Trinity Lutheran Church; Arendtsville, PA

Trinity continues this week where it left off last week, both in the text of Luke 6, and in the complexities of God's mercy and expectations for all.

On the sixth Sunday after Epiphany, Trinity sits in an uncomfortable text of blessings and woes, ultimately trusting that each is for the good of all God's people.

On the fifth Sunday after Epiphany, Trinity hears a familiar story of Jesus calling his disciples to be fishers of people. In this story, we consider who helps us believe that this life of Christ is indeed possible.

As February begins, Trinity considers a challenging lesson from Jesus, one that has us reconsider who God cares for in times of need, who Jesus came to serve, and who we as Christians are to serve.

As Trinity hears the story of Jesus reading from the scroll of Isaiah in Luke 4, we hear the good news of God's love for us and for all people, and the manner in which God directs this love to bring good news to the poor, release to the captives, recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaiming God's favor.

As Trinity hears the story of Jesus at the wedding in Cana, we consider the presence of God when things do not go according to our plans.

As Trinity celebrates the baptism of Jesus, we reflect on the natures of our baptism, and the impact is has on us that Jesus would be with us in the nice looking and ugly looking parts of our lives.

Trinity celebrates Epiphany as they begin their stewardship focus for the month of January.

Merry Christmas! Trinity celebrates God dwelling with us as we reconsider why this celebration is important to us as Christians.

Merry Christmas! Trinity celebrates the birth of Christ with an impromptu Christmas pageant and remembering that God comes into our mess, God brings love, and God brings people together.

On this fourth Sunday of Advent, Trinity takes time to listen to Mary's song of praise. Through it, we realize the song Mary sings is one of great change and justice, a song that can both scare us and, by God's grace, set us free.

On the third Sunday of Advent, Trinity hears a text that can be scary, but nonetheless we look for the joy of God in the midst of it.

On the second Sunday of Advent, Trinity considers the change and repentance that John the Baptist calls for as the messiah draws near, and what that change might look like in our lives.

On the first Sunday of Advent, Trinity sees the mingling of fear and hope as Jesus talks of the impermanence of everything that surrounds us. In the midst of this, we hear too that God draws near in these times of impermanence.

Sitting with the text of the Widow's Mite and in our civil context of Veterans Day, Trinity considers what it means to consider everything with great value and usefulness in expressing the love and grace and expectation of God.

On All Saints Sunday, Trinity considers Jesus grief at the death of Lazarus, Mary and Martha's powerful understanding of Jesus' life giving presence, and Jesus' request for the community around Lazarus to "unbind him."

On this Reformation Sunday, Trinity considers the way the breath God gives us teaches us about Reformation. In our breath, we have a constantly recurring prayer for newness and reformation.

As Trinity hears James and John's request for greatness, we reflect on how Jesus redefines our greatest moments.

Trinity hears a third text in as many weeks in which Jesus talk about children. As we reflect on Jesus' words, we realize that the very nature of our child-like behavior - the inability to act and love and be as we should - is the very place where God's love embraces us as we are.

As Trinity is challenged by a unflinching text, we listen for the voice of Jesus that is both forgiving all people on the cross and insisting that the "little ones" be the focus of each life that bears Christ's name.

Trinity considers what it means to live in communion with God and one another as we dwell in a story of Jesus' teaching his disciples to shape their lives towards the "little ones" in their midst.

Trinity hears the story of the Syrophonecian woman, and considers how we today can have the same type of faithful insistence that she was able to show before Jesus.

As Trinity celebrates the sacrament of Baptism, we also reflect on the prayer King Solomon prays over Israel in 1 Kings 8:54-66. When we consider Solomon's prayer that Israel "devote [themselves] to the Lord [their] God, walking in his statues and keeping his commandments," we consider what our own devotion looks like, viewed through the lens of God's never-ending love for us and all God's childre...

Trinity hears the story of King Solomon's first few moments in power, and reflects on the gift of wisdom given to him by God.

Trinity dives into a story of the death of Absalom, David's son and a troubling character in 2 Samuel 8. In the midst of a heartbreaking mess, how God acts in the midst of such a mess. God does not call bad things good, but does grow good things in the midst of these things.