November 30th

First Sunday of Advent + Brunch

WELCOME AND LITURGY OF GATHERING

Leader: **Reading of Psalm 122 (FNV). This is the word of the Lord.

ALL: Thanks be to God.

Trinity is fostering a haven of belonging where wanderers and wonderers 

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

COMMUNAL SINGING

Sing a New Song (Beautiful)

Dave Pappas

Praise the one who made the sunrise at the break of day

Praise the maker of the autumn’s colorful display

Praise the great creator who churns the deepest seas

Praise the beauty of the earth that brings me to my knees

Sing a new song (3x)

Beautiful (3x)

For the beauty of the earth, the water, and the skies

I praise the beauty maker for opening my eyes

I offer up my hands and heart to humbly recreate

An offering of beauty, a sacrifice of praise

Sing a new song (3x)

Beautiful (3x)

Be the Center

Jesus, be the center

Be my source, be my light, Jesus

Jesus, be the center

Be my hope, be my song, Jesus

Be the fire in my heart

Be the wind in these sails

Be the reason that I live

Jesus, Jesus

Jesus, be my vision

Be my path, be my guide, Jesus

Jesus, be the center

Be my source, be my light, Jesus

Be my source, be my light, Jesus

Be my source, be my light, Jesus

COMMUNITY CONFESSION

Leader: Today marks the first Sunday of Advent, the season in which we anticipate celebrating the birth of Jesus. For unto us, a child is born - the dwelling of God With Us -  will show us the way. 

Reading - Isaiah 2:1-5

Prayer & Candle Lighting: We come to know you, Holy One, as Wisdom Incarnate, as Flickering Flame, as Spirit of Life, as Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love, Enfleshed. You come to us as the Stranger, and the Strange. Often we do not recognize you. Often we turn away from your gifts and your demands. Yet you come to us in Wilderness, in the Impossible Made Possible, in Silence and Singing and Sighs Too Deep for Words. You abhor dominance, mastery, fear, and control. You are made known to us in Vulnerability, and Courage, and Divesting from the Powers of Empire. 

ALL: God of Hope, forgive us when we’re too distracted or stubborn to hear your voice. We come to you this Advent in need, with longing, in pain, captive to fear, desiring a more just world, a more livable life for all of us, for the earth, for every living thing caught and held in this inescapable network of mutual interdependence we call this one wild and precious Life. We long for you. We long for healing. We long for liberation. We long for different systems and patterns of relating. May we hear your prophets’ call and respond.

Leader: Friends, this is the good news: God loves us deeply and never gives up on us.  And so, this Advent, we pause. We breathe. We pray. We dig deep. We reach out. We rise up. We remember. We vision. We sit with the pain. We stay with the trouble. We wait, expectant. We light candles. We labor. We open to You, and to one another, and to the Sacred Mystery that is Emmanuel, God-With-Us, Love Incarnate, Divinity Enfleshed.

ALL: Praise God! We will continue listening for God’s voice and respond faithfully! 

Leader: The Hope of God-With-Us does not come as guaranteed outcome, or predetermined plan, or promise of a happy ending. Hope cannot be imposed from on high. Hope cannot be commanded. The Hope of God-With-Us is courageous, risky, unfolding, indeterminate, resilient. The Hope of God-With-Us is collective, liberating us from deadly complacency. Hope is gestating in darkness; it comes unexpectedly. Hope invites our expectation, and demands our participation. Prepare the way, for hope with courage. May Hope be birthed among, within, and through us, this Advent.

ALL: Amen.

*PreK-5th grade children will remain in the Gathering today. Materials for children are available and we understand that their presence means they will be heard; no need to worry about their vocal contributions.

ADVENT REFLECTION

Resilient Advent - No One Knows

Matthew 24:36-44

*For discussion prompts visit the series page here.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Thanksgiving Address. This week we acknowledge that while many of us do still observe Thanksgiving, we are pretty terrible at practicing gratitude and have much to learn from indigenous siblings who have been here on this land for centuries. As we connect with Creator and return to the ‘adamah, consider greeting the natural world, a practice of gratitude, with the Thanksgiving Address - a gift from some tribes to those of us that haven’t been given the opportunity to love and learn about Creation in this way. You may find various versions online, but here is one to read.

Please join the Youth Group in collecting food items and funding to support IYG's food pantry. This is an ongoing need that IYG has, but with the lack of SNAP benefits, there is a higher need than the typical season. We will run the food drive through Christmas, no matter the status of SNAP benefits and encourage folks to keep IYG in their thoughts during their regular grocery shopping! Bring items to the building or send funds for the youth group to shop via Venmo @britney-yount.

Advent. The Advent season is here! You may access the Advent series page here, along with other resources. 

Advent Morning Prayer. Each weekday morning during Advent we will be participating in the morning prayers reflecting on poems and writings of familiar and new authors, and listening to music that Trinity Church is sharing throughout this season. ⁠Join us weekday mornings at 7am on Zoom or catch up throughout the day on Facebook or YouTube. Questions? email joel@indytrinity.org

Holiday Schedule.

Ugly Christmas Sweater/PJ Sunday - December 14th

Christmas Eve Gathering @ 5:30pm

NO Gathering Sunday, December 28th - enjoy gathering with friends and family

January 4th - Brunch Gathering

Equity Funds Disbursement for round two of 2025. The following disbursements are being made: $1000 to The Avenue Foundation, $1000 to Irvington Counseling Collective, and $500 to IUYA. Any questions may be directed to contact@indytrinity.org. Thank you to everyone who submitted proposals and engaged in conversation!

PRAYER OF THE PEOPLE & FEAST LITURGY

Leader: Let us pray to the Lord, who is our refuge and stronghold. For the health and well-being of our nation and world, that all who are fearful and anxious may be at peace and free from worry: Lord, hear us,

ALL: Lord, graciously hear us.

Leader: For the isolated and housebound, that we may be alert to their needs, and care for them in their vulnerability: Lord, hear us,

ALL: Lord, graciously hear us.

Leader: For our homes and families, our school communities and young people, our workplaces, and all in any kind of need or distress: Lord, hear us,

ALL: Lord, graciously hear us.

Leader: For a blessing on our local community, that our neighborhoods may be places of trust and friendship, where all are known and cared for, especially those in harm's way:  Lord, hear us,

ALL: Lord, graciously hear us.

Leader: We commend ourselves, and all for whom we pray, to the mercy and protection of God.

ALL: Merciful One, accept these prayers for the sake of your Son, our Savior Jesus Christ.

Leader: As we begin once more an Advent season, we wait and watch for the small glimpses of God-glory breaking in, breaking out, sprouting, shooting, bearing fruit, making a Kindom, remaking the world. 

ALL: We tell the story that God invites each of us into: Christ came to dwell among us; Christ lived to show us the way; Christ died to set us free from sin; Christ was raised to break the power of death and will come again to bring us the wholeness for which we long.

Leader: Where two or more of us are gathered, O Lord, there you have promised to be.

ALL: And here we are.

Leader: And so, here are you. Take joy, O Lord, in our feast. Nothing good and right and true will be lost forever. All good things will be restored. Feast and be reminded! 

ALL: Take joy, O Lord!

Leader: Now beloved, prepare your hearts and give yourself wholly to this celebration of joy, to the glad company of saints, to the comforting fellowship of the Spirit, and to the abiding presence of Christ who is seated among us both as our host and as our honored guest. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, take seat, take feast, take delight!

ALL: Amen!

BRUNCH FELLOWSHIP & OFFERING OF WORSHIP                                                                                                                                    

Let’s feast! 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, enfleshed.com, and Every Moment Holy)

Remain in the Gathering space for general connection and prayer.

GATHERING RESOURCES AND INFORMATION

**Throughout Advent we are introducing the First Nations Version of Psalms in our liturgy. We understand that the Spirit has no gender. While the FNV does use the word “Grandfather” for the Great Spirit, and we at Trinity might more naturally gravitate toward a feminine or gender-inclusive term for the Spirit, we have chosen to read from this version to open ourselves to the diverse humanlike depictions of Creator and hear these sacred texts in new ways. No translation is perfect. If you’d like to read what the translators of the FNV have to say about their choice regarding gender and the Great Spirit, you are welcome to read the excerpt at the front of this Trinity Gathering copy (it is marked). 

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!

November

2nd: Fishers

9th: Broad Ripple

16th: North/Carmel

23rd: Midtown/Downtown

30th/Brunch + First Sunday of Advent: Fishers

December

7th: Broad Ripple

14th: North/Carmel

21st: Midtown/Downtown

24th/Christmas Eve: Leadership Team

28th: No Gathering

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 have experienced fever, coughs, or other clear signs of illness in the last 48 hours, 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.