Thirty years ago, the Episcopal Church on Gold Street caught my attention. I thought, “This little brown church is going to be very important to me.” In the years since, Holy Trinity has changed. It became blue; it burned down and was rebuilt. A genius architect, Jeff Robertson, designed a church for us that is just as beautiful as the original.
The worship space makes me happy because every inch is harmonious and beautiful. The focal point of the space is our communion table, on which is written, “Worship the Lord in the Beauty of Holiness.” It was always obvious to me that the Episcopal church values beauty and supports the arts. So, I am delighted to have found support in a wonderful small book called “A People Called Episcopalians,” by J.H. Westerhoff and S. E. Pearson. They write, “Episcopalians have made beauty the doorway to truth and goodness…. Artists have always been at home in our congregations and play a significant role in our worship and common life.”
When the church burned down, its six large historic paintings were miraculously out for cleaning. So, you will still see them in the sanctuary. On the wall behind the communion table, you will see an enormous wall hanging by Aaron Elmore which truly lifts the space. The wall hangings change to reflect different church seasons. There is artwork by Holy Trinity artists in other parts of the building, also. We have a choir led by Lena Simmons. We have other musicians, poets, playwrights and actors.
Before the fire, Holy Trinity was known for McPhetres Hall, which was enjoyed by arts groups. McPhetres Hall is back now and again available for the arts. We have a sophisticated theater space, thanks to Theatre in the Rough. We intend to install an art hanging system. Also, our sanctuary is excellent for concerts, with great acoustics, a piano and an organ.
If a church is so welcoming to artists, one knows it is welcoming to all kinds of people. The Episcopal Church is tolerant and inclusive. Not only that, it is respectful of other Christian denominations and other faith traditions. For instance, I can’t count the number of Episcopalian/Buddhists I have met.
The Episcopal Church won’t tell you what you have to believe. The Book of Common Prayer, which contains our beautiful prayers and services, was compiled in 1549 with the aim of uniting religious factions in England. So, it allows for variations in belief.
We have wonderful classes and Bible Studies in which one can freely discuss and question. I have learned so much from these classes and become so much spiritually stronger. The spiritual strength has changed my life completely. I hope that some of you who read this will join us as we “worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.”
One of our classes was a sermon class. I am so fortunate to have been allowed to prepare and deliver a sermon on John 3. Jesus says, “The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the spirit.”
Being born of the spirit is an individual quest taken in community. No one in our church will question your journey. Instead, if you wish, we will love to hear about it. No one will give you rote words you have to say about yourself. The spirit works in miraculous ways, amazingly and lovingly crafted by God to suit each individual. As “A People Called Episcopalians” states, “We’re a peculiar people whose spiritual arc bends more towards boundless hope and a reasonable faith than hardened surety and entrenched absolutism.”
If you live in the Valley, St. Brendan’s Church on Mendenhall Loop Road is just as beautiful as Holy Trinity. An enormous wall of windows looks out on trees, lending tranquility. I am so happy to be in the Episcopal faith, with such beautiful churches, such a tolerant community and such freedom of understanding. Either church, St. Brendan’s or Holy Trinity, will allow you in your own individual way to be “born of the spirit.”
• Page Bridges, Holy Trinity Episcopal Church “Living & Growing” is a re occurring column written by different authors and submitted by local clergy and spiritual leaders.
