Pastor Brian's Blog

Another mass shooting in another house of worship.  On Sat., Oct. 27, eleven people were killed at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  The hatred that led to this senseless killing breaks my heart.  It is a threat to civil society. Unlike other mass shootings, which have seemed far from me, this one felt a little closer, although through degrees of separation.  One of my retired clergy colleagues lives in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood where the shooting took place.  His Weight Watchers group meets at Tree of Life, and the doctor who diagnosed his prostate cancer, Jerry Rabinowitz, was killed in the attack.   A woman from First United Methodist Church in Elmhurst told her pastor in tears that two brothers of her friend were also killed.   David and Cecil Rosenthal were inseparable from each other and from their community. The Anti-Defamation League reports that this was the deadliest attack on the Jewish com...

Consecration Sunday is November 11, 2018. Our Guest Leader this year is Anne Coon from the Generosity Group. She was one of the consultants who worked with our Capital Campaign Team.  For over ten years, Anne Coon has been helping churches undertake financial campaigns. Prior to co-founding the Generosity Group, she served for three years as the in-house capital campaign coordinator for the Northern Illinois Conference of the United Methodist Church and managed a $5 million conference-wide capital campaign to raise money for planting new faith communities. She has been a consultant for Solid Ground Stewardship Services, and she worked at BMO/Harris Bank for over ten years and held positions in cash management sales, corporate lending and the Community Affairs Office. Anne received a BA from Denison University and completed a Graduate Certificate in Fundraising Management from North Park University in 2014. Anne is married to Rev. Chris Coon, one of the pastors at Urb...

How did you become a disciple of Jesus?  How is it different than simply going to church?  Last month, our district superintendent asked those present at the charge conference to share their answers with two other people.  I’d like to share how I became a disciple with you.  I have been “going to church” ever since I was born.  It was part of my family’s weekly habit.  Unless we were traveling, we all attended the early worship service, including my dad who worked on Saturday nights.  We sang the songs, prayed the prayers, listened to the sermons, gave our offerings, received the bread and cup once a month, and greeted the pastors after the benediction.  Then, we went to Sunday school with our peers to learn more about Jesus through Bible stories, crafts, activities, and more songs and prayers.  Over time, all those things shaped me.  As a teenager, I was well on my way to being a disciple.  But my pastor said t...

Our series for October is called “Stranger Things.”  It is inspired by the first season of the Netflix original show by producers Matt and Ross Duffer.  The plot centers around a small Midwestern town trying to deal with a missing boy, secret government experiments, terrifying supernatural forces, and one strange little girl.  I doubt you have ever heard a sermon series like it! I am a big fan of science fiction, and I know that “Stranger Things” was not written to promote Christian faith.  However, using the lens of faith, I believe it is possible to see connections between certain aspects of the show and our faith.  At other times, our faith offers an alternative view or critique of the “Stranger Things” universe.   You can view the trailer for season one on YouTube. One common thread between “Stranger Things” and the gospel of Jesus is that the world can be a scary, messed up place.  When trouble comes and people are lost,...

I learned about “open houses” from my childhood friend, Jennifer Pritchard.   Her mom was a real estate agent who hosted an open house to give prospective buyers a chance to check out a house for sale.   Mrs. Pritchard would be available during a set time to welcome people who stopped by.   She would show them around the house (or let them wander around).   She also would provide information about the house and answer any questions.   At other times, Jennifer’s mom invited people to her house for special occasions, like a birthday or graduation or holiday, just to have a party.   This type of open house was for those people who were explicitly invited.   Guests could come and go within a specific timeframe.   I could always count on a friendly environment and tasty treats at the Pritchard’s house. September is Open House Month for Trinity Church.   We want to offer the best of both kinds of open house.   We want anyone...

“The Earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it,” says the psalmist (Psalm 24:1, CEB).  In September, I will lead a new series called “A Good Creation.”  It is intended to be part of a growing ecumenical and international observance of September as the “Season of Creation.”  Also known as “Creation Time,” a Lutheran pastor in Australia started the movement in 2000 as a celebration of prayer and action to protect creation.  Since then, it has spread among Protestant, Roman Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox Christians around the world. In our series, we will explore how God’s Word is the impulse that summons forth creation, evokes praise from nature, and stirs life in the world.  Each week, we will focus on a different aspect of God’s good creation and our relationship to it.  September 2 – Holy Communion Planet Earth Genesis 1:1-25 September 9 Humankind Genesis 1:26-28 September 16 Sky Jeremiah 4:23-38 September 23...