August 31

Brunch Gathering

LITURGY OF GATHERING

Leader: Hebrews 11.1-3 reminds us: Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Indeed, by faith our ancestors received approval. By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible. In faith, pursuing God’s vision for the world, we carry out our mission:

ALL: Trinity is fostering a haven of belonging where wanderers and wonderers 

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

Leader: Teach us, O Lord, the way of your statutes, and we will observe it to the end.

ALL: Give us understanding, that we may keep your law and observe it with our whole hearts.

Leader: Lead us in the path of your commandments, for we delight in it.

ALL: Turn our heart to your decrees, and not to selfish gain.

Leader: Turn our eyes from looking at vanities; give us life in your ways.

ALL: Confirm to your servants your promise, which is for those who fear you.

Leader: Turn away the disgrace that we dread, for your ordinances are good.

ALL: See, we have longed for your precepts; in your righteousness give us life.

(ref. Psalm 119:33-40)

COMMUNAL SINGING

How Great Thou Art

O Lord, my God, when I in awesome wonder
Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder
Thy power throughout the universe displayed

Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art

When through the woods, and forest glades I wander,

And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees.

When I look down, from lofty mountain grandeur

And see the brook, and feel the gentle breeze

Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art

When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation
And lead me home, what joy shall fill my heart
Then I shall bow with humble adoration
And then proclaim, my God, how great Thou art

Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art

Step By Step

Oh God, You are my God
And I will ever praise You
Oh God, You are my God
And, I will ever praise You

I will seek You in the morning
And I will learn to
Walk in Your ways
And step by step You'll lead me
And I will follow You all of my days

Oh God, You are my God
And I will ever praise You
Oh God, You are my God
And, I will ever praise You

I will seek You in the morning
And I will learn to
Walk in Your ways
And step by step You'll lead me
And I will follow You all of my days

And I will follow You all of my days
And I will follow You all of my days
And step by step You'll lead me
And I will follow You all of my days

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Civic Action Group. Join us for our next Civic Action Group (CAG) meeting Sunday, August 31st (TODAY), at 11:30 AM, right after the Gathering. We’ll meet in person at COhatch and virtually via Zoom for those joining remotely.  Together, we’ll clarify our vision, explore next steps, and discern how we can best live out God’s call for justice and transformation.  Whether you're new to CAG or have been with us from the start, we invite you to be part of this conversation as we seek to build the Kin(g)dom of God in tangible ways.  Want to stay connected? Sign up for the CAG info list by filling out this info form! Contact joel@indytrinity.org with questions.

Trinity Seasonal Small Groups for the fall of 2025 will be a “choose your own adventure” style (on many levels) as we dive into the mysterious and monstrous throughout the Old Testament, during the sermon series this fall: “Monster Petting Zoo”. Each small group gathering will determine their own course. We’ll be spending balanced time relationship building, care, and conversation around the theme of the week. It is OK if you can’t attend every session. Join as you are able, but please let your facilitator/host know at the beginning of the season when you can’t attend. If you need assistance accessing or acquiring materials, please let your facilitator/host know. Everyone is asked to commit to Expectations for healthy conversation. Please contact the group host for more details and to generally RSVP. You are welcome to join the group that fits your schedule/needs. You are not bound by geographical location/parish. 

Mondays 12-1pm - Fishers/Zoom starting September 8th

Wednesdays 7:00pm - Midtown/Downtown starting (tbd)

Thursdays 6:30-8:30pm - Queer Affinity starting September 11th

Fridays 6:30-8pm - Broad Ripple starting September 5th

Where the Money Went Q2 2025 is now posted online here and under “Church Documents”. Please check your email for more details. If you need access to either of these, please let us know (contact@indytrinity.org). Any questions about numbers may be directed to Steve Edinger at finance@indytrinity.org and questions about the investments may be directed to Jay Howard at jay@indytrinity.org. 

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!

FEASTING LITURGY 

Community of saints,
beloveds of God,
we are invited to come and gather at the table of love and liberation,
to feast on the dreams of God,
to be nourished by but a taste of what God desires to do among us.

God calls us from institutional halls of power,
From shelters and the streets;
God calls us from classrooms and pulpits,
Gay bars and prison cells.

God calls us as we are, from wherever we are,
to come and be in solidarity with Christ,
who lives and loves on the margins.

God whispers “come”
and live abundantly,
turning from all that claims blessings
flow from money, power, or control.

Come, and
love relentlessly;
following Christ on paths of uncertainty,
taking risks for one another,
calling down unjust power from its throne
and lifting up the lowly,
the impoverished,
the burdened.

To answer the call of Christ is to find ourselves
no matter our social location,
choosing to align ourselves with the causes
of the marginalized, the oppressed,
the outcast, and the isolated,
with the faith that
together,
we might enflesh new possibilities
of healing,
of connection,
of freedom from all that destroys.

When these are the desires of our hearts,
we open ourselves to God.

Blessed are those, Jesus said, who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.

And so let us come to the table,
expectant,
eager,
open
to tasting the rich blessings of heaven
born from unexpected places, and people, and experiences.

In this meal,
we remember the life, death, and resurrection of
the One who still takes on flesh among us today.

On the night he would be arrested,

Jesus gathered his friends and companions.
In the midst of a tense and dangerous time,
they found each other at table,
connecting over the story of God-enfleshed among them.

And as they did so, Jesus took bread, gave thanks to God, broke the bread and shared it with his disciples saying,

“Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

When the supper was over, he also took the cup, gave thanks to God, and shared it with his disciples, saying,

“Drink from this, all of you; this is the cup of the new covenant. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”

And so we pray,
Come Holy Spirit,
Breath of God,
Renewer of life,
settle on these gifts and all who gather here,
that we might be transformed in our remembrance
of your radical love,
your eternal embrace,
and your grace that makes all things news.

For the sake of our shared lives,
the life of this land on which we live,

and the lives of those yet to come,
nourish us and renew our hope
that soon Christ may rise again among us. Amen!

FELLOWSHIP AND OFFERING OF WORSHIP                                                                                                                                    

Won’t You Be My Neighbor? (Life Support) - In The World

Let’s feast and converse! Consider where, or in what ways, is the Spirit prompting you/us to extend the haven of belonging beyond ourselves? Who are you meeting along the good road? Consider how your conversation might spur one another to naming and sharing the good news at home, workplace or school, family, Trinity (Offering Basket), neighborhood and world.

DEPARTING BENEDICTION

Leader: The Lord be with you.

ALL: And also with you.

(Some liturgies adapted from lectionaryliturgies.blogspot.com and www.enfleshed.com, M Jade Kaiser) 

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!

* 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.

August

3rd/Brunch: Midtown/Downtown

10th: Fishers

17th/The Avenue Coffeehouse @ COhatch: Broad Ripple

*24th/Retreat: North/Carmel

31st/Labor Day Weekend Brunch: Midtown/Downtown

September

7th: Fishers

14th: Broad Ripple

21st: North/Carmel

28th: Midtown/Downtown