Pastor Brian's Blog

Do you ever wonder if God is absent from your life?  When terrible things happen in the world, have you felt that God seems indifferent? Fear not.  God is faithful, says the prophet Isaiah. In January, I will lead a new series for Trinity Church called "Fear Not."  It explores the ministry of all baptized Christians in light of the Old Testament prophet Isaiah. The prophet's poetry uses potent imagery like fire and water to paint a picture of the Lord who delights in the people, who is their strength, and who calls them to participate in the divine purpose. To me, the image of the Ludington lighthouse being scoured by waves in a storm evokes two aspects of baptismal living: faith and freedom.  The lighthouse stands on the firm foundation of faith and shines as a beacon of hope and help to others.  The freedom and power of the Holy Spirit, always moving upon us and propelling us. In conversation with Walter Brueggemann, one of my favorite biblical s...

Dear Friends in Christ,   What is the church?  Throughout the year, I’ve been exploring the church in terms of our location, nature, redemption, shape, ministry, mission, inclusivity, strength, and our challenge.  According to Everist and Nessan in Transforming Leadership , we may also describe the church in terms of gift.  Dietrich Bonhoeffer believed that a faith community is a concrete unity.  Our center of attention is not with each member, but in all the members together.  Of course, our life together is not always easy.  We can be demanding of each other.  We sometimes fail to listen to one another.  We wear each other out.   Yet Jesus calls us to repentance and turn to a new reality rooted in love.  God’s Spirit nudges us to be aware of ways we are alienated from one another and to realize our need of Christ’s forgiveness.  God’s grace heals us and restores our relationship with one another.  I...

Handel's Messiah is one of the most familiar musical compositions of all time.  The librettist, Charles Jennens, used passages of the King James Version of the Bible and the Book of Common Prayer.  With musical and theological awareness, Jennens has stitched the texts seamlessly to tell the story of salvation.    This Advent I will lead a series on Part One of Messiah  (the Christmas section).   Part One begins with a word of "Comfort" and concludes with the fulfillment of that promise: the burden of sin is replaced by the yoke of grace. *On Sun., Dec. 6, Trinity's Chancel Choir, accompanied by organ and chamber musicians, will offer Part One of Messiah during 10:30 a.m. worship.  Handel wrote Messiah in less than a month (August 22-September 14, 1741), just one year before John Wesley wrote "The Character of a Methodist."  According to one story,  just after the completion of the "Ha llelujah" chorus,  Handel's servan...

Pray for those in Paris tonight during a series of violent attacks, especially for Catherine Inserra's daughter Celia as well as Ross and Rosann Jones' daughter Carrie. Be our light in the darkness, O Lord, and in your great mercy defend us from all perils and dangers of this night; for the love of your only Son, our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

Dear Friends in Christ, What is the church?  A variety of aspects describe the church, such as our location, nature, redemption, shape, ministry, mission, inclusivity, and strength.  According to Everist and Nessan in Transforming Leadership , we may also describe the church in terms of our challenge.  Christians in the Western world have long had to resist a dualistic worldview that presumes that the world in which we live is not the realm of God.  Dualism separates Heaven and Earth.  It suggests that people of faith should be concerned only with “heavenly” things.  Whom does this dualistic view benefit?  Certainly, it does not help the poor, the sick, the hungry, and those who are being crushed by the effects of globalization.  Some would offer the promise of heaven as thin theological hope for those who struggle in this life.  Asking people to settle for “pie in the sky” in “the sweet by and by” is not an adequate Christian re...

On Sun., Nov. 29, Bishop Sally Dyck will visit Trinity.  She will preach at both worship services and lead a forum discussion in the Parlor at 9:30 a.m. as part of Trinity’s exploration of becoming a Reconciling Church in ministry with people of all sexual orientations and gender identities.     Consecrated as a bishop in 2004, Bishop Dyck’s first episcopal assignment was the Minnesota Area, then she was assigned to the Chicago Area in 2012.  Even bishops are told where to go.  Her leadership priorities are based on the Great Commandment and the Great Commission: to guide people to love God with their whole selves and daily practice spiritual disciplines and to share God's love with those who do not know God. At the time of her election as a bishop, she was the District Superintendent of the Cleveland District in the East Ohio Conference.  She is a graduate of Boston University School of Theology and United Theological Seminary in Dayton, ...

On Sun., Nov. 8 our District Superintendent Dr. Zaki L. Zaki will preach at Trinity during both worship  services.  He will meet with the Staff-Parish Relations Committee immediately after 10:30 worship, and then preside over the annual Charge Conference of Trinity United Methodist Church at Noon.   Please make reservations with Beth Swann if you would like to order lunch.   To most people the word “conference” means a boring meeting.  But from the beginning of Methodism, “conferencing” was a means of grace, a way of encouraging one another in the power of the Holy Spirit.  We are held in the bonds of God’s love by our practice of conferencing, whereby we renew our faith in Christ and take responsibility for our mission. Here’s a summary of a Charge Conference: it is the connecting link between the local church and the general Church and has general oversight of the Church Council.  The primary purpose of a Charge Conference...

Dear Friends in Christ, What is the church?  The church may be considered in terms of our location, nature, redemption, shape, ministry, mission, and inclusivity.  According to Everist and Nessan in Transforming Leadership , the church may also be described in terms of our strength.  But we have to be specific about our strength.  It is not strength that comes from the raw power to control or destroy, nor is it strength that comes from robust health and abundant wealth.  In fact, these external measures of strength can mask our true strength.  Relying on those types of strength can give us a false sense of security with the result that we ignore the real source of our strength. The strength of the church comes from our Savior Jesus who suffered on the cross.  He showed his strength paradoxically by yielding his will and submitting to the will of his Father.  Through his suffering, Jesus has demonstrated the strength of God, a far grea...

Consecration Sunday is November 15, 2015.     Our Guest Leader this year is the Rev. Dr. Norma Lee Barnhart, a recently retired pastor of the Northern Illinois Conference of the United Methodist Church.     For many years, Dr. Barnhart was the pastor of First United Methodist Church in Elmhurst.  During that time, Elmhurst First became a reconciling congregation and initiated a capital campaign.  Norma Lee also served churches in Chicago, Oak Park, and Rockford.  She is a talented musician and enjoys quilting.   The Leadership Dinner  (by invitation) will be Sunday, November 8 at 6:00 p.m. at Jilly's Cafe 2614 Green Bay Rd. in Evanston.   Dr. Barnhart will give a short inspirational message. On  Consecration Sunday, November 15 , you are  invited to one of the  Celebration Meals  after worship, which will be a special prepared meal, not a potluck.  Reservations for the brunch (9...

You have skills and talents and abilities that God has given you in order to serve others and advance the cause of Jesus Christ. Each fall during our "Every Member in Ministry" emphasis, we ask you to pray about your calling to serve Christ through the church.   Trinity provides a variety of opportunities for involvement and service.  See the Ministry Guidebook for detail.    If you chose to serve in certain ministries previously, we ask you to indicate your intentions of renewing your commitment each year.  If you would like to complete your EMIM commitment using an electronic form, you may  sign up here .  Otherwise, paper copies  will be available on Sunday, October 4.  Additionally, you can always bring them to the Church office. I will consecrate all of our ministry commitments (both paper and electronic versions) during worship on Sun., Oct. 4.

In October, I will lead a new series based on Steve Harper’s Five Marks of a Methodist: the Fruit of a Living Faith .  Harper explores John Wesley’s 1742 treatise on “The Character of a Methodist.”  The five marks are meant to nourish and sustain us in living the gospel.  In his own time, Wesley’s advice for Christian living had broad appeal.  Anglicans, Quakers, Puritans, Presbyterians, Lutherans, and Roman Catholics all wanted to become more like Christ through Wesley’s teaching.   Today, as we apply the five marks in our lives, they strengthen our identity, not merely as United Methodists, but more deeply as genuine and faithful disciples of Jesus Christ. October 4 Love God Matthew 22:34-38 October 11 Rejoice in God Philippians 4:4-7 October 18 Give Thanks 2 Corinthians 9:6-15 October 25 Pray Continually Luke 11:1-13 November 1 Love Others 1 John 4:7-21 Harper's book Five Marks of a Methodist is a co...

Retired Bishop Sharon Zimmerman Rader will visit Trinity on Sept. 27.  She has agreed to join me in a dialogue sermon during both worship services.  S haped by the story of Samuel ( 1 Samuel 3:1-10 ),  our dialogue will be a conversation about God's call to ministry.  We will share our personal experiences of being called, including obstacles we have faced, our mentors, and the changing context of ministry.   At 9:30 a.m. Bishop Rader will also lead a forum in the Parlor on the Reconciling Ministries Network , a movement working for the full participation of all sexual orientations and gender identities in The United Methodist Church. A Michigan native, Bishop Rader is a graduate of North Central College and Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston.  She has served churches in Illinois and Michigan and was the Grand Rapids District Superintendent when she was elected to the episcopacy in 1992.  She is currently Bishop-in-Residence at...

Rev. Rich Rubietta will be bringing lively music and an inspiring message to Trinity on Sept. 20.  He is a modern-day circuit rider and Conference Evangelist for the United Methodist Church.   Rich is a “Musician-ary,” helping congregations redevelop and rediscover their voice in worship. Whereas Rich served congregations as a pastor for 14 years (Freeport, Morris, Joliet and Grayslake), he now views the General Conference as his congregation, much like the early circuit riders. With a Music Degree from Northwestern University and an M.Div. from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Rich is fueled by a vision of youth and adults leading Spirit-inspired worship together in United Methodist Churches. A modern-day circuit rider and evangelist a ppointed to "Abounding Ministries," Rich and his wife Jane crisscross the Midwest each week, introducing creative uses of music in worship, school assemblies, workshops, youth events, and retreats. As a Confere...

This fall Trinity Church will serve as a Teaching Site for a 3rd year student at Garrett-Evangelical  Theological Seminary.  His name is Jongdeok Park (Jongdeok is pronounced “Jong-duck”). His field education experience with Trinity Church will begin the first week of September.  The internship will conclude in May 2016. A native of South Korea, Jongdeok is a 2012 graduate of Methodist Theological University in Seoul with a major in Christian education.  In 2010, he was a missionary in Turkey for ten months.  He recently began the formal steps for becoming a candidate for ordained ministry in The United Methodist Church.  He has been serving in children’s ministry at Galilee United Methodist Church in Highland Park.  Although he is not a regular church employee, I will supervise Jongdeok and Trinity will pay him a stipend during his internship.  To grow in his calling as a pastor, he will need to be exposed to various roles in p...

1. We want to help everyone understand—and experience—the Christian faith.   When we think carefully about our biblical roots, our Wesleyan heritage, and our life together in the 21st century, we can live as intelligent Christians by loving God with our hearts and our minds and by experiencing Christ in our everyday life. 2. Real religion means relationships.   Our vision is to make Trinity "a welcoming community of compassion and faith."  Compassion is learning to care deeply about people.  Faith is trusting God and learning to love and serve God.  Religion without relationships is empty, but religion that leads to healthy, authentic relationships is like "the pearl of great price" (Matthew 13: 45-46). 3. We’re committed to excellence in music.   Dr. Julia Davids leads an extraordinary music program, ranging from superb vocal music to Christmas trombones.  Trinity’s Reuter organ was a gift in 2001 and is greatly appreciat...

Dear Friends in Christ, What is the church?  The church may be considered in terms of our location, nature, redemption, shape, ministry, and mission.  According to Everist and Nessan in Transforming Leadership , the church may also be described in terms of its inclusivity.  They suggest that the church is “a company of strangers” and should resist being a closed circle.  It needs to be a safe place for newcomers to be themselves.  Life together is not based on liking one another, but on the capacity to share a common place, common resources, and common problems.  The goal is not to turn newcomers into people “just like us,” but to encourage them to face their fears as newcomers. According to Parker Palmer (one of the sons of Trinity), the church should be a community where scarce resources are shared and abundance is generated, where conflict occurs and is resolved, where opinions become audible and accountable.  If we pursue such a li...

Dear Friends in Christ, What is the church?  The church may be considered in terms of our location, nature, redemption, shape, ministry, and mission.  According to Everist and Nessan in Transforming Leadership , the church may also be described in terms of its confidence.  Just a few minutes of listening to the news or scanning your Twitter feed shows that the world is not as God intends it.  There is poverty and racism, drought and hunger.  These enormous problems can become like the wallpaper we live with and accept as a given.   Apathy blocks God's transforming power.  Carol Lakey Hess warns against congregations feeling sorry for themselves or wallowing in what they are not.  She maintains that superficial niceness or undue humility stifles the prophetic message of God.  As a result, we experience a diminished capacity to care about and respond to injustice. Congregations can become blind to the ways in which God is...

Dear Friends in Christ, What is the church?  The church may be considered in terms of our location, nature, redemption, shape, and ministry.   According to Everist and Nessan in Transforming Leadership, the church may also be described in terms of its mission.  My seminary professor of Christian mission at the Boston University School of Theology, Dana Robert, describes how the body (mission) enacts the will of the heart (the gospel).  To separate the gospel from the church’s mission is to kill it.  Our love affair with the gospel is what keeps the heart beating, sends blood throughout the body, and gives life to the church’s mission.  The purpose of the church is not to exist as an end unto itself.  The church must be concerned about those persons who are beyond the fellowship of the church, especially those in need and on the margins of society.  When we put our faith into action, such as feeding the hungry or tutoring a ch...

Dear Friends in Christ, What is the church?  The church may be considered in terms of our location, nature, redemption, and shape.  According to Everist and Nessan in Transforming Leadership , the church may also be described in terms of its ministry. To speak of the church’s ministry, Martin Luther used the idea of the communion of saints.  But his understanding of the living saints may surprise you.  According to Luther, the living saints are our neighbors, especially the poor and the hungry.   Our ministry should focus on helping our neighbors in need.  Luther tried to reform the church’s thinking about sainthood from the idea of “merit” to “service.”  We are called to serve others as Christ has served us.  In this sense, there is a parallelism of between the priesthood of Christ and the priesthood of all believers.  Every Christian is a priest in the sense of servant. In modern times, the church has focused too much on t...