Trinity Topics

The Newsletter of Trinity Episcopal Church in Toledo, Ohio

FEBRUARY 2010

Jorge Silva/Reuters

May we be filled and satisfied,

by the word which you give us.
Teach us to be loving,
not only in great and exceptional moments,
but above all in the ordinary events of daily life.
May we abstain from what we do not really need,
and help our brothers and sisters in distress.
May we bear the wounds of your Son in our bodies,
for through his body he gave us life.
 liturgy & events SonoNovo Chamber Ensemble
ONCE IN A BLUE MOON PLAYERS
Friday, February 19 7p

Bernstein Trouble in Tahiti

ED
O N This comic troupe of Toledo troubadours joins the

T P ensemble in one of the rarely heard delights of

Bernstein’s musical output. Join Sam and Diane as
OS they jazz their way through less than marital bliss
P in this one-act operetta about 1950’s suburbia.
Tickets $15 / $12

SonoNovo Chamber Ensemble

BALLET THEATRE OF TOLEDO
Friday, March 12, 7p / Saturday, March 13, 2p
Vivaldi The Four Seasons
Anthony A Narnian Fantasy
Nigel Burgoine’s Ballet Theatre of Toledo performs
original choreography to Vivaldi’s timeless master-
piece, as well as the premier of a new ballet by
Trinity’s own Wayne Anthony, inspired by C.S.
Lewis’s The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
Tickets $20 / $15

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 7—EPIPHANY 5 C SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 21—LENT 1 C

Isaiah 6:1-8 (9-13); 1 Cor 15:1-11; Luke 5:1-11 Deuteronomy 26:1-11; Romans 10:8b-13; Luke 4:1-13
9:30a Children’s Formation 9:30a Children’s Formation
10a Annual Meeting/Parish Eucharist 10a Parish Eucharist
11:30a Parish Work Day
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 14—LAST EPIPHANY
Exodus 34:29-35; 2 Cor 3:12—4:2; Luke 9:28-36 (37-43a) SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 28—LENT 2 C
9:30a Children’s Formation Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18; Philippians 3:17-4:1; Luke 13:31-35
10a Parish Eucharist 9:30a Children’s Formation
11:30a Pancake Breakfast 10a Parish Eucharist

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 17—ASH WEDNESDAY SUNDAY, MARCH 7—LENT 3 C

12n Eucharist & Imposition of Ashes Exodus 3:1-15; 1 Cor 10:1-13; Luke 13:1-9
7p Eucharist & Imposition of Ashes 9:30a Children’s Formation
10a Parish Eucharist

2
 from the rector
Vacationing with the Beloved
We enter Lent, the time of soul reflection before Easter, in just over two weeks.

So what is Lent about, really? When Jesus was baptized by John the
Baptist, the Holy Spirit descended on him like a dove, and a voice from
above said, “You are my son, the beloved; in you I am well pleased.” Shortly
afterward, the Spirit drove him out into the wilderness. FIRST he heard
God’s love, THEN he went out to pray and listen and find out who God
dreamed him to be. God had given him certain gifts, would ask him to do
certain things, and Jesus needed to get away so he could hear what those
things were. Toward the end, when he was the most physically empty, he
was tempted to misuse the gifts God had given him. But out of the grace of
belovedness and listening, he had the clarity
to say NO. After that, he understood how
the Spirit was filling him and working in his
life, and his true mission began.

We participate in the season of Lent not

just in surface-level imitation of Christ, but
for the same reason Jesus did: to carry God’s
love for us into a time of listening for God’s
dream for our lives. Consider it, if you will, a
40-day vacation from what distracts you
from hearing the Holy. If the word ‘vacation’
sounds indulgent to you, consider that the
root of the word means freeing or emptying
—good Lenten words, indeed. And just as
we pack, make plans, and prepare for any
vacation before we actually get in the car
and leave, I invite you to spend time now
preparing for Lent.

Plan on giving up smoking? Go talk to

your doctor to get whatever support you
need. Want to help folks in Haiti? Spend
some time researching charities. Don’t know
where you want to go for Lent? Consider
this issue of Topics a Not-So-Lonely-Planet guidebook to exploring Lenten
travel. There are books to read, prayers to consider, random acts of grace
to share, and stories of people right next door and around the world who
need our prayers, money, love and help. I and other writers can point out
some places and ideas that we really like, and you may find them quite
helpful. You may identify much better ones--please let us know so we can
make this guide better! The important thing is to prepare an itinerary that
gives you a meaningful journey toward a destination called “Closer to
God,” or “God’s Dream for Me.”

Pack lightly, and enjoy the view. Let God get you there safely. We’ll all
meet up with Jesus after his resurrection, for breakfast on the beach (see
John’s gospel, Chapter 21).

Liddy

3
 congregation/world Annual Parish Meeting and
Super/Souper Gathering on
February 7
The community of Trinity Episcopal
Church is called together on Sunday, Feb. 7
for our annual parish meeting. As always,
the meeting will take place in the context of
the 10:00am Eucharist. During the meeting,
we will elect members to vestry service and
thank those whose service is ending; discuss
the state of the parish; and celebrate the ac-
complishments of 2009.
We’ll also observe the NFL’s Super Bowl
event with our own Souper Bowl Sunday on
that day. Please bring cans of soup or other
non-perishable food for Salem Lutheran’s
Feed Your
Neighbor
program,
and stay for
a parish
lunch (soup,
of course)
following
the liturgy.
MEMBER MATTERS
Doug and Wendy (Aey) Steinman welcomed their
daughter Sophia into the world on January 6 (nearly six
weeks early). All are doing well.
Ruth Nemire, Pharm.D., daughter of Herb and Karen
Landis, is serving with a UN medical team in Port-au-
Prince, Haiti.
Birthday Blessings
February 3..... ...........Hydie Ralston
February 4..... ...........Jason Rahe
February 6..... ...........Robert Hinds
February 7..... ...........Jenny Rahe
February 8..... ...........William Ramsay, Jr.
February 15... ...........Mildred Hatfield
February 16... ...........Jean Schmidt
February 20... ...........Marjorie Blackwell
........................ ...........Karen Kale
February 21... ...........Rosaline Smith
February 22... ...........Nash Gadway
February 24... ...........Cindy Laboe
February 26... ...........Ed Newman
4
The Role of the Vestry
It would be easy to evaluate our community life
by how many members we have, how extensive our
facilities are, or how much we collect in pledges. Yet
it is quite possible to grow in all these ways and still
fail at our basic purpose. More important than
counting people and things is the need to measure
our progress in accomplishing our mission.
Leaders do not come into a church as blank
slates. We bring with us a broad range of knowl-
edge, skills, and experience. Indeed, it is essential
that we utilize these resources in managing our
money, caring for our ageing facilities, working with
people, and planning for the future. But more than
anything, leaders must sustain our focus on the vi-
sion and mission of our community.
There will be a Celebration of New Ministry
welcoming the Rev. Ann Webber as the rector of
Church of the Holy Cross in Novi, MI by Bishop
Wendell Gibbs, Jr. on Thursday, Feb. 4 at 7:00pm.
The Church of the Holy Cross is located at 40700 W.
Ten Mile Rd. in Novi.
H1N1 Flu Shots
Overall flu activity in the United States, caused by
either the H1N1 or seasonal flu viruses, is expected to
continue for several more months. The Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends
vaccination as the first and most important step in
protecting against the flu. Because the supply and
availability of the H1N1 vaccine have increased dra-
matically, the CDC is now encouraging everyone to
get vaccinated.
The Ohio Department of Health has a website
(Flu.Ohio.gov) devoted to information on H1N1, in-
cluding links to current vaccination sites locally. You
can also call the Ohio H1N1 Information line at 1-866-
800-1404 for answers to questions about swine
flu. This information line is staffed from 8:00am to
5:00pm, Monday through Friday.
The Lucas County Heath Department is offering
the H1N1 vaccine to everyone at no charge at numer-
ous sites throughout the county. Retail pharmacies
including Walgreens, Rite Aid, Kroger, and Giant
Eagle are also offering the vaccine, although they may
charge a fee.
Parish Work Day
Help us clear some space for God. Wear your
grubbies and stick around after church for a parish
work day on Sunday, February 21, the first Sunday of
Lent.
We’ll be moving furniture and cleaning out rooms
to make space for Outreach, My Brother's Place, and
Next to New. And there may be a painting project—let
the church office know if you have a steady hand and
the patience for painting trim! Lunch will be provided.
Coffee Hour Hospitality
Coffee hour is a time to relax
and talk after church and get to
know folks who are new. There
will always be coffee, but the
rest is up to you! It doesn't have
to be fancy--cookies, chips and
salsa, some cut up veggies or
even a crockpot of soup. Grab a friend and pick a date
— the sign up sheet is on the curved wall as you enter
church.

Sunday Parking
ASH WEDNESDAY Please do not stamp your parking garage
EUCHARIST AND ticket on Sundays. We are granted free park-
IMPOSITION OF ASHES ing in the garage for all liturgies, but we get
February 17, 2010 charged for any tickets showing Trinity’s
Noon and 7:00pm name. DON’T USE

Budget Update 2009 2009 2010

Budget Actual Budget
In 2009 we succeeded in not using any unbud-
Revenue
geted endowment principal to cover expenses. Our
nave loan interest payments also were well under Plate Offering 7,500 7,825 6,500
budget, thanks to low interest rates and Greg 154,500 143,548 166,287
Pledge Payments
Shumaker’s diligent work with Keybank.
Combined Investment
Staff members were wonderful stewards of their Income 226,400 246,663 211,000
program areas and lived within their budgets. Re-
member that significant cuts were made in staff Other Operating Income 51,000 60,297 51,000
salaries to make a balanced 2009 budget possible. In
addition, we were blessed to have received more than Total Revenues 439,400 458,333 434,787
we expected from the Jobst Foundation.
Expenditures
As a result of all of the above, we ended 2009 in
the black by $12,008 dollars. We begin 2010 with a Personnel 194,105 193,362 193,336
balanced budget and a prayer that together, we can Buildings & Grounds 140,917 151,173 141,636
repeat what was accomplished in 2009.
Operations 29,300 23,018 27,550
Respectfully submitted, Diocesan Assessment 41,516 51,729 40,270
Jane Bueche
Parish Accountant Local Outreach 5,500 5,379 4,620
Programs 28,062 21,664 27,375

The financial health of our community is a shared Total Expenditures 439,400 446,325 434,787
responsibility, and we welcome your questions or Net Surplus/(Deficit) 0 12,008 0
comments. Contact Jane Bueche, Parish Accountant,
at jane@epworth.com.
Nave Loan Interest 33,600 10,653 10,000

5
 outreachings Emanuel Children’s Home
Receives Donations for Nursery
Bring Socks & Underwear for
Undie Sunday Feb. 14
Just in time for the arrival of the first infants at Time’s running out for
Emanuel Children’s Home in San Pedro Sula, you to shop for new socks
Honduras, the orphanage has received two gifts and underwear for the
from the Diocese of Ohio. girls at the Stewart Acad-
emy (grades K-6). The
In response to a grant request submitted by socks should be white or
Liddy, the diocesan Commission on Global and navy blue; the underwear
Domestic Mission recently sent the Home a check can be any color.
for $3,000 to support the opening of the newly
completed nursery. And the offertory collection We’ll gather and bless these items on “Undie
from David Nelson’s ordination service in January Sunday,” February 14.
was designated for the
Children’s Home.

For information on ways in

which you can support
the children and
programs of our
ministry partner in
Honduras, contact Lucia
Cooper.
Nobody gets to heaven with-
out a letter of reference from
the poor.
— Rev. James Forbes
Personal Hygiene Packs
During Lent, we’ll be
collecting personal hygiene
items for men, women and
children staying in local
shelters. Bags containing a
list of the requested con-
tents will be available on
Sunday, Feb. 21, and we’ll
gather them in the following month, on Sun-
day, March 21 for blessing and delivery to the
shelters. Please take a bag or two and fill them
with the items on the list.

My Brother’s Place Hosts First “David’s Dinner”

January saw the beginning of a new kind of outreach Eighteen men from the
at Trinity, through Elizabeth Sorge and the employees Cherry Street Mission
and volunteers who operate My Brother’s Place. enjoy a “family” dinner
together, hosted by My
“David’s Dinner” was an opportunity for men in- Brother’s Place.
volved in the Cherry Street Mission’s Ready for Life
program to sit down together in the warm, welcoming
atmosphere of My Brother’s Place and enjoy a dinner of
their choice from the MBP menu. Donations made in
memory of David C. Nelson covered the cost of the
food, Elizabeth and her workers contributed their time
and effort, and Trinity members were there to welcome
these guests into our home.

Watch for future opportunities to support this

simple but meaningful monthly ministry to shelter
residents.

6
Thank God for the Gift of Tears
By Martin L. Smith
I have a standing joke with a friend is another to censor the expression of spired to embrace its integrity and honor
ever since he asked me about a sermon I grief and loss. The terrible truth is that its demands. Sometimes when I play
was preparing: "Which bodily fluid will many adults have been trained not to songs by two artists who have touched
you be mentioning this time?" He had cry. So many griefs turned to ice in the my life, Mili Bermejo and Abby Lincoln,
picked up on my tendency to gravitate deep freeze of the heart's recesses! Many I weep, but not from sentimentality.
toward symbols that derive from the of us will never warm up, or become These songs bring tears because they
body. So during Lent, long before we open and free, until those tears have remind me what these women taught
arrive once again in Holy Week to me about passion, and the wholeness
confront the primal imagery of the that can only be discovered by hon-
cross and "the water and the blood"
Here is an experiment: oring loss and desire, grief and
which the evangelist John tells us to during Lent, set aside half yearning, fierce anger and tender-
notice, we can think about tears. ness.
an hour each week to think
What place do tears have in our about your tears. And there are Tears of Connection.
spiritual lives? Tradition speaks of Paul sums up our spirituality of mutual
the gift of tears. Lent is supposed to be a thawed and we allow them to flow. The service succinctly: "Rejoice with those
time for reflecting on our own religious old hymn Veni Creator Spiritus prays who rejoice, weep with those who
experience, and a rewarding discipline "what is frozen warmly tend …" There is weep." (Rom. 12:15) And the shortest
might be to question ourselves about an entire spirituality of healing con- sentence in scripture is, "Jesus wept."
our own tears, the tears we permit and tained in that petition. Imagine what a Tears of self-pity make seeds of resent-
the tears we repress. Here is an experi- breakthrough might begin if we had the ment germinate. Tears of empathy join
ment: During Lent set aside half an hour courage to confess before God that we us to each other. A heart that is open to
each week, sit quietly in a private place don't know how to mourn, and need God's Spirit allows us to shed tears of joy
with notepad and think where your help. at the successes and delights that come
tears are. Which are the kinds of tears to others. (Saints even shed tears of joy at
that connect us with God and ourselves Another category might be Tears of blessings given to those they don't even
and one another? Do I ever allow any of Truth. Here we venture into the territory like.) Tears of compassion allow us to
these tears to flow? of discernment. Tears tell us different share the burdens of others. Tears of
things. Some tears expose our shallow intercession might even be ways we can
I can already think of some of the sentimentality. We sob in spite of our- cry on behalf of others, so that thanks to
headings I could use to help me focus on selves at tear-jerking movie scenes. We our connectedness in the Spirit, they
different aspects. Perhaps the first would choke up at martial music and mawkish might not have to cry as much.
be Forbidden Tears. Many of us have songs. Other tears reveal our vulnerabil-
gone through life with unshed tears pent ity to manipulation. How easy it is for Our list of tears can get longer: Tears
so-called evangelists and politi- of Compunction through we which we
cal orators to work us. The admit our own brokenness and surren-
lump-in-the-throat tears they der denial. Tears of Bliss. Tears of Relief.
stimulate warn us that hackers Above all, Tears of sheer gratitude. Think
know exactly how to get into about them. It won't be long before we
our emotions for their own realize why the spiritual masters spoke
ends. of the gift of tears. Most of us in our very
emotionally controlled Episcopalian
But we also cry because we milieu haven't opened that gift up yet.
have allowed truth though our We need to ask God very simply and
defenses. These are different sincerely for that gift.
Rick Loomis/Los Angeles Times tears that cleanse and heal us.
up inside us because some authority They tell us that we don't have hearts of
figures forbade us to cry. I've lost count stone after all, and that makes us grate- Rev. Martin L. Smith is a spiritual writer and
of the men whom I have had to help ful. We can be moved by what is true, the senior associate rector at St. Columba's,
release the tears their parents shamed what is good and what is beautiful. D.C. From the Washington Window
them into suppressing. It is one thing for Tears can assure that we are touched by (http://www.edow.org)
parents to stop us whining in self-pity. It truth, braced by its painful realism, in-

7
Small Group Prayer Project
One component of the NCD action plan to nurture
the passionate spirituality of our community involves
small groups. Each small group in the parish (vestry,
Altar Guild, Next-to-New workers, and many more) is
being asked to develop a short prayer for itself, specific
to its ministry. The group and its members will then be
asked to pray its prayer every time it gathers/ministers.
For example, here’s a choir’s prayer:
Loving God, be with us as we gather in your name. Open our
minds to your creative Spirit. Help us to find and use the gifts
you’ve given us, and grant that what we sing with our lips, we
may believe in our hearts and show in our lives. Amen.
If a group doesn’t meet to-
gether to do its ministry (like
the Bread Guild), members of
that group should pray the
prayer individually every
time they minister.
We may also develop an
online prayer calendar with
links to small group prayers
on appropriate days (e.g., so
that all could pray with/for
the Finance Committee on the
second Thursday of the
month).
Reading the Bible Dinner &
Discussion Begins February 24
Martin Luther helped make the Bible accessible for
people in the 16th century. Marcus Borg’s book Reading
The Bible Again For The First Time is an attempt to do the
same for people in the 21st.
We’ll be discussing this book on Wednesday eve-
nings during Lent, beginning on Feb. 24 . We’ll start at
6:30pm each Wednesday at Trinity with a simple soup
and bread supper, followed by discussion of Borg’s
ideas. Members of St. Mark’s congregation may partici-
pate with us.
If you’d like to get more wisdom from the Bible, get
a copy of Borg’s Reading The Bible Again For The First
Time: from your favorite bookseller or library and join
us beginning Feb. 24. If you can bring a crockpot of
soup or some tasty bread on one of the 5 Wednesdays,
please let Becky Roth know.
8
Trinity’s NCD Prayer
Merciful Creator, we invite you to be with us
here and now. As we embrace Natural Church
Development, keep us mindful of our purpose
in this work – to empower your people, grow
and strengthen your church, and glorify your
name. Fill us with your Spirit of Wisdom and
Truth as we humbly examine ourselves and
our community. Help us to embrace new op-
portunities for growth and improvement. Re-
new our energy, guide our work, and lead us
to new life in you, through Jesus Christ our
Lord. Amen.
Daily Lenten Meditations
One guide to use on your Lenten vacation (and
“staycations” are discouraged) is the 2010 Lenten
Meditations booklet offered by Episcopal Relief and
Development and available at Trinity. The devo-
tional’s theme is “healing ourselves and a hurting
world.” Its daily meditations will encourage, chal-
lenge and inspire you to reflect on your own life’s
needs, as well as what you might do to help those
who live in even greater need.
Here, as an example, is the meditation for Satur-
day, February 27:
Seasons are just one more thing not in our
control. That doesn’t sit well. Lent is a season
of waiting, of darkness, and not just because
it’s winter. In the darkness, there’s no clear
vision; the outlook is bleak at best. Yet every
year, the earth lies fallow for a season. While
it appears there’s nothing happening below the
surface, we know from experience it’s not
true. I don’t understand the exact biological
and chemical changes that occur below
ground, but I have seen the bulbs I planted in
October sprout into daffodils in April. Six
months of waiting… Lent is only six weeks.
Lent can be the fallow ground we crave for
our spiritual growth… time to be still, to do
nothing, to let the wisdom of God’s season
work below the surface.
If you’d prefer to have these meditations
emailed to you each day, go to www.er-d.
org/Lent and click on “Subscribe to Daily
Lenten Meditation Emails”.
 Learn to Pray in a Whole New Way
Ask any follower of Christ what he or she needs to improve on most, and “prayer” will be a popular answer.
All of us could stand to pray more. Few believers need to be convinced of its benefits, but actually doing it—
consistently and cheerfully—can become a chore.

How do you keep your prayer life fresh? Learn how to pray in a new way.

If you typically pray mentally, try praying out loud. Find a time
and place where you can do this without looking like a crazy
person—or just hold your phone to your ear and no one will bat
an eye.

If you tend to rely on spontaneous, off-the-top-of-your-head

prayers, try praying according to a prayer book. The Book of
Common Prayer is a good place to start. Another option? Pray
Scripture.

Does prayer feel too intangible? Do you have trouble staying

Catherine Bremer / Reuters
focused? Add a physical aspect to your prayer life by using
prayer beads or rosaries. (Google “prayer beads” for abundant tips and products.) Or change your posture by
kneeling, standing or lifting your hands.

Drop a few raisins into the oatmeal of your prayer life this year. I think you’ll be amazed by the results.

From “Resolve This: 10 Ways to Get it Together in 2010”

by Jason Boyett, in the Jan-Feb 2010 issue of
Relevant Magazine (www.relevantmagazine.com)

Book Review
READING THE BIBLE AGAIN FOR THE FIRST TIME
Taking the Bible Seriously but Not Literally
by Marcus J. Borg
One of the vital challenges facing thoughtful Christians is
how to read the Bible faithfully without abandoning our
sense of truth and history. Many mistakenly believe there
are no choices other than either fundamentalism or simply
rejecting the Bible as something meaningful. Answering this
dilemma, Marcus Borg reveals how it is possible to recon-
cile the Bible with both a scientific and critical way of
thinking and our deepest spiritual needs.
Borg’s Reading the Bible Again for the First Time shows us
how to read the Bible as it should be examined—in an
approach the author calls “historical-metaphorical.” Borg
explores what the Scriptures meant to the ancient com-
munities that produced and lived by them. He then helps us
to discover the meaning of these stories, providing the
knowledge and perspective to make the wisdom of the
Bible an essential part of our modern lives.
Borg traces his own spiritual
journey, describing how he moved
from an unquestioning childhood
belief in the biblical stories to a more
powerful and dynamic relationship
with the Bible as a sacred text brim-
ming with meaning and guidance.
Using his own experience as an example, he examines the
misinterpretation of biblical texts as historical records and
divine dictation, and opens readers to a truer, more
abundant perspective.
This unique book invites us to engage the Bible, wrestle
with its meaning, explore its mysteries, and understand its
relevance. Borg shows us how to encounter the Bible in a
fresh way that rejects the limits of simple literalism, and
opens up rich possibilities for our lives.

9
 Listening for God, Living into Lent
After his baptism, Jesus went out to the wilderness. Jesus did not go into the desert to suffer for suffering’s sake; he did so
to get away from all that would fill his ears and distract him from listening and watching for what God wanted him to be.
The best Lenten disciplines help us do two things: they help us to listen for God and they help us see and serve Christ in
each other. With that in mind, I offer you these 40 possibilities. You may have one that is much better for you that’s not on this
list--by all means, follow it! Take one a day, one a week or keep one for all of Lent. Lastly, keep others in your prayers as they
take on or give up something in order to grow into the people God dreams them to be. ~ Liddy

Give blood. Add some art to your prayer life.

Give up complaining. Find out the name of the homeless person who
Turn off the TV. Really. comes in at coffee hour.
Hang up and drive. Shovel your neighbor’s walk.
Take a hot bath and get to bed early. Learn your neighbor’s name.
Say “yes” when someone offers to help you. Share music.
For one day, buy nothing. Say “I love you”--and mean it.
Share dinner. Do the dishes.
Do something special with/for your least favorite Make a place of prayer in your home.
child. If you give something up, like cigarettes, lattes, etc.,
Pick up your dog’s poop. put what you would have spent daily in a jar. Cele-
Volunteer. brate Easter by sending the money to a worthy
Walk in the woods. cause.
End the affair. Learn about a non-Christian faith tradition.
Sign up to be an organ donor. Bring your partner/spouse coffee in bed.
See Christ in the next person you view. Reconnect with an old friend.
Listen. Waiting for your turn to talk isn’t listening. Do one thing that scares you.
Look up (carefully). For one afternoon, follow your pet.
Leave an exorbitant tip. Give to a good cause.
Write down what you eat. Name 3 good qualities of someone you can’t stand.
Give yourself a half a day of silence. Don’t answer Gather your tax stuff early.
the phone. Speak only what is true.
Ask for help. Pray in traffic.

Ash Wednesday
Ash Wednesday, an echo of the Hebrew Testa-
ment’s ancient call to sackcloth and ashes, is a continu-
ing cry across the centuries that life is transient, that
change is urgent. We don’t have enough time to
waste time on nothingness… We need to repent of
our senseless excesses and our excursions into sin,
our breaches of justice, our failures of honesty,
our estrangement from God… We need to get
back in touch with our souls…
Ash Wednesday confronts us with what we have
become and prods us to do better. Indeed, Lent, we
learn on Ash Wednesday, is not about abnegation,
about denying ourselves for the sake of denying our-
selves. It is about much more than that. It is about
opening our hearts one more time to the Word of God
in the hope that, this time, hearing it anew, we might
allow ourselves to become new as a result of it. It is
the call to prayer, to liturgy, to the co-creation of the
world. It is about our rising to the full stature of hu-
man reflection and, as a result, accepting the challenge
to become fully alive, fully human rather than simply
grossly, abysmally, self-centeredly human.
In the early church, Ash Wednesday be-
came a time to wear penitential garments,
to do public penance, to be banished from
the church, to be sprinkled with the sign of human
degradation. In a church more knowledgeable
now about what it means to be “embodied” – to be
gold dust in vessels made of clay – it is the moment
of accepting what we have allowed ourselves to be-
come and beginning to be all the rest of what we are
meant to be.
by Joan Chittister, from The Liturgical Year:
The Spiraling Adventure of the Spiritual Life

10
 around the kingdom
They will know we are Christians by our love
THE CHURCH CONTINUES TO PROVIDE RELIEF IN HAITI JANUARY 26, 2010

Two weeks after a 7.0-magnitude earthquake
devastated Haiti, the scope of the death and de-
struction is staggering. The most recent estimates
indicate that at least 200,000 deaths and 194,000
injuries have occurred. At least one million people
have been left homeless and in need of temporary
shelter.
“The capital is transformed into an immense
refugee camp,” stated Bishop Duracin in a recent
letter posted on the Episcopal Diocese of Haiti’s
website. “They call desperately for food, water and
medicine.”
In addition to supporting those in the tent
camp in the Episcopal Diocese of Haiti, Episcopal
Relief & Development is continuing its work with
the Episcopal Diocese of the Dominican Republic,
IMA World Health and World Village. Activities
include making daily shipments of food and medi-
cal supplies to affected Haitian communities; orga-
nizing air drops to communities not easily accessi-
ble by roads; establishing communication between
dioceses through the provision of satellite phones
and solar chargers; and responding to the needs of
those who have crossed the Haitian border into the
Dominican Republic in search of aid.

With support from Episcopal Relief & Develop- “The Church is a place of refuge for people in
ment, Bishop Duracin and his colleagues continue the midst of crisis,” said Radtke. “While it is pro-
to run a tent camp for as many as viding critical aid and
3,000 survivors on the rocky field caring for people in the
next to College St. Pierre, one of initial period following
the diocese’s many structures this disaster, the Church’s
destroyed by the quake. role will become even
more significant in the
In a letter to Episcopal Relief coming months and years
& Development President Rob as people struggle to re-
Radtke, Bishop Duracin said, cover and rebuild.”
“We are directing emergency
relief to those who need it most, From Episcopal Relief &
and we already are making plans Development
and moving forward to help our www.er-d.org/HaitiJan26
people.”

The calamities of the world do not invite us to divide what we already give
into smaller and smaller fractions, or to divert contributions from existing
concerns to new ones. Those with whom we share today still require our
support. Rather, these events call us to re-examine our needs and desires
and grow our giving. Do I need what I want? In exchange for today’s latte,
can I satisfy a child’s thirst for clean water?

A Prayer for the People of Haiti by Taylor Burton-Edwards

The seas roar, the earth shakes,
buildings crumble, roofs topple
and walls turn to dust.
Have mercy on the people of Haiti, O God.
Nations watch, alarms sound,
traffic halts, utilities stop,
and news is hard to verify.
Give us compassion to weep with those who weep, O God.
People die, families mourn,
mountains split,
infrastructure and superstructure alike are gone.
Make us swift to help and persistent to rebuild,
not just things and structures, but lives, O God:
Through Christ, the solid Rock. Amen.

11
 Let Yourself be Shaken
Sermon at a Prayer Service for Haiti at the Washington National Cathedral, January 17, 2010
By the Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, Presiding Bishop
Our hearts are broken, as we sit
transfixed before images of devasta-
tion and ruin, the bodies of children
and elders piled in the streets,
buildings crushed to dust, pleading
arms and voices raised to
heaven. We respond in
lament and grief and
sorrow, we push back
against the senseless
mystery of life’s pain. We
yield to those ancient
questions: Why? What
sort of a God permits
destruction like this?
What can I do, how can I
help? Those questions
can’t ever be fully
answered, yet they are
most important in times like these.
The reality is that life is not safe or
predictable, but what we do with our
lives gives them meaning. God does
not cause suffering or punish people
with it, but God is present and known
more intimately in the midst of
suffering. Above all, we become more
human through our broken hearts.
That ability to suffer with, to feel
compassion, is one of the gifts of being
fully human. We may only be able to
respond through being with, by
standing alongside, even at a distance.
We can pray with the grieving, and
we can reach out.
Compassion is pouring out across
this nation and across the globe, as the
world feels the suffering in Haiti.
Suddenly strangers have become hun-
gry brothers and thirsty sisters, people
in pain, without a place to lay their
heads, mourning the death of loved
ones.
Compassion is a gift that changes
the world. We have discovered and
remembered our sisters and brothers
in a land many of us will never see –
12
our common humanity is staring us in
the face, and we have chosen to meet
the gaze of Haiti. We are changed
forever, if we will only remember the
terror of that gaze.
Damon Winter/The New York Times
Remember and let yourself be
shaken. Feel something of the terror in
Haiti. Terror, the word, comes from
shaking; this terror started in the
shaking of the earth. It has a parallel in
the fear that periodically consumes
this nation. May this terror shake us
out of complacency and willful igno-
rance. Remember the people of Haiti.
Reach out to those who have lost
The answer to terror is solidarity. The shaking
stops when we stand together, when we remem-
ber that brothers and sisters, linked across the
world, are stronger than fear.
loved ones, to those who still wait for
news of the missing, to Haitian-
Americans in the neighborhoods
around us.
The answer to terror is solidarity.
The shaking stops when we stand to-
gether, when we remember that
sisters and brothers, linked across the
world, are stronger than fear.
Haiti is filled with resilient and
persevering people, but much of the
nation’s resources and systems are
lost and broken. Many nations are
already moving to stand alongside.
We can give thanks for the rapid and
deep response from these United
States. There are immense seeds of
hope in the response to this disaster,
seeds that must continue to be
watered and nurtured for the future.
We’ve seen some of the hopeful seeds
in Haitians gathering in broken streets
to sing and pray, even children
playing with empty boxes in which
food arrived. Hope abounds, but it
must be answered.
Our remembering has to be long-
term, it must endure, if it is going to
beat back the terror of this disaster.
The longer and harder task is to
remember the ancient hope of
humanity, that vision Isaiah proclaims
as repairing the ruined cities and
building up ancient ruins and
devastations. The long arm of
remembering will give the strength to
see that the hungry and thirsty and ill
and homeless are cared for.
Rebuilding the infrastructure of Haiti
will take years, just as it has in the
aftermath of Katrina. We cannot
forget.
The disaster of this earthquake is
the most recent and the most
devastating of a long series of terrors –
hurricanes, political coups and
instability, the centuries-long struggle
of former slaves to make a home in a
foreign land. There is some deep
solidarity in praying for Haiti on the

eve of our nation’s remembrance of
Martin Luther King. His message was
filled with the biblical vision of the
prophets, that heaven on earth comes
when the poor are cared for and all
God’s children are treated with justice.
world, but also the day of God’s
vengeance. Matthew’s version comes
in the verses we didn’t read, that those
who don’t feed and care for the poor
will be consigned to what we usually
call hell – it’s not the poor who end up
around the kingdom
comes from poverty ignored
and justice denied. That
shaking is calmed and healed
in remembering, in
compassionate solidarity with
the suffering of the world.

We are seeing immense

May today’s compassion be transformed into a
steely will to continue caring for the least, the
lost, and the left out until not one is left.
That vision applies to the poorest here there, but those who ignore them and
and equally to those a few hundred their suffering. The ancient vision of a
miles south of our borders, to all who healed world demands that all people
live in abject poverty, hungry for the have decent and dignified life
world’s justice. possibilities – clean water, adequate
food, shelter, medical care, education
The words of prophets also come for their children, stable government,
with challenge. It’s easy to miss the possibility of meaningful
Isaiah’s caution – the prophet pro- employment. Here in this nation we
claims that eternal dream of a restored shelter that vision under the banner of
“life, liberty, and the
pursuit of happiness.”
That vision will never be
possible in any nation
while some live in want
and fear.
Terror is not limited to
Haiti. The prophets
remind us that the kind of
terror that leaves us
shaking in our boots
Ivanoh Demers/Associated Press
generosity in the compas-
sionate response to this
earthquake. Our challenge will
be to remember that suffering
through the years to come,
when the desperation is no
longer on our screens 24 hours
a day. The shaking and the
terror will stop as the ruined
city is rebuilt and the
devastation of generations is
healed. May today’s compas-
sion be transformed into a
steely will to continue caring
for the least, the lost, and the
left out until not one is left.
May Haiti’s poor be our poor
until that day dawns. May the
suffering in Haiti be felt here
and around the world until the
oil of gladness blesses every
brow, and every tear is dried,
and every cry of grief is turned
to joy.

Haiti Disaster Relief: How to Contribute

For those interested in contributing to help victims of the earthquake in Haiti, here are a few agencies providing
relief. More information about wise giving, for Haitian relief and other causes, is available online from the Better
Business Bureau (www.bbb.org/us).
AMERICAN RED CROSS PARTNERS IN HEALTH Tips for safe giving:
2025 E Street, NW P.O. Box 845578 • Don’t respond to any unsolicited e-mail about
Washington, D.C. 20006 Boston, MA 02284-5578 giving to Haiti, and be skeptical of individuals repre-
800.REDCROSS (733.2767) 617.432.5256 senting themselves as surviving victims or officials
www.redcross.org www.pih.org asking for donations via Facebook.
• Be leery of e-mails that claim to show pictures of
EPISCOPAL RELIEF & IMA WORLD HEALTH the disaster areas in attached files; the attachments
DEVELOPMENT P.O. Box 429 may contain viruses.
815 Second Avenue New Windsor, MD 21776 • Don’t assume that a link sent by a well-meaning
New York, NY 10017 877.241.7952 friend represents a suitable relief organization. Be-
800.334.7626, ext. 5129 www.imaworldhealth.org fore giving, vet the charity to make sure it’s not
www.er-d.org fraudulent and is best equipped to actually help and
use the money responsibly.

13
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Elizabeth M. Hoster, Rector
services
Wayne F. Anthony, Associate for Music and the Arts SUNDAYS 10:00 am, Holy Eucharist
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HOLY DAYS as announced

prayers
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Parish Vestry
Remember those for whom our prayers have been requested: Casie Bowman,
Jeff Albright, senior warden; Jason Rahe, junior
Barbara Clarke, Ebony, Nancy Graumlich, James Hamilton, Linda Keblesh, Herb Landis,
warden; Karen Wabeke, clerk; Solveig Barnes, Lucia
Susan Lowrey, Christel Mann, Gordon McIntosh, Rowena Meeks, Nancy Paulas, Peg
Cooper, Jane Gomersall-Zohn, Jennifer Siebold,
Sammons, Pete Shafer, Jessica Snyder, Josh Steele, Wendy, Doug & Sophia Steinman, and
Sherre Owens Smith, Jim Zechman.
Kim Weber; the children and staff of Emanuel Children’s Home, especially David and
Estrella; the vestry and wardens; the Church Health Team; those on death row, including
Parish Offices
Mark Brown, who is scheduled to be executed by the state of Ohio on February 4; all
Mon thru Fri, 8:30 am – 4:30 pm
victims of war and violence; our ministry with Food for Thought and Cater Me; newly
Phone 419.243.1231 Fax 419.243.0920
ordained Rev. David Nelson; Sara & Todd Alcroft, awaiting the birth of their first child.
Email: trinity@trinitytoledo.org
Prayers for those who have died: Henry Charles Coyle II (Cathy & Brian Johns);
Episcopal Diocese of Ohio David Walker-Epp (Dave & Cindy Schlaudecker)
2230 Euclid Avenue
Cleveland, Ohio 44115-2499
800.551.4815 216.771.4815
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