God said to Moses, “I am who I am .” Exodus 3:14a ESV
Has God Blind-Sided You?
Dear Members and Friends of Trinity Downtown:
Each of us has developed a set of expectations of what God is like, and what we can expect of Him. Even atheists are in this group, since they “expect” Him not to exist! At best, our internal expectations of God are molded by a deep understanding of Scripture and frequent, meaningful conversations with Him. Even the smartest among us, however, are not capable of fully comprehending our Creator, so we limp along with a partial understanding of how He is and how He acts.
And so, sometimes we are surprised or (quietly) disappointed with how God is responding to us. We expect Him to zig, and He zaggs. We expected to be healthy, and we wind up being diagnosed with cancer; we want convenience, and He wants us to develop patience. (Philip Yancey has written a well-regarded book on this subject titled “Disappointment with God”.)
All this should not be a surprise; when God revealed His name to Moses (“I am who I am”), one of the (many) implications one can draw is that we must learn to deal with God as He is, not as we wish Him to be.
The ancient Israelites in Jesus’ day were not exempt from this problem. Based on their study of Scripture, they had developed quite a variety of expectations of how God’s Messiah would save Israel. Some hoped for a fantastic military leader, some expected a more spiritual approach.
When the REAL Messiah showed up 2,000 years ago, it became clear that God had zagged when the children of Israel had expected Him to zig. Jesus transcended ALL their expectations, and in the process, He greatly disappointed some folks.
Have you ever experienced disappointment with God?
This weekend at Trinity Downtown
(July 17th & 18th)
This weekend at Trinity Downtown, we’ll be discussing how Jesus disappointed the religious and political leaders of His day, and what that tells us about OUR relationship with God. You can join us in our contemporary service on Saturday at 5:00 pm, and/or the traditional worship service on Sunday at 9:00 am. Or, you can watch the “live stream” of our Satellite Service at 5:00 pm on Saturday, or our traditional service on Sunday at 9:00 am by clicking here. And, of course, you may also participate by watching either of these services “on demand” by clicking here.
Our doors will open 30 minutes before the start of each worship service, and you may enter from any door. As always, we ask that if you are not feeling well, please stay home and participate with us online.
Watch Online
You can watch the “live stream” of our Satellite Service at 5:00 pm on Saturday, or our traditional service on Sunday at 9:00 am by clicking the button below. And, of course, you may also participate by watching either of these services “on demand” at any time. To enhance your worship this weekend, we’ve placed this weekend’s Order of Worship and our updated prayer list below.
Drive-Up Communion
Please note that Drive-up Communion will be back on its original schedule and is being offered on Saturday and Wednesday of each week.
Fall Kick-off
Mark your calendars now for Trinity’s Fall Kick-off on August 21/22! We are planning a good, old-fashioned celebration as we resume normal in-person activities on the weekend of August 21st and 22nd.
Here’s the rundown:
- Our normal worship times of 5:00 pm on Saturday and 9:00 am on Sunday morning will continue. We’ll carry on streaming our services for those that prefer that option;
- In-person Sunday School and Adult Bible Studies will resume on Sunday morning at 10:15 am
- Your students will enjoy the “refreshed” Student Underground and Fellowship Hall environments for Sunday School and Youth Bible study
- Our Sanctuary Choir will be leading the congregational singing during our worship services.
- Snacks and coffee will be available in our Gathering Space on Sunday morning, and warm cookies will again be available preceding Saturday’s Satellite service!
- Best of all, we’ll have a BBQ lunch with all the fixin’s ready to serve in the gym at 11:30 on Sunday. Everyone’s invited!
Mark your calendars now for August 21st and 22nd and be thinking which friends you’ll invite to come with you to Trinity’s Fall Kick-off. It’s time to come back to church! We can’t wait to see you.
COVID-19 Updates
We continue to be deeply thankful for the God-inspired work of our medical professionals who developed and are distributing the COVID vaccines, and who continue to care for those afflicted with this disease. We are constantly reviewing our COVID-related safety protocols so that we’re in line with current government regulations and the evolving scientific guidelines. Our guidelines for this weekend’s services will be unchanged from the prior week:
- Masks are now optional for everyone regardless of vaccination status;
- RSVPs are no longer required, and you may enter the campus using whatever door you choose. Be sure to sign in at one of our “check-in” stations to register your worship attendance. We’ll have volunteers available to assist you with navigating the check-in process.
- Open seating for worship in the Sanctuary except for the back pews on the pulpit side. We are reserving the back pews on the pulpit side for those who prefer the option of social-distancing;
- Now that we have open seating, please continue to be alert and considerate of those around you who may be hesitant to sit close, shake hands or hug;
- Prepackaged snacks and coffee will be available in the Gathering Space on Sunday morning after the worship service; and
- Open seating for Satellite worship with the chairs spaced out.
Please take advantage of our nursery, which is now open to care for children 2 years old and younger on Sunday mornings.
Learn how placing our expectations, past sins, worries, hopes, plans and fears in the hands of Jesus can lessen our stress load and bring deep transformation in our hearts. Celebrate with us the depth of Jesus’ love for us and find out how you can live a life of significance, filled with meaning. Discover how following Jesus can help you and your family navigate around the minefields of life.
This weekend come get a fresh jolt of spiritual energy at Trinity Downtown. It will make a tremendous difference in your life.
Your Pastor,
Michael Dorn