Pastor Brian's Blog

Dear Friends in Christ, What is the church?  This is something I’ve been thinking about since I began my doctoral work on congregational leadership, inspired partly by Norma Everist and Craig Nessan who offer “twelve foundations for the church” in Transforming Leadership . One way to answer the question is to identify the location of the church.  Our gothic church building is located at the corner of Lake and Wilmette Avenues in Wilmette, Illinois.  It stands majestically at 42.079224º latitude, -87.704113º longitude, where the ground is 607 feet above sea level.  But the church is far more than a beautiful building in a certain place.  It is also “a community of memory and hope,” remembering Jesus Christ and anticipating the coming of his kingdom.  As such, we have a location that is both local and global.  The church exists in an observable form as real people who meet together at a specific time and place.  Showing up to wors...

The words of Jesus have always been a source of inspiration for his followers.  Even while suffering from the cross, he spoke powerfully: Father, forgive them. Behold your son … behold your mother. My God, why have you forsaken me? Today you will be with me in paradise. I am thirsty. Into your hands I commit my spirit. It is finished. During Lent, I will lead a new series for Trinity Church, based on Adam Hamilton’s Final Words from the Cross .   We will explore Jesus’ last words from the point of view of those who stood near the cross, and we will consider the meaning of Jesus’ dying words for our lives today.   As a companion to the series, consider using Final Words , for a Lenten study and personal devotion.  A few paper copies are available from the Church Office for $10.  Or obtain your own copy  in a format of your choice.    

Dear Friends in Christ, Although we are putting away the Christmas decorations, the new life we have in Jesus Christ continues.  Sunday, January 11 is the commemoration of the Baptism of the Lord.  On that day, we are planning a congregational reaffirmation of baptism, reception of new members, stepping forward with Confirmation students, and the sacrament of baptism for at least six people.  In baptism, we gain new life with Christ by dying to the old ways of sin and living fully for God.  Remember your baptism and be thankful. This theme of renewal fits the arrival of a new year, which is an opportunity to make changes in our lives or take up something new.  That is certainly true for me in a significant way in 2015.  In January I am going back to school.  With the support of our Staff-Parish Relations Committee and our District Superintendent, I have enrolled as a doctor of ministry candidate at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary ...

What will make your Christmas holiday bright? The four weeks of Advent leading to Christmas are a time of looking for light, even as the days get darker. "Light of Lights" is a new series at Trinity Church to help you discover the gifts of hope, love, joy, and peace.  These gifts of God indicate the deep meaning of Christmas. Christmas is not only a celebration of the birth of Jesus.  It is also a reminder of our hope in Christ's return and the consummation of his reign in all things.   Christmas is an acknowledgement of God's love for each and every person.  You and I are beloved children of God, and God sent Jesus to bring salvation, because of God's love for the world.   Christmas is an occasion for joy.  The baby Jesus and the risen Christ point to the joy of new life that comes from God.   Christmas is a time for peace.  Many of us are so busy in this season.  Learning to let go of trivial things can be hard to do.  Thro...

Dear Members and Friends of Trinity Church, On Tues., Sept. 9, 2014, I attended a meeting for active clergy with Bishop Sally Dyck on “What We Can Do” regarding same-sex weddings in the Northern Illinois Conference.  The time was ripe for this conversation, due to recent events such as the enactment of marriage equality in Illinois, and charges against United Methodist clergy for participating in same-sex weddings.  It was an inspirational day emphasizing the variety of covenants in which United Methodist clergy live: baptism, ordination, and ministry to all.  These covenants affirm our relationship with Christ, one another, and the whole world.  Although we do not always live into these covenants perfectly, still God is faithful.  The bishop pointed out several biblical covenants which were made, then broken, and then revised.  Throughout the conversation, I was moved by the bishop’s thoughtful and sensitive leadership, as well as the sincerit...

If you introduce yourself, you will probably use your name ( My name is Brian ).  You may describe how you are related to another person ( I am Cliff and Sally’s son ).  Your job title or position may also say something about you ( I am the pastor of Trinity Church ).  The things you like to do can color the picture even more ( I am a kayaker ).  These simple statements express who we are and what is important to us.  This fall Jesus will introduce himself to us, in a new series based on the “I AM” sayings of Jesus.  This 12-week series is also inspired by the 12 “I AM” windows in the narthex (foyer) of the Sanctuary.  It will be a window into the identity of Jesus, telling us who he is and what is important to him.  The germ for this series was accidental.  This spring, for Doris Paterson’s funeral, I gave a homily based on the “I AM” sayings in John 10.  After the service, I was in the narthex and happened to see the...

This fall Trinity Church will serve as a  Teaching Site  for a 3rd year student at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary.  His name is Sin-Gyo Jung (pronounced Shin Gee-oh, and Jung with a hard "J").   His field education experience with Trinity Church will begin the first week of September, although you may see him attending worship sometime during August.  The internship will conclude in May 2015. His father is a pastor in the Korean Methodist Church, which makes Sin-Gyo a "pastor's kid" or PK.  Soon he will begin the formal steps for becoming a  candidate for ordained ministry  in The United Methodist Church.   Although he is not a regular church employee, I will supervise Sin-Gyo 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 pastoral ministry, including regular assignments for preaching, teaching, and pastoral care. ...