From the Dean

By the Very Rev. Tracey Lind, Dean
Sermon given on the Last Sunday in Epiphany  Feb. 19, 2012

The poet Mary Oliver once wrote: “To pay attention, this is our endless and proper work.”  In her poem “Sometimes,” she elaborated on this thought. “Instructions for living a life: Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.”[i]

The scripture readings appointed for this last Sunday in Epiphany are about paying attention. In 2nd Kings, Elisha pays attention as Elijah ascends to God, thus receiving the promise of inheriting a double share of his mentor’s spirit. The text tells us that, Elisha “kept watching.” The word “watch” means to pay attention to what you see. As Paul writes in his second letter to the church in Corinth the Gospel of Jesus Christ is unveiled to those who pay attention to what they see and are willing to believe. [Read more...]

By the Very Rev. Tracey Lind, Dean

Today is the 195^th annual meeting of Trinity Cathedral. That means that in five years, Trinity will be 200 years old. Some of you might be thinking: didn’t we just celebrate our centennial a few years ago? The answer is yes: in 2007, we celebrated the 100^th anniversary of the consecration of this magnificent edifice and its dedication as a cathedral. However, in 1816 in the home of Phineas Shepherd, a group of early settlers established Trinity Parish, thus making our church the oldest congregation in Cleveland.

Trinity Cathedral has a proud, dignified and faithful history, and that tradition continues. We strive to realize the promise of our architecture: a piazza, a commons, a sacred public space where God’s people gather to pray, grow, and serve. We are a church where parents bring their children, children bring their parents, and people of all ages invite their friends. In worship, music, art, education, community programs and civic leadership, we seek to proclaim God’s justice, love and mercy for all creation.

I’m not going to review the accomplishments of this past year. You can read about them in our annual report. Rather, I want to spend this time reflecting about what kind of community Jesus is calling Trinity Cathedral to be and what are some of the challenges in getting there.

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By the Very Rev. Tracey Lind

10 RH = Christmas. Like many great ideas, necessity was the mother of this invention. It was 2008, the stock market had plummeted, and everyone was feeling strapped and not wanting Christmas to be too costly. So we came up with some simple rules for family gift giving – every present had to be under $10, recycled or homemade. Once the rules were communicated and agreed upon, everybody went to work.

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November 19, 2011

Dear Friends:

Today the Diocese of New York elected the Rev. Canon Andrew Dietsche as its bishop coadjutor on the third ballot. While I was disappointed not to be chosen by the people of that diocese, Emily and I will both treasure the time we spent with them during the election process.

In this season of Thanksgiving, we are more mindful than ever of the great blessing that all of you at Trinity are to us.  Thank you for your support, prayers, and generosity during the past months. Now our ministry together at Trinity Cathedral and in northeast Ohio will continue, and for that I am profoundly grateful.

Faithfully,

The Very Rev. Tracey Lind
Dean