Jesus calls us to gather in his name to experience his presence. That is the call that the Church has endeavored to live out through the centuries in myriad ways, to keep Christ the focus of our attention and our intention in all that we do. Needless to say, sometimes the Church has managed that better than at others. Here at Trinity we have a variety of opportunities to gather in Christ’s name, to live into our call to love God and one another as Christ loves us. We may gather in worship on Sundays, in the quiet Rite I service at 8:00 a.m. or the Rite II service complete with music and choir at 10:30 a.m. Some from the Altar Guild and the Flower Guild gather before and after to dress the altar for the gathering; choir members gather to practice for their parts in the service; others gather in the kitchen to prepare goodies for hospitality; Some gather between services in Adult Education sessions to learn more about God’s ways in the world. Some gather for a Healing Eucharist on Wednesdays at 11:00 a.m. in the Memorial Garden, weather permitting. Some gather at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesdays to join in Centering Prayer. Some gather in Natural Spirituality groups to learn how to discern the messages the Holy Dream Maker has for them. Some men gather as “Men Can Cook” providing breakfast between the services one Sunday a month during the school year. The Episcopal Church Women gather monthly to organize and conduct the women’s business in the church, and St. Margaret’s gathers to address women’s spiritual issues. Those called to serve on the vestry gather monthly to administer the business of the church. To provide communication throughout the parish and beyond, some gather to fold the Bayview for mailing. Some gather to plan and carry out the Tour of Homes to garner resources for maintaining our historic buildings. Some gather to provide expressions of pastoral care to those needing to feel God’s presence “with skin on.” Some gather at Penny’s Worth, or at Benedict Hall for the Seafood Festival luncheon, or at the Community Gardens, or at the ACS’s Relay for Life, or at the community food pantry, or at the Library’s Summer Reading Program, or at the Orman House’s Christmas Open House, or at you name it as the list goes on and on as we incarnate God’s presence in the community. Whenever two or three are gathered, it is highly likely that tensions of some kind will develop. At those times, we do well to remember to keep Christ’s presence as the focus of our attention and intention for our gathering.