Body-building

When was the last time you were really encouraged? Was it something someone said? Was it a gift someone gave you, or feedback on an evaluation? Was it seeing seeds you planted blossom into a delightful bloom (literally or metaphorically)? Was it working really hard at something and succeeding – passing that test, getting that raise? How did it feel to be encouraged? Did you pass that encouragement on?

Read Matthew 25:14-30 and 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11.

For my last sermon to Trinity, I couldn’t have said it better than Paul did in his letter to the 1 Thessalonians. It is a letter not to condemn other groups but to reassure and encourage the Thessalonians that they are living out their lives as Christian community. Paul wants the Thessalonians to know that they are living in the light – as children of the light. What if the last servant in Matthew’s parable had Christian community in his life, where they encouraged him to use the talent he had been given? How would that had turned out different for him?

In his Church Dogmatics, theologian Karl Barth said that “The first thing we have to say is that Christians …are those who waken up.” As Christians, we live in the light of the resurrection, awakened to God’s love. Yet we are in constant need of having a reawakening – a constant conversion, reformed and always being reformed. We need to help each other stay awake – that constant turning toward the light, waking up once more, is our life of discipleship.

In my time at Trinity, I have witnessed this encouragement, given and received. I have witnessed people building each other up, in the good and the bad. What if all our Christian communities were known more for who they loved and encouraged, instead of who they hate and exclude? What if our members of our Christian communities built each other up instead of tearing each other down or judging each other? What would these children of the light be able to do in our world today?!

 Have you seen our members acting as children of the light? Have you seen someone behind the scenes reach out and support another? If not, I invite you to start it – find someone to encourage, build them up in confidence and in faith. For I have found by encouraging others and body-building, God will transform our hearts and build us up so that we can continue Christ’s work right here in Topeka. As Rev. Dr. John E. Cole puts it, “The best evidence believers have of the assurance of God’s forgiveness and salvation is each other.”

My prayer for Trinity is that even as pastors come and go, you can continue to build up the church, to encourage each other in your faith journeys. That Trinity is continued to be known for who we welcome, not who we exclude. That Trinity continues to body-build as we glorify God, share Christ’s love, and make new disciples.

Grace and peace,
Pastor Kate

Day by Day

How would you define ‘church’? Is it our building? Is it a group of people who gather together in the name of God? Can it be a group of people who run together? Or a college student Bible study? Are we church when we work at Harvesters or the Rescue Mission? Are we church when we organize for justice, or knit together? 

Read Psalm 23 and Acts 2:42-47. 

This Sunday, 2 of our youth will be baptized, and 6 of them will profess their faith publicly as the last step in becoming a member of our congregation. You can read their faith statements here. It will be a joyful celebration of their journey this past year, as well as looking forward to the ways they will continue to contribute to Trinity's family. 

The passage from Acts describes the early church, a church that gathered around teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayers. Does that sound familiar? As they dedicated themselves to these four acts, the community was moved to a place of generosity and abundance, as they shared everything and made sure that no one was in need. And day by day, their community grew. Day by day, more people came to know of Jesus Christ and his saving grace. Day by day, our Shepherd God brought more people into Her flock. 

Day by day, Jesus is still at work at Trinity and in Topeka. Day by day, we are given opportunities to share what we have been given: forming new disciples with our Sunday School classes, telling strangers about ‘my church,’ studying the Bible in a doughnut shop or at R&R with the Word, volunteering at Harvesters, tithing, caring for the children in our nursery, ushering on Sunday morning, and delivering bread to new friends. 

The way that God is overflowing our cups does not mean that there are never any complications, or that our justice and mercy work never gets messy. Day by day, as more are welcomed into our family of Christ, we must make room, we must be willing to sacrifice our own comfort and security to make room for new members in our family. 

Timothy B. Hare writes that “The Christian life is about adjusting ourselves to the existence of a gracious God.” We adjust ourselves to abundance and graciousness as we share our lives together, day by day. Come join us on Sunday and witness to our gracious shepherd God as our family grows, day by day. 

Grace and peace, 
Pastor Kate

Prepare Your Spirit

When you hear ‘spirit’ during the Advent season, what do you immediately think of? The spirits of Christmas past, present, and future? The Christmas spirit? Making spirits bright? What kind of spirits you put in your eggnog? Or maybe even the Holy Spirit and how it is moving, breathing, pushing, pulling in your life and the life of Trinity right now? 

Many Christians think of Advent as a time to slow down – to catch our breath - that as the world gets busier and busier, we intentionally take time to still our hearts and prepare the way for the Lord once more. But as we prepare our spirits for the coming of the Christ child, it’s less of a “find your centering place” and more of a “Buckle your seatbelts – it’s going to be a bumpy ride.” 

Mary’s encounter with her cousin Elizabeth takes center stage in our Scripture this week. Read Micah 5:2-5a and Luke 1:39-55.

The Holy Spirit came upon Elizabeth, and the preacher’s wife became the prophet. The marginalized young unwed mother-to-be sang a revolutionary song, about God turning the world upside down, about a God of grace and mercy, about a good God who keeps promises. As Mary and Elizabeth’s spirits went on a rollercoaster ride between joy and worry and exultation and anxiety and fear that no one would believe them, they found solace and assurance in their relationship. They found that the Spirit came when they were together, those two women who carried the messenger and the Message. They found that it was easier to prepare their spirits for the coming uncertain days if they had community and connection. 

So too is my wish for all of us at Trinity – that we can truly prepare the way of the Lord through community and connection, that our spirits are complete only when we are together, that we find joy and assurance in how the Holy Spirit moves in our own spirits. The Christ child comes again at Christmas to fully be in relationship with all of humanity – so prepare your Spirit as we start to live His story again. Amen. 

Grace and peace, 
Pastor Kate