Soundtrack of Life

A few years ago Starbucks coffee came out with a TV ad campaign that has stuck in my memory.  In the commercial an everyday normal person wakes up to get ready for work, and finds that he has a rock band that follows him around giving him a soundtrack for his day.  The band is there to pump him up, to encourage him, and to narrate his day through their music, essentially giving him a soundtrack for his day. (You can find it at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9buedr_YDQ)  As I watched this commercial I began to think, what if my life had a soundtrack?  What if a band narrated each day in my life as a Christian?  What would it sound like?

Throughout scripture we are reminded that as Christians our faith must be present and lived out in our daily actions as well as in our quiet time.  In the book of James we are told, “You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?” (James 2:20, TNIV)  In Ephesians we are reminded that we have an obligation to use the gifts and experiences that God has given to us, “So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up“ (Ephesians 4:11-12, TNIV) There are countless other scripture passage that point us to the importance of living out our faith in our daily lives.  In each we are reminded that all that we do, in word and deed are a reflection of Jesus.  We are his ambassadors, his representatives; we are the body of Christ.  We are reminded that in all that we are to reflect Jesus to the world.

So what kind of soundtrack would our church have?  As someone walks through our doors are they overwhelmed by the love of Christ, and devotion to following Jesus?  Do they sense a passion for doing God’s will?  Do they hear a song of hope, a song of salvation?  Or looking to our lives personally, what would your soundtrack be like?  Would it be filled with joy or pain?  Would it be rockin’ or a bit mellower?  Would it be filled with words of life and encouragement, or lyrics of hurt, and discouragement?  Jesus has given to each of us gifts, talents, and experiences to bring glory to Him, and to make an impact in this world.  So the next time you are listening to your iPod, or radio, or stereo, be thinking, what would my soundtrack be like, what would our church’s soundtrack be like?  Is there a clear reflection of the message of Jesus, of Hope, of forgiveness, or restoration?  Whether or not we like it everyone around us is listening, waiting to see what they hear, what they see, and what they experience.  They are wondering and observing these Christians, and about our church.  So let your life’s song ring true, may it be a reflection of Jesus to everyone that you meet, and everyone that you know.

In the Vine

John 15 is a famous passage where Jesus begins by saying, I am the vine and God is the gardener, if you want to produce fruit you will remain in me.  The passage is all about plants, and comparing our relationship to God and Jesus to plant parts.  Plants are constantly growing, and changing.  They are rarely the same for very long.  If you reflect or read anything about the history of Trinity Church you will see that change is our heritage.  Trinity looked different in 1960, 1963, 1970, and so on.  From the beginning the church was always on the look out for how God was moving and leading to reach the lost and grow up people in the faith.  As we listened tonight we heard stories of how this church has been faithful to how God has led us even when it was hard, or uncomfortable, or unconventional.  God blessed that.  God blessed our obedience to follow him where he led.  God blessed it because we remained in him.  Jesus tells us in this passage that we will produce fruit only if we remain in the vine that is Him.

That is our job.  Throughout the history of Trinity the work has been all about doing God’s will, about following the Spirit’s leading to do his work.  That work has looked different each year, through each consistory, each pastor, but the focus for all of it was Christ.  “Remain in me, and you will produce fruit.”  As we step into the next 50 years of Trinity it is going to look different.  There are going to be ministries that bear great fruit that we cannot even imagine right now.  There are methods and means of ministry that we could never imagine that God will bless greatly.  No matter what we do or how we do it our driving force is to remain in Christ.

The future of Trinity does not hinge on face book, lemon bread, a certain kind of music, or anything else, it is about Jesus.  It is about sharing the love of Christ and the Good News of the Gospel.  If we are here to bear fruit, to share the good news, and grow in our faith it does not happen apart from God.  And it also is not always done in the same ways.  It means that God will lead us in directions and to places that we have never been before.  As we move forward that is our measuring stick; in all that we do, are we remaining in Christ, are we following his leading?  Because we are a changing place and people, each year new people come in and others follow God’s call to go elsewhere.  This is why Jesus mentions the need for pruning. Pruning is done to encourage different growth and greater fruit.  It allows for a skilled gardener to carefully remove parts the impeding fruit for further growth and fruit.  This passage reminds us that being in Christ is not always comfortable; in fact Jesus will prune back all that does not bear fruit so that the rest of the plant will bear more fruit.  As we seek to do this all we do need to remain in him.  It is by God and for God that we do everything in this place.

I believe that Jesus has called us as a church and as individuals to remain in him, the true vine.  So today I ask that you consider this covenant to one another.  To be part of the vine does not promise comfort, it leads us to reliance on Christ.  To be part of the vine does not lead us to tradition, but to follow God faithfully.  To remain in the vine does not lead us to a perfect never changing plan, but to discern the leading of the Spirit everyday of our lives.  I believe we want to be a church that remains in Christ in all that we do, even thought it has looked different each year.  This core conviction is something that has not changed since the day this church began.

Welcome

Thursday April 29th, 2010

A co-worker has invited you to their home for an office Christmas party, and as you approach their front door you realize that you don’t know a lot about them. As you walk in you take in everything you can about them based on your initial perceptions. Did they ask you to take off your shoes? Was it done kindly, in a harsh manner? Is their furniture laid out for company or are you afraid to sit on the furniture? Does the home feel inviting and warm, or sterile and cold? Very quickly you “learn” a number of things about your co-worker based on your perceptions and feeling about their home.

This summer at Trinity we will be welcoming home old friends, and inviting in numerous new ones. As we have been preparing for the 5grow Celebration, it became clear that our church home did not reflect the people inside. Our church desires to be welcoming and friendly to all people. We want our church to be a place of fellowship, friendship, and growth. As one member told me this week, I want to see our church be a place that people from our community and church gather at. As this was discussed the consistory voted to begin some renovations to our facilities, and approve a team to lead the design project.

As you walk into church Sunday morning you see some of the fruits of their labor. The early phases of renovations to the narthex, front office, entryway, front bathroom, and nursery will have started. Phase one of this work will be done by Sunday with more renovations and additions to come.

I want to thank the design team for using their gifts at Trinity; your talents are invaluable in this work. This is an exciting time in the life of Trinity as we prepare for the 5grow celebration to begin on May 15th. From the renovations to our narthex, a new website that will launched in the coming weeks, and an anniversary celebration that is unlike any that I have been part of before, including a dinner, a children’s clothing distribution and a concert.

This all is meant to offer each of us an opportunity to invite others to come and join us, but also create a more welcoming atmosphere for those visiting us at Trinity. As we continue to prepare for these events think about who you could invite to join us as we celebrate our 5grow celebration, and also how you can be hospitable to those joining us at Trinity for all our ministries.

Pastor Bill