All Members, Winter Residents, Family and Friends,
Greetings on this Wednesday morning! I trust that you all had a nice Memorial Day weekend. It is a time to remember and reflect on the lives of loved ones who we lost in battle throughout the history of our nation. So I pray that it was a day of support and remembering for those families who lost loved ones throughout the years in milatary service.
Because Monday was a holiday and yesterday, Tuesday, I had many little things to get done I did not get my weekly email out and so here it is today.
The Church Council appreciates your willingness to stay for the congregational meeting Sunday after church. Pam Bradshaw (Treasurer);
Sandy Rybacki (Financial Secretary); Norm Church (Chair of trustees) were all unanimously re-elected to their offices. And we ratitied 3 new policies for the congegation. A Marriage policy; A Facility Use policy; and a Memorial Gift policy with a few minor adjustments. Thank you for you attention and cooperating in accomplishing these tasks.
It has been suggested that we look into purchasaing a additional arm chairs for use in worship. The company we bought our chairs from 31 years ago is still in business, Church Chair Company, Rome, Georgia. Unfortunately they no longer make the style arm chair we have now. So I am investigating what is available that may work for us here at Trinity. I do know that when we purchased the original 300 chairs 31 years ago the cost was about $35.00 per chair, now the price is more than doubled that, right around $90.00 per chair a little less. When we built the church members pitched in a purchased anywhere from 1 to 5 chairs per family. Hence leaving a legacy of a chair for your use today. I will stay on top of this and let you know what is decided. Perhaps some of you may want to purchase a chair or two for use in our worship services.
Trinity Tots Summer Program began Tuesday, since Monday was a holiday. This program last eight weeks with less students. So it gives the students and teacher additional one on one time to develop skills, learn some new things and have some fun in the process.
Remember that technically hurricane season begin June 1st, 2023 (tomorrow). It may be a good time to check your hurricane preparedness supplies for the upcoming season. For example; batteries, flashlights, water, list of medications, important documents, such as insurance documents, certificates, etc. The suggestions above are just part of the emergency preparedness you may want to review now before an impending storm. Although Highlands County is in the central part of the state, we can still have severe winds and heavy rains. So we need to be ready in advance and have a plan to evcacuate to a secure structure for the duration of the storm. If you are leaving the area leave enough time to get to your destination. Just a quick reminder if you evacuate to a hotel, remember if you are one the 5th or 6th flood and they loose power it may be likely you will need to walk down all those stairs to the first floor.
We will not be doing a Trinity Tidings Newsletter for June and July. We have compiled a list of Birthday’s and Anniversaries which is attached for those we may want to send a card or rememberance. If you have special announcement that need to be made public to the congregation during these months let me know and I will make every attempt to get the information out to the people via my emails.
In past years I suggested that one way people could mark their anniversaries or birthdays was to give $1.00 per year of marriage or life to Trinity as a thank offering. We continue to gladly accept such gifts to our general operating account to especially help us through these summer monthes. So if you want to recognize someone for milestone accomplished with birthday or anniversary, perhaps such a gift would be appropriate. Just a though!
Well I have attached my sermon for this coming Sunday. This Sunday is called “Trinity Sunday”. The Athanasian Creed is spoken during the service on Trinity Sunday at many churches throughout the world. We do it occasionally and this year we are not doing it. Instead I am providing you with the history on the Athanasian Creed. It was written by the Bishop Athanasius of Alexandria, (b. 293 - d. 2 May 373 ad.) 20th Bishop of Alexandria and great defender of the Church and the Most Holy Trinity against Aryanism and other forms of unbelief, Heresy, and persecution of the Church. At the Council of Nicea 325 ad. (where the Nicene Creed was formulated) he argued against the diabolical Arius in defense of the Holy Trinity. He was exiled 5 times. Cowed by no man, he is one of the most outstanding Church Fathers and a “Pillar of the Church”! Athanasius composed his Creed during his exile in Rome, and presented it to Pope Julius I as a witness to his orthodoxy. (There are many great Church Fathers that contributed to the clearer understanding of scripture that most simply know nothing about throughout the history of the Church. Athanasius is just one of hundreds of them.)
In use regularly in churches both the Roman and Protestant, since the 6th century, the Athanasian Creed is concerned with delineating the specific nature of each person in the Holy Trinity. Also distinguishing it from the other two creeds we typically recite – the Nicene Creed and the Apostles’ Creed – is the Athanasian Creed’s inclusion of statements condemning anyone who would disagree with it. Below is the text for the Athanasian Creed for your review at your leisure.
Whoever desires to be saved must, above all, hold the catholic faith. Whoever does not keep it whole and undefiled will without doubt perish eternally.
And the catholic faith is this, that we worship one God in Trinity and Trinity in Unity, neither confusing the persons nor dividing the substance.
For the Father is one person, the Son is another, and the Holy Spirit is another. But the Godhead of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit is one: the glory equal, the majesty coeternal.
Such as the Father is, such is the Son, and such is the Holy Spirit: the Father uncreated, the Son uncreated, the Holy Spirit uncreated; the Father infinite, the Son infinite, the Holy Spirit infinite; the Father eternal, the Son eternal, the Holy Spirit eternal.
And yet there are not three Eternals, but one Eternal, just as there are not three Uncreated or three Infinites, but one Uncreated and one Infinite.
In the same way, the Father is almighty, the Son almighty, the Holy Spirit almighty; and yet there are not three Almighties, but one Almighty.
So the Father is God, the Son is God, the Holy Spirit is God; And yet there are not three Gods, but one God. So the Father is Lord, the Son is Lord, the Holy Spirit is Lord;And yet there are not three Lords, but one Lord.
Just as we are compelled by the Christian truth to acknowledge each distinct person as God and Lord, so also are we prohibited by the catholic religion to say that there are three Gods or Lords.
The Father is not made nor created nor begotten by anyone. The Son is neither made nor created, but begotten of the Father alone. The Holy Spirit is of the Father and of the Son, neither made nor created nor begotten, but proceeding.
Thus, there is one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons; one Holy Spirit, not three Holy Spirits. And in this Trinity none is before after another; none is greater or less than another;
But the whole three persons are coeternal with each other and coequal, so that in all things, as has been stated above, the Trinity in Unity and Unity in Trinity is to be worshiped. Therefore, whoever desires to be saved must think thus about the Trinity.
But it is also necessary for everlasting salvation that one faithfully believe the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, it is the right faith that we believe and confess that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is at the same time both God and man.
He is God, begotten from the substance of the Father before all ages; and He is man, born from the substance of His mother in this age: perfect God and perfect man, composed of a rational soul and human flesh; equal to the Father with respect to His divinity, less than the Father with respect to His humanity.
Although He is God and man, He is not two, but one Christ: one, however, not by the conversion of the divinity into flesh, but by the assumption of the humanity into God; one altogether, not by confusion of substance, but by unity of person. For as the rational soul and flesh is one man, so God and man is one Christ, Who suffered for our salvation, descended into hell, rose again the third day from the dead, ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father, God Almighty, from whence He will come to judge the living and the dead. At His coming all people will rise again with their bodies and give an account concerning their own deeds. And those who have done good will enter into eternal life, and those who have done evil into eternal fire. This is the catholic faith; whoever does not believe it faithfully and firmly cannot be saved.
I pray that you have a wonderful day and make it great for someone else!
In Christ,
Rev. Richard A. Norris
Trinity Lutheran Church
25 Lakeview Street
Lake Placid, Florida 33852
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863-441-4168