Due to heavy snows in the Spokane area — and due to poor accessibility on west central neighborhood streets — tonight’s 7pm service has been canceled.

Please do plan to join us on Wednesday, December 24th for our Christmas Eve festivities! (see post below)

Come one and all to Holy Trinity on Wednesday, December 24th for our 4pm Christmas Eve festival eucharist to celebrate the birth of Jesus!

For four weeks, now, we’ve been retelling the great Advent stories of God’s promise to send us a ‘messiah,’ an anointed king, who is to deliver us from the world ‘as it is,’ into a new world — something more like the kingdom of God where, as the promise continues, the blind will see, the lame will walk, the mute will speak, and the deaf will have their ears opened — all that is wrong with the world will be made right — and it will be achieved by our sharing in the mission of ‘Immanuel,’ God-among-us in Jesus.

The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus.” …Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Luke, ch.1

How would you respond?

God’s angels arrive to tell you that all your hopes and longings are soon to be fulfilled — God’s promise to set the world right is about to come true — and God will make it happen…through you.

The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God;to comfort all who mourn… Isaiah, ch.35

The great hope of Advent — upon which we wait with joyful expectation — is the hope of experiencing more fully the presence and activity of God in our lives, both as individuals and as communities. And we perceive signs of that presence — just as we perceive signs of life in the budding fig tree — whenever we see signs of the fulfillment of God’s promises for us — God’s love for us. And what does that love look like?

prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Mark, ch.1

During this season of hopeful expectation, it’s helpful to know what the Bible says we’re waiting for — and we get a very good clue this week as we’re reintroduced to John the Baptist, who has come to “prepare the way of the Lord.”

The clue, of course, has to do with answering the question — both then as now — who is your ‘Lord’? Is it the ‘Messiah,’ the promised liberator king who has come among us to deliver us from sin — both personal and systemic — or is it some ‘lord’ of this world?

O come, O come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel that mourns in lonely exile here, until the Son of God appear.

As with all things, familiarity breads contempt — and so too with our own Good News!

How often have we sung this familiar tune with images in our head of someone else’s problems — someone else’s exile — in a different time and different place? And how often have we sung it imagining a smiling infant Jesus showing up to warm our hearts and tell us ‘everything will be okay’? Either way, the song’s Good News is either too foreign or too domestic — too far or too near to one’s own heart.

[ December 24, 2008; 4:00 pm to 5:30 pm. 10:30 pm; ] Join us for the 4pm service at Holy Trinity (immediately preceding the dinner table feast) and for the 10:30pm service at St. John’s Cathedral (12th & Grand on the south hill).

[ December 20, 2008; 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm. ] Join us for a short evening of caroling in west central.  Gather in the holy trinity parish hall at 5:30pm for sweets and hot beverages, then join the procession into the streets to sing for an hour.  The evening will end with a candle-lit ’silent night’ in the holy trinity sanctuary.  All are welcome!

[ December 4, 2008; 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm. December 11, 2008; 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm. December 18, 2008; 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm. ] Join us for a family-friendly Christmas movie in the holy trinity sanctuary on three consecutive thursdays in december — 12/4, 12/11, 12/18 — from 6-8pm.  Popcorn will be served during the movie and hot apple cider will be available during the intermission.  All are welcome!

[ December 2, 2008; 5:30 pm to 9:30 pm. December 9, 2008; 5:30 pm to 9:30 pm. December 16, 2008; 5:30 pm to 9:30 pm. ] Join others for soup supper, movie, and guided conversation about movies on three consecutive Tuesdays in December — 12/2, 12/9, 12/16 — from 5:30-9:30pm.  Leonard Oakland, from Whitworth, will be guiding the evenings.

[ October 8, 2008; 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. October 22, 2008; 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. November 12, 2008; 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. November 26, 2008; 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. December 10, 2008; 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. December 24, 2008; 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. January 14, 2009; 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. January 21, 2009; 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. January 28, 2009; 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. February 4, 2009; 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. February 11, 2009; 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. February 18, 2009; 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. February 25, 2009; 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. March 4, 2009; 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. March 11, 2009; 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. March 18, 2009; 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. March 25, 2009; 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. April 1, 2009; 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. April 8, 2009; 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. April 15, 2009; 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. April 22, 2009; 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. April 29, 2009; 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. May 6, 2009; 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. May 13, 2009; 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. May 20, 2009; 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. May 27, 2009; 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. June 3, 2009; 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. June 10, 2009; 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. June 17, 2009; 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. June 24, 2009; 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. July 1, 2009; 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. July 8, 2009; 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. July 15, 2009; 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. July 22, 2009; 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. July 29, 2009; 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. August 5, 2009; 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. August 12, 2009; 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. August 19, 2009; 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. August 26, 2009; 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. September 2, 2009; 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. September 9, 2009; 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. September 16, 2009; 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. September 23, 2009; 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. September 30, 2009; 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. October 7, 2009; 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. October 14, 2009; 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. October 21, 2009; 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. October 28, 2009; 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. November 4, 2009; 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. November 11, 2009; 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. November 18, 2009; 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. November 25, 2009; 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. December 2, 2009; 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. December 9, 2009; 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. December 16, 2009; 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. December 23, 2009; 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. December 30, 2009; 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. January 6, 2010; 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. January 13, 2010; 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. January 20, 2010; 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. January 27, 2010; 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. February 3, 2010; 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. February 10, 2010; 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. February 17, 2010; 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. February 24, 2010; 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. ] Holy Trinity expands its mission focus on West Central children and families with weekly family dinner nights.  Seating and fun begins at 5:30pm and the meals are served at 6pm.

Every Wednesday evening, guests are welcomed into the parish hall for fellowship and activities aimed at encouraging healthy, happy families, followed by a free, family-style dinner. [...]

[ August 24, 2008; 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm. August 31, 2008; 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm. September 7, 2008; 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm. September 14, 2008; 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm. September 21, 2008; 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm. September 28, 2008; 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm. October 5, 2008; 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm. October 12, 2008; 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm. October 26, 2008; 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm. November 2, 2008; 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm. November 9, 2008; 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm. November 16, 2008; 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm. November 23, 2008; 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm. November 30, 2008; 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm. December 7, 2008; 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm. December 14, 2008; 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm. December 21, 2008; 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm. December 28, 2008; 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm. January 18, 2009; 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm. January 25, 2009; 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm. February 8, 2009; 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm. February 15, 2009; 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm. February 22, 2009; 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm. March 1, 2009; 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm. March 8, 2009; 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm. March 15, 2009; 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm. March 22, 2009; 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm. March 29, 2009; 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm. April 5, 2009; 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm. April 19, 2009; 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm. April 26, 2009; 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm. May 10, 2009; 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm. May 17, 2009; 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm. May 24, 2009; 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm. May 31, 2009; 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm. June 7, 2009; 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm. June 14, 2009; 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm. June 21, 2009; 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm. ] evening service with some fun and flexibility — prayer stations, participatory homily, and weekly communion — piano and other instruments — incense is used during the seasons of Lent and Advent, and on the high holy days of the church year.

[ August 24, 2008; 10:00 am to 11:00 am. August 31, 2008; 10:00 am to 11:00 am. September 7, 2008; 10:00 am to 11:00 am. September 14, 2008; 10:00 am to 11:00 am. September 21, 2008; 10:00 am to 11:00 am. September 28, 2008; 10:00 am to 11:00 am. October 5, 2008; 10:00 am to 11:00 am. October 12, 2008; 10:00 am to 11:00 am. October 26, 2008; 10:00 am to 11:00 am. November 2, 2008; 10:00 am to 11:00 am. November 9, 2008; 10:00 am to 11:00 am. November 16, 2008; 10:00 am to 11:00 am. November 23, 2008; 10:00 am to 11:00 am. November 30, 2008; 10:00 am to 11:00 am. December 7, 2008; 10:00 am to 11:00 am. December 14, 2008; 10:00 am to 11:00 am. December 21, 2008; 10:00 am to 11:00 am. December 28, 2008; 10:00 am to 11:00 am. January 18, 2009; 10:00 am to 11:00 am. January 25, 2009; 10:00 am to 11:00 am. February 1, 2009; 10:00 am to 11:00 am. February 8, 2009; 10:00 am to 11:00 am. February 15, 2009; 10:00 am to 11:00 am. February 22, 2009; 10:00 am to 11:00 am. March 1, 2009; 10:00 am to 11:00 am. March 8, 2009; 10:00 am to 11:00 am. March 15, 2009; 10:00 am to 11:00 am. March 22, 2009; 10:00 am to 11:00 am. March 29, 2009; 10:00 am to 11:00 am. April 5, 2009; 10:00 am to 11:00 am. April 19, 2009; 10:00 am to 11:00 am. April 26, 2009; 10:00 am to 11:00 am. May 10, 2009; 10:00 am to 11:00 am. May 17, 2009; 10:00 am to 11:00 am. May 24, 2009; 10:00 am to 11:00 am. June 7, 2009; 10:00 am to 11:00 am. June 14, 2009; 10:00 am to 11:00 am. ] fairly straight-forward Episcopal worship w/ organ and piano accompaniment — incense is used during the seasons of Lent and Advent, and on the high holy-days of the church year.