Theological Truth: Advent provides us with the time to look back in order to look ahead to the Coming of Christ’s kingdom.
In the name of God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.
I always find it amusing when Advent begins right after Thanksgiving and it seems as if St. Paul sees us nodding off on the couch after our feasting, grabs the TV remote, turns off the football game, and screams, “it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep!” (Rom. 13:11) Hopefully you’ve recovered from the effects of that feasting!
This year, we move quickly from Thanksgiving to Advent—the beginning of our liturgical year. But there’s more going on here. It’s not only the end and beginning of our liturgical year, but also the end and beginning of our parish year. Today serves as Trinity’s annual meeting, where we thank our outgoing vestry members and elect new members to serve and steward the mission and ministries of our parish.
The moment between an end and a beginning provides a moment to pause. Given the year we have had, this year’s “pause” reminds me of a white-water rafting trip I chaperoned right after seminary. It was the culmination of a weeklong Appalachian mission trip. A group of 25 teenagers and eight or nine adults had camped in tents and constructed wheelchair ramps in the hills and hollers of Tennessee. The five hard days of labor were rewarded by a float trip on the Nantahala River on the last day. We loaded up into several rubber rafts, equipped with helmets, life jackets, and paddles. Oh yes, and an experienced guide who began with a terrifying warning about the dangers of the class IV rapids and the possibility of being “violently ejected” and even drowning if we didn’t follow his orders and heed his instructions. So, when he yelled, “Right side, two strokes forward,” or “Left side, one stroke back,” you better believe we did it.
Eventually, after making it about halfway through the trip, we came to a place where the river widened and the slope leveled. The water flowed gently and our guide invited us to take the opportunity to jump in, cool off, and catch our breath. As I floated along, I was able to appreciate the beauty of the scenery, the exhilaration of what we had experienced, the joy of the company, and a deep appreciation for the gift of it all. But eventually we had to get back in the raft. There were more rapids ahead.
Has this last year felt like a whitewater rafting trip to you? There have been rapids and turbulence, exhilarating moments and perilous events. As a parish, as a people of faith, as a nation, and as a world, we have survived a stretch of whitewater change that has caused us to set our jaws, focus our attention, and cling tightly to our paddles. This sort of teeth-clenched, white-knuckle living prevents us from seeing the beauty all around us. By hyper focusing on the danger in front of us we miss both the opportunities all around us. This level of intensity is not sustainable. Advent provides a slowing of the pace, a calming of the river of our lives. I invite us, starting today, to jump into a peacefully paced Advent.
Now that we’re floating relaxed and comfortable, let’s reflect on the waters Trinity has paddled in the past year. In January we learned that we were one of 35 recipients—and the only active faith community—to receive a VA250 grant from Virginia’s Department of Historic Resources. The grant provided $516,000 to make our campus more appealing and accessible, IF we raised approximately $345,000. Leaders of the Generation to Generation Committee decided not to settle for the minimum and set a goal of matching the state’s $516,000. By Pentecost we rejoiced at the news that members and friends of Trinity had exceeded even that lofty goal by 160%, pledging a jaw-dropping total of $836,000! I am humbled and grateful for your generous and sacrificial giving, and particularly for the leadership, integrity, and perseverance of Bill and Kathy Frazier. Please check your email later today for a full status report on this once-in-a-generation project.
The Generation to Generation project is the biggest rapid we’ve navigated, but certainly not the only one. Our music program, under the leadership of Gen Bolena, with the addition of Joel Vanderzee, aided by the help of countless volunteers, is also making waves. Our choirs continue to grow in both depth and number, lifting our worship to new heights while also creating community and belonging for children, youth, and adults.
Speaking of deep waters, under Rev. Cara’s guidance, our Christian Formation offerings continue to deepen the faith of all members of our congregation. I am grateful for our gifted and dedicated Sunday school teachers and youth group leaders, and all the members of our Youth & Children’s Ministry Committee. I am delighted to see groups like Women of Faith, Men’s Bible Study, and Inner Soul deepening community while also enriching our faith. I can’t wait for more Prayer Walks (this afternoon) and field trips.
I am also grateful for the way we have steered through the retirement of Muffie Newell. Thanks to the strong foundation she built, Katie Faulkner has been able to step in and continue the important work of praying and caring for one another. I also appreciate the Vestry’s willingness to make a mid-year budget adjustment to expand Katie’s position to include the work of helping us build connections within the Trinity community. It’s essential for us to do this deliberate work of getting to know one another and helping people find their place at Trinity, whether it’s through serving in ministry or participating in fellowship activities like the Mostly Millennials and Trinity Untapped, or breaking bread together at Tuesdays at Trinity and Fellowship Brunches.
This work of community-building is necessary because, as many of you have told me, we have a lot of new faces here. Thanks be to God! The data doesn’t lie. In 2023, our average Sunday attendance was 192. In 2024, it was 194. And as of last Sunday, Trinity is averaging 204 souls every Sunday of 2025. We are still finishing up the annual giving campaign, but so far, we have 190 pledges totaling over $643,000 in giving. Seventeen of those are new pledgers! And over half have increased what they anticipate giving in 2026. All of this in addition to the G2G capital campaign! Astonishing generosity! We are still a little behind our 2025 pledge numbers, but there are still some outstanding pledges. If you have yet to submit an estimate of what you or your family expect to give in 2026, I’m sure our Finance Committee and Vestry would love to hear from you. (And if you go to the front page of the website there’s an online form just a click away!)
I realize that’s a lot of numbers, and I’m mindful that Jesus said to feed his sheep, not count them. I hope and pray that this season of Advent will feed our souls and nourish our faith, because addressing the world’s hunger—physically, spiritually and relationally—is infinitely more important than the numbers. That’s particularly important in an environment of whitewater rapids. Beginning today and continuing throughout Advent, please slow down to pause and reflect; take time to notice and give thanks for the many ways God continues to break into the world all around us; let go of the habits that fuel anxiety and intensify fear so that you can begin to notice once more the grace and goodness all around us. I am grateful to be in the boat and on the river with you. Thank you for the many ways you are generously and sacrificially offering your gifts for the coming of the Kingdom. May God continue to bless our work and our rest, this Advent, this year and always.
