Last week the Bible gave us a vivid picture of two trees.
One withered and dying. The other vibrant.
The contrast makes it easy to see what kind of person we want to be.
The tougher question, and the real choice before us is this:
“Who is your Gardener?”
Who do you trust to nourish you? Who do you trust to prune?
Hebrews makes the case from history that the only person worth trusting is Jesus. No prophet, no priest and no person comes close. Including yourself! An orchardist said to me after the sermon: “No tree can prune its own branches.”
In recent years, whenever I hear someone say: “I am deconstructing” I feel two things. I feel grief for their suffering and confusion. I also feel a growing desire to give their personal statement of being a grammatical shift. The great “I AM” who is the Ground of all Being, who first made the world and each one of us - also became one of us in flesh and bone in Nazareth. This is the One who knows reality inside and out. This is the God who knows what it is to be human. This is the Son of Heaven who knows what it is to be grounded, and pruned, and even crucified. This is Jesus, who I trust more than my own self, to be my Gardener. That’s why amidst my own struggles, suffering, and doubt I will not choose to say “I am deconstructing.” Instead, I say: “Jesus is pruning me. And Jesus is grounding me.” In His word. At His table. In one crazy but vibrant branch of His family tree on the corner of Peachy and Okanogan. Also grounded in Christ in service to my neighbors.
Where are you grounded? And how is Jesus pruning you?
This Sunday we continue our look at how Hebrews exhorts us to keep being pruned by the Master Gardener. We need to be pruned, but we also can choose to be grounded. So let's get grounded!
- I want to invite anyone to join me in volunteering to be a Lunch Buddy at Columbia Elementary School.
- I also want to invite anyone reading Seeking God’s Face to join me for BYO packed lunch this Monday between 12 Noon and 1:00 at Trinity Church. Let’s dig into God’s word and keep unearthing what it means that Jesus is the Alpha and Omega of all creation, who holds everything together - by what He says.
Alive & kicking & still being pruned
I am your brother in Christ
and pastor,
Old School Matt!
Lunch Buddies Program After three years, the Lunch Buddies Program is back at Columbia Elementary! The Lunch Buddies Program is a once a week commitment that pairs an adult volunteer with students that need just a little bit more adult connection. This year long commitment pairs the adult volunteer with one student for 25 minutes or two students in 45 minutes. There is an opportunity to be with KG/1st, 2nd/3rd, or 4th/5th. All adult volunteers will need to fill out the school districts volunteer form here. Volunteers can also fill out volunteer paperwork at the district office if they are unable to access this form online.
Godspeed Small Group There is still room to join both the Wenatchee and East Wenatchee Godspeed small groups. The East Wenatchee group begins tonight (September 29) at 7. The Wenatchee group begins Wednesday (October 5) at 7. This is a great small group to join if you're newer to the church or if you haven't gone through this study yet. During this 8-week introductory small group, explore "The Pace of Being Known." Each time you'll watch a short video, reflect in community, and pray with Scripture. Find out more about the Godspeed study here.
Global Missions Advocacy Meeting
October 3 @ 6:30pm
Join us at the Trinity Church office on Monday, October 3 @ 6:30pm for a discovery meeting discussing global missions at Trinity and how we can support global missions organically and effectively. If you're global missions minded, have experience overseas or simply have a passion for global missions we would love to have you join us. Our hope is to create a group that can holistically support and advocate for global missions. This initial meeting will be spent getting to know others who share our passion and how we as a group can move this initiative forward.
Live Bible Study, One Hour per Month If you haven't already signed up for a Bible Study (or if you want a once/month one with a Wheaton Prof), we wanted to include Trinity in the amazing once/monthly Bible Study that the Anglican Justice Mission is offering to churches who want to better understand the biblical foundations for justice (and God's "quartet of the vulnerable": widows, orphans, the poor, the stranger). The Hebrew word for justice far predates the social awakening of the past few years, and it is important for Christians to be rooted with one foot firmly planted in the Scriptures, and one in our world. Join us for one hour/month as we have this rare opportunity to sit at the feet of an OT prof in a conversational Bible Study. Dr Carroll Rodas is offering this amidst his heavy teaching schedule and his Biblical commentary writing schedule, because he loves the church and longs for her to look like Jesus. All you need to do is register. First Monday of the month, 5pm PST. Canlises are doing this one with their teens!
Key Info for Church this Fall
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
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