Dearly beloved, How many of you had or at least remember Pet Rocks? A fad in the mid-70’s, it periodically reappears either for the sake of nostalgia or to see if it can capture the imagination …

Dearly beloved, We are just over halfway through the Lenten season (Holy Week and Easter are just a few weeks away). How is your Lenten discipline going? Like New Year’s resolutions, it can be …

Lent Resources Resources are available for you to use during the 40 days of Lent: “I Love To Tell the Story” Lenten devotional: Pastor Jen has put together a daily Lenten guide that …

Dearly beloved,  Happy Lent – not two words that we often put together. Yet, what can be happy or blessed about this time is that we draw closer in relationship with Christ. It is an …

Dearly beloved, Family Retreat at Koinonia A newer Trinity person, Elly Harrold has been in touch with Camp Koinonia to look at when we might go to the camp for a weekend Family retreat. Two weekends …

Dearly beloved, In the midst of all that is happening in the world, we live in hope. Read this week’s reflections here peace in Christ, Pastor Jen And the peace of God, which surpasses all …

Dearly beloved, This Sunday is our Annual meeting – I know, I know, everyone is so excited to attend a meeting. Meetings do tend to take up a good portion of many jobs as well as in the life of …

Dearly beloved, What does it mean to be a Church – particularly in today’s world? How do we live out our faith together rather than just a group of individuals that happen to gather in …

Dearly beloved, Happy and blessed New Year! Another page has turned on our calendars and I have to start remembering to type “2025” rather than “2024”. While it is really just …

Dearly beloved, Christmas arrives in less than a week! Are you ready? Prepared? Anxious? Overwhelmed? Need more time? Need to somehow “feel” more Christmasy? The celebration of Christmas …

Dearly beloved, This week’s reflections were posted earlier this week and come in two parts. They were written on Giving Tuesday under the theme of “What are we giving” Peace in …

Dearly beloved, Advent is coming! Advent is coming! Advent is coming! I think Advent is one of my favorite seasons of the Church Year. It often gets lost amidst all the preparations for Christmas and …

Dearly beloved, I am sitting down to write this reflection the day after the election, a couple days earlier that I would normally write something. Part of this is from a practical point of view …

Dearly beloved, In this divisive time, it is vital for us to find ways in which can bring peace into the midst. While many may have already voted, I know that the coming days can cause increased …

Dearly beloved, This Sunday after worship, the Church Council will be presenting the findings from the Congregational Assessment Tool (survey) that was conducted earlier in the year. You can find …

Dearly beloved, At long last, we will be presenting the findings from the Congregation Assessment Tool. The Church council will be sharing the findings and looking for feedback, We will be meeting …

Dearly beloved, In the midst of a contentious election season and ongoing divisions in our country, there is much to be anxious and concerned about. The question becomes how do we as people of faith …

Dearly beloved, The summer is flying by! I hope that you have had the opportunity to take time to refresh and renew your spirit. My soul has found greater depths as we have delved into the Lord’s …

And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:7) Praying for the Holy Spirit: we invite you to regularly pray this …

Dearly beloved, We continue our series, looking at the Lord’s Prayer. We are diving deep into the gift of these very familiar words that we may be further enriched by them. This week, we are …

Dearly beloved, This week, we begin an 8 week series about the Lord’s Prayer. Its words are so familiar to us. They rest upon our hearts and our souls. Some times this familiarity can lead to a …

Dearly beloved, This weekend is Memorial day weekend. For many it is the unofficial start of the summer with the long weekend. Businesses use it as an opportunity for special sales and promotions …

Dearly beloved, This Sunday is Pentecost (don’t forget to wear red or flame-like colors), often seen as the birth of the Church. It is the one Sunday a year that we focus almost exclusively on …

Dearly beloved, Ever have a false start? Think you have everything together and need to run back into the house/work/car or wherever cause you forgot something? Yup, all been there Well, here are a …

Dearly beloved Now What?? (ok – what was your first thought when you read that? Would be interested to hear) So much time, thought, planning and preparation goes into Holy week and Easter. So …

Dearly beloved, As I sit down to write this, it is Maundy Thursday. We are preparing to remember Jesus’ Last Supper with his disciples. At the end of this meal, Jesus heads to Gethsemane where …

Dearly beloved, On Sunday, we prepare to watch as Jesus makes his way to the cross. It is a story that we hear every year, but we need to do so to be reminded again and again of God’s …

Dearly beloved, We all need a little Jesus! A few weeks ago, I talked about and then gave out “Little Jesus”. The kids had fun finding them around the building. A number of people have …

Dearly Beloved, One of the many blessings of a community of faith is the ways in which we all come together to reach out in love to people both within the congregation as well as in the wider …

Dearly Beloved, This coming Sunday, we continue to walk with Peter’s “wandering heart” as he bravely steps out of a storm-tossed boat to walk to Jesus. Fear overwhelms him and he …

“And Jesus was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling bright, such as no one on earth could brighten them. ” (Mark 9:2-3) Dearly beloved, On April 8th, there will be a …

Dearly beloved, There is a human tendency to pay closer attention to what is right at hand. Often things that have been in the same place for a long time get overlooked. For example, there are …

Dearly beloved, This coming Monday has been set aside since 1986 to remember and give thanks for the life and witness of Martin Luther King, Jr. (see the information about the community event in the …

Dearly beloved, Another Christmas swiftly approaches – are we ready? Certainly there are gifts to wrap (or still purchase), decorations to display, foods to prepare and homes to be dazzled …

Dearly beloved, We are getting ready for a whirlwind of a weekend. As I sit down to write this, the “pitter-patter” of feet are moving above me as things are set up for this …

Dearly beloved, This past week I met with a newly formed group from within the larger community to talk about ways in which we may foster greater compassion and kindness in our area. We continue to …

Dearly beloved, Our readings this week move from the call of Moses to the Ten Commandments in Deuteronomy. This last book of the Pentateuch (first 5 books of the Hebrew Bible) is a series of sermons …

Dearly beloved, Here is a letter from Wycliffe Associates thanking us for the stamp donations we make: Dear Trinity Lutheran Friends, Thank you for the large shopping bag of stamps that Ralph …

Dearly beloved, Wrestling is not one of those sports that I tend to watch (football is my sport of choice – Go Bills!). Yet, I have often found myself wrestling over the years – it seems …

Dearly beloved, Phew! Not liking this heat whatsoever! It is as “Mother Nature” is angry with us. “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1 & …

Dearly beloved, We conclude our series this weeks on “I’ve been meaning to ask…” with the question of “where do we go from here?” In this age of GPS, it …

Dearly beloved, We continue our worship series with the question of “what do you need?” “Need” not “want”. What do we really need? How much of what we think we …

Dearly beloved, We continue our series “I’ve been meaning to ask” with the question: “Where does it hurt?” This can be a decidedly vulnerable question to be asked or to …

Dearly beloved, This week, we begin a new worship series called “I’ve been meaning to ask..” with this week’s question of “Where are you from?” coupled with …

Dearly beloved, This week’s Wisdom reading is from the book of Ecclesiastes with its most familiar “time” passages. It immediately brought to mind “Turn! Turn! Turn!” …

Dearly beloved, As we turn the page of another month and enter the month of July, we find ourselves once again celebrating the 4th of July. It is the day when we celebrate the gift of freedom in this …

Dearly beloved, Another month has almost drawn to a close; summer has officially dawned, school has ended, and summer activities and events are increasing. Many of the regular activities here at …

This week, we begin a five week series call “Come to the Water”. Think about how many times we use as well as need water in our daily lives. Scientists tell us that our bodies are 55-60 % …

Dearly beloved, This Sunday is the day we honor God as the Triune One. Much ink has been spilled over the years trying to understand the Trinity. I’m not sure about you, but the more I try the …

This Sunday is Pentecost (don’t forget to wear red)! It is my favorite Sunday of the Church year (don’t like when it falls on Memorial day weekend as I know many people go away). The Acts …

Dearly beloved, Calendars are filling up with so many different special evens in the coming weeks: graduations, weddings, end of school year activities. I don’t want you to miss out on a …

Dearly beloved, As we mark this year’s Mothers’ day, I am mindful of so many who find this day difficult. * For the parent whose child is lost to drugs or alcohol, bitterness or anger or …

May 7, 2023, 5th Sunday of Easter Moravian Music Sunday May 7th has been established as Moravian Music Sunday by the Moravian Church. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America shares Full Communion …

Dearly beloved, I used to joke and say that the “reason” I became a pastor is that I love to eat (and don’t like to cook). Gathering around food has often played a role in the life …

Dearly beloved, This Saturday, April 22nd is Earth Day. Beginning on college campuses in 1970, it has spread across the globe with more than a billion people participating in this event every year. …

Dearly Beloved, Our Holy Week begins with the waving of palm branches and cries of Hosanna as Jesus enters Jerusalem. The tensions build throughout the week as his friends betray, deny and run from …

Dearly Beloved, Our local community has faced some difficult news and situations recently – particularly in one of our local school districts. Without getting into all the nitty-gritty of this …

Dearly Beloved, Most days on Facebook, I try to look at what comes up under memories (posts & pictures from previous years). I love seeing old pictures of family, friends, and various church …

Dearly Beloved, How are we already halfway through Lent – don’t like that time is moving so quickly – and we are a mere three weeks until Easter. How are your Lenten practices …

Dearly Beloved, I love the Church! I have been blessed by and witnessed countless people over the years who have exemplified the love of Jesus. They have lived their faith with true …

Dearly beloved, Thank you for all your prayers during my recent bout of Covid – it finally caught me after three years. Continuing prayers for all those who are currently infected with it as …

Dearly Beloved, I am writing this before I leave for Guatemala; by the time that you receive it, I will be on my way home (boy, time does fly). Hopefully, you have had a chance to see the pictures of …

Dearly Beloved, As you are receiving this, myself and Deacon Charlie Germain have most likely already landed in Guatemala and made the trip to San Lucas Toliman on Lake Atitlan. We will be spending …

Dearly Beloved, This Sunday we hear from John the Baptist as he calls people to return to God with their whole hearts. This is followed by Jesus’ baptism when the Holy Spirit descends on him …

Dearly beloved, The time has indeed drawn nigh and the celebration of God-with-us/Emmanuel is here! All the planning and preparation culminates as we gather in worship to mark the arrival of Love …

Dearly beloved, As we gather this week, we mark the 4th week of Advent, lighting the candle of love. Love is at the heart of our faith, for it is love that was born in that manger. Here is a prayer …

Dearly beloved, I’ve come to a recent realization – that though I participate in singing and music every Sunday – the rest of my week has been sorely lacking in that most precious …

Dearly beloved, The December countdown has begun! It’s time to start opening those little doors on your Advent calendars! I don’t remember these calendars being a thing when I was growing …

Dearly beloved, As we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving, I share a reflection from Henri Nouwen on gratitude: In the past I always thought of gratitude as a spontaneous response to the awareness of …

Dearly beloved, When you do remember getting your first Bible? Was it for your First Communion? Confirmation? Another time? As a pastor, I have more Bibles than I know – some received as a gift …

Dearly Beloved, So many saints have been in my thoughts and hearts this week! On Wednesday, Nov. 2nd, I marked 30 years of ordained ministry! It’s gone so very fast!! As I reflect on these …

Dearly Beloved, This Sunday is Reformation Sunday when we remember the actions of Martin Luther which brought about great change across the land. His was a call to remember who and whose we are. He …

Dearly Beloved, The Bible is often perceived as fairly staid and even uninteresting. Admittedly, there are parts (such as the genealogies) that can make many an eye glaze over. There are also parts …

Dear beloved, This week we hear the account of the giving of the Ten Commandments. As we reflect on them, we can turn to Martin Luther’s Small Catechism and find a fuller meaning and significance. …

Dearly Beloved, With at least some degree of a “return to normal”, the level of activities have greatly increased and our calendars are starting to fill up. Here are a few more things …

Dearly Beloved, At sundown on Sunday, our Jewish siblings mark Rosh Hashanah, one of their high holy days. It is both a celebration of a new year as well as the opportunity to look back on the past …

Dearly Beloved, We move this week from the flooding of the world to the call of Abram, from judgment to grace. In God remembering God’s promises, the primary focus shifts our actions (or …

Dearly Beloved, This Sunday, we start the Narrative lectionary again (go here to learn more about it and why we are using it: https://www.workingpreacher.org/narrative-faq) For the first few weeks, …

Dearly Beloved, As we turn our calendars to September, as school buses resumed their treks and as the weather cools, we pause in these moments to… Breathe More activities will fill our …

Dearly Beloved, I was blessed this week by a visit from Rev. Michael Plekon who served as one of the pastors of Trinity a number of years ago. He further blessed us/me with the gift of his most …

Good morning, I have been working on the testimonial on why I give to Trinity Lutheran Church for the better part of this year. It is not that I have been procrastinating, it is just I have so much …

Today’s Readings: Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 Mark 13:32-37 For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven (Ecclesiastes 3:1)   And the peace of God, which surpasses all …

Dearly beloved, We are in the midst of reflecting on the Apostle’s Creed. I thank Dorothy Kafalas for preaching & Mary Beth Commisso for leading worship last week while I was away. They …

Today’s Readings: Genesis 1:26-31 Revelation 21:1-7 John 1:1-4 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1) And the peace of God, which surpasses …

Today’s Readings: I John 4:7-21 John 1:1-4 Let us love one another, because love is from God; (I John 4:7) And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and …