Light on the Arts: Trinity's choir sings from the St. John Passion

On this Holy Thursday, here are three recordings from the St. John Passion by Bach, as sung by Trinity's choir, directed by Horace Beasley and recorded by Brad Ward.

O Wondrous Love

Thy Will Be Done

O Mighty King

words to the St. John Passion, so you can follow along

Light on the Arts: God's dancers

a poem by Brian F.

GOD’S DANCERS

The soldiers of God and the ministers of God are also God’s dancers.

“I can believe only in a God that dances,” spaketh the prophet. Yes,

but also in a ruler of the heart who recognizes the beauty of small

things, the smallest things that make all the difference. I am devoted

to you. I breathe for you and breathe by you, and for you I am laying

down my burdens. All human concepts return to the center—While

my heart breaks for history it dances in the present.

Light on our Congregational Community: Belonging to the family of God

by Mary C.

As an elementary teacher who teaches in New York City schools, the concept and practice of inclusion is near and dear to my heart. How can I include all my students into the classroom community? How can I include each child, who each brings such a variety of strengths, funds of knowledge, challenges, and interests to school each day? How can I support students in reaching out to each other? How can I teach students about social justice, drawing on their own natural instincts about what is fair and unfair? Living these questions is an often messy, imperfect, frustrating, yet also often joyful and very necessary endeavor. This endeavor is both personal and political, for me.

Unfortunately, children are excluded from schools, classrooms, and peer groups for so many reasons. I’m sure we could each think about ways we, and our loved ones, have been excluded in a variety of settings, and the damage that exclusion caused psychologically, socially, spiritually.

As a teacher, I consider “what is worth knowing?” as I plan curriculum and instruction each year, each week, and each day. Yes, too often teachers' notions of what is worth knowing are at odds with standardized tests and the ways people, both teachers and students, are currently "measured" in schools. Nonetheless, while my list of “what is worth knowing” for my students is quite long, for me, a few points fall at the very top of that list for them to know:

• · It is important to know that I am a valuable member of this community.
• · It is important that I value my peers for their diverse talents and unique personalities.
• · It is important that I am compassionate and speak out if someone is treated hurtfully or unfairly.

This brings me to reflections on why I value Trinity's community so much. At this church, all are welcomed at the Lord's table.

Light on our Congregational Community: God's love through food!

by Katie D.

For me, recipes = devotions! It occurs to me that food is a huge part of our community fabric and one of the most tangible ways we celebrate our diversity.

I love this pizza dough recipe and use it to make caramelized onion and gorgonzola pizza with homemade dough...that plus a bottle of wine, a green salad, and some good friends is my new Friday night ritual.

(note from Mary: What are your favorite recipes? When/for whom do you usually make them?Please share your thoughts and/or your recipes by commenting on this post, or by e-mailing me at mary dot coakley at gmail dot com. I would also still love any and all submissions to this blog, so send those along as well!)

Light on the Arts: A Writer's Faith Journey

by Leanna H.

“The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.”

John 1:5

This piece of scripture became a turning point for my art and my soul one Sunday morning.

But that’s somewhat of an Omega when I should introduce Alpha. For me, John 1:5 is a point of fruition. Let me first begin with a point of inception.

I’ve heard and read pieces of scripture all my life. I’ve only now begun to remember it, and incorporate it. I think worshipping in a place that really nurtures us spiritually, intellectually and psychologically means that we can hear what God wants us to hear, what we need to hear. We are fed by the spiritual practice of gathering on Sunday to renew in ritual what we may question throughout the week. Trinity opens my plugged ears and feeds my grumbling stomach, because here for the first time I feel a spiritual alignment.

Trinity is the church my parents always wanted to find. Spiritual nomads, we searched the rural Midwest for a church that reflected a grounded biblical practice, inclusion and progressive values. Instead we found that one of two things tended to be lacking; either there was little spiritual substance rooted in the Gospel, or the message from the pulpit was far from inclusive on gender, race, and sexual orientation.

My artistic, nomadic nature made me migrate to this city where millions of immigrants and migrants of every kind have converged for centuries. But while I never lacked faith, a spiritual practice was one of many of my missing pieces. Another missing piece was the sense that I was fulfilling God’s calling. I’ve always, whether in song, performance, visual art or writing, felt that God was calling me to be an artist. But in coming to New York I was pulled in many directions. I felt I was failing God and my dreams. It was only after desperate prayer, and prayers answered, that I realized God was calling me to be, specifically, an author. There are themes I’m meant to echo, in fantastical and unexpected ways, I was called to be an uncommon witness- in mass market paperback.

Trinity Lutheran Church has taken disparate pieces of me and made a more whole person, imperfect as I am, justified by grace. The fraught, starving artist and the needy child of God find peace in the space for grace created between Trinity’s historic, Gothic eaves (the architectural style of which happens to have factored into all my stories since childhood). Being an artist often leaves few spaces for grace, much less in pretty, grand places. Being an artist is a life of pain, questioning, struggle both financial and personal, lack of understanding, rejection, sacrifice and darkness. Jesus well understands. He went through all that too, and for greater reasons than mine. He lived that fraught life for us. His light shines still, undiminished. So must we.

My latest book consciously and unconsciously contains scriptural references heard on various Sundays, the Gospel striking important chords, one by one, affirming that God always has something to say, and so do I: Good news. Darkness will not overcome us, no matter how much we question, no matter how much we struggle to find our path and calling. One theme emerges time and again from my books; those words of John 1:5. Once I realized that theme, there was a balm in my personal Gilead.

A recurring numbers in my life can’t be a coincidence. My first novel attempted at age 12 was set in the year 1888. My debut novel that was released last year is set in the year 1888. The first Trinity Lutheran Church of Manhattan was founded in 1888.

God is involved in our lives, and has been all along. Lighting our path.

Light of Our Youth: Sofia's Prayer

Dear God,

Please help so that our church doesn't break and you can rebuild it. We love you, Amen.

Sofia H, 4 years old

Light on the Arts: A Picture of Faith

A Portrait of Jesus Risen by Albert West

Hear the story of this special picture of faith for Dolores' Y family. To hear the audio file click here then click in the center of the page where it says Play.

(Hint for Maximum Apreciation: You may want to open this blog in another window first. Then click on the picture so you can see it larger. Next click on the link to hear the audio. And lastly return to the window where you have the big image of the drawing so you can get the visual and audio at the same time.)

Light on our Congregational Community: My Baptismal Day

In order to marry Rebeka, whom I love with all of my heart, at the Trinity Lutheran "Blue" Church in Coopersburg, PA, I had to be baptized. My wife to be, researched churches and found Trinity Lutheran Church (100th Street and Amsterdam Ave.), which is close to where we live. After reading about the exciting things that Trinity had to offer online, including a diverse congregation and a well rounded pastor, we decided to attend worship and reach out to Pastor Neumark. That day marked the start of what would become the most promising and inspirational journey of my life.

Upon meeting Pastor Neumark, her warmth and spiritual zeal were quickly apparent. She opened up to us and was delighted to bring us into this phenomenal congregation. My bible study classes and meetings with my fiancé and Pastor Neumark helped to prepare me for my baptism and our marriage. It was fun and interesting to learn about this new faith. I quickly clung to the new ideals I was learning about, because Lutheran is definitely a denomination I found I could relate to. I felt that a lot like the other's in the church, there was no judgment and just open arms. Together, we all share the same quest toward light and spiritual fulfillment through the Living Word.

My Baptismal day soon arrived and my wife's (fiancé at the time) family, my family and even my Best Man attended. Pastor Neumark had been to the Jordan River where Jesus was baptized by John and she had brought back holy water for the ceremony. Wow! Talk about exciting! I felt so honored and humbled to be anointed and forgiven in the same day. I was also so proud to be surrounded by family and friends and my new wife to be. It was one of the best day's of my life. Second to my wedding day, of course!

I am so happy to share this journey now with my wife, and to start off with God's blessings makes me so proud. The spiritual part of any relationship is one of the most important aspects of life. To be given the gift of baptism at this stage in my life, and to understand that I have joined a circle of people in celebrating the Living Word of God, warms my heart! I am reminded that no matter what trials and tribulations life brings, I now have a spiritual family on which I can lean.

--God Bless! Britt Burr

Light of Our Youth: First times at Trinity

Children and youth are incredibly important to our church. Several members of Trinity's youth group discuss their first times at Trinity:

My 1st time here in Trinity Church was a great and fantastic time. I remember coming to service and just staring into space and looking at the beautiful things (winds) that surround me at the moment. Being in this church made me change so much as a person, and I appreciate the humor and stories of the other girls in the youth group. I give thanks to Annie Lizardi for talking to my mom and getting us in this church. - Diena R.

The first time I came to this church, I felt scared because I didn't know anyone. I met a lot of people and felt welcome here, though. One thing I first observed was the windows! They had little stories from the Bible and I loved to look at them. I came with my aunt because she wanted me to be baptized. This church is like a safe haven. - Beverly W.

I remember the 1st day I walked into Trinity because it was the first day of camp. I noticed the really big doors as I walked in with my little sister. We were going to the zoo with the camp. It was really fun. I made lots of friends at camp, and went to the movies with Stephanie, the camp counselor. -Adrianna M.

My first time here in Trinity was about 4 years ago for mass. I used to come here because after mass, we used to eat and I love to eat! The first person I knew in the church was Mrs. Lizardi. I noticed that a lot of people that live in my building come here to mass and really enjoyed it. What I don't like is that the mass takes too long, but it doesn't matter because afterwards is fun. I hang out with my friends. One day, my family rented the basement to make a party and that was really cool. - Ana L.

I remember when I first came to Trinity was in November, 2009. I came with Diena because I didn't want to go home because in my house it is boring. What I noticed were the windows and the building were old. First when I didn't know this was a church, I thought it was haunted. When I got to know it better, I found out that it was a wonderful church! - C.C.

Light on the Faith Journey: Here’s The Church, Here’s The Steeple…

Many will not know that I was born and raised in one of America’s great cities—Detroit Michigan. It was a city rich in ethnic, cultural and economic and religious diversity. A city infused with dynamism by the presence of Germans, Irish, Italians, Armenians, Scandinavians, Chinese, Polish, Romanians Greeks, Afro- Americans (although not self identified as such) Jews, (of various ethnic affiliation), Iraqis (Chaldean Christians) and Mexican, to name but a few. Given my own particular life journey, I now realize that this great city was a lens through which one is able to see and understand America’s immigration policy. For many of the ethnic groups described here arrived in Detroit and became employees of one the Big Three auto makers: Ford, General Motors or Chrysler, or one of the related feeder industries. Many came before America’s entry into World War II, as my parents did, while others arrived at the conclusion of that dreadful conflict.

Detroit of The ‘50’s was like most cities in America and elsewhere—getting back to some sense of regular, or normal way of conducting our lives. It was a time of great expansion: the building of homes, shopping malls and the interstate freeway system, (some may remember that famous TV advertisement sung by Dinah Shore – “See The USA in your Chevrolet, America is asking you to call.”) For Protestant churches, and particularly my home congregation, Grace Ev. Lutheran Church (a congregation that like Trinity was started by German immigrants and continued to celebrate on the third Sunday of the month a service in German.) The remarkable characteristic of Grace Ev. Lutheran Church was its evangelical fidelity to The Gospel and its proclamation. I am certain that it was a fidelity to The Gospel that propelled Johann and Wanda Jaranowski (East Prussian Germans) to knock on the door of my family home in the fall of 1956 and invite my parents and me to come to church. We went, my parents were received into membership the following year and I was confirmed on June 10^th 1962.

Continuing in this evangelical tradition of welcome and hospitality, the congregation, during the summer of 1966, hosted thirty college students from St. Olaf College, Northfield MN, and a Presbyterian youth group from Jamestown ND. Both groups arrived in Detroit with an interest in learning about and experiencing urban living and urban ministry as it occurred and was practiced at Grace Church. Late in that summer, our Luther League hosted a neighborhood dance where some two hundred kids crammed into the church basement, to enjoy each other’s company, let off steam and dance the night away. And so we did. The dance ended around 1am. Some of us instead of going straight home sat out on the church’s majestic steps, talked and sang folks songs. Until…we heard the three bells of the tower ring out over the neighborhood. Some of the older youth, who were in charge of clean up had climbed the steps of the organ gallery, and made their way to the bell tower. Following that and for a full ten minutes or so the mighty bells of Grace Church rang out over the neighborhood. Our pastor, Rev. Larry Gotts, was aroused from his bed (like Pr. Neumark and her family, he lived next door in the parsonage) by the ringing bells and several phone calls from concerned parents and other neighbors. Gradually parents, the police, the fire department and other concerned community residents began to arrive and assemble in front of the church. Many were confused and wondering what emergency may have been in progress. Fortunately, there wasn’t an emergency. Rather a foolish bit of mischief that young people then and now often engage. Pr. Gotts offered a brief benediction to the gathered sending them on their way.

These stories illustrate and illuminate two important aspects of our Capital Campaign hopes and aspirations:

The Church, a place of welcome and hospitality, where the Gospel is proclaimed and the sacramental and life-giving meal is shared.

The Steeple affixed atop of the Church is a rallying point, where bells are housed that ring out over our lives and all of the people of our community. These mighty bells with their lush sonority ring in our hearts and in our minds. They call to us, they gather us and they send us back into the world to be God’s representatives.

Shine On, Trinity, Shine On!

Horace A. Beasley

Light on the Faith Journey: My First Easter at Trinity

by Gretchen J.

In August of 2008, I set foot in Trinity for the first time as a guest of my roommate Heather. I had just returned to New York after spending two years in the Jesuit Volunteer Corps and I regretted having to leave the small, liberal, welcoming (Catholic) church I loved in Boston. Though I immediately felt a connection to Trinity, I was dead set on finding a Catholic community to be my spiritual home in the big city. So I set out on a “church shopping” expedition. Oh boy did I shop! I went to small churches and big churches, churches close to home and churches far. I found parishes with mostly older congregants and parishes with vibrant young adult groups. I sampled churches that were recommended to me and churches I stumbled across. But not one felt just right.

In between all this searching, I would attend service at Trinity with Heather. Each time, something struck a chord with me; Pastor Heidi’s sermon would soothe some trouble I was experiencing, or the music would bring tears to my eyes, or someone in the congregation would remember my name (most likely all three would happen on the same Sunday!). Each time, I found the combination of qualities I so desperately wished a Catholic church could have: female priest (check), a focus on the social gospel (check), inclusiveness (check), a warm and friendly congregation (double check!).

Anyone raised in the Catholic Church knows that it is an incredibly frustrating and challenging church to be part of—in one breath I can defend and condemn it as only a person born into it can. But for me, letting go of my Catholic identity was (and is) an equally challenging thing to do. Over time, however, I got tired of wishing I would find a church like Trinity; if Trinity already existed, why not just become a member? So I dropped all of my Lutheran vs. Catholic questioning and decided to take the plunge.

Finding and joining Trinity has been a beautiful detour on the journey of my faith life. Of course I still pray and hold out hope that the Catholic Church will someday accept everyone in the way that Trinity Lutheran does. For now, I feel blessed to have found this oasis on W. 100^th Street and I look forward to sharing a joyful first Easter season with my new faith community.

Light on our congregational community - by Thomas J.

Spiritual Journey

When I was a boy I did not like to come to church. My parents would put me into a itchy cloth pants, and a stiff new shirt. In our church in a little village in the Eifel in Germany, there was no wee service. So I had to endure 90 minutes of regular service in the Lutheran church. I found it boring, the perch was hard, and I hated the singing.

As a good German, I love soccer. Every Sunday morning, I play at 108^th St between Columbus and Amsterdam Ave since many years. My wife doesn’t like that very much, it is a Sunday and I disappear for two hours but she is a wonderful, loving and understanding sweetheart. Three years ago, some of the other players talked about the Trinity Lutheran Church and the great wee service. I have two young daughters, too. So I asked my wife if she would like to come as well. She told me I am crazy, she will never come all the way from Greenwich Village to 100^th St on an early Sunday morning.

That changed in March 2007. We visited friends in Leon, Mexico. They have a old hacienda in a small town called Iberra with a beautiful old church next to it. My oldest daughter Juno who was three at that time. Right away, she discovered the bloody Jesus on the cross. If you have been in Mexico, you know how violent and detailed the Spanish priest pictured the crucifixion, presumably to intimidate the natives. My daughter was shocked and fascinated at the same time. It triggered an endless questioning of why Jesus had to be on the cross, why he had to die, and where he is now, and anyway, how is he in the first place?

The questions did not stop when we returned. Very soon, my wife changed her mind and agreed to try out the wee service. Well, we came once and then every week again and again. Pastor Heidi has a very special way with kids, Juno was fascinated by her puppet talk, and finally she got answers to all to her questions. If you have ever the chance to be around the church on a Sunday at 9.15am, take a look at how Heidi is doing her magic. I have to admit I come up still for the soccer, but Trinity became a part of my life very quickly. Our second daughter Maris got baptized at Trinity last Christmas. She walked one of her first steps in the church just recently.

Today, I am the Director of the Capital Campaign. I thankful for the opportunity to help and to learn more about Trinity, the shelter, all the other activities, and the wonderful members of the congregation. I like to help them all, but in the first place, I try to save that little paradise for kids. I remember how I felt every Sunday morning going to church. And I see how my daughter Juno is jumping up of joy every week. Believe me: It is more worth than every Dollar you can imagine.

Light on Justice: How Trinity became part of my journey

He has told you, O mortal, what is good;
and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God?

Micah 6:8

It was after the re-election of George Bush in 2004 that I began to look for a church. I was furious with the Christian Right rhetoric and with the idea that Republicans somehow felt they had a corner on righteousness and justice. The fact they had used Christian “morals” and “values” to activate a voting base reflected a shortcoming of both mine and of the left. It was not enough to criticize. I wanted to act with other Christians motivated by the same theology. I subscribed to Sojourners, a progressive Christian publication and started hunting the website of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America the denomination in which I was raised, to look for congregations in the New York.

On the blog I was keeping at the time, I wrote:

“All we have been hearing about is the Christian Right, but next time I want to hear the pundits talk about the Christian Left. Thus, I am going to start going to a church. This idea that a particular subsegment of Christianity has a monopoly of moral values and political engagement makes me crazy. Obviously on the left side of the fence there is no corollary to the Christian right, but I think I can't complain about the absence of religious activism for social justice when I am not supporting and engaging in some faith community. One reason I didn't really go to church was that I wasn't too keen on the contradictions inherent in being active in a church and public about homosexuality. When I think about that now, I really have to admit to myself that this is something of a rationalization. New York is brimming with leftie, progressive, and open-minded congregations who would love to have nice bisexual lady. I think the truth is that I never pursued a congregation or a spiritual home because I really simply never felt compelled to make it a priority. But now I do. Plus, I am going to be praying more, during these next four years. So the search for a congregation is on.”

During this search, I found my way to Trinity Lutheran. I attended, describing it this way.

“I went to another church on Sunday and I was encouraged and moved by the service and the mission of the congregation. It's a Lutheran church on the Upper West Side, situated in one of those odd New York junctures between what must certainly be high priced housing on one side of the street and housing projects on the other. The congregation advertises on its website that it welcomes all people, including gay, lesbians and bisexuals and in the past couple years has called a minister who is leading the congregation in what appears to be a very explicit mission of community outreach and social change.”

Since I began attending and joined, Trinity has celebrated with me both my departure for and return from Peace Corps Service in Ecuador. Friends in that congregation sympathized with me when I was overwhelmed with a demanding job. Through prayers and hymns, we honored the election of a new president who promised change. The community helped me mark the passing of my mother. All of these things have made it a spiritual home for me. Since I began attending, Trinity has undertaken a wonderful ministry, giving shelter to gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender young people, who would otherwise be on the street. They sustain a vibrant ministry to Spanish speaking community members living in the Upper West Side, something for which I have a great appreciation after living in Latin America, and hearing of the impact of immigration on individuals and families all over the hemisphere. I am proud to be part of a community that lives the Christian values I was taught. By supporting their work, I help in their ministry. Acting on my own, I would be unable to accomplish any of it.

-Claudia C.

Light on the Faith Journey: Ryan is Glad to be at Trinity

Trinity is such a special place for me. We have so many different, wonderful people. I have been to many churches in my short life and nothing comes close to the warmth I feel at 100th St and Amsterdam. The community is so loving. The music excellent. And I appreciate that we make a difference for New York City.

-Ryan F.

Light on the Faith Journey: Marcos' Stewardship Testimony

Marcos shared his story as a part of the series "My Stewardship Journey". We are hearing from many members of our beloved Trinity community as a part of this series in coordination with our "Shine On!" capital campaign. Marcos shared spoke in place of the Psalm during the 11am worship service at Trinity Lutheran Church in Manhattan, on Sunday 3/7/2010. Marcos reflected on Isaiah chapter 55

Click here to listen to or download the audio.

Light on Our Congregational Community: A Mother of Our Church

Anna Brugman is one of the longest standing members of our congregation. Here is a personal history from one of the “Mothers of our church”:

Hello, my name is Anna Brugman, I came to Trinity Lutheran Church when my eldest daughter (Merle aka Pennie) was three years old. My niece Debra Castro brought her to attend Sunday school. A lot of neighbors and people in the community were also attending the church at the time. As I saw my child liked going to church I soon started to attend church. The church welcomed me with open arms and I felt very comfortable. The church members were very friendly and a lot of kids were attending Sunday school.

It was a place where neighbors could meet together and hear the words of the Lord. I became a full member (later) in the ‘70s. Trinity is where all my children were baptized and had their first communion. It is also where all of my grandchildren were baptized and had their first communion. The church has always been a safe haven for my children while growing up. Not only did they attend Sunday school they also attended after school programs, Luther (Youth and Young Adult) League, and choir rehearsal. My children participated in the youth camp and sleep away camp through the church. They still talk about the many trips they took.

The church gave them a safe place to go after school, as opposed to being in the streets and getting into trouble. Whenever one of my children was sick, the church was sure to keep them in their prayers. It was a place where I could go to get peace of mind and to get away from my troubles. It has been my home away from home.

Light on Diversity: More Than a Dream

by Peggy C.

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.

Our goal is to create a beloved community, and this will require a qualitative change in our souls as well as a quantitative change in our lives.

– Martin Luther King, Jr.

Black History Month has come and gone, but my mind is still full of memories and images of the great civil rights leaders of the past—especially, Martin Luther King, Jr. The movement’s heroes are still calling me to become a better version of myself for the sake of everyone I know today and might know in the future—and, of course, for my own sake.

During Lent, I’m more aware than usual of the temptation to dismiss the humanity of people whose perspectives and actions place them on the other side of the moral line: the hawks, greed-mongers, racists, and philistines, to name the top four on my list. But King reminds me that hating these “others” is tantamount to fueling their immorality (or amorality, which is even more dangerous and repellent to me). King's way was Jesus' way: non-violence rooted in the peace and love of Christ.

What a daunting thing it is to truly embrace non-violence: to embody it and to mean it, especially on a bad day, when outrage and despair choke off my ability to love my fellow humans as myself, not to mention loving and accepting myself, warts and all.

I was in my early teens when I became aware of King as a major force in public life. I’d hear his voice on the radio and on TV, and despite my adolescent self-involvement and my posture of cynicism (it was only a posture), that sonorous voice penetrated deep into my soul, where it lodged and took root. It has never left me.

It was a voice that chimed like an Asian gong, sighed like the bottom of the ocean at midnight, roared like a father announcing the birth of his newborn child. What did I know about the Promised Land or the Beloved Community? And yet these words and the images they evoked moved me in mysterious ways.

And then there were the songs of that era, mostly inherited from earlier times but popularized by the civil rights movement. My favorites were: We Shall Overcome, O Freedom, and We Shall Not Be Moved.

At 16, in 1964, I learned to accompany myself on the guitar and became a local folk singer. Every weekend, you could find me at Through the Gate, a coffeehouse in a church basement in the southeast section of Washington, D.C., the city where I grew up. Every weekend, I sang. And I meant every word of every song I sang.

What did I know about the struggle for freedom? What, exactly, did I want to overcome? Why should a privileged white teenager respond so fervently to the cry of the poor, to King’s message of non-violence, and to the struggle of African-American people (then called “Negroes”) for liberation?

Obviously, I had no connection to actual slavery. I could only imagine it and weep bitterly for its victims. And yet somehow I, too, felt oppressed.

I was outraged by the complacent smiles I saw on the faces of people who shouldn’t be smiling at a time when Jim Crow still ruled much of the country. They should be ashamed to live in such a racist society, I felt. If they were as good and kind as they made themselves out to be, they should put an end to such an unjust, evil system. In 1964, that’s the way the world looked to me.

For mysterious reasons, I, too, felt like a second-class citizen. I felt unseen and unvalued. I was hungry for answers and ripe for a new story of hope and redemption, one that made sense at my time of life and at the time through which I was living.

Martin Luther King stirred me up. But his teachings also gave me hope, and hope calmed me down. The Beloved Community was worth hoping for, singing for, fighting for, and living for, after all. And it still is.

At Trinity, I’ve been given a glimpse of what that community could be. It happens pretty often, actually: during choir practice, during the exchanging of the peace, and when we sing, pray, interact, and celebrate our lives in Christ together: one bread, one body.

Trinity has come to mean so much to me, and I know how many others share my gratitude for the place: for our pastor, for the sacraments we receive, and for each other, in all our richness and diversity. As a community, it is very much in keeping with the dream that King set in motion, a dream that didn’t die with him. It is my honor to help keep it alive at Trinity.

Peggy C.

Light on Bricks and Mortar: Photograph by Kevin L.

"I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage." (Psalm 27:13-14)

Light on the Faith Journey: "Jesus, the Light of the World" by Sharon W.

When I was 17 years old, I was the Director of a Fine Arts Camp at Silver Lake, NY. All the teenagers who attended were from the Methodist Youth Fellowship, or friends of MYFers. I had planned and organized and made charts and phone calls for days ahead of time. I had collected the Registrations of 20 youth, not knowing one of them. I packed my suitcase with clothes one week ahead of time. I packed the other suitcase full of books and paintings and records up to the very last minute before my Mom drove me from Rushford, NY. I was so ready that I could barely contain myself.

Upon arrival after settling my personal stuff in the dorm room and the bottom bunk bed, and all my audio-visuals in the large meeting room with the fire-place; I set up the area for check-in and coordinated the campers who were assigned to kitchen duty to prepare the first supper meal.

The first 3 days sped by with group activities, speakers, reading, singing, and making camp-fires out- doors. I discovered TS Eliot, psalms, choral reading, meditation. I was enthralled with all of it. I stayed up later than everyone else every single night, either talking with or confiding in my peers.

On the last night, having conducted the Tradition of Floating Lighted Candles on the Lake, I was on a complete non-drug high. When we launched our candles in little paper boats, we included prayers for our hopes and dreams for the future. In addition to singing and praying, I recall a great deal of crying, especially on the part of the girls.

I had finally gotten back to the Log House, and realized that I had left the opening worship bulletin for tomorrow up at Epworth House. So, I trudged back up the hill and retrieved it. There were still a couple of the street lights on, which aided my trip.

However, when I started back down the hill it was lights off throughout the Methodist Camp and I was in the total dark! I had been raised in a rural area, I had usually gotten up before light, there weren’t even street lights in my town, and I had taken this same walk 2 times a day in the past few days. I panicked.

Trees, that were objects of beauty during the day, became monster-like. The wind, which was hardly blowing, became a frightening sound. Every stick or leaf, upon which I stepped, became a threat. Suddenly, the hopes and dreams of the candles and all the things I had learned about art and religion began to vanish.

It was not until I got to the path toward Log House, in which the lone kitchen night-light shone, that I remember breathing normally. I do not remember stumbling or falling in my time of dread. I do not remember repeating Bible verses or singing hymns in my time of fear. But, I do remember when The Lone Night-Light Shone, I felt safe and I felt home. That was one of the earliest times I ever felt “Jesus, the Light of the World.”

Light on the Arts: Taize Candles photograph by Marite Jones

"For you are my lamp, oh Lord, and my God lightens my darkness." (2 Samuel 22: 29 o lo mismo en Español)

Luz Sobre Justicia: Solidaridad con Haiti y con Cristo

2da Parte de Solidaridad con Haiti y la Teología de la Cruz

La predicación de la prosperidad, al igual que la idea de Pedro de que Jesús debía evitar la cruz, no viene de Dios, sino de la naturaleza humana. Así que-¿Dónde está Dios en el contexto del crisis en Haiti? ¿Y cómo podemos servir a Dios con nuestros corazones y mentes, y con todas nuestras fuerzas en esta situación?

1)Dios está con aquellos que sufren, es por eso que Jesús murió en la cruz por nosotros. Dios está con todos nosotros, y especialmente con Haití.

2)Cuando servimos a los necesitados y los oprimidos, también servimos a Jesús (Mateo 25:31-46).

3)No sólo está Dios con nosotros cuando sufrimos, Dios levanta a los necesitados y los oprimidos para cambiar el mundo para bien (Dos grandes ejemplos de esto de la Biblia: en el Éxodo, Dios libera a esclavos y les hace el pueblo especial de Dios, y Jesús, el Rey Salvador, nace desamparado, sin hogar.)

Si todo esto es verdad acerca de Dios, tal vez tenemos que hacer más que ayudar al pueblo de Haití. Tal vez también tenemos que aprender de ellos.

Unas Cuantas cosas que Cada Persona (Especialmente los Cristianos) Debe Saber a Cerca de Haití:

1) Haití dio el don de la libertad al hemisferio occidental.

Haití fue el primer país en abolir la esclavitud en las Américas. Los esclavos haitianos se liberaron ellos mismos, gracias al mismo espíritu indomable de libertad que fluye en todos nuestros corazones, y por el genio militar de sus líderes como Toussaint L'Ouverture.

La revolución haitiana tuvo lugar entre 1791 y 1804. (Las personas que viven en los EE UU, también deberían considerar que la mayoría de la tierra al oeste del Mississippi pertenece a este país, gracias en parte a los primeros luchadores por la libertad de Haití. Al perder su base en Haití, Napoleón decidió renunciar su imperio en las Américas y vendió el territorio a los EE UU. La compra del territorio de Luisiana del 1803, se debió principalmente a que Francia había sido derrotada en la revolución de Haití.)

2)¿Cual fue la raíz de la pobreza en Haití?

Haití fue sumamente rentable para los franceses, porque los franceses no le pagaban a los esclavos, mientras exportaban el azúcar haitiana a países más ricos donde se encontraba de gran demanda. La riqueza de la economía haitiana fue basada en esta exportación. Haití se quedó pobre después de su revolución, porque todos los países ricos se negaron a negociar con ella. Por lo tanto, si no hay exportaciones, no puede haber ningún ingreso. La pobreza de Haití comenzó con el crimen violente de la esclavitud y el embargo de los países ricos después de la esclavitud. No fue una maldición del diablo, sino de los Estados Unidos e Europa. Los EE.UU., por su parte, se negaron al comercio con Haití hasta 1863.

3)La mayoría de los haitianos (96%) son cristianos (80% católicos, 16% protestantes, según el World Fact Book de la CIA). Los haitianos se han mantenido en Cristo, a pesar de las cosas horribles que, los llamados países cristianos le han hecho. ¿Cómo le parece este tipo de perdón?

4)El vudú haitiano es una religión basada en animistas africanas. Sus practicantes creen en un Dios supremo, y creen que toda la creación se compone de energía viviente. No es culto al diablo. No es hostil al cristianismo. Jesús dijo: "Quien no está contra nosotros, es para nosotros." (Marcos 9:40). Debemos respetar el vudú, al igual que debemos respetar todas las demás religiones no violentes del mundo.

Por lo tanto, oremos:

Gracias, Dios, por los muchos dones que Haití ha dado al mundo. Ayúdenos a ver el apoyar a Haití, como obra de justicia, y no solamente de caridad. Permite que sigamos aprendiendo sobre el Evangelio por el ejemplo de nuestros hermanos y hermanas de Haití. Señor, ten la bondad de traer curación a Haití, y acercanos más a ti, al acercarnos más a Haití.

En el nombre de Jesús,

Amén.

Light On Justice: Walking with Haiti, Walking with Jesus

Part 2 of

Standing with Haiti and the Theology of the Cross

By Marcos E de Jesús

Prosperity preaching, just like Peter’s idea that Jesus should avoid the cross, does not come from God, but from human nature. So…Where is God in the midst of the Haitian crisis? And how can we serve God with our hearts and minds, and all our strength in this circumstance?

1) God is with those who are suffering, that’s why Jesus died on the cross for us. God is with us all, and especially with Haiti.

2) When we serve the needy and the oppressed we also serve Jesus (Matthew 25:31-46).

3) Not only is God with us when we suffer, God also lifts up the needy and the oppressed to change the world for good (Two big Bible examples: In the Exodus God frees slaves and makes them God’s special people, and Jesus the Savior King, who was born homeless).

If this is true about God; maybe we need to do more than help the people of Haiti. Maybe we also need to learn from them.

A Few Things Everyone ( Especially Christians) Should Know About Haiti

1) Haiti gave the gift of freedom to the western hemisphere. Haiti was the first country to abolish slavery in the Americas. The enslaved Haitians freed themselves, thanks to the indomitable spirit of freedom that flows in all our hearts. And, through the military genius of their leaders, former slaves themselves, like Tousaint L’Ouverture. The Haitian Revolution took place roughly between, 1791 and 1804.(People living in the USA should also consider: Most land west of the Mississippi is a part of this country partly thanks to those early Haitian freedom fighters. The French decided to give up their empire in the Americas and sell it to the US in the Louisiana purchase of 1803, mainly because they had been so badly defeated in the Haitian revolution.)

2) What was the root cause of Haiti’s poverty? Haiti was immensely profitable for the French because they paid the slaves nothing, and exported sugar produced there to richer countries where it was in demand. The wealth from the Haitian economy had been export based. Haiti was poor after it’s revolution because all the rich countries refused to trade with it. Thus no exports, and no income. Haitian poverty began with the crime of slavery and the embargo from rich countries after slavery. There was no curse from the devil, only from the United States and Europe. The US, for example, refused to trade with Haiti till 1863.

3) Most Haitians (96%) are Christians (80% catholic, 16% Protestant, according to CIA World Fact Book). Haitians have remained in Christ, in spite of the horrific things that supposedly Christian Countries have done to them. How’s that for forgiveness?

4) Haitian Vodou is an African based animist religion. It’s practitioners believe in one high God, and believe that all of creation is composed of living energy. It is not devil worship. It is not hostile to Christianity. Jesus said:” Whoever is not against us is for us.” (Mark 10:40). We should respect Vodou, just like we should respect every other nonviolent world religion.

So let us Pray,

Thank you God for the many gifts Haiti has given the world. Help us to see helping Haiti as working for justice, and not just charity. Let us continue to learn about the Gospel by the example of our Haitian brothers and sisters. Lord, draw us closer to you, by drawing us closer to Haiti.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen.

Light on Justice: Standing With Haiti and the Theology of the Cross

Part 1 “Get behind me Satan!” Responding to Rev Pat Robertson by Marcos E de Jesús

The Bible says:

“From that time on Jesus began to say plainly to his disciples,’ I must go to Jerusalem and suffer much from the elders, the chief priests, and the teachers of the Law. I will be put to death, but three days later I will be raised to life.’

Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.’ God forbid it!’ he said ‘That must never happen to you!’

Jesus turned around to Peter and said:’ Get away from me Satan! You are an obstacle in my way, because these thoughts don’t come from God, but from human nature.’”-Matthew 16:21-23 Good News Bible

The day after a 7.0 earthquake devastated Haiti Rev Pat Robertson said:” [S]omething happened a long time ago in Haiti and people might not want to talk about it. They were under the heel of the French. Napoleon the Third and whatever. And they got together and swore a pact to the devil…But ever since, they have been cursed by one thing after the other, desperately poor. “-Rev Pat Robertson on the 700 Club January 13, 2010.

In the aftermath of the tragic earthquake in Haiti, many of us have wrestled with painful questions, like: Where is God? Many of us felt the need to be Christ’s hands on earth in any way we could by giving, praying, and advocating for our Haitian sisters and brothers. While at least one influential TV preacher saw the opportunity to say that the Haitians were suffering because they had made a deal with the devil.

Rev. Robertson’s attitude toward Haiti reflects the ugly underside of prosperity preaching. Which goes something like this:” If you have God’s favor you will be prosperous. So if you suffer, are poor, and rejected by the world, it must be because of God disapproves of you.”

When Jesus was confronted with this belief from one of his own disciples, his rejection of it was forceful and unequivocal. He said:” Get away from me Satan! ”

Rev Robertson would claim he just teaches what the Bible says, literally. But in fact this whole concept that people can make a deal with the devil is not from the Bible, or from the normative creeds of the early Church. It comes from the myth of Theophylis of Andana by Eutychianus. written hundreds years after the last book of the Bible.

Rev Robertson’s creative, fictive, and hurtful storytelling about Satan, lays bare something real about religious fundamentalism. Fundamentalists, like Robertson, do not offer us the chance to “take God at his word”, but rather to take the preacher’s words to be God’s words. That is not what God wants for us. God wants us each to “know the truth and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31-32). To discern truth we must love God with all the strength of our minds, as well as that of our hearts (Mark 12:33). We must listen, think, pray, meditate, interpret, and discuss.

Please come back for part 2 tomorrow. You can make a financial contribution to Haitian recovery through Lutheran World Relief( LWR ), and check out LWR's impressive track record for efficiency at charitynavigator.org.

Luz Sobre la Justicia:Solidariad con Haiti y El la Teología de la Cruz

1era Parte “¡Apártate de mí, Santanás!” Respondiendo a Rev Robertson

La Biblia dice: 21 A partir de entonces Jesús comenzó a explicar a sus discípulos que él tendría que ir a Jerusalén, y que los ancianos, los jefes de los sacerdotes y los maestros de la ley lo harían sufrir mucho. Les dijo que lo iban a matar, pero que al tercer día resucitaría.^[h] 22 Entonces Pedro lo llevó aparte y comenzó a reprenderlo, diciendo:

--¡Dios no lo quiera, Señor! ¡Esto no te puede pasar!

23 Pero Jesús se volvió y le dijo a Pedro:

--¡Apártate de mí, Satanás, pues eres un tropiezo para mí! Tú no ves las cosas como las ve Dios, sino como las ven los hombres’-Matteo 16: 21-23

El 13 de enero de 2010, el día después del terremoto en Haití, el reverendo Pat Robertson dijo en su programa de televisión: “Algo sucedió hace mucho tiempo en Haití y nadie quiere hablar de ello. Los haitianos estaban bajo la bota de los franceses — Napoleón III y lo que sea. Y ellos se reunieron y juraron un pacto con el diablo ... Pero desde entonces, han sido maldecidos por una cosa tras otra, desesperadamente pobre.”

Desde la tragedia del terremoto en Haití, muchos de nosotros hemos luchado con preguntas dolorosas, como : ¿Dónde está Dios? Muchos de nosotros sentíamos la necesidad de ser las manos de Cristo en la tierra de cualquier manera que pudiéramos, donando, orando, y abogando por nuestras hermanas y hermanos de Haití. Mientras que, al menos un predicador de televisión quien influye a muchos vio la oportunidad de decir que los haitianos están sufriendo porque habían hecho un pacto con el diablo.

La actitud del Rdo Robertson hacia Haití refleja la parte fea de la predicación de prosperidad, que suena algo como esto: “Si usted tiene el favor de Dios, usted será próspero. Si usted sufre, es pobre, y rechazado por el mundo, debe ser porque Dios le desaprueba.” Cuando Jesús se enfrenta con esta creencia de parte de uno de sus discípulos, su rechazo es fuerte y sin equivocación. Él dijo: “¡Apárate de mí Satanás, pues eres un tropiezo para mí!” Jesús no iba a perder su camino hacia el Padre. El camino de Jesús pasa por el centro del sufrimiento humano hasta la cruz.

Rdo Robertson probablemente diría que él sólo enseña lo que la Biblia dice, literalmente. Pero en realidad todo este concepto de que la gente puede hacer un trato con el diablo no es de la Biblia, o de los credos normativos de la Iglesia. Se trata del mito de la Theophylis de Andana, escrito por Eutiquiano cientos de años después del último libro de la Biblia.

Las narraciones creativas, ficticias, y odiosas como las del Rdo Robertson acerca de Satanás, revelan algo real sobre el fundamentalismo religioso. Los fundamentalistas, como Robertson, no nos ofrecen la oportunidad de “tomar a Dios en su palabra”, sino más bien piden que tomemos las palabras del predicador sobre la palabra de Dios. Eso no es lo que Dios quiere para nosotros. Dios quiere que cada uno “conozca la verdad y la verdad los hará libres” (Juan 8:31-32). Para discernir la verdad, debemos amar a Dios con toda la fuerza de nuestras mentes, así como la de nuestros corazones (Marcos 12:33). Tenemos que escuchar, pensar, orar, meditar, interpretar y dialogar.

Favor de volver aqui para la 2da parte mañana. Ahora mismo es un buen tiempo para dar al trabajo de Lutheran World Relief ( LWR ) en Haiti. Revisa el buen record de LWR en charitynavigator.org.