May 31st

Retreat and Remembrance of Baptism Gathering

WELCOME AND LITURGY OF GATHERING 

Leader: Hear the words of Psalm 104: 1-4. In the image of God, you created everything and called it good!

In abundant diversity, your likeness is found in us.

We reject all messages that belittle or degrade any among us.

And so in faithfulness to God and one another we proclaim:

ALL: Sacred are our bodies of every size and ability.

Blessed are our sexualities, drawing us towards love of many kinds.

Beloved is every gender, revealing you in different ways.

Leader: To our skin, beautiful in every shade, we say

ALL: hallelujah! We praise God, our Creator, who blesses us with this world, these bodies, and our fellow creatures, all created good, very good.

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

God of Wonders

Lord of all creation

Of water, earth, and sky

The heavens are Your tabernacle

Glory to the Lord on high

God of wonders beyond our galaxy

You are holy, holy

The universe declares your majesty

You are holy, holy

Lord of heaven and earth

Lord of heaven and earth

Early in the morning

I will celebrate the light

When I stumble in the darkness

I will call your name by night

Hallelujah, to the Lord of heaven and earth

Hallelujah, to the Lord of heaven and earth

Hallelujah, to the Lord of heaven and earth

COMMUNITY CONFESSION

Leader: Feel the Spirit of God moving in your soul, speaking to you of hope and wholeness.  

Join me as we open ourselves to God's healing Spirit.

ALL:  Spirit of God, you come, moving us to love, yet we limit our affections to a select few. 

You come, speaking of new hope, but we still cling to the old ways of living. 

You come, glowing with the vision of the kin(g)dom, yet we close our eyes to your future. 

Forgive us, Spirit of Truth. Come to us, anew, this day.

Leader: God reminds us of our need to forgive and be forgiven. 

Like a cleansing storm, God takes away our shame, revealing our new life in Christ.

ALL: In every moment, God’s Spirit is with us. Thanks be to God!

Leader: Almighty God, the life you birthed in us by baptism into Jesus Christ will never die. Your justice never fails. Your mercy is everlasting.

Your healing river flows. Your Spirit blows where you will. We cannot stop you, God!

ALL: But sometimes we try. We try to block the flow, we redirect the winds of the Spirit, or we walk so far away from the life-giving Stream that we do not hear its sound, and we forget its power. We parch ourselves.

Leader: We are dry and thirsty, O God. Come, refresh us!

ALL: Forgive us, God of steadfast love. You have claimed our lives in baptism, so we might be set free from sin and be raised to new life. Just as you save us, so give us the strength to be willing to take up whatever task you give us, and the faith to be willing to lose our lives for others, so we might find life forever with you, through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

Leader: This is good news: God hears our prayers, our cries, our hearts. And, in Christ, we receive new life. We are free, free to walk in the Light of the Lord.

ALL: So, this is what we will do. We will open our hearts to God's grace; we will live as people who have died to sin and who live in Christ. Amen. 

RESPONSE & OFFERING OF WORSHIP                                                                                                                                 

Doxology

Praise God from Whom all blessings flow

Praise Him all creatures here below

Praise Him above the heavenly host

Praise Father Son and Holy Ghost

Amen.

The Offering Basket 

ANNOUNCEMENTS

IYG Food Pantry. IYG keeps a food pantry stocked and available to the folks they serve. As an organization that serves tweens, teens, and young adults you can imagine that the food goes pretty quickly. Over this summer we would like to do an ongoing food drive for the pantry. You can participate in the drive by purchasing through IYG's Amazon wish list here: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/3DAEFR3DASH2A/ref=hz_ls_biz_ex

 (please note in your purchase that you are with Trinity for their tracking purposes) or you can use that as a guide to purchase items on your regular grocery run and bring them to a gathering and we will get them to IYG. Any questions: ask Britney!

Mark your calendars for special (and off site) Gatherings this summer. More information to come on special Gatherings!

• Indy Pride Parade/Festival June 13th. Everyone is invited to join folks from Trinity at the Pride Parade! We will arrive early with coolers of water and snacks to help folks stay hydrated and fueled as they enjoy the Pride Festivities downtown.
  🗓️ Visit the event page for carpool and meetup information.

• Pride Brunch Gathering on Sunday, June 14th. Pride month (June) is rapidly approaching! Pride celebrations are holy, as they represent a casting off of chains and embracing of joy. A jubilee! To practice our own Pride jubilee, we will host a brunch Sunday on June 14. If you would like to join in the jubilee, please bring a dish to share. A cake and a dozen GF Pride cupcakes will be provided for this celebration. We will also have some tabletop games available for play! If any questions, please reach out to Emily (emily@indytrinity.org).

• Special Off-site Gathering on Sunday, June 21st. Mark your calendars as we prepare for a special Gathering to include the Haughville Walk and Talk with Sampson Levingston at Through2Eyes, Sunday, June 21st. Plan to arrive by 9:45 for brief liturgy before we walk and talk. More details to come! 

• Special Off-site Irvington Counseling Collective (ICC) on Sunday, July 12th. More details to follow. 

• Special Off-site Gathering at Octavia’s Visionary Campus (OVC) with Kheprw on SATURDAY, July 25th. (No Sunday Gathering on the 27th.)

• Special Off-site IYG on Sunday, August 16th. More details to follow. 

• Retreat weekend and Gathering Sunday, August 30th. In the works. Stay tuned. Please email contact@indytrinity.org if you’re interested in lending a hand in the planning. We plan to hold baptisms at the retreat Gathering on August 30th. Family Covenants may be offered in the near future. Please contact Britney Foster at britney@indytrinity.org regarding interest or questions for either.

Sermon Series. Check out the sermon series page to see where we’re headed. Reflection and discussion prompts as well as resources have been included.

First Ever Trinity Vacation Bible School! Mark your calendars for June 8-10 for VBS! Kids aged 3 through fifth grade are invited to participate from 5:30-7pm Monday through Wednesday (dinner will be included)! We'll be utilizing Illustrated Ministry's Compassion Camp and having so much fun! Please reach out to Britney with any questions and to RSVP at britney@indytrinity.org.

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 converse while serving, connect, and welcome folks to the Gathering. Arrival at 9:45am is great, particularly for last minute needs and welcoming people. Arrival by 9:30am is extra helpful for assisting with audio equipment and general set up. Cleaning up on the back end is appreciated and should only take 10-15 minutes. The hosting checklist is on the Gathering cart. Thank you!

May

3rd: Broad Ripple

10th: North/Carmel

17th: Midtown/Downtown

24th/Memorial Day weekend Brunch: Fishers

*31st/Retreat Gathering: Broad Ripple 

June

7: North/Carmel

14/Pride Brunch: Midtown/Downtown

*21/Walk and Talk - Fishers

28: Broad Ripple

REMEMBRANCE OF BAPTISM & FEASTING LITURGY

Siblings in Christ:

through the waters of baptism, 

we are brought into the family of God.

This family - the body of Christ - is rich in Divine creativity,

a community of people of many 

ages, races, abilities, genders, sexual orientations, and desires,

each a glimpse of God from a different angle.

God claims each of us with delight.

And we claim one another as companions in faith.

God's Spirit has been poured out upon water,

water poured over and immersing us,

water that flows freely for all who will receive it,

water from the streams of God's saving power and justice,

water that brings hope to all who thirst for righteousness,

water that refreshes life, nurtures growth, and offers new birth.

Today we come to the waters,

to renew our commitments

in each other's presence

to Christ who has raised us,

the Spirit who has birthed us,

and the Creator who is making all things new.

In our baptismal vows, 

we promise to love and support each other, 

working together to resist evil, injustice, and oppression in all its forms - within us and around us. 

We need each other in this shared work of enfleshing the dreams of God.

Today, we remember that the love we encounter through these waters 

cannot be undermined by bigotry or hate, by exclusion or injustice.

We are children of the Holy One,

Siblings in the life of God.

These family ties cannot be broken.

No one and nothing has the power 

to turn us away from our Creator.

We cannot be kicked out or accepted only in part.

The full embrace of God always extends to us.

And so today,

as we remember our baptism,

we also remember that through this new life in Christ we are set free:

To love wildly.

To live into whom God created us to be. 

And to claim the power God has given us

to turn from everything that destroys.

Through God’s grace,

we leave shame behind

and rejoice in the Good News

that sets the captives free.

We affirm and teach the faith of the whole church

as we put our trust

in God, the Father Almighty.

in Jesus Christ, his only Son.

and in the Holy Spirit,

One God now and forever. 

As we come to the Table, we are reminded that the Spirit of the Lord is with us.

Even so, come Lord Jesus!

Let us pray together.

God of Life and God of Love, through this gift of water, you do miraculous things. The dust of past shame and guilt are washed away. The bonds of love are restored. The possibilities of new life emerge. May it be so for us today as we remember our baptisms. May your Spirit be upon this water and all who gather at the Table, as we celebrate this Sacred family to which you have called us. Strengthen us in love for one another as we renew our commitment to the pursuit of the Kindom of God, where all your creatures and creations are beloved and free. Amen.

*At this time you may come to the water, dip your hand in remembrance of your baptism and head to brunch.

BRUNCH & COMMUNAL ACTIVITIES

DEPARTING BENEDICTION

Leader: The Lord be with you.

ALL: And also with you.

(Some liturgies adapted from lectionaryliturgies.blogspot.com and https://holdfasttowhatisgood.com/liturgy/prayer-of-confession/) 

GATHERING RESOURCES & 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. 

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)