Christianity Today:
Dear Trinity Church,
This Sunday is Trinity Sunday. It couldn’t come at a better time.
Trinity Sunday is a time to remember and to praise both the Source of our unity,
and Origin of our diversity: Three different persons united as 1 community:
God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
This week many of you have spoken to me about your hopes, and your fears for our country. Some of you have encouraged me to “steer clear” of the week’s events. Others of you have encouraged me to “take action” showing that our church is not silent in the face of injustice. In each conversation, when I feel my emotions rising, I am tempted to teach or defend what I believe. But the Spirit keeps inviting me to become a student who can learn.
One couple at Trinity I am learning from is Chris & Amanda Millheisler. Before moving to Wenatchee, the Millheislers worked in Seattle with Campus Crusade at “Cru Inner City” headquartered in Minneapolis. George Floyd’s friend and partner in ministry in Houston, Pastor PT Ngwolo, stayed in the Millheislers Seattle home one summer to help launch a summer camp for urban youth. Last week on Pentecost, the Millheislers pulled into drive-thru church with prayerful tears for their friends and partners in the Gospel on the front lines of our nation’s cities. I asked the Millheislers to write a 1-page letter reflecting on the roots of our nation’s racial crisis, and our need for a common memory to shape a better future. Please scroll down to read it or click this link.
Last week I wrote that I was discouraged. This week I have been relieved, even excited by the many discussions I hear people having about racism, peace, and justice. I am relieved because I am seeing in our church family what I am not seeing online – people with differing opinions growing in 2 ways:
growing in humility themselves, &
growing in empathy toward others.
Whatever your political background, keep this two-fold growth your focus.
Keep asking the Holy Spirit:
How do I stay connected with others -
when there is so much trying to separate us?
So, so much! Six feet of separation, political differences, and racism are not the only things trying to separate. Charlie Atkinson was in hospital yesterday, unable to be visited by Brenda, waiting alone for test results about his heart. The Hunter family and Mott family are daily waiting for their police officer Dads to come home from work. Marc & Julia Barger are in Baltimore with their son Joel recovering from surgery. And early Wednesday morning Greg Callsvik died peacefully at home surrounded by Joyce and their children. Fear, sin, suffering and death itself are trying to separate us from each other, and from the love of God that is ours in Christ. But I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else that is in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Repent.
And believe.
With growing humility and empathy,
Pastor Matt
PS - Owen Dillman sent this video to remind us how much he misses the church!