Stories & News

Pentecost is also known as the birthday of the church. It’s not about just Trinity Church, or any church building. It is about all of us — the people who follow in Jesus’s way of peace!

The Gospel reminds us that the Church’s calling, as the body of Christ animated by the Holy Spirit, is to be a reconciling presence of Christ’s peace in the world. It reminds us, too, in an age replete with conflict and the political manipulation of truth, that the way of life for Christians is clear: to be agents of peace, to be the reconciling presence of Christ in the world. 

Nonprofit Finance Fund (NFF) is a New York City-based nonprofit lender and consultant that helps organizations support their communities by offering capital, strategic advice, and accessible insights. Together, loan funds, technical assistance, and capacity-building offerings have enabled Trinity and NFF to provide funding that benefits grantee partners and the communities they serve. 

But through prayer and song while in jail, [Paul and Silas] realized God’s justice is bigger than merely knowing what’s right — and that the freedom to offer compassion and mercy is more powerful than any punishment.

I’ve been enjoying a television series called Midnight Diner. Each episode offers a little vignette about universal human longings. It takes place in a simple after-hours diner in Tokyo where up to a dozen guests sit down at the square counter and call out their order — usually a food of some kind that brings back tender memories of home. Most of the quiet action of each episode happens on this small set. The chef, whom they call “Master,” is a man of few words.

Perhaps this story is not simply about God rewarding believers but another of Paul’s (and humanity’s) “conversions” — from hubris to humility, again and again, continuously. Could the cyclical nature of our reunions with the Holy Spirit be the divine oneness we all share? Is this what Jesus pleads for us in the Gospel just before he ascends to be one with God; incarnation to reincarnation, the Alpha and the Omega?

This week, we hear a story of Paul’s dream, or vision, when he heard God’s voice so clearly that he and his friends traveled across the sea to share the good news with more and more people and communities.

LGBTQ+ communities around the world recognize June as Pride Month. Here at Trinity we celebrate Pride 365 days a year with programming that welcomes and affirms our lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) siblings.

“Trinity Commons is the center for our parish life. Since the building is still new and was closed for two years, visitors may be unfamiliar with the building and even feel intimidated when entering it,” said Maggy Laraque, who is leading the program. “The Trinity Ambassador Program was created to help address those concerns.”

What Jesus offers is peace grounded in God’s love. It is a peace accessible and present every moment of every day if we choose to ground ourselves in God. We do not seek this peace to make ourselves feel better but rather as a response to our relationship with the Holy One. This relationship propels us to offer our peace-centered love to others.