From the Senior Warden

Text Box: November 2007
Text Box: The Episcopal Church Welcomes You!
Text Box: your loved one before God with those gathered in faith and communion. Karen’s death awakened my heart, mind and soul to the fact that, even though my daughter may have entered the gates of larger life, we are forever knit together in the mystical body of Christ our Lord.

When I think of those who names are now read with whom I’ve had a Text Box: Rector’s Message

All Saints’ Day 2007
Text Box: FROM THE SENIOR WARDEN

“A Time for Vision”
Text Box: Dear Friends in Christ,

Today is the day when we give thanks to God for knitting us together in communion and fellowship with those who have gone before and those who will come after us. This is All Saints’ Day, one of the Principal feasts of the year; a day when we sing about those saints who have inspired us as we pray to be a saint to others.

This is one of my favorite feasts, and it is no doubt, because it was the feast day of my childhood home parish, All Saints’, Reisterstown. That day, that week, was a joyous time, filled with dances, remembrances and, of course, the celebration of the Holy Eucharist.  Text Box: Recalling those times, fills me with warm and nostalgic feelings. It is like the anamnesis, the recalling of history and making it very real and present, as we do during the words of institution (This is my body …).

As a child, I was unaware of the bittersweet feelings or the depth of sorrow some of the members of the church were feeling as the names of their loved ones were read aloud with solemn dignity. All I knew was that I was bored because none of those names meant anything to me. I didn’t know any saints who had entered the nearer presence of our Lord. However, shortly after becoming an adult, I learned what it means, and the comfort one receives, from remembering your child or Text Box: reason, and personal faith to help us determine our vision of mission.  The Mission Statement of each parish is a reflection of what areas they consider important.  Mission Statements, therefore, need to be prepared as a joint effort by those who are leaders in the parish as well as the members of the congregation.  Our current Text Box:  “A TIME FOR VISION” was written by Revs. Robert Bonner and Stuart Schadt in 1989.  Revs. Bonner and Schadt stress the importance of each parish having a Mission Statement.  In 2003, Holy Trinity adopted our current Mission Statement which is posted in the parish hall and printed below.  In their book, Revs. Bonner and Schadt Text Box: recommend that a parish update their Mission Statement as often as needed and specifically when there has been a major change in the parish.  Do you think our becoming an independent parish would be a time of change that would warrant a review and possible update of our Mission Statement?  As Episcopalians, we rely on scripture, traditions,

 

 

 

Celebrations

2

Getting to Know You

3

A Little Church Humor

3

Come Join the Fun

3

Music Notes

 

4

Vestry Update

5

Text Box: The Trinity Press
A publication of 
Holy Trinity Episcopal Church
Text Box: The Rev. Eric N. Zile