Pastor Brian's Blog

Words for the violent events of the past few days seem inadequate.  Disturbing.  Despicable.  Deadly.  It has felt as if all Hell has broken loose. After the police-related deaths of two black men, Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, in separate incidents; and after the sniper ambush on police in Dallas that claimed the lives of five officers and injured seven others and subsequent attacks on police, it is important to affirm that "black and blue lives matter." First, black lives matter .  As reported this week by the Center for Policing Equity , there is an implicit racial bias in many police departments that results in a higher rate of police use of force against African Americans.  For example, black residents are 3.6 times more likely to be subjected to the use of force than white residents. 1      Second, blue lives matter .  In every community, police put their lives on the line as public servants d...

Dear Friends in Christ, “Practice what you preach.”  It is common advice for anyone who values integrity.  But what about “preaching what you practice”?  I am not suggesting that we proclaim our bad habits as gospel truth.  But rather look for gospel truth in the experience of human life. One way of doing theological reflection is called “theology-in-action.” 1   This method assumes that theory and practice go hand-in-hand.  Believing that God is active in our lives and in history, we should ask: “Where are people groaning with creation for redemption?”  It is not possible to talk about God without a commitment to join the struggle for human dignity and freedom. One key text from Scripture that guides this approach is the parable of the sheep and the goats in Matthew 25:31-46.  Just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, so too will the king of heaven separate those who...

On Sunday morning, June 12, I happened to check my Twitter feed before worship and saw the initial report of an attack on Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida.  As the day progressed, it was reported as the deadliest mass shooting in American history: 49 dead plus the assailant, and 53 others wounded.   This was a hate crime, as well as an act of terrorism.  The shooter targeted the LGBTQ community.  He was armed with weapons he purchased a few days before his attack.   My spirit is heavy because of this violence that was motivated by religious condemnation of homosexuality.   Even as our denomination currently retains harmful "incompatibility" language,  I am grateful that Trinity Church has taken a clear stand against religious condemnation of LGBTQ persons by becoming a "Reconciling" congregation last month.      In response to this horrific event and in solidarity with those targeted, I would offer the follow...

Before their Confirmation, I asked our eighth-graders: “What makes living as a Christian dif ficult ?”  One of the challenges they listed was the competing of religious beliefs and practices among their peers.  Among our Wilmette-area neighbors, there is a wide variety of religious belief and non-belief.  Sixty-seven percent (67%) are Christian, five percent (5%) are Jewish, and twenty-seven percent (27%) have no religious affiliation, sometimes called the “Nones.” 1 The top reasons such people give for not participating in a faith community are its overemphasis on money, judgmental views, and strict beliefs.  However, many people who identify as “spiritual but not religious” are open to outreach. 2   This openness is an invitation to share our faith story, but it is just as important to hear theirs.  One way of doing theological reflection is called “speaking of God in public.” 3   It involves a conversation between Christian revelation and t...

As summer approaches, I will present a new series called “Free Grace, Thriving Faith.”  It is based on Paul’s letter to the churches in Galatia using Revised Common Lectionary readings.  Galatians is a short, emotionally charged letter in which Paul proclaims a message of grace, freedom, perseverance, relationship with Christ, and the power of the Spirit in the lives of believers.  Victor Paul Furnish refers to Galatians as the “Magna Carta of the Reformation” because it expresses many key theological phrases of Protestantism.  In Christ, we are set free to live out the gospel by faith alone. May 29 A Servant of Christ Galatians 1:1-12 June 5 A Revelation from Christ Galatians 1:11-24 June 12 Justified by Faith Galatians 2:15-21 June 19 One in Christ Galatians 3:23-29 June 26 Live by the Spirit Galatians 5:1, 13-25 July 3 Life Together Galatians 6:1-9

Trinity voted to become a "Reconciling" congregation during a special church conference on May 1, 2016.  The church also adopted the following welcoming statement: Our welcome and compassion extend to all who seek God, regardless of race, age, ethnicity, economic status, education, family structure, religious background, physical or mental ability, sexual orientation, or gender identity and expression.    With 97% of the votes approving, Trinity became part of the Reconciling Ministries Network .  The decision was the result of nearly two years of discernment.  In 2014, the Church Council formed a task force to engage the congregation about the possibility.   Here is a partial summary of the task force's work: Solicited questions/comments from the congregation Produced a FAQ sheet Organized a dinner/movie night ( For the Bible Tells Me So ) Offered a 6-week Bible Study led by Tom Board Hosted forum discussions with Bishops Rader an...

Dear Friends in Christ, The Pumpkin Patch at Trinity is an amazing experience, especially unloading the trucks.  Dozens of people form a “pumpkin brigade” and pass a pumpkin from one person to another until it finds a home on the church lawn.  It is a group effort that shows the power of working together. One way of doing theological reflection is called “writing the body of Christ.” 1   Using Paul’s image from 1 Corinthians. 12:12-27, this model focuses on the communal aspect of being Christian.  In Ephesians 4, Paul says that Christ equips the saints with gifts for the work of ministry, the purpose of which is “building up the body of Christ.” 2   During one of my Kellogg leadership courses in April, I heard another participant, a man from Ghana, speak about the interconnectedness of persons through the African concept of ubuntu .  He said: “When you do well, I do well.  When I hurt, you hurt.”  When I was p...