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Apalachicola, Florida
September 25, 2026
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Last Sunday, I received four separate requests for the printed sermon from vastly different folks. Usually, there’s one or two requests annually, so I couldn’t help but notice. Once I moved past the ego (“Well, I guess it was a good sermon”), I began wondering whether each person had heard the Holy Spirit speaking into something in their life.
It would be interesting to learn what each person felt in those moments. Which words spoke directly to them? What did it bring to mind? In all likelihood, there would be as many explanations as there are people.
Maybe the sermon I preached wasn’t what people heard. I like that. Most preachers have the experience of listening to someone compliment the manner in which they presented Scripture. And when they state what they heard, the speaker smiles and thinks to themselves, that’s great, but I didn’t say that.
Sometimes we hear something the speaker didn’t say or mean because it meets us exactly where we are.
Think about the Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:1–9, 18–23). The same seed gets scattered everywhere: on the path, among rocks and thorns, and into good soil. The sower doesn't ration the seed according to where it might succeed. Seed is scattered extravagantly.
It’s like that with the Word of God too, whether it’s Scripture or a sermon. The same words go out and land on your heart. Your partner’s heart. Your neighbor’s heart. The person with whom you’ve long disagreed. They land on everyone equally, but their impact and our response is specific.
Take last Sunday for example. One person hears, “Sometimes the thing we're fighting about isn't what most needs healing” and thinks of their marriage. The next person hears, “Forgiveness may open the door, but relationship is where we learn if we are willing to walk through it together” and thinks of a friendship that ended badly. Someone hears, “Before Israel takes a single step onto the seabed, God is already at work” and thinks of a recent diagnosis.
I know what I preached. I was there. It had words for me too. They always do. Just as steady, however, is my own uncertainty at what everyone else heard, what people will do with it, and how this church might change as a result. And still, I keep coming back to find more treasure. Funny how that works.
Thank you for sharing a little of where the seed landed. I like to know if something arrived smoothly or completely missed your runway. That generates meaning for us both.
Sometimes words give a name to something we've been carrying. Not because the preacher somehow knew it was there. I sure didn't. But the Holy Spirit did.
Every Sunday I scatter words as faithfully as I know how. Every day,
you do the same. They never land on the same ground twice.
Something may begin to grow that you or I could never have predicted.
I don’t understand what occurs or when, where, or how it happens.
But at least I know the why.
Love Big and Be Well,
Stephen +
| | Trinity's Season of Creation continues through October 4 | | |
Friday September 25
Horseback Riding -- Cypress Run Farm, Crawfordville
Saturday, October 3 at 6 pm
Brother Sun/Sister Moon movie night -- Benedict Hall
~~ pizza, popcorn, ice cream ~~
Sunday, October 4 at 4 pm
Blessing of the animals and Feast of St. Francis -- Gorrie Square
September 1 - October 4
Benedict Hall Plant Swap
Bring a plant, seedling, cutting, seeds, or even a pot to share,
or simply come browse and take something home!
No need to bring anything to participate. Just stop by, see
what's available, and enjoy the fun of sharing a little greenery!
| | Blessing of the Animals Sunday, October 4 at 4 pm in Gorrie Square. Bring your animal or favorite creature to Trinity for our annual commemoration of the Feast of Saint Francis and the Blessing of the Animals. Representatives of the animal rescue community will be onsite with pets available for adoption as well. Be there! | | |
Music, Brats, and Blessings, Oh My! Saturday, October 10 is going to be a big day for Apalachicola. Porch Fest will run from 11 am to 6 pm at various locations around town. One of the favorite porches (and a fan favorite, with the trophy to prove it) is the steps of Trinity. Trinity is hosting four bands, with Fr. Stephen out and about on the day of Porch Fest blessing the many golf carts and their occupants who zip around town. Everybody needs a blessing now and then, whatever they ride.
The Holy Smoker Grill Team will be cooking at Porch Fest on Saturday, October 10, 11 am - 6 pm, on the street side of the church. Trinity will host several acts, including our own Father Stephen and Carol Harris as Preacher and the Wombat.
The Grill Team will be serving up our popular brats once again! We are looking for a few donations to round out the meal being offered:
- Sparkling water
- Bottled water
- Sodas
- Homemade cookies and brownies, individually wrapped
Drinks may be dropped off at Benedict Hall anytime between now
and Friday, October 9. Baked goodies should be delivered to
Benedict Hall by 10 am on Saturday, October 10.
And don’t forget to stop by the Holy Smoker as you enjoy the festivities at Porch Fest. Grab a brat, enjoy a treat, and support a great cause. All proceeds benefit Riverkeeper.
| | Our exterior painting project is underway, with prepping the boards by scraping, plugging holes and cracks, and power washing. New paint will be applied to all exterior surfaces and the front doors will be stained. Diaz Painting Services, the company that performed the work when the building was last painted, is the contractor. The project is targeted for completion by mid-October. | | Looking for A Few Good Writers. Advent is a season in the church year covering the period leading up to Christmas. Many churches (Trinity included) have a tradition of using this time as a way to reflect upon the season in order to stay grounded in God. We would like to bring back an Advent Reflections, and we invite you to consider participating. We need at least a few writers, and we would love to have a different writer for each of the days of the season. If you want to find out more, reach out to Fr. Stephen or call the parish office. | | It's Getting Spooky at Penny's Worth! | | |
As Halloween approaches, Penny's Worth is your unique source for costumes and fall decor. For the best selection, shop soon!
Saturdays & Tuesdays, 10 am - 3 pm, at 195 Avenue E in Apalachicola.
| | Diocesan Cycle of Prayer. For churches and ministries: on September 27, pray for St. John the Evangelist, Robertsdale, Alabama and St. Jude’s, Niceville, Florida; and on October 4, pray for Diocesan Episcopal Schools. For prisons: on September 27, we pray for the prisoners, families, and staff of the Dale County Jail, Ozark, Alabama; and on October 4, please pray for the prisoners, families, and staff of the Geneva County Jail, Geneva, Alabama. | | CELEBRATING FAMILY & FRIENDS | | A Blessed Day. Stephen and Travis Pecot are overjoyed to announce the birth of their first grandson, Timothy Guy Newman, born this week with everyone happy and healthy. Fr. Stephen traveled to hold their new grandchild as Timothy’s big sister Lucy looked on with joyous expectation. | | Tale of a Pup -- Happily Ever After | | |
I stepped out my front door for my morning walk one recent morning, and was greeted by a sweet dog lounging in the corner beside a chair. She didn’t scurry away as I greeted her; she just stared plaintively at me.
Not sure what to do, I decided to continue with my walk and postponed any action until my return. I’ve never had a dog in my life, so I was clueless when she was still on my porch. My visiting dog had no collar and I had not noticed her around the neighborhood. So, I called my friend and animal aficionado, Bonnie Stewart, for assistance.
Bonnie appeared with a leash and lovingly placed it on the dog, explaining that pups often bolt in such situations, making the process of finding the owner even more difficult. We offered a bowl of water and after just a few laps, our new friend settled in for a nap. Bonnie’s initial assessment: the pup, a healthy lab-dachshund mix, was perhaps less than a year old.
With no clue as to where, or with whom, the dog lived, Bonnie explained that we should notify Animal Control because that is the first place that owners of missing dogs reach out to. She made the call, followed by a call to the Franklin County Humane Society to alert them. The Animal Control officer appeared a short while later, also carrying a leash. She gently picked up the pup and assured us that she would coordinate with the Humane Society if the owner failed to claim her.
Fast forward a few days – Bonnie receives a message and photo. Our pup has a new family in Crawfordville, and a new name – Penny (Penelope)!
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Our community is fortunate to have a vibrant Humane Society that coordinates with Animal Control to protect our four-legged friends. If you see a stray animal, please contact both the Humane Society and Animal Control. And remember that it is critical to have a collar with a phone number on all your pets.
Also, coming soon – microchip scanners will be installed at community fire stations; if an animal is ‘chipped, the reader can quickly reveal the owner. Currently, a scanner is operational at the Humane Society, located at 244 US Highway 65 in Eastpoint.
If you are interested in becoming a pet parent, the Franklin County Humane Society offers a $25 certificate that covers spay/neuter surgery as well as a rabies vaccination. Learn more at:
forgotten pets.org or on Facebook.
But wait; there’s more! A FREE rabies vaccination clinic, plus free spay/neuter certificates at the Humane Society on Saturday, November 14, from 10 am until 1 pm.
--- Kay Carson & Bonnie Stewart
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At Trinity’s annual Blessing of the Animals on October 4 (4 pm at Trinity), you can learn more about the Humane Society’s services
and meet special guests: adoptable animals!
| | Be on the Lookout for Turtles. The turtles around the Trinity neighborhood have been exceedingly productive as of late, with numerous sightings of baby turtles. Some of them are quite tiny, as this little fella demonstrated behind Benedict Hall this week. | | |
The TRINITY TEN, a ten-point questionnaire 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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Kathy Leyendecker was the first of three adopted children. At three weeks old she was brought to Santa Fe where she was raised by wonderful parents. “Growing up in Santa Fe, New Mexico was a gift! The culture, the arts, the people and the charm of a small town made it memorable,” Kathy recalled.
She met and married her husband Gene in 1968. They moved to Los Angeles and then back to New Mexico and settled down to their varied careers and raised two great kids. “They are both married now and have given us the best two granddaughters ever," she said. Gene passed away in 2014.
In 2019, Kathy married Michael Ortiz y Pino and moved to Apalachicola, Florida. She had one date with Michael in Santa Fe when we were both 17, but they never saw each other again until 2019. After more than a year of “Facetime” visits, she traveled here to see him in person. Kathy fondly recollected, “Michael had introduced me to his many friends in Apalachicola during our Facetime conversations, so coming here was something like a family reunion. We were married for a short but wonderful three years when Michael passed after a 12-year battle with COPD.”
They were married in Ed and Candace Springer’s beautiful back yard, complete with a pot luck reception! Apalachicola southern hospitality at its best! Right then, she says that she inherited a ready-made family who has been there for her ever since.
Kathy enjoyed an exciting and varied career…her first job at 17 years of age was at the Santa Fe Opera, where she was the secretary for SFO’s creator and artistic director, John Crosby. She took dictation, operated a PBX switchboard, and often drove to the Albuquerque airport to pick up opera soloists from around the world.
Her last paying job was as a private contractor working as the Media Relations Coordinator for the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. The experience of being a part of an international family of pilots and volunteers who loved flying gas and hot air balloons made for fun and excitement almost all the time.
Kathy was confirmed and became an official member of Trinity Church two years ago. Candace and Ed invited her to attend services many times, to enable her to meet their friends and make new ones. Those friendships drew her in, and she now serves as a Lector, a member of the Altar Guild, and a part-time volunteer at Penny’s Worth.
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Greatest influence on your life (person or experience): The greatest influence on my life was the love and guidance from my adoptive parents. They were both inspirational examples of how to live a rich and rewarding life. They were kind, honest, firm, fair, and understanding. All three of us learned from them that we could accomplish anything we dreamed of if we gave it our best, always told the truth, and loved one another.
How would someone else describe you: I think people might describe me as someone who loves to cook and share with others, and is outgoing and fun to be with.
One thing people might be surprised to know about you: You might be surprised to know that I am nervous speaking in front of people.
Favorite part of living here: The people, the beaches, the open spaces, and the charm of this town.
Dogs or cats: I love dogs. My house here came with three tuxedo cats, Bing, Bang and Bop. Two years ago, I fostered a four-week-old kitty who never left…her name is Boo! I believe I’ve been converted.
Bacon or Broccoli: Bacon and Broccoli (Great salad!)
Cole Slaw - Vinegar or Mayo: Vinegar and Mayo (depending on the recipe)
One thing you are good at: Being impromptu!
One thing you’d rather not do: Organize drawers. Yuck!
What drew you to Trinity: The welcoming atmosphere of the parish community, the thoughtful and meaningful music and sermons, the sense of belonging. Father Stephen and Travis have built on a strong foundation, and have branched out and brought us so many opportunities to worship and appreciate all of God’s gifts.
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Trinity's Online Calendar
Trinity also has a new, online calendar which offers the
freshest view of all events going on at Trinity.
This cloud based calendar can display: by day, week, month, or by list
and is maintained in real-time by Trinity's Office staff.
Find this on our website at: www.TrinityApalachicola.org/calendar
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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. The next deadline is October 7.
-- 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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