Trinity Episcopal Church
e-newsletter
Observing a Holy Lent
by Rev. Johnnette Shane, Vicar
We are coming up on the season of Lent. As I was
reflecting on Lent, I walked around the neighborhood
of the church. It had been warm and seemed like
spring, but this day it was chilly and grey. It seemed
appropriate weather for thinking of Lent. Lent is the
season leading up to the great celebration of Easter.
It is the forty days plus six Sundays prior to Easter
and has historically been a season of self-
examination and penitence. It is a time when we
might examine what we truly value, how we choose to
spend our time, our treasure, but it is not a time of
punishment.
In the church, we have traditionally begun our season
of Lent on Ash Wednesday with the imposition of
ashes, as we will at Trinity this year. In our service,
the celebrant invites the people to celebrate a holy
Lent with these and other words, “I invite you, there-
fore, in the name of the Church, to the observance of
a holy Lent, by self-examination and repentance; by
prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and
meditating on Godʼs holy Word.” I remember when
we were kids, we gave up things for Lent, frequently
Coke or candy.
This year, I ask you to fully experience this wonderful
season. Maybe you want to consider some kind of
fasting or self-denial, like giving up Coke or candy or,
as my brother often does, red meat. You might want
to consider instead or, in addition, adding something
that will enhance your life, the addition of a daily
prayer discipline or Bible reading or even a special
time with your children or partner. We will have two
special Lenten offerings each week. First, we will
have soup and discussion of The Soul of Money on
Wednesdays. (Contact Johnnette if you wish to par-
ticipate and buy the book; if you are unable to pay for
the book, do contact Johnnette.) Second, we will
have Stations of the Cross on Fridays.
Lent 2011
Our services during this season will seem simpler
than our other seasons, and we “put away” our Allelu-
ias during Lent. Remember that, during Lent as dur-
ing the rest of the year, Sundays are a time of cele-
bration of Jesusʼ resurrection; so, the restrictions of
Lent are lessened on Sundays. Lent is an especially
appropriate time for the rite of Reconciliation of a
Penitent. Some people have a tradition of taking ad-
vantage of this rite yearly or every so often. Some
use it once to overcome some sense of separation
from God. Others feel that our corporate confession
during the Eucharist is sufficient and never use this
rite. If you are interested in Reconciliation of a Peni-
tent, please contact me.
I ask you to avail yourself of all or some of these offer-
ings and invite you to a holy Lent.
Bishopʼs Wardenʼs Report
by Jessie Cragg, Bishopʼs Warden
Trinityʼs 2011 annual meeting on January 30 began
with a new voice as our Vicar, the Reverend John-
nette Shane, called the meeting to order. We heard
reports from the Wardens, the Treasurer, and various
ministry coordinators. More changes were in store
with the election of Bishopʼs Committee members and
alternate convention delegate. With the arrival of our
Vicar, Trinityʼs leadership indeed reflects some new
faces for the coming year. Jessie Cragg is the new
Bishopʼs Warden. Wynne Wilbur  and Pete Kelly are
the new Co-Junior Wardens. Sally West and Kevin
Minch are newly elected to the Bishopʼs Committee. 
Krista Baker, retiring Bishopʼs Warden, is the remain-
ing member and will continue as Trinityʼs Treasurer. 
Our convention delegates are Talie Alexander and
Cole Woodcox, with Julia DeLancey and Julie Seidler,
newly elected, as Alternates.
We are extremely grateful for the service of outgoing
Committee members Laura Gruber and Kyle Miller,
and retiring Junior Warden Maria Evans.
(continued on page 2)
Trinity Episcopal Church e-newsletter
Page 2
Lent 2011
(continued from page 1)
Krista Bakerʼs leadership as Bishopʼs Warden through
the search process went beyond the call of duty. 
Thank you.
On Saturday, February 12  Johnnette led the Bishopʼs
Committee in a day-long retreat. We ate, prayed,
played, planned, bonded, and brainstormed. Topics
explored included accessibility, inclusivity, outreach,
and services and fellowship for the season of Lent.  will be at the Clergy Retreat.
We agreed that topics to be addressed in the future
will include re-writing our by-laws, addressing audit
findings, and learning how to live more fully in our
mission statement.
We would like to remind you that the minutes of the
Bishopʼs Committee meetings, as well as the annual
meetings, are posted on our website. Please ask a
Committee member or the Vicar if you would like a
hard copy.
Junior Wardensʼ Report
by Wynne Wilbur & Pete Kelly, Co-Junior Wardens
Pete Kelly and Wynne Wilbur were recently appointed
co-Junior Wardens for the coming year. We were
inducted in grand form by the arrival of the Big Bliz-
zard three days after we took office. With helpful tu-
toring from former Junior Warden, Maria Evans, we
cleared the sidewalks (and a few days later, the alley
behind the vicarage with help from Ian Lindevald, so
Johnnette could get her car out) with our new snow-
blower which more than paid for itself during this
storm.
Although we are new to the job, we have already
identified a few things we would like to begin doing.
We will soon be contracting with someone to come to
the church on a monthly basis to help with cleaning.
In addition, we would like to assemble a list of people
who would be willing to be called on when mainte-
nance tasks need to be done. Anyone willing to be on
this call list can contact Wynne or Pete.
Hello From Your New Vicar
by Rev. Johnnette Shane, Vicar
I want to thank you all for your warm welcome of me.
Itʼs been a whirlwind, with the Bishopʼs visitation on
my first Sunday, then the rest of Advent, Christmas,
and the New Year. We held our annual meeting and
recently had a great Bishopʼs Committee Retreat. We
have lots of events planned for Lent and a few al-
ready in the works for Easter!
Calendar
✤ Tuesday, March 1, 6 - 8pm ~ Haitian Kanaval
Dinner. The choirʼs annual fundraiser will raise
money for the Diocese of Haitiʼs rebuilding fund
for their cathedral as well as their university.
✤ March 1 - 3 ~ Church office closed; Johnnette
✤ Tuesday, March 8, 6pm ~ Shrove Tuesday
Pancake Supper. Come and help us get rid of
the fat before Lent! Small donation accepted.
✤ Wednesday, March 9, 7pm ~ Ash Wednesday
service.
✤ Fridays, March 11, 18, 25, April 1, 8, 15,
5:30pm ~ Stations of the Cross.
✤ Wednesdays, March 16, 23, 30, April 6, 13,
5:15pm ~ Lenten Study and Soup group.
Studying the book The Soul of Money, examin-
ing our relationship with our abundant re-
sources.
✤ Sunday, March 20, 7pm ~ Taizé service.
✤ Sunday, April 17, 7pm ~ Taizé service.
✤ Thursday, April 21, 7pm ~ Maundy Thursday
service.
✤ Friday, April 22, 7pm ~ Good Friday service.
✤ Sunday, April 24, 10am ~ Easter Sunday!
✤ Wednesday, April 27, 7pm ~ Celebration of
New Ministry.
Before we get to Lent, there are two important hap-
penings. Do not forget the Choir fundraiser for Haiti
on March 1. We will observe Shrove Tuesday by hav-
ing a traditional pancake supper, which is just for fel-
lowship. Please do join us for soup and reflection
about our relationship with our treasure, Godʼs abun-
dance, on Wednesdays during Lent and Stations of
the Cross on Fridays during Lent. We will have serv-
ices on Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter.
Just after Easter, we will have the Celebration of New
Ministry, what some of you might call my installation.
More to come on all of these events—Trinity is
emerging from winter!
Trinity Episcopal Church e-newsletter

Page 3

Lent 2011

Introducing Our New Vicar

by Julie Seidler

The life of Trinityʼs new vicar, The Rev. Johnnette

Shane, reads more like a book of short stories, rather
than a novel. Itʼs composed of several different kinds
of episodes, without a smooth trajectory. Geographi-
cally speaking, besides Kentucky, Johnnetteʼs lived in
Tennessee, the District of Columbia, Minnesota, Cali-
fornia, and now here. Running through all her stories
and spaces, however, is the theme of The Sacred.

COAL

Even her childhood was broken up into distinct

spaces. She was born in Louisville, Kentucky, raised
in Madisonville, which she describes as “The Strip
Mining Capital of the World,” then moved back to Lou-
isville at the age of 13.

Of growing up around strip mining, she said, “It was

not beautiful. That much I do remember, and I'm re-
minded of something a guy I knew in New Mexico
said. He grew up in Hobbs, NM, and years after he
moved to Albuquerque, he said this, ʻIt's a terrible
thing when you realize that your hometown is ugly.ʼ I
guess that's how I feel about Madisonville; it probably
did affect me spiritually—it was not a place, then, of
much physical beauty. Coal did loom large over us,
cranes and great piles of stuff around, and my father
mostly made his living from coal, indirectly.”
Johnnette, who was named after her father, has two
siblings, a brother Drew and a sister Leslie Dee. Her
mother, Lavena, was nicknamed “Pete”.
WOOD
Johnnetteʼs first story after college is about carpentry
and justice. After attending Rhodes College in Mem-
phis, Tennessee, she became a carpenterʼs appren-
tice “to learn how to build things, to work outside.”
She learned that her grandfather had been a union
carpenter, so she wanted to be one too. She worked
in Washington, D.C. and Minneapolis/St. Paul on all
sorts of jobs. One in particular – concrete form con-
struction – ended that career path for her.
The job entailed using “slip forms,” 20-40ʼ forms that
are “slipped up” a building as the concrete is poured.
Itʼs known as a “fast [way] of doing difficult work.” To
save time, the company didnʼt want the workers to tie
off their safety belts, even though the job was very
dangerous, because the forms were covered with oil.
The Rev. Johnnette Shane became
Trinityʼs new Vicar in December 2010.
Johnnette kept telling them, “Somebodyʼs going to get
hurt,” but they paid no attention. She finally got mad
and quit. A month or so later, somebody died on the
job. At that point, she said to herself, “This just isnʼt
right, that people have to work under these condi-
tions.” So she applied to law school, aspiring to be-
come an organizer in occupational safety and health.
By that time, she was working in a battered womenʼs
shelter.
THE LAW
The next story of Johnnetteʼs is about the law, but this
one isnʼt so short – 16 years to be exact. She thought
it was going to be about labor law, but it began in
criminal law instead. She originally expected to work
in a firm where she clerked that handled employment
and labor law, but as she was finishing law school,
the head of the firm told her they didnʼt have the
money for more associates. Thatʼs when she started
casting about for “what [she] could find the fastest.” It
turned out to be a position in the public defenderʼs
office. She started out working on misdemeanors,
mostly DUI cases, and progressed to felonies. She
then went into private practice, still defending those
accused of driving under the influence in which field
(continued on page 4)
Trinity Episcopal Church e-newsletter
Page 4
Lent 2011
(continued from page 3)
“there was a lot of work.” Later, she also practiced
some juvenile and employment law, before ending up
as a hearing officer for the motor vehicle division,
hearing cases dealing with license revocation. She
also worked for several years prior to seminary
prosecuting child abuse and neglect.
THE SACRED
Johnnette was “way more interested in religion than
most kids.” She admits being “the kid who asked too
many questions in confirmation class, which irritated
the priest.” By high school, she was attending the
cathedral church in downtown Louisville by herself
because she didnʼt like her parentsʼ church. She also
served on the diocesan committee charged with con-
sidering revision of the prayer book as a high school
student.
She first became aware of a call to the priesthood in
1976, when she graduated from college, but Kentucky
wasnʼt “real progressive” at that time, and the Episco-
pal church had just started ordaining women. The call
was put on the back burner for a long while.
She was away from the church during college (except
for going to mass at the Roman Catholic church with
a friend at Easter and Christmas) and a long time af-
terward, but she came back while she was in New
Mexico. Thatʼs when she felt it was time to do some-
thing about the call that sheʼd heard time and again
over the years, that she “always thought would go
away.” She explored the call with her congregation
there and they decided the call was genuine, but it
wasnʼt going to happen from that diocese. Thatʼs
when she decided to move to California to attend
seminary at the Church Divinity School of the Pacific
in Berkley.
The discernment process there turned out to be
lengthy, because there was a three-year-residency
requirement to even apply for postulancy and another
year to work out some other concerns. Once she fi-
nally got in, though, it was great! “Itʼs fun to wake up
in the morning, go down to breakfast, and find people
to talk to about God,” she says. “How cool is that?”
There were parts of seminary life, though, that werenʼt
so fun. First, she had to give up her three-bedroom
home and her animals, including Hazel, her Arabian
horse, to live in a dorm room. In addition, it was aca-
demically difficult, and there were all kinds of activities
required for a person who was going to serve the
church, such as committees to serve on and social
events, which were not entirely social. The pressure
was surprising. Overall, however, she feels really
blessed to have been able to do it. As a matter of
fact, sheʼd recommend it for anybody whoʼs interested
in studying more about religion.
Her favorite subject was Biblical languages, espe-
cially Greek. We may begin to notice that she often
says something about the original Greek in her ser-
mons. Much of that is due to the way the Bible has
been translated that doesnʼt bring out the fullness of
the way it was intended.
For Johnnette, thereʼs a false distinction in our society
between the sacred and the secular – the sacred is
everywhere. One episode will serve to illustrate. Af-
ter finishing seminary in 2006, she served as a hospi-
tal chaplain in the Bay Area as part of a one-year
clinical pastoral education (CPE) unit. Her supervisor,
a Buddhist in the Tibetan tradition, told her, “The per-
son you have the hardest time with will be your great-
est teacher.” This puzzled her until one particular pa-
tient, a man, requested a chaplain visit “all the time.”
However, when she went to his room, all he did was
yell at her. She was frustrated until she realized, “I
did need to minister to him, I just couldnʼt be on the
level he wanted,” which is often true. He just wanted
to yell and she had to scratch the surface with more
intensity than he wanted. This is unfortunately often
true in ministry. The trick is finding the sacred, even
in relationships with difficult people.
After seminary, Johnnette worked part time at a
“smallish” congregation in Freemont, California, and
part time at an intimate partner violence agency. She
was ordained a priest in September 2008, at which
ceremony her brother read one of the Bible passages.
She believes that one job of a priest is to remind peo-
ple that the sacred is everywhere. She hopes weʼll
remember that.
Help Wanted
Soon it will be time for Nancy to step aside as
newsletter editor and keeper of the church-wide
e-mail list. As well, there are several ministries at
Trinity that are in need of volunteers. Please talk
with Johnnette if you are interested in helping
with communications, other ministries, or would
like to discuss how you can become more in-
volved at Trinity!
Trinity Episcopal Church e-newsletter
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Lent 2011
An Often Asked Question
by Krista Baker
Often during an annual giving campaign, someone
will ask if the money we give to charities other than
the church should be included when we calculate
what we ʻgive.ʼ Is that money part of our tithe or our
pledge? After we completed our annual giving cam-
paign last fall I received the monthly newsletter from
the Presbyterian Church in Ethel, MO, where Tim and
I used to live. There was an article in it that ad-
dressed this very subject in a way that has stayed
with me. I would like to share it with you. Although
there are references to the holiday times, I think the
following article is relevant today just as it was in No-
vember when it first appeared.
STEWARDSHIP MOMENT
Often people ask whether they should calculate their
giving to God to include charities other than the church.
Thatʼs an individual decision, but the Bible has some
guidance for us. Throughout the Old Testament, the
rules about giving have a clear distinction between what
is given to God and what is for charity. Tithes were what
God asked, offerings were what people decided to do in
addition to their tithe (a tithe is 10% of what you have or
make).
During our worship services the call at the offering time
many times includes the phrase, “let us give our tithes
and offerings.” We are being asked for two different
things; we are asked for what we have committed to
give God and also for what we have decided out of love
to do in addition.
We also are asked to offer our “selves.” We offer our
very lives...our living to the glory and honor of God, of-
fering to God our service as a disciple of Jesus Christ!
A lot of decisions have to be made as we offer our tithes
and offerings and God can assist us in our decision-
making, helping us to be generous, loving, and caring
as our God is to us. May we all ponder our stewardship
practices, especially as we enter the holiday season
where we celebrate first, Thanksgiving — a holiday of
abundance for us, but not for all, and then of Advent and
Christmas — yet another time for extravagance and
generosity. Let us truly offer our tithes and offerings for
the work and mission of the Kingdom of God!
From the November 2010 newsletter of the Macon
County Larger Parish, New Cambria, MO, by their pas-
tor, Mary Ellen Waychoff.
United Thank Offering
by Krista Baker
The Bishopʼs Committee has
decided to fully support the
United Thank Offering (UTO)
program this year. This means
more than the one Sunday plate
collection we held last year.
This means we each get one of
the famous little blue boxes! We
each have the opportunity to fill the little box over and
over during the year. As our Diocesan website ex-
plains:
United Thank Offering (UTO) is a ministry of the Episco-
pal Church. It exists to expand the circle of thankful
people. To achieve this mission, UTO encourages daily
prayer, offerings, and awareness of the abundance of
Godʼs blessings.
Through the familiar "little blue boxes," prayers of
thanksgiving are said and spare change, multiplied by
the generosity of the church, is contributed....UTO funds
collected each year are dispersed by the UTO commit-
tee each spring. Each diocese may submit two grant
requests each year. Recent grants in our diocese have
been:
2009: St. Louis, Episcopal City Mission Detention Centers
2008: Companion Diocese Grant: Diocese of Lui, Sudan
2007: St. Louis, St. John's Episcopal Church on Arsenal
2004: Washington, MO., Care and Counseling, Inc.
In 2010, twenty-two of the diocese's parishes partici-
pated in the offering and five submitted grants.
United Thank Offering - A Prayer of Gratitude
Gracious and abundant God, we thank you for this
magical fragile world in which you have made us to
dwell. All that we are and all that we have is gift, ex-
travagant and holy gift. Open our eyes in wonder be-
fore the beauty of the world. Enlarge our reverence
for all living creatures and our stewardship of life.
Make us generous as you are generous and alive as
you are alive. Turn our heart from the service of self
alone that we may be grateful stewards of your gifts
and servants of the common good. Give us the mind
of our Lord Jesus, whose saving embrace on the
cross makes us whole, that in humility we may love
you in all things and love one another in all grace and
peace; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
-The Rt. Rev. Henry Nutt Parsley Jr., Bishop of Alabama
Trinity Episcopal Church e-newsletter

Page 6

Lent 2011

Lenten Retreat in Iowa

by Maria Evans

On Saturday, March 12, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., our neighboring diocese, the Episcopal Diocese of Iowa, is
sponsoring a Lenten retreat.  The retreat, "Living a Holy Lent," will be held at Christ Episcopal Church in Bur-
lington, IA (approximately 125 miles from Kirksville).  The retreat is free, but a free will offering is requested. 
Lunch will be provided.  You can reserve a spot at the retreat by calling Christ Episcopal Church at (319)752-
1381. Attendees are welcome to attend some or all of the retreat.

Here is the agenda for the retreat:

"Fasting and Self-Denial" (The Rev. John Horn)
"Reading and Meditating on God's Holy Word" (The Rev.  Marilyn Wentzein)
"Pardon and Absolution" (The Rev. Larry Synder)
"Self-Examination and Repentance" (The Rev. Mary Christopher)

Prayers
Please remember in your prayers: Wynne and her family, Shirley, Jessica (Kristy), Sarah (Joanne), the
Franks family (Kevin), Carrol, Ann (Pete and Julia), Kirstin (Maria), John, Andrew (Diane), Rocky (Jean),
Betty (Sally’s mother), John (Jessie’s husband), Rex (Cynthia’s father), Elias, Larry (Karen), the Treese
family (Delaney), Suzie (Jessie), Bob (Diane), Brian (Diane), Brandy, Justin (Maria), Charlette (Shannon),
and for the repose of the soul of Roy.

A prayer for the parish: “Almighty and everliving God, ruler of all things in heaven and earth, hear our
prayers for this parish family. Strengthen the faithful, arouse the careless, and restore the penitent. Grant us
all things necessary for our common life, and bring us all to be of one heart and mind within your holy church;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.” (BCP p.817)

Clergy Worship Services

Rev. Johnnette Shane, Vicar Holy Eucharist
Rev. Carrol K. Davenport, Associate Priest Sundays ~ 10:00 a.m.

Morning Prayer
Bishop’s Committee Wednesdays ~ 7:30 a.m.
Jessie Cragg, Bishop’s Warden (2012)
Pete Kelly, Co-Junior Warden (2013)
Wynne Wilbur, Co-Junior Warden (2013)
Trinity Episcopal Church
Krista Baker (2012)
124 N. Mulanix
Kevin Minch (2014)
Kirksville, MO 63501
Sally West (2014)
660-665-6155
www.trinitykirksville.org

Thanks to all who contributed, and to Julie Seidler for the photograph!
Please send all newsletter contributions, corrections, and suggestions to Nancy Miller at
trinitynewsletter@gmail.com. Items for the Spring newsletter are due by May 2.