News for the Week of May 10th

A Meditation for the Fifth Sunday of Easter
Mother’s Day
May 10, 2020

As I think about Mother’s Day this year,  I share this meditation with you because it expresses so clearly, for me at least, the longing and the blessing we share as mothers and with our mothers.

Rabbi Margaret Moers Wenig, “
God is a Woman and She is Growing Older.”  
The Book of Women’s Sermons. 
Ed. E. Lee Hancock (New York: Riverhead Books, 1999)   pp. 255-261.

God is home tonight, turning the pages of her book.  “Come home,” she wants to say to us, “Come home.” But she won’t call.  She [knows] that we will say. “No.”  She can anticipate the conversation:  “We are so busy,” we’d apologize.  “We’d love to see you but we just can’t come tonight.  Too much to do.  Too many responsibilities to juggle.”
Even if we don’t realize it, God knows that our business is just an excuse. . . .
She understands that it is hard for us to face a God who disappointed our childhood expectations:  She did not give us everything we wanted.  She did not make us triumphant in battle, successful in business, and invincible to pain.  We avoid going home to protect ourselves from our disappointment and to protect her.  We don’t want God to see the disappointment in our eyes. . .
What if we did go home and visit God? What might it be like?
God would usher us into her kitchen, seat us at her table, pour two cups of tea.  She has been alone so long that there is much she wants to say to us.  But we barely allow her to get a word in because we are afraid of what she might say and we are equally afraid of silence.  So we fill an hour with our chatter; words, words, words.  Until, finally she touches her finger to her lips and says,
“Be still, Shhh.” . . . God might say: ”So tell me, how are you?”
“Remember the time when . . .” we begin. 
“Yes I remember,’ she says. . . .
“I’m sorry that I . . .” we say.
“That’s all right, I hold you accountable.”
“I didn’t mean to . . .”
“I know that, I do.”
“I was so angry that time.”
“I’m sorry I ever hurt you, but you wouldn’t listen to me.” God says.
“You’re right, I wouldn’t listen.  I should have.  I know that now, but at the time I had to do it my way.”
“I know.” God nods. “I know.” . . .
“I never felt I could live up to your expectations,” we say.
“I always believed you could do anything,” she answers. . . .
God holds our face in her two hands and whispers, “Do not be afraid.  I will be faithful to the promise I made to you when you were young.  I will be with you.  Even in your old age, I will be with you.” . . .
God would prefer that we come home.  She is sitting and waiting for us. 
​

Responding to the coronavirus pandemic at Trinity
There will be no Digital Sunday School or Zoom Bingo this Sunday.

God of all creation, whose people prepared a tabernacle for you and carried it with them through the wilderness so they would never be alone:
If we must venture into a landscape transformed by crisis, may we be living vessels of your mercy, grace, and love.  Remind us to carry our treasure gingerly, with a respectful four cubits between ourselves and all the other tabernacles. Make of us big cans of friendliness, patience, and forgiveness in parking lots and the marketplace. May we be balm for the sick, isolated, and overlooked and a bitter pill for those in power who do not promote what is best for all your people. In Christ’s name we pray. Amen.
                                                                             -The Rt. Rev. John Taylor, Bishop of Los Angeles
 
Looking Ahead: Moving Forward
Diocese Virtual Pentecost Celebration:  May 31st 10 am – Watch for more information.
The Bishop has formed a committee of staff and the Deans to develop a phased plan for moving forward.  He will announce this plan after Trinity Sunday (June 7th), in order to give Vestries guidelines for making decisions for their communities.  We are coordinating our efforts with the Diocese of Massachusetts so that we will have a common plan across the state, guided by epidemiologists who have been working with the diocese.  Please share your questions or concerns with Mother Judith

Magee will be in the office on Mondays and Thursdays to do essential work.  Mother Judith is working remotely and is available by email and by phone, and she is checking phone messages regularly.    

Videos of Mother Judith’s reflections are posted on Wednesdays and Saturdays. We will continue to videotape a simple service of Holy Communion that will be available on our website by 9 am on Sundays.
For a copy of the Service Leaflet for Sunday click here.
For a copy of the readings for Sunday, click here.
For the weekly announcements, click here.
There will be no Sunday School this week.  For Mother's Day activities, 
 
Zoom Lunch and Discussion: Noon - 1 pm The Gospel of Thomas
Meeting ID: 834-5246-9212    Password:  516264
Fridays, noon-1 pm  
On Fridays in May (May 8th,15th ,22nd, and 29th )  Mother Judith will lead a discussion of the Gospel of Thomas. The Gospel of Thomas is a collection of the sayings of Jesus that was found in 1945 among other Coptic manuscripts near the Egyptian town of Nag Hammadi. Many scholars believe that these sayings circulated before the canonical Gospels were composed. The Gospel of Thomas has been a very important source for studies of the historical Jesus, and it casts light on the diversity of early Christianity and on the various cultural forces shaping narratives of Jesus’ ministry.
For a copy of the text click here.

Zoom-Chats: Mondays @ 7am & Wednesdays @ 8 pm
Twice a week we gather and share what is working well and not so well as we shelter at home.  Anyone over 18 is welcome to join when you can.    You are welcome to participate once or often. Our evening chat is scheduled to be after dinner and chores and before we begin our evening routines, while our morning chat is scheduled before we begin our workday. Sarah Prevelige is sour with Laurel Pirelli and Cindi Scrimgeour joining her to facilitate our conversation.  In their professional lives they work with families and individuals of all ages and they are themselves parents of teens and pre-teens. 
Go to zoom.us and in the upper right corner click “Join a Meeting”
Wednesdays:  meeting ID: 474316522   Password: 744170
Mondays: meeting ID: 413315567    Password: 715478
Sarah Prevelige will host the meeting via zoom. Please contact her for information on how to join the meeting [email protected]. 
Please send any questions you’d like to discuss to Cindi Scrimgeour at [email protected] 

ZOOM BINGO  SUNDAYS AT 3 PM 
FUN FOR ALL AGES
NOT THIS SUNDAY - WE'RE TAKING A BREAK FOR MOTHER'S DAY
Join friends from Trinity for  a weekly BINGO game on Sunday afternoons at 3 - 4 pm. We will be doing a classic 5 x 5 card array with a Free space in the center. (Numbers are 1-75) The game is open to all ages.  Members of each household  are welcome to play as a team or as individuals. We'll see how it goes, and perhaps add a second hour, or organize a tournament.What to do:
Make your own bingo cards, or go one of the following websites to print them:  (These are free.)
 https://myfreebingocards.com/bingo-card-generator
https://print-bingo.com/
https://bingobaker.com/view/1228516
http://www.dltk-cards.com/bingo/bingo7.asp
Sarah Prevelige is our host. Please contact her for help in making cards or entering the game. Here is the Sunday Zoom Meeting Information:
Go to zoom.us, and in the upper right corner click "Join a meeting'
     Meeting ID: 946 0462 5193    Password: 450074

ZOOM Game Night: 
Tuesdays at 7 pm 
We will be playing FIBBAGE + new online games every week.
Zoom Meeting ID: 823 3526 2364     Password: 067862
Join the hilarity of trying to stump your opponents with a fib.  Compete to see who is best at identifying fibs! You will need your computer to log into the zoom meeting.  You will also need a separate smart device (phone, tablet, ipad, etc) as your game remote control.   Once everyone is in the meeting we will form teams and a different code will be given to use your smart device/phone (where players will type and choose answers).  Eight people can play at once while the rest of us cheer and join in the laughter.  Come see what all the fun is about during our family friendly game night!!!  Sarah Prevelige is the host. Please contact Sarah if you have any questions: [email protected]

Community Dinners
Because we cannot plan to serve dinners, Trinity and our partners are funding takeout dinners from local restaurants for our first responders at the hospital, fire hall, police station, post office and grocery store. This week, we are coordinating with Johnny Jack's, Rose's Villa, and Paderia Brazilian Bakery to have meals delivered to the hospital, the Milford Post Office, and a local grocery store.  On May 28th, Oliva's will provide meals to be distributed from Trinity.  We have also donated $200 to the Food Pantry, which continues to be open to receive donations on Monday evenings. To contribute to this project, please send your check payable to Trinity Church with Community Dinners on the memo line or donate directly to Hopedale Unitarian Parish, who is managing the funds for this project, by going to https://hopedaleunitarian.org  and  pressing the Donate button. Please let Mother Judith know if you would like to participate in distributing meals.

Prayer List
Please send Magee the names of people you would like to be on the Prayer List. Our policy has been to remove names after 4 weeks, but we want to be sure we follow the wishes of families and friends.  

Pledges
Thank you to all of you who have been sending in your pledges.  Our deposits are being made on a different schedule these days, so there may be a delay in seeing the record of your payment.  Some of you are facing financial stress: if so, please give what you can; if not, please give a bit extra to support those who cannot.

How to keep up with Trinity news:  All notices, videos, and links can be found at www.trinitychurchmilford.org
Our diocesan website offers links to online worship in our diocese.  
https://www.diocesewma.org/
Worship from the National Cathedral is available online every Sunday at 11:15 am. https://cathedral.org/

Trinity GFS Scholarships are Available:  Deadline extended to this Wednesday May 15th
Each year, Trinity gives monetary awards to qualified members who are entering an institution of higher education. These awards recognize attendance and service to Trinity Parish during the applicant's high school years. The application is available to download on the Trinity Church website at www.trinitychurchmilford.org Applications must be received by May 15th  and the recipients will be notified shortly thereafter.  Please direct all questions to GFS Scholarship Committee a [email protected]

This Wednesday May 15th - deadline for Newsletter submissions.
 
Third season of The Way of Love with Bishop Michael Curry podcast begins May 5 with guest Jen Hatmaker. Click here. 

Habits of Grace: An invitation for you, from Presiding Bishop Curry
 A new video meditation will be posted on Mondays through May. Click here to view the latest.
 
Beloved Community Commission Offers "Holy Conversation with Howard Thurman,"  author of Jesus and the Disinherited . Click here for more details.

Mission Matters: News from the Episcopal Diocese of Western MA latest issue can be found here.