Worship & Congregation

Trinity Church Wall Street celebrated the Sacrament of Baptism on Sunday, November 6, 2022.

This Sunday is all about the saints who came before us, the ordinary saints who live among us,  and those who are joining our company of saints in Holy Baptism.

At first glance, it seems that Jesus is setting out a diagram of opposites. It is an upside-down world: the great reversal that the reign of God brings.

This long season after Pentecost, also called Ordinary Time, continues for another month. This week, we hear a story that some children might remember. It’s the story of Zacchaeus, who a lot of people didn’t like because of his behavior.

In our Gospel this week, we hear the story of Zacchaeus. Those of us who experienced formal faith formation in childhood will remember this story, as it was a favorite of Sunday school teachers because they thought children could relate to Zacchaeus’s height and, of course, climbing trees.

A story explaining the connection between Halloween, All Saints' Day, and All Faithful Departed.

As we’ve noticed this fall, Jesus used parables to make a point, especially about matters of good character and behavior. Rather than shaming or calling out individuals, even people who were trying to insult him, Jesus sometimes exaggerated character flaws and situations in the parables and made them funny. By doing this, his point was made clear, but it also represented God’s kin-dom in loving and forgiving terms, which turned the former interpretations of religious laws of crime and punishment upside down.

God, who searches our hearts and motivations, calls on us to enact a posture of repentance. In such a posture, we open ourselves to God in full awareness of who we are. We can then experience God’s mercy and kindness as a gift of grace.