Thoughts on Stewardship - In the Prayers of the People, Rite One, there is a petition which says, "Open, O Lord, the eyes of all people to behold thy gracious hand in all thy works, that, rejoicing in thy whole creation, they may honor thee with their substance, and be faithful stewards of thy bounty." I couldn't help but think of this prayer as I reflected on Bill's sermon on the healing of the blind man at the Pool of Siloam.

We were encouraged to recognize the extraordinary grace offered to this man who by faith washed his mud-packed eyes and for the first time in his life could see. Even more wonderfully, we hear in his responses to the questioning crowd a vision which sees beyond the visual world around him. He sees the hand of God in this special work. A miracle, yes, but more, much more than just seeing. It is the recognition of the presence of God within the whole of creation and, wonder of wonders, he is a part of that new creation. His heart is full of joy, and he gives praise to the Giver of this amazing grace. What does he then do? He begins to proclaim that his "new sight" comes from God, and that he believes Jesus is the Messiah.

As with all scripture, we are invited to hear in the Word the personal invitation God gives to each of us. From this story in the Gospel of John, You and I are encouraged to wash our own mud-packed eyes and see anew. With this new vision we are enabled to see God's work in the whole of creation, even within ourselves, and with grateful hearts honor the source of such goodness, while being faithful stewards of the bounty which is provided. 

I have always believed that this prayer is one of the best stewardship prayers in the Prayer Book.  It reminds us of the incredible bounty of God's love and mercy. It reminds us of the faith which  participates in the healing of our sight. It reminds us of the ease with which we can joyfully give thanks, offering all that we are: our time, talent and treasure, our ministries at Trinity and, through the church to the world, our witness to His love.  Try personalizing this prayer. "Open, O Lord, my eyes to behold your gracious hand in all your works, that rejoicing in your creation, I may honor you with my substance, and be a faithful steward of your bounty." Amen.

Yours in Christ, Ham+
 

New to our Parish?
 

First of all, let’s say welcome to Trinity Church. We hope that you will find our church to be a place of spiritual growth and comfort in the years ahead. We also want to be sure that we have fully welcomed you into the community. More than likely, we already have your mailing address or you wouldn’t be receiving this newsletter. However, there are some other items we want to be sure to mention to you. Listed below is a short checklist of things you might want to consider.

In addition to your address, do we have your home and work phone numbers, e-mail addresses and fax numbers?  We would like to include this information in our new parish directory that will soon be published.  Do we have your birthday and anniversary dates, if you are married, so that we can include them on our list?  Both of the above can be given to us by either completing a parish information sheet or e-mailing Mary Summersette.

If you have children between the ages of eight and high school, we would love for them to participate in our Acolyte program. We have over 60 young people in our program and en-courage all young people to be a part of this experience. Simply e-mail Alastair Odom, our acolyte master and let her know your children would like to participate.

You may also see a ministry you wish to participate in yourself. It may be serving as a chalice bearer, or a lector or usher for our services. It could be volunteering to help with breakfast or Sunday school or one of our many other groups. Just let us know and we will put you in touch with the correct person. Email us and we will follow up.  You can also find a list of ministries and contacts on the Ministries page.

We encourage each of our new members also to offer their financial support to the parish. If you have not yet made a pledge and wish to do so, contact Betsy Edmonds.

If you have been a member of another parish and would like officially to transfer your membership, e-mail Jane Coxe  and she will handle the paperwork for you.

Once again, welcome! We are glad you are here at Trinity Church!

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Click below to be taken to the Washington National Cathedral website to view pictures and video from the Investiture and Installation of the
Most Reverend Katharine Jefferts Schori
as 26th Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church.

• The Investiture

• The Installation