Trinity North Shore

Join us for Canon Tim Clayton's sermon: Thomas, Touch, Connection, Kingdom, and Jubilee.

In a digital age with an epidemic of loneliness, to touch and be touched is fundamental to our well being. Touch is one of our unique senses.
You can see and not be seen, you can hear and not be heard, but you can't touch without being touched. Touch is central to healing, trauma recovery, and therapy.

How does this story relate to us in the light of the Hebrew teaching of Jubilee, the "sabbath of sabbaths". In this fascinating study, Tim leads us through the story of Thomas and the Leviticus teaching of "Jubilee". Not just the ideas of "what not to do" rather the gentle nudge of what "to do". What does a tangible Kingdom of Heaven look like, and what might this be?

from our reading today in the gospel of John 20.
When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.”

A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 

Saturday Sunset Services at 4 pm
Join us in person in downtown Beverly, MA this season on Dane Street.
Details on our website services page.
https://www.trinitynorthshore.org/services

Connect with us at https://www.trinitynorthshore.org, 
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May the Peace of God be with you today.

Join us for Canon Tim Clayton's sermon: The Gardener and the First Apostle

In this unique Easter sermon, Tim looks at the story of the first Apostle. The one who stayed with him while he was on the cross, who waited and grieved outside his grave, and who was the first to speak with Jesus after He rose from the grave.

From our Reading in John 19 and 20:
Now there was a garden in the place where he was crucified, and in the garden there was a new tomb in which no one had ever been laid. And so, because it was the Jewish day of Preparation, and the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.

Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward the tomb. The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. Then the disciples returned to their homes.

But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni!” (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, “Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”; and she told them that he had said these things to her.

Saturday Sunset Services at 4 pm
Join us in person in downtown Beverly, MA this season on Dane Street.
Details on our website services page.
https://www.trinitynorthshore.org/services

Connect with us at https://www.trinitynorthshore.org, 
follow us on our Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/trinitynorthshore, 
on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/trinitynorthshore

May the Peace of God be with you today.

Join us for Canon Tim Clayton's sermon: The Parable of the Sower

In this inspiring sermon, Tim looks at one of the classic parables of Jesus. In recent years some have defined this parable in moralistic ways. But is it a parable simply about morality? Or is it something that reaches deeper? What is Jesus trying to show us?

From our Reading in Matthew 13:
And he told them many things in parables, saying: ‘Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds came and ate them up. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Let anyone with ears listen!’

…“Hear then the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in the heart; this is what was sown on the path. As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet such a person has no root, but endures only for a while, and when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, that person immediately falls away. As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing. But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”

Join us Holy Week and Easter Sunday at Crowell Chapel in Manchester by the Sea, details on our Events page: https://www.trinitynorthshore.org/events

Saturday Sunset Services at 4 pm
Join us in person in downtown Beverly, MA this season on Dane Street.
Details on our website services page.
https://www.trinitynorthshore.org/services

Connect with us at https://www.trinitynorthshore.org, 
follow us on our Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/trinitynorthshore, 
on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/trinitynorthshore

May the Peace of God be with you today.

Join us for Mother Wendy Dixon's sermon: The Intersection of Our Hope and God's Heart

In this fascinating sermon, Wendy recounts the story from our gospel reading in Luke 17 and how it affects each of us in our own struggles and challenges we face. She draws us to find hope in the intersection of God's heart for our lives. God is with us. God is for us. God delights in us, and meets us at the intersection of our hope and his heart.

From our Reading in Luke 17:
On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was going through the region between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered a village, ten lepers met him. Keeping their distance, they called out, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!

When he saw them, he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were made clean.

Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back, praising God with a loud voice. He fell on his face at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan.

Join us Holy Week and Easter Sunday in Manchester by the Sea, details on our Events page: https://www.trinitynorthshore.org/events

Saturday Sunset Services at 4 pm
Join us in person in downtown Beverly, MA this season on Dane Street.
Details on our website services page.
https://www.trinitynorthshore.org/services

Connect with us at https://www.trinitynorthshore.org, 
follow us on our Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/trinitynorthshore, 
on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/trinitynorthshore

May the Peace of God be with you today.

Join us for Mother Jen Keifer's sermon: Worthy of Beauty,
Lavish Love Without Waste

In this thoughtful sermon, Jen takes a deeper look at the story from Matthew 26,
Now while Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very costly ointment, and she poured it on his head as he sat at the table. But when the disciples saw it, they were angry and said, “Why this waste? For this ointment could have been sold for a large sum, and the money given to the poor.” But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? She has performed a good service for me. For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me. By pouring this ointment on my body she has prepared me for burial. Truly I tell you, wherever this good news is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in remembrance of her.”

How can we live into the beauty of the work of God without being pulled into "Empire like" thinking? Even in our best intentions we can sometimes be pulled into the logistics of Empire rather than the human image bearers that we are called to love and care for.

How can we close the gap between our effort and our impact?
How can we learn to live beyond a utilitarian worldview of statistics and into the power of unstoppable beauty and compassion for all of those in need within our families, friends, and communities? How can we live into extravagant care for the vulnerable and those in need?
Jen invites us to learn to see that we are all worthy of beauty and care, especially the least of these.

Perhaps part of the answer Jesus is showing us is here,
"She has done a beautiful thing, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her."

May we each have a fresh encounter with the Christ who poured himself out for us.

Saturday Sunset Services at 4 pm
Join us in person in downtown Beverly, MA this season on Dane Street.
Details on our website services page.
https://www.trinitynorthshore.org/services

Connect with us at https://www.trinitynorthshore.org, 
follow us on our Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/trinitynorthshore, 
on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/trinitynorthshore

May the Peace of God be with you today.

Join us for Cn Tim Clayton's sermon: Wonder Stories

Where does Jesus talk about "wonder"? Where does Jesus advocate for "wonder"?
He never uses the word, but it's in the way that Jesus interacts with children and advocates for children in all their beauty and fragility. In this insightful sermon, Tim leads us through the places we can find wonder though the days are challenging.

From our scripture readings in Isaiah:

Have you not known? Have you not heard?
 The Lord is the everlasting God,
     the Creator of the ends of the earth.
 He does not faint or grow weary;
     his understanding is unsearchable.
 He gives power to the faint,
     and strengthens the powerless.
 Even youths will faint and be weary,
     and the young will fall exhausted;
 but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength,
     they shall mount up with wings like eagles,
 they shall run and not be weary,
     they shall walk and not faint.

And in the gospel of Matthew:

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, ‘Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ He called a child, whom he put among them, and said, ‘Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.

‘If any of you put a stumbling-block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were fastened around your neck and you were drowned in the depth of the sea.

[and a little later…]

Then little children were being brought to him in order that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples spoke sternly to those who brought them; but Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.’ And he laid his hands on them and went on his way.

Saturday Sunset Services at 4 pm
Join us in person in downtown Beverly, MA this season on Dane Street.
Details on our website services page.
https://www.trinitynorthshore.org/services

Connect with us at https://www.trinitynorthshore.org, 
follow us on our Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/trinitynorthshore, 
on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/trinitynorthshore

May the Peace of God be with you today.

Join us for Cn Tim's sermon: A Love that is Willing to Come Out and Find You, The Prodigal Son

There may not be two more famous stories from Jesus, than the Prodigal Son, and the Good Samaritan. 
Jesus often taught in what we know are "parables".
Parable from the Greek word, parabolē, meaning "a throwing beside", a comparison... A story that is laid beside life, so that we can see ourselves within the story. A story that can guide you and teach you the deeper meanings of life. It allows us a place for self reflection.

This week Tim walks us through the story of the Prodigal Son in a fresh and exciting way. We invite you in this insightful sermon to pay attention to how you feel. Who do you like in the story? Who don't you like? Who are you pulling for? Who are you annoyed by? There is something powerful in this story for each one of us.

Saturday Sunset Services at 4 pm
Join us in person in downtown Beverly, MA this season on Dane Street.
Details on our website services page.
https://www.trinitynorthshore.org/services

Connect with us at https://www.trinitynorthshore.org, 
follow us on our Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/trinitynorthshore, 
on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/trinitynorthshore

May the Peace of God be with you today.

Join us for Cn Tim's sermon: Wholeheartedly Dedicated

How can we learn to live and love deeply in committed relationships?
And in particular committed marriage love?
Cn Tim takes a deep look at an often misused and misunderstood passage of scripture and offers some insights into how we can have deep and committed relationships in our marriages and friendships with one another.

Within most any bible that we pick up, no matter the translation, most often you will find bolded headers and sub-headers that have been placed by either the translators or the publishers. This lends to the idea that the bible can be a self help book based on different topics, when in reality the scriptures need the context of each book, letter, or passage to reveal to us the story or point that the author is making.

In this thoughtful message, Tim looks at Ephesians chapter 5, which is often used to explain marriage and relationships, with the emphasis on living within "love",

From our scripture reading in Ephesians 5, "therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." 

Saturday Sunset Services at 4 pm
Join us in person in downtown Beverly, MA this season on Dane Street.
Details on our website services page.
https://www.trinitynorthshore.org/services

Connect with us at https://www.trinitynorthshore.org, 
follow us on our Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/trinitynorthshore, 
on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/trinitynorthshore

May the Peace of God be with you today.

Join us for Canon Tim Clayton's sermon,
Jesus Stands Alongside a Woman Framed for Adultery

We live in a time where troubling and horrible actions and attitudes, prejudices and behaviors towards women are front and center in every day life both in the culture and in the church.

We've seen the recently released Epstein files, along with the issues particularly with A.I. and "Grok". We've also seen clearly the view of many within the American culture wars, along with regular reports and scandals from within a wide spectrum of American churches and denominations.

In light of all of these issues, this particular sermon is heavy, timely, and it's also an incredible and beautiful story from the perspective of Jesus, and how/who we understand God to be.

How does Jesus view women? How does Jesus view this woman in this classic story from John chapter 7? What value does Jesus have for women and particularly this woman in this story?

What was Jesus writing in the dirt? Tim shares a unique and insightful take on the response of Jesus to the crowd.

As we pick up the story, we know that Jesus is being argued with by the religious leaders and they send these people to argue with Jesus, but when reason doesn't work, they resort to the level of their own prejudice and escalate the situation.

The genius of Jesus is that He never takes the bait and at the same time he addresses the core issues at hand.

How does this tie in to our own lives and the era in which we are living? The similarities are incredible.

Join us as Tim leads us through this compassionate, insightful, and hopeful story. Can you see Jesus standing with you, defending you, standing up for you, and standing for you? See yourself standing in the best place you could ever stand, and that is in front of Jesus...

Saturday Sunset Services at 4 pm
Join us in person in downtown Beverly, MA this season on Dane Street.
Details on our website services page.
https://www.trinitynorthshore.org/services

Connect with us at https://www.trinitynorthshore.org, 
follow us on our Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/trinitynorthshore, 
on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/trinitynorthshore

May the Peace of God be with you today.

Join us for Canon Tim Clayton's sermon, 
Epiphany 4
Epiphany in the Temple and at the Foot of the Cross

An epiphany is a sudden, profound moment of realization, insight, or understanding, often described as an "aha moment," where a simple occurrence reveals a deeper meaning or truth, changing one's perspective.

A flash of insight: A moment of sudden clarity or understanding, like a light bulb turning on, where everything suddenly makes sense.

A transformative realization: A discovery that provides a new, deeper perspective on oneself, a problem, or the world, leading to significant change.

This week Tim looks at the story of The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple and the story of John and Mary at the foot of the cross. In these powerful stories we see the beauty and revelation of Jesus. At Trinity we want to be a haven from the insanity of what is happening in our cities and towns, and at the same time, we want to touch on real and deep issues so that we might find peace and share hope amidst the chaos of this season. We know that the beautiful gospel of Jesus is for all times, including the one that we are living through now. Where do we find a future and a hope? Join us as Tim shares a deep and insightful message for our times.

From our reading in John 25:
"…Meanwhile, standing near the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, ‘Woman, here is your son.’ Then he said to the disciple, ‘Here is your mother.’ And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home."

From our reading in Luke 2:
Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying,

‘Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace,
     according to your word;
 for my eyes have seen your salvation,
     which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
 a light for revelation to the Gentiles
     and for glory to your people Israel.’

And the child’s father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, ‘This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your own soul too.’

Saturday Sunset Services at 4 pm
Join us in person in downtown Beverly, MA this season on Dane Street.
Details on our website services page.
https://www.trinitynorthshore.org/services

Connect with us at https://www.trinitynorthshore.org, 
follow us on our Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/trinitynorthshore, 
on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/trinitynorthshore

May the Peace of God be with you today.