An eNote from Rodney

Friday February 19, 2016

Dear Trinity Congregation,

As you come into the sanctuary you will notice that the Baptismal font is open, has water in it and is in the center of the altar area. It is in this location to remind us of the centrality of Baptism to the life of the church. The last instructions Jesus gives the Disciples in the gospel of Matthew is to go into the world baptizing and teaching in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  At some point in your life either you, or someone who loved you had you baptized.  That water is symbolic ,of the Holy Spirit claiming you as belonging to God.  Baptism is the means by which we enter the Christian life. It has long been a practice in the church to remember our Baptism.  One way to do that is to always have water in the sanctuary.  Placing your finger in the water and touching your forehead, usually in the sign of the cross, is a traditional Christian practice to remember Baptism. If you have never been baptized and would like to be, please talk to me.

Little Red Wagon: For the month of February, we will collect food for the Asheville Middle School. The Items they can use include: pastas, sauces, canned meats, canned fruits or veggies canned beans, cereals, juices, soups, stews, crackers of any kind, granola, fruit, cereal bars, fruit cups, snack packs, and any non-perishable foods.  Please keep these items in your pew until the Red Wagon comes around during the singing of the first hymn and thank you for your generosity.

For the next six Sundays, concluding on Easter Sunday morning, I am going to preach a sermon series called “The Beautiful Story”  It will be a sermon series based on the Gospel of John.  As a guide I will be using Adam Hamilton’s book on John, along with the Oxford Bible Commentary and whatever I find at Fruitland that will help. I am also going to use Stanley Hauerwas as a guide on these sermons.  Hauerwas firmly believes that sermons can develop both strong theological claims and be engaging to the listener. I love his thinking on preaching. On Sunday morning we will look at the first chapter of John, verses 1-5 and 10-15.  

Our Lenten coin folders can be found in the sanctuary. The money we raise with our folders will be split between two agencies this year.  The first is Trinity Place Shelter for Homeless Youth.  This shelter helps house, feed and get to school 6 to 10 Jr. and Sr. High homeless youth while they are in Asheville.  It is the only shelter of it’s kind in Western North Carolina.   The second agency we want to help is a new one for us.  Hands Up is a program with Asheville High School.  It helps high school graduates who are going to college and are in need.  This student is often the first person in their family to go to college.  The money raised will help to get a student’s dorm room ready for their first year in college.  This would be items like a pillow and sheets and school supplies.  Thank you for your support for this offering.

I look forward to seeing you on Sunday morning. 

Sincerely,

Rodney

tumcnc@yahoo.com