Dear Trinity,
I want to take a minute to speak to something that’s been bubbling up now for a few months. Do you want to grab a cup of coffee or tea with me?
In our service, the prayers of the people happens during the time of response after the sermon. We’re responding both to God’s word and God’s world. We’re praying for us individually as Christians, we’re praying for our church, our parish, our world. If you’ve been to other Anglican churches, you might notice that we do it a little differently at Trinity. Each person that comes up has actually written the prayers themselves. (As opposed to praying the printed words out of the Book of Common Prayer.)
I know that some of you have had concerns and anxieties around what’s been said during the prayers of the people from time to time this summer. With everything happening around the world and locally, we’ve prayed about wars, shootings, the LGBTQ+ community, the sanctity of life, and more. Since this part of our service functions as a communal response to God’s word, and since the leader is praying on our behalf, it is reasonable to think that whatever is said or prayed up front is where Trinity stands on the issue.
And then a couple of thoughts might float up in your mind:
“Does this church believe that?” (And if so…)
“Will I be accepted at this church if I believe something different than what is prayed up front?”
These are good questions to ask. If we were meeting one on one, I’d say a few things in response.
First, it is always good to seek to understand before seeking to be understood. To ask for clarity on another person’s viewpoint is the kind of gesture that will make for peace. But to assume you’ve heard correctly can lead to tension. So I encourage you to talk directly to the person you have questions for…or talk directly to our leadership team. We’re an open book, and we welcome conversation…
Second, Trinity is unique community of people with wide-ranging viewpoints on politics, culture, faith, etc. This is a strength, and it makes for a beautiful mosaic, but it can also lead to tension and confusion when trying to reconcile differences.
What I’ve noticed of the people that come to me with concerns is that they are not so much reacting to the position stated, but the posture in which it was said.
This, for me, hits the nail on the head. Because while we have definite positions at Trinity, it’s our heart posture that I want to speak the loudest. The kind of community we are trying to cultivate is one that is marked by Christ-like love and hospitality.
If I’ve got the “right” viewpoint with a judgmental heart to all who think differently than me, that is a loss for the cause of Christ. If I’ve got a “biblical” posture without also having a heart of love, I’ve missed the point.
The goal, I think, is to keep seeking the truth together in community, with humility, and in a way that opens the door for compassionate conversation. The Apostle Paul said it like this to his church community: “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.” (Colossians 3:12-14)
That’s the kind of community we are called to be! I want people to see our compassionate hearts more than our “correct” viewpoints. To be clear, what we believe matters! But our position must not be divorced from our posture. We must have grace and truth kiss.
I’d be happy to continue the conversation with you over coffee. Just simply reach out to me at 509.881.7737 or carson@trinitywenatchee.org. We’ll also have an open Q & R (question & response) time at Family Camp where you can bring anything to us. Would you pause to pray with me for our church? That we would be the kind of community marked by the Colossians passage above.
Always learning, and always open to hear your voice…
Carson+
P.S. - You will find our Diocese’s position on sexuality and identity here, and the ACNA’s response to the Dobbs decision here and our posture of ministering to women with compassion and mercy in this complex time.
Let’s Prepare to Welcome Matt and Julie Back Home!
Hello Trinity family! The Canlises plan to come home in about 5 weeks!! To help welcome them home we will be putting together a gift basket in which we would love for you to consider contributing, but please feel no pressure.
Appropriate things for the gift basket could be:
- letters, notes, prayers, hand drawn or painted pictures, words of encouragement and welcome.
- gift cards for places to eat in town to re-aquaint them with Wenatchee and ease the transition
- home made jams, ect. to make them feel welcome
If you would like to take part you can bring your gift to church any Sunday from now until the end of August. There will be a box to put your gift in at the welcome table in the foyer. If you have any question feel free to reach out to Lauren Leith at laureneliseleith@gmail.com.
Scripture: 2 Samuel 7 Chapter: Chapter 15: Sovereign Grace — David and Nathan Preacher: Nigel Hunter
Chapter 7 finds David laying plans to leave a God-honoring legacy. But does the Lord really need our help to come up with ideas on how to make His name great? And what effects do our efforts to be remembered after our death have on our souls right now? Let us sit and consider what the Lord has done so we can discover what He is doing and receive, rather than anticipate, what He will do next.
Service Times: 8:30 and 9:45
Change in Address
A lot of changes have come along with the purchase of the building. We will now be receiving our mail at the church address and have shut down the post office box as of August 1st. Please update your address for anything being sent to the church as soon as possible. Anything that has been addressed to the PO Box will be forwarded to the church so don't panic if you've mailed something recently. The mailing address is now: 535 Okanogan Ave Wenatchee, WA 98801
New Phone Number
Our main church phone number has also changed! You can now reach the office at (509) 888-2957.
Family Camp at Tall Timber
August 12-14
Registration has closed for Family Camp. We had over 100 sign ups and can't wait to spend the weekend together, growing closer to one another and to Christ. For all who can’t come for the full weekend, please join us for church in the beautiful outdoors at Tall Timber! Sunday, August 14th at 9:30am and stay for a delicious brunch for just $7 per person…
Congregational Meeting August 21 @ 6pm
Come enjoy some dessert with our staff and leadership as we look back together at the past year and forward to the coming one. Topics we plan to cover:
Vision
Stories from this past year
Finances
Building
Fall small groups
Matt’s return
How to get plugged into community at Trinity
Open Q&R (Question & Response)
This evening will be live-streamed for those who cannot attend.
August Evensong August 28 @ 6pm
Come join us for Evensong in August, where the girls will sing, followed by a time of sharing from their pilgrimage to the UK. 6:00pm - Evensong sung service 6:30pm - Testimonies, stories and photos from the Evensong Pilgrimage to the UK.
Key Info for Church this Summer
Our services are at 8:30am and 9:45am.
- Live stream our 9:45am services HERE - Watch past services on YouTube - Listen to Sermon audio