Giving Back

I was asked to share my experiences with stewardship here at Trinity.
Although it’s called stewardship, I tend to think of it as giving back.

My journey to Trinity began in 1984 when I first came to sing in the choir under Phyllis Zimmerman. When she left, I stayed on as an acolyte serving with uber-acolytes; Steve and Mary Gibson. I was intimidated. Little did I know how nice they were or how funny Steve could be. Who knew?

For professional and personal reasons, I left for a while in 1990. Well, a while nearly lasted 30 years. After my mother’s passing, I hit a wall. So, I decided it was time to come back to my other home, Trinity. I came back on Palm Sunday of 2019 and coincidentally Susan and Paul Zink invited me to join them, so I didn’t have to sit alone. I had heard that Trinity had a new woman Rector. That excited me, and I wasn’t disappointed. Elizabeth had me at “Please be seated”. And I have never left a service where I was not inspired in one way or another.

During that first Holy Week after I came back, I attended a couple of “Contemplative Services” where the first person I really met was Sarah and a number of wonderful Trinity women among whom I was the only chap. But I was welcomed as though I had been a member all along. During the next year I was re-baptized and went through confirmation with Holly, who I bonded with because we are both Anglophiles. More about Holly in a minute. I felt such a warm welcoming feeling that I knew I wanted to give back somehow. So, I volunteered to decorate Trinity for Christmas and met more wonderful people. I volunteered for the Warming Center next. But then the pandemic hit. Volunteer opportunities are pretty slim on Zoom. I missed the living breathing community inside the living breathing building that we call Trinity.

As soon as we were allowed back inside, I wanted to give back more. I am more of a dive through the waves rather than a slowly wading in the ocean kind of person. So, when I was offered the opportunity to Usher, I said yes immediately, I asked if I could become a reader, and I began volunteering with Dinner in the Park. All of which gave me wonderful opportunities to meet still more people and find my niche. Then Holly came sneaking out of the bushes saying she needed a new co-chair for the Hospitality Ministry. I said yes without hesitation. Thinking back, perhaps I should have been more hesitant. Just kidding.

Being involved with Hospitality I have met nearly every person here at Trinity. And it has afforded me the opportunity to really give back. I have received so much in these past few years. They say; when you give away love it comes back threefold. In my case it comes back over 100-fold. And not just once, but every weekend. As in every adventure there is a learning curve and challenges. But through all of you, I have learned to plan as best I can then to go with the flow. Believe me that is new for me. You are all so forgiving and appreciative. I find that I greet everything with a smile now. Not a forced smile but one that comes from deep satisfaction in knowing I am contributing to this living breathing entity we call Trinity. It may seem like work from the outside looking in, but believe me, the rewards so outweigh any other considerations. I truly believe that I am part of something much larger than myself and I am giving something of value to the Trinity community. I highly recommend you find your own niche and your own journey. For now, I consider myself privileged to continue sharing my love with all of you and receive such a bounty in return.

Thank you.

Alexander Thomas
Trinity Episcopal Church