Epiphany

It has been a glorious Christmastide for me, and I hope it’s been wonderful for you as well. We have been blessed with beautiful worship services through Advent, on Christmas Eve, and at Lessons and Carols. I am tremendously grateful to our music program and to all the volunteers throughout all our ministry areas who put in long hours to help us worship the newborn King. THANK YOU for all you do. 

We’re almost ready to turn from feasting to what’s next. But at Epiphany we stand in awe before “the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things” (Ephesians 3:9) Epiphany is a day of encounter, when we recall three visitors from far away, coming to a place they had never been, not entirely sure what would happen next. The wise men knew that they were being led to something important, to the child born king of the Jews. But until they met Jesus, they wouldn’t truly understand what any of this really meant. Until they met Jesus, they had no idea of how their lives were about to change.

We are called to look for the newborn Jesus, to look for the light to the gentiles, to look for God’s incarnate grace, in the circumstances of our own lives. We’re called to look for him at work, at the grocery store, at home with our families and friends, in fellowship shared, and in our church. These are the places where God presents himself to us, the places where God's truth is revealed. These are all places where we may bring our gifts to the King and cast them before his throne. These are the places where we bring our gifts to the giver.

And what happens when we do just that? What happens when we meet Jesus? Scripture tells us that the wise men were warned not to return to Herod, and so they went home by another road. Once you meet Jesus, there's no going back. The old certainties, everything we thought most reliable, we find them vanishing like smoke. All we thought was the solid world melts into air. But what replaces it is built on solid rock. What replaces it is the path of love, of life, and of light.

We truly have had a wonderful season of Christmas here at Trinity Church. Having met the Christ child, we stand at a fork in the road. Will we try to go back the way we came? Or will we live as people who have seen the one who is the Way the Truth, and the Life face to face?

Yours in Christ, and in Christ alone,

Kara 

Christmas Day

Dear Friends,

On Christmas morning, after a glorious day of worship at Trinity Church, I woke up around 6 AM. I went downstairs, got a cup of coffee, and sat by the tree for a while. I cherish these early hours, when the house is quiet, and everyone else is still asleep. These moments are sacred.

As I sat there, I found myself drifting back to Christmases of my childhood. I would jump out of bed at the crack of dawn and run into my parents’ room with my heart about to bust – “Get up! Get up! Santa came! Santa came!” Then we would make our way to the family room to see that indeed Santa had made a visit! What joy! So many beautiful memories.

Then, I reflected on the Christmases here in Princeton, I see our kids faces and feel their boundless energy as they ran around the house, bursting with excitement. The cookies were gone, the milk was drunk, and the presents were under the tree. Christina and I would watch with tired smiles, the result of late-night wrapping sessions. Our weariness was a small price to pay for the happiness and joy of the children.

But time moves on, and our children are now 26, 24, and 21. They no longer wake us at 6 AM, racing downstairs and shouting, "Did Santa come?" Christmas morning has taken on a different rhythm. Now, the day begins at a more leisurely hour—around 9 or 9:30. We gather quietly, chatting until everyone is awake. With the fire lit, Christmas music playing softly, we open our gifts in an “orderly” manner.

Yet, even now, the magic of Christmas morning remains. There is still laughter, jokes, and playful tossing of wrapping paper. Ribbons end up in hair, new clothes are modeled with flair, and the occasional gift sends the room into fits of laughter.

There is something profoundly beautiful about this experience—unwrapping gifts chosen with love and care. The “fanciness” of the gift doesn’t matter. (I often forget that in my desire to get the “perfect” gift – which only causes frustration.) What truly matters is the love and intention behind it.

As I sat by the tree, I thought: What if we approached each day with the same excitement and joy we feel on Christmas morning? Each morning, God grants us the gift of a new day. Like a wrapped present, the day holds possibilities waiting to be discovered.

I confess, most mornings I don’t leap out of bed with joy, eager to greet the sunrise. I don’t wake up proclaiming, “This is the day the Lord has made; I will rejoice and be glad in it.” But what if I did? What if I chose to embrace each day as a precious and intentional gift from God?

Every morning, we are given the gift of life—a new day to unwrap, experience, and savor. Each breath we take is a reminder of the potential for joy, love, and new experiences. Each day is a little like Christmas—not because of the date on the calendar, but because God has given us the gift of this moment, this life, this breath.

Let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Merry Christmas,

Fourth Sunday of Advent

Dear Beloved of Trinity,

The day is fast approaching, and soon we will celebrate the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ. Tomorrow, we will be blessed to hear the story of our Lord’s birth as shared through the voices of the children and youth of our parish.

“Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you… Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” (Luke 1:28–33)

Come and experience once more the profound story of the birth of our Savior. Let us open our hearts to hear the story as if for the very first time. Let us hear the words of Gabriel and know that God is indeed with us. Let us set our fears aside and open our souls and lives to give birth to the Son of God.

May the presence of God be ever near and may you feel irresistibly drawn to the Holy One through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Together, let us bring forth Light and Life into the world.

We look forward to seeing you tomorrow for the Christmas Pageant and our festive Advent Brunch!

Blessings to all!

Paul

Rejoice in the LORD Always

Dear Beloved of Trinity Church,

This Sunday, we celebrate the third Sunday of Advent.  “The term is derived from the Latin opening words of the introit antiphon, ‘Rejoice (Gaudete) in the Lord always.’” * On this day, it is customary to wear rose-colored vestments and light a pink or rose colored candle, hence the alternative name for the day, “Rose Sunday.”

 From Philippians 4:4-6:

“Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice:

let your moderation be known unto all men:

the Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing:

but in everything, by prayer and supplication,

with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God.”

This is followed by the first verse from Psalm 85:

“Lord, thou art become gracious unto thy land:

thou hast turned away the captivity of Jacob.”

The Latin text:

Gaudete in Domino semper: iterum dico, gaudete.

Modestia vestra nota sit omnibus hominibus:

Dominus enim prope est. Nihil solliciti sitis:

sed in omni oratione et obsecratione

cum gratiarum actione petitiones vestræ innotescant apud Deum. 

Benedixisti Domine terram tuam: avertisti captivitatem Jacob.

As we come ever closer to the celebration of the Nativity and our Lord’s return, may we rejoice in heart and soul, in word and deed, for Christ was and is and ever shall be our hope, our peace, our joy, our love, our light.

Advent Blessings,

Paul

* “An Episcopal Dictionary of the Church, A User Friendly Reference for Episcopalians,”

     Don S. Armentrout and Robert Boak Slocum, editors.

All Glory, Laud, and Honor

Did you notice the out-of-season hymn on Sunday? It was “All Glory, Laud and Honor,” one that we generally associate with Palm Sunday. It’s even prescribed by the rubrics of the Prayer Book for that day - one of only a few instances where the Prayer Book recommends a particular hymn. As Meg noted in her article last week, Bach’s church in Leipzig included Palm Sunday music in its Advent observances. Doing so marks the parallels between the coming of Christ into Jerusalem before he was crucified, the coming of Christ in his birth that we observe at Christmas, and the coming of Christ that we expect at the end of days. It also reminds us that Christ comes to us every time we receive the Eucharist. “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord,” we sing at the Sanctus during the Eucharistic Prayer, and in so doing we echo the song at Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. 

Advent is a season when we try to think of past, present, and future at once - which is really hard for humans to do! But this is how God’s time works. One of my favorite illustrations of God’s time is in the TV comedy The Good Place, where Ted Danson’s character explains eternity as “Jeremy Bearimy.” He says, “Things in the afterlife don’t happen while things are happening here, because while time on Earth moves in a straight line — one thing happens, then the next, then the next — time in the afterlife moves in a ‘Jeremy Bearimy’.”

A “Jeremy Bearimy” loops and doubles back on itself, and the dot above the “i” is a pretty good representation of how Augustine describes eternity, where all time is present to God. 

This is where we live, especially in this season of Advent where past, present, future, and eternity loop around, double back on themselves, and where God beckons us onward in expectation of Christ’s coming. 

Come, Lord Jesus!

Kara+

P.S. I’m writing this from London, where I just saw part of a Roman wall that was built about 80 years after Jesus was raised from the dead. I also got to touch John Wesley’s pulpit at the church he founded. It reminded me in a very tangible way of the beautiful story we are caught up in, the story of God’s action for us in Jesus Christ. 

For a New Beginning

This Sunday marks the beginning of a new church year, and with this comes infinite possibilities. In the season of Advent, we remind ourselves of God’s constant and faithful presence as we prepare to celebrate the annual remembrance of our Lord’s nativity and remind ourselves that we live each day in hopeful expectation of our Lord’s glorious return. 

Each and every day offers us the opportunity for something new to emerge. If we have the courage to step onto new ground—even though the destination is still unclear—we trust in God’s love to hold us and sustain us on the way so that we may find our souls enlivened and spirits renewed. Advent is a time to “awaken [our] spirit to adventure” and to “hold nothing back”—God’s hope and love, joy and peace await.

Advent Blessings,

Paul+

For a New Beginning
In out-of-the-way places of the heart,
Where your thoughts never think to wander,
This beginning has been quietly forming,
Waiting until you were ready to emerge.
For a long time it has watched your desire,
Feeling the emptiness growing inside you,
Noticing how you willed yourself on,
Still unable to leave what you had outgrown.
It watched you play with the seduction of safety
And the gray promises that sameness whispered,
Heard the waves of turmoil rise and relent,
Wondered would you always live like this.
Then the delight, when your courage kindled,
And out you stepped onto new ground,
Your eyes young again with energy and dream,
A path of plenitude opening before you.
Though your destination is not yet clear
You can trust the promise of this opening;
Unfurl yourself into the grace of beginning
That is at one with your life’s desire.
Awaken your spirit to adventure;
Hold nothing back, learn to find ease in risk;
Soon you will be home in a new rhythm,
For your soul senses the world that awaits you.
~ John O’Donohue

Christ the Light

Dear Beloved of Trinity Church,

I’m sitting in my office late in the afternoon. The sun has already set, and if someone were to ask me the time by glancing out the window, I’d guess it was much later in the night. Yet, it’s only late afternoon. Moments like these remind me how vital light is, at least for me. The early darkness during these months can feel heavy and oppressive, casting shadows not only over the world around us but sometimes within our hearts as well.

This experience resonates with life itself. Not every day is filled with light and sunshine. There are seasons when the darkness feels overwhelming, pressing upon our hearts and souls. Yet, in those moments, I’m reminded of the incredible gift of Light—both physical and spiritual.

This Sunday, Christ the King Sunday, we will reflect on this profound and transformative gift—the true Light. From the dawn of creation, when God declared, “Let there be light,” to the radiant Light revealed to us in Jesus Christ—the Light that shines in the darkness and cannot be overcome. It is this Light that sustains us, guides us, and holds us through every season of life.

I warmly invite you to join us this Sunday as we celebrate this divine Light—a beacon of hope, love, and promise that illuminates our lives, now and forevermore.

Let there be light!

Grace and peace,

Paul

Anglican Communion Update

You may have read in the news that Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby has announced his resignation. He stepped down in response to a report on horrific abuses perpetrated over decades by a prominent layperson at a camp for elite boarding school students. The political situation surrounding his resignation is extremely complicated, and some believe he was made a scapegoat by people who disagreed with him over other issues in the Church of England. In any event, it has highlighted once again that the protection of vulnerable members of our community is of paramount importance.   

What happens now? In the Episcopal Church, the Presiding Bishop is elected by the House of Bishops and the election is ratified by the House of Deputies. But the Church of England appoints rather than elects bishops. The Crown Nominations Commission, a group selected as shown in the bafflingly complicated diagram below, will select Archbishop Justin’s successor. Along with officials from the Church of England, the Commission will also include five members of the broader Anglican Communion representing Asia, the Americas, Africa, Europe, and Oceania. It is theoretically possible, but very unlikely, that the Commission will choose a bishop from another part of the Communion. 

The CNC will interview candidates and provide one name to the Prime Minister. A second name will be kept “in reserve” in case there is an issue with the first candidate or if they decline the offer. The Prime Minister then conveys the final result to the King. You can read more about the details of the process here: How is a new Archbishop of Canterbury chosen?

As this process unfolds, I invite your prayers for Archbishop Justin and his family, for Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell, and for the Crown Nominations Commission who will select the next Archbishop. If you have any questions about how the Anglican Communion works, send me an email! 

Kara