Trinity Tidings August 2017

Finding Our Balance in a Rule of Life

We are now in the sweet days of summer (hot as they are), when the high pace of spring comes to a lull and the stronger rhythms of fall have not yet begun. It is often a time for me to slow down, even to a lazy pace. It is also a time to let myself think and play with ideas for the coming year. But mostly, it is a time to remind myself to find and maintain balance in my life. Perhaps that is true for you, too.

St. Benedict of Nursia, whose feast day we celebrated in a Wednesday service this July, instructed his monks on daily balance. Stability is balanced with conversion (change). Work is balanced with rest and recreation. Private prayer is balanced with corporate prayer. Engaging others is balanced with personal time.

“Balance,” Esther De Waal wrote of Benedict’s Rule in Seeking God, “is so central that it undergirds everything in the Rule.” A model day might include prayer, study, work, rest and recreation, and time to nurture significant relationships of family and friends. Perhaps the writer of Ecclesiastes can help us: to everything there is a season, a time to pray and a time to study, a time to work and a time to rest, a time to nurture others and a time to nurture ourselves.

Summertime becomes (often, though not always) a time to recalibrate those rhythms so that when the pace picks up, we are more mindful of these critical areas of our lives. We become more intentional with each one, and we are more prone to keep our balance.

Of course, some days, some weeks even, we may find things to be out of balance. Work demands our attention. Perhaps, we are caring for a family

member, either a child or a spouse or a parent, or all three, and our energies are drawn to these concerns. Our routines must be flexible enough to bend when needed, because life isn’t perfect, and our days do not come to us in neat little packages. I believe the Benedictine nun and writer, Joan Chittister, described it best when asked about her prayer life. She said she was regular, not rote. To be sure, she emphasizes regular practice, but when we become so rigid in our routine that it becomes joyless and rote, or prayer time becomes a barrier to our other relationships, we may need to once again find our balance.

A rule of life can give us a guideline to help keep us balanced. A rule of life is a life statement toward which we strive with daily practices. It begins with what we value. We ask, what are our core values? In order to discover our core values and rule of life we might reflect on areas that Margaret Guenther offers in her book, At Home in the World: A Rule of Life for the Rest of Us. Her questions, offered on the next page, move us gently toward shaping a daily practice to deepen our spiritual lives and increase our awareness of God’s presence in us, in others, and in the world. I commend these to you.

If you have a little time this summer, you might reflect on these questions, pray, and see if you are led to a practice, a rule of life. Space is allowed to give you a place to start.

God Bless,

Marian+

Creating a Rule of Life From At Home in the World: A Rule of Life for the Rest of Us Margaret Guenther (New York: Church Publishing, 2006) www.churchpublishing.com

Name relationships in each category. Where are the struggles? Where are the invitations? Crossroads are where we will meet Christ.

Relationship with God

Relationship with Those Who Touch our Lives Directly

Relationship with Creation

Relationship with Own Deepest Self

August Commission and Guild Meetings

Liturgy Meeting August 8 5:15 p.m, Daughters of the King August 13 3:00pm Finance Committee August 14 5:15 p.m. Vestry Meeting August 16 5:15 p.m. Heavenly Hands Wednesdays 3:00 p.m. Teach Them to Fish Wednesdays 5:30 p.m.

______________________________________________________

Newcomer Tour

August 6, after the 10:30 a.m. service Newcomers and visitors are welcome to join the tour of the church the first Sunday of every month. After the 10:30 service, join us in the back of the

church in the area we call the narthex!

_______________________________________________________

Membership Development Committee

Join our team to help new members and old! Interested in church tours, newcomer table, planning Walk the Trace event,

Spiritual Gifts workshop, or Narthex Greeter? Contact Jan Moore at 601-544-5551

_______________________________________________________

Trinity Work Day— August 26, 9am– 3pm

Continuing tornado relief efforts will be help every fourth Saturday. ____________________________________________________________

Bible Study Resumes

The Wednesday morning bible study will resume their weekly meetings on Wednesdays starting August 2nd in the Library.

All are welcome to join as the study the book of Isaiah.

We’re having a Baby Shower!

The women of Trinity are invited to join a shower

for our Parish Administrator, Kristin McNair

hosted by the Merry Marthas! The shower will be

Sunday, August 20, 2017 at 3:00 pm in the Parish Hall!

The mom-to-be is registered at the following stores:

Amazon, Target, and Accents Fine Home Interiors and Gifts in Hattiesburg.

__________________________________________________________

Christian Formation

While Sunday School will begin this fall (details TBA),

the nursery is always available for the 10:30 am services.

Nursery – Up to Age 3 Caroline Ratliff, Nursery Worker

Brooklyn Mills, Nursery Worker

Age 3 Atrium, Jennifer Landry

Ages 4-7 Atrium, Sandy Kegerreis

Ages 8 & up Room 7, Ward Conville

Lectionary Class Library, Stan Hauer and Tom Fortner

_______________________________________________________

Education for Ministry

1st year starting this September!

Contact The Rev. Marian or Ben Carmichael

With Our Sympathy

We extend our sympathy to Molly and John Murchinson, on the death of their mother

Ann Murchinson.

___________________________________________________________

Walking the Mourner’s Path

Are you seeking comfort and healing after the death of a loved one? The

ministry of Walking the Mourner’s Path seeks to serve individuals who are in

grief through a series of Eight Consecutive Weekly Workshops.

Together in the small group workshops individuals:

• Acknowledge the pain and brokenness

• Recognize that each journey through grief is unique

• Share stories

• Experience both tears and laughter

• Find Healing and Joy

“Together we do what I cannot do alone.”

Interested in attending the Eight-week workshops? Trinity

Episcopal Church will soon be hosting the workshops. Class size is limited to

eight participants. If you have questions about the program please contact Jan

Moore (jmoore4293@gmail.com) or Jan Housley (janvanavon@gmail.com).

We will help you determine if these workshops will be helpful to you at this

time. Cost is $75 for materials.

“Come to me all who are heavy laden and I will give you rest” Matthew 11:28-29

Vestry Notes July 19, 2017

(Official minutes will be posted on the Trinity

website after vestry approval next month)

• The Rev. Dr. Susan Hrowstoski presented to the vestry about the possibility of members of the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus Lavender Tour performing at Trinity – discussions led to willingness to open the church as a venue on the evening of October 7, 2017.

• Betsy McIntire volunteered to be the Vestry Liaison to the Newcomer Ministry.

• Upon resignation of Tom Hardy as Junior Warden, the vestry appointed Michael Watkins to fulfill the remainder of the term until new elections in January 2018, in accordance with the by-laws.

• Senior Warden Ward Conville reported on the work of the Capital Campaign Steering Committee and on two construction companies interested in bidding. The vestry voted to allow these two companies 45 days to submit proposals, while proceeding with the Capital Campaign.

• The Finance Committee brought up the possibility of making an outside audit as a matter of course every 3-5 years. Leighton Lewis will look over the Diocesan audit guidelines to see if this is required.

__________________________________________________________________

A special message from Tom Hardy

It is with a heavy heart that I have had to resign from my position as junior warden. I am currently dealing with a lot of health and family issues that are

pulling my attention away from my duties, and Trinity deserves someone who can devote the time and focus necessary for this very important position.

I want to thank everyone who has been supportive, I love Trinity and will continue to serve as a verger.

The Weekly News

Our weekly announcements inserted in the Sunday Bulletin DEADLINE each week is Monday.

Email your announcements for “The Weekly News” to:

trinityadm509@aol.com __________________________________________________________

OFFICE HOURS: Monday – Thursday 8:30 to 4:30

Friday 8:30 to 12:30

Web Site: www.trinityhattiesburg.dioms.org Facebook: www.facebook.com/TrinityHattiesburg

___________________________________________________

DEADLINE FOR THE SEPTEMBER TIDINGS

Thursday, August 24 at Noon

We will fold the tidings Wednesday, August 30 Email information to: trinityadm509@aol.com

___________________________________________________

GET CONNECTED!

Website: www.trinityhattiesburg.dioms.org Facebook: www.facebook.com/TrinityHattiesburg

Hymns for August

August 6

427 When morning gilds the skies

7 Christ, whose glory fills the skies

137 O wondrous type! O vision fair

383 Fairest Lord Jesus

594 God of grace and God of glory

August 13

608 Eternal Father, strong to save

529 In Christ there is no East of West

636 How firm a foundation

398 I sing the almighty power of God

414 God, my King, thy might confessing

August 20

408 Sing praise to God who reigns above

470 There’s a wideness in God’s mercy

321 My God, thy table now is spread

531 O Spirit of the living God

410 Praise, my soul, the King God heaven

August 27

304 I come with joy to meet my Lord

587 Our Father, by whose Name

513 Like the murmur of the dove’s song

677 God moves in a mysterious way

522 Glorious things of thee are spoken

Treasured Trinitarian: Judith Thompson

By Susan E. Steadman

All her bags are packed, she is almost ready to go, but the personality of Judith Thompson will radiate through the halls of Trinity for a long time. She plans to come back for visits and stay in touch, but her move to Louisiana to be closer to family is eminent, just weeks away. Her life at Trinity has been active as she has immersed herself in many activities. “To become a true Trinitarian,” she said, “one must try to participate in one of the many commissions that offer activities for adults and children. I ‘ve joined several through the years. To name a few, Heavenly Hands crocheting lap robes and shawls for hospice, Bread Basket, Merry Marthas (which is great fun), but ushering at the 8 o’clock service and on special occasions proved most fulfilling for me.” She also recalled experiences that she enjoyed participating in the Foyer Dinner Group, where close friendships were made, and the days when the Lenten breakfasts offered not only a discipline and sense of community building. How did she get to Trinity in the first place?

“A couple of years after my family relocated to Hattiesburg in 1975, we met and were introduced to The Rev. Benjamin Bell, who was at that time the rector of Trinity Episcopal Church. In a conversation with Ben Bell, we discovered that he and my husband Rodney, were both from the same town of Holyoke, Massachusetts. We accepted his invitation to a Sunday service. I guess it was when I entered the church for the first time that I fell in love with Trinity. After meeting the parishioners who make Trinity special, I knew for certain we had found our church home.” Favorite hymns? Judy recently learned to play the dulcimer and her repertoire of hymns that she enjoys playing include Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hosts, Crown Him with Many Crowns and In the Garden. It is Well with My Soul. Her dream for Trinity in the future: “As I embark on my new life with my family in Louisiana, my prayer for Trinity is to grow strong membership and continue to offer friendliness and spiritual growth to newcomers.” Judy, we all wish you safe travels and a happy future and anticipate seeing you soon at Trinity. Our doors and hearts will always be open.

PRAYER LIST REQUEST FORM Please add the following individual to the prayer list. Date_________________

Name_________________________________________________________________

Submitted, with permission from the above named person, by____________________________________________________________________

Brief explanation (family member, friend, military deployment, etc.) ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________

Please return this form to the church office or place in the Sunday collection bas-ket. Names will remain on the prayer list monthly. Those who continue to need our prayers may be resubmitted for one month from the date submitted.