Holy Trinity News

April 2008 Easter

My dear Holy Trinity family,

What an inspiring Holy Week and Easter we have just had! Our services of Evensong and Tenebrae, our Seder and Watch at the Altar of Repose, our Community Cross Walk through the streets of Swanton and our Good Friday Liturgy, our Easter Vigil and celebrations on Easter Day were all so beautiful and filled with meaning. I want to thank everyone who helped to make them so. And now, we continue our Easter celebration until Pentecost.

Liturgically, during these 50 days of Easter, we focus specifically on the Gift of New Life that we have been given in the Resurrection and we rejoice in our Redemption. As a sign of that joy, we don't say the Confession during our Sunday celebrations of the Eucharist, because we know that our sins are forgiven and that we are at one with our Good God.

In nature, our days are getting longer and the sun is shining more brightly (which in Vermont means “sugaring weather”), the birds have begun to sing their springtime songs, and soon we'll be seeing leaves on the trees and flowers in our gardens. This truly is the season of New Life and New Birth, renewal and rebirth.

In our parish, this is certainly a season of New Life and New Birth, renewal and rebirth, too. In addition to the birth of Drew Wood and the baptism of Veronica McGregor, we have seen our renovation/restoration project become a reality. It was just three short years ago that you asked David Winchester to go “back to his drawing board” and create our 3-level plan. And it was this time last year (almost to the day) that we moved our parish offices into our temporary space at 40 Grand Avenue. Now, we have begun our move back into our newly renovated and restored Parish Hall and Church and within a week or so that move will be complete

Several years ago, Barb Trushaw chose the spiritual reflection for a Vestry meeting that touched me deeply. The reflection came from a book entitled

Moments of Peace in the Presence of God published by Bethany House, and it is based on the opening line of Psalm 40 “I waited patiently upon the Lord…” I shared it with you then, and I think it is most appropriate to share with you again.

Tulips and daffodils, in all the bright colors of spring, hide throughout the long winter in tight little shells deep beneath the surface of the soil. You barely know they exist as the wind blows and the cold holds you in its grip. But with the first warming breezes of spring, you notice green shoots bursting through the soil. Soon waving everywhere are the red, pink, and yellow “flags” that represent God's faithful promise that summer and winter, springtime and harvest will continue on the earth, and in our lives, each at its appointed time.

We need to be patient and cling to our hope in God. In God's perfect time, the ambassadors of spring will burst forth in our lives once more, fulfilling the promise of God's faithfulness to Creation.

We know that everything in Creation happens in God's time - not in ours - and that all things happen in God's time for our benefit - for our good - even if we don't recognize it right then. Growth takes time. Change takes time. Learning takes time. Life takes time. And we must be patient and allow that time to pass. We need to remember that God has given us time as a gift, and that there is no reason to rush life. We need to wait patiently and have faith, the same way the disciples had to wait and have faith from Good Friday to Easter, and then had to learn what Jesus' Resurrection and the gift of New Life and New Birth meant for each of them.

The processes of rebirth and renewal are on going, beloved, and we give thanks to God that they are. Let us pray that during these “Great Fifty Days of Easter” patience and faith will grow and bloom in all of our lives.

Blessings,

Reid

Children's Prayer

The year's at the spring,

And the day's at the morn;

Morning's at seven

The hill-side's dew-pearl'd;

The lark's on the wing;

The snail's on the thorn;

God's in his heaven

All's right with the world!

Robert Browning

From The Little Book of Prayers-Caroline Walsh

Open Door Dinner Schedule

Fridays - April 25, May 30, June 27 5:30 to 7 pm

Holy Trinity Episcopal Church

Parish Hall

Come and enjoy a great home-cooked meal prepared by the Holy Trinity team of cooks. Visit with others in the community in our new Parish Hall. Please invite other community folks and let them know that there is no charge for the meal! Volunteers are welcome and needed.

Contact Carol McCurdy

holytrinitypastoralcare@verizon.net

WHITE GIFT BASKET

April is Laurie's House, St. Albans. New/used cell phones are always needed. Of particular need this month are paper towels, facial tissue, and toilet paper. Thanks for your ministry to Laurie's House.

QUILTING

A Rock Point School art teacher is planning the class for the fall session. Do you have material scraps for making bags/quilts, etc? Also needed - sewing machines. Pleas e contact Carol for more information. Your help will help students discover.

Swanton Community Food Shelf

Volunteers urgently needed to help at the Food Shelf one Tuesday morning a month. Please consider this as part of your community ministry. Contact Carol for more information.

Outreach

What ideas do you have for Holy Trinity Outreach? Love to hear from you! Please contact Carol McCurdy - holytrinitypastoralcare@verizon.net

or by phone at 868-7185

Sweet Chocolate Celebration & Silent Auction

To benefit Laurie's House, Sunday, April 20

Back Inn Time Bed & Breakfast, St. Albans

Tickets - $15. For more info or to donate auction items, call Kristin at 524-8538.

Laurie's House

Two clients moving into independent living need: couch, end/coffee tables, bunk or twin beds, lamps, book shelf, dressers, kitchen supplies, curtains, cleaning supplies, desk, entertainment center. Contact: Liz Conforti 524-6575, lconforti@cvoeo.org

Sunday School Wish List:

2-3 Bean bag chairs, small 2 shelf bookcase, talk to Sarah Nielsen

Holy Trinity Choir

The Holy Trinity choir, excited about having their very own practice space, has reactivated! Rehearsals will be held Tuesday evenings at 7 pm. The choir plans to sing an anthem on a monthly basis and will lead congregational hymn singing the remaining weeks. Need more information - Rob at 868-4283.

Bella Voce Women’s Chorus of Vermont

Bella Voce Women’s Chorus of Vermont will be performing its Lessons from the Sea tour April 4 - 6 at various locations in Northern Vermont. This is a new cantata based on Anne Morrow Lindbergh's book A Gift from the Sea and there will be reading by Reeve Lindbergh. The closest concert to Swanton will be held on Sunday, April 6 at 3 p.m. at the Shelburne Methodist Church in Shelburne, Vermont. For more information, see Rose or check the website at www.bellavocevt.org .

Cinderella

MVUHS will be presenting the musical “Cinderella” April 10 – 12. To purchase tickets, contact the high school at 868-2388.

Montreal Trip

Holy Trinity has rescheduled the day trip to Montreal for Sunday, April 13, 2008! The Museum of Fine Arts is offering a family day with Inuit and African mask-making workshops. We will leave Swanton at 12 noon, have a bag lunch on the bus, stop at the museum, go to the Cathedral for Evensong at 4, stop for supper at the Newport Buffet and be back around 8 or 9 p.m. We anticipate the cost per person to be somewhere around $25; however, this may changed depending upon what size bus we reserve. A limited number of spaces on the bus are still available. If you are interested in attending but have not yet signed up, you may contact Sandi Kenyon via email at sakenyon@comcast.net or by phone at 524-3693. We hope you consider joining us for a great day of family fun!

ERD Lenten Hope Chests

ERD Lenten Hope Chests should be turned into the parish office as soon as possible. We would like to get the monies collected and sent to ERD for use by those in need as quickly as we can. Thanks!

Moving the Office

The last stage of our move back into 38 Grand Avenue will occur on Tuesday, April 8 when the administrative offices move into the upper level. As part of the move, our phone and email service will be turned off on April 8th; we hope it will be back on by April 9th but if it goes like it did last time, it might not happen right away. In advance, we ask and thank you for your kind patience and understanding as we go through this last portion of our moving transition.

Kinship Support Group

Grandparents, relatives & friends supporting children of family members, 3rd Wednesday of every month, 6:30-7:30 pm, Precision Tool Building, Swanton. Childcare provided

Starr 282-2102 or Kathleen Hazen 796-3013.

Health Care Scholarship

Northwestern Medical Center Auxiliary

$2000 scholarship to a Franklin County resident High School graduate accepted to a college program in a health care field. Application at Volunteer Services Office, NMC 524-1055, Deadline April 15.

Episcopal Church and the Visual Arts

"Resurrection" Art Show

Monday, April 7 through May

Cathedral of St. Paul

Mrs. Moses: The Woman Behind the Man

A Biblical Musical Comedy

All Saints', South Burlington

Saturday April12, 7 pm

Sunday April 13, 4 pm

Adults-$7, Seniors-$5, Children

Rock Point Summer Conferences

2008 Camp Dates

Sr. H Camp (entering grades 10 – 12) June 22 – 27

Jr. H Camp (entering grades 7 – 9) June 29 – July 4

CIT Camp (15 – 17 yrs old) June 29 – July 4

(Counselor in Training)

Older Elementary Camp (entering grades 4 – 6) July 6 - 11

Younger Elementary Camp (entering grades 2 – 3) July 13 – 15 and/or July 15 – 18

Sign up for one or both – July 15 is parent-visiting day

Performing & Creative Arts Camp July 20-25 (entering grades 5 – 12)

All Ages Camp (families & single adults) Jul 20 - 25

Day Camp (entering grades 1 – 6) July 7 – 11

July 14 – 18

July 21 – 25

Registration forms in the Parish Hall

Congratulations, Dawn

Dawn Sparling will be completing her first unit of CPE (Clinical Pastoral Education) at FAHC and will graduate on Tuesday, April 8th.

APRIL BIRTHDAYS

9 Barbara Trushaw,Mary Jane Sheldon

11 Jamie Kenyon

12 Shawn Robtoy

17 Sylvia Garrison

19 Joe Cava

20 Linda Wirts

21 Connor Jon Nielsen

22 Shawna Stetson

24 Mayllet Paz-Greeno

25 Andrew Visconti

27 Michal McCurdy

30 Liesl Ulrich-Verderber

APRIL ANNIVERSARIES

6 Paul Greeno & Mayllet Paz-Greeno

29 Sylvia & Ethan Garrison

30 Dawn & Wally Sparling

Birth

March 6 Drew Maurice Wood

Proud Parents: LouAnne and Daniel Wood

Proud Grandparents: Mary and David Wood

Baptism

March 22 Veronica Sue McGregor (at the Easter Vigil)

Proud Parents: Erica Brooks and Kevin McGregor