The Season of Lent
Jesus said, "Beware"
The opening Gospel for the season of Lent is the same every year. It’s read on Ash Wednesday, the day when the church imposes ashes on the foreheads of its members. In the original form of the Ash Wednesday liturgy, the congregants come into the church, and the first action is the imposition of ashes. The worshipers then return to their pews with the very visible ashes on their foreheads. Then they listen to the Gospel from St. Matthew, Jesus said, "Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven...And whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces so as to show others that they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
It’s a somewhat human trait to seek approval from others for our goodness and devotion. There are other symbols we can display to prove our devotion to God, everything from wearing a cross to attending every possible worship service and bumper stickers with special messages proving how right we are. The temptation to appear better than we are is always present.
Yet, in the season of Lent, it is all stripped away. In Lent, we come before God fully exposed. My prayer is that this holy season is not another way to prove to God and others that you are holy. Instead, it’s an opportunity to let go and let God in. In the opening words of every Eucharist service, we admit that no secrets are hidden from God. In Lent, we rest in that truth. May the opportunities for Keeping a Holy Lent at Trinity be not proving to ourselves or others our worthiness but simply our admittance that everything rests in God’s amazing grace.
By Grace,
Scott+
Changes in Sunday Worship in Lent
You will notice that our worship services during Lent differ from our ordinary worship. Worship changes to reflect the solemn nature of the season so that we may reflect on our relationship with God in light of our imperfections–sin. The season’s color is violet, flowers do not appear on the altar, the tone of our music is more subdued, and we refrain from using the word “Alleluia.” These changes help us focus on the season and will be “lifted” on Easter morning.
Alleluia Sunday
March 2
The Last Sunday before Ash Wednesday is traditionally called “Alleluia Sunday.” It is the last day we use the praise word alleluia until Easter. During Lent, we refrain from saying alleluia to honor this time of reflection. Our children will be part of our procession out of the church with our “Alleluia Banner,” excited to bury it until Easter when they process back into the church with it.
Shrove Tuesday Pancake Dinner
March 4 at 6:00 pm
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Our Shrove Tuesday Pancake Dinner will be held in Tuton Hall on Tuesday at 6:00 pm. The cost is $6.00 per person. Please join us in preparation for the start of Lent as we enjoy pancakes, sausage, and bacon, all prepared by the gentlemen of Trinity. No reservations or registration are required. Trinity Men, your help is needed to set up, cook, and clean up! Please sign up on the bulletin board near the Conference Room or at debbie@trinityasheville.org.
6:00 pm | Dinner and crafts for children
6:30 pm | Pancake race and other games!
Ash Wednesday Services
March 5
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7:30 am | Holy Eucharist and the Imposition of Ashes
This service is intended to last 30 minutes for those who would like to attend before heading to the office or other responsibilities of the day.
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12:15 pm | Holy Eucharist and the Imposition of Ashes
This service is intended to last one hour for those who need to return to work.
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5:30 pm | Holy Eucharist and the Imposition of Ashes
Our Adult Choir will lead this service. Nursery care is available.
The Reconciliation of a Penitent
By Appointment
Not everyone realizes that the Episcopal church maintains the sacramental rite of reconciliation, or what is commonly referred to as “Confession.” You can find the service for this rite in the Book of Common Prayer on page 447. The seal of confession is absolute. The sacrament can be a balm for the spirit and the soul. The ability to share and ultimately release one’s imperfections–sin–with a priest who can pronounce God’s forgiveness is a grace of profound depth. It can be a significant part of one’s Lenten journey. If you wish to make your confession, please contact one of Trinity’s clergy to make an appointment.
Lenten Devotions
Daily Devotions Sent by email on Weekdays
We are blessed to have a Lenten devotional booklet for the season of Lent written by members of the Trinity community. We will share these devotions by email daily, and they will also be posted on our website. If you want to be on the email list, please contact the church office at office@trinityasheville.org.
Sunday Adult Formation for Lent
Sundays 9:30 - 10:30
Women of the Bible in Art
March 9, 16, 23
Jennine Hough
We will “read the image” as the early Christians did and see exciting and dramatic stories, acts of kindness, leadership, loyalty, and heroism - and also acts of questionable and sometimes violent tactics. We will begin with Eve, of course, and revisit the lives of our Old Testament and New Testament female spiritual ancestors as interpreted by artists of all periods.​​
The Rector's Forum
March 30
Join the Rector Scott White for an hour reflecting on Lent, the church, and the world.
Beyond Boundaries
April 6 & 13
Melinda Bullen
How do we move outside our echo chambers and listen to each other? How do we have productive and compassionate conversations despite deep disagreements? Over these three weeks, we’ll look at some tools that can help us
expand our perspectives and remain unified amid diversity.​​​​
Visiting Preacher
April 6
The Rev. Dr. Lauren Winner
Duke professor and Vicar of St. Joseph’s
For Families of Children & Youth
(all members of the family are welcom to attend)
March 16 - 30 (lunch & program following the 10:43 service)
“Tell Me the Truth About Racism is a series of stories that frames racism through the lens of the Christian faith. Rev. Will Bouvel and Jen Holt Enriquez first built the foundation of this work in Lent 2021 to teach children (as young as 5) at their churches in the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago. Soon thereafter, they began training other Christian formation leaders to do this work in their churches. The training program received a Becoming Beloved Community Grant from the Episcopal Church.
Beth Chestnut and Bobbe Spink from Trinity, and Luann Wilks from St. James in Black Mountain attended and completed these training sessions and are excited to bring them to Trinity. Debbie Cox will be providing lunch for us immediately following service.
We are offering this program at Trinity for three Sundays in March. We will meet immediately following the 10:45 service for lunch in Tuton Hall, followed by a story and opportunities for response afterward. We will finish by 2 pm. We need you to sign up for these three events online to ensure we have enough food and response materials. We recommend coming on all three Sundays as the stories move through a timeline. If you can only come for one or two, still come, but do sign up. Beth will present one of the stories in Parents in Conversation on Sunday, March 9th, to give you a better idea of what your children will hear.
Yoga for Lent
March 16, 23, & April 6, 13
Tuton Hall
We invite you to practice yoga at Trinity this Lenten season. Join Mary Catherine Scott and Missy Sherburne for a donation-based Gentle Flow Yoga Class from 4-5 pm on Sundays. Classes will be geared towards individuals of all experience levels. Bring your own yoga mat(s) (we‘ll have a few as well) and a blanket. We invite you to donate to the Hurricane Helene Relief Fund at Trinity if you wish. This is completely optional.
Mary Catherine is a former Pure Barre instructor with a deep love for the mental and physical health benefits that a regular yoga practice provides. She especially loves incorporating guided meditations into practices that leave participants feeling restored in both body and spirit.
Missy started on her yoga journey in 2003 with a Baron Baptiste Hot Yoga Class in Cambridge, Massachusetts. A sprained ankle in 2018 which only allowed her to practice restorative yoga, led her to deepen her practice. Missy completed her 200 hr Yoga Teacher Training through Asheville Yoga Center in 2019 and is certified by Yoga Alliance.
We can’t wait for you to join us on this journey!​​​
Wednesdays in Lent
March 12, 19, 26, April 2, 9
Daytime & Evening Opportunities
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The Holy Eucharist
with Guest Preachers
12:15 in the church
Come into the church at 12:15 for a brief and contemplative celebration of the Holy Eucharist. Each week, we invite a special guest to speak to us. After the service, all are welcome to lunch in Tuton Hall and have time for Q&A with our guest—no pre-registration is required. A $6 donation is suggested.
Lent Lunch Menus
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March 12 - Poppyseed Chicken Casserole/ Salad
March 19 - Baked Potato Bar/Spinach Salad
March 26 - Vegetarian Dish
April 2 - Soup and Salad
April 9 - Salmon/Rice/ Veggie
March 12
The Rev. Dr. Mary Brown
Senior Pastor of Central Methodist
Mary Wood Brown was born and raised in St. Petersburg, FL. She studied English at Emory University in Atlanta, GA and earned a Master of Divinity from the Iliff School of Theology in Denver, CO (with an unofficial minor in snowboarding). All that schooling meant a lot of summers where she could work at Wilderness Trail, helping youth experience Christ through week-long backpacking trips. Mary loved working for Wilderness Trail so much that she went on to work there full-time for 7 years and (best of all) married one of her fellow staff.
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Mary has been serving as a pastor in the United Methodist Church since 2010 – in Charlotte, Andrews, Sylva, and (now) Asheville, NC. She has a Doctor of Ministry from Duke Divinity School. She loves preaching, studying, listening to people’s stories, and watching for where God shows up. Mary and her husband, Alan, have two children, Eleanor (13) and Reid (10).
March 19
The Rev. Patrick Johnson
Senior Pastor and head of staff at First Presbyterian
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The Rev. Patrick Johnson has served congregations in several states, including Virginia, California, and New Jersey, and is a graduate of the College of William and Mary and Princeton Theological Seminary. He has written numerous published articles and reviews, and the book The Mission of Preaching: Equipping the Community for Faithful Witness.
Along with his spouse, Caitlin, also a PC(USA) pastor, and their four children, he lives in North Asheville. Together they love to spend time outside, whether hiking the mountains or playing in the waves. He also enjoys any time spent in the woodshop. He seeks to serve the church and community through teaching, serving on boards and committees, and volunteering his time
March 26
The Rev. Canon Jeanne K. Person
Former Canon Pastor and now country Parish Priest
in the Episcopal Diocese of New York
The Rev. Canon K. Jeanne Person presently serves as Priest for two rural congregations in the Hudson Valley of the Diocese of New York. Previously, she was for nearly a decade the diocese’s Canon Pastor, offering pastoral care to the clergy of the diocese and their families. Her past ministries have included directing the Center for Christian Spirituality at General Theological Seminary, ministering as an Interim Priest for the historic St. James Church in Hyde Park, NY, and Christ & Saint Stephen’s Church in Manhattan, and serving as Associate Rector in two New York City parishes. After undergraduate studies at Princeton University, she earned advanced degrees in journalism from Columbia University, ministry from Harvard Divinity School, and Anglican theology from General Seminary. She and her husband Kamal Abdullah have homes in Brooklyn and Kingston, New York. Jeanne is also the daughter of Trinitarian, Sandra Finley
April 2
The Rev. Dr. Lauren Winner
Duke professor and Vicar of St. Joseph’s
Lauren F. Winner, who has served as vicar at Saint Joseph’s Episcopal Church in Durham, N.C., since July 2021, is a writer, reader, and teacher. When she’s not at St. Joe’s, you can find her in the classroom at Duke Divinity School, where she is associate professor of Christian spirituality, or at her desk, where she might be reading or writing about overlooked biblical images of God or the history of Christian prayer. Winner’s interests also include Christian practice, the history of Christianity in America, and Jewish-Christian relations. Her books include Girl Meets God (Algonquin Books, 2002); Still: Notes on a Mid-Faith Crisis (HarperOne, 2013); Wearing God: Clothing, Laughter, Fire, and Other Overlooked Ways of Meeting God (HarperOne, 2016); and The Dangers of Christian Practice: On Wayward Gifts, Characteristic Damage, and Sin (Yale University Press, 2018).
April 9
The Right Rev. Kevin Brown
XI Bishop of Delaware
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Bishop Kevin Brown grew up in Asheville, North Carolina, and studied mathematics and psychology at Duke University. He completed his master of business administration at the University of West Florida while serving in the United States Air Force. He worked in finance and marketing at FedEx and launched an investment firm before earning a master of divinity from the General Theological Seminary in New York City. Before he was elected bishop of Delaware, he served as vicar and rector at Grace Episcopal Church in Paris, Tennessee, and as rector at the Episcopal Church of the Holy Comforter in Charlotte, North Carolina. Kevin was ordained and consecrated the 11th bishop of Delaware on December 9, 2017.
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As bishop, Kevin has sparked transformative evangelism initiatives diocesan-wide, formed the first-ever racial justice and reconciliation commission in the diocese, and has re-envisioned and reoriented diocesan governance structures. He currently serves on the board of General Theological Seminary, the General Convention Theology of Money Task Force, and the boards of St. Andrew’s School and St. Anne’s Episcopal School in Delaware.
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Kevin and his wife, Caroline, an accomplished artist, live in Wilmington. He enjoys jogging and reading, though not at the same time.
Lenten Supper Club
"Stories with Jesus"
5:30-6:30
Groups will meet at the church where a simple meal will be provided. As you eat, you’ll have a chance to share parts of your own stories with each other and study a little of what the Bible teaches. Each week, you’ll read one of Jesus’ parables, plus a little bit of historical commentary, and you’ll have a few discussion questions to guide your time together. Sign up with friends or ask to be placed in a group. Childcare is available. We do ask you to register for the Lenten Supper Club. CLICK HERE to register. For more information and questions, contact the Rev. Amy Peterson.
Music for Lent
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Ash Wednesday
March 5 | at the 5:30 service
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The anthem for the 5:30 service will be an infamous setting of Psalm 51 by Renaissance composer Gregorio Allegri, Miserere Mei Deus. This piece was once sung every year at the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican, and the musical score was kept under lock and key. W. A. Mozart, at 14 years old, visited the Vatican with his father, heard the piece once, and transcribed it from memory, note for note. Psalm 51, which is the appointed psalm for Ash Wednesday, implores God for forgiveness for all of our human sins:
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“Have mercy upon me, O God: after Thy great goodness.
According to the multitude of Thy mercies, do away mine offences.
Wash me thoroughly from my wickedness: and cleanse me from my sin.
For I acknowledge my faults: and my sin is ever before me.”
-1662 Book of Common Prayer
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Choral Evensong for the First Sunday of Lent
March 9 | 5:30
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Our Chancel Choir will lead us in a Choral Evensong service on the First Sunday of Lent. Music to be performed includes Orlando Gibbons Short Service, a new setting of the Phos Hilaron by Director of Music Dr. Kevin Seal, and Herbert Howells’ sublime anthem, Like as the Hart. This service will take the place of the regular Celtic service on March 9th.​​
Palm Sunday | Asheville Vocal Ensemble
March 9 | 5:30
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Members of the Asheville Vocal Ensemble, AVE (formerly Pastyme), will join us on Palm Sunday at the Celtic service and offer an exquisite selection of sacred music for this holy day.
Music at Trinity Concert Series
Friday, March 14 | 7:00 pm
A Palace in the Wild: Journeys in British Art Song
A recital presented by Grammy® nominated Baritone Edward Vogel and Trinity's Director of Music Dr. Kevin M. Seal. Mr. Vogel and Dr. Seal will present a program of 20th and 21st-century British Art Song, with works by Ivor Gurney, Roger Quilter, Gerald Finzi, Michael Head, Rebecca Clarke, Herbert Howells, and Jonathan Dove, and featuring a complete performance of Ralph Vaughan-Williams masterpiece song cycle, Songs of Travel.
Tickets are $25.00-Regular admission, $10.00-Student admission.
Advance purchase is highly recommended.
Palm Sunday Walk
April 13 | 9:45 am
Church Street Churches gather before Worship
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This is our annual gathering with families from First Pres and Central Methodist during our formation hour on Palm Sunday. This event is open to anyone, but specifically for families of children and youth. We will gather in Tuton Hall at 9:30 and walk to Central Methodist to gather with the other churches. A donkey will lead us while we wave palms to Pritchard Park, where we will gather briefly for a short liturgy. We finish at 10:30 and have enough time to return to Trinity for our 10:45 service for those who wish to do so.
