Pastor Brian's Blog

“The Psalmist’s Cry” Series Overview When our hearts are breaking from grief, fear, anguish, or despair, we often conceal our true feelings. Our society tells us that all problems are solvable or manageable if we would try the right solution. In a self-help culture, we prefer to mask symptoms and call the mask a cure. But if we deny our pain, we lose the part of the gospel where we give up control and allow God’s mystery to unfold in our lives. With Walter Brueggemann as our guide, we will look at the Psalms as scripts of lament for those times when we need a way to cry out to God. As an honest expression of feelings, lament can help us discover the fullness of God as we let go of controlling or managing our way through life and trust in God’s healing. February 17 – Ash Wednesday HAVE MERCY ON ME : The Lenten season invites reflection and renewal. In Psalm 51, the psalmist trusts God for a fresh start. February 21 – Lent 1 DENIAL : Jesus lived a fully human life that included joy and ...

Trinity Church will serve as a teaching site for a new student intern from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary. Her name is Sara Miller. Her field education experience with Trinity will begin February 1. The internship will conclude in May 2021. Sara is a pastoral caregiver, writer, speaker, and activist. She has been in full-time ministry for 10 years in a wide variety of settings, including local churches, hospitals, and non-profits. Most recently, Sara worked at the United Methodist Publishing House, writing and editing children’s ministry resources. She is currently working towards both a Master of Divinity and Masters in Pastoral Care and Counseling. Her passion is accompanying young people during difficult seasons of life and helping them make sense of life through a faith lens. At Garrett, Sara is the founder and co-leader of a student group called, “The Spoon Collective.” This student group seeks to provide encouragement and advocacy for students with chronic illness a...

“Gospel for Those Who Have Everything ” Series Overview What can Jesus do for someone who has everything?   If you are reasonably content, you may feel that you can get along fine without Jesus and the church.   At the heart of the gospel, Jesus is saying: “I need you.”   He wants to recruit those who are strong and mature for his good work in world.   Jesus had compassion for the weak, and he healed the sick.   He did not ignore the strong, however.   Our winter series presents the gospel from the perspective of vocation.   Being a Christian is a tough challenge and as high a calling as we can ever hear.   The church is here help.   January 10 STANDING ON YOUR OWN TWO FEET: We work hard to get where we are in life.   In Romans 8 , Paul reminds us that we are God’s children because God loves us.   The question is not about earning God’s love, but rather doing what we can because God loves us.   When have you stood up fo...

  “Company’s Coming ” Series Overview Are you expecting someone?   To celebrate the holidays, we might normally receive visitors, entertain guests, or host family gatherings.   Even if our social plans are not the same this year, this is a time to prepare our hearts for God’s love in Jesus Christ.   Our Savior brings light for these dark days.   To receive this special Guest, we must reckon with how we may have fallen short and renew our anticipation for the world he has promised.   As this challenging year ends, we can wait with watchfulness because “Company Is Coming.”     November 29 – Advent 1 THIS PLACE IS A MESS: We would prefer for other people not to see the disarray in our lives.   In Mark 13:24-37 , Jesus describes showing up in a messy world.   He arrives at the nexus of the past and the future to redeem the world.   What kind of life are you longing for?   December 6, 2020 – Advent 2 (Advent Music Sunday) ...

Consecration Sunday is November 15, 2020. Our Guest Leader this year is Rev. Hannah Kardon, the teaching pastor of Urban Village Church - a multi-site, LGBTQIA+-celebrating, anti-racist, evangelical, and Methodist Christian community in Chicago. Hannah believes that God is good, that God made us to be exactly who we are, and our differences are a gift.  This has led her to all kinds of places from a childhood in Tokyo to a Christian commune in Memphis to an outdoor church of homeless folks to the bold, inclusive, relevant mission of Urban Village Church .  Hannah loves puzzles, trashy television, swimming, her husband Matt, and their two children.  Rev. Hannah Kardon RSVP for ZOOM DESSERT GATHERING On Sun., Nov. 8 at 7:00 p.m., Pastor Hannah will lead a Zoom Dessert Gathering (about one hour) with a brief inspirational talk and breakout groups for conversation and fellowship with friends and members of Trinity Church.  Bring your own dessert.  To sign ...

“Margins” Series Overview Imagine that your life is a book. It contains all the things that are basic and necessary in life, including food, water, shelter, sleep, safety, and security. But there is more to life than that. Beyond the basics, there is a space for our choices, room where we make note of what is meaningful and important to us. In this series, we will explore how to create margins for the things that matter most. October 4 MARGINS OF GRACE : Some people are hard to love. In Luke 6:32-36 , Jesus teaches us about “tough love,” a love that goes beyond making other people take responsibility for themselves. Jesus shows us that love is hard because of what we must overcome in ourselves for the sake of others. Who are the people who require extra grace? October 11 MARGINS OF ERROR : At some point, we all fall short or miss the mark. In Matthew 18:21-35 , Jesus teaches the importance of forgiving others because God forgives us. What makes you lose patience? October 18...

"Fresh Air" Series Overview It’s great to get a breath of fresh air outside. Besides providing many benefits to us, the natural world is also infused with God’s life-giving power. The Spirit is a deep impulse breathing life into creation, suffering with creation, and renewing all creation. During this creation series for September, we will turn our attention to the ecology and spirituality of forests, land, wilderness, and rivers. September 6 FOREST : Trees provide numerous benefits to us. In Genesis 2:4b-9 , God provides humankind a forest home in the Garden of Eden. What is your favorite tree or forest? September 13 LAND : We make our home on land that supports and sustains us. In Genesis 4:1-16 , the children of Adam and Eve make their living from the land, and when the field becomes a setting for brotherly betrayal, the ground cries to God for Abel’s death. What are some drawbacks of modern agriculture? September 20 WILDERNESS : As Mardy Murie claimed: “Wildernes...