PULLMAN, WA - OPEN MINDS, OPEN ARMS
Here is your Trinity Online for August 27th. With a quick interlude focus on Creeds we turn to John 1. Early first century poetic hymn which wraps itself around the question of WHO/WHAT was Jesus all about.
I hope you have a blessed Sunday.
Here is our Trinity Online for this weekend! In person worship is back to 10:30am and we have Sundae Sunday after worship (Ferdinands Ice Cream, you bring favorite topping) to welcome back WSU students and everyone as a new season begins.
Here is your Trinity Online Music and Meditation for the Weekend of August 6th! We continue looking at a section of the Old Testament called "Wisdom Literature": Books which are much more common in everyday use and practical application. Job Looks at the question of why rotten things happen to good people. Proverbs offers everyday advice. Song of Solomon celebrates love and is used at weddings. And today's book: Ecclesiates. In it a elder teacher (Kohelot) tells pupils that in the quest for happiness in life it's the simple things. A good meal with friends,
I hope you have a wonderful weekend.
We had a few issues with youTube we needed to iron out but we are back.
Here is you Trinity Online for July 30
Tucked into the Book of Proverbs and it's short little wisdom sayings is a Body of material which is both Challenging and Exciting at the same time. Within popular "hometown" Judaism in the 4 to 5 centuries before Jesus we are introduced to Lady Wisdom; Hochma in Hebrew, Hagia Sophia in Greek. In Proverbs 8 she is the first-born of creation and joyfully participates with God in the artistic acts of creating. Echoes of themes we will hear later, both in the Gospels of Matthew and in John when they are trying to make sense of Jesus.
Good morning! We continue, now, in a series looking at the prophet Isaiah. Isaiah 9...."Those who dwelt in the land of deep darkeness, on them has light shined..." Because of our tendency to see everything in the Bible as pertaining to Jesus we often think of this text around Christmas and ahve seen it as predicting the Baby. But the text has it;s own setting, it's own context. 500 plus years before Jesus Israel and Judah are in turmoil. Threats from the outside...Assyria, a brutal, voracious empire. Threats from the inside. The smooth peaceful transition of power for them depends on an heir to the King. And it's not happening. He has four very ambitious brothers who would think nothing of plunging the Kingdom into a four way civil war to gain power. Very "Game of Thrones-ish". but then, finally, "Unto us a son is born..." And the people can breath a collective sigh of relief... Metaphysical darkness can come in many forms...
Here is your Word/Worship for June 4th. Blessings on this Trinity Sunday!
Hello All and Welcome to Trinity Online for May 28th
Fifty (Pentecost) days after Passover a special festival was held in Jerusalem. It's also fifty days after Jesus' resurrection and the Disciples are still in town. The gift of the Holy Spirit is given and the Mission of Jesus' Followers begins...
But, following the Narrative Lectionary we are still in Paul's Letter to the Romans. He understands SPIRIT too. Perhaps less dramatic but no less powerful...as the ongoing presence, breath and life of God.
God's blessings, life and breath!
Pastor Wes
Hope you have a wonderful weekend.
So many words which we use in our faith, in church, in liturgy, are words which have become "solely" church words. Think "sin". When you are playing a sport, singing, playing the piano...and you mess up...how often do you think, "I have sinned." And yet in both Hebrew and Greek the word we translate as sin were in everyday use; our word "sin:" in Hebrew meant to break, to unravel, to shred, to cross the line, to miss the mark.
Likewise with Baptiso. In greek it meant literally to immerse or submerge. So when Paul uses baptiso in his letter to the Romans it has a broader meaning than just a one time event.... "When we are baptized in Christ..." When are immersed...has a very "now" element. It helps to let our imaginations open up and see the everyday implications of being immersed in God...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUT-yUvWUdY
Paul's continued Letter to the Christians in Rome
As we have said before, Paul's Letter to the Romans is different from his others. With Galatians, Corinthians and the others he is writing to people he knows and has spent time with, so he often addresses common concerns or issues.
With the Christians in Rome this is a Letter that will get there before him. So it is more descriptive of his understanding of Jesus. Krister Stendahl, the wonderful Swedish theologian and Bishop pointed out that THIS letter is best read as a Love Letter to God. Not so much as cold and precise systematics but passionate and hyperbolic...Blessings!
Here is you Trinity ONline Word/Meditation/Music for this weekend. It may seem scary at forst, but the variety within the Bible is a blessing. There are a number of ways to envision Jesus and God and one important one is Matthew's "Emmanuel" God is with us...
We gather in the Prayer Garden around a new fire…then walk into the Sanctuary to tell the stories about how God has walked with us all through time. At the end of the service we break into a Sanctuary Decorating Party for Easter!
EASTER! Christ is Risen! Risen Indeed! Not even Death can hold us captive. Balloons, Joyful Songs, Trumpets…all help us be a part of the Wonder of God’s never-failing Love!
Little ones (zero to three) will have a special area of lawn by the Front Entrance. Other children will have an Egg Hunt area curling around the east side of the building. Treat bags for all!
Good Weekend to you all!
Here is you online Word/Thought to Ponder/Music for this weekend. Matthew continues to teach us though parable, Matthews style of parable. Interesting that in Matthews' context he was dealing with a people already divided. In a Jewish communities, was Jesus the Messiah? Was he more? Was his teaching something that moved people beyond Judaism...etc. etc. etc.. So its no wonder that much of Matthews imagry has to do with One Group on one hand and Group Two on the other. But at the core of this parable is an unambiguous word..."Whenever you DID it to the least of these, my brothers and sisters, you did it to ME."
I hope you have a wonderful weekend.
Here is your online Trinity service for March 19. Once again Matthew's parable are not so much a free and open parable, but rather a direct message to his particular community. In this case Jesus' expected imminant return had not happened as planned and so the community is told: make sure your spiritual "well" is stocked and stay alert!
Good Day All!
Here is your Trinity Online link for this weekend! Blessings!