Pastor Brian's Blog

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...