6 February 2022
In This Week's eVoice:


  1. COVID Response Update
  2. Adult Christian Forums - Save the Dates
  3. Rainbow Flag
  4. CT Forum - February 25
  5. Compline
  6. Choir Update
  7. Women Together
  8. Trinity Book Group
  9. Worship With Us
  10. Calendar
  11. News from EECT
  12. ECCT Bishop Search
  13. eVoice Deadline
  14. QR Codes
  15. Grace Academy
Update on Our COVID Response

Dear Trinity Community,

As COVID continues to surge again, I want to give you some updates regarding our plans for worship, inform you of new COVID protocols that we are implementing, and remind you of existing protocols.

At the 21 Dec 21 Vestry meeting the lay leadership and I agreed that it is very important for us to continue to offer in person worship while encouraging everyone to make the decision of whether to worship in person or online based on their individual circumstances. While we will continue with in person worship, we will discontinue Coffee Hour for the time being. In order to make in person worship as safe as possible we are implementing a few new protocols:
  • All Communion Ministers, Acolytes, Vergers, and Intercessory Prayer Team Members are being asked to provide me with proof of 2 shots of COVID Vaccine.
  • At this time, only the Bread will be offered at Communion. We ask that if you would like to receive Communion, please maintain distance as you come forward. Please do not remove your mask to consume the Sacrament until you have returned to your seat.
  • We are asking everyone to wear either a surgical mask or a (K)N95 mask. Cloth masks alone have been shown to be inadequate in preventing the spread of COVID. (If you want to wear a cloth mask feel free to wear it over a surgical or (K)N95 mask.
As a reminder of our current protocols:
  • All persons should wear a mask covering their mouth and nose at all times when inside public parts of the building. (Staff in their offices may remove their masks as long as they are alone and their door is closed.)
  •  All persons not in the same household/exposure bubble should maintain at least six feet of distance, including at the Communion Rail. 
  • There should be no physical contact between persons not in the same household/exposure bubble. 

Thank you for your cooperation as we continue to seek to keep each other safe. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to me.

In Peace,
~Rev. D.
Adult Christian Formation Programs
 
THIS SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 6

GENDER PRONOUNS
A ‘SAFE-SPACE’ CONVERSATION
 
In her announcement about the new rainbow flag adorning our entrance, Rev. D. invited us to consider “listing our pronouns” on our nametags. For some of us, this practice has become routine in our social and work lives. Others of us may have questions, concerns, and even anxiety about the issue of identifying our gender so explicitly.

Whatever your feelings are about this issue, please join us via Zoom after the 10 o’clock service this Sunday, February 6, to talk about it. Rev. D. will facilitate the discussion, help us better understand the issue, and make sure that everyone has an opportunity to both listen and be heard.
The forum will begin at 11:30 am.

Join Zoom Meeting


Meeting ID: 858 2842 5614
Passcode: 733157

Dial by phone
    929-436-2866
Meeting ID: 858 2842 5614
Passcode: 733157
Save the Date - Sunday, February 13

What do Jimmy Kimmel, Cedric the Entertainer,
and Mark MacGougan have in common?
They have all hosted the popular game show,
“Who Wants to be a Millionaire?”

But of course, only Mark MacGougan has led the questioning in the very special version of the show for Episcopalians (okay, we admit that Mark’s version also didn’t make it to national television, but we remain hopeful…).

And now, back by popular demand, Mark MacGougan and his able assistant, Casey Rousseau will host “Who Wants to be an Episcopal Millionaire” on Sunday, February 13, following the 10 o’clock Eucharist. Following Covid protocols, the show will “air” on Zoom only. The link to the Zoom event will be available as we draw closer to the date. We hope you will plan to attend – it promises to be great fun!
Updated Rainbow Flag

Since 2014, Trinity has had a rainbow banner over the Sigourney Street entrance to the Sanctuary as a public sign that Gay and Lesbian people are welcome here. Over the years, that banner has become faded and weather-worn, and now has been replaced with a new one.  I chose to use a design that was created in 2018 by Daniel Quasar. This design is sometimes called the ‘progress pride’ flag. In this design, in addition to the usual rainbow, there is a triangle section with white, pink, light blue, brown, and black chevrons. The white, pink, and light blue represent people under the transgender umbrella, and the brown and black represent LGBTQ people of color. The black stripe also represents people living with AIDS, those who have died of AIDS, and the continued stigma associated with AIDS.

I chose this design because it more fully reflects the kind of welcome that we seek to embody as a place of welcome, hope, and healing. As we continue fostering a welcoming community for LGBTQ people, I am inviting you into the practice of listing your pronouns on your name tag (we can print you a new one) and using pronouns when introducing yourself in groups. Most people use individually, or in combination: he/him, she/her, or they/them* as their pronouns. However, there are other neopronouns that some people use. When everyone in a space shares their pronouns, it can create a more comfortable environment for all gender identities, without singling out those whose correct pronouns may not be obvious. It also allows everyone to be addressed and referred to in ways that align with their identity thus affirming their dignity. Some of us may already be familiar and comfortable with this practice, while it may be more of a struggle for others of us. My prayer is that as a community, we will have grace with each other and ourselves as we grow into this practice. If you have questions or would like to talk more about it, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me.

~Rev. D.

*It has grown increasingly accepted to use they/them as 3rd person singular pronouns.









CT FORUM PRESENTS:
“The Fight for Racial Justice”
Reckoning with and Dismantling Systemic Racism
Where: The Bushnell,166 Capitol Ave
Hartford, CT 06106
When:  February 25, 2022
Time:     7:30 PM

You’re invited to join the Trinity Community as we attend this timely and pertinent program.

A panel of powerful voices will reflect on the history of the fight for racial justice and examine and confront the structural inequities embedded in our society today. A critically important conversation, this Forum will address key issues such as policing, voting rights, civil rights, criminal justice reform, education, and more.
Featured Panelists: 
Julian Castro – Mayor of San Antonio, TX, and Political Analyst
Cathy Park Hong – Award Winning Poet
Baratunde Thurston – Writer, Activist and Comedian

Trinity Community for Racial Justice has partnered with the CT Forum Ticket Outreach Program to offer discounted and free tickets to this event.

Our block of tickets is in the Mezzanine section of The Bushnell. This forum will be available via livestream for ticketholders not comfortable attending in-person.

Look for ticket information in future editions of the weekly E-Voice. 
Ensemble

Soprano I - Alice Matteson
Soprano II - Allison Holst-Grubbe
Alto - Benjamin Rauch
Tenor - Jack Pott
Baritone - Jermaine Woodard Jr.
Bass - Luke Scott

Repertoire
Spaséñiye, sodélal (Salvation is Created) - Pavel Chesnokov (1877-1944)
This Russian anthem was composed in 1912 and was the last sacred piece composed by Chesnokov before the Soviet Union began to suppress Christianity.

Heyr Hymna Smiduð (Hear, Heavenly Creator) - Þorkell Sigurbjörnsson (1938-2013)
Heyr Hymna Smiduð is an ancient Icelandic hymn written by Kolbeinn Tumason in 1208 before The Battle of Víðanes, which ultimately claimed his life.

Psalm 150 - John Michael Trotta (b. 1978)

Hear My Prayer - Moses Hogan (1957-2003)
Moses Hogan dedicated this to the memory of Jester Hairston (1901-2000), a Goodwill Ambassador for the government, who spent his life traveling the country to teach spirituals. Everywhere he went, he looked up his last name in each city's phone book, trying to find relatives that may have been lost in the long journey to freedom. 

Nunc dimittis - Tomás Luis de Victoria (1548-1611)
Choir Update 

As is the case with so many other churches right now, the Adult Choir of Trinity Episcopal Church is on a temporary hiatus until COVID rates subside significantly. However, we are happy to have small ensemble vocal leadership during this time!

Each Sunday, we assemble socially-distant groups of 3-8 singers each, who safely help provide music ministry while we weather the Omicron surge.

All singers are welcome to join us for these small-ensemble opportunities!
Email Michelle Horsley (MHorsley@trinityhartford.org) for details.
Women Together Meets,
now via Zoom

Women Together is reading The Cloister Walk by Kathleen Norris. All women are welcome to attend. Currently, women from Trinity, St. Monica's, St. John's, and friends attend this weekly discussion and fellowship group. The meetings are now taking place on Tuesdays, from 2:00-3:15 on Zoom. For more information, please contact Cathy Rowe (crowedy@yahoo.com) or Linda MacGougan (macgougans@gmail.com).
Trinity Book Group
4 March 2022
 
Trinity’s Book Group - open to all - will discuss An Odyssey: A Father, A Son, and an Epic by Daniel Mendelsohn at its March 4th meeting.

The author teaches a college course on the Odyssey. The book begins with the author's father sitting in on his course and tells of their exploring the story together, first in the classroom and then on a ship retracing Odysseus' voyage.

They also grapple with their own relationship, which deepens as they come to understand each other better. Book Group will meet on Friday, March 4th, 7-9 pm, at the home of Jon Reik in Farmington. Please contact him jonr720@aol.com if you plan to attend. All are welcome!
Worship With Us at Trinity Church
Sunday, February 6
Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany

8 AM Holy Eucharist in the Church

10 AM Holy Eucharist in the Church and live-streamed via YouTube
Thursday, February 10

Noonday Prayer on Zoom

(Thursday noon services: Eucharist in-person on the first Thursday of each month, Noon Prayer on Zoom the remaining Thursdays.)
Weekly Calendar
Sunday, February 6th
8:00 A.M.
10:00 A.M.
11:30 A.M.

Monday, February 7th
5:00 P.M.

Tuesday, February 8th
2:00 P.M.
6:00 P.M.
7:00 P.M.

Wednesday, February 9th
7:00 P.M.

Thursday, February 10th
12:00 P.M.
6:00 P.M.
7:00 P.M.

Friday, February 11th
7:00 P.M.

Sunday, February 13th
8:00 A.M.
10:00 A.M.
11:30 A.M.
Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany
Holy Eucharist Rite II (Church)
Holy Eucharist Rite II (Church)
Adult Christian Formation (Zoom)


ACF Meeting (Zoom)


Women Together (Zoom)
Choir School Rehearsal (Sanctuary)
Faith In Action (Zoom)


Property Team Meeting (Zoom)


Noonday Prayer (Zoom)
Choir School Rehearsal (Sanctuary)
Intercessory Prayer Team Meeting (Zoom)


NA Group Meeting (Huntington Hall)

Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany
Holy Eucharist Rite II (Church)
Holy Eucharist Rite II (Church)
Adult Christian Formation (Zoom)
News from the Diocese

Click the links below to read up on what's going on in the Episcopal Church in Connecticut, and in our North Central Region.
Bishop Search & Transition News
 
Updated information about the search for our next bishop can be found at ctbishopsearch.org.
eVoice Deadline

All announcements should be submitted to Barbara Roos at office@trinityhartford.org by Thursday 9am for publication that week. Announcements that are submitted late will be held until the following week’s edition.
120 Sigourney Street
Hartford, CT 06105
860.527.8133