Weekly Newsletter - April 2, 2020

Written By Pastor Chris

From Pastor Chris‌

Lent is a season of preparation, a time when we get our hearts ready for the journey to Jerusalem that finds its fulfillment during Holy Week. If you are like me, however, during the past few weeks it has been hard to focus on the journey to Jerusalem. I have felt the need to prepare, but for a different kind of journey; one where the road is less well-trod and where I don't know the routines. It can be easy to feel out-of-rhythm when the world is so topsy-turvy, so don't feel bad if that is you today!

I want to invite you to come back to the old road this coming week. Together we are going to be celebrating Holy Week, from Palm Sunday in just a couple of days, through Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, until in a little over a week we come to Easter Sunday. While our ways of honoring and celebrating this year will feel different, we will together walk the same road, mark the same events, and hear the same good news.

There are three ways I would invite you to prepare for this week:

1 - Decorate your door for Palm Sunday. While many of us will be behind closed doors for Palm Sunday, I want to invite you to place a green branch on your door or in your window this Palm Sunday. This can be a witness to those that pass our homes or our rooms as we honor Christ. Then, if you are able, take a photo and share it by sending an email to me (cmiller@trinityspringfieldpcusa.org) or post it to our Facebook page - let's see all the green! I want to thank Kristin Butler for the idea from this site, which has a couple neat pictures of possibilities: https://thedeaconsbench.com/a-beautiful-idea-for-palm-sunday/

2 - Get ready for communion. We will be celebrating communion together during our extended worship services of Holy Week, and I want you to participate. The feast of Christ is a simple meal, but transformational when shared. Here is all you need: some bread and juice. For the bread, whatever you have on hand is fine - there isn't a "right" or "wrong" bread for communion. For the cup, you can use grape juice or wine (yep - you read that right!). What if you don't have grape juice or wine? Use what you have on hand; Jesus is present at the feast not because we have the right type of juice in the cup, but because he invites us all to the table.

3 - Find or create some sacred space in your home. It can feel strange to worship somewhere other than a sanctuary. One thing that can help is to intentionally create sacred space. I'm going to be sharing a video and post about this in the next couple days, so be looking for an update. Right now you can ask yourself, "Is there a place in my home where I feel the most at peace?" or "How might I best engage in worship in my own space?" Something as simple as turning off your phone, taking a few deep breaths, and lighting a candle can help transform ordinary space into sacred space.

I'm glad to be on this journey with you. While we don't know every step in the road to come, we do know that Jesus walks the road by our side, even if we can't always see him.

Peace,

Pastor Chris

In-Person Activity Suspension

All in-person activities of Trinity have been suspended through and including Sunday, May 10, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes all gatherings such as worship, social events, studies, and meetings. Under our current suspension the first possible date for in-person church activities is Monday, May 11, 2020. We will review the public health situation and current guidance as the end of April approaches and communicate any updates.

We strongly encourage all members and friends of Trinity to follow the COVID-19 mitigation measures being recommended by our public health officials. These steps are essential to slowing the spread and will save lives.

Carla's Corner

"Deck the Halls with boughs of holly.....fa la la la la la la la la!" Yes, that is a Christmas song. Why in the world did I start my article with that, you might be wondering? Well, it's happy. You see, right now I'm a little overwhelmed with homeschooling (and I'm a retired teacher!), I'm nervous when I go get groceries, and I'm trying to figure out life: how to work from home, how to contact my Trinity kiddos without overwhelming their parents.............and the list goes on. I bet many of you can relate. And that's one thing I love about my church family at Trinity, your sincere caring and empathy. As I have told my kiddos many a time when they were not wanting to go to church, "How many places can you go and know that every person you see loves and cares for you?" Well, that's how it is at Trinity. That, my friends, is one of the most special things about our church. I feel you emote love and caring and that is ESPECIALLY what our world needs right now. Loving, caring people like you. 

Easter Plans for our Kids

Parents have been supplying me with some great ideas on how our Trinity kids can stay connected. One involved Easter morning. On Easter morning all parents should check their front porches, because the Trinity Easter bunny is going to drop off a little Easter basket made especially for your kiddo! Great care is going into wiping down all packaged items with Lysol wipes, just to be on the safe side. However, in the absence of our annual Easter egg hunt, plans for Julie Thomas to lead us in a special Easter craft during our joint children/youth Sunday school will have to suffice. Parents, I'm hoping you'll snap a few pics and send them to me for our newsletter!

Songs for Kids

What songs do you remember singing as a kid in church? I grew up in a one-room church house, never went to VBS, and as a kid I only remember singing "Jesus Loves Me." As Presbyterians, what songs of your youth come to mind? I'm asking because I'm planning on sending our kiddos a little online video of me teaching some fun songs. Our youth taught our children "My Lighthouse" during Youth Sunday and that was a lot of fun....especially with the actions that went with the words. What songs do you remember? Share them with me so I can pass them onto our children at Trinity!! (carla.wootton@yahoo.com)

Youth and Children Connections

Marco Polo: This is an app that is like texting, only with video. I have loved it so far! I love seeing actual faces with expressions. This app is easy to use and is a great way to stay connected. I have created Trinity Youth and Trinity Children Marco Polo groups. If you download the app on your phone and I am in your contacts, it should give you the option to message me. Try it!

Discord: Reed Dressler has been the mastermind behind our youth touching base via Discord for Sunday Night youth and Sunday morning Sunday school. So far, this has been working very well. Please let us know if your youth is unable to use this and would like to touch base in this way. 

Youth Sunday Nights!

This past Sunday our youth met via Discord. We were supposed to meet from 5:30-7:00 but ended up playing games, via Discord, until 7:45. It was so much fun! This was my first outing using Discord and it was very successful. We can't see each other, like on Zoom, but we can hear each other and play games using the same screen. I hope more of our youth might join in our Sunday night youth time. You can leave the group whenever you like, but we'd love to talk to you and hang out! Sunday nights, 5:30 p.m.!

Youth Mid-Week Zoom

I really miss seeing our youth on Sunday nights. Discord is great, but you can't see one another. So, this Wednesday from 7:30-8:00 p.m. I'm hosting a Youth Mid-Week chat via Zoom. I have already invited everyone, so if you didn't get an invitation, let me know. (I'm still a novice on using all of this technology.) Although I emailed the link, I plan to text it to everyone Wednesday right before our scheduled time of 7:30 p.m. I hope to see all of our youth there!

Rachel Groves prepares sandwiches for The Rare Breed.

Gaslight Follow-up

Thank you to all the Gaslight movie event attendees! We enjoyed a vintage movie with a message essential to our time today. A special thank-you to Bill Havens and Lisa Farmer, who facilitated a discussion following the movie. Thank you also to the Mission and Public Witness Committee for arranging this event.

To summarize, gaslighting is a form of psychological manipulation in which a person covertly sows seeds of doubt in a targeted individual making them question their own memory, perception, judgment and even their own sanity.  

What Can We Do To Assist Victims?

Are you worried someone you know may be in an abusive relationship? There are steps you can take to help. Most domestic violence victims feel alone and confused as a result of the abuse. Victims often feel they have nowhere to turn. They often feel no one will believe them. Oftentimes, they’ve been told they themselves are to blame for the abuse. They are concerned about their children and/or their pets if they reveal the abuse to anyone outside their home.

NEVER TRY TO INTERVENE WITH THE ABUSER!

That could potentially be very dangerous for the victim.  

Start By Believing. A victim of gaslighting/domestic violence doubts her own sanity. The benefit of telling her you believe what she is saying cannot be overstated. The words, “I believe you, it’s not your fault” can often start a victim on the path to becoming a survivor. 

Domestic violence advocates have had extensive training in assisting victims. Help your friend connect with an advocate. In Springfield, the number for Harmony House is 417-864-7233.  

Resources:

The National Domestic Violence Hotline website has some great information on offering aid to victims. Here’s a link to their website: https://www.thehotline.org/help/help-for-friends-and-family/

The Missouri Coalition Against Domestic Violence compiled a great resource for information on domestic violence. Here’s a link to that publication:  https://www.mocadsv.org//FileStream.aspx?FileID=1062 ;

Elder abuse is a real concern for families. The Springfield Police Department has information here: https://www.springfieldmo.gov/279/Elder-Abuse ;

Harmony House, the domestic violence resource center and shelter in Springfield, has some great information on their website: https://www.myharmonyhouse.org/ ;

Remaining Connected During Social Distancing

It was really good to see so many Trinity folks this past week via our Zoom gatherings! During these days when showing love for one another means maintaining physical distance, we can use lots of resources to keep our relational strength. Each week I will be highlighting options for you to remain connected with your Trinity family. If you have questions on how to participate in any of these please don't hesitate to reach out by email or phone; I'd love to help get you connected.

In addition to the specific gatherings mentioned below, our Deacons, Elders, and Staff continue to make regular phone calls to our community. If you have a specific need (or know of someone who does) please reach out to me personally or any member of our leadership team. We have resources to help. Of course, I would encourage you to take a moment each day to call someone from Trinity and just check in for a bit.

Here are specific ways you can connect with Trinity this week:

Coffee & Conversation - Tuesday from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Join me for a time of conversation and checking in at our virtual coffee shop. We will gather via Zoom (from the comfort of our own home) to chat and check in with one another. Bring your questions, prayer concerns, and more!

Lent Book Study - Thursday from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Join me for our Lent Book Study on Walter Brueggemann's book Sabbath as Resistance. Quite appropriate in a time of enforced sabbath for many of us. We will be discussing Chapter 5: Resistance to Multitasking. NOTE: If you haven't attended the study in the past, don't worry! We would love for you to join us for the conversation.

Sunday Morning Social Hour & Sunday School - Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Join your Trinity family for a time of conversation this Sunday. We will gather as a large group from 10:00 until about 10:15 for a time of checking in and prayer. Then we will move into smaller groups for our Sunday School classes, plus a general space for those who just want to chat (or check out this whole Zoom thing).

I hope you'll be able to take part in one or more of our Zoom calls this week; instructions are below. I hope you and yours are staying well in these strange days - if I can help please let me know.

Prayer Concerns

If you or someone you love want to be included on the prayer list, please let the office know. (Always get permission before submitting information.) Also, when you want your name removed from the prayer list (or an update added), please let the office know at 417-450-2544 or office@trinityspringfieldpcusa.org.

Current

  • Charlotte Dugan, as she receives medical care.

  • Michael Howell as he recovers from an auto accident.

  • Tom Cavicchia and family, for strength and comfort.

Pastor Chris

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Creating Sacred Space At Home
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Remaining Connected - March 31, 2020