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Apalachicola, Florida
June 19, 2026
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We live amidst scarcity. Not enough room, not enough money, not enough peace. One of the most precious and finite resources in life is time. We never truly possess it, much less control it. It may decide to crawl along for a while then take off sprinting, flattening our aspirations as it picks up steam. We are polite to it most of the time. But that’s because deep down, we know we are completely at its mercy.
We tell ourselves comforting stories about time: that we can harness it to get things done, ignore it to focus on the bigger picture, freeze it, stretch it, bend it to our will.
We are a temp worker on the lowest rung, acting as if we are at least middle management. Give me a break. We’ve never been time’s boss. We act as if we have the power, any power. We do not.
People also want immediate transformation. Yet our illusion of control extends beyond time itself. We expect growth to operate on demand. I have worked this hard to receive this reward. I completed the prerequisites, paid the fee, made the sacrifice.
Whether we are trying to manage time as a scarce, precious resource or extract its essentialness for our gain, we will always—and ultimately—come up against the futility of that control by earthly hands.
Time belongs to God. And we are only lent the use of this powerful, scarce resource through grace. Often, we only see the outcome, with only hints of the becoming along the way. God sees the becoming from the beginning.
We experience the final product—time as we know it—but often miss the infinite ways God is at work within it. God works beneath our perception and beyond our schedule.
I wonder how our lives would change if we consciously placed time in its rightful place, beyond our capacity to warp it to our design, and entrusted it to God.
Perhaps then we might be less concerned with what is next, because now we are concerned with what is becoming.
Instead of seeing a bag of seeds, we envision a future harvest.
Instead of forgiveness as a moment, we see reconciliation as a journey.
Instead of healing as a singular event, we see wholeness as a process.
And instead of seeing disciples as they are, we see who they can become.
Most divine work unfolds through time. We have all experienced it, though often only in hindsight. The invisible thing God often gives is not a miracle but enough time for grace to do its work.
God is not threatened by scarcity. God created time and stands beyond it. The anxiety comes when I try to manage what was never mine to manage in the first place.
Time may still feel like a thief some days. But faith reminds me that my life
is not ultimately in the hands of time. It is in the hands of God.
And that has made all the difference.
Love Big and Be Well,
Stephen +
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Unfolding the Liturgy, Part Four:
One Body, Many Vessels
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One of the things that sets the Episcopal church apart from other protestant denominations is the emphasis on the altar as the focal point of worship. It is where the priest offers prayers, blesses the offerings, and consecrates the elements of the Holy Eucharist. Adorning the altar with candles, sacred linens, silver vessels, and seasonal hangings completes the preparation of the sanctuary for worship.
It is the responsibility of the Altar Guild to care for all these sacred instruments. Our members set the altar before each service and clean up afterwards. We ensure that all linens are properly laundered, silver vessels are clean and polished, and candles are filled with oil.
We also make sure the appropriate color is used for the corresponding season on the church calendar: Blue for Advent, Green for Epiphany and Ordinary Time, Purple for Lent, Red for Pentecost Sunday and Maundy Thursday, and White for Christmas, Easter, Trinity Sunday as well as weddings, funerals, and baptisms.
The Altar Guild is a quiet ministry done with reverence and respect for our sacred spaces. Ours is a small group of eight dedicated church members who faithfully carry out the duties of this very important ministry. We always encourage others to join us. This is a joyful and meaningful ministry, and it is open to all who wish to serve. Please contact any of our members if you are interested.
-- Rennie Edwards, Altar Guild Chair,
(205) 936-8124 or rennie.edwards@gmail.com.
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Public Summary for June 8, 2026 Vestry Meeting
Trinity Episcopal Church, Apalachicola FL
*This unofficial summary is generated for Bay View newsletters.
Full minutes of the meetings are available on request.
At its June 8, 2026 meeting,Trinity Episcopal Church’s Vestry approved the May minutes and received financial, property, committee, and clergy reports. Exterior church painting was approved, while decisions on the Benedict Hall. Room 101 remodel and additional HVAC work were deferred pending
further bids. Plans continued for bicentennial preparation, with Susan Keith presenting a budget proposal for archival supplies and furnishings. Father Stephen presented an overview of the bicentennial project. The Vestry reviewed updates and discussed a draft policy on gifts, donations, and memorials, postponing action until July. The Vestry also approved support for
a parishioner’s attendance at diocesan Lay School for Ministry and
authorized phased contributions which are required for the rector’s HSA.
The meeting concluded with prayer and adjourned at 5:53 p.m.
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Bag Sale Now
at Penny's Worth!
Attention Bargain Shoppers! Penny's Worth is having its famous Bag Sale right now. Tuesdays & Saturdays, 10 am - 3 pm until the end of June. Fill a bag from the Bargain Room for $4.00. Here's your chance to jazz up your summer wardrobe!
Also... Penny's Worth will be closed during July for its traditional summer break. Even more reason to hit the Bag Sale now!
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Trinity's Outreach Committee recently provided office equipment & supplies to ED Corps High School, and received this lovely message of gratitude:
Good afternoon Kathy (Chesser) and Warren (Middlemas) -- I trust you are both well. Big THANKS to the Trinity Outreach Ministry again for your contributions to ED Corps High School. We are incredibly grateful and deeply appreciate your support this year and in the years gone by. The items you provided this year are very much needed and will most definitely be put to great use.
May God continue to bless you and your ministry.
-- Elinor Mount-Simmons, Administrator
| | Diocesan Cycle of Prayer. For churches and ministries: on June 21, pray for St. Andrew’s, Mobile, Alabama; and on June 28, we will pray for St. Matthew’s, Chipley, Florida and St. Stephen’s, Brewton, Alabama. For prisons: on June 21, we pray for the prisoners, families, and staff of the Loxley Work Release, Loxley, Alabama; and on June 28, please pray for the prisoners, families, and staff of the Ventress Correctional Facility, Clayton, Alabama. | | CELEBRATING FAMILY & FRIENDS | | Martha & Mickey Harris with granddaughter Savannah and her friend Jonah, who are students at Kennesaw State University in Georgia. Savannah is spending her summer college break in Apalachicola while working at a local restaurant. | | |
The TRINITY TEN, a ten-point questinnaire that provides a light-hearted,
yet sincere, profile of Trinity parishioners, is designed for us to get
to know each other a little better. Your responses, along with a
photograph, will appear regularly in the Bay View.
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Bonnie Lou Lewis is from St. Louis, Missouri. She received her masters’ degree in elementary education from Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.
During her career as an educator, she taught Title One math, Middle school math, GED, ESL to Vietnamese, fourth grade, and junior college basic math.
At Trinity Bonnie has read books to second grade classes, baked cookies for ECCC, and served as a Tour of Homes greeter. She is a regular usher on Sunday mornings and also works at Penny’s
Worth where she sorts and prices merchandise each week.
In the community, you can find her at the food bank, delivering food for ECCC, tutoring at the library, and participating on the PALS board.
Greatest influence on your life (person or experience): The greatest influence in my life was working 15 years for Disney.
How would someone else describe you: People would describe me as impulsive, patient, upbeat, scatter-minded, and enthusiastic.
One thing people might be surprised to know about you: My friends would be surprised to learn that I worked in the vineyards in Assmenhausen, Germany one summer.
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Favorite part of living here: The community and my friends are the best part about living here.
Dogs or cats: Dogs
Bacon or broccoli: Bacon
Coleslaw - vinegar or mayo: Vinegar
One thing you are good at: I’m good at losing my keys!
One thing you’d rather not do: I’d rather not clean my house or iron.
What drew you to Trinity: I was drawn to Trinity by the friendliness
of the parishioners.
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Watch our Sunday sermons online:
Generosity is a key component of our successful ministry: You can share your generosity easily and safely through our secure Electronic Giving platform.
| | | COMMUNITY EVENTS OF INTEREST | |
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Your Bay View: Trinity's bi-weekly e-newsletter, the Bay View, reaches members and friends every other Friday, sharing news and inspiration for and about our parish. Please send information and announcements, as well as photographs, to info@trinityapalachicola.org or call the church office at 850-653-9550. The deadline for submission is noon on Wednesday of each publication week. Next deadline is July 1.
-- Kay Carson, Editor
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Worship Service at 10:30 am Sunday
Morning Prayer at 8:15 am Wednesday
Compline at 8 pm Wednesday - Facebook Live
Church address: 79 6th Street, Apalachicola, Florida 32320
Office address: 76 5th Street, Apalachicola, Florida 32320
Mailing address: PO Box 667, Apalachicola, Florida 32329
Phone number: (850) 653-9550
Email: info@trinityapalachicola.org
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