Pastor Brian's Blog

Dear Friends of Trinity Church, You may have seen a national media story from last week about a proposal of amicable separation for the United Methodist Church.   The plan was conceived through a process of mediation involving sixteen laity and clergy, including eight bishops, representing traditional, moderate, and progressive perspectives.   Please see the news release from the United Methodist News Service .   I would caution against seeing this plan as “a done deal.”   The group proposing it does not have the authority to adopt it for the denomination.   Only the delegates of the General Conference meeting this coming May in Minneapolis are authorized to approve, amend, or reject such a plan (no bishops cannot vote).   Last year, we were in a similar position.   You may recall that a group proposed a plan that the Council of Bishops endorsed, but the General Conference declined to enact it.   Instead, we got the ...

As Christians, we believe that love is the answer to the conflict that divides us.  In “Our Purpose Is Love,” we will search for a Wesleyan way to be the church.  With insights from David Field (2018), we will sketch a pattern for a church whose purpose is to cultivate love.  Field proposes that such a church is covenantal, welcoming, missional, sacramental, countercultural, accountable, liminal, connectional, and transnational. February 2 LOVE IS THE ANSWER : In 1 John 4:7-21 , the writer urges Christians to love one another because God is love.  David Field argues that love is the foundation and goal of God’s will and action in the world.  When have you seen or experienced God’s love revealed in mercy, justice, or truth? February 9 COVENANTAL, WELCOMING, MISSIONAL : In John 21:15-19 , Jesus asks Peter to prove his love with words and actions, saying: “Feed my sheep.”  Christ opens the covenant community to all people, sending us to l...