O Come let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. Psalm 95.6
Dear brothers and sisters,
Grace and peace from Jesus! I had a talk with someone close recently who knows Trinity. They said, “I’m so jealous of what you have at Trinity. You all actually expect to encounter God when you get together. Oh, we have a great church, but don’t really expect to encounter Him. We have the Lord’s Supper, but it’s just a memory of Him. And we believe in the Holy Spirit, but we kind of expect Him to be quiet.” This conversation made me realize how precious it is to be and live among people who expect encounter. I wrote this after that conversation:
We aim for nothing less than an encounter with God. God desires an encounter with us! This is what He created us for. When Adam and Eve believed God—they shared precious encounters. When they believed the enemy of their souls, they didn’t show up for their encounter. God still showed up, but they hid themselves. God called them out. God preferred an encounter when them in their brokenness, than no encounter at all.
When the time was right, God found a way to repair our times of encounter. He put on flesh and came right down. Touching us. Laughing with us. Weeping with us. Healing us. Making us whole and holy. Feeding us. Teaching us. Demonstrating to us how far God would come to rescue us. We were dead in our brokenness—so he came all the way to death.
The early Pentecost church of Acts recognized themselves as an apostolic movement and extension to all people and places of the body of Christ. The Holy Spirit is the personal encounter with God. The Spirit called forth new life and gathered the body together to encounter the presence of the Reign of God in Christ through the Good News of Jesus: encountered in his promises; preached in the word, where we encounter God talking to us in a primary way; received in Absolution where we encounter God freeing us from the bondage of accusation and the need to self-justify; washed in the water and word of Baptism, where we encounter the claim and name of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; eating and drinking the body and blood of Jesus-the fruits of the cross-available whenever we hear and remember his word, and trust what it says; filled and re-filled with the Holy Spirit, the empowering presence of God, freely given to us, that we might be freely given to those around us. I’m so glad to be in a community of encounter with each of you!
MEANS OF GRACE
Holy Word:
SUNDAY SERIES:
Holy Spirit – Holy Church series began (Summer of 2009)
Wake Up – 10 Old Testament Revivals (Fall of 2009)
Redeeming Relationship – Relationships of David (Jan-Feb 10)
Short Galatians Series (June 2010)
I use the assigned reading from the Common Lectionary for the Sundays between series, and the daily lectionary from the hymnal for Tuesday morning prayer service
LENTEN SERIES: Shared with Jenny Lowen “Christ Who Lives in Me.”
Holy Communion: Offered first service every week unless there was a baptism, 1st/3rd weeks at second service, Thanksgiving Eve; Late Christmas Eve Service; Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, Every Wednesday morning with men and women); First Communion for McKinley Severson on Maundy Thursday.
Holy Baptism: Hannah Holland 09 05 09; Michael Holland 11 15 09; Kason Lovaas 11 15 09; Hagen Mark Severson 11-18-09; Deborah E Adams 06 7 10
Holy Absolution: offered privately, as well as before Ash Wednesday worship service.
OTHER MINISTERIAL ACTS
Confirmation: Assisted Deac. Sue Scott in classes held September-May; Hanna Lopez; Rachel McGivern; Hannah McGivern; Austin Tyler (Nov 2009)
Holy Matrimony: Michael and Stephanie Holland 04 17 2010
Burial: William Tunilla 06 09; Roy Beal 07 08 09; Julio Maes Jr 07 16 09; Karen Inlow 09 25 09; Lavere (Bill) Drader 10 11 09; Loralee Fitzpatrick 11 07 09; Ruth Fisher (Pastor Christenson) 01 02 10; Anthony Rodin 06 10 10; Fred Ulles 06 05 10
Personal Core Orientations & Convictions
Grace orientation
Conviction: This was Jesus’ m.o., and ought to be ours as well.
Scripture: Romans 5.8; Ephesians 2.8-9; John 3.16-17
Lordship orientation
Conviction: Jesus wants to save and transform us!
Scripture: Romans 6.1-4; 8.29; Luke 9.23; Galatians 5; Romans 12.1-2
God’s Word orientation
Conviction: Truth exists, and God’s Word is the place to find it—it is also the only place to find life.
Scripture: Psalm 1; 19; 119; John 1; 2 Peter 1.20-21; 2 Timothy 2.16-17; Romans 10.14-17; 1 Corinthians 2.2
Get the Lost or Urgency orientation
Conviction: People apart from Christ Jesus are lost. They were the reason he came.
Scripture: Matthew 9.35-38; 28.19-20; Luke 19.10; 2 Peter 3.8-9
Worship orientation
Conviction: God’s glory is an end in itself. Style must always serve substance.
Scripture: John 4.23-24; Psalm 23, 24
Kingdom orientation
Conviction: Jesus proclaimed (in his preaching/teaching) and demonstrated (in his healing/deliverance) the Kingdom of God, and has commissioned his church (you and me) to do the same.
Scripture: Genesis 12; Matthew 4-10; Luke 10; Acts 1; 1 Corinthians 2.1-5; Romans 12; Ephesians 4; 1 Peter 4.10-11; Revelation 11.15; 21.4
Multiplication orientation
Conviction: God desires multifaceted growth. He wants congregations to grow, and he wants Christians to grow. This is done most effectively through multiplication.
Scripture: Matthew 28.19-20; 2 Peter 3.18
Many thanks to the Staff, Elders, Council, P3 (Pastor’s Prayer Posse), as well as my own pastor confessor. I am thankful for each of my five kids. They demonstrate the varied grace of Jesus to me (1 Peter 4.10). Joy! “An excellent wife is the crown of her husband” (Proverbs 12.4; 16.31). I’m so glad to share the adventure with you.
Trinity, it is a joy to serve you as your pastor! In Jesus, Nathan
Dear brothers and sisters,
Grace and peace from Jesus! I had a talk with someone close recently who knows Trinity. They said, “I’m so jealous of what you have at Trinity. You all actually expect to encounter God when you get together. Oh, we have a great church, but don’t really expect to encounter Him. We have the Lord’s Supper, but it’s just a memory of Him. And we believe in the Holy Spirit, but we kind of expect Him to be quiet.” This conversation made me realize how precious it is to be and live among people who expect encounter. I wrote this after that conversation:
We aim for nothing less than an encounter with God. God desires an encounter with us! This is what He created us for. When Adam and Eve believed God—they shared precious encounters. When they believed the enemy of their souls, they didn’t show up for their encounter. God still showed up, but they hid themselves. God called them out. God preferred an encounter when them in their brokenness, than no encounter at all.
When the time was right, God found a way to repair our times of encounter. He put on flesh and came right down. Touching us. Laughing with us. Weeping with us. Healing us. Making us whole and holy. Feeding us. Teaching us. Demonstrating to us how far God would come to rescue us. We were dead in our brokenness—so he came all the way to death.
The early Pentecost church of Acts recognized themselves as an apostolic movement and extension to all people and places of the body of Christ. The Holy Spirit is the personal encounter with God. The Spirit called forth new life and gathered the body together to encounter the presence of the Reign of God in Christ through the Good News of Jesus: encountered in his promises; preached in the word, where we encounter God talking to us in a primary way; received in Absolution where we encounter God freeing us from the bondage of accusation and the need to self-justify; washed in the water and word of Baptism, where we encounter the claim and name of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; eating and drinking the body and blood of Jesus-the fruits of the cross-available whenever we hear and remember his word, and trust what it says; filled and re-filled with the Holy Spirit, the empowering presence of God, freely given to us, that we might be freely given to those around us. I’m so glad to be in a community of encounter with each of you!
MEANS OF GRACE
Holy Word:
SUNDAY SERIES:
Holy Spirit – Holy Church series began (Summer of 2009)
Wake Up – 10 Old Testament Revivals (Fall of 2009)
Redeeming Relationship – Relationships of David (Jan-Feb 10)
Short Galatians Series (June 2010)
I use the assigned reading from the Common Lectionary for the Sundays between series, and the daily lectionary from the hymnal for Tuesday morning prayer service
LENTEN SERIES: Shared with Jenny Lowen “Christ Who Lives in Me.”
Holy Communion: Offered first service every week unless there was a baptism, 1st/3rd weeks at second service, Thanksgiving Eve; Late Christmas Eve Service; Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, Every Wednesday morning with men and women); First Communion for McKinley Severson on Maundy Thursday.
Holy Baptism: Hannah Holland 09 05 09; Michael Holland 11 15 09; Kason Lovaas 11 15 09; Hagen Mark Severson 11-18-09; Deborah E Adams 06 7 10
Holy Absolution: offered privately, as well as before Ash Wednesday worship service.
OTHER MINISTERIAL ACTS
Confirmation: Assisted Deac. Sue Scott in classes held September-May; Hanna Lopez; Rachel McGivern; Hannah McGivern; Austin Tyler (Nov 2009)
Holy Matrimony: Michael and Stephanie Holland 04 17 2010
Burial: William Tunilla 06 09; Roy Beal 07 08 09; Julio Maes Jr 07 16 09; Karen Inlow 09 25 09; Lavere (Bill) Drader 10 11 09; Loralee Fitzpatrick 11 07 09; Ruth Fisher (Pastor Christenson) 01 02 10; Anthony Rodin 06 10 10; Fred Ulles 06 05 10
Personal Core Orientations & Convictions
Grace orientation
Conviction: This was Jesus’ m.o., and ought to be ours as well.
Scripture: Romans 5.8; Ephesians 2.8-9; John 3.16-17
Lordship orientation
Conviction: Jesus wants to save and transform us!
Scripture: Romans 6.1-4; 8.29; Luke 9.23; Galatians 5; Romans 12.1-2
God’s Word orientation
Conviction: Truth exists, and God’s Word is the place to find it—it is also the only place to find life.
Scripture: Psalm 1; 19; 119; John 1; 2 Peter 1.20-21; 2 Timothy 2.16-17; Romans 10.14-17; 1 Corinthians 2.2
Get the Lost or Urgency orientation
Conviction: People apart from Christ Jesus are lost. They were the reason he came.
Scripture: Matthew 9.35-38; 28.19-20; Luke 19.10; 2 Peter 3.8-9
Worship orientation
Conviction: God’s glory is an end in itself. Style must always serve substance.
Scripture: John 4.23-24; Psalm 23, 24
Kingdom orientation
Conviction: Jesus proclaimed (in his preaching/teaching) and demonstrated (in his healing/deliverance) the Kingdom of God, and has commissioned his church (you and me) to do the same.
Scripture: Genesis 12; Matthew 4-10; Luke 10; Acts 1; 1 Corinthians 2.1-5; Romans 12; Ephesians 4; 1 Peter 4.10-11; Revelation 11.15; 21.4
Multiplication orientation
Conviction: God desires multifaceted growth. He wants congregations to grow, and he wants Christians to grow. This is done most effectively through multiplication.
Scripture: Matthew 28.19-20; 2 Peter 3.18
Many thanks to the Staff, Elders, Council, P3 (Pastor’s Prayer Posse), as well as my own pastor confessor. I am thankful for each of my five kids. They demonstrate the varied grace of Jesus to me (1 Peter 4.10). Joy! “An excellent wife is the crown of her husband” (Proverbs 12.4; 16.31). I’m so glad to share the adventure with you.
Trinity, it is a joy to serve you as your pastor! In Jesus, Nathan
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