Trinity Church, Granville, NY

Homily for the Second Sunday of Easter April 19, 2020 Acts 2:14a,22-32, Psalm 16, 1 Peter 1:3-9, John 20:19-31 As we work our way through what has been referred to as "our new normal," we continue to bump into new boundaries that are being set up. For those of us in New York we are now "ordered" to wear some sort of face masks whenever we are in public. I would say that probably 50% of the people I ran into before this mandate was issued, wore masks. I did not, and my reasoni...Continue reading

Homily: EASTER SUNDAY April 12, 2020 Today's readings: Acts 10:34-43, Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24, Colossians 3:1-4, John 20:1-18 Alleluia! Christ is Risen! Christ is Risen Indeed! Alleluia! Ah, the familiar anthem for Easter! Our shout for joy, we rejoice! Christ is risen indeed! The tomb is empty! The Angels announced it and Mary saw Jesus! Alleluia! He is risen!...Continue reading

The LAMB of GOD Much has been written about Jesus being the Lamb of God. What exactly does that mean to us as followers of Christ? I believe in many ways it is very, very personal and in other ways The Lamb of God is a corporate or community understanding. Let's look back at these words, where we find them in scripture....Continue reading

Good Morning All, For those of us that are used to having a "Seven Last Words of Christ" Service today, or Stations of the Cross, this is a very hard Day. I believe that God has put this on my heart to share. At the end of the Seven last Words service, at 3:00 PM, it is traditional to ring the church bells 33 times, one for each year of our Lord's earthly life.... I will be ringing the bells at Trinity Granville, Lucretia Ingerson and her grandson Nick, will be ringing the bell at Trinity Whitehall 33 times at 3:00. I encourage you, if you have a church with bells to also ring them. If you are near one of the churches drive in your car to the parking lot or street near your church. Stay in the car, but roll your windows down to hear the bells. While the bells are ringing thank Jesus for HIS ultimate gift that he gave for us. You might also pray the collect for Good Friday: Almighty God, we pray you graciously to behold this your family, for whom our Lord Jesus Christ was willing to be betrayed, and given into the hands of sinners, and to suffer death upon the cross; who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (BCP) Please let us unite our churches by ringing the bells of our churches so the communities we live in may be reminded of what Jesus accompleshed for us on a hill called Golgatha! Or maybe they will ask why the bells are being rung and we can tell them "It's to remind us of what Jesus accomplished on the cross." Art+

Maundy Thursday For the last five or six years on Maundy Thursday, Trinity Episcopal Church in Granville has held a Seder meal to experience in part, the Passover meal shared by Jesus and His Disciples. I say in part because we could never recreate what transpired that night. The Teacher became the servant.... The first was taught how to be last. A disciple became a traitor. Jesus showed His disciple how He would provide His Body and His Blood, for the whole world. The True unblemished Passover Lamb had been identified in Jesus. We in our attempt to teach and to be taught, gathered together to share a meal and to glimpse into an event that took place almost 2000 years ago. Our Seder meal cannot be held this year because of a virus that is infecting thousands if not millions around the world. And yet, there is hope. We hope for a cure. We hope for the ability to share a Seder next year. We hope, in Jesus. Jesus taught us many things especially that He will never, ever leave us. He is HOPE! So take a few minutes and thank Jesus for going to the cross for us. HE is our hope, no matter what this world throws at us, we are blessed to be HIS. Please pray with me the collect for today from The Book of Common Prayer. Almighty Father, whose dear Son, on the night before he suffered, instituted the Sacrament of his Body and Blood: Mercifully grant that we may receive it thankfully in remembrance of Jesus Christ our Lord, who in these holy mysteries gives us a pledge of eternal life; and who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. Have a blessed day. Art+