Don Saliers, professor of theology and worship at Emory University, who visited Trinity a few years ago, will be a guest on The Diane Rehm Show Friday December 24th at 9:00 AM on KWMU 90.7, along with his daughter Emily Saliers of Indigo Girls fame. They will discuss their book A Song to Sing, A Life to Live : Reflections on Music as Spiritual Practice.

(This is a rebroadcast of a show from earlier this year, so if you have RealPlayer software (the webservant recommends Real Alternative, which lets you stream .ram files without the bloated, upgrade-nagging RealPlayer software), you can listen to the show here).

- Janet Chester, Director of Christian Education

• The Senior High's held their Fall Retreat and selected Greely, Colorodo as the destination for the 2005 Mission trip, where they will be working on a Habitat for Humanity house, among other things.
• The Session welcomed new members Chris Lutz, Kathie Cahoon, Bob Wagoner, Janet Hoyne, Tim Barklage and Larry Newberry to the Session and Lynne Beck & Debbie Henry to the Deacons. The Session thanked Jane Gibbons, Harold Glad, Mary Nielsen, Bob Parks & Tom Wilhite, Session members who are rotating off the board. Cricket Gordon, Judy Grabel, Charlotte Landrum & Dawn Mahoney are rotating off the Board of Deacons.
• The Winger Food Pantry received 150 boxes of food from the recent Boy Scout food drive.
• The Session reviewed and approved the 2005 Church budget.

Charlotte Landrum & Spirit Sorensen run "CSC Charities for Children" to help kids in crisis. During the season of Advent, we will be collecting items needed by young children who find themselves in transition because of homelessness or escaping domestic violence in the home. The following supplies are needed to help these kids maintain as much normalcy as possible:

Infants/Toddlers: Diapers, formula, new or gently used sippy cups, bottles, bibs

Elementary School Kids: Crayons, pens/pencils, scissors, notebooks, other school supplies, towels/washcloths, soap/shampoo, hats/gloves (Note: stuffed animals and backpacks are not needed).

There are collection boxes in the Narthex and under the Christmas trees in the sanctuary. Please consider helping this ministry this Advent season.

- Nancy Wagoner

- Trinity's tenor soloist is featured in the SLU School of Law magazine ST LOUIS Brief

The curtain rises. A baby lies motionless inside a hospital incubator, tubes attached to every part of its body. A doctor stands above the child, shaking his head. In the other room, a mother cries. Her husband embraces her. She clenches her fists and shakes them toward the sky. "Perche?"^* she screams. "Perche?" The stage grows dark and the deep moan of a bass fills the air. The mother begins to sing. "Il caro padre, che cosa sara del mio bambino? Me lo non prenda prego via!"^**

(^*Why?^**Heavenly father, what will become of my son? Please don't take him from me!)

Omen Safavi's first days on earth could've been an opera. Born three months premature and weighing only two pounds, the doctors doubted he'd make it through the night. Even if he did make it, they said, he would have underdeveloped lungs and suffer a life of mental and physical handicaps, along with speech and hearing problems. Upon hearing the news, his parents knew that the only thing they could do was hope that the doctors were wrong, that a better life awaited their child. So they took all the hope they had and gave it to their son. Then they gave it to his name. In his family's native Iran, "Omen" means hope. And, like the English word, it also means "a sign of good things to come."

True to form, good things have come to Omen Safavi. Having defied the prediction of underdeveloped lungs and speech and hearing problems, Safavi has become an accomplished opera singer, and belts out arias with gusto. And, rather than a mental handicap, he has been blessed with a zest for learning and an ability to challenge himself as a law student. It is not without hope, however, that he has been able to accomplish so much. His hope for bettering the world led him to the law, and his hope for bringing out joy in others sustained his interest in singing. The fact that he flawlessly balances both of his life's passions is a marvel, but comes rather naturally to Safavi, who has become something of a fate-driven juggler - one accustomed to discovering, by chance, the paths on which he is destined to travel.

Many years ago, while singing along to a friend's guitar strumming, Safavi's family, as well as the guitarist, was stunned by the beauty of his voice - a voice that had never had a single lesson. He was fifteen then and remembers having developed "an instant connection" to singing, something he describes as "a natural part of who I am." Though he chose to follow his burgeoning talent, and became a voice performance major at the University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign, it was his experience as a medical director for a group home for mentally handicapped and retarded adults that made him realize he was passionate about more than just singing. When one of the home's employees was accused of abusing a resident, Safavi had to testify in court. That experience sparked an interest in health care and prompted him to add another major to his repertoire - hospital administration. It also made him more certain that he wanted to one day have the authority to become a voice for others.

He chose to attend Saint Louis University School of Law because, he says, "it just felt right...the minute I set foot on campus, met the students and discovered the city's cultural offerings, I knew I wanted to go to school here."

He also knew he wanted to keep singing. So, along with his demanding legal studies, he performs regularly with the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra Choir and the Trinity Presbyterian Church Choir, and has delivered performances with the Saint Louis University Master Singers Choir.

"I see great parallels between singing and the law," says Safavi. "When learning a song in another language, I translate the words and apply them to what I'm performing so I can understand the emotions behind it, the origin of the words. It's the same when I study the law. I have to understand it, internalize it and communicate its principles to others. Whether on stage or in front of a judge, I have to have confidence in my abilities and the knowledge that what I'm doing will benefit others."

What he's doing, he says, is "the hardest, yet most rewarding work I've ever done in my life." But it's work he wouldn't trade for anything. The rewards, for him, far outweigh the time and effort he puts into his endeavors.

"I don't care if I'm singing in a world class symphony or a church choir - when someone comes up to me and says that what I did moved them, that's all that matters," he admits. "It helps me remember why I chose to be a singer. It's the same with the law. I decided to study law so I would be able to make a difference in people's lives and help them realize they can do things they didn't know they could do. I'm shaping people's perceptions, showing them what's possible - - what emotion, what power there is in everything."

(Link to the .PDF (requires Adobe Reader) version of the entire magazine, with pictures of Omen) --> [more]

Wonderful experiences await us this Advent Season. Join in the celebrations!

Sunday, December 5 - regular Sunday morning schedule beginning at 9:30 AM: -
Worship with Celebration of Communion , Christian Education for all ages, Fellowship

Saturday, December 11 - Intergenerational Advent Program:
4:00 PM: Hanging of the Greens and Ornament Making (childcare provided)
5:30 PM: Fellowship Dinner
6:30 PM: Advent/Christmas Concert by the Men's and Women's Quartets

On Christmas Eve, our 5:00 pm Family Service is an abbreviated Lessons and Carols service. This is also our "No Shushing" service. It has proved to be a wonderful time for families to worship together on Christmas Eve.

At 11:00 pm we have our Candlelight Lessons and Carols service. This service features readings from the prophets and the gospels. It concludes at midnight with the singing of "Joy to the World."

Everyone is invited to these wonderful services of celebration and joy. We hope to see you there!

Sunday, December 12 - regular Sunday morning schedule -
Worship featuring Benjamin Britten's Ceremony of Carols, Ordination and Installation of Deacons and Elders, Christian Education, Fellowship

Sunday, December 19
9:30 AM: Festival Worship with intergenerational music by all of Trinity's musical ensembles
10:40 AM: Candlelight Christmas Coffee

Friday, December 24, Christmas Eve
5:00 PM: Lessons and Carols Service for Families (childcare provided)
11:00 PM: Lessons and Carols Candlelight Service

Saturday, December 25 - Have a blessed Christmas Day!

- Paul Vasile, Minister of Music

This Advent, you will find many special opportunities to remember, reflect and rejoice through music:

• Beginning on November 28, I will lead a musical Adult Education course focused on themes of the season. For more detail, see the article below.
• There will be a ten-minute instrumental prelude each Sunday of Advent. Soloists from the St. Louis Symphony, skilled amateur musicians and students will all share their gifts with us.
• The Men's and Women's Quartets will offer a special Holiday Concert on Saturday, December 11, after the Hanging of the Greens.
• On December 12, the women of the Trinity Choir will sing movements from Benjamin Britten's well-loved Ceremony of Carols accompanied by harp.
• All of Trinity's musical ensembles will combine for an intergenerational pageant during worship on December 19.
• We will have two wonderful services on Christmas Eve with even more music!

- Paul Vasile

I have a hunch that the organ is a part of our worship service that we tend to take for granted. We come each week, assuming that we will hear gentle sounds floating from the organ loft, that the instrument will support our singing and that its flourish will end the service. But have you ever had an opportunity to listen to the organ carefully - to hear its unique colors, textures, and dynamics? Have you thought about its spiritual significance, or how music written for the organ can provide new ways of understanding familiar Bible stories or abstract theological concepts?

Beginning on November 28, you are invited to a three-week Adult Education offering focused on themes of the Advent and Christmas season. The class will include singing, questions and discussion, and you are invited to sit in the organ loft, offering a more intimate experience of the instrument.

Topics and music in the course will include:

• November 28 - Preparation. Scripture and Christian tradition suggest many ways of preparing for Christ's birth. We will use organ music to explore Advent as a time of repentance, of anxious anticipation, of awe and reverence, as well as joyful expectation. You will hear two well-known Advent chorale preludes by Johann Sebastian Bach as well as pieces by Gerald Near and African-American composer, Adolphus Hailstork.
• December 5 - Annunciation. Our second class will focus on the important role of angels. We'll hear musical evocations of cherubim and seraphim around the throne of God, Gabriel's salutation to the Virgin Mary, and the raucous singing of the angelic host who appeared to shepherds on a hillside. You won't want to miss a new piece for French horn and organ by Daniel Pinkham, a jazzy spiritual setting by Dan Locklair as well as a work by English organist and composer, Simon Preston.
• December 12 - Incarnation. We conclude with organ works that attempt to capture the mystery, joy and power of the Incarnation. Hear Dieu parmi nous (God with us) by mystical French composer, Oliver Messiaen, settings of Good Christian Friends, Rejoice and one of my improvisations.

If you have always wanted to know more about the organ and its music, this is a great place to start. Even more, it is a great opportunity to hear the "old, old story" of Christ's birth in a new and imaginative way!

- Liz Nelson

Please join us for this year's Hanging of the Greens at Trinity. This intergenerational gathering will start at 4 p.m. with a moment of worship and then opportunities to prepare our sanctuary just as we prepare our hearts for the coming of Jesus. There will be opportunities to beautify the church with roping and wreaths, crafts for kids to help us decorate our trees, stories for the little ones, music with Paul, and light refreshments.

We will also be collecting kids' school supplies, personal care items and infant/toddler items for "CSC Charities for Children," the organization run by Charlotte Landrum and Spirit Sorensen (see article on next page) to be placed under the Christmas trees in the sanctuary. Please consider bringing some of these items when you join us.

This time for fellowship then continues with a light chili supper at 5:30 and a wonderful concert of holiday music at 6:30. (See "Christmas And Music - The Sharing Connection".)

We look forward to having people of all ages join us for some or all of the events on November 11th. Join us for preparation . . . anticipation . . . and celebration!

Please call me at 862-7466 with questions.

- Karen Coletti

Trinity Trivia: In what year did we hold worship services in the basement all summer because the Sanctuary was being painted? Answer: 1995

More Trivia: What new music groups emerged that summer? Answer: The Parish Choir; Ruth Cobb thought it would be fun to have a pick-up choir to sing favorite old hymns. The other new group became the Trinity Men's Quartet.

Last Trivia: Which Trinity tenor soloist and member of the Men's Quartet became a minister and is now Pastor of Overland Presbyterian Church and has inspired our Christmas Sharing Concert this year? Answer: The Rev. Joel Stevenor!

Did you get all of those connections? Don't worry, just come on Saturday, December 11 and hear a concert to Christmas music you will love: sacred ("I Wonder as I Wander") and not so sacred ("Sleigh Ride"); old favorites ("The Wassail Song") and newer gems (Rutter's "Shepherd's Pipe Carol").

The concert is offered by the octet of Presbyterian "cousins" for the benefit of Overland Church. We will take up a free-will offering to gift the Overland Elevator Fund. Music for Trinity and an elevator for Overland - a Christmas Life all around!

The music begins at 6:30 in the Sanctuary (childcare provided). The concert is the conclusion of a Great Day of Advent Preparation after Hanging of the Greens and a chili supper. Come enjoy it all!

- Karen Coletti

Advent Sunday December 19 morning worship will be a gathering in of our Trinity household as we celebrate together the moments of hoping and waiting and preparation for the Christ Child. We will hear carols and special instrumental accompaniment from our Festival Choir. Our children, the Sunday Morning Singers, will sing a (mini) cantata "One Bright Star," which includes shepherds, angels, and wise persons - all awaiting the Baby. We will also hear our Trinity Choir, a Women's Quartet, and our youngest children too. And of course we will life our voices together as the singing church that we are.

Following worship we will move to the Dining Room for our Candlelight Christmas Coffee to share fellowship.

- Bob Wagoner

Early this summer, I found myself very frustrated with the news of the war in Iraq and all of the negative campaigning going on within our own borders. Fortunately I had just read a brief review of a new book in the latest issue of the New Yorker magazine. The book being reviewed was Credo, a collection of selections from some of the writings, sermons, and speeches of William Sloane Coffin. I had always known of Coffin as a major protestant spokesperson for efforts of peace and social justice, especially during the Vietnam War. Serving as chaplain of Yale University and Williams College, senior minister of Riverside Church in New York, and president emeritus of SANE/FREEZE, his activism was and is still known around the world.

While I was familiar with his stance and activities in protesting the war in Vietnam, I was not familiar with the breadth of issues that he spoke and wrote about. This book is a wonderful collection that illustrates both the beauty and power of his words. The words are placed into the following sections that focus on specific areas of his beliefs and theology: Faith, Hope, and Love, Social Justice and Civil Liberties, Social Justice and Economic Rights, Patriotism, War and Peace, Nature, Life in General, The Church, and The End of Life. Some of the writings have been previously published, while others are printed for the first time.

I knew the minute I began reading this book while on vacation in Kennebunkport, that this was the nourishment my soul needed. I couldn't resist sharing each evening with Nancy and Ann and Don Weems what I had read on the beach that day, often with the hair on my arms standing on end, goose-bumps, and tears running down my cheeks. Needless to say, what this giant had to say both challenges and inspires.

I keep the book on the lamp table next to my bed. It is not the kind of book to read from cover to cover...the glorious words are like a rich dessert to be sampled in small bites and savored over a period of time. When my spirits need a boost from the events of the day, I frequently turn to the words of Bill Coffin. I understand that he may be near the end of his life. I find this book to be a real treasure, and a ringing testimonial to an individual who could passionately write, speak, and live his beliefs. Don't miss it!

- Diane O'Brien

It's time to get serious about planning the Spring Mission trip to Juarez, Mexico, April 16 - 23, 2005.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Will we be driving? No, we will be flying on Southwest Airlines from St. Louis to El Paso, Texas, In El Paso, we'll rent a van (or vans) to drive into Juarez, which is just across the border.
• Will we be doing heavy construction work? The work will suit the capabilities of the group we bring.
• What else will we be doing? That is up to the group to decide, but one thing is sure: we will be getting to know our sisters and brothers in Mexico, and they will be getting to know us.
• How will we communicate if we don't speak Spanish? We will have people in our group who speak Spanish and they will have people in theirs who speak English. The rest we do with smiles and hand gestures! This is a border town, so they probably understand more English than you'd normally expect.
• What does the $700 (approximate) include? I've estimated this way:
  • $25 per work day per individual for materials and resources
  • $6 per person per night for lodging at the Christian Family Center, which is equipped with a kitchen and bathrooms, including showers, three separate rooms of 10 - 12 beds each, as well as facilities for group meetings.
  • per person per day: $3 for breakfast; $5 for lunch;
  • $6 for dinner. (We may choose to purchase any or all meals on our own. If we use the Christian Family Center's kitchen a small fee may be charged)
  • $350 Air Fare (approximate; it will be determined by our group's size and when we purchase the tickets. I don't anticipate it would be more than this).
  • $350 per week per rented vehicle
• Is there any way to get help with the funds? The church has put down a deposit for us. In addition, we can do some group fund-raising, which will be a good way to for our group to bond before we go.
• Can I bring a friend? Please do! This is not just for Trinity members, or even church-goers. The focus is on community outreach and exploring/embracing those of a different culture.
• How/when do I sign up? To participate, contact Diane O'Brien by December 15 at (314) 993-0396 or via email at ddobrien@magellanhealth.com.

- Ann Fischer

The Trinity library is once again being used as an office for Care and Counseling, a pastoral care agency supported by Trinity's local mission funds. A recent letter from the agency explains that in the "past year we have provided over 14,000 hours of service, assisting more than 1,400 clients. We continue to find that 40% of our client base is at or below the poverty line, with many more families of middle income struggling to cover basic day-to-day expenses, let alone much needed mental health services." Care and Counseling also partners with clergy, teachers, physicians and other professionals in making mental health services accessible to people of all walks of life struggling with anxiety, depression, serious family conflict and other debilitating conditions.

Dale Chavis is the counselor you will see most often at the Trinity office, a location valued by the agency for its central location on accessible bus routes and proximity to Washington University. Dale is looking forward to getting hopes to know the Trinity community better. Welcome him when you see him!

- Liz Nelson

Many of you know that Trinity members Spirit Sorensen and Charlotte Landrum run "CSC Charities for Children" to help kids in crisis. During the season of Advent, we will be collecting items needed by young children who find themselves in transition because of homelessness or escaping domestic violence in the home. The following supplies are needed to help these kids maintain as much normalcy as possible:

Infants/Toddlers:
Diapers, formula
New or gently used:
   sippy cups, bottles, bibs, bottles

Elementary School Kids:
   Crayons, pens/pencils, scissors,
notebooks,other school supplies.
Towels/washcloths, soap/shampoo
Hats/gloves
(Note: stuffed animals and backpacks are not needed).

We will have collection boxes in the Narthex and under the Christmas tress in the sanctuary. Please consider helping this ministry this Advent season.

- Dr. Daniel Anderson-Little, Pastor

On December 12, we will ordain and install new elders and deacons. Our Book of Order (the denomination's constitution) says that: Ordination is the act by which the church sets apart persons to be presbyters (ministers of the Word and Sacrament or elders) or deacons, and is accompanied with prayer and the laying on of hands. The Presbyterian Church is led by elected officers: pastors as spiritual leaders, elders as governing leaders, and deacons through the ministry of compassion. We ordain people to these offices because of their importance to the life of the church. Ordination is also a recognition that these ministries (like all ministries) can only be accomplished when God gives us strength and power to do God's will.

There are two parts of the ordination service that I always find moving. The first is when new officers have been invited to come forward and the minister addresses them: "You have been called by God through the voice of this congregation." What an amazing affirmation - God calls people (you!) to ministry and uses the congregation to do so. When we voted for these officers, we not only picked people we thought could do a good job - we were representing God.

The other part of the service that I find compelling is the laying on of hands. After new officers have answered the constitutional questions (listen carefully to them - they are all encompassing!), those to be ordained kneel and all other previously ordained officers come forward to lay on hands. The laying on of hands has two significant meanings: it is a symbol of God's Holy Spirit being given to each new officer; and it is a symbol of our connectedness as a community of faith.

On Ordination Sunday, I invite everyone, new officers and members alike, to come to worship with the knowledge that God has called each of us to ministry and gives all of us gifts for that ministry.

- Dan Anderson-Little

The term "Annual Congregational Meeting" often generates as much enthusiasm as the term "Minute for Mission." And that's too bad because both of them are important times in our life together as a congregation. So in 2005, I am going to refer to our Annual Congregational Meeting as "The Great Ministry Celebration." To be sure, we discuss important business at our Annual Cong - uh, I mean Great Ministry Celebration. But all of the business that we undertake as a church is in response to what God is doing in our lives, in the church, and in the world. So while we will receive the Budget for 2005 and vote on the Pastor's terms of call, we will tell stories of God's faithfulness and God's love, of members of the church who have served faithfully, of power we have received from the Holy Spirit. And we will encourage one another for ministry in the coming year - sounds more like a celebration than meeting! So plan to come to The Great Ministry Celebration after worship on January 16. Like every good party we will sing and cheer, give thanks and maybe even dance a little bit!

Trinity is offering two exciting adult education opportunities in January and early February.

Offering 1 - Making a Home for Faith - A unique opportunity as we join adult and children's education and explore our faith together. The Christian Education team invites all parents, grandparents, and anyone who interacts with children to attend this class. The focus is to help foster faith expression in everyday life. It will be an interactive class providing opportunities for open dialogue between children and adults to get them talking about and sharing their faith!

We will be using the book Making a Home For Faith by Elizabeth Caldwell, 2004 Presbyterian Educator of the year and professor at McCormick Seminary. Each week we will have a time when adults meet together to discuss while the children Pre K - 4^th grades meet and do an activity related to the day's subject. Then we will join together for a wonderfully interactive faith sharing time. We will explore questions such as Who is God? What do I really believe? How do I answer those tough questions children ask?

In baptism each of us promises to nurture the faith growth in another, together as a community of believers, at church, in our homes, and in everyday life - this class will be a great look at how to live that out!

Offering 2 - Revisioning Mission for the World Today - This class will examine how we can meaningfully engage in Christian mission in a multi-cultural, multi-religious world. The class will include discussion, presentations, and suggested readings. Diane O'Brien and Damayanthi Niles will lead this class.

Note: Adult Education will not meet on January 16 when we have our Annual Congregational Meeting.

- Sandy Norkaitis

In January, the Matthew 25 Offering will be taken followed by the second Souper Bowl luncheon. Look for details in January, plus the announcement of this year's competition between adults and youth to benefit the Winger Food Pantry.

- Janet Chester, Director of Christian Education

A huge thank you to all those who volunteered this Fall to lead Worship School! We now need people to volunteer to help during the next few months. You can sign up either in the Narthex or in the Children's center on the sign up sheet or by contacting me at church.

Want a way to talk about Advent and Christmas together as a family?

Advent packets will be available in the Narthex and in the Children's Center starting November 28, the first Sunday in Advent. This is a wonderful way to share your faith, learn and grow together!