Wrapped Up in Prayer

Everything is set for Jan’s surgery at 3pm on Monday, December 23, 2013 to remove the tumor near her ovaries. The waiting has been the hardest part, and that certainly made me think of Advent and waiting for hope. It’s tough to wait … not knowing. Is it cancer? Is it benign? Is it contained? Will the doctor be able to get it all? It’s tough to wait.

Jan and I continue to give thanks to God for the overwhelming support and love that has come our way. The prayers have given us strength and comfort and hope. And Jan’s prayer shawl has taken form. It’s been quite amazing. Jan will wrap herself up with it, and it’s like she literally feels all the love.

I had first gotten the idea of a prayer shawl from a meeting I attended at the Congregational Church of Austin, where they have a Prayer Net, a visual representation of the prayers of the people. Folks are invited to say a prayer and then tie a piece of fabric onto the net.

I found a net-like shawl and then asked people to send a piece of fabric so that we could add it to the shawl. The response has been incredible! So many people have sent strips of cloth! Folks from our church, folks from our old church; in fact, several churches have sent groups of strips. Old friends and coworkers of Jan from Navasota ISD sent strips, relatives and friends from around the nation. Some printed their names on the strip or wrote well-wishes. Others sent cards with their cloths with inspirational and comforting messages. One friend of mine, Chris, who is an incredible guitar player (and can build them too!) sent a piece of fabric from a cloth he uses to take care of his instruments.

As you might imagine, Jan often cries when she receives a piece of fabric and ties it into the shawl, but these are tears of gratitude, for to receive so much love, to be lifted up by so many, to know people you don’t even know are saying prayers daily for your health—it is amazing. And yet, this does not even come close to the amount of love that our God has for each of us!

Thinking of wrapping up in prayer, I often think of God as a soft, snugly, comfy blanket. In prayer, I then imagine God wrapping around me like that blanket, bringing me to a place of warmth and security and love.

Whenever Jan is scared or worried or hurting, she holds the prayer shawl close to her, and in some special God-given way, she is reminded of the Lord’s care and how many people are offering thoughts and prayers for her. And we’re not picky about who the prayers come from. Folks from all flavors of Christianity have contributed strips of cloth, Jews, a Hindu, even folks who may be agnostic or atheist—at least they want to support Jan. And it’s been amazing to me to see how many lives Jan and I have touched.

It’s still not too late to send a piece of fabric. The fabric can be any color or pattern, but it should be approximately 1 in. by 12 in. long.

Think of Jan and say a prayer for her as you prepare the piece of fabric. Then mail it to me at:

Ron Trimmer
125 Summers Green
Georgetown, TX 78633

As we are near Christmas, I thought of the passage from Luke where Mary wraps the baby Jesus in “swaddling clothes.” I always preferred that older translation to the more current NRSV that says “bands of cloth.” But thinking of all the “bands” of cloth on Jan’s prayer shawl. I think that’s fine too!

It is with the deepest gratitude that I give thanks for your love and support!

In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!” -Luke 2:8-14

Ron Trimmer is pastor of Hope United, a new church in Georgetown, Texas. Click here to visit Hope United’s website.

Advent Conspiracy

This year, I’ve been leading my congregation in a little Advent Conspiracy. I found out about it from an article, Reimagining Christmas, in Sojourner’s magazine. Advent Conspiracy is a movement to help us to reclaim the true meaning of Christmas.

The story of Christ’s birth is a story of promise, hope, and revolutionary love. And yet, somehow this wonderful season has turned into a season of stress, traffic jams, and shopping lists.

I invite you to join me in this Advent Conspiracy by committing to: Worship Fully
Spend Less
Give More
Love All

Worship Fully
It all starts with Jesus, the coming King. Though many of us in this nation and consumer culture claim to be Christian, to worship the Lord our God and follow in the way of our Savior, we know that the gods of consumerism and material wealth have hijacked our devotion.

Do you think money will save you? Is it what drives you? Not that you are greedy, but that you worry about it, you work for it, for you need it to be comfortable, to be happy, to be rewarded?

And even the blessed gift of giving has come to serve these gods, as everything around us—the endless message of media and shopping, focuses us on buying more and more stuff.

Join with me in putting the Lord first in your life again, the author of salvation, the author of eternal life. It is God and God alone who saves, who fills our deepest needs, who gives us meaning and purpose, who brings hope and peace and justice, who satisfies the longings of our heart and gives us what we really need. Let us gather with the shepherds who brought their flocks to kneel at the foot of the Good Shepherd, and let us journey with the wise men, who worshiped the newborn King.

Worship fully. Give your heart, your passion, your devotion—give it all in exaltation to the Prince of Peace, King of kings and Lord of lords, Emmanuel, God-with-us.
 

Spend Less
This is not to say we’re against gifts. I love to both receive and give gifts. According to the Advent Conspiracy resources, the U.S. spends an average of $450 billion a year on Christmas. Christmas is not about buying stuff.

One of my fondest memories of my mother is remembering the look on her face as her children opened their Christmas presents, a smile on her lips and her eyes afire with love and gleeful anticipation. But sometimes we get so wrapped up in buying presents, often from a sense of obligation or dare I say guilt, and then some of us spend too much, even going in to debt, that we miss the best gift of all—grace, which is always, always free. Giving gifts is supposed to teach us about grace. And so I ask you to buy one less gift this year. That’s it. Just one.

Give More
In response to spending less, we should give more, not with money, but through our relationships. Make an effort to spend some quality time with your children or spouse, find a way to serve. And give more of yourself. Don’t take things for granted. Be present to people, fully. Invest yourself in your relationships, whether with your friends, family, or Savior.

And if you do want to make a gift of your financial resources, consider giving a gift that helps the least of these, the poor or powerless. Thankfully, there are many very good nonprofits and missions out there. Both the Disciples and the UCC through their partnership in Global Ministries do an enormous amount to help people, not just with charity and band-aids although there is relief aid, but also by helping people better themselves, from building wells to helping people with sustainable agriculture, to micro-loans, to gifts of livestock and the building of schools. You can sponsor a child in another nation for about a $1 a day.

Give more. For it truly is more blessed to give than to receive, and by giving more, we follow in the footsteps of our Lord and Savior, who gave us everything.

Love All
It’s all about love, for Jesus is love incarnate. And Jesus shared love with everyone. Join me in committing to love all. For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. -John 3:16-17

In Jesus, we know we are loved, beyond merit, beyond comprehension. And let us not forget that all means all! Every person, no matter who they are, are worthy of love, from the vilest sinner to the most holy saint. Jesus loves everyone, and asks us to do the same. And if God shows any partiality it is to the poor, the powerless, the disenfranchised and downtrodden and oppressed. Jesus cared deeply for the least of these, and Jesus asked us to also care, to love all.

Click here to visit the Advent Conspiracy website and learn more.

But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.”
-Luke 2:10-12

Ron Trimmer is pastor of Hope United, a new church in Georgetown, Texas. Click here to visit Hope United’s website.

Giving Thanks

I couldn’t have been very old, still in the early years of grade school, and all of us students had a very important assignment to do. We had to write a short theme on what we were thankful for. A simple enough assignment, it didn’t have to be long—just a few things written from a youngster’s heart. As you might imagine, many of the children wrote about things like being thankful for mom and dad, or maybe thankful for God or Jesus. Some were thankful for grandma or their home or their friends. Well, not this young man. Me—I was thankful for my Big Wheel. And let me tell you, that was a sincere statement. I had gotten it for my birthday in September and had virtually ridden it nonstop. I loved that toy! Man, I used to ride that thing up and down the driveway, get it going real fast, then slam on the plastic brake on the side, making it skid all across the driveway. I loved it, and I got a lot of miles out of that thing.

I have looked at getting Big Wheels for my kids, but somewhere along the way someone decided that brake on the side was too dangerous. That’s what it made it so fun!

On this day after Thanksgiving, I stand back and give thanks to God. The Lord is good, and I feel very blessed in my life. And truth be told, I am still thankful for that Big Wheel, but more than that what it represents—a very good and blessed childhood with two wonderful parents who dearly loved me and a family where I was accepted, encouraged, affirmed, and loved.

And I am thankful for my wife, for my children, but most of all my relationship with the Lord, and the blessings God has given me in this life. Just the other day, a fellow church planter from a new church in Portland Oregon, committed to street ministry and serving the homeless on the streets, called to chat and share. We talked how much a blessing it is to see God working in a person and the greatest gift to be used by the Lord to touch another person’s life. Amazing, and God has blessed me abundantly!

Thinking of my children, it was 8 years ago this day that God gave Jan and I our first son, Ben. I was at a conference in Houston when I got the call. Ben’s birth mother had given birth! So I rushed back home and Jan and I got up early in the morning to drive to San Antonio to see our first born son.

I can still remember the first time I laid eyes on Ben. The nurse lifted him up in the baby room for us to see—all red and crying with a good deal of dark hair on his head. Beautiful and amazing. Adoption is a gift from God. All along we felt the hand of God upon us. Happy Birthday, Ben!

Thanksgiving gives us a chance to look back and remember—whose we are and to whom we truly belong, and all the good and blessed things in our lives. Of course, we remember the tough times too, and the ways we are sometimes able to pull together and to feel God’s strength.

And yet, on this Thanksgiving I am also mindful that there are folks who may be experiencing loss or hardship during this time, and the thought of what they have lost dominates their spirit. My prayers are with you. In a very real way, I feel closer to you this day, as I too have received some alarming news.

Jan may have cancer.

She hadn’t been feeling very well, and finally went in to see the doctor. After some tests, we found out she has a mass near her ovaries and it might be cancer. Devastating news. Everything changes when you hear the “C” word. But it’s too early to know for sure. Jan will see an oncologist on Tuesday and we’ll go from there.

We’re scared, and of course full of worry and all of the “what ifs,” often thinking of the worst. “I’m worried for the boys,” she often says. Jan is a wonderful mother and her dominating thought is not for herself, but for the children she loves. I give thanks to God for my wife Jan, who I love so much.

And yet, just last week I preached on Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians, telling us to give thanks in all circumstances and to pray without ceasing. In this time of uncertainty, I bet you can guess we’ve hardly stopped praying—for healing and comfort and strength. And we get specific. We want this tumor to be benign and easily taken care of. And baring that for the cancer to be contained and easily dealt with. Please pray for Jan and my family! But we are resolved to follow the path before us, one day at a time. Already we have been surrounded with love and support. It helps. It really helps. And it also helped me realize how many friends we have, how many care about us, and also how many lives we have touched through our ministry and life.

Giving thanks in all circumstances is a bit tougher, but still I know Paul is right, for the thanksgiving helps you to stay centered on God. The Lord will see us through this, no matter what.

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. -1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 

Ron Trimmer is pastor of Hope United, a new church in Georgetown, Texas. Click here to visit Hope United’s website.

The Hope of Forgiveness

I often give thanks to God for the gift of forgiveness. Certainly, I am thankful when I am forgiven. But also the act of forgiving another can be extremely redemptive. I have seen the inability to forgive hurt someone tremendously. Like a millstone tied around their neck, they let the bitterness take hold, dragging them deeper and deeper to the depths of the abyss.

Thankfully, God’s grace has helped me along my own journey to not let things go too badly. The more we realize God’s grace and what a constant companion our Lord is, even the hurts inflicted on us by others can be met with a confidence of faith and hope that helps you to forgive and move on.

And yet, just recently, I was reminded of the need to forgive. I was with some friends, and we got talking about old times, reminiscing. And then someone brought up the name of a mutual acquaintance—someone who had done me a great wrong awhile back. Not only did they hurt me emotionally, they inflicted damage on something I cared deeply about. It was painful—a cross I took on as I tried to do God’s will, find my way back to wholeness and the love and acceptance of the Lord.

And God has been so faithful to me; the Lord has helped me to forgive, to move on, to heal, and to find peace—God’s shalom again.
But forgiveness is more of a journey than a destination. I’m not sure we are able to truly forgive as God does. And yet, the journey of forgiveness is both a redemptive and a healing one, and it’s best to get on down that road instead of linger at any one place.

Then Peter came and said to him, “Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times. -Matthew 18:20-22

77 times is a lot, but then I’ve heard it this way: If you are still counting the times you’ve forgiven someone, have you really forgiven them?

Forgiveness is a hard thing.
I say all this because I thought I had forgiven this person who had hurt me. Indeed, I have received much healing from God. At one point, I had to really devote a lot of energy and prayer time into forgiveness. Time has helped, but most of all, I’ve not come into contact with this person in a long time.

But then when the name was brought up again, especially with the chance of coming into close proximity with this person, my heart wrenched. I could feel my levels of anxiety rise, and I sought the comfort and aid of the Lord.

Perhaps I had back-peddled a bit on the journey to forgiveness, and I needed a little help to move on down the road.

It gave me a good dose of humility.

Here’s one of my favorite stories about forgiveness:

In the novel The Great Hunger, a newcomer comes to a farm community. He refuses all friendship with his neighbors and puts out the no trespassing sign. One day a little child from the town climbs underneath his fence to pet his dog. The vicious animal leaps on her and kills her.

Hostility spreads throughout the community. When the newcomer comes to town no one will speak to him. Clerks refuse to wait on him. Spring comes and the merchants refuse to sell him seed. Finally, the father of the girl who was killed comes over and sows his field. This act of kindness is too much for the insufferable newcomer.

“Why-you of all people?” he asks.

The father responds, “To keep God alive in my heart.”

The experience of forgiveness is basic to our spiritual health. It is the way that we keep God alive in our hearts.
 

I ask your prayers in helping me to forgive, and I shall pray for you as well. Though forgiveness is a hard thing, I can think of nothing at times that is more healing.
And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not bring us to the time of trial, but rescue us from the evil one. For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. –Matthew 6:12-15

Ron Trimmer is pastor of Hope United, a new church in Georgetown, Texas. Click here to visit Hope United’s website.

A Costly Gift

King Duncan, in Collected Sermons, tells the story of a small boy who was consistently late coming home from school. His parents warned him one day that he must be home on time that afternoon, but nevertheless, he arrived later than ever. His mother met him at the door and said nothing. His father met him in the living room and also said nothing. You know how sometimes silence can speak louder than any words?

At dinner that night, the boy looked at his plate. There was a slice of bread and a glass of water.

He looked at his father’s plate, full of roast beef, savory carrots, potatoes and gravy, a buttered roll.

And then he looked at his father, but his father remained silent. The boy was crushed. The father waited for the full impact to sink in, then quietly took the boy’s plate and placed it in front of himself. He took his own plate of meat and potatoes, put it in front of the boy, and smiled at his son. When that boy grew up, he said, “All my life I’ve known what God is like by what my father did that night.”

My friends, sometimes it is hard for us to realize how much damage our sins do, and what a wondrous blessing God’s grace truly is. Even despite our sinful actions and inactions, despite our selfish and lustful thoughts, despite our skepticism and doubt and distrust, still our Lord offers us the gift of grace, and what a costly gift it is too, for it cost God His only Son, forgiving us, redeeming us, saving us. As Dietrich Bonhoeffer once said, “What cost God so much, should never be cheap to us.”

And he [Jesus] said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. -Luke 24:46-48

Ron Trimmer is pastor of Hope United, a new church in Georgetown, Texas. Click here to visit Hope United’s website.

Walk to Emmaus

This weekend I am sponsoring a pilgrim on the Walk to Emmaus, a three day spiritual retreat to help folks experience the wondrous love of God while being invited to go deeper and to become disciples of Jesus Christ.

I went on my walk in April of 2009. It was a critical time for me as I was in discernment about the direction God was leading me in my calling as a pastor. I knew my time at Friedens Church of Washington was growing to a close, but I was unsure where my next call would be. Would I take the safer, more predictable road towards serving an existing congregation? Or would I choose the path of new church ministry, jump off that cliff in faith to start something new?

God had always nagged me in the back of my mind about starting a new church, a seed planted years ago that just wouldn’t go away. I can be sort of restless, daring at times. I often get frustrated with “organized religion,” even though I love the church. Plus, we have forgotten that it’s really all about Jesus. If we just act like Jesus—follow him—we’d do much better.

Anyway, the Walk to Emmaus had a profound impact on me, and I was touched by the unbelievable, wondrous love of our Lord. It’s really quite an experience, and I highly recommend it to anyone. And boy do you get fired up for Jesus! It’s amazing how the Holy Spirit works through the walk. And I’ve worked walks. It’s humbling, and it is so great to see all this focus on showing God’s love and grace, on living it, like our own piece of heaven, living and breathing the Kingdom in the here and now.

At the Walk to Emmaus, pilgrims go through a series of 15 talks, each one building on the other, leading one to a fuller understanding of discipleship. Along the walk, there are a series of worship experiences designed to augment the journey. Communion and prayer are shared along the way, and there is lots of singing. The music is wonderful!

But the secret is in the fellowship as you become closer to those at your table, so much so that you feel comfortable with one another, even willing to share your deepest thoughts, be yourself, the real you. It’s amazing, and it creates the space in our hearts that is needed for God to work a transformation.

Here I was, with a bunch of guys, who are pretty tight-lipped and guarded to begin with, who by the middle and end of their walk are crying and leaning on one another and praising God in sacred communion like you’ve never seen before. Click here to watch a short video about Walk to Emmaus.

This safe space is something I have woven into the creation of Hope United. We make a huge deal about being welcoming, meeting folks wherever they are at on their journey, inviting them to go deeper. For when the walls come down, real change can happen. God’s grace is always available, but the truth is sometimes we have to be in the right Spirit before we are able to hear God’s voice.

I’ve seen much on my journey, and I give thanks to God for all of my journey, both the mountain top experiences and those times I’ve been in the valley. And as I continue on the path of life, I look forward to the ways God reveals God’s self along the way.
They said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he [Jesus] was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?” -Luke 24:32
 
I am part of the Brazos Valley Emmaus Community. Click here to visit their website. Click here to watch a short video about Walk to Emmaus.

Ron Trimmer is pastor of Hope United, a new church in Georgetown, Texas. Click here to visit Hope United’s website.

When a Young Person Dies

So last Tuesday, I attended a funeral at Friedens Church of Washington, the church I used to serve. It was for a young man, William Lehrmann, who died just a month shy of his 26th birthday. I had William in confirmation, and though that was over 10 years ago, I can still picture him sitting in the room where we had class, quiet and reserved, yet always thinking … always thinking. The boy was bright, gifted even. I’m told he had a photographic memory. But being able to recall obscure facts or remember gobs of information was not his strongest attribute. It was the way he saw things—his perspective. Every so often, he’d ask a question, a very interesting question, one which showed a depth of understanding, approached usually from a bizarre angle. An onlooker may think he was just being odd or obtuse, but William was a serious thinker, and I greatly valued his insight, his perspective, his noble quest for understanding.

In my own view, this gift to be able to see things differently, a sort of “third way,” or bird’s eye view, is one of the rarest and most precious gifts of our Creator. Often misunderstood or taken as out-of-touch or just plain weird, such folks can see into this world with alarming precision, unmasking the truth from a sea of mirages. Their wisdom and insight is not often seen (or heeded) at the moment, but only with the passage of time do we give credence to their perspective.

At the funeral, I learned William claimed the life of the “road less traveled,” expressed so eloquently in Robert Frost’s poem. I see this to be true, and I am glad that William came to understand this about himself.

Though I have never had to preside at the funeral of a young person, I am not a stranger to the gravity of the loss and grief, emptiness and aimlessness. A friend of mine committed suicide when he was not yet 21, and Mark’s death had a profound impact on me, especially on my faith. Indeed, it was only in the pit of despair, the time I felt farthest away from our Creator, that God was ever able to quiet my soul and help me to latch on to the grace that frees us all. I do not wish that crisis of faith on anyone, so gut-wrenching as your very soul wrestles with the purpose of life. And yet, I also know that as stubborn and arrogant as we human beings are, sometimes it is only when we are in the belly of the whale that we can ever realize our dependency on the Lord. I pray for those near to William, that they will find their strength in God.

Still, it is so sad when a young person dies. You feel so bad for the family and friends, especially the parents. I can still see Mark’s mom during the funeral service, doubled over as she was, crying out in anguish, a kind of wail that comes from deep within the soul.

And then selfishly, you think of your own life. I’m a parent now. I wasn’t when Mark died, but I am now, and I don’t even want to think about the possibility that Ben or Aaron could die.

And when a young person dies, it disrupts our sense of the way the world should be. It’s so unfair, so utterly unfair.

If you are looking for words from me to explain all this, to answer, “why?” then I’m sorry, but I’m just as helpless in this as the rest of us.

But I do know this. If we are open to it, God can help us get through the trials of this life. The Lord doesn’t take the storms away; God helps us to weather them. Maybe that helps and maybe it doesn’t at this particular time in your life. And yet, one of the greatest gifts of God is that our Lord understands. Even when we don’t have the words to say, the words to even think cause the pain is so intense that we’re just numb, God hears the groaning of our hearts.

The family shared something William had written when he applied for law school. Interestingly, he wrote about his grandfather. Strange how he could have just as easily been talking about his own life and premature death.

On a cold day in February of 2003, my grandfather died. It was a premature ending to a life lived with passion, drive and purpose. … His life well-lived, yet a passion never quite satisfied. … Now that I stand on the brink of graduation, I understand his urgency and sense of immediacy. Life does pass by much too quickly, and our objectives must be clear, well-defined and urgent. In reviewing my own life, I find the common themes of honor, tradition and purpose mirror those of my grandfather. … Never one to just blindly follow, I have always taken the less traveled road and have sometimes been forced to walk alone. I am not afraid or ashamed to take my own path; I believe in doing the right thing. My parents say that I was “born old,” but I think that perhaps I was “born stubborn.” I do not believe in doing the wrong thing, and I do not have much tolerance for those that do. I believe in honesty, integrity, simplicity and character. These tenants make up the backbone of the individual. With these principles, everything else can be taught; without them, there is really no need to teach anything. In life, character is everything.

William—rest in peace. You lived more fully in your short life than most ever live. I will miss you.

My prayers are with the family and friends of William, especially his parents, Hollis and Elizabeth, and his sisters Victoria and Alex. May the loving presence of our God give you strength and comfort in your grief, and may you discover again the power of grace.

But now thus says the Lord,
   he who created you, O Jacob,
   he who formed you, O Israel:
Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
   I have called you by name, you are mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
   and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
   and the flame shall not consume you.
For I am the Lord your God,
   the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
     -Isaiah 43:1-3a

Ron Trimmer is pastor of Hope United, a new church in Georgetown, Texas. Click here to visit Hope United’s website.

Hope for the Homeless

Given the abundance of wealth in our nation, it is unfathomable to me that we have so many poor. And I believe such blatant inequality is not just wrong; it is utterly sinful. Everything in my being, every bit of my knowledge and faith in Jesus Christ, everything I know of God, convinces me that our Lord deeply cares for all people. And if God shows any partiality it is to the poor, to the weak, the oppressed, and the disenfranchised. In the Hebrew, one word that describes God’s quality and being is hesed, which is translated mercy or compassion. Another word that is central to describing God is mishpah, which means justice and/or judgment. This is God’s will—what God wants and works for: justice. And before you start pulling out some Old Testament, fire and brimstone, kind of God, I want you to go back to your bible and substitute the word justice (or establish justice) for everywhere you see judgment.

Justice is imperative to God, and when there is injustice, God gets angry. Further, our Lord works to end injustice, speaking through prophets and nations, working through ordinary people like you and me.

Even as a youth, I felt deep compassion for all those who suffer, whether it be from war and violence, or economic or social injustice, or simply did not have adequate food, water, health care, and shelter.

Jesus cares, and we who are followers of Jesus must care too.
 

When I was at Iowa State, finishing up my M.S. in Mathematics, I took a part-time job at the local homeless shelter, The Emergency Residence Project. I was so impressed with their work, and I was especially impressed (and inspired) by their director, Vic Moss. Vic was a Jesus figure for me—for he truly exhibited that selfless compassion and Spirit that only comes from God. Vic cared for the least of these, and he would do everything in his power (and more) to help people. Where others tried to convince themselves that the homeless didn’t exist or that they were less than human or even that they deserved to be in their situation cause they were a drunk or just plain lazy, Vic showed no partiality, only compassion and grace.

I learned many of the homeless have poor social skills, mental illness, and often cannot get along with others very well. Certainly, some struggle with some kind of chemical dependence, but that is not the norm. And of course, many are veterans, still living out the horrors of their service to a nation that doesn’t give them the care they need.

The men I met at that shelter were not lazy. Virtually all of them worked. Yes, they worked. It might be temp jobs or construction ones, often taken advantage of by their employers. But they worked. They just could not make it.

Anyone can become homeless. Anyone. If you couple the loss of your job and the loss of your health, your savings can disappear very quickly as mounting medical bills add up. It can happen to anyone, and it certainly is not their fault.

About 6 years ago, when I was on sabbatical, I came to Austin and volunteered at Lifeworks at their drop-in center for homeless kids. They too have a range of issues to deal with. Sadly, many are kicked out of their homes because of their sexual orientation. Others come from abusive situations. But actually there are a large number who come from foster home. When a kid in foster care turns 18, he doesn’t get aid anymore. He’s stuck and out of luck. Up to 18, the state will find a home for him, but not after. Can you imagine totally breaking off from your children when they turn 18? How can they survive? College, even with a scholarship, is beyond their grasp. And what kind of job can they find? Flipping burgers at McDonald’s at minimum wage? You think you can live off that?

Coming to Georgetown, I knew Georgetown had homeless too. Oh, they might seem invisible, but they’re here. Because Georgetown has an ordinance against letting them beg on the side of the road, you don’t see them as much.

And there are also kids. Thus far, we’ve held 2 prayer vigils for homeless kids. I’ve tried to advocate for the homeless, been able to get some press for them, and wrote opinions in the Sun. Thankfully, we now have the Eagle Locker and the Nest, which is supported by the Georgetown Project. Hope United continues to support these. And we have helped specific people too.

There’s one right now. The spouse of one of our members got to know a boy at Eastview High School. Let’s call him “Stephen.” Stephen is a good student at Eastview. Like many other kids, he’s involved in activities at school. He’s just like any other kid there. But he’s homeless. He's a "couch surfer." He basically stays at friend's homes, often moving from one to another. Couch surfer's never have any certitude about where they are going to stay. They can easily wear out their welcome, not because of bad behavior, just because sooner or later the host realizes they can’t stay forever.

So talking with Stephen, we know he has specific needs:

He needs shoes, size 10.5, with one pair in black, cause he plays in the band. He could also use socks and underwear, size small. And gift cards are great—to H.E.B. or Wal-mart so he can buy food and toiletries. Even gift cards to fast food places would be helpful—he’s still a kid and would like to hang out with friends!

You can email me if you want to help Stephen, or bring items to worship at Hope United and we’ll get them to him.

“For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.” And the king will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.” -Matthew 25:37-41

Ron Trimmer is pastor of Hope United, a new church in Georgetown, Texas. Click here to visit Hope United’s website.

Sacrificial Love

Here’s a story about something that happened at a river town. Now you might not realize, but in such towns where barge or boat traffic is common, to make sure they can get through, you have to constantly dredge the channel. The sand comes up out of the bottom of the river and is then dumped on the side. Now, it makes wonderful places to play because it creates these huge sand hills and kids love to play on them.

There’s really nothing more fun than playing on those huge sand hills, and there’s nothing more dangerous. Because when the sand comes out of the river bottom, it’s wet and it creates a crust on the top of the hills. You can get on the top of them and then all of a sudden, they will collapse and the sand will sink you down inside the hill.

 
Some years ago two brothers didn’t come home for dinner and their bikes were found outside the fence where the dredging had been going on. The family began to search frantically as well as other rescuers for the two brothers. They finally found one. He was buried up to his chin in the sand. Because of the pressure of the wet sand and muck around him he had lost consciousness so they began to dig frantically. When they uncovered him down to his waist he regained consciousness and the family, in hysterics, began to say, “Where’s your brother? Where’s your Brother? Where’s your brother?”

And what he said was, “I’m standing on his shoulders.”

The one brother had sacrificed himself so that the other could live, a remarkable story of courage, tragedy, and unbelievable sacrifice. We are all here today because Jesus Christ made that sacrifice for us all. But you know, when you begin to fully understand that truth, you realize that we too must do our part. We must follow our Lord, wherever that takes us, denying ourselves and embracing the God who loves us.

You know, at times being Christian is not easy. Our faith calls us out of our comfort zones, it calls us out of our ordinary everyday lives to do wonderfully extraordinary things. Yet, to deny ourselves and to pick up that cross and to follow Jesus means that we have to make sacrifices. We, like Jesus, must live lives of sacrificial love. We can’t listen to our own petty concerns or desires or live the way the world seems to tell us. Rather, we must listen for the voice of our God and be receptive to the Spirit of our Savior. To shed this life, give it up to God, and thus find it, to find that life in the cross.

Then Jesus went to work on his disciples. “Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You’re not in the driver’s seat; I am. Don’t run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I’ll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self. What kind of deal is it to get everything you want but lose yourself? What could you ever trade your soul for?” -Matthew 16:24-26 (The Message)

Ron Trimmer is pastor of Hope United, a new church in Georgetown, Texas. Click here to visit Hope United’s website.

The Hope of Forgiveness

Once upon a time two brothers who lived on adjoining farms fell into conflict. It was the first serious rift in 40 years of farming side by side, sharing machinery, and trading labor and goods as needed without a hitch. Then the long collaboration fell apart. It began with a small misunderstanding and it grew into a major difference, and finally it exploded into an exchange of bitter words followed by weeks of silence.

One morning there was a knock on John’s door. He opened it to find a man with a carpenter’s toolbox. “I’m looking for a few days work” he said. “Perhaps you would have a few small jobs here and there. Could I help you?”

“Yes,” said the older brother. “I do have a job for you. Look across the creek at that farm. That’s my neighbor; in fact, it’s my younger brother. Last week there was a meadow between us and he took his bulldozer to the river levee and now there is a creek between us. Well, he may have done this to spite me, but I’ll show him up one better. See that pile of lumber curing by the barn? I want you to build me a fence, an 8 foot tall fence, so I won’t need to see his place anymore.”

The carpenter said, “I think I understand the situation. Show me the nails and the post-hole digger and I’ll be able to do a job that pleases you.”

The older brother had to go to town for supplies, so he helped the carpenter get the materials ready and then he was off for the day.

The carpenter worked hard all that day measuring, sawing, nailing. About sunset when the farmer returned, the carpenter had just finished his job. The farmer’s eyes opened wide, his jaw dropped. There was no fence there at all. It was a bridge, a bridge stretching from one side of the creek to the other! A fine piece of work, handrails and all, and the neighbor, his younger brother, was coming across, his hand outstretched.

“You are quite a fellow to build this bridge after all I’ve said and done.” The two brothers met at the middle of the bridge, taking each other’s hand. They turned to see the carpenter hoist his toolbox on his shoulder.

“No, wait! Stay a few days. I’ve a lot of other projects for you,” said the older brother.

“I’d love to stay on,” the carpenter said, “but I have so many more bridges to build.”

My friends, Jesus Christ is the one who can break down the walls we divide ourselves and build the kind of bridges that bring reconciliation and forgiveness and wholeness, where we can see ourselves as one body. And yet, we know we have a role to play at times. God works through each of us to build the kind of world our children will live in, to create a world of peace and liberty and freedom, a place where it is ok to be who you are, a place where all are welcome, all are loved.

Thinking back to the Civil Rights movement of the 60s and the sweeping reforms that aided people of color, Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall once said. “The legal system can force open doors, and sometimes even knock down walls, but it cannot build bridges. That job belongs to you and me.”

My friends, we are to build together for God, seeing the world through Christ’s eyes. There should not be division among us, injustice, prejudice, conflict. We are to be one people, united in God’s love. For together we are the holy temple of the Lord, knit together, all contributing, all a part of the body of Christ. May we truly see with open eyes and love with open arms, so that the dream of the Kingdom of God may soon be realized. Let us build it together; let us build it for God.

Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back. -Luke 6:36-38

Ron Trimmer is pastor of Hope United, a new church in Georgetown, Texas. Click here to visit Hope United’s website.

Coming home

I thought I would share one of my favorite stories. I first heard it from Ron Buford, former director of the God is Still Speaking campaign in the United Church of Christ, a story which has become one of the defining stories of Hope United, grounded in such Biblical stories as the parable of the lost sheep and prodigal son.

A retired minister was riding the train from the city one day when a young man boarded and sat next to him. The young man didn’t look very well—he was skinny and pale, looking like he had been through more trouble in his short life than most would ever know. And as he sat there, this man was a bit anxious and fidgety, every so often looking out the train with a nervous look.

Finally the minister broke the silence and asked in a friendly tone, “So, where ya headed?”

“Home,” he managed to get out.

“Ah, good; it’s good to go home. I bet you’re looking forward to seeing your folks.”

The young man cut him off, “You don’t understand. I haven’t been home for three years, and the last time I was there they told me not to come back. When I left, things were pretty bad.”

“In fact,” he continued, “when I talked to my brother, I told him to have mom and dad, if they wanted me to come home to tie a white rag in a tree by the tracks. You see, in a few miles, this train will go by their property, and there is a large oak tree that you can see from the train.”

“If there’s no white rag in the tree, then I have to just keep riding the train and get off at a later stop.”

It was becoming obvious that this man was growing uncomfortable as the train moved closer to this boy’s old home. Finally, he turned to the older gentleman and said, “Look, do you mind looking out the window for me? I just can’t do it. It’s coming up; it’s just around the bend on the left side. You can’t miss it. Just tell me if it’s ok to look.”

The minister agreed, concerned for the boy, wondering what kind of signal would be left. And as the train turned the bend, with the young man clutching his hands in desperation, toppled over, unable to look out the window, the minister saw something extraordinary.

“Hey son, you can open your eyes now. You got to take a look at this.”

For outside the window, there was not just one white rag tied in that old oak tree, but several hundred. Every branch, every limb, every bush had a white rag on it. There were white rags tied to the fence post, white rags hanging from the windows and the eves and the door knobs. All along the tracks, where his parent’s property came into view was littered with white rags.

My friends, there are many people out there in Georgetown who are waiting to come home, who for whatever reason have been alienated or hurt or turned away, who need to know the kind of home that Jesus Christ can provide, a home where they are accepted for who they are, met without judgment or accusation or condemnation, but embraced with love, the kind of love that can transform your life and make you realize that you are a child of God.

Hope United, a community of faith that is open to all, safe space so you can come home and be overwhelmed by the warmth, the love, the grace of a God who loves you and wants to be close to you, to be nurtured along the journey. Hope United, where the doors are always open, and I mean open, black or white, young or old, gay or straight, divorced, partnered or single, fully accepted, affirmed with the kind of love that transcends, transforms, and makes a difference. Come home, my friends, to Hope United; we’ll tie a white rag outside to let you know you’re welcome.

But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found. –Luke 15:32

Ron Trimmer is pastor of Hope United, a new church in Georgetown, Texas. Click here to visit Hope United’s website.

Pride

Tomorrow night, Hope United will be participating in the Austin Pride Parade. We feel that it is important to stand in solidarity with our gay, lesbian, and transgender brothers and sisters, to celebrate our diversity, and to take pride in who we are—who God created us to be.
 

Often, as I look to God’s Word, I speak of the dangers of pride. We can certainly be an arrogant, selfish lot, almost always thinking of ourselves before others, and this stands in direct opposition to our Christ, Jesus the selfless one, who gave up everything, sacrificed all, all in total devotion to the One who gives us Life. And this Jesus asks us to do the same, to follow, to be disciples, to love and give and sacrifice, for God must be our everything.

Our Lord tells us to love God with all our being and our neighbor as ourselves, but we have learned that we can’t really do that unless we love ourselves. And for some, this is a much harder task than for others. Hence, pride.

I cannot even begin to comprehend the internal struggle of someone who is gay, for our culture is still deeply prejudiced against same-gender loving people. And what is the gravest sin, in my opinion, is that people of faith have often led this charge, doing great harm to a people who God created to be that way.

God does not make mistakes. Period.

It wasn’t that long ago that gays had to suffer through “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” and indeed, it is still very tough to be gay and in the military. But even so, I’ve often thought of a slogan for our church if we were targeting military gay folk.

Tired of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” at your church? Come to Hope United where you can be who God created you to be!

Click here to visit the Austin Pride website.

Let me end with a poem by Marianne Williamson, which seems to be fitting for Pride. 

Our Deepest Fear

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our Light, not our Darkness, that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, who am I to be
     brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?
Actually, who are you NOT to be?
You are a child of God.  Your playing small
     does not serve the World.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that
     other people won’t feel insecure around you.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God
     that is within us.
It is not just in some of us;
     it is in everyone.
As we let our own Light shine, we unconsciously
     give other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear,
     our presence automatically liberates others.
 

For in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the promise. -Galatians 3:26-28

Ron Trimmer is pastor of Hope United, a new church in Georgetown, Texas. Click here to visit Hope United's website.

Still Praying for Peace

A family flees Syria

As the conflict in Syria heightens, I hear the sound of swords being rattled again, as the powers that be plan yet another strike to meet this latest crisis.

Why must violence always beget more violence?

Look, folks, I don’t have an easy answer. Using chemical weapons on noncombatants is horrible, and it shows just how tragic things have become.

A U.S. Military Drone

Our leaders tell us we fight to promote democracy (and subtly that we fight to protect our economic interests—oil and the selling of arms). Sounds a bit like imperialism to me. But over the last few years, a few have realized the real U.S. policy: Despite the political rhetoric of presidents and parties and self-interested news agencies, we are quite comfortable with dictators around the world, as long as they stay in line and don't do anything that would upset the status quo. Stability, above everything else, is what is valued. Africa, South America, Asia, the Middle East—we don’t care who is in charge, as long as things are stable. 

Remnants of a U.S. Drone in Pakistan

But now things seem to be spinning out of control. There is disarray everywhere, and in the shifting sands, different factions jockey for power.

Hurray for Egypt! They got democracy, even without a violent revolution! But wait, the democratically elected president seemed too eager to take advantage of his new power, and so the military imprisons him AND releases the former leader, who I guess everyone now thinks wasn’t so bad after all. And the U.S. is going to great lengths NOT to call it a COUP because that would mean we can’t sell our bombs and guns and fighter jets to Egypt’s military!

Will we ever learn?
 
I must admit, my faith in humanity is waning. Why are people so unreasonable, so entrenched in their positions? I often throw up my arms and say that naïve and possibly childish saying:

Why can’t we all just get along?

And after saying it, I think of the passage (Isaiah 11:6) that says, “and a little child shall lead them.”

Of course, it is extremely rare that we ever truly seek the Lord’s direction. Some may claim to, but it seems to me they are really never truly open to God. They’ve already made up their minds, and often use religious talk to justify their attitudes.

When such times hit me, I always return to Jesus. Yes, Jesus. Talk of turning the other cheek, of extending mercy, of love for the enemy, and prayers for the persecutors—it all speaks to me of the challenging yet liberating Word of God, a voice that stands against the saber rattling, get even, human voice of violence that seems so LOUD today. Indeed, though there were plenty ready to put a sword in Jesus’ hand, our Lord and savior took up a shepherd’s crook and a cross upon his back in order to redeem the world. And he even told us to do the same.
  

He shall judge between the nations, and shall arbitrate for many peoples; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. -Isaiah 2:4

 
Ron Trimmer is pastor of Hope United, a new church in Georgetown, Texas. Click here to visit Hope United's website.