WORSHIP TIMES

Sunday, May 17, 2020

Sixth Sunday of Easter

10:30 a.m.

Morning Prayer

READINGS

 The Liturgy of the Word

MUSIC PROGRAM

Livestream link:

Facebook

Bulletin link:

May 17, 2020

View the complete lectionary readings at www.lectionarypage.net

Wednesday, May 20, 2020

7 p.m. - Evening Prayer

Livestream Link:

Facebook

Bulletin link:

Evening Prayer

Upcoming Event: Trinity Youth Group

Date: Thursdays

Time: 7 p.m.

Location: Zoom

Description: We will use the weekly Diocese Youth Group's online meeting. For the month of May, youth will be meeting every Thursday at 7 p.m. All youth across the diocese are invited to join via Zoom. We will play a joint game, split into Middle School and High School groups for sharing and discussion, and then have joint prayer.

Zoom meeting link

Meeting ID: 829 6546 4783

Password: WeLoveCamp

Upcoming Event: Anchor Women

Date: Tuesday, May 19

Time: 6:30 p.m.

Location: Zoom

Description: Our mission is to have a community of women of various ages and backgrounds to share thoughts, stories, highlights, fun and laughter. For more information reach out to Patti Anderson ( [email protected]  ) or Mary Perkins ( [email protected] ).

Upcoming Event: Children's Story Time with Susan

Date: Tuesday and Thursday

Time: 10 a.m.

Location: Livestream

Description: Story Time returns to Tuesday morning. Susan Hires reads picture books and "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe."

Livestream: https://www.facebook.com/pg/TrinityLawrenceKS/

Upcoming Event: Friendship Circle

Date: Wednesday, May 20

Time: 4 p.m.

Location: Zoom

Description:   If you would like to join us, please contact Susan Ralston at  [email protected]  for an invitation.  The Friendship Circle welcomes those who are widowed, divorced, single, or who are seeking friendship from parishioners. All are welcome.

Upcoming Event: Evening Prayer Service

Date: Wednesday, May 20

Time: 7 p.m.

Location: Livestream

Description: Join us for Evening Prayer each week.

Livestream: https://www.facebook.com/pg/TrinityLawrenceKS/

From the Rector's Desk...

I am continuing with my overview of Church history, architecture, music, and liturgy during this season of reflection and physical distance this week by embracing a fairly long period of time: 1073 to 1517 AD. The political and cultural changes in Europe during these centuries are too vast and various to sufficiently encapsulate here, but the changes in the culture of the Church are much easier to synopsize because they followed one liturgical track: the increased separation of the laity from direct participation in worship.

There were several factors pushing the Church in this direction. The first was the Roman papacy’s attempts to gain greater control of the liturgical rites of the Church, replacing the Frankish hybrid of liturgy with a more Roman-centered one. One of the unlikely but major proponents of this change was Francis of Assisi, who agreed to promote the Roman rite as part of an agreement to having the Pope formally recognize the religious order he had founded. 

The Roman rites also had a less stringent monastic liturgical model that suited his more relaxed style of monastic living. Thus the Church began to see implemented less familiar liturgical forms that utilized an unfamiliar language as the norm.

The second major factor was the shifting Eucharistic theological controversies of the time, in particular the question of the nature of the presence of Jesus in the bread and wine. A more literal tone was explored and although formally rejected, stories of bleeding hosts and images of Jesus appearing in the bread became popular stories, and an increased reverential theology of the Eucharistic elements became widely popular. Bread, and to a lesser extent wine, were more observed than consumed by the laity, and churches began to take on the form of giant monstrances (devices that displayed the bread for viewing) rather than communal worship spaces.

The third major factor was the development of Gothic architecture, which allowed for vaulted ceilings to be more easily supported by ribs and buttresses of lightweight masonry rather than thick walls. The thinner walls allowed for more windows, which in turn created a more illumined worship space. The windows also became avenues for education of the laity who were now gathering for worship but separated from the Eucharist by language, architecture, and legions of clergy.

Even the developments in music separated the worshiper from direct participation. Standardized musical notation allowed for polyphonic hymnody with the complexity of multiple vocal parts and instrumentality, but the lack of an identifiable and familiar melody meant that the people in the pews were relegated not just to watching, but also to listening to music as well.

All of these factors led to a period of time in which the theology and behavior of the lay person in the Church lent itself to ignorance and superstition. There are stories of Christians believing that viewing the host would prevent blindness and starvation, and clergy being paid extra to elevate the host for longer periods of time during the service so that it might be seen more. Receiving the wine was unthinkable. 

Church leaders, trying to push back against this tendency, had to initiate mandated Eucharistic participation to literally force people to consume the bread. But the overarching culture of distance, rarefication, and practical idolatry would be so conducive to abuse that the groundwork was laid for eventual revolt, conflict, and reform.

Yours in Christ,

Fr. Rob+

Reminder, if you do not see the "This Week at Trinity" at the bottom of the newsletter, there should be an expand button to click to view our complete newsletter.

We would like to know about hospitalizations, illnesses or special needs you are experiencing. Please call Fr. Rob, Deacon Deborah Burns, the Church office or a Vestry member so that we can help.

Prayer Chain

To add a person's name to the prayer list or to become a prayer chain member, please contact the parish office... Prayers... or call 785-843-6166; or Carol Hatton, Prayer Chain coordinator ( [email protected]).

The Prayer Chain prays daily for those who are ill, suffering or troubled; who have died; or who wish to offer praise and thanksgivings. Prayer Chain members find that their own private prayer life with God also deepens during this daily practice.

Pray for those who are ill: D.J., Doug and Michael

Pray for those with special intentions: Katie and John

Pray for those in the hospital: Dick

Pray for the departed:  Elenora Adams, Virginia Houser

Schools Out

Do you have a graduate in your family this spring? Please click here to let us know so we can recognize at our 10:30 a.m. service on Sunday, May 24th.

TEST Tidbits: Earth Day

Celebration Poem

The following prayer/poem was used in the ecumenical Earth Day Celebration given from the National Cathedral and co-sponsored by the Interfaith Power and Light organization. Many different faiths were involved giving prayers and sayings inspired by their respective faith group’s concern for the health of the planet. Please go to www.cathedral.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/0419-earth-day-interfaith-pdf to see the printed bulletin of the service and links to the service itself.

     All humankind is one vast family. This world our home.

     We sleep beneath one roof, the starry sky.

     We warm ourselves before one hearth, the blazing sun.

     Upon one earth we stand and breath one air, and drink one water, as we walk the night

     Beneath one luminescent moon. The children of the Universe are we, one family of one blood.

     Members in one worldwide family, this earth our home.

     All humankind is one vast family. The world our home. We acknowledge the change to our roof,

     The starry sky. We recognize the rising heat which harms our plains, our seas, our plants, 

     Forests and the life therein. We lament the painful consequences on the sacred soil, air and 

     Water. The children of the Universe are we, family of one blood, who bear responsibility for the Hurt we cause each other and the earth our home.

     All humankind is one vast family, the world is our home.

     We pledge our care to all the life beneath one roof, the starry sky. We honor all who seek the

     Warmth of the blazing sun. We will remember that upon one soil we stand, and breath one

     Air, and drink one water, and walk in the night beneath the luminescent moon. All children of

     The Universe are we---creatures of the soil and sea and air. All life that lives upon, within this 

     Earth, our home. 

      

SOURCES: Earth Day ecumenical services at the National Cathedral (see bulletin for service listed above). Scroll to the end to see the sources of prayers and sayings.

EARTH STEWARD ACTION: Take time to reflect our connections with each other (so precious in this time of being apart). Envision the power of that togetherness reaching toward healing the planet. It is a worthy goal.

All past TEST articles are available on our website at http://trinitylawrence.org/trinity-environmental-stewardship-team/

British Music to Highlight Morning Prayer Concerts  

This Sunday’s music program will feature sacred music from Great Britain. For the 10:30 Morning Prayer pre-service music, Dina Pannabecker Evans will play Ludwig van Beethoven’s “Hymn to Joy,” as arranged by Ian Hare, a leading British concert organist and teacher.  

After the service, Dina will lead The Hymnal’s version, no. 376, “Joyful, joyful, we adore thee,” as the congregational hymn.  

Then she will turn to “Rhosymedre” (“Lovely”) by Ralph Vaughn Williams, a prelude based on a Welsh hymn tune. Dina says that in its last stanza, “It makes a fine statement regarding our present circumstances.” 

     O Spirit, who dost bind our hearts in unity,

     who teachest us to find the love from self set free,

     in all our hearts such love increase,

     that every home, by this release,

     may be the dwelling place of peace. 

An acknowledgement of the class of 2020 is also planned.  

Please join Dina  online for the pre-service music  at 10:30 Sunday morning and stay for the post-service program. 

Vestry Meetings

The scheduled Vestry meetings are:

June 1, July 6

Meetings are open to all and are being held on Zoom at this time. The minutes of each meeting are posted to the church bulletin board and Trinity Vestry Minutes. Your Vestry can be contacted at [email protected]

Minutes through March have been added to our website.

News from Nepal

Hi Everyone! Well, Nepal is on day 45 of lockdown, and it has just been extended until at least May 18. There are currently no flights allowed in or out of Nepal (since lockdown started in March) and there is talk of suspending all flights and keeping the borders sealed until August 15 or beyond. All of my current work, research and plans are in limbo like so many others. In the face of this, blessings abound – I am in Kathmandu with access to plenty of food (even organic produce) which has been helping keep my stress level down, for sure.

To read Karin Feltman's complete update, please click this link.

Family Promise of Lawrence is still working hard to help families. Currently our organization is working with 53 families who are homeless or precariously housed.   In view of that need, something fun like a Home Run 5K doesn’t disappear and we need the race to raise funding for FPL's programming and expenses. You can sign up at 5K Signup or donate through GiveGab . 

Katie Becker is Trinity’s Family Promise contact if you have questions. Get your daily exercise in and help out needy families.



Teams must practice adequate social distancing and follow the guidelines set by the CDC and local and state governments to stay safe and healthy.

Reminder that articles for our newsletter should be sent to [email protected] by noon Wednesday each week.

Our newsletters are available on our website and Facebook page.

Save the Dates

Episcopal Summer

Senior High School Camp  

Sunday, July 12, 2:30 p.m. to

Saturday, July 18, 11 a.m.

Camp Wood YMCA, Elmdale, Kansas

https://edokformation.wordpress.com/camp/

Episcopal Summer

Middle and Elementary School Camp  

Sunday, August 2, 2:30 p.m. to

Saturday, August 8, 11 a.m.

Camp Wood YMCA, Elmdale, Kansas

https://edokformation.wordpress.com/camp/

Episcopal News links

The Episcopal Church

Episcopal Diocese of Kansas

DioLog - The Episcopal Diocese of Kansas newsletter

Episcopal Diocese of Kansas Youth Ministry