The Trinity Women's Friendship Lunch is set for Tuesday, October 2nd , 11:30-1:30 p.m. in the Dining Room. Bring a salad to share. Women of all ages are invited.
...after worship to create artwork for the Gallery. Meet in the Thicket from 11:30-12:30 with a parent or adults for nibbles and time for art with Do Kirk.
Dr. Dan Anderson-Little's mom, Joan Little, passed away in the afternoon on Monday, Sept. 24th . Her death was peaceful and his father was with her when she died. Dan is in Madison today for the memorial service. Her burial will be in Pennsylvania on Tuesday. Dan will also not be at Trinity next Sunday, as he will be preaching at his home church in Ridgewood, NJ. This was a commitment made before his mother's stroke. Memorials can be sent to the church office ("Joan Little Memorial Fund").
Joan McCafferty Little Born July 5, 1929; died September 24, 2007.
Joan Little died of a stroke after a long battle with dementia on Monday, September 24, at Covenant Oaks, the Memory Care Facility at Oakwood Retirement Village in Madison , WI , where she had been cared for since April, 2006.
Joan was a woman of boundless energy and great compassion. She lived life with generosity and joy. Her principal vocation was to be the best mother she could be to her five children: Deborah (and Bill) Cohn, of Madison, WI; Cynthia, who died in 1993; Alice (and Jean) Grevet, of Paris, France; Dan (and Linda) Anderson-Little, of St. Louis, MO; and Benjamin, of Phoenix, AZ. She had seven grandchildren: Nathaniel and Abbey Cohn; Catherine and Jeremy Grevet; Daniel, Jacob and Leah Anderson-Little.
Joan, the only child of Ross and Frances McCafferty, was born in Butler, PA, where she grew up among a multitude of McCafferty cousins and close to the family church. She earned her Bachelor degree at Allegheny College in 1951 and a Master of Religious Education degree at McCormick Theological Seminary in 1953. That same year she married G. Daniel Little, also a student at McCormick Seminary. In 1981 she earned a Master of Social Work degree from Fordham University.
In addition to being a homemaker, she worked as a church educator and pastoral counselor. Wherever her husband's work took them, she found ways to serve others, always with a spirit of hospitality. Joan's and Dan's life together took them to London, England; Pittsburgh, PA; Ridgewood, NJ; Ithaca, NY; Chicago, IL; Prairie Village, KS ; Minneapolis, MN; and Madison , WI. In all of these places her first commitment outside the home was to the Presbyterian Church (USA), in which she was also an ordained elder. From Ithaca on, she was an active participant in P.E.O.
Joan was a consummate people-person. An overarching theme of her life was an insistence that everyone be included, especially those most likely to be left out. At her table and in her home, she welcomed everyone, including unconventional guests. In her work as an educator, she focused attention on those with special needs. In her counseling practice, she devoted extra care to those who were most likely to be missed. Joan had a special love of drama-in-worship, houseplants, health food, and tap-dancing.
A Memorial Service will be held at Covenant Presbyterian Church, 326 S. Segoe Rd., Madison, WI 53705 (608-233-6297) on Saturday, September 29, at 1:30 PM. A reception will follow in the church narthex. There will be no prior visiting hours.
Burial will be at the Northside Cemetery in Butler, PA at 3 PM on Tuesday, October 2. A service will be held at Butler's Thompson-Miller Funeral Home at 3:45 PM.
In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts (designated to help people with special needs) may be made to any of the following: West Side Presbyterian Church of Ridgewood, NJ; First Presbyterian Church of Ithaca, NY; McCormick Theological Seminary of Chicago; Village Presbyterian Church of Prairie Village, KS; Westminster Presbyterian Church of Minneapolis, MN; Covenant Presbyterian Church of Madison, WI; HospiceCare of Madison, WI; Covenant Oaks Memory Care at Oakwood Retirement Village of Madison, WI.
MCU Mid-County is putting together its first Community Resource Guide ad book to raise funds for general revenue. They will be distributed to all MCU Mid-County member congregations, prospective ands new congregations and at the fall community meeting. Ad prices range from $50 to $500.To be featured in this guide or for further information, please contact Bolivar Fraga at 314-367-3484, or bfraga@mcustl.org.
...on Sunday, Sept. 23rd from 11am-5pm at St. Cecilia Church (5418 Louisiana, 63111), offering free legal assistance for lawful permanent residents applying for citizenship.
This three-week class will touch on the essential beliefs of Christianity, Presbyterianism's place within Christianity, the particular way that Presbyterians live out the Christian faith, and ways to be involved at Trinity. Class will be held from 9:30 to 10:20am starting September 30th, so child care and Sunday School classes for children are provided. If you already know that you wish to join Trinity, if you need more information to make that decision, or if you just want to learn more about your faith, this class is for you and does not obligate you to join. Contact Dan (725-3840) with any questions.
This year-long Adult Education curriculum will provide a deeper understanding of the scripture featured in the service and how to better live out one's faith in the world. This is a great opportunity to study the same scripture that our children will be studying. Co-led by Dan Anderson-Little and Julie March. Class will be held in Room 206.
New Schedule
Beginning September 9, 2007
9:30 - 10:20 - Christian Education for All Ages
10:20 - 10:30 - Gathering Time
10:30 - 11:30 - Worship
11:30 - 12:00 - Fellowship
New Schedule
Starting September 9, we begin our new Sunday morning schedule.
New Worship
Children in kindergarten and up will be in worship for the entire hour. This is an exciting opportunity to worship intergenerationally. Worship leaders and Christian Education Commission members will work to help all members get the most out of worship. Children and youth will also participate as worship leaders. Any kids who are interested in worship leadership are asked to call Susan Hayes (725-3840).
New Curriculum
This fall we (even adults) will use the "Seasons of Spirit" curriculum (except for Confirmation which will use the Presbyterian confirmation curriculum). "Seasons" is well designed and user-friendly. And best of all it follows the lectionary (a schedule of scripture readings used in worship) so what we learn in Sunday School will find a new voice in worship. (See "What the Heck is a Lecionary?")
New Topics in Adult Education
One of our Adult Ed offerings will be Seasons of the Spirit, but we will also offer another class. This Fall we will explore Faith in the Public Square. We will hear from public servants and people who work for non-profits.
Mark your calendar for Sunday Sept 9 as we gather to kick-off another great program year at TPC. We will meet for bagels and juice, conversation and fun at 9:30 and proceed together to worship (led by Trinity's young people) at 10:20.
Trinity will be working together with our Presbyterian Disaster Assistance folks to put together school kits for children all over the world, including St. Louis, the gulf coast and Iraq. Many of the children we will serve do not have schools open much less stores near by to get school supplies. Below is the list of what makes up one school kit, please donate whatever supplies you wish or consider donating an entire kit.
Students and those in need of a little extra blessing... bring your backpack or bookbag to our Rally Day gathering for the "Blessing of the Backpacks." A great way to begin the new year at church and at school.
Sept 9 promises to be a transforming time for our community of faith... see you there!
School Kit:
On Sunday September 23rd after Worship we will have an opportunity to hear from the founder of the God's Child Project, Patrick Atkinson. He will talk to us about his work and mission, and how he transformed a city dump in Antigua, Guatemala, into a thriving school, clinic and recreational center for the poorest of God's children. The "Dreamer's Center" is a lovely, lush mecca in the midst of an area of poverty that many of us cannot even fathom.
Many of our Trinity family supported us last February as Bob and I traveled with 17 other new friends to Guatemala. We took with us supplies you had donated - school supplies, crayons and coloring books, markers, children's clothing, underwear, socks - all things that were put to good use by the children who are fortunate enough to be able to go to the school there. We also traveled with your prayers and good wishes and a laminated card with the Lord's Prayer in Spanish and other helpful phrases. Genny Richmond gave me $10.00 and with it I was able to buy five chairs for the family for whom we built a house. Imagine, $10.00 for five plastic chairs like you and I have in our yards or on our patio or porch! But for them, it was a replacement for the wooden ones that we would have used for fire wood long ago. The houses we built were 12'x16', not much larger than a single car garage, but for them a real home, replacing ones made of sugar cane stalk that they were living in.
We hope you will want to see our pictures, listen to Patrick and enjoy a Latin American style lunch with us on September 23rd. (Patrick is in town for our big fund raiser "Fiesta" which will occur that evening at Casa Gallardo on Manchester in Des Peres, and anyone interested in attending that can speak to me about doing so.)
All of us are on a journey in our spiritual lives - as we seek God's guidance, live together as people of faith, and are daily transformed by God's love. Small group ministry is a well-known way to follow in Jesus' footsteps by learning and sharing together. As we study the Word, pray and fellowship together, we are enriched by others' experiences.
A new small group is forming at Trinity, open to all members. This group, called Companions on the Journey, will integrate study and discussion of the Word in the Scriptures with prayer and fellowship. I will lead the group, but all members will participate as we speak of faith, blending our minds, hearts and voices together.
We will begin in September, and the meeting time and place will be determined by group members. If you are interested in becoming a member of Companions on the Journey, please call me (725-3840) or emai juliammc@sbcglobal.net.
WHAT'S HAPPENING AT TRINITY? Are you interested in sharing what's happening at Trinity with the public? Vicki Jeter can use some help updating the monthly calendar outside the office. Help make the magnets that convey our building's activities, or simply help arrange the calendar at the end of each month. Contact Vicki Jeter at rvjeter@gmail.com.
CROP WALK. Members and friends of Trinity Presbyterian Church will participate in the annual ecumenical, city-wide CROP WALK, planned for Sunday afternoon, October 14 in Forest Park, to raise money and awareness about hunber and support Church World Service's efforts to stamp out poverty. Call Julie March, 314-725-3840, or email juliammc@sbcglobal.net for more information.
All are welcome to join in Trinity's music ministry!
This fall provides many opportunities to enjoy live music at Trinity. Our free Reverberations series continues as a gift to the St. Louis community. We also welcome the nationally-recognized jazz musician John Jorgenson and St. Louis' own Kingsbury Ensemble. Be sure to invite a friend!
The John Jorgenson Quintet
Sunday, September 30, 2007, at 7 p.m.
$20 for adults, $15 for students and seniors
The John Jorgenson Quintet features guitarist John Jorgenson, a founding member of the Desert Rose Band, the Hellecasters, and six-year member of Elton John's band. He is one of the pioneers of American gypsy jazz, a style that blends French gypsy culture and Afro-American hot jazz. John has performed as a solo artist and collaborated with other musicians all over the world, amazing audiences with his work as a guitarist, clarinet player and vocalist. Whether playing his own compositions or classic standards, John and his band make music that is equally romantic and ecstatic, played with virtuosity and soul.
The Kingsbury Ensemble
Sunday, October 7, 2007, at 3 p.m.
$10 suggested donation
The Kingsbury Ensemble, one of the Midwest's premier professional early music groups, performs exclusively on period instruments, displaying respect for historical style and scholarship, musicianship, and flair.
Reverberations Concert - Windfire: Flute and Percussion Spectacular
Sunday, October 14, 2007, at 7 p.m.
Free and open to the public
Windfire performs a dazzling blend of virtuoso flute and percussion music from around the world. The ensemble includes St. Louis Symphony Orchestra percussionist, John Kasica, and his wife, Paula, a professional flautist and member of the Equinox Chamber Players. The program is co-sponsored by the St. Louis Flute Society.
Reverberations Concert - St. Louis Symphony Family Concert
Saturday, November 3, 2007, at 10:30 a.m.
Free and open to the public
The first of two events geared towards younger listeners, this special educational concert features musicians from the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra performing music that will inspire, enrich and awaken children's love for music.
Reverberations Concert - An Early Music Christmas Celebration
Saturday, December 8, 2007, at 7:30 p.m.
Free and open to the public
Join some of the area's finest musicians in a festive holiday program featuring music and instruments of the Renaissance and Baroque periods.
Soon after I arrived at Trinity, Dr. Dan "commissioned" me to write some musical responses to use in worship. Fruits of this encouragement to write liturgical music that would embody the theology and values of our faith community include my Gospel Gloria, bluesy Kyrie, and Baptism response "With Joy and Thanksgiving."
As the Session discussed Trinity's worship schedule last spring and what it might mean to provide a space for all of God's children in worship, my imagination was ignited again. Over the summer I completed a new set of service responses which I'm calling A Mass for All of God's Children. It includes a new Kyrie ("Lord, have mercy") and Gloria ("Glory to God in the highest"), and pieces for Communion that will be used less frequently: a Sanctus ("Holy, Holy, Holy"), an Amen, and an Agnus Dei ("Lamb of God").
The unique part about these responses is that everyone is invited to play a part in them, providing opportunities for all of us to share in musical leadership. There are easy, repeated patterns ("riffs") that anyone can sing; there are approachable melodies that I hope will get stuck in your ears. Each piece can be accompanied by organ or piano alone, or by instrumental parts that range in difficulty and complexity, providing an opportunity for children and adults to play, ring, and strum along.
We will begin to use these responses on September 9. I hope you will join all of God's children at Trinity as we sing the "old, old story" of faith in a new way this fall.
Andy Latimer and Sarah Ledbetter both attended Murray State University in Kentucky. Andy was born in Rochester, New York, and lived there until 1994, when his family moved to Hopkinsville, Kentucky. Sarah was born in Columbia, Tennessee, and later moved to Summertown. Andy and Sarah met at Murray State through a church/campus ministry sponsored by the First Presbyterian Church. Andy was raised in a Presbyterian Church, while Sarah grew up in a Baptist church and started attending a Presbyterian church in college.
Andy studied Civil Engineering and moved to St. Louis in 2006 after graduation for a job with HBE in construction management. After finishing her Bachelor's degree in Music Education in May 2007, Sarah moved to St. Louis and began working at US Bank. The couple is now planning their October wedding in Kentucky.
Matt Bowman grew up in West Virginia, living first in Charlestown before moving to Morgantown, home of West Virginia University. Matt's family was very active in their churches while he was growing up - a Presbyterian church in Charlestown, and a Methodist church in Morgantown, where he was confirmed. Matt moved to St. Louis to attend college at Webster University. It was there that he met Trinity member Sharon Christopher. Sharon is the sister of another Trinity member, Linda Min, and Sharon and Linda's parents are both members who were married at Trinity. After dating for ten years, Matt and Sharon were married in 2001, and now have a son Carter, who is 18 months old. They make their home in Brentwood.
Matt has worked as a freelance videographer for the past 10 years. Most of his work is for Channel 9, including the "Living in St. Louis" segments, but he does both in-studio and remote work for the station. Matt is very passionate about movies, and has a large DVD collection. He also is a great football fan, and follows the West Virginia Mountaineers. Matt is joining Trinity as their family has made a decision to make church more a part of their lives.
John Wagner is married to Nancy Wagner, Trinity's new Parish Associate. He says Trinity already feels like "home," mainly because of the year and a half he and Nancy attended Trinity during Nancy's seminary training. John is a life-long Presbyterian (except for five years as a Methodist), but describes himself as a church gypsy for the past 10 years. He has followed Nancy from church to church as she progressed through student pastor assignments and then through interim pastor calls at Oak Hill, Rock, New Creation and Glendale Presbyterian Churches - all Giddings-Lovejoy member congregations. John says he's still working, after all these years, on becoming a good Christian. The problem is that the more he learns, the harder it gets!
John was born and raised in Pontiac, Illinois, and attended engineering school at the University of Illinois. After graduation, he moved to Columbus, Indiana, where he lived and worked until 1989, when he and Nancy moved to St. Louis. John was ordained as a deacon and an elder early in adulthood and has been active in Giddings-Lovejoy Presbytery on the Congregational Development and Camp and Conference Ministry Teams, as well as the presbytery Financial Management Committee. Both John and Nancy spent five weeks last winter on a mission assignment with Presbyterian Disaster Assistance in Gulfport, Mississippi, where they worked as staff volunteers on the hurricane Katrina rebuilding effort.
The Wagners have three sons and six grandchildren - one girl and five boys. In his spare time, he is the principal owner of a dealership that sells Volvo and GMC trucks and Carrier transportation refrigeration equipment. This business operates six full service stores, all located somewhere between Chicago and Cape Girardeau. John says he's easing toward retirement and plans to spend progressively more time away from the St. Louis heat in the summer and hiding from the snow and ice in the winter. Never a golfer, John says his hobbies usually involve water - boating, fishing, swimming, skiing or just sitting.
Europe, for all intents and purposes, became Roman Catholic when emperor Theodosius made Christianity the official religion of the Roman empire in 392 AD. However, the structure and organization that we currently associate with the Roman Catholic church emerged very slowly. Many different liturgical traditions developed, and even as late as the eighth century there was no common scriptural usage in worship services. Although certain psalms were linked to specific occasions, and lessons from the gospel of John tended to be read in the spring, from Matthew in the summer, from Mark in the fall, and from Luke during lent, systematic cycles of readings and psalms for each day of the year, known as lectionaries, were not in general use.
In this context, the coronation of Charlemagne as the first Holy Roman Emperor in 800 AD was an important event. Charlemagne recognized that the great diversity within the empire he had created was a problem, and turned to the church (one of the few common institutions in his lands) to help build a common culture. He appealed to Pope Adrian I to help regulate liturgical and musical matters in his empire so the faithful everywhere in his realm would share the same worship experience and develop the same religious traditions. The Pope responded by providing the service book in use in Rome at the time, the so-called Roman Rite, which included a lectionary. By the end of the tenth century, the cycle of readings from the Roman Rite had become traditional in Western Europe (although by that time many other lectionaries also existed in Christendom).
Even though the texts chosen for inclusion in lectionaries differ by denomination and are periodically changed, virtually all lectionaries consist of Old and New Testament texts that, when taken together, are designed to form a complete foundation of the Christian faith. However, early lectionaries, including the one endorsed by Charlemagne, probably had little practical utility for the average Christian. Since the lessons were read in Latin during the Catholic mass, and since nobody in the middle ages other than the clergy could read or write, the texts had at best a minimal role in personal study and meditation. The widespread illiteracy of the time is, in fact, largely irrelevant since the Bible wasn't available for personal use until Gutenberg invented the printing press in 1450. And even then, the Bible was only available in Latin until the reformation movement of the early sixteenth century produced Bibles translated into the vernacular.
The history of the lectionary emphasizes that the accessibility of scripture we take for granted is a reality that has not been enjoyed by many Christians, a fact worth a moment's reflection.
Last summer, our elevator stopped working. Our repairman told us that the motor needed to be "rewound" so we sent the motor off to Chicago for a couple of weeks; blessedly, it came back working. Our elevator is critical part of our building and our ministry, so it was a great relief when the elevator worked again. But, alas, last summer's repair was only a temporary fix. The elevator is old and there is no guarantee how long this latest repair will last. More importantly, the safety code for elevators has changed and our elevator is out of compliance. As a result, the Session has appointed an Elevator Team to gather options and make a recommendation for a long-term solution.
The Elevator Team is now hard at work and is confident that we can have a modern elevator in place before the current elevator no longer works. In the course of our conversation about the elevator, we have rediscovered many of the core values that shape the life of the Trinity congregation. We understand that an elevator is not merely a convenience, but a vital tool for hospitality and welcome. As a congregation we affirm that God's love is universal and that all people, regardless of human condition, are to be welcomed into the community of faith. Therefore, if we want all people know that welcome, all people must be able to get into the building and move around in safety and comfort. While the elevator communicates God's love and justice to all people, it is also a way that we build community. The richness of our community is, in part, determined by the breadth and diversity of our community - and an elevator widens the possibility of who can be a part of the community.
In the coming months, the Elevator Team will be meeting with church members, community partners and contractors to develop a plan that will guarantee that our building is accessible and welcoming for many years to come. If you have thoughts about the elevator and how we can make the building more accessible and welcoming, please speak with one of the Team members (Lynn Reid, Bob Little, Traci O'Bryan, Lois Sechrist, and Liz Nelson). In the near future, we will have a capital campaign to raise money for this important project. Please pray for the Team and consider making a gift to this critical part of our building and our ministry.
A big thank you to Brian Schroer and Brian Jeter for coordinating the sound system needs for our worship services and events.
This past June, my family traveled to Summit County in Colorado for a family reunion. Summit County is aptly named as most of the towns and villages (including Silverthorne and Breckenridge) are at elevation of over 9,000 feet. On three different days, we went hiking. The first two hikes were at lower(!) elevations, never climbing higher than 10,200 feet. But our third hike was a real challenge: Daniel, Jacob, my brother-in-law Doug, and I decided to climb to the top of Mt. Sniktau whose summit is over 13,000 feet.
Our hike started at the Loveland Pass on old US Rte. 6. After parking the car, we stepped out into the thin air at an elevation of 11,990 feet. The first half of the route literally followed the Continental Divide - to our left all water flowed to the Atlantic, to our right, the Pacific. We hiked for an hour and covered about ¾ of a mile rising to almost 13,000feet. We all agreed that this was the hardest ¾ of a mile we had ever hiked! Every couple of minutes we had to stop to catch our breath - every five minutes or so the boys actually lay down on the ground trying to recover. A couple of times we thought about going back, but we agreed that we would at least make it to the first summit. When we got there, we decided that we might as well press on since we had already covered about half of the distance - and the next part of the hike was actually downhill.
All this time, a brilliant blue sky shone above us, a howling wind pushed us to the side, and the most amazing tiny wild flowers decorated our way (there are no trees this high). Twice we thought we had reached the end of our hike only to discover that we had arrived on a false summit and our destination still lay an agonizing distance away. After another hour or so, we made our final assault on Mt. Sniktau. Our legs and lungs ached from the lack of oxygen, but we pressed on. After many more stops, we reached the summit - 13,285 feet. up! It was an exhilarating feeling with a view that took our breath away. Just to our south stood Torreys Peak, looming another 1000 feet above us! We made our way back to the car, our faces sunburned and windburned, our legs giving out, and our spirits lifted beyond measure.
As we drove back to lower altitudes, I reflected that climbing a mountain like Mt. Sniktau is a lot like ministry:
1. Never go alone - not only is there safety in numbers, there is also encouragement. If one of us wanted to turn back, someone else would say, "Let's at least go a little further" and so we did. And together we made it.
2. Sometimes there is only way is forward - when you walk on the Continental Divide you can't go right or left, only forward and up!
3. Rest along the way - Sabbath and prayer give us strength when we tire. Also, when you rest, you can actually enjoy the scenery.
4. Notice the beauty - the wild flowers on Mt. Sniktau were almost imperceptible, but they were beautiful and they gave us hope.
5. Don't allow false summits to discourage - our journeys are often longer and more difficult than we first imagine; when you get to a false summit, don't fixate on how far the destination is, rather gain encouragement by how far you have come.
6. Bring the provisions you need, but travel light - we brought enough water, snacks, and clothing, but any more would have been a burden. In the church, we take the gospel, and can trust that the Holy Spirit will provide the rest.
7. Know that this is but one journey - Mt. Sniktau was high, but it was dwarfed by other mountains nearby. We were thankful for climbing that mountain and realized that there were new challenges for another day.
Edna Paul, a long-time member of Trinity, recently moved to Maryland to be closer to her son and daughter-in-law, Ed and Karen Kriege. As a young woman, Edna was an aviation pioneer. Memorabilia from her career is displayed at the Missouri History Museum. Best wishes, Edna!
The Ronald McDonald House is a fantastic charity that houses families while their kids are being treated at St. Louis Children's Hospital and Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital. An easy way you can help this ministry is by saving your soda can pop tops and bringing them to me in the Nursery or to the Church Office. Last year alone, pop tops earned the RMH $17,000 and recycled over 34,000 pounds of aluminum.
Other Ways to Help the RMH?
Email me for more info: rlc5924@bjc.org. To learn more information, go to the RMH website: www.rmhstl.com.