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Apalachicola, Florida
May 22, 2026
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Someone asked me about a particular factoid from the Instructed Eucharist we held on April 19: “What’s this lesser sign of the cross when the Gospel is read?” What threw them was the word lesser.
Lesser, ordinary, common. These words have particular meanings in the church, yet they land differently beyond its walls. Words like these reveal the gap between what is heard (for example, “lesser”) and what is felt (“not as important”). I wasn’t raised to be lesser, ordinary, or common. Were you? Besides, who wants to be known as any of those in this day and age?
I do. But that’s because I appreciate what those terms point toward. Lesser means focused; ordinary means structured; and common means shared.
The lesser sign, by its definition, points to something much larger. If the traditional crossing of oneself (forehead, chest, both shoulders; denoted with a in our bulletins) marks the entire body under Christ’s dominion, then three small crosses over the forehead, mouth, and heart before the Gospel reading consecrates particular faculties of the body. In this case, the lesser sign of the cross becomes our witness to the Word of God in our thoughts, speech, and love.
After this Sunday, we enter Ordinary Time in the Season After Pentecost. With apologies to Candace and Dee for the double negative, it is not an unimportant season. Nor is it “Boring Time.” Ordinary comes from Latin—ordinarius—meaning regular and ordered. It is the long stretch of the church calendar that is less about big events (Christmas, Easter) and more about how we live out our Baptismal Covenant.
Finally, there’s common. Episcopalians encounter this term frequently as we participate in liturgies found in The Book of Common Prayer (BCP). But instead of meaning generic or low-quality, common means communal, mutual, or public. It shows up throughout church life: the common cup; our common life together; the common good. It does not mean communist, as one person once stated upon reading one of our large banners hanging outside the church referencing our BCP.
That may be exactly the right meditation for the Season After Pentecost. The Spirit appears in wind and flame but doesn’t stop there. The Spirit forms us as individuals and as a beloved community through intentionality and purpose.
Thus, our ordinary weeks, common prayer, and lesser signs
become the means by which Christ claims our thoughts,
our voices, and our hearts again and again.
Love Big and Be Well,
Stephen +
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Unfolding the Liturgy, Part Two:
One Body, Many Movements
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One of the first things a newcomer notices in Episcopal worship is that
we seem to be constantly moving. We stand, sit, kneel, bow,
cross ourselves, and sometimes even raise our hands in prayer.
To someone unfamiliar with liturgical worship, it can feel confusing at first.
Yet these movements are not random choreography.
They are part of the Church’s ancient way of praying with the
whole person — body, mind, and spirit.
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Human beings naturally express meaning physically. We stand when a bride enters the room, kneel beside a hospital bed, bow our heads in silence, or raise our hands in celebration. Worship works the same way. Our bodies help express what words alone cannot.
We stand as a sign of reverence and attention. Traditionally, Christians stand and turn to hear the Gospel because it is the proclamation of Christ’s own words and deeds among his people. We also stand to say the Creed and during many prayers because standing has long been associated with resurrection joy and readiness before God.
We sit to listen and learn. During the readings and sermon, sitting places us in the posture of students gathered around a teacher. Because Christianity is not only something we feel but also what we are continually taught.
We kneel to express humility, confession, and devotion. Many Episcopalians kneel during confession or prayer at the altar rail. Kneeling reminds us that we come before God not as consumers or spectators, but as people in need of grace. That grace includes the fact that many of us cannot kneel anymore, even if we wanted to!
Some people genuflect or bow when entering a pew or approaching the altar. You may see lectors bow as they cross to the lectern to read Scripture. These small gestures are acts of reverence, acknowledging that this place and this moment are set apart for holy purposes. Such gestures are never about “showing off” piety, but about quietly directing the heart toward God.
The Sign of the Cross is one of the oldest Christian practices. When Christians trace the cross upon themselves (head, chest, left shoulder, right shoulder), they remember their baptism and identity as people marked by Christ’s death and resurrection. It is a small physical prayer that says, “I belong to Jesus.” (Note: in the Eastern Orthodox Church, it is common practice to make the sign as head, chest, right shoulder, left shoulder.)
Even the raising of hands in prayer has ancient roots in Scripture. It is a gesture of praise, openness, and surrender before God. You will see a priest make similar movements during the Eucharistic Prayer; this is called the orans position and is part offering, part reception, and part representation. The priest gives thanks and asks for grace, all the while standing as the representative of the entire congregation before God.
Of course, no one is required to do every gesture perfectly…or at all. Episcopal worship is not a performance graded for accuracy. These movements are invitations. Over time, they become a kind of physical vocabulary of faith, helping us learn not only to think about God, but to love and worship God with our whole selves.
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Warm, Welcoming Room
Coming Soon in Benedict Hall
As many of you know, the first-floor space known as St. Ben’s Room (or Room 101) is now available to be remodeled and returned to active use for the life of the church. We are excited to begin transforming this currently underused space into a warm, welcoming, and flexible room that can serve many different needs within our parish family.
Rooms evolve over time with shifts in needs. A bathroom in Benedict Hall was previously the priest’s office. Centering Prayer was held in a room that will eventually become the nucleus of work centered on the bicentennial (archives, oral histories, etc.). But currently, we have limited space appropriate for private meetings, small groups, or formal preparation. And as these are shared spaces, any changes should benefit the most people and ministries while respecting its history and future needs.
We have identified a specific need on our physical campus: a respectfully appointed space designed for fellowship, contemplation, and preparation. Room 101 will allow us to meet that long-term need. Whether you are a lifelong member of Trinity, a newcomer, or somewhere in between, Father Stephen invites your feedback about the project, described more fully below. Your opinion and your support matters.
Rather than functioning as a formal conference room, Room 101 is being designed as a comfortable gathering area for smaller groups and personal conversations. It will serve ministries such as ECW, Parish Life, and the Choir. It will offer a tastefully appointed space for peer support groups and small committees that benefit more from relaxed seating than a rigid conference table setting. It will also provide a more casual and inviting place for pastoral conversations when sitting across a desk can feel too official.
Additionally, the room will serve practical ministry needs throughout the year. It will be a gathering space for families before funerals, a Sunday dressing area for the choir, and a preparation space for weddings. Planned furnishings include comfortable permanent seating with small tables or ottomans, a full-length mirror, storage cabinetry for choir robes, and a dresser/desk area.
This renovation will also bring the room functionally into the present day.
Through Tour of Homes funds, it will receive new flooring, ceiling, windows, walls, and updated electrics and air conditioning. Furnishings for the room will come through monetary donations from those who would like to help complete the project.
It is an exciting season in the life of our church. As our parish continues to grow and expand its ministries, our spaces must grow and adapt as well. We look forward to creating a room that is not only functional, but welcoming, comfortable, and truly reflective of the hospitality of our church family.
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Notes from recent Trinity Vestry Meetings
March - April
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An Update on Cuba. Cliff and Denise Butler recently shared a sobering report from a May 6–7 strategic planning visit to Havana with Bishop Angel Rivera and leaders of the Episcopal Church in Cuba. The report describes a nation facing severe economic and humanitarian crisis: widespread food shortages, hyperinflation (gas is $25/gallon, eggs $5/dozen, and pay less than $16/month), fuel scarcity, frequent electrical blackouts, collapsing tourism, and growing social desperation.
Yet amid these challenges, the Episcopal Church in Cuba continues to serve as a source of hope and stability through community ministries, water purification systems, solar-powered church facilities, and the Missionary Development Program, which now reaches an estimated 55,000 people each week. Bishop Ángel emphasized the church’s calling to be “a source of light and hope” for communities across the island during this difficult time. Those interested in reading the full report or supporting the ministry may visit Friends of the Episcopal Church in Cuba.
| | Diocesan Cycle of Prayer. For churches and ministries: on May 24, everyone around the diocese will be praying for us, Trinity Episcopal Church in Apalachicola; and on May 31, we will pray for Church of the Redeemer, Mobile, Alabama and Emergency Preparedness & Response. For prisons: on May 24, we pray for the prisoners, families, and staff of the Easterling Correctional Facility, Clio, Alabama; and on May 31, we pray for the prisoners, families, and staff of the Elba Work Release Program, Elba, Alabama. | | CELEBRATING FAMILY & FRIENDS | | Kerry Petty shares with us the rugged landscape of the Isle of Skye, connected to Scotland's northwest coast by bridge, during her recent visit. | | |
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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 June 3)
-- 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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