Sundays at 10am 

January 11–May 17

Join our weekly discussion series to explore relevant topics like how Christians can respond to the climate crisis, use our money to work for justice, and rewrite the narrative in perilous times. Together we’ll uncover profound spiritual truths and seek answers that challenge us to put faith into practice. 

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To Be the Church in This Moment 

In an increasingly fraught time, we might find ourselves wrestling for control — over our own lives and over the actions of others. But God is uncontrollable, and as the Bible shows us time and again, divine love will sweep through our world regardless of the limits and powers of our day. In conversations ranging across Christian tradition, uncover ways to bring your personal experience of God’s love from the pew into your everyday life and to the community around you. 

Healing Our Broken Humanity  

February 1 

Our newsfeeds are filled with inequity, division, and fear; yet we want to make a difference and see justice restored — because Jesus calls us to be peacemakers and reconcilers. But how? Come learn accessible and profound spiritual practices that can bring healing and hope to a hurting world. | Watch the video recording

The Rev. Grace Ji-Sun Kim was born in Korea and educated in Canada. She now teaches as Professor of Theology at Earlham School of Religion. She is the author or editor of 25 books, most recently, Earthbound,  When God Became White, Invisible, Spirit Life, and Healing Our Broken Humanity: Practices for Revitalizing the Church and Renewing the World (co-written with Graham Hill). 

Additional Resources 

Listen to Grace Ji-Sun Kim on the Freedom Road podcast. Talking about her 2024 book, When God Became White, she explores the devastating consequences of the myth of Jesus as white a person and God as a white male. 

Find more of Kim’s work at her Substack newsletter, Loving Life, the Madang Podcast, and Good Faith Media.  

Listen to Fr. Brendan McManus and Jim Deeds share meditation practices for mindful living in a conflicting world based on their book, Finding God in the Mess. 

An Introduction to Lent

February 8 

The session with Ruth Vida Amwe has been postponed. On Sunday, February 8, Trinity's Vicar, the Rev. Michael Bird, will teach an Introduction to Lent.

Learn about the 40-day season that leads up to Easter, the most significant day in the church year, with Trinity’s vicar, the Rev. Michael Bird. | Watch the video recording

The Rev. Michael A. Bird was named vicar of Trinity Church in December 2020. Before coming to Trinity, Father Bird was the rector of Christ Church in Bronxville, New York. Throughout his career, Father Bird has focused on building and fostering vibrant communities of faithful people, with a particular emphasis on youth. Father Bird holds a bachelor’s degree in history from Swarthmore College and a Master of Divinity from General Theological Seminary.

For Such a Time as This: An Emergency Devotional 

February 15 

How does faith prepare us to confront the injustices of our day? What can you do to lower your own anxiety while praying and acting courageously? Hanna Reichel of Princeton Theological Seminary speaks on their “emergency devotional,” For Such a Time as This, and highlights what Christians can do to respond faithfully to challenging moments.  

Hanna Reichel, PhD, is the Charles Hodge Professor of Systematic Theology at Princeton Theological Seminary. Raised an ecumenical Lutheran, Reichel serves as a ruling elder in the Presbyterian Church (USA) and on the Theology Working Group of the World Communion of Reformed Churches. Reichel is the author of For Such a Time as This: An Emergency Devotional. 

Additional Resources 

Purchase your own copy of Reichel’s emergency devotional. 

Read about the German church’s courageous act in opposition to Hitler-Nazi rule. 

The Making of Modern Prophets: How Faithful Christians Responded to Hard Times 

What makes a modern-day prophet? Learn from Christians throughout history who spoke truth to power, took courageous action, and led movements that uplifted the marginalized amid political turmoil and widespread injustice — living out the upside-down Kingdom of God with their very lives.  

Jesus the Prophet: The Making of a Suffering Servant 

February 22 

The prophet Isaiah spoke of a Messiah who would not seize political and material power but come as a “suffering servant” who laid down their life for the poor and marginalized. Paul Kim of Methodist Theological Seminary will introduce our deep dive into modern-day saints by considering how the life of Jesus exemplifies this powerful, and unexpected, vision.  

Hyun Chul Paul Kim, PhD, is the Harold B. Williams Professor of Hebrew Bible at Methodist Theological School in Ohio (MTSO), located in Delaware, Ohio, where he has taught since 1999. Kim has co-authored or co-edited 12 books, including Reading Isaiah: A Literary and Theological Commentary.  

Additional Resources 

Singer-songwriter Sufjan Stevens leads a performance of “Ah, Holy Jesus,” a hymn based on Isaiah’s concept of the suffering servant — for an analysis of the lyrics, look at this hymn guide.  

Archbishop Desmond Tutu and His Commitment to Justice 

March 1 

Modeling his life on the prophet Jeremiah — who spoke up in the face of injustice — Archbishop Desmond Tutu advocated tirelessly to end apartheid segregation in South Africa and bring justice to its victims through his chairmanship of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Come hear the Very Rev. Michael Battle describe how Tutu’s vision and voice was rooted in ubuntu — an Indigenous African understanding of an interconnected humanity. 

The Very Rev. Michael Battle, PhD, is the Extraordinary Professor at the Desmond Tutu Centre for Religion and Social Justice, the University of the Western Cape, South Africa, Theologian in Community at Trinity Church Boston and formerly taught at General Theological Seminary in New York where he was the Herbert Thompson Professor of Church and Society and Director of the Desmond Tutu Center. In 1993 he was ordained a priest by Archbishop Desmond Tutu.  

Additional Resources 

Watch the Rev. Michael Battle speaking on ubuntu as atonement theology at Yale Divinity School.  

A short biography of Bishop Desmond Tutu from the Nobel Peace Prize website.  

An interview with Allan Boesak, minister, theologian, and South African anti-Apartheid leader.  

Learn about the work of the Centre for the Study of the Afterlife of Violence and the Reparative Quest (AVReQ) at Stellenbosch University, South Africa.  

Dorothy Day and Her Radical Vision  

March 8 

Founder of the Catholic Worker movement, Dorothy Day was a central figure in 20th-century Christian activism. With an underlying commitment to peace and nonviolence, Day centered the poor in all her efforts. Robert Ellsberg, former managing editor of The Catholic Worker newspaper, will talk about his relationship with Day and the message her legacy holds for the church today.  

Robert Ellsberg is the publisher and editor-in-chief of Orbis Books. He worked closely with Dorothy Day in New York in the last five years of her life (1975-80) and served for two years as managing editor of The Catholic Worker newspaper. He has edited six volumes of her writing, was a founding member of the Dorothy Day Guild, and has worked on advancing her cause for canonization for the past thirty years. He is the author of many prize-winning books on saints and holiness, including All Saints: Daily Reflections on Saints, Prophets, and Witnesses for Our Time, The Saints' Guide to Happiness, and Blessed Among Us.  

Additional Resources 

An excerpt from Praying with Dorothy Day by James Allaire and Rosemary Broughton, on Day’s life and spirituality.  

A short history of the Catholic Worker movement.  

“What is the Catholic Worker movement?” podcast from St. Anthony’s Allston. 

Óscar Romero and His Voice for the Voiceless 

March 15 

As Prelate and Archbishop of the Catholic Church of El Salvador, Óscar Romero was a voice from the pulpit for the voiceless poor. Assassinated while celebrating mass in 1980, he was beatified by Pope Francis in 2015 for his powerful witness to violence, oppression, and inequity. The Rev. Dr. Edgardo Colón-Emeric will discuss the life and faith of this modern saint.  

The Rev. Edgardo Colón-Emeric, PhD, is dean of Duke Divinity School and Ruth and A. Morris Williams, Jr. Professor of Theology and Christian Ministry. Colón-Emeric’s work explores the intersection of Methodist and Catholic theologies and Wesleyan and Latin American experiences. His research brings theologians like Thomas Aquinas and Hans Urs von Balthasar into conversation with voices from the theological periphery, like Bartolomé de las Casas and Saint Óscar Romero, guided by the conviction that Christian theology sounds best when it is symphonic.  

Additional Resources 

Óscar Romero’s Theological Vision by Edgardo Colón-Emeric. 

The Power of the Mystics: How Contemplation Cultivates Resistance 

March 22 

We might think of mystical spirituality as a retreat from the world, an evasion of responsibility. Yet the opposite is true: At its core, contemplative spirituality cultivates compassion and renews our connection to the people around us, fostering solidarity with the oppressed. Author and philosopher James K.A. Smith will lead a discussion that considers medieval mystic St. Teresa of Ávila’s example, exploring how contemplative spirituality can ground our social justice work. 

James K.A. Smith is professor of philosophy at Calvin University where he holds the Gary & Henrietta Byker Chair. As a scholar, Smith has embraced the vocation of being a “translator” of philosophy for wider audiences. As a cultural critic and commentator, he explores the tensions of modern life, inviting readers and audiences to more intentional practices of faith and flourishing. His latest book is Make Your Home in This Luminous Dark: Mysticism, Art, and the Path of Unknowing, coming in March 2026 from Yale University Press. 

Additional Resources 

James K.A. Smith on stillness in Darius Marder’s film The Sound of Metal.  

Watch James K. A Smith’s conversation on tolerance with Kwame A. Appiah and Alfred Bishai.   

Spiritual Life Cycle: How We Grow in Faith 

How does our understanding of God evolve across different phases of our lives? What opportunities for growth — and change — do we find as children, young adults, and older people? In conversation with Scripture, we’ll discuss what Christian culture values about each life stage — and how rich spirituality can be cultivated in every season of our lives.  

Children in the Bible  

April 12 

What does the Bible say about the spiritual wisdom of kids? The Rev. Julie Faith Parker will kick off our exploration of the spiritual life cycle with a selection of Scriptures that uplift the voices and stories of young children.  

The Rev. Julie Faith Parker, PhD, is the Biblical Scholar in Residence at Marble Collegiate Church and a Visiting Scholar at Union Theological Seminary, both in New York City. She was awarded the PhD with distinction in Old Testament/Hebrew Bible from Yale University. She has taught biblical studies at multiple institutions, including Colby College, Yale Divinity School, General Theological Seminary, and Fordham University and is the author or editor of eight books. 

Additional Resources  

“Faith like a child,” an interview with the Rev. Julie Faith Parker in Religion News Service.  

Middle and Older Age in the Bible  

April 19 

How does the Bible speak to the experiences of older adults — and how can our faith impact our health as we age? Jason Ashe will share learnings from his cross-disciplinary research in medicine and religion.  

Jason Ashe completed his PhD in Community Psychology and Behavioral Medicine at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, followed by a Postdoctoral Fellowship in Epidemiology and Population Sciences at the National Institutes of Health. He joined the faculty of Emory College as an assistant professor in 2025 and previously held positions at UMBC and the Association of American Medical Colleges. Ashe’s research focuses on how religion and spirituality influence biological health and disease risk among Black Americans and older adults.  

Additional Resources  

“Racism Driver of Health Disparities, Outlier in Our Theology Of Illness” a virtual seminar on health inequities among Black Americans with Jason Ashe 

Adolescence in the Bible  

April 26 

From David fighting Goliath to 12-year-old Jesus slipping away to learn from the teachers at the temple, the Bible is full of stories of adolescence. The Rev. Matt Welsch, who as director of Children, Youth, and Family oversees Trinity’s Afterschool program for youth ages 12–18, will speak on the spiritual lives and faith formation journeys of teenagers.  

The Rev. Matt Welsch serves as Priest and Director, Children, Youth and Family at Trinity Church.  

Additional Resources  

“Caring for Our Youth,” a peek into Trinity Youth Afterschool 

Learn more about youth programs at Trinity 

Heavenly Voices: Music, Imagination, and Hope  

Music throughout history has been inflected by the Bible and other religious texts. So how can we think about song as a space for resonance and transcendence — to help us connect with the divine and our shared, sacred stories? Trinity Church’s Music team will lead conversations about the role music plays in our church life, culminating in a performance of selections from Messiaen’s Quatuor pour la fin du Temps (Quartet for the End of Time), a piece inspired by the Book of Revelation that was composed and first performed in a WWII concentration camp. 

Liturgical Imagination  

May 3 

Trinity’s Director of Music Melissa Attebury and Peyton Marion, assistant director of music education and outreach, explore how music in church can help us transcend our present difficulties and connect to the divine within — and all around us. 

Melissa Attebury was appointed Director of Music at Trinity Church in December 2023, becoming the first woman to hold this position in the church’s storied history. Prior to this role, she served as Director of Music Education and Outreach, a program she developed and expanded since 2011. Under her leadership, the program reached over 750 public school students and nurtured young vocal talent within the Trinity community through her work with the Trinity Youth Chorus. Melissa serves as principal conductor of The Choir of Trinity Wall Street, NOVUS NY, and the Trinity Baroque Orchestra. 

Peyton Marion enjoys a multifaceted career as an educator, administrator, performer, and conductor. The daughter of church musicians, Marion has an extensive background in performing and leading liturgical music across faith traditions and musical genres. She has served as a music educator at Trinity Church for 6 years and was appointed Director of Music Education in 2025. She holds a BM from UNC School of the Arts and an MFA from New York University.  

Additional Resources  

An introduction to the Anglican choral eucharist 

Theodicy Jazz Collective 

The Episcopal Church’s Hymnal 1982 

The Tree of Life, Music, and the End of Time  

May 10 

Consider the Book of Revelation’s apocalyptic story as a vision of hope, and examine the overarching narrative of the whole Bible: that God will end all suffering and bring justice to our world. Then experience an original musical meditation by composer Mario Diaz de Leon, performed by the Anzu Quartet, which references both Revelation and Olivier Messaien’s Quartet for the End of Time. 

Mario Diaz de Leon, PhD, is assistant professor of Music and Technology at Stevens Institute of Technology, where he teaches courses in history of electronic music, history of American popular music, communication practices for music and technology and electronic and computer music. He is a composer, performer, and producer whose creative work exploring the intersections of spirituality, sound, and technology has received numerous grants, funding support, and awards. 

Additional Resources  

“To Participate More Fully in the World,” an interview with Mario Diaz de Leon 

Mario Diaz de Leon on The Roulette Tapes Podcast 

The Church and Olivier Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Time 

May 17 

Taking inspiration from the Book of Revelation, Olivier Messiaen wrote his Quatuor pour la fin du temps while imprisoned in a German war camp in 1940–41. Trinity Organist Avi Stein will speak about Messiaen’s life and the composition of the Quatuor, followed by musical selections from the piece.  

Avi Stein is the organist and chorus master at Trinity Church and on the faculty of The Juilliard School, where he teaches continuo accompaniment, vocal repertoire, and chamber music. The New York Times described Stein as “a brilliant organ soloist” in his Carnegie Hall debut. Stein is the artistic director of the Helicon Foundation and has directed the International Baroque Academy of Musiktheater Bavaria and the young artists’ program at the Carmel Bach Festival. He has conducted a variety of ensembles, including Tafelmusik, Philharmonia Baroque, Opera Lafayette, the Portland Baroque Orchestra, the Bang on a Can All-Stars, and the Opéra Français de New York. 

Additional Resources  

“Five Things to Know About Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Time” from Carnegie Hall 

An interview with composer and conductor George Benjamin on studying composition with Olivier Messiaen. 

“What’s the Colour of Music? Messiaen and Colour” video essay 

Past Sessions

A Theology of Giving: Justice, Prosperity, and Philanthropy

Generosity is central to Christian practice. We give our time, talent, and financial resources because we know our lives are interconnected — one person cannot flourish until everyone has all they need. In conversations with leaders from the church, faith-based nonprofits, and the fundraising sector, come build a theological framework for giving, on both individual and institutional levels, to work toward our common good. 

Using Our Resources to Respond to Climate Catastrophe 

January 11 

How do we respond to the climate emergency — and humanitarian crises that come in its wake? Katie Mears of Episcopal Relief & Development discusses their on-the-ground experience with disaster relief and how we might view climate change, and its wide-ranging effects, through a Christian lens.  

Katie Mears is the senior technical specialist, U.S. Disaster and Climate Risk, at Episcopal Relief & Development. With 20 years of experience in faith-based disaster response, Katie provides technical assistance and leadership to responding church and community partners, focused on innovative interventions for vulnerable populations.  | Watch the recording

Additional Resources 

The Migration Data Portal provides comprehensive data on how climate change is influencing human mobility across the world.   

Listen to experts convened by the Governance Studies at Brookings Institution discuss how U.S. communities are vulnerable to climate change and how to prepare for the dislocations it causes. 

The Connection Between Giving and Justice  

January 18

In addition to delivering the sermon on MLK Sunday, the Rev. Canon John Thompson-Quartey, Canon for Ministry in the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta, leads a conversation on how we might center social justice in our Christian giving practices.  

The Rev. Canon John Thompson-Quartey has served as Canon for Ministry in the Diocese of Atlanta since 2014. In this role, he initiated a plan for congregational vitality that culminated in the creation of the diocese’s College for Congregational Development. He has also worked to revitalize campus ministries and increase student participation, including the launch of three new campus ministries.  | Watch the recording

Additional Resources 

In The Priority of Love: Christian Charity and Social Justice, Timothy P. Jackson, associate professor of Christian Ethics at The Candler School of Theology at Emory University, explores the relationship between Christian charity, or agape, and social justice.  

In an article from Christianity Today, Craig Bloomberg, author of bestseller Christians in an Age of Wealth: A Biblical Theology of Stewardship, speaks about the Bible’s two-sided portrayal of wealth and how good stewardship is best exemplified in sacrificial giving. 

What Is Christian Giving? 

January 25 

The Sunday, January 25 Discovery session was postponed due to inclement weather, and will be rescheduled for Fall 2026.

How might we use the resources we’ve got to serve God’s purposes? And how should institutions wisely steward funds to make the greatest impact in caring for our communities — and all of creation? Hear from philanthropy experts and Trinity parishioners Hilary Pennington and Buff Kavelman, as well as Trinity’s Chief Philanthropies Officer Beatriz de la Torre, in a panel discussion on how we can make the most of our time, talent, and money to work for a more prosperous world. 

Hilary Pennington is the former executive vice president of the Ford Foundation, where she worked across programs and offices to ensure strategic, meaningful, and well-aligned global grantmaking. She serves on the vestry of Trinity Church. 

Buff Kavelman founded The Kavelman Group Philanthropic Advisors (TKG) in 2007 to help donors and nonprofit leaders build lasting impact in the communities they serve. Over 30+ years of experience as a funder, board member and nonprofit executive, she has launched new initiatives and the partnerships that sustain them. Clients support the arts, education, public health, economic opportunity and social justice nationally and in over 60 countries. They range from start-ups to institutions with years of achievements. Previously Buff held senior positions at the Smithsonian and Columbia University.

Beatriz (Bea) de la Torre serves as the chief philanthropy officer of Trinity Church, where she oversees philanthropic work across five initiatives: racial justice, housing and homelessness, mission real estate development, leadership development, and Lower Manhattan. Prior to this appointment, de la Torre was managing director for Trinity’s Housing and Homelessness initiative, securing and implementing high-impact interventions to break the cycle of mass homelessness in New York City.  

Additional Resources 

Learn about how Trinity Church is supporting justice initiatives in New York and around the world. 

Check out Generous Giving, an organization founded by The Maclellan Foundation that provides resources and hosts conferences about biblical generosity. 

Listen to the Very Rev. David Montieth, the dean of Canterbury Cathedral, preach at Trinity on doing right with money.