Trinity Episcopal Church 128 West Hardin Street...

Trinity Episcopal Church

128 West Hardin Street

Findlay, Ohio 45840

The Episcopal Church serving

Hancock County, Ohio…and beyond

2018

OUTREACH THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR HELP AS OUTREACH CONTINUES COLLECTING

PERSONAL ITEMS FOR THOSE HELPING OTHERS. DIAPERS, WIPES, DEODORANT,

TOOTHPASTE, TOILET TISSUE, SHAMPOO, LAUNDRY SOAP, DISH SOAP, BAR SOAP

OR BODY WASH, ETC. THE COMMITTEE WORKS TO LEAD EFFORTS AND TO

PROVIDE GROUPS WITH FOOD, CLOTHING, AND OTHE BASIC NECESSITIES.

IF YOU HAVE ANY IDEAS OR WOULD LIKE TO JOIN THE COMMITTEE, PLEASE SIGN

UP ON THE BULLETIN BOARD OR CONTACT RITA ROBERTS. THANK YOU!

Christ in a Stranger’s Guise

You never know when you might meet…

At the Coffee Hour on May 20th, the Capital Campaign Committee will roll out plans. Vestry

and CSG will help by providing treats as we listen and look forward.

On Sunday, June 3rd, Ruth Bryant and Nancy O’Sullivan are hosting coffee hour to celebrate

Fr. John and Annie's 2nd Anniversary at Trinity. CSG will join with all Trinity in saying Happy

Anniversary... We're so glad you all are here!

After a busy (non)spring, CSG, like everyone else, is looking forward to warmer weather. With

that in mind, CSG will host an outdoor Game Night and Cookout on our side lawn on

Saturday, June 9th. We'll fire up grills and cook hot dogs and hamburgers while people

attending bring sides to enjoy. Croquet, corn hole, and other outside activities are being

planned. We'll start about 5:30 and play til dark! (Rain plans are to reprise Board Game

Night in the Parish Hall). Look for a sign-up sheet as the date gets closer!

It began last month and continues. Please look for this month's article on a Trinity

parishioner.

Ginny Lee Pilstl, Chair

…Christ in a stranger’s guise.

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SERVERS

We are especially in need of new servers. If you would like to become an usher, gift bearer,

greeter, acolyte/server, reader, commentator, or chalice bearer for services at Trinity, please

let Fr. John or Deborah know. Thank you!

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THE RECTOR WRITES…

I know that there is nothing better for them than to be happy and enjoy themselves as long as they live; also that it is God's gift to man that every one should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil. (Ecclesiastes 3:12-13)

I've been thinking an awful lot about this sentiment from the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes, also named Qoheleth (or ‘the preacher’). For one thing, we heard it read at Pat Fox's funeral and then, just a week later, some of us heard it again when tuning in to Barbara Bush's funeral at St. Martin's, Houston. Now, don't report me to the liturgical police, but the Ecclesiastes reading is not actually one of the Old Testament options in the prayer book burial rite. I felt a bit more secure in my decision to insert an alternate text after another priest made the same exception on national television! It makes sense why so many would choose this lesson for a funeral, whether or not the rubrics allow it, but I've not always felt that way. In fact, I used to consider Ecclesiastes to be one of my least favorite books of the Bible. You see, Ecclesiastes seemed from my youthful (i.e.: “naïve”) perspective to be cynical and depressing. I had been told over and over again as a youngster “put your mind to it and you can do and become whatever you wish! Work hard and make a big difference!” The message of Ecclesiastes is quite different. The preacher suggests that what we do in this life is passing, and we should strive for a simple life of relative comfort, knowing that death will come to us all and our labors will, at least in some sense, be lost. As disheartening as these sentiments may at first seem, the older I get the more I appreciate their wisdom. While we are called to work hard for the Kingdom, we must always remember that whatever we can do pales in comparison to what God can do. All our desires for things like wealth and fame and a legacy turn out to be very small in the grand sweep of history, and God’s plan may well differ from our own. We are finite creatures, and sooner or later what we have managed to build up will fade from this earth, even if, as I believe, our good works will never be lost in the mind of God. Far from being depressing, however, this reality can be quite consoling to those of us who may not have been entirely successful in accomplishing every single goal we have set for ourselves over the years. The message of Ecclesiastes might be boiled down to one remarkably comforting word: RELAX. God’s plan will unfold in God's time, and all our efforts, as important as they might be, are not the end-all and be-all of existence. This frees us to relax, to “eat and drink and take pleasure in [our] toil,” to simply enjoy the presence of God throughout the span of our lives. The wisdom of Ecclesiastes saves us from the traumatic presumption of seeing our own successes and failures as being the most important thing in the universe. The words of the preacher free us to live our lives in peace, enjoy the simple pleasures God has given us, and regard our limited lifetimes as a tremendous gift. May we all come to take ourselves a little less seriously, and may we learn to relax and enjoy the presence of God.

Yours in service to the Gospel, John†

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WEEKLY PRAYER LIST We all need a little prayer and Trinity provides a prayer list each week in the bulletin for those

who could use some extra. Would you please take a moment to review that prayer list and help us

keep it up-to-date? If there are names which should be removed, let Deborah know. If there is

someone on your heart, we can add that person. Thank you!

PROPERTY COMMITTEE

There are always opportunities

for all ages and skill levels to

help keep our church in top

condition. If you have ideas for projects

and/or you’d like to offer your talents, please

let me know. Thanks!

Mark Creighton, Property Chair

TRINITY KNITTING CIRCLE The Trinity Knitting Circle will be on hiatus for a while due to the loss of our hostess and leader.

Stay tuned for information and updates.

WEB SITE The Trinity website has been updated to include Father John's sermons. If you miss a Sunday, you can now read the sermons online. There's a link on our homepage under Sermons, or go directly there by typing this link into your browser - http://findlayepiscopal.org/sermons . Please check it out and let us know what you think!

BACK YARD MISSION TRIP

THANKS TO ALL WHO HELPED THEIR

NEIGHBORS WITH THE BACKYARD

MISSION TRIP!

KROGER REWARDS IT IS TIME TO RENEW YOUR

MEMBERSHIP IN THE COMMUNITY REWARDS

PROGRAM. EACH YEAR IN APRIL IT IS NECESSARY TO KEEP UP-TO-DATE. Kroger shoppers of Trinity earned $116.16 from the 25 households participating during the past quarter through the Kroger Community Rewards Program! PLEASE BE SURE TO KEEP YOUR MEMBERSHIP UP-TO- DATE! OR…if you have not yet signed-up, consider doing so. This program in no way affects your personal Kroger Rewards – sales, fuel points, etc. If you would like assistance to sign up or renew please contact Deborah.

COFFEE CORNER May coffee hour hosts…

6th – Annie Stricklin

13th –

20th – CSG/Vestry

27th – Trudeaus

HOSTS ARE NEEDED! Please consider adding your name to the sign-up

sheet on the bulletin board. You don’t have to do it

alone – several families or a group may host

together.

THANK YOU for the donations of coffee and

decaf!

Trinity's Lunch Bunch will gather at Hunan Garden,

1949 Tiffin Avenue, on Friday, May 11th at 11:30

am. Reserve your spot for food, fun, and fellowship

with Joanne McPherson or Ginny Lee Pilstl by Wednesday, May 9th.

The sign-up sheet for breakfast hosts/cooks is on the bulletin board. No one need do it alone, a group or several families may share!

WHERE DO YOU FIT?? Everyone has special gifts – share yours with your church! Please consider lending your skills and talents to a committee in an area of interest or skill. Just contact a committee or vestry member to join.

The next parish breakfast is scheduled for Saturday, May 12th but …no one has volunteered yet. If you would like to lend your skills, please consider signing up.

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ITEMS FOR June tIdings

Should be submitted By

Thursday, May 17TH

.

tHANK YOU! 2018 Offering envelopes are on the table in the parish hall. There are also several boxes of un-numbered ones – help yourself! If you would like numbered envelopes and didn’t order them, there are several boxes still available. Please let Deborah know if

you would like a set!

KEEPING IN TOUCH

If ever there is a name omitted from one of these lists, or a date is incorrect, please contact the church office with the information. Thanks!

PERSONAL NOTES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR AND

ABOUT THE TRINITY FAMILY. IF YOU HAVE ITEMS OF

INTEREST TO SHARE, (BIRTHS, ENGAGEMENTS,

GRADUATIONS, HONORS, AWARDS, WEDDINGS,

PERFORMANCES, ACHIEVEMENTS, ACTIVITIES, ETC.)

PLEASE SUBMIT THEM BY THE 3RD WEDNESDAY OF

EACH MONTH FOR THE NEXT PUBLICATION. Thanks

MAY BIRTHDAYS 3 – Bob Brater 5 – Ashley Kempher 6 – Parker Maas 8 – Warren Kahn 13 – Pat Hall 17 – Gwendolyn Slater 18 – Mary Jo McFarlane 23 – Joanne McPherson, Lisa Mattiace 26 – Norman Gibat 28 – Darin Boyles 30 – Katie Boucher

The sign-up sheet for altar flowers is on the bulletin board in the parish hall.

TRULY KEEPING IN TOUCH… Some parishioners not able to attend services, or attend regularly, would enjoy calls or cards from

the rest of us, and visits especially from people who know them. Others have moved – so this is

an update on their contact information:

Marilyn Russell - P.O. Box 061600, Palm Bay, FL 32906-1600

Romelle Aldrich - 83 Harwood Road, Monroe, NJ 08831

John and Paula Wolper - 2248 Dominion Drive, Fort Mitchell, KY 41017

Dave & Peg Bell – 779 Tupper Street, Brockville, Ontario, Canada K6V6A1

Chris’s information is posted on the bulletin board in the parish hall.

MAY ANNIVERSARIES 8 – Anna & Jim Miller

16 – Claudia & Michael Benjamin

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ALTAR FLOWERS Please let Deborah know by noon on

Wednesday of that week what you would

like printed in the bulletin for your

gift of flowers.

E-mail to [email protected] or

call 419-422-3214. When providing

altar flowers from a florist they

should be delivered to the church

between 9 a.m. and noon on Friday.

Thanks!

Deepest sympathies to family and

friends on the loss of

Patricia Fox

Music Notes Only a short time left to join the choir before our summer hiatus. Please consider singing with us…and thank you for your continued support of this ministry. Parker

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PRAYER FOR MAY

Heavenly Father we especially want to lift up all mothers throughout the land and thank You for the very special role they play in the lives of children. And as we

remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for the freedoms we enjoy every day, we think of how they have followed in the footsteps of your son, our Savior, Jesus Christ. Please hold our servicemen and women in your strong arms. Cover them with your sheltering grace and your presence as they stand in the gap for our protection. We also remember the families of our troops. We ask for your unique blessings to fill their homes, and we pray your peace,

provision, and strength will fill their lives.

DIRECTORY UPDATES

There are copies of an update but in the short time since it came out, many changes have taken place. There are forms in the parish hall – please update (or provide) your information for our new spring directory. Thanks!

Megan Dailey awarded a 2-year fellowship from the Ecole

Normale Supérieure in Paris. Congratulations are due to Megan Dailey,

who has been awarded a 2-year fellowship from the Department of Cognitive Studies at

Ecole Normale Supérieure in Paris to complete their CogMaster (Research Masters

in Cognitive Science) program. Megan is an undergraduate honors student with a

double major in Linguistics and French, and

will be graduating from Ohio State this

spring.

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Getting to know you, getting to know all about you…

the next in a series to learn about your church family.

An interview with Bette Snyder by Sue Ann Sandusky

Everybody has a story. That was one of Bette Snyder’s watchwords as a journalist, her profession

for more than 40 years, and it seems to continue to enliven her retirement. Calling herself a collector of

stories, Bette recently took time to share some of her own stories with Tidings.

Bette grew up in paper mill towns, moving where her father’s work took the family, from

Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to Kingsport, Tennessee and Chillicothe, Ohio. She said she was a

hyperactive “problem child” who was directed toward a career in journalism as a result of an aptitude test

and her parents’ encouragement. It turned out to be a great choice. Bette thrived in an environment where

every day was different and she could focus on telling people’s stories.

Bette attended Ohio University and worked part-time on the Athens Messenger. She then went to

work for the historic Chillicothe Gazette, the oldest newspaper west of the Allegheny Mountains. While in

Chillicothe, she covered what she calls her biggest story: the creation of the outdoor drama, Tecumseh,

written by the historical novelist, Allan Eckert, and still produced every summer at Chillicothe’s Sugarloaf

Mountain Amphitheater.

Bette and her husband, Fred, her high school sweetheart, relocated to Upper Sandusky when Fred

got a teaching job there. Bette joined the Daily Chief Union as a reporter/photographer, eventually

becoming the paper’s editor-in-chief. Fred became the school system’s technology coordinator shortly

after computers were acquired by the district. Both are now retired and their three children (two daughters

and a son) grown and living in Columbus, Houston, and Pittsburg.

Bette, a “cradle Episcopalian,” found her way to Trinity a little more than a year ago. In a way, it

was music that brought her here. Bette grew up in a musical family. When it came time for her to learn an

instrument, her family expected that she would choose the piano or French horn. But Bette, “the problem

child,” chose the cello. In her retirement, she decided to focus on the cello. She has played in community

orchestras around the region, and in a trio in Upper Sandusky. In 2011 she started playing with the

University of Findlay community orchestra. In February 2017 attended a performance of the Full Sound

Chamber Group at Trinity. Soon after that, Bette started attending Sunday services here and joined the

musicians who support the Taizé services.

Besides music, Bette has a passion for baking and she volunteers at the bakery affiliated with the

Our Lady of Consolation shrine in Carey. Started by a priest who loved to bake, the bakery produces all

types of goodies - everything from noodles to angel hair pasta, to pies and rolls. Proceeds from the sales

go to upkeep of the shrine and school or for special causes, such as support for Syrian refugees.

Bette’s favorite church holiday is Christmas because all her children and their families (including

seven grandchildren) visit. Her favorite hymn: I Sing A Song Of The Saints Of God - which, by the way,

was voted #14 by readers of Anglican Online in answer to the question: Which one hymn would you take

with you to a desert island? http://anglicansonline.org/search/index.html

About retirement Bette says, “It’s fun.” A collector of stories is never bored.

SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

MAY 2 MAY2 MAY 3 MAY 4 MAY 5 NO. Morning Prayer NO. Morning Prayer

NO Wednesday

Worship

NO Morning Prayer

MAY 6 MAY 7 MAY 8 MAY 9 MAY 10 MAY 11 MAY 12 8:30 Holy Eucharist

9:30 Holy Eucharist

Coffee hour

8 a.m. Morning Prayer

5:15 Bible study



12:05 Wednesday

Worship


11:30 Lunch Bunch

@ Hunan Garden

8:30 a.m. Parish

Breakfast


9:30 Holy Eucharist

Coffee hour


5:15 Bible study


Vestry


12:05 Wednesday

Worship


ITEMS FOR TIDINGS

DUE


9:30 Holy Eucharist

Coffee hour

Capital Campaign

presentation

4 p.m. Birchaven


5:15 Bible study



12:05 Wednesday

Worship


MAY 27 MAY 28 MAY 29 MAY 30 MAY 31 8:30 Holy Eucharist

9:30 Holy Eucharist

Coffee hour

NO Morning Prayer

NO Bible Study

OFFICES CLOSED

8:30 Morning Prayer 8:30 Morning Prayer

12:05 Wednesday

Worship

8:30 Morning Prayer

EVENT CALENDAR

Flower of the month – Lily of the Valley

Birthstone – Emerald

MAY 2018

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