An announcement from Kelley

The year 2020 has been one of a lot of changes. We have had to learn how to do many things in new ways. We said goodbye to Thomas as he began his new ministry in Auburn. I was ordained a priest. Through all these changes, the community of Trinity Commons has continued to welcome students and grow in faith.

My time with Trinity Commons will conclude on December 31, 2020. I came to Trinity Commons in August 2018 to serve as the deacon. With your support and prayers, I discerned a call to the priesthood. I have enjoyed my time spent in worship on campus and at the student center. I have enjoyed cooking, sharing meals, and all the conversations. I will always be grateful for my time in this community.

Bishop Glenda has appointed the Rev. Emily Collette to serve at Trinity Commons beginning January 2021. Emily is likely a familiar face to some of you. When she was a student at UAB, she was very active at Trinity Commons and was a resident. She joined the Advisory Board in Fall 2020 and has joined us for worship recently. I know that the ministry of Trinity Commons is in good hands, and am excited to see how this vital ministry will continue and take shape in 2021.

I will continue my work with the diocese as the communications coordinator. Thank you for your support in my time at Trinity Commons. You will continue to be in my prayers.

With love,
Kelley+

This Week.

John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Mark 1:4

Advent is the season of John the Baptist, showing up in the readings for two Sundays. John appears in all four gospels and is the forerunner of Jesus. John is an important figure in Christianity, Islam, and Bahai. In addition to “the Baptist,” John is often called “the Forerunner.” In looking at how John is depicted in religious art, we should and “the Pointer” as an option. 

In art John is often depicted as pointing to Jesus, or if John is alone pointing up to heaven. John’s pointing is a visual reminder that he is not the message. No matter how many people come out to see John, his message is “one who is more powerful than I is coming after me.” 

While the liturgical season of Advent is four weeks, the Church lives in a perpetual state of Advent. We are all living in hopeful expectation for Christ’s return in glory. And in our waiting, we are called to be like John the forerunner. We are called to point beyond ourselves to Christ in the world and the Kingdom of God that is already but not yet. 

Where do you see Jesus in the world? And how can you point others towards Christ? 

For those of you finishing finals, I pray that you are calm, rested, and that the answers come easily. For those of you that may be traveling home, I pray that you arrive safely.

Over the winter break, we won’t have hang out hours at Trinity Commons, but you can reach me by email anytime. In December, our worship will be at 6 pm on Sundays on Zoom.

– Kelley

_{Thank you for all you have done to support Trinity Commons in this year. 
I invite you to make a financial gift to support the ongoing ministry of Trinity Commons.
You can give now at http://bit.ly/TCGives.}

This Week.

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.”Philippians 4:4

Scholars believe that the Apostle Paul wrote these words to the church in Philippi while he was imprisoned. Paul writes to the church to thank them for their gifts and support of his ministry, and reports that his imprisonment has not been a hinderance, but rather has helped him spread the gospel. So, from his confinement, he rejoices and invites the Philippians to do the same.

The year 2020 has brought many challenges. In March, we thought that the school closures would be temporary and that our students would be back after spring break. But as COVID-19 took hold, we realized that would not be possible. We grieved the cancellation of in-person worship and our Tuesday gatherings. Our students faced the disappointments of cancelled graduations, trips, and the loss of jobs. But even in the time of COVID-19, we are called to “rejoice in the Lord always.”

With this calling in mind, we gathered on Zoom for fellowship and worship, and rejoiced that we could stay connected and that new people, students and faculty, were able to join us. Our current and past students joined us to offer a virtual Easter Vigil, and while it was not what we were used to, we rejoiced that we could remain connected.

We rejoice and give thanks that through your financial support we have been able to continue our ministry online and on campus. Your gifts have allowed us to provide financial assistance to students that lost employment during the shutdown, to return safely to in-person worship while maintaining a virtual presence, and to gather again, physically distanced, to eat supper on Sunday nights. While boxed Sunday suppers and spaced-out seating are not what we are used to, we rejoice that we can gather for fellowship and to share a meal.

As we look to 2021, it seems certain that the world, the church, and college ministry will look different when the pandemic passes. I invite you to join us in our ministry by making a financial gift to support Birmingham Episcopal Campus Ministries. You can make a one-time or recurring gift online at bit.ly/TCGives. With your financial support, we will continue, in new and creative ways, to seek and serve Christ in all persons and to share the good news of Jesus Christ with the students, faculty, and staff on college campuses in Birmingham.

Rejoice!

Kelley+

WINTER BREAK SCHEDULE

Tuesday

• 2-5 p.m. Drop-in Hours at Trinity Commons
  Come by for a chat or just to take a break.

Sunday

• 6 p.m. Worship on Facebook or YouTube
  We invite you to join our worship online on Facebook or YouTube. This week’s worship is a recorded service because Kelley will be at Camp McDowell broadcasting Bishop Sloan’s Virtual Celebration.

This Week.

On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was going through the region between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered a village, ten lepers approached him. Keeping their distance, they called out, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” When he saw them, he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were made clean. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. He prostrated himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus asked, “Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then he said to him, “Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well.”  Luke 17:11-19 

Martin Luther was once asked to describe the nature of true worship. His answer: the tenth leper turning back. This passage from Luke is the gospel reading assigned for Thanksgiving Day, and it points us to the importance of giving thanks. There are also some other details in this story that speak to our Thanksgiving Day experiences.

Jesus, on his way to Jerusalem, finds himself in an in-between place where Jews and Samaritans meet. There was long-standing conflict between Jews and Samaritans. Samaritans are the other, the enemy. But yet in the Gospel of Luke, Samaritans are the exemplar of loving our neighbors and of giving thanks. By using Samaritans in this way, Luke invites us to see that the Samaritans are not the enemy, but instead are our neighbors that we can learn something from.

Family gatherings can be in-between places, where folks with lots of history and baggage come together. In 2020, our Thanksgiving Day should look quite different. We will be spread out in backyards or joining by Zoom, and there will likely be points of disagreement and tension. When you are fed up with wearing a mask, I hope you give thanks that you have the chance to protect those around you by leaving your mask on. And when someone says something you disagree with, or someone can’t work Zoom right, I hope that you give thanks that you can gather with friends or family even with COVID-19 precautions. 

If we focus on giving thanks, we will spend less time being frustrated with the weirdness of Thanksgiving Day 2020.

– Kelley

SCHEDULE

Tuesday

• 3-6 p.m. Drop-in Hours at Trinity Commons
  Come by for a chat or just to take a break.

Sunday

• 6 p.m. Worship at Trinity Commons & Zoom
  Join us for Holy Eucharist in the chapel. Wear a mask and invite a friend. You can also join us via Zoom.

This Week.

Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning: Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

The collect for this past Sunday instructs us that God “caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning.” This means the passages that comfort us like Psalm 123:3 “So our eyes look to the Lord our God, * until he show us his mercy.” This means the passages that challenge us like Matthew 15:30: “throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” It also means the Scriptures that we have just forgotten about, like the entirety of the Book of Judges.

This Sunday we heard seven verses from Chapter 4 of the Book of Judges. This is the only time in the three year lectionary cycle that we hear anything from this book. Judges is a collection of stories of the cyclical leadership of Israel. The cycle was generally Israel would fall into sin, bad things happen, a judge would be lifted up, Israel would repent, things would get better, and then the slide back into sin. There were six judges in all. The brief passage introduces us to Deborah, the only judge that was a woman. Deborah is also the only judge that was viewed as uniformly positive and identified as the “mother in Israel.”

You might be surprised by the stories told in judges. This is the book where the story of Samson and Delilah is told. It includes military battles and intrigue to rival Game of Thrones. But more importantly, when we read the whole book, in the context of the larger story of God, we see again and again that God is faithful, even when we are not. 

Maybe this week you can take a moment and turn to a part of the Bible you have not read before, you might be surprised what you find there. I hope you join us at BSC for our last Holy Eucharist of the semester at 11:45 am today, or drop by the Trinity Commons this afternoon. 

– Kelley

SCHEDULE

Tuesday

• 11:45 a.m. Worship at BSC
  I will be on campus at 10 am, come by and say hello. Then join us IN THE CHAPEL for a short service of Holy Eucharist.
• 3-6 p.m. Drop-in Hours at Trinity Commons
  Come by for a chat or just to take a break.

Sunday

• 6 p.m. Worship at Trinity Commons & Zoom
  Join us for Holy Eucharist in the chapel. We will again welcome the Rev. Emily Collette as our preacher. Sunday Supper following the service. Wear a mask and invite a friend. You can also join us via Zoom.

This Week.

Thank you to all the folks that were present, joined virtually, or offered well wishes and prayers for my ordination on Saturday. It was a beautiful and joy-filled service. If you were not able to join live, the service is available here. 

It’s hard to believe that we are already near the end of this semester. I must admit at the beginning of the semester I expected that we would have another shutdown. But all y’all kept vigilant with COVID precautions, and we have been able to continue to gather. 

In the reading from Matthew this week, Jesus tells a parable about 10 bridesmaids, 5 of which are deemed wise and 5 foolish. All 10 were excited for the bridegroom to arrive and were dressed and lamps lit. All 10 fell asleep when the bridegroom did not arrive on time. The 5 that are found to be wise were those that brought extra oil. They came ready, filled with hope, but knowing that things may not go as planned or as they would like it. Because of their preparation, they were able to refill their lamps and to join the bridegroom at the celebration.

Very little about 2020 has gone as planned or hoped for. Be we are still called to be ready. To be ready to seek and serve Christ in all persons. To be ready to work for justice and peace. That means saying our prayers, wearing masks and physically distancing, and keep washing our hands. We may be tired of all this, but we have got to keep vigilant and be ready.

I hope you join us on campus at BSC for Holy Eucharist at 11:45 am today, or drop by the Trinity Commons. Also, another reason to be ready is that the bishop is coming! Bishop Kee Sloan and the Ven. Lou Thibodaux will be with us on Sunday for Holy Eucharist and supper. 

– Kelley

SCHEDULE

Tuesday

• 11:45 a.m. Worship at BSC
  I will be on campus at 10 am, come by and say hello. Then join us IN THE CHAPEL for a short service of Holy Eucharist.
• 3-6 p.m. Drop-in Hours at Trinity Commons
  Come by for a chat or just to take a break.

Sunday

• 6 p.m. Worship at Trinity Commons & Zoom
  Join us for Holy Eucharist in the chapel. Bishop Sloan will be with us. To join us in person signup here. Sunday Supper following the service. Wear a mask and invite a friend. You can also join us via Zoom.

This Week.

“So whatever your politics, however you have or will cast your vote, however this election unfolds, wherever the course of racial reckoning and pandemic take us, whether we are in the valley or the mountaintop, hold on to the hope of America. Hold on hope grounded in our shared values and ideals. Hold on to God’s dream. Hold on and struggle and walk and pray for our nation.” – Presiding Bishop Michael Curry, November 1, 2020

Last week, on Tuesday, October 27, I clicked on the video of the Birmingham City Council meeting. One of the first things they did that day was honor Martha Mae Ophelia Moon Tucker (pictured above in 1963). Ms. Tucker will retire as the chief inspector of her polling place tomorrow, after serving as a poll worker for 57 years. 

When she registered to vote in 1963 the first question that was asked of her was if she could spell her name. That was just the first of the ridiculous questions that she had to answer. But she stayed the course, answered them all, and registered to vote. She then signed up to be a poll worker and has worked every election since then. She has also voted in every election since 1963 too.

Yesterday, Presiding Bishop Michael Curry gave a wonderful sermon. It is 27 minutes long, and worth every minute. You can listen to it here. As he concluded, he reminded us that we are to hold on to God’s dream “and struggle and walk and pray for our nation.” 

Tomorrow is the day that many of us have been waiting for and dreading. I hope you vote tomorrow. If you have already voted, I hope you remind someone else to vote. Even if you think the whole system is broken, I want you to vote. I want you to vote because Martha Mae Ophelia Moon Tucker knows that voting matters, and she struggled and worked for 57 years so that everyone can vote. 

And I want you to pray. We can’t hold on to God’s dream if we aren’t listening to what God has to tell us. Below you will find this week’s schedule and the opportunities that we have to gather for prayer. 

I also want you to take care of yourself. Between the election and the pandemic, there is plenty to be anxious about. So wash your hands, wear your mask, and be kind to yourself.

I hope to see you on campus or at the student center this week. Come by and say your prayers or just have a chat.

– Kelley

SCHEDULE

Tuesday

• 11:45 a.m. Worship at BSC
  I will be on campus at 10 am, come by and say hello. Then join us IN THE CHAPEL for a short service of prayers, scripture, and Holy Communion.
• 3-6 p.m. Drop-in Hours at Trinity Commons
  Come by for a chat or just to take a break.
• 6:30 p.m. Election Day Evensong
  Join us at St. Andrew’s (or on Facebook) for a special service of prayers for our country. More info

Saturday

• 11 a.m. Kelley’s Ordination to the Priesthood at St. Andrew’s
  While in-person attendance will be limited, the service will be live-streamed. More info

Sunday

• 6 p.m. Worship at Trinity Commons & Zoom
  Join us for Church in the chapel. Sunday Supper following the service. Wear a mask and invite a friend. You can also join us via Zoom.

This Week.

SCHEDULE

Tuesday

• 11:45 a.m. Worship at BSC
  I will be on campus at 10 am, come by and say hello. Then join us IN THE CHAPEL as we say our prayers and continue our reflections on the Sermon on the Mount.
• 3-6 p.m. Drop-in Hours at Trinity Commons
  Come by for a chat or just to take a break.

Sunday

• 6 pm Worship at Trinity Commons & Zoom
  Join us for Church in the chapel. Sunday Supper following the service. Wear a mask and invite a friend. You can also join us via Zoom.

This Week.

Jesus said, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? … But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.” Matthew 6:25-26, 33-34

During the shutdown, my neighbor hung a bird feeder. There was the initial frustration of squirrels raiding the feeder, but after trying out some tricks the squirrels were deterred. That meant that we got to spend the summer watching the familiar cardinals and brown thrashers at the feeders, as well as new additions of house finches, rose-breasted grosbeaks, and other small birds.

At some point, my neighbor said she was worried that the birds were becoming dependent on the feeder and maybe her feeding them was affecting their ability to forage for food. I laughed a bit and said that I didn’t think that was how birds worked.

Do not worry. Jesus points to the birds and their reliance on God to provide for them to demonstrate why we shouldn’t worry. Birds don’t have to worry as long as they are being birds–eating at feeders, building nests, flying. Jesus’ call to us to not worry is a call to be who we are created to be–made in God’s image, beloved, and faithful. I don’t think Jesus expects that we will just stop worrying, but he does call for us to not get so caught up in worrying that we lose sight of God. When our priorities are in order–striving first for the Kingdom of God–we can stay focus on what matters.

What are you worrying about? What can you do today to stay focused and not let worry overtake you?

This week’s schedule is below. BSC folks take note that we are moving to Yielding Chapel for our Tuesday worship. I hope to see you soon on campus or at Trinity Commons.

-Kelley

SCHEDULE

This Week.

Jesus said, “Pray then in this way: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not bring us to the time of trial, but rescue us from the evil one. For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” Matthew 6:9-15

We say the Lord’s Prayer so often, that it is easy to forget that it is part of the Sermon on the Mount. This is a prayer that most of us can recite by memory. It is a prayer that we often go to in times of stress or need. While this prayer is thoroughly associated with the Christian faith, it is rooted in the faith and prayers of Israel. Which makes sense since Jesus was Jewish, as were the first disciples.

While the whole prayer is powerful, it is perhaps the opening line that is the most transformative. “Our Father.” When we pray in this way we are claiming our kinship to God, and because we are children of God we are part of a new family with countless siblings.

Maybe this is why this is the go-to prayer in times of distress. It reminds us that we are never alone. We are always God’s children, and we are always brothers and sisters in God.

What does the Lord’s Prayer mean to you? In all the craziness of 2020, how connected do you feel to God right now? How connected do you feel to others?

Check out the schedule below for times that we can connect through prayer and fellowship. I hope to see you soon on campus or at Trinity Commons.

-Kelley

SCHEDULE