Saturday, March 31, 2012

How to Make a Palm Cross video

New Video on Trinity Blog -- How to Make a Palm Cross -- Under Sunday Service Tab

A new video has been posted by Fr. Jay on How to Make a Palm Cross.  Click on this title on the Links Menu on the right side of the Blog.

Nora will be hosting a hands-on session in making Palm Crosses after our Palm Sunday Service.

Making a Palm Cross is a wonderful way to remind yourself of Holy Week and Easter all year long.

THIS VIDEO LINK HAS BEEN REMOVED.  EMAIL FR. JAY NORTH IF YOU WANT LINK.


Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Holy Week Schedule Change

In place of the Saturday Night Vigil (April 7, 2012 8 pm), there will be a Sunrise Service at 6 am on Easter Sunday, April 8, 2012.  Please call the church (797-3058) for the location of the service.

Easter Holy Communion will take place at the church at 11 am as scheduled on Easter Sunday, April 8, 2012.

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Monday, March 26, 2012

The Cursillo Experience by Richard Tollner

My attendance at the CURSILLO 63 was most beneficial to me as a
husband, banker and as an Episcopalian. I will tell you the program
was easy to get involved with upon arrival. The people were incredibly
welcoming and informative. The three days went by like lightning. The
accommodations, food, and service were comfortable.
Being away from home was made easier by the people at Christ the King
Spiritual Life Center.

CURSILLO itself was for me a retreat where I was able to assist myself
and others in their journey towards being closer to Jesus. The many
topics we delved into drew comment and history and life experiences
that served our goal of becoming closer to Jesus. I learned about
myself, my strengths, and just how important my beliefs are. The
leaders made the days there at CTKSLC (Chist the King Spiritual Life Center)
enjoyable, valuable, and a proper use of my incredibly rare and valuable free time.
It was hard to be away from family and responsibilities, but so worthwhile. I do not have
any days off anymore. I caretake two senior citizens in different
cities and have four work responsibilities which at this year (2012)
do not allow me the convienence of a 5 day work week.

I would strongly recommend CURSILLO to any Episcopalian who wants to
know their limits, ....How much can they serve...... themselves,.....
their family ,..... their community?, how much can they love?, how can
they be loved? We learned how Jesus does fit into the fabric of our
days without interrupting anything. All the while you become closer to
him. My whole life is better for the knowledge I obtained and the
experiences I was a part of.

I trusted Father Jay and am a better man for trusting him.
Dont ask to judge whether its right for you or not.

Take care of yourself and do it.
Sermons Plus

Copies of selected Fr. Jay sermons will be available in this category.

Sermons Plus will include special instructions as well.
Member Writings

Church members write on various topics.
Why Should I Listen to the Passion According to John?”
Sung by the Village Voices
Friday, April 6, 2012 7 pm
Trinity Church Rensselaerville

During the holiday seasons, like Easter, we like to feel joyous and happy. It is a time for family and friends and celebration. The celebration of Easter in our culture has waned rather strongly in recent years.

For children, it is a time for the Easter Bunny, egg hunts and chocolate. For adults though, as religious belief has diminished, the meaning of Easter has become lost.

One way to look at it in secular fashion is that, as we celebrate the changing of the seasons at the winter solstice in the festival of Christmas, we can take special joy in the coming of spring at Easter. It is a time for the renewal of life.

In fact some would say that the Christian festivals are really just an adaptation of earlier pagan festivals whose purpose was to rejoice in the annual earth cycles.

But for most in our culture the figure of Jesus Christ looms over Easter as part of early childhood learning or at least a notion that something about Easter has to do with this figure. The Passion of Jesus holds a central place in Christian belief. Yet it is the story of one rejected, condemned and brutally murdered. How can we take some meaning from this story in our contemporary life?

FRIDAY BEFORE EASTER – KNOWN AS “GOOD FRIDAY”

COME AND LISTEN TO “THE PASSION OF JESUS ACCORDING TO JOHN”

SUNG BY VILLIAGE VOICES

AT

TRINITY CHURCH RENSSELAERVILLE

APRIL 6, 2012
7 PM

The Village Voices will sing Columba Kelly's arrangement of the Passion according to the Gospel of St. John. This arrangement is based on the traditional chant melody with choral parts added.

The Passion will be sung as the central part of a brief Good Friday prayer service taken from the Book of Common Prayer.

You will be moved as you hear this classic piece of ancient literature sung in solemn fashion.

You may want to read Fr. Jay North notes on “Why Should I Listen to the Passion according to John?” in the Trinity Church Blog (Under tab Sermons Plus).

Sunday, March 25, 2012

5 Lent 2012 March 25, 2012


5 Lent 12


Do you hate your life? There are certainly parts of our lives that we are not too happy about, that we could do without. But we love life. We cling to life. We consider its alternative (no life) to be a horrendous prospect.

Yet today Jesus says, “Those who love their life will loose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for the age to come.” This is certainly one of the more hard sayings of Jesus. What is it that Jesus wants us to know and to learn from what he is saying?

Jesus does not leave us any quarter for fudging. He speaks to us starkly and frankly. He was quite famous for this. Sometimes when he spoke like this, people walked away from him. “This guy is nutty,” they thought. We can't follow someone who talks like this.

The words that Jesus is using here are more subtle that we tend to see at first glace. As John tells it, Jesus does not use the Greek word for “life” as the force within us that keeps us alive. He uses the Greek term “psyche” which is not the equivalent to our use of the term psyche by which we mean mind or our mental process. This is technical but bear with me.

Saturday, March 24, 2012

Sermon 4 Lent, March 18, 2012

4 Lent 12, Sunday March 18, 2012


Today is Laetere Sunday, the break in the middle of Lent, sometimes called Rose Sunday because of the rose colored vestments worn for Eucharist. On Rose Sunday the traditional Lenten fast was called off and we are allowed to rejoice. Laetere in Latin means “Rejoice.” Yea, Lent is almost over. We have made it this far. Easter is just around the corner.

Maybe like me you might feel a little guilty that you have not made more of Lent. This happens to me every year. I have all these good intentions but life always gets in the way. But the good thing is we are only half way through Lent. There are three more weeks to go. We can still save this season by focusing on the fact that we can still make it profitable.

The readings today really focus our attention. They are our typical difficult Lenten readings. Here is Israel in the desert. They have been wandering a long time and have not yet reached the Promised Land. In fact God has already told them that the whole generation that was taken out of Egypt will not reach the Promised Land. They have been too unfaithful. They have broken the Covenant God made with them and God is not happy about this.

Prayer Requests

This category can be used for prayer requests.

Guidelines for use:  Use the comment link (below) to post request.  It will be shortly be changed to a regular post.  Use first names only.  If you can, be specific about what the need for prayer is.  You can submit a request anonymously if you like. Check the Prayer Requests tab in a few hours to see your request posted.

Example: "Please pray for Micky who is undergoing surgery on Monday, March 26, 2012."

Friday, March 23, 2012

Jost, Christopher and Richard began their Cursillo Weekend last night.  Please keep them in your prayers during the next three days.  

Cursillo (pronounced KUR-SEE-OH) means "short course" in Spanish.  The Weekend is a short course or a review of the Christian Life.  Cursillo was started in Spain and has been adapted to the needs of many different denominations.

Our "cursillistas" will finish the Weekend on Sunday afternoon.  Anyone from the parish is welcome to attend the Closing Ceremony that takes place at 4 pm on Sunday at the Spiritual Life Center.  A pot luck dinner follows.  If you are interested in going, let Fr. Jay know and we can form a caravan to the Closing.

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Sunday Service  11 am (See later posts for Summer Schedule)

Holy Communion and Sermon

Sunday School 10 am (please call Fr. Jay to let him know how many are coming)

Fr. Jay Cell Phone 518-229-9689

Call him any time if you have a need.

Monday, March 19, 2012

Trinity Rensselaerville
Founded 1811
Built 1815
Sunday Services 11:00 am  Holy Communion and Sermon

Upcoming:

Palm Sunday: April 1, 2012 11 am Blessing of Palms
Maundy Thursday: April 5, 2012 7 pm Holy Communion, Foot Washing, Altar of Repose
GOOD FRIDAY: April 6, 2012 7 pm PASSION ST. JOHN SUNG Village Voices
Sunrise Service, Easter Sunday, April 8, 2012 6 am New Fire, Exsultet, Renewal of Baptism
Easter Sunday: April 8, 2012 11 am Solemn Holy Communion of Easter