TRINITY EPISCOPAL   CHURCH    Mid-Week Announcements     July 10, 2019 FOOD FOR THOUGHT Sunday, July 14th Our next opportunity to help those in need is our monthly Food For Thought drive on Sunday, July 14th. The shopping lists are on the table in the choir forming room. Please bring the bags of food and place them before the altar at the 10:00 service. Confirmation Class Sunday, July 14th 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM  Worship Committee Meeting    Saturday, July 20th  10:30 a.m. - Rectory FROM THE DESK OF  FATHER COURT "Radical Welcoming" There is an apocryphal story which goes like this: "There once was a man who hadn't attended church for most of his life. His wife, a lifelong and very involved member of her church, finally cajoled him into attending one Sunday morning. Unfortunately, in the midst of the service his phone, which he had forgotten to turn off, rang out loudly in the middle of the prayer time silence. People glared at him. His wife jabbed him in the ribs. The pastor made an off-hand comment about the rudeness of leaving one's phone on during service, when you should be focusing on God. After the service, the man stood in the corner of the parish hall, drinking coffee in silence in the corner. People talked in little groups, occasionally giving him a disdainful glare from their little knot of people. That night the man, still shaken from his glaring faux pas that morning, went to his favorite pub for a drink. Unfortunately, due to his distraction over the morning's debacle at church, the man spilled his drink. He looked at the people around him, with fearful eyes, worried about their expected reproach for such clumsiness. The waitress quickly wiped up his table while a busboy mopped up the spill on the floor. The bartender quickly refilled his glass. When the manager of the pub came over to him the man quickly began apologizing to her. She leaned down and gave him a quick hug, saying, "Don't worry about it. Accidents happen to everyone!" To this day, the man sleeps in on Sunday mornings and goes to the pub on Sunday afternoon."           When we talk about welcoming people to our parish on Sunday mornings, we often think about the activities that that would entail. We think we should smile at people. We should say, "Hi," or "Good morning," to them. We should welcome them (as long as they don't sit in our usual pew). We should invite them to coffee hour. We should chat with them about their lives.           These are all good things. And yes, we should do them. But often, the impression that people get from our parish stems dramatically from how they witness us treating each other. If they experience a parish that is like family, where people make mistakes, but are loved anyway, then they feel comfortable, as if they could see themselves as a part of this family. All people make mistakes and they desire to be a part of something that allows for people to be human. To quote St. Augustine, "The church is not a hotel for saints, it is a hospital for sinners."  If, on the other hand, they experience people uncomfortable around each other, afraid to make a mistake for fear of reprisal, or people stiffly formal with one another, or people gossiping about one another, their experience is not a positive or welcoming one.           Being welcoming, just like spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ, is more about how we live our lives than it is about what we say. We need to live lives that reflect God's love for the entire world, by loving those most difficult to love...those most familiar to us, those we interact with the most, those closely associated with us. By allowing God to lead us into loving relationship with all those around us, forgiving as we are forgiven, then we become welcoming and inclusive to others. In fact, by doing so, we become more than just welcoming, we become invitational!           It isn't about our mission statement, our bulletin announcements, or the quality of our coffee and donuts. It's about living a life as a family of God, forgiven and redeemed, with everyone, every day. That's how we welcome the stranger at our door.   Yours in Christ,  Court+ Diane Beckway A little over thirty years ago, Diane entered the teaching profession and blessed hundreds of children with her gentle way, while sharing her love of books. This past month, Diane has been busy gathering and sorting books (with the help of Mary Seaver) for the Tri-Con book distribution.  On July 9th, children, teachers, and parishioners alike gathered in a circle while Diane read to them. Storytelling and love of children are genuinely her gifts, and she is quick to tell you, books and children are her among her greatest passions.  Many thanks to Diane for all she does to make our church a special place and for bringing happiness to those precious children.    TRINITY CELEBRATES THE 4TH OF JULY!! Great fun had by those who participated the HP 4th of July parade.  Thanks to all the parishioners who came out to cheer for the Trinity float!     THIS WEEK'S SPECIAL VOLUNTEERS      RUMMAGE SORTERS AND MOVERS FLOAT DECORATORS    Peter Barber Sue Barber Maria Fiocchi Susie Kovalcik Nanci Patterson Mary Seaver Stephen Wolpert   Scott Baeseman Mimi Baeseman-Smith Stella Baeseman-Smith D.R. Smith Court Williams Joe Williams Julie Williams Maggie Williams

Back To School Supply Drive For Lawrence Hall           July 1st through 31st Trinity's Outreach committee is participating in the Lawrence Hall - Back To School Supply Drive. We have a box available in the Choir Forming Room to place school supplies.  Supplies will then be taken down to Chicago to Lawrence Hall to benefit inner-city children. Here is what is needed:  colored pencils, composition books, spiral notebooks, washable markers, loose leaf paper, regular calculators, scientific calculators, USB drives, protractors, crayons, glue, backpacks, pencils, binders, rulers, pens, and folders.  You can also print out the attached document to take with you when you are shopping and there are additional copies in the Choir Forming Room.  Just bring your supplies to Trinity, you don't need to take them Lawrence Hall per the flyer! Lawrence Hall School Supplies Flyer Please direct any questions to Fr. Court or Julie Williams. Upcoming Community Meals for 2019 St. James, Highwood September 12th & November 14th We begin at Trinity church at 3:00 p.m. making the meal, then go over to St. James in Highwood at 5:00 p.m. to serve the meal. It has been such a blessing to all those involved!  Sign up on the sign up sheets in the Choir Forming Room. Annual 3- Church Rummage Sale Friday, September 6th & Saturday, September 7th SORTING DAYS: Fridays:  9 AM - 12 PM Saturdays:  9 AM - 12 PM  Sundays:  Following coffee hour until 1:00 PM  VESTRY NEWS Vestry Meetings The Vestry has voted to hold our ongoing meetings on the 3rd Sunday of each month at 12:00 noon unless otherwise indicated in red.  July 21st           August 18th       September 15th   October 20th  November 17th December 15th January 19th The Annual meeting is scheduled for February 2nd, 2020. INTERCESSORY PRAYER LIST Parishioners Sue Barber, Kenn Fambro, Ken Mines, Richard Monzingo, Fred Putz   Relatives & Friends Alice Alix (mother of Jack Alix) Ann Amborsini (mother of Annette Johnston) Ashlynn Baeseman (niece of Scott Baeseman) John Balke (son of Phil & Mary Balke) Tom Barber (brother of Peter Barber) Fred Berchtold (friend of Marilyn & Fred Putz) Penelope Bingham (friend of Mary Seyfarth) Nolan Blackstock (father of Kevin Blackstock) Sheila & Dan Brennan (friends of Jennifer Ould) Dody Earhart (parishioner) Rhoda Fairheart (friend of Hilary Junkin) Linda Firstman (friend of Mary Seyfarth) Mark Freeman (brother of Nancy Freeman) Angela Galaday (sister-in-law of Cathy Mossler) Mark & Megan Hallen (brother and niece of Lynn Hallen) Roxanne Hasse (friend of Cathy Mossler) Highland Park Police Department Peter Hlepas (father of Jett Hlepas) Claudia Hoogasion (friend of Hilary Junkin) Chiara Horak (great-niece of Ingeborg Diebel) Janie (friend of Mary Seaver) Kathy Keiper (fellow parishioner and sister of Jill Lauer) David and Elly Kennicott (brother and sister-in-law of Susan Tappert) Christine Keyser (grandmother of Hannah Green) JKay Kolls (friend of Kathy Keiper) Kristin, Joseph, Kate (family of Sue & Peter Barber) Don Lang (friend of Marilyn & Fred Putz) Tom Langan (father of Peggy Hayner) Steve Leyendecker (friend of Marilyn & Fred Putz) Debbie MacWilliams (sister-in-law of Suzy Born) Doug Malcolm (brother of Kirk Malcolm) The Mark Family (friends of Paul Nelis) Julie Mossler (daughter of Cathy Mossler) Patrick Nelis (father of Paul Nelis) David Oliker (friend of Priscilla McGraw) John Parti (brother of Cathy Mossler) - having surgery Shawna Parti (niece of Cathy Mossler) Ruth LaVerne Pauls (mother of Laurel Lester) The Phillips Family (cousins of Mary Seaver) Residents of Aperion Healthcare (friends of Hilary Junkin) Luke Schneider (relative of Jill & Steve Lauer) Helen Simmons (friend of Seely-Browns) Toni Stanley (family of Sue & Peter Barber)    Aileen Tyson (grandmother of Lisa Kasemir) Helene Umpleby (mother of Cheri Mitchneck) Those serving in the Armed Forces and their Families Ben Chellew (nephew of Cynthia Hines) The 822nd MP deployed to Afghanistan Pvt Luke McKean (nephew of Jenny & Chip McKean) Those who have recently departed to be with Our Lord David Knapp - former parishioner   Remembering all those we love but see no longer, especially those buried here in St. Michael's Chapel.