April 12th

WELCOME AND LITURGY OF GATHERING 

Leader: Reading of Psalm 16 (FNV). This is the word of the Lord.

ALL: Thanks be to God.

Trinity is fostering a haven of belonging where wanderers and wonderers 

gather to discover and embody the love of Jesus in the world.

COMMUNAL SINGING

Great is Thy faithfulness

Great is Thy faithfulness, oh God my Father;
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not;
As Thou hast been, Thou forever wilt be.

Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon, and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

Continuously 

I will hold your right hand

Right beside you, my word is true

I am continuously, continuously 

With you 

Though your flesh and heart may fail

I will uphold you beyond the veil

I’m continuously, I’m continuously

With you

Rest in my love as you sleep tonight

Rest in the song that mercy sings

Your shield and strength all through the fire

I will be your covering

I’ll be your shelter where’er you go

When you wander I’ll bring you home

I am continuously, continuously 

with you

COMMUNITY CONFESSION

Leader: We pray, declaring that individualism is destructive, so:

ALL: Send greed and selfishness away.

Leader: That learned refusal to acknowledge

your own need for help –

ALL: let it be gone as well.

Leader: When possible,

counter all impulses towards privatized survival

with acts of love – collective and expansive –

with caring for others and accepting care.

ALL: Remember we need each other.

Remember the needs of your neighbors (literal and metaphorical).

Remember the vulnerable.

Remember, we are in this together, even when we don’t act like it.

Leader: People depend on your choices –

you depend on the choices of others.

This, a Sacred and terrible truth woven into our flesh.

ALL: So let this time be an opening

to all the sources of connection we have lost in this era of

pushing-down,

pushing-through,

pushing-away,

and pushing-the-pace.

Leader: Let all that is soft, all that is slow, all that is gentle,

all that is kind, all that is care-ful,

be welcome home in each of us.

ALL: We have such creative, powerful, generous and brave capacities within us.

We can choose to do things differently, to be different.

BLESSING AND PASSING THE PEACE 

Adults: The Lord be with you!

Children and Kids Ministry Leader: And also with you! 

During this time we greet one another, recognizing that we are all a part of the body, as PreK-5th grade children are led to their ministry space. Younger children and youth remain, and are welcome, in the Gathering. Materials for toddlers are available and we understand that their presence means they will be heard, no need to worry about their vocal contributions.

SERMON NOTES

Attentive People - Pay Attention

Psalm 86

*For discussion prompts visit the series page here.

LORD’S TABLE LITURGY

Leader: Holiness is the melody of who you are, Gentle God, and blessed is the Song of your heart, Jesus Christ. As he loved you, so he loved us: keeping your word close in his heart, he came singing of your gracious love; abiding in your promises of hope, he came bringing the harmony of peace for our fragmented lives; coming to judge the world with righteousness, he laid down his life for his friends and those who pierced him, trusting and believing that the funeral dirges they sang on that sad Friday, would be rearranged as Easter cantatas on that first morning of the new creation.

ALL: As we remember his life of faithful witness, death and resurrection, as we seek to follow his command to love, we sing of that mystery we call faith: The Singer was not silenced by death; the Singer was raised to new life; the Singer will come to lead us home to God.

Leader: Pour out your joyful Spirit upon the gifts of the bread and the cup and on your children gathered at your feast. We would open our hearts to receive the bread of life, not with silenced gratitude, but with glad songs of joy. We would empty ourselves to be filled with the cup's compassion, not with speechless thanks but with shouts of praise. As we learn the new song of sacrifice on behalf of others, we would go to serve the brokenhearted; as we are given the instruments of praise, we would turn them into the means to transform the lives of the hungry, the unhoused, the forgotten, the outcast.

ALL: And when our music has ended, and there is only the plainsong of life forever in the tender embrace of your peace, we will gather at the Table once again, hands and hearts, siblings in Christ, joining in the never-ending praise to you, God in Community, Holy in One. Amen.

*communion elements are alcohol and gluten free, not allergen free

RESPONSE AND OFFERING OF WORSHIP                                                                                                                                  

The Offering Basket 

Prayer requests may be posted in the Zoom chat (Zoom participants) or written and placed in the offering basket.

All of Your Ways Are Peace

All of your ways are peace

All of your ways are peace

Though we are pressed on ev'ry side

We trust that you are peace

All of your words are true

All of your words are true

Though we have heard so many lies

We trust your words are true

All of your ways are just

All of your ways are just

Though we may say it through our tears

We trust that you are just

ANNOUNCEMENTS

The new sermon series is now posted. Check it out to see where we’re headed. Reflection and discussion prompts as well as resources have been included.

First Nations Version of Psalms and Proverbs. Copies are now available for each household. Please pick up your copy at the Gathering and sign off that you’ve received one.

Practices. Trinity’s practices may be found on the website. As a reminder, Trinity believes the values and beliefs we hold are best lived out in practice as we embody our mission and move toward our vision. 

April Community Conversation. Join us after the Gathering TODAY Sunday, April 12 for a Community Conversation on hospitality. We’ll reflect on what hospitality looks like at Trinity as a church, and in our own lives, families, and neighborhoods. Share what helps people feel welcome, name what gets in the way, and help us choose some practical next steps we can actually try.

Civic Action Group Meeting - Join us for our next Civic Action Group (CAG) meeting on Sunday, April 26th, at 11:30 AM, right after the Gathering. We’ll meet in person at COhatch and virtually via Zoom for those joining remotely. Want to stay connected? Sign up for the CAG info list by filling out this info form! Contact joel@indytrinity.org with questions.

Local Grant Application. Have an idea that could bless our neighbors or kickstart something good? Trinity has local grant funds to help support projects led by Trinity folks or community members. These grants are awarded on a rolling basis, and partnership with Trinity is welcomed (but not required). Info and Application

Save the Date, we're going back to Sex Ed! On May 3rd, IYG's Angie Tarr will return to Trinity to lead our adults through a sex ed class after the Gathering. Many of us weren't blessed with the opportunity to have comprehensive sex education when we were young and don't feel prepared to lead our young people through this incredibly important part of their lived experience. The Youth will go on a fun adventure on their own while our grown-ups are in class. Please reach out to Britney for questions at britney@indytrinity.org.

Save the Dates! Summer Retreats. Mark your calendars for Friday, May 29th through Sunday, May 31st AND Friday, August 28th through Sunday, August 30th. Keep an eye on your emails! The Youth will be sending an email to invite you to our Spring Retreat May 29-31 at White River Campground and Strawtown Koteewi Park! There will be the opportunity to sign up for camping sites and extra activities for fun and community. Questions can go to Britney at britney@indytrinity.org.

Baptism and Family Covenants. We plan to hold baptisms at the retreat Gathering on Sunday, May 31st  as a part of the Gathering. If you are interested or have questions about baptism, please contact Melissa Millis at melissa@indytrinity.org. If you’re interested in a Family Covenant please contact Britney Foster at britney@indytrinity.org. 

THE BENEDICTION

Leader: Let us go from here with the confidence that God can, indeed, make all things new. 

Wherever evil and oppression declare their power,

ALL: may we, with even more boldness, proclaim the power of the living God in us.

Leader: The Creator of all that is,

ALL: The risen Christ who brings life out of destruction, 

And the Spirit, creative and surprising,

Leader: they go with us, today and always.

ALL: Thanks be to God!

Let us go in peace. Amen.

(Some liturgies adapted from lectionaryliturgies.blogspot.com and enfleshed.com - Rev. M Barclay) 

Remain in the Gathering space for general connection and prayer.

GATHERING RESOURCES AND INFORMATION

Guide and Service Dog Training. As we welcome Guide/Service Dogs at Gatherings, please familiarize yourself with resources under on these two websites https://www.guidedogs.com/resources/blindness-and-guide-dog-etiquette and https://www.guidedogsofamerica.org/best-practices-when-around-a-service-dog/  and discuss main points with those in your household. If you or anyone in your household has severe allergies or any fear of dogs, etc. please contact us (contact@indytrinity.org) so we can do our best to keep Gathering spaces welcoming for all. 

Health Guidelines. Gatherings can look differently according to the needs of our leaders and community if health concerns take effect. We ask that everyone remain flexible if and/or when this is the case. If a Gathering is going to be virtual, we will send an email by 8am on Sunday, or earlier. If you are experiencing fever, coughs, or other clear signs of illness, please remain home and join the Gathering via Zoom. If your symptoms are not highly contagious or you are unsure about exposing others, please wear a mask. Specifically, if you have been exposed to or have symptoms of Covid-19 or the Flu, you can follow the guidelines from the CDC to determine what are your best precautions to take.

Land Acknowledgement. We acknowledge that the land on which we gather for worship was stolen from Native peoples, who were driven out of the area and of their native lands by genocide, force (through broken treaties and laws imposed upon their nation), and systematic disposession.  The Myaamiaki, Kaskaskia, and Kickapoo peoples* and their sovereign Nations have cared for, and are deeply a part of, this land - past, present, and future. (ref: Repudiation of the Doctrine of Discovery, Trinity Church)

Gathering Hosting Schedule. As an act of service and care, please join staff, leaders, and others from your parish in hosting Sunday Gatherings. These are great times to connect and welcome others to converse while serving as well. Arrival at 9:45am is great, 9:30am is super helpful for assisting with audio equipment and/or indoor set up. Cleaning up on the back end should only take 10-15 minutes. The hosting checklist is in the Trinity office. Thank you!

April

5th/Easter: Broad Ripple

12th: North/Carmel

19th: Midtown/Downtown

26th: Fishers 

May

3rd: Broad Ripple

10th: North/Carmel

17th: Midtown/Downtown

24th/Memorial Day weekend Brunch: Fishers

*31st/Retreat Gathering: Broad Ripple 

* Indicates dates we plan to be off site and don’t really have hosting duties. However, we’d like to have a parish scheduled in the event plans shift.

First Nations Version of Psalms and Proverbs. We understand that the Spirit has no gender. While the FNV does use the word “Grandfather” for the Great Spirit, and we at Trinity might more naturally gravitate toward a feminine or gender-inclusive term for the Spirit, we have chosen to read from this version to open ourselves to the diverse humanlike depictions of Creator and hear these sacred texts in new ways. No translation is perfect. If you’d like to read what the translators of the FNV have to say about their choice regarding gender and the Great Spirit, you are welcome to read the excerpt at the front of this Trinity Gathering copy (it is marked).