Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds
of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let
the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?
- Isaiah 58:6

This year our theme for Lent will be fasting. For many years, I have scorned fasting by publicly declaring: "I do not fast. I only ever get cranky with low blood sugar!" But then I read God's words to God's people in Isaiah - Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? I had always thought of fasting as a solitary personal discipline - but in Isaiah, God calls us to fast as an act of ministry in the world. There must be more to this fasting than I have realized. And so I want to invite everyone into a time of exploration this Lent. Through various worship opportunities, we will seek to discover how fasting not only can deepen our relationship with God, but also connect us with the suffering in the world. We will explore the connections between fasting and communion - how does the Bread of Life satisfy our deepest hungers?

Sometimes we think of fasting as a punishment - a denial of food to suppress the urges of the body. But fasting is way to help us find spiritual clarity. It invites us to place our needs in God's hands so that God can fill us with good things. Each week during Lent, we will have two worship services - our regular service on Sunday morning and a prayer service with communion on Wednesday evenings. These Wednesday services will begin on Ash Wednesday. They will include time for prayer and meditation as well as sharing the Lord's Supper together. After that service I plan to fast until the following evening; all members are invited to join me on that fast or fast at a time that makes sense for you. Remember: there are no rules for fasting - it does not have to last any certain amount of time; instead, fasting helps us put our focus on God and God's sustaining mercy. Throughout Lent I will share some of my experiences with fasting. If you have fasted in the past or if you decide to fast this Lent, please share your experiences with me and with others.

Lent is a profound time for us to gain clarity in our relationship with God. I encourage everyone to take time and make time to reconnect with God and with one another.

Ash Wednesday - February 9, 7 p.m. This service in the will include singing, communion, the imposition of ashes, and a spirituality center. The more formal part of the service will go from 7 - 7:30 pm. At the conclusion of our liturgy, worshippers are free to stay for meditation and exploration of the spirituality center. The service is designed for worshippers of all ages - parents note: the formal part of the service will be quieter and more meditative. While all children are encouraged to attend, child care for children through second grade will be provided.

Sunday Worship - 9:30 a.m. Throughout the six weeks of Lent we will explore the theme of fasting. On one Sunday, we will fast from the pipe organ in order to be reminded of its centrality in our worship and as a way to reconnect with the power and beauty of the human voice.

Wednesday Prayer Service - 7:00 p.m. These will be simple services for prayer and meditation. Communion will be celebrated each week.

- Sandy Norkaitis

The Souper Bowl luncheon and Matthew 25 offering will take place on Sunday, February 6. The Matthew 25 offering is collected yearly. 50% of the money collected goes to the Presbytery of Giddings Lovejoy to help alleviate misery and hunger in our area; most of these funds are given in direct aid to individuals who are in desperate need of shelter, food or utility assistance. The other 50% stays at Trinity to purchase food for the Winger Food Pantry. Last year 1542 people received food at the pantry.

Like last year, there will be a competition between the adults and kids at church to see which group can bring the most boxes of powdered milk to be given away in the pantry. The kids won last year's competition. Donated milk can be brought to the dining room and set up in the designated areas. Stacey Carman is the adults' captain and Zach Roman is the kids' captain.

Plan to donate to Matthew 25, stay for lunch and bring some milk.

February 13 and 20 - Join Paul Vasile for a conversation about Trinity's pipe organ, the upcoming repairs and improvements, and the role you can play in this exciting project. On February 20, Carroll Hanson, our organ tuner and Casavant's regional representative, will tell us more about Trinity's unique instrument.

February 27 - March 20: Hearing the Passion In last four weeks of Lent, Paul Vasile will lead an exploration of the Passion through music. We'll study this unique musical/liturgical form and its evolution from the 15th century to the present, especially focusing on the diverse ways that composers have communicated the emotion, drama and profundity of Christ's betrayal, trial and death. Sessions will include opportunities for listening, for questions and for conversation.

Apprentices of the Master (Taught by Dan Anderson-Little). Jesus lived so that we might have life and have it more abundantly.What a wonderful promise!And yet, how do we have a more abundant life?How can we grow in our faith so that we can live life to the full?

In Apprentices of the Master, we will learn how to live from the Master of living, Jesus Christ.The Presbyterian Book of Order describes nine "marks of membership" that form the basis for the "skill set" that all apprentices of Jesus Christ need to acquire: demonstrating a new quality of life; proclaiming the Good News; taking part in the common life and worship of a local church; praying and studying scripture and the Christian faith; giving money, time, and talents; living responsibly in personal, family, vocational, political, cultural and social relationships; responding to God's activity in the world through service; working in the world for peace, justice, freedom, and human fulfillment; participating in the governing responsibilities of the church.

- Paul Vasile, Minister of Music

For the past 35 years, Trinity's Casavant pipe organ has played a central role in our musical life. It has supported and enriched our congregational singing; it has accompanied our choirs and soloists; it has provided innumerable opportunities for us to experience faith through music. The instrument has also served our community and has been played by locally and internationally renowned performers. But as with any tool or appliance that has been used consistently for so many years, the instrument has experienced a great deal of wear and tear and is in need of repair and renovation.

Last spring, I brought a detailed proposal to the Session, notifying them of a number of problems with our instrument. The most serious is that the tongue-and-groove ceiling in the choir loft has been dropping fine, black soot into the organ pipes, causing the instrument to go out of tune quickly and, if unresolved, long-term damage. Additionally, the console's mechanical parts are wearing out; a number of stops and pistons no longer function, severely limiting the organ's capabilities. There are also leaks in the air handling system and some of the larger pipes are bending and buckling.

Session listened carefully to these concerns and after several months of thoughtful consideration and debate approved a bid to repair and improve the instrument. Between April and October of 2006, the entire organ will be removed and shipped to Casavant's workshop in Quebec, Canada. During that time, the ceiling over the organ loft will be sealed to prevent soot from falling onto the pipes; the windchest will be cleaned and the air handling system will be repaired; the console will be rewired, upgraded and given a microchip brain, significantly expanding the instrument's potential for service and recital playing. Finally, the buckling reeds will be reinforced and revoiced. The cost of these repairs and improvements is considerable, almost $200,000, but they are modest compared to the cost of a new pipe organ of comparable size, or the cost of ignoring these problems until it is too late.

Session also provided strong leadership and vision for the funding of this important project and I am excited to tell you that a special fundraising team has been hard at work in the past months. As a result of their efforts, we are well on our way towards our goal! The Endowment Board has made a generous gift of $50,000, Corporate Affairs approved a gift of $75,000 from the sale of the apartment building next to the church and we are confident that the Trinity congregation will help us to raise an additional $75,000. The family of Jan Toenges, a long-time Trinity member, has stepped forward with a $12,000 leadership gift in her memory. Other generous gifts and bequests have also been made already in support of this project. But we are certain that we can not reach our goal without the full support of the Trinity congregation.

You will soon receive a letter from the Organ Fundraising Team describing the project and timeline in more detail. You are also invited to two special Christian Education classes on February 13 and 20 to learn more about the instrument's problems and find answers to any questions you may have. I sincerely believe that these repairs and improvements are a meaningful way to honor our past and to exercise good stewardship of the resources given to us by previous generations. They will also transform Trinity's pipe organ into a first-class instrument, expanding its capacities and providing opportunities for the instrument to speak with renewed power and beauty in the future. I hope that you will prayerfully consider your role in this exciting effort and help ensure that the remarkable instrument that has served our church for so many years will continue to serve us for years to come.

- Susan Rava

I have known Henry Biggs for a long time, and I have known about him even longer. For Henry is the son of old friends of our family. Then as luck would have it, Henry came to work in the Arts and Sciences Dean's office at Washington University where I came to know him as a colleague. Because I have known Henry for so long, I would like to let you in on some of his unique traits. Once upon a time, Henry trained and then swam the English Channel. As to talents, he can ride a unicycle. And he is an accomplished rap musician. He is also a linguist with a BA in Latin and a Ph.D. in Romance linguistics, specifically in French and Italian. Henry calls himself a "degreesy" person, for he also has a recent MBA from Washington University.

Many of you have seen Henry in church and recognize that he has three "big" children and a new baby boy making 3 boys and a girl. When he and his wife Theresa moved back to St. Louis, Henry - who has participated in several other Protestant denominations - asked himself what the Presbyterians were all about. After sampling several Presbyterian churches, he landed here at Trinity thanks to its diversity, size, and children's programs. Welcome to Henry Biggs and his entire family!

- Janet Chester, Director of Christian Education

Does everyone remember the treasure chest on the chancel steps of the sanctuary this fall and how the children faithfully brought their pennies each week? This offering has now concluded and a big hooray to all those who brought your pennies. We collected $219.50!

The money went to Equine-Assisted Therapy in Fenton, MO. It is an organization that uses horses to help children in therapy. The offering started during Vacation Bible School this August as the 5th & 6th grade class invited the church to enter in their challenge of collecting a mile of pennies. A thank-you to the children of God (no matter their age) who helped live out their faith through the ministry of mission giving!

- Janet Hoyne

Trinity has a new commission named the Congregational Community Commission. The focus of this commission will be to build, enrich and connect our Trinity community. How is the commission going to work on this goal?

1. We will be encouraging community on Sunday mornings. We would welcome all ideas about how to make the narthex into a more welcoming place. We would like to have coffee in the narthex for those who choose not to attend Sunday Education Classes.

2. We will be encouraging community meals at Trinity. Some of these meals are already in place such as Maundy Thursday.

3. We will be encouraging community gatherings outside of Trinity. There are some groups already in place such as FEAST and the 3rd Saturday gathering.

If this is a focus that you share and you would like to be involved in this commission, please contact me, Bob Wagoner, Jim Person or the church office.

- Dan Anderson-Little

From January 9 -February 6, I will preach a four-part sermon series that will engage in a sustained examination of our identity and calling as the people of God. I invite you into this time of exploration and dialogue.

The sermons address four major areas of our life together: Who we are as The People; what it means to worship and serve in The Place; how we tell The Story; and what it means to be called as The Pastor.

The sermons are an invitation to dialogue. I earnestly want to know where you agree, where you are not sure, and where you disagree. I need your best thinking and discernment.I ask everyone to remember that the sermons are not the last word on these topics; instead they represent my best thinking and my strongest convictions at this time. As we approach these issues with open minds and the willingness to disagree and even be in conflict with one another, we will gain the advantage of our collective faith and collective wisdom. I believe that God has a marvelous future for Trinity. It will take all of us to get there!

Currently four dialogue sessions been scheduled. If there is a need for more, I will plan them.

University City
Where: Home of Bob and Nancy Wagoner,
7848 Greensfelder, 314-863-2328
Date: Tuesday, February 22, 7:00 pm

Central West End
Where: Home of Keith and Ann Fischer,
1 Lenox Place Pl., 314-361-5891
Date: Tuesday, February 15, 7:00 pm

Webster Groves
Where: Home of Larry and Tina Newberry
460 Oakwood, 314-961-1931
Date: Sunday, February 27, 4:00 p.m.

Trinity Presbyterian Church
Date: Tuesday, February 22, 11:30 am (bring a brown bag lunch)

- Dawn Mahoney

- Do Kirk

I've started a new book, another dumb romance. Well, maybe not so dumb. It always surprises me when I find words of wisdom in unexpected places. I was caught up in a quote in the prologue...

"If the plant root ball is tightly packed with roots, for the plant to thrive, these should be gently loosened. They need to spread out after the planting rather than continue to grow in a tight mass."

This made me aware that I am not finished with 2004 until I give witness to the gentle spreading of roots all around me at Trinity.

• Luise and co-heart Mike corralling the ushers and welcoming everyone
• Paul bringing us every kind of music, filling our senses
• A weekly dose of Dan's energy and creativity
• Daniel, Jacob and Will carrying banners and helping most every Sunday
• Small wads of people and new groups popping up
• Liz and Daniel leading an old tradition, hanging of the greens with a new touch
• New faces and kindness everywhere I turn

The news reminds me daily that the world, for all of its diversity and potential for new growth, is often like that tightly packed root ball, strangled in violence, self-righteousness, and exclusion. Then I remember my Trinity family and the many families like ours around the world, dedicated to loosening the roots as we try to live the word of Christ, and I have renewed hope for 2005. My thanks and love to each of you.

- Bob Wagoner

The Covenant Network group in Charlotte, North Carolina, is sponsoring a regional conference to be held April 1-2, 2005 at the Davidson College Presbyterian Church in Davidson, NC. The conference will focus on the following Challenges Confronting the Church:

• Interpretation of Scripture - Is there a Presbyterian way to interpret Scripture?
• Christology - What does it mean to say that Jesus Christ is the Way?
• Homosexuality - What is the place of gay/lesbian persons in the PC(USA)?
• Declining Membership - Is there a cost to church growth and are we willing to pay it?

The keynote speaker will by the Rev. Jack Rogers, Moderator of the 213th General Assembly (PCUSA). Preachers for the worship services will be the Rev. Joanna Adams (Atlanta, Georgia) current co-chair of the Covenant Network, and The Rev. Kim Richter (Ashville, North Carolina) . This conference will provide another opportunity to hear about the current issues facing our church and where the Covenant Network is currently centering its activities.

Additional information and on-line registration should be available soon on the Covenant Network website. Please contact me (stlwags@aol.com, 314-863-2328) if you have questions, or think you might want to attend.

- Keith Fischer, Chair, Corporate Affairs Commission

Those of you who request pledge envelopes may have noticed that the first one is labeled "Per Capita Contribution." This contribution is levy on each member of a congregation required by the national Presbyterian Church. Almost all of us ignore this envelope, but if individuals helped to cover this required charge, it would significantly impact our church finances. Trinity owes $20.50 for each member on our roles. This year this amounts to $9,348. The Corporate Affairs Commission encourages all who choose to do so to put a check in that envelope totaling $20.50 each for all members of your family. If you do not receive pledge envelopes, put a check in the offering plate or send one to the church. This will help us meet our budget obligations.

- Luise Hoffman and Mike Krivonak

A smiling, friendly face at the church entrance on Sunday morning is a hallmark of Trinity Church. Those four people who greet you, hand you a bulletin, and help with collecting the offering are an important part of our service. We have had a grand range of ages in our ushering teams, from grade schoolers to grandparents with all ages in between.

We thought you might like to see a list of our members who have participated from February through December of 2004. Here they are in no particular order: Doug Pedan, Mike Krivonak, Jean Merson, members of FEAST, Beth David, Bill Cahoon, Tom Wilhite, Dawn Mahoney, Joanne, John, Jeff and Zach Roman, Margaret Gary, Jane and Milton Rand, Lori, Kellie and Noah Luchtman-Jones, Jane and Pat Gibbons, Keith Fischer, Harold Glad, Kitty Underwood, Diane O'Brien, Kevin Harkins, Jim Person, the Confirmation Class of April '04 (Brian Min, Becky Serfass, Jamie Schoeberlein, Nick Weibel, Laura Shoemaker, James Kelton, Wyndham Ferris, Brandon Gary, Anna Swearingen, Liza Schmidt), David, Sarah, Adam and Julia Hotaling, Porter Campbell, Cathy Smith, Melissa Kreishman, Doyin Afuwape, Rose Ann Bodman, Ruth and Tom Cobb, Linda, Daniel, Jacob and Leah Anderson-Little, Sandy Norkaitis, Rob, Robyn and Kari Peglar, David Nelson, Peg Redelfs, Virginia and Paul Bregitzer, Catherine, Blair and Marin Klostermeier, Stacy Shupe, Tom Peters, Terry Crow, the Confirmation Class of October '04, Susan Rava, Luise Hoffman, Mark Merritt and Nedra Schoeberlein.

If we have inadvertently omitted your name, we do apologize. To one and all, heartfelt thanks from the congregation and us for your participation.

If you would like to be a part of this ministry, please let us or Dan know. Thank you.

- Dr. Dan Anderson-Little

This is a follow-up to this past Sunday. Because of a gas leak outside of the building, Laclede Gas turned off our gas service on Saturday. We were not aware of this until Sunday morning and by then the heat was off for over 12 hours and the building was too cold for worship. I am glad to report that the leak has been fixed and the heat is now working fine. The Trinity congregation was warmly welcomed by the congregation at First Presbyterian Church and we had a marvelous joint worship service. Special thanks to the Rev. Kelly Allen for her gracious hospitality.

Because we had to move our worship service, we were not able to have our Great Ministry Celebration (aka The Annual Congregational Meeting). The staff has worked hard this week to find a schedule that will enable us to have our meeting and maintain our excellent adult education program. Here is how we will proceed:

The Great Ministry Celebration will now take place on January 30 - part of it during worship and part of it immediately afterwards. The theme for worship on Jan. 30 is Telling the Story - and that is what we will do. During worship, elders, deacons, commission chairs and members, and staff will tell stories from the past year when they experienced God at work at Trinity. These testimonies will be interspersed with scripture and music. It should be an exciting experience. Immediately following the worship service, we will have a brief congregational meeting for the purpose of approving the Pastor's Terms of Call. Once we are done with our business, we will move to our education hour.

Worship and education on January 23 and February 6 will proceed as originally planned.

I look forward to seeing you at church!

Peace,
Dan Anderson-Little

• approved the 2005 budget
• heard from the Rev. Mark Harvey, Associate Pastor of Grace United Methodist Church (Skinker & Waterman). For a number of years, Mark and Grace United have been involved with a church-based community organization in St. Louis. The organization is now looking to expand into University City. Mark shared information and literature about Metropolitan Congregations United (MCU).
• approved Commission and other office assignments for 2005:

If you are interested in joining a commission or would like more information, please call the commission chair.

- Dr. Dan Anderson-Little

This is a follow-up to this past Sunday. Because of a gas leak outside of the building, Laclede Gas turned off our gas service on Saturday. We were not aware of this until Sunday morning and by then the heat was off for over 12 hours and the building was too cold for worship. I am glad to report that the leak has been fixed and the heat is now working fine. The Trinity congregation was warmly welcomed by the congregation at First Presbyterian Church and we had a marvelous joint worship service. Special thanks to the Rev. Kelly Allen for her gracious hospitality.

Because we had to move our worship service, we were not able to have our Great Ministry Celebration (aka The Annual Congregational Meeting). The staff has worked hard this week to find a schedule that will enable us to have our meeting and maintain our excellent adult education program. Here is how we will proceed:

The Great Ministry Celebration will now take place on January 30 - part of it during worship and part of it immediately afterwards. The theme for worship on Jan. 30 is Telling the Story - and that is what we will do. During worship, elders, deacons, commission chairs and members, and staff will tell stories from the past year when they experienced God at work at Trinity. These testimonies will be interspersed with scripture and music. It should be an exciting experience. Immediately following the worship service, we will have a brief congregational meeting for the purpose of approving the Pastor's Terms of Call. Once we are done with our business, we will move to our education hour.

Worship and education on January 23 and February 6 will proceed as originally planned.

I look forward to seeing you at church!

Peace,
Dan Anderson-Little

• approved the 2005 budget
• heard from the Rev. Mark Harvey, Associate Pastor of Grace United Methodist Church (Skinker & Waterman). For a number of years, Mark and Grace United have been involved with a church-based community organization in St. Louis. The organization is now looking to expand into University City. Mark shared information and literature about Metropolitan Congregations United (MCU).
• approved Commission and other office assignments for 2005:

If you are interested in joining a commission or would like more information, please call the commission chair.