Welcome to My Blog

Beloved Friends, Over the years I have returned periodically to the growing canon of research material focused on church growth and development. And while there seem to be as many opinions on the subject as there are authors, there are some common themes and criteria...

Beloved Friends-Exactly a year ago I sat down to write this weekly blog and focused on the excitement we were all feeling on the eve of welcoming back our Trinity choir including our Jobst Choral Scholars and our dozen High School students from around Toledo making up...

Beloved Friends- As I step back into your midst after a time away for rest and prayer I do so with a heart full of peace and gratitude; it is well with my soul. Thank you to all who were here moving us faithfully down the path we make by walking side by side, day by...

Beloved Friends,As we continue to move into these hot summer days, I find myself yearning for more “playtime” and thinking back to what that has looked like in my life over the years.My summer months as a child were often spent in a different country with my family as...

Beloved friends-Last week I spent some time looking back on where we have been together these first three years. It was a longer post than usual, but I hope you found it helpful reminding us of a few salient points including: This reality of being separated right now,...

Beloved friends- Every now and then I find it helpful to look back and reflect on some aspect of our shared ministry. I do so today, not with a posture of pride as much as with a deep sense of gratitude, humility and awe. Following is a short tour through the story of...

Beloved Friends- Many of you know of my fondness for the writings of poet Mary Oliver. Today, she comes to mind again as I remember this line from her poem titled “Summer Day”:Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?This past week Kim...

Beloved Friends-Happy almost 4th of July! To be honest, this holiday in which we commemorate the adoption of the Declaration of Independence by the Continental Congress, is one that always comes with mixed emotions for me, but this year even more so and leaves me...

Beloved Friends-Two of the most tender times in life are marked by birth and death. And while both hold the import of life-changing moments, this past week, as we said good-bye to longtime Trinity member and friend, Keith Sparrow, I was struck by the confluence of...

Beloved Friends-In 1967 Martin Luther King Jr published his final book, Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community? Sadly, it is as timely and relevant in 2020, now 53 years later. Flipping through the pages readers today will find words that could have been written...

Beloved Friends,“Come in, we’re open” are words infused with new meaning as we begin our 89th day since the initial mandate to self-quarantine due to COVID-19. Day after day, depending on our particular context we have pivoted in any number of ways because so much of...

Beloved Friends- Friends of a younger generation capture the heartbreak and ache I feel today when they say “I am shook”- and not in a good way. Since a week ago last Monday, upon hearing…

Beloved Friends, This Sunday we will “gather” again- from the safety of our own homes, but together in spirit, for a fabulous Feast Day in the life of the church called “Pentecost.” One of the most ancient feasts of the Church, Pentecost is often referred to as the...

Beloved Friends, Yesterday (May 21), the church observed the Feast of the Ascension commemorating the bodily ascension of Jesus into heaven. Also known as Ascension Day, this feast day is celebrated 40 days following Easter and 10 days before the day of Pentecost. The...