Our 10:30 a.m. service this Sunday will be a Family Eucharist, featuring our children as musicians, readers, and gift bearers! The service will also be a bit shorter and will employ easy-to-understand language. If your child would like to be involved in future family worship services, please email Angela Arpino. family@trinitynewhaven.org
This Sunday is Woman Composer Sunday, a day recognized by the Society of Woman Organists, American Guild of Organists, and Royal College of Organists. The Prelude for the 10:30 a.m. service will feature "Adoration" by American composer Florence Price. Price was the first African-American woman to have a work performed by a major orchestra. In recent years—and thanks to new discoveries—her organ works have become increasingly popular and are earning their place in the canon of organ repertoire. "Adoration" will be played by Ailene Lee, a new organ student and member of the Trinity Girls Choir. Thank you, Ailene!
Holy Week is swiftly approaching! The week begins with Palm Sunday on March 24, and we will hold our regular worship schedule (spoken service at 7:45, sung service at 10:30, and Chapel on the Green at 2:00; there will be no 5 p.m. service).
Later in the week we enter our shortest liturgical season, the Triduum, which begins on Maundy Thursday and ends on Easter Sunday. See below for our worship schedule on these holiest days of the church year, and CLICK HERE to learn more about these special services.
Last Sunday, March 3, Rev. Max Sklar led a forum about his ministry in Ramala in the midst of the current crisis between Israel and Hamas. Below is a list of follow-up resources if you would like to connect with Max for further conversation.
Contact Max: sklarfield@gmail.com
Max's Blog: the841.blog (password: Ufki@235) – please do not share this link on social media, per Max's request
Donations: Max recommends the American Friends of the Diocese of Jerusalem
At Trinity, we list the names of departed loved ones in our Easter bulletin each year. Memorial contributions may be made in their name to support the special offerings of music and flowers at Trinity's Easter services.
If you'd like to memorialize a loved one, please follow these steps:
Submit the names of those you'd like remembered in the bulletin using THIS FORM.
Make a memorial contribution by sending a check to the Trinity office with "Easter Memorial-Flowers" or "Easter Memorial- Music" in the memo line or by using this REALM GIVING FORM.
Memorials must be submitted by March 26 at 5 p.m.
Young Adult Episcopalians hosts Stations of the Cross this Friday, March 15, at 5:30 p.m. at Wooster Square Park. Join us for this walking, place-based service, then join us for dinner at St. PJ's! RSVP is encouraged; email yaeforjesus@gmail.com to let us know you plan on joining.
Sign up to contribute a reflection: Each of our stations is accompanied by a scripture reading, prayer, and brief reflection (2-3 minutes, can be shared extemporaneously or be prepared in advance). Participants also have the option to connect the location of their reflection to to the text of their assigned station (optional). We hope that different folks will sign up to offer each of our seven reflections; see options in this document, and add your name or email us to sign up!
YAE events are for young adults ages 21-39(ish). Email Rev. Heidi if you would like to be added to our email list and receive more frequent updates. hthorsen@trinitynewhaven.org
Due to maintenance on our sound system in the nave, our services for the next few Sundays will be streamed to Facebook instead of YouTube. As usual, the links to our livestreamed services can be found in each week's eNews and on our online worship schedule. We will return to our regular streaming system in time for Holy Week.
The Ten Commandments are a foundational learning of our faith and guide our actions and decision-making every day. Please bring a child in your life to this important session to learn about the Ten Commandments in easy-to-understand language and apply them to our daily lives. We will break out in age-appropriate classes for activities and further learning. Questions? Contact Angela Arpino! family@trinitynewhaven.org
Trinity is looking for a volunteer to take on the role of Flower Coordinator, to oversee the seasonal decoration of the church with flowers, palms, and greens. The work of the Flower Coordinator will be focused on Altar Guild work days related to major Holy Days and seasons—for example, greening the church at the beginning of Advent; arranging potted poinsettias for Christmas; making arrangements of palms for Palm Sunday, and arranging potted flowers for Easter Day. No experience arranging flowers is necessary, though training can be made available if this is an area of interest.
If you are interested, or would like to ask further questions, please contact the Rev. Heidi Thorsen. hthorsen@trinitynewhaven.org
What a blessing it was to welcome acclaimed author Emily Esfahani Smith to our pulpit this past Sunday. Below is a reflection by Rev. Heidi Thorsen:
Lent is traditionally a time of taking on spiritual practices: adding a practice of silent meditation to your ritual, or abstaining from things we usually take for granted (food items, such as chocolate or meat, being a common choice for us modern Christians). But how do you embrace contemplation when you have a toddler running around at your heels and throwing a tantrum because you didn’t hold her plastic cow the right way? How do you abstain from food when you’re just trying to get your toddler to eat anything?
Emily Esfahani Smith’s guest sermon at Trinity asks questions like these. She reflects on Lent not only as a bestselling author for her book, the Power of Meaning, but also as a mother of a toddler and baby. She affirms that an attitude of contemplation is possible in the everyday bustle, without having to drop all your responsibilities and become a solitary monk for these 40 days.
Are you exhausted just going from one day to another, and wondering how you could ever fit a prayer, wonder, and spirituality into your busy life? I encourage you to watch Emily’s sermon (for the first time, or on repeat!). Listen while you drive to work, or while you do the dishes - and imagine how God can visit you in the ordinary places this Lent.
This Sunday, February 25, we are honored and delighted to welcome Emily Esfahani Smith to preach at our 10:30 a.m. service. Emily draws on psychology, philosophy, and literature to write about the human experience—why we are the way we are and how we can find grace and meaning in a world that is full of suffering. Her book The Power of Meaning, an international bestseller, has been translated into sixteen different languages. The former managing editor of The New Criterion, Emily’s articles and essays have appeared in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, and other publications. She has also appeared on NBC’s TODAY, CBS This Morning, and NPR. In 2019, she was a Poynter Journalism Fellow at Yale University. As a speaker, she has delivered dozens of keynotes and workshops at major corporations, conferences, and universities across the country and world. Emily lives in Washington, DC. emilyesfahanismith.com
Join us for an unforgettable evening of soul-stirring music as the legendary Sweet Honey in the Rock takes the stage at Trinity on Saturday, April 13. Sweet Honey in the Rock is a Grammy-nominated African-American a cappella ensemble that serves audiences from diverse backgrounds and cultures throughout the United States and the world. Hailed as a group with “unmistakable power” that “empowers individuals to accomplish together what we cannot accomplish alone” (NPR), they use “a stunning range of jazz phrasings and impeccable scat chops” to teach audiences “what freedom really sounds like” (Indy Week).
All proceeds from the concert will benefit the “Doing A Walden” Campaign, which will support Trinity’s future musical endeavors.
Our lives today feel busy and complicated: full of commitments, worries, and crises in need of a loving response. Amid such stress and strain, we can also experience loneliness, longing, and solitude. This Lent we invite you to slow down and abide in God (John 15:4). Each of the opportunities listed here is a way to reflect, reconnect, and re-center our lives. Whatever your choices in this busy season, Trinity is here for you, a living reminder that we are all connected to each other in Christ.
Go Deeper this Lent
"Read | Pray | Do" Lenten Stations
From now until Holy Week, visit our undercroft to view interactive stations that will help you and your family connect with important Lenten themes. At each station, you are invited to read the assigned scripture, pray with it, and then participate in the activity. Available during Sunday coffee hour and whenever the church is open.
Virtual Retreat: A Pilgrimage to God and Self
Every Thursday in Lent from 4-5 p.m., join Lilian Revel and Rev. Luk De Volder to explore different forms of prayer and meditation and learn from the wisdom of the mystics. We will follow Jesus, Hildegard von Bingen, Meister Eckhart, Julian of Norwich, Etty Hillesum, and Teilhard de Chardin. All are welcome; no need to attend every session. Click here to join via Zoom.
Lenten Devotionals: Abide in Prayer
Write a prayer to share with our community as we accompany each other on our Lenten journey. These prayers will be published on a weekly basis in our eNews and online. Learn more here.
One-on-One Pastoral Conversations
One way to re-center is through sharing what is on your mind and heart with a pastoral listener. Our pastoral care team extends an invitation for you to schedule a one-on-one conversation.
Rev. Luk De Volder | ldevolder@trinitynewhaven.org
Rev. Heidi Thorsen | hthorsen@trinitynewhaven.org
Lilian Revel | pastoralcare@trinitynewhaven.org
Events
Lent Soup Suppers
There's still time to sign up for a Lent Soup Supper! Get to know your Trinity family better over fellowship and a shared meal. Hosts provide the soup; guests are welcome to bring sides, a beverage, or dessert. Trinity will provide materials for a short prayer service and "icebreaker" questions for more conversation during the meal. Pick a date and location that works best for you! RSVP by signing up in the narthex after church, or email Rev. Heidi (hthorsen@trinitynewhaven.org). Details (including the host's address) will be provided to those who RSVP.
Thursday, Feb. 29 at 5:30 p.m. | Hamden | Leigh Cromey & Rich Walser
Saturday, Mar. 9 at 11:30 a.m. | New Haven (family-friendly option!) | Marge Eichler
Saturday, Mar. 16 at noon | Beacon Falls | Bob Scott & Jim Rothgeb
FULL: Tuesday, Mar. 19 at 5:30 p.m. | West Haven | Barbara Jerry
Stations of the Cross & Fish Fry at St. Luke's
Join St. Luke's Episcopal Church (111 Whalley Ave.) every Friday in Lent for a Fish Fry ($14) at 5 p.m., a Bible Study at 6 p.m., and Stations of the Cross at 7 p.m. Stay tuned for a date when Trinity will join as a group!
Sermon Drama on March 17
The Trinity Players will present a Lenten sermon drama during our 10:30 a.m. service on March 17 (Fifth Sunday in Lent). More details to come!
Holy Week
Palm Sunday: March 24
7:45 a.m. – Liturgy of the Palms & Holy Eucharist, Rite I
10:30 a.m. – Liturgy of the Palms & Holy Eucharist, Rite II
2:00 p.m. – Chapel on the Green
Maundy Thursday: March 28
2:00-4:00 p.m. – Chapel on the Green with Foot Washing & Health Fair
7:30 p.m. – Mass of the Lord's Supper
Good Friday: March 29
12:00-3:00 p.m. – The Seven Last Words of Christ
7:30 p.m. – Solemn Liturgy of the Lord's Passion
Holy Saturday: March 30
7:30 p.m. – The Great Vigil of Easter
Easter Sunday: March 31
7:45 a.m. – Holy Eucharist, Rite I
10:30 a.m. – Festival Choral Eucharist, Rite I
11:45 a.m. – Easter Egg Scramble
2:00 p.m. – Chapel on the Green
View our events calendar for more details about Holy Week.
This Lent we invite you to write prayers for our community as we accompany one another along our journey of prayer and self-reflection. These prayers will be shared on a weekly basis in our eNews and online.
How to sign up:
Email Rev. Heidi (hthorsen@trinitynewhaven.org) to sign up for a particular week. You will receive a reminder the week before. Rev. Heidi will compile the prayers, and they will be shared in the following week's eNews and online (website and Facebook). Take inspiration from each Sunday's readings by clicking the links below.
Second Sunday in Lent (deadline Feb. 20)
Third Sunday in Lent (deadline Feb. 27)
Fourth Sunday in Lent (deadline Mar. 5)
Fifth Sunday in Lent (deadline Mar. 12)
Holy Week (deadline Mar. 19)—reflect on any of the readings from Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, or Holy Saturday
How to Write a Prayer:
Prayers can be written like a poem our journal entry, or you could follow the traditional format of a "collect." Collects are short prayers used in common worship, typically separated into three parts:
Attribute: a statement of who God is (describes what God has done in the past and what you will ask God to do)
Ask: describe how we are asking God to help us
Amen: typically in a Trinitarian form (e.g., through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, etc.)
Example (Proper 28):
Attribute: Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning
Ask: Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ
Amen: Who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
You can take the above format and be creative with it, or let your words be more freeform. Be in touch with Rev. Heidi if you have questions or would like input in the prayer writing process.
A grief support group offers a safe and compassionate space for individuals coping with loss to share their experiences, receive understanding and support, and navigate their emotional journey together. We are currently exploring the idea of organizing such a support group at Trinity and would like to know if there is any interest among our parishioners. If you are interested or have ideas, please email Lilian Revel.
Yale Divinity School invites you to its annual Taylor Lectures, given this year by former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams. The lectures are titled "The Claims of Solidarity: A Conversation in Theology and Ethics" and are spread over the course of three days: February 21, 22, and 23.
All three of the talks will be given at 5:30 p.m. in Marquand Chapel (409 Prospect Street). Free parking is available near YDS in the Betts House or Greenberg Center lots, as well as in Lot 14, Lot 15, and on nearby streets. Visit Yale's campus parking page to see the exact locations of these lots.
Rowan Williams is a Welsh Anglican bishop, theologian, and poet and was the 104th Archbishop of Canterbury. He is also Honorary Professor of Contemporary Christian Thought and former head of Magdalen College, Cambridge. Retired in Wales since 2020, he is the author of numerous books on theology, literature, and public affairs and several collections of poetry. Bishop Williams says of his Taylor Lectures, “Solidarity is a common theme in ethical discussion and plays a key role in modern Catholic social teaching. But what are the roots of this language? Does it seek to avoid necessary conflict and struggle, or does it offer a radical alternative to tribal and destructive social patterns? The lectures will treat these and other questions and suggest where we might look both for theological grounding and theological critique.”
