Inside this Issue: Volume 30 Issue 6 & 7 Highlights 1 Pastor’s Letter 2 Christian Ed. 3 Congregational News 4 Mission 4 Session Notes 5 Trinity Women 5 Milestones 6 Angela Seddo graduated from Andrada Polytechnic High School in the Vail School District. She will be attending Pima Community College for 2 years to study Nursing-RN program Todd Wickizer earned his Master's Degree from the University of Arizona in Management Information Systems. Todd graduated from Salpointe High School in Tucson. His interests were speech and debate and theater. After high school he attended Pima College and then transferred to the University of Arizona. He decided to take an academic hiatus and did a nine-month backpacking trip in Vietnam, China, and Japan. After returning home he completed his Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science from the U of A. After graduation he was hired by the U of A. He worked remotely and lived in South Korea for a year. Todd continues to work for the U of A and in April he married his fiancée, Shania, in Flagstaff in a traditional Navajo ceremony. Barbara Ball is studying at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland, pursuing a PhD in the History with Genealogical Studies program of the History Department therein. She has passed the oral examination (called a Viva in the UK) & is hoping to have her dissertation accepted by the end of July. If this happens Barbara will graduate in their Winter Semester of 2021.
Transcript
Inside
this
Issue:
Volume 30 Issue 6 & 7
Highlights 1
Pastor’s Letter 2
Christian Ed. 3
Congregational
News
4
Mission 4
Session Notes 5
Trinity Women 5
Milestones 6
Angela Seddo graduated from Andrada Polytechnic
High School in the Vail School District. She will be
attending Pima Community College for 2 years to
study Nursing-RN program
Todd Wickizer earned his Master's Degree from
the University of Arizona in Management
Information Systems. Todd graduated from
Salpointe High School in Tucson. His interests
were speech and debate and theater. After high
school he attended Pima College and then
transferred to the University of Arizona. He
decided to take an academic hiatus and did a
nine-month backpacking trip in Vietnam, China,
and Japan. After returning home he completed
his Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science from
the U of A. After graduation he was hired by the
U of A. He worked remotely and lived in South
Korea for a year. Todd continues to work for the
U of A and in April he married his fiancée,
Shania, in Flagstaff in a traditional Navajo
ceremony.
Barbara Ball is studying at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow,
Scotland, pursuing a PhD in the History with Genealogical Studies
program of the History Department therein. She has passed the
oral examination (called a Viva in the UK) & is hoping to have her
dissertation accepted by the end of July. If this happens Barbara will
graduate in their Winter Semester of 2021.
The Vision Page 2
Pastoral Letter
In military circles there is a term for the obscuri-
ty of the battlefield - “the fog of war.” War is al-
ways an event filled with risk and surprise. As a stu-
dent of World War II, I am familiar with the story of
how the course of that global conflict turned on
the happenstance of events. The battle of Mid-
way (June 4 – June 7) later called the “miracle at
Midway,” is just one of many examples where the
fog of war created circumstances that had an
ultimate effect on the outcome of the battle and,
ultimately, our war against Japan.
War is a messy, confusing tragedy; in saying
this, I am not asserting that, in the course of hu-
man events, war is never justified, but I think there
are always two competing attitudes about it - the
way we imagine war, and war’s reality. I have
known many combat veterans in my life, and I
have never met one who was a cheerleader for
war. Most of those who have fought will
acknowledge its grim necessity, but will unhesitat-
ingly declare that it is to be avoided whenever
possible.
Jesus used metaphors for conflict in talking
about the kingdom of God and its presence in
the world. Some have tried to use these meta-
phors to justify war, but Christ is not speaking in
these passages about human conflict, which he
acknowledges as a reality of living in a fallen
world: “There will be wars and rumors of wars.” Ra-
ther, Christ is talking about spiritual struggles, the
type of conflict that exists in our hearts and in the
course of being the church. Faith leads us to say
without hesitation that the victory has been won.
When the crucified Christ presented his resurrect-
ed presence to that small group of followers, life
changed forever for those who believed that Je-
sus was the Son of God. The gospel of Matthew
tells us that after Christ appeared to the disciples
several times, some worshiped him, but others
doubted (Matthew 28:17). Perhaps some of those
who doubted the resurrection had imagined a
Messiah who would gratify their earthly desires for
a perfect life - a life without struggle or conviction,
free from pain, failure, or conscience, but the re-
ality of Christ’s call to discipleship shattered their
illusions - “Take up your cross and follow me.”
Faith can be confusing. The “fog of faith” is
what happens when our vision of the resurrection
is clouded by the struggles of the church and the
contentions of our individual lives. We want to see
clearly, and in moments of inspiration and revela-
tion we taste the fullness of Christ’s eternal king-
dom, but then we plunge back into the messiness
of living the faith we profess, and we are tested.
This is what Paul was talking about in Corinthians
13 when he declared “for now we see in the mir-
ror dimly, but then, face-to-face.” For Paul, Chris-
tian love was one way of making the glass a little
less dim. Worship, bible study, giving and the task
of mission are other ways for us to gain glimpses of
the resurrected life, but we must always
acknowledge that, for the believer, a series of
glimpses is the best we can hope for until we go
to be with our Savior.
Imagine that you are on a boat, bobbing
in the sea, heading toward the shore. As the
boat bobs up, you get a glimpse of your desti-
nation, but as the boat sinks back into the
waves, all you see around you is the rolling wa-
ters. Each time you rise for a glimpse, the shore
gets closer, but then the waves pile up and the
sight is lost. Our boat is our faith, by which we
will arrive at our journey’s end. In those mo-
ments when we exercise our faith - in worship, in
prayer, in working, in encountering God’s word -
we rise to top of the waves and glimpse our
journey’s end; but we ride upon a messy, billow-
ing sea. Sin, despair, doubt, apathy, and failure
plunge us into the troughs. The glimpses of the
shore remind the faithful that the journey can
be over at any moment; with the roll of the next
wave comes the sound of the keel scraping
bottom; the final wave breaks upon a shore
where Christ is waiting to catch the line, pull us
in, and bring us home. Only then is the fog of
faith lifted, and we see clearly. But, for now, we
must let our glimpses of the kingdom suffice as
we serve our Lord in faith and love – but the
shore is near. Have a wonderful and safe June
and July, with traveling mercies for you and your
loved ones.
Dr. Mack
Page 3 The Vision
Christian Education
YOUTH CLASSES
KREAMER’S CRUSADERS & ANCHOR TRINITY (children 8 through 12) & (Junior High School through College)
Teachers: Matt Kreamer & Rona Kreamer
SUMMER MOVIE SERIES Matt & Rona are joining forces for a combined Summer Movie Series! Make sure you receive your assign-
Trinity’s Food Pantry is open Sunday from 12:00 to 2:00 pm
and Tuesday & Thursday from 12:00 to 4:00 pm
in the Education Building Room 14.
RESOURCE CENTER
The Resource Center is open Tuesday & Thursday
12:00 to 2:00 pm in the Education Building Room 13
to help clients with DES applications, payment vouchers for
duplicate Arizona ID cards and notarizing documents.
They also have limited clothing and shoes.
4TH ON 4TH COMMUNITY DINNER
Stay tuned for more information.
Yujia Luo who was a choir intern in 2018 & 2019 re-turned to China, got married and had a baby boy named Samuel recently.
Congratulations!
Page 5 The Vision
Session Notes One of the first things Session did at this stated Zoomed meeting was discuss the work of the Worship Restoration Work Group, a sub-committee of the Worship Committee. Session learned that there have been enough donations to fund a second camera and a screen for the chancel area. Installing these items will allow Trinity church to conduct hybrid worship. Hybrid worship means that those congregants in the sanctuary will see and hear the same service as those congregants who remain at home and stream the service. In addition, a disinfectant fogger for the sanctuary is purchased as well as touch-free towel and soap dispensers for the Narthex bathrooms. Here are the actions and communications of the Session in May:
Session approved purchasing a screen and second camera for the sanctuary as recommended by the Worship Committee.
Also, Session approved beginning hybrid worship on June 13, 2021. There will be no Sunday School, no Fellowship and no choir. Masks will be worn with designated and distanced seating. Congregants who are twelve and older are en-couraged to be vaccinated. The future goal is to completely open the church on Rally Day – the second Sunday in September.
With due diligence, research and many questions Stewardship & Finance asked Session to approve that the Treasurer and the Clerk of Session au-thorize New Covenant Trust, a subsidiary of the Presbyterian Foundation, to receive all funds of Trinity PC that are currently invested with JP Morgan. Session approved this action.
The Growth & Outreach Team is researching banners to herald Trinity’s return to in-person worship.
Administration & Personnel are tweaking Trinity Personnel Policies for Session approval in June.
Property Committee said they approved allowing Homeless Connect to store items in a climate-controlled room in the old Education Wing for $100 a month.
Bucky Lovejoy reported that the Developers are actively showing space in the Phase I building next to Time Market as well as strategizing for the final purchase of Phase II.
Christian Education was pleased about the recep-tion of the Rev. Bill Voigt’s recent Zoom adult Sunday class.
Mission Committee is working on having a YAV (Young Adult Volunteers) presentation of video at worship in June. This committee voted to give $500 to SWERV (Southwest Emergent Re-sponse Volunteers). The committee opened the Resource Center in May. Our Food Bank site continues to have heavy traffic.
Our three Presbytery commissioners – John Hill, Leone Mohney and Carolyn Maycher – attended a Zoom Presbytery meeting. They attended workshops and voted on housekeeping business for the Presbytery.
Session members spent some time in prayer for those with special cares and concerns of congregants as well as the need for peace in the Middle East. Janet Hooper Clerk of Session
Trinity Women The Horizon's Bible Study will meet again in the
