscience.
At Trinity Church, we do not confront these troubles alone, but as the Body of Christ – a Holy Spirit whole greater than the sum of our caring hearts. We first seek to love God and one another more and better, by our common prayer and in our common life. We then bear our beloved community in the world.
Among our expressions of love and mercy, the Trinity Neighbors Ministry lives into the biblical mandate to “‘welcome the stranger” by supporting immigrants, refugees, and asylum-seekers. With kindred inspiration, we partner with our Diocese and the larger Episcopal Church. Through our shared, annual Stewardship, Trinity matched Bishop Whitworth’s commitment to establish a diocesan Immigrant Legal Emergency Fund. Likewise, we join with companion parishes, ecumenical congregations, and multi-faith leaders to sing and lament, pray and witness to the wider world and our elected officials. Just last Friday, members of Trinity's Outreach & Justice ministries gathered at our Cathedral and marched with a large contingency to the Statehouse, where we sang and prayed in Memorial Hall, just outside Governor Healey’s office.
This week, Bishop Whitworth wrote to us, commending a reflection by our Presiding Bishop, the Most Reverend Sean Rowe: Acting Faithfully in Troubled Times. She writes, “I invite you to join him, the hundreds of faith leaders gathered in Minneapolis, and all in our church to pray for those who mourn, for those who fear deportation and detention, for those who suffer for righteousness sake, and especially, for the soul of our nation.”
The love we share and the prayers we offer here, make a difference everywhere, in spirit and in substance. With Bishop Whitworth, with Bishop Rowe, and with one another, we pray for peace and justice. In the words of our Book of Common Prayer: “Grant, O God, that your holy and life-giving Spirit may so move every human heart, and especially the hearts of the people of this land, that barriers which divide us may crumble, suspicions disappear, and hatreds cease; that our divisions being healed, we may live in justice and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”
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Generous Tables, Gracious Spaces: Epiphany Forum Series
Sundays, 2/1 & 2/8, 11:15 am, Lloyd Forum
Our Forums this season through Feb. 8 will intertwine our program year (Grateful Hearts and Gracious Lives) theme with the nuance of Epiphany's transformation of space: what spaces are ready to welcome God and God's people?
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February 1 & 8: What Does It Mean to Be Gracious with Grace? with the Rev. Brandon Ashcraft
Beginning with Jesus’ first sign at the wedding in Cana, these two Forums will explore how God’s abundant generosity continues to shape the Church’s sacramental life.
The February 1 Forum will consider the Episcopal Church’s historic 2015 decision to extend the sacramental rite of marriage to same-sex couples. We’ll examine how sustained engagement with Scripture and theological reflection led the Church to recognize and bless the grace already at work in the lives and covenants of same-sex couples.
On February 8, we will turn to the Eucharist, exploring the Church’s long tradition of baptismal preparation for Communion, the emergence of “open table” practices, and the theological questions raised by Communion without Baptism. Together, we will consider how divine hospitality, sacramental formation, and ecclesial identity belong in a creative tension at the Lord’s Table.
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Community Breakfast & “63rd Annual” Pancake Toss
Sun., 2/1, 9 am, Commons
Join us on Sun., Feb. 1 at 9 am for our Community Breakfast & “63rd Annual” Pancake Toss.
Many hands make our Community Breakfasts come together each month! From dicing onions to setting tables, all volunteers welcome! We meet on Sat., Jan. 31 for food prep and set-up in two different shifts. On Sun., Feb. 1, we need help getting everything warmed up and ready along with serving and cleaning. We have a fantastic group of new folks and regulars every month! Come check out the fun!
Sign up here.
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Ash Wednesday
Wed., 2/18, 7:30 am, 12 pm, 7 pm (also livestreamed), Church
We will impose ashes at each Ash Wednesday service. The 7:30 am service will be spoken; the noon service will include congregational hymnody; and the evening service will include choir.
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Fauré Requiem Singalong
Sun., 2/8, 2 pm, Church, free; register here
Join Trinity and the Back Bay Chorale for a powerful afternoon of shared music-making. Together we will rehearse and sing Fauré’s Requiem, welcoming members of the public to join in voice and spirit.
This collaboration between two Back Bay institutions embodies the power of choral music to bring people together in peace and purpose.
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Women’s Lunch Place
Wed., 2/11, 7 -11 am, Women’s Lunch Place (67 Newbury Street, Boston)
Alongside existing partnership with Rosie’s Place and Pine Street Inn, Trinity has added a new shelter to our consortium of outreach partners: our Back Bay neighbor, Women’s Lunch Place, a day shelter community for women experiencing poverty and homelessness. For the rest of the year, we’ll be volunteering at WLP on the second Wednesday of every other month, from 7 am to 11 am, to help prepare and serve a nutritious meal for our neighbors confronting food and housing insecurity. Contact ministry leader Nancy Kelly to volunteer.
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Slate of Nominees for Annual Parish Meeting
One Morning Service on Feb. 15
Sun., 2/15, 10 am, Church & livestreamed
We will combine Morning Prayer worship with our Annual Parish Meeting at 10 am on Sun., Feb. 15. The Meeting’s various reports, presentations, and business -- including updates from our 150th Committee -- will be threaded through the liturgy at that hour. With intentions to welcome as many people as possible, this will be our only worship service for the morning (there will be no 8 am or 5 pm service). A livestream to trinitychurchboston.org/live-worship, and YouTube and Facebook pages will welcome those worshiping from home.
The slate, that will be moved at the Annual Parish Meeting, includes a Junior Warden, Clerk, two members of the Vestry, and a delegate to the Diocesan Convention.
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Milestones
We commend to God’s care and keeping John Knutson, who died on December 26.
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