PASTOR'S PONDERINGS....March 2023.

2023 is moving through this winter season with windy snow storms followed by

brilliant sunshine and blue skies. Here at Trinity, we continue to seek the movement of

God’s Holy Spirit in this community of faith. The financial challenges of 2022 have

made it clear that the past is NOT necessarily the best predictor of the future. (Of course,

there is a connecting thread of grace-filled generosity through the wonderful monetary

gifts that are part of the this Church’s history both past and recent!) At the same time,

duplicating the past doesn’t seem either possible or effective as a way forward.

Trinity has rich and vivid memories of Sunday School and Youth Groups and

Women’s Teas and potlucks. The Sanctuary is saturated with the fading vibrations of

beautiful choir music and inspiring worship events and pews filled with families and their

children. The excitement of building renovations and restoration of pews is part of our

heritage. Many of you can probably name other events and experiences of God’s love

that you remember happening here at this church.

The challenge is that the world around us has changed. The peak era for Church

attendance and involvement is, by now, several decades behind us. The aging of the

congregation is almost in lock-step with the increasing demands on children and families

to participate in so many optional activities outside the church. The pandemic has altered

our lifestyle in subtle and significant ways in terms of a reluctance to gather with large

groups and an emphasis on ‘staying safe’ over ‘taking risks.’

So where does that leave Trinity? We find ourselves in a season of contemplation

and prayer as we seek God’s guidance for our next steps. What would God have us do

and be in this Dickinson County area to share God’s love? How can we serve each other

and the community with meaningful service in such a time as this? How can we adapt

our worship to the needs of those who still come faithfully on Sunday mornings to

experience the presence of our Risen Lord and the fellowship of those we know and love

and maybe are just meeting for the first time? How can we maintain financial stability?

The Daydream Believers group that met on January 22 did wonderful work in

putting together ideas for ‘Writing the Next Chapters’ at Trinity. See the light green

sheet in this mailing that lists more than 50 concepts, projects, directions for us to

consider as we look ahead. Adapting to change is not easy, but it can be exciting and

life-giving. That’s what I saw as we ate pizza and imagined a future for Trinity within

the context of this current day and age. It was fun! And we’re going to do it again!

Please save the date, Sunday March 19, to join us after church for a potluck

meal, further discussion, and decisions. Your prayers, ideas, thoughts are valuable and

important to us and to God. We are God’s people for this time and place, being led to

Spring, to Easter, to New Life! Praise God from whom all blessings flow.

Pastor Geri

 

When we are able to build open spaces in the same way

we have learned to pile on the logs, then we can come to see how it is fuel,

and absence of the fuel together, that make fire possible.

We only need to lay a log
lightly from time to time.

A fire grows simply because the space is there, with openings in which the flame
that knows just how it wants to burn

can find its way.

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