July 9, 2020
Saints of Trinity,
First and foremost, Dorothy and I want to say thank you for the overwhelming greeting last week. It was a gift on so many levels; sharing pieces of that service with Bill and Jenny, and being able to send them off with a few gifts, and with our love and prayers. Sharing the service with each of you, and even sharing it with one of the eagles that call this place home. Please pray for a safe journey for Bill and Jenny as, beginning on Wednesday, they started their journey toward Knoxville. From worship, Dorothy, Cora, and I went out for lunch, and even there had a surprise visit to our table from some of you. One more gift in a day filled with them. If that wasn’t enough, we then went home and explored the gift basket. I have to admit that I then spent about a half-hour with the lavender neck warmer around my neck, constantly sighing for the comfort it provided. It was warm, relaxing, and beautiful, kind of like you. Thank you so much for everything. Particularly as we continue to camp out at the house waiting for the contractors to finish their work, and awaiting the arrival of our appliances, the wonderment of last Sunday warmed our hearts. At the same time, I would like to begin to look ahead.
Today I also wanted to share where I’m headed in worship over these next three weeks, and a bit about what’s coming in August and September. As I prayed about messages for Wednesdays and Sundays, I thought maybe, if I were sitting in my car or at home and watching worship, I might want to know a bit more about the new pastor; how he sees himself, his role and expectations he may have for this church. So, for the next three weeks, I’ll be focusing on those three things. How I see myself as a Christian disciple, how I see my role as pastor, and how I see our role as a church in the world. At the outset let me share that these messages will not be all about me. It’s my hope that you can be challenged, and maybe even find yourself somewhere in the stories I share. Each week I’ll also focus on a specific piece of art. For instance, this coming Sunday it will be Rembrandt’s “Return of the Prodigal Son.” I’m not sure there is a piece of art that better explains how I see myself as a child of God. The following week I’ll be sharing one of my own pieces. It comes out of a series I’m drawing that focuses on “The Hands of the Carpenter.” This one is Jesus having just finished washing the feet of the disciples.
Following that series, I hope to begin another. It will be an expansion of the initial series. It will be an eight-week series that focuses on “Expressions of Jesus in Our Time.” It’s my hope to explore seven aspects of the life of Jesus that are directly transferable to this time and this place. It will focus on being “church” within this time, where the word “church” becomes an action verb rather than simply a noun. Each week I’ll focus on ways I believe we can or need to respond to; things happening around us here in Sequim, and in the world. Some of the topics include: healing and wholeness, teaching and practice, table-turning and confrontation, the need for prayer first, and being filled and transformed by a power greater than ourselves. Those are but a few and there are more to come.
It has been my hope to hit the ground running. The baton has been passed from Bill to me, and it’s time for me to begin my leg of the relay. You have already been an inspiration, already been supportive, and have already asked about what may be next. To respond to that last piece, let’s explore that together as “we run the race that has been set out before us.” It’s such a privilege to be here. I continue to pray for you!
In Faith,
Pastor Brad
Some Concerns that we have:
- For those who are dealing with significant health issues.
- For Bill and Jenny Green as they travel to their new home in Maryville, TN
- For our new pastor Brad Beeman and his wife Dorothy at this time of transition
- For all those who are ill from the COVID-19 virus; for those families who have lost loved ones to the virus; and for all the first responders/essential workers
- For Katherine Parker, missionary to Nepal
Even though you can’t be with those having birthdays this week, sending emails or making phone calls are appreciated.
The parking lot service continues at 10:00 am. You can still view our service online. Just go to our webpage sequimtumc.org for a link to the service.
We still ask that you mail your contributions to the church and make sure to use Post Office Box 3697 instead of our street address. We thank you for your continued support of our ministries here at Trinity.