The Work of the Holy Spirit

But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I [Jesus] am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. John 16:7 NIV

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. Romans 8:26 ESV

Dear Members and Friends of Trinity Downtown:

If you’re like me, you have formed a mental picture of what God “looks like” that you’ve built up over your life. If someone were to ask you to describe your image of God the Father, what would you say? A gentle grandfather with a big beard and wide smile? Someone that looks like your football coach—demanding, exacting and without pity? Something in between?

It’s probably a bit easier to picture Jesus; we’ve watched lots of movies and seen lots of images. How do you picture Jesus? A shepherd with a little lamb wrapped around His shoulder? Feeding the 5,000? Driving the money changers out of the Temple with a whip? Hanging on the cross?

Now, let me ask you to describe your mental image of the third person of the Trinity-the Holy Spirit.

That’s tougher, isn’t it? What does a spirit look like?

Perhaps we should base our image of the Holy Spirit on what He does. The New Testament tells us that He is our “advocate” or “helper”, and that He intercedes in prayer for us. So, perhaps the closest earthly picture we can have of the Holy Spirit is that of a wise counselor, a professor who is truly excited to teach you about his or her area of expertise, or maybe even a skilled defense attorney.

Can you recall a time when you’ve experienced the help of the Holy Spirit in your life, or felt His gentle prompting? This weekend at Trinity Downtown we’ll be celebrating the Holy Spirit’s coming at Pentecost, and talk about His role in our lives and in our church. You can participate in-person at our contemporary worship service on Saturday at 5:00 pm or our traditional worship service on Sunday at 9:00 am. 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.

To enhance your worship this weekend, we’ve placed this weekend’s Order of Worship and our updated prayer list on Trinity’s website. You can download them by clicking here.

We are so thankful for the God-inspired work of our medical professional who developed and are distributing the COVID vaccines, and who care for those afflicted with this disease. As a reminder, here are the COVID-related safety protocols currently in place for your protection:

• Those who are fully vaccinated are no longer required to wear a mask on campus;
• Masks should be worn at all times on campus by those who have not been vaccinated. We are requiring this in keeping with the CDC’s guidelines and for the safety of our members and guests. This will be on the honor system and between you and Jesus;
• We ask that you continue to use the marked entrance doors and be sure to sign in at one of our “check-in” stations for worship. 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. Please be considerate of others who may not be comfortable with people sitting next to them;
• Open seating for Satellite worship with chairs spaced out. The chairs will continue to be placed as they have been over the last several months to accommodate those who prefer social distancing;
• Vigorous hand washing is still recommended, and we’ll have hand sanitizer available throughout our facilities;
• The nursery will open to care for children 2 years old and younger; and
• Coffee and snacks are available outside the sanctuary under the porte cochere following the Sunday morning worship service.

Our doors will open 30 minutes before the start of each service, and I’d suggest that you arrive a bit early for the worship service as we all become accustomed to our new check-in stations. As always, we ask that if you are not feeling well, please stay home and participate with us online.

Come celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit anew with us this weekend; come reconnect with Jesus and your church community. Let the joy of Pentecost flood your heart and refresh your soul so you can share His love and peace with everyone!

Your Pastor,

Michael Dorn