Community Restore Project

This week, I had the privilege of helping with some roof repairs as part of the Community Restore Project. This year, eight churches in the Georgetown Area, in a show of Christian unity, came together to help the poor. We cleaned up yards, cleared away brush, trimmed trees, replaced rotten siding and beams, cleared off shingles, replacing them with new ones, primed and painted, built decking and ramps, giving some of our less fortunate residents a precious gift of love and some much needed repairs.

With donations from local businesses and a grant from the city, the Community Restore Project took on 8 separate projects this year—folks who were unable to pay for repairs to their homes, but desperately needed them.

This kind of work is foundational to our faith in Jesus Christ—our faith in action. Jesus told us that it is by our love that folks will know we are followers of Christ, by our love.

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” -John 15:12

“How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help?” -1 John 3:17

“What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not have works? Can faith save you? If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, 16and one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill,” and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.” -James 2:14-17

It is always a blessing to serve, and I give God thanks for allowing me to help another human being and to show the love of Christ. But even so, I count myself doubly blessed for the chance to work side by side with other brothers and sisters in Christ. 8 different churches working together in unity, different in their views on the Bible and theology, from Southern Baptist to Presbyterian to Methodist to nondenominational to UCC and Disciples, yet coming together under the banner of Jesus Christ to offer love and service to the least of these. Praise God!

Click here to visit the Community Restore Project website.

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

In Support of Rail

I must first make a confession.  I’m a tree-hugger.  I care about our earth and all of our earth’s many life forms, and I care about future generations.  And I stand with the Lorax (thanks Dr. Suess!), who defiantly and prophetically says, “I speak for the trees!”

Why do I care?  I care because of my faith and because God cares for all the earth.  I care because we are instructed to care by God’s Word.

Three words guide me:

Blessing

Responsibility

Stewardship

We are indeed blessed!  Can I get an Amen?  Blessed, beyond measure.  God’s well never runs dry.  Praise God!

But a blessing is never really a blessing until it is shared!

God told Abraham, “I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.”  (Genesis 12:2)

Is the point of blessing only to receive?  Are blessings just what we get to do with what we want?  Or are we being entrusted with blessing so that we might do God’s will?

We have a covenantal responsibility to do what God asks of us and to take care of the things that God has entrusted us with (blessings).

Along with responsibility comes faithful stewardship.  A steward is a manager, someone who takes care of things.

In the first creation story, after God created the heaven and earth, the Lord places Adam (literally earth creature) in the garden to work (literally serve) the earth and take care of it. (Genesis 2:15)

So why bring up our responsibility to care for the earth?  Certainly (and unfortunately), there are a host of issues out there to talk about from global warming to our dependence on fossil fuel to water pollution to the keystone pipeline.

But I want to talk about something happening locally, right here in Georgetown.

On Tuesday, June 11, 2013, the Georgetown City Council voted (5 to 2) to end our participation in the Lone Star Rail District and draft a resolution to opt out of the District.

Irresponsible and Short-sighted.

However, there is still a chance to save the Lone Star Rail District!  The council must vote again on a resolution on Tuesday, June 25, 2013 to formally withdraw from the Lone Star District.

Out of an annual city budget near $200 million, it costs a mere $50,000 to stay in the district.  That’s a miniscule amount!

If the entire budget was represented in two $20 bills, it costs us just

1 penny to keep our options open!

 In these early stages, this money is used on the various environmental studies and other work needed to keep the rail on track. 

No property tax money will be used to fund this project, to pay for the building of the station and infrastructure—these are being funded by federal and outside sources!

But even if you don’t believe me, paying the $50,000 doesn’t mean we are locked into the Lone Star Rail District.  It simply keeps our options open.

If we get out now, we lose our voice; we lose our representation, and we lose our chance to influence how this rail is developed in our area.

Who knows the future?  Sure, many prefer cars now, but what about 20 years down the road?

Traffic on I-35 will only get worse

Gas prices will only go up

Staying in the Lone Star Rail District keeps our options open.

I urge you to contact your city council representative.  Click here to visit the Georgetown City Council website.

And if you can, come to the next council meeting on Tuesday, June 25 at 6pm.  You can ask to speak (3 minutes) or just come to show your support.  The council chambers are off the square at 7^th and Main.

Click here to visit the Lone Star Rail District website.

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

Would Jesus Raffle Guns?

These children lost their lives at Sandy Hook Elementary 6 months ago today:
Charlotte Bacon
Daniel Barden
Olivia Engel
Josephine Gay
Dylan Hockley
Madeleine Hsu
Catherine Hubbard
Chase Kowalski
Jesse Lewis
Ana Marquez-Greene
James Mattioli
Grace McDonnell
Emilie Parker
Jack Pinto
Noah Pozner
Caroline Previdi
Jessica Rekos
Avielle Richman
Benjamin Wheeler
Allison Wyatt

These adults lost their lives at Sandy Hook Elementary 6 months ago today:
Rachel D'Avino
Dawn Hochsprung
Anne Marie Murphy
Lauren Rousseau
Mary Sherlach
Victoria Leigh Soto

Nancy Lanza also was killed, the perpetrator’s mother

And Adam Lanza took his own life after taking the life of so many others.
 
My heart goes out to the friends and family of those affected by this senseless violence, and they continue to be in my prayers.

Though I know that our God comforts those who mourn, my faith is more than simple platitudes and condolences. My faith calls me to join with God in building our Lord’s Kingdom and to work for the day where there will be peace—true Shalom on this earth.

Our nation, our world believes in Redemptive Violence—that violence is the way to solve our problems. Redemptive Violence surfaces in overt forms like gun violence, but also in other ways … from reality TV shows to political banter to insensitive Facebook posts. And Redemptive Violence feeds into a me-first attitude and sense of entitlement.

This stands over and against so many Biblical and Christian principles, I’m not sure where to begin!

Our savior, instead of riding into Jerusalem on a white horse, chose to ride a beast of burden. There were many who wanted him to take up arms against their Roman oppressors. Even the title “Messiah” had always been used in the Hebrew Testament to denote a military leader, often leading an insurrection against those who had been oppressing the Hebrews. But Jesus is the prince of peace, and choose the path of sacrificial love. And he taught us to do the same.

When Jesus was arrested, taken to his eventual crucifixion, his disciples fought to keep their Lord. And when a follower drew his sword and cut off the ear of the high priest’s slave, Jesus said these words, “Put your sword back into its place; for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.” (Matthew 26:52)

And now the booster club of the Georgetown Eagles Football team is raffling 52 guns!

Is anyone else outraged by this?

Disclaimer: I AM NOT OUT TO TAKE YOUR GUNS!!!

I just recognize we live in a community, and guns and kids don’t mix!

Letting an organization connected with our schools raffle guns sends a horrible message, for it perpetuates this belief in Redemptive Violence.

Here are some things you can do.

Contact the school board, individually and collectively. Contact Superintendent Joe Dan Lee. Attend the GISD school board meeting on Monday, June 17, 2013 at 6pm at GISD Administration Building Boardroom at 603 Lakeway Drive.

I’ve tried to make it easy to send an email to our school board trustees. Feel free to cut and paste the letter below. And I made a link so that it is easier to email the board.

Click here to email the GISD school board of trustee Scott Alarcon, President

Click here to email the GISD school board of trustee Mike Hewlett, Vice-President

Click here to email the GISD school board of trustee Greg Eady

Click here to email the GISD school board of trustee Fred Barhydt

Click here to email the GISD school board of trustee Scott Stribling

Click here to email the GISD school board of trustee Andy Webb

Click here to email the GISD school board of trustee Ronna Johnson

Click here to email GISD Superintendent Joe Dan Lee

Click here to email the Eagle Football Booster Club

Click here to visit the Eagle Football Booster Facebook page and leave a comment

A sample letter:
Dear School Board Trustee:

I am writing to express my outrage and disapproval of the Eagles Football Booster Club’s plan to raffle guns.

Regardless of your view on firearms and gun ownership, associating guns with children and youth sends a bad message.

I understand that many folks who own guns are avid hunters and enjoy the sportsmanship. Some may be collectors or have a gun for self-defense. And others may simply want to exercise their constitutional right to bear arms.

But guns are also associated with violence, and the belief that violence is the way to solve problems.

On December 14, 2012, 6 months ago, Adam Lanza killed 20 children and 6 adults at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut.

And we are still grieving the loss of life and the senseless violence of this horrible event.

Even if you see no connection between Sandy Hook and the raffle of guns, many do, and I ask that you consider the feelings of the parents, children, and youth who are still struggling with the proliferation of guns.

Finally, gun views aside, you must also consider the liability issues if one of these guns is used in a crime.

As a member of the GISD School Board, you have the power to stop this. I urge you to restrict any booster club or group associated with GISD from raffling or selling guns or firearms.

Sincerely,

I pray and work for the day when Isaiah’s vision will come to pass:

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.

When Your Child Gets Hurt

Last Tuesday, Ben got hurt. We are very blessed to live in a peaceful neighborhood around a large green in The Village of Georgetown, TX. Ben was around the circle by a friend’s house on his wagon. The neighbors were playing ball with their dog. When the ball was thrown over Ben’s head, in her excitement, the dog ran right over Ben, clawing him in the face along the way.

I first learned of the accident from Ben, who stumbled into our home crying, his hand clutched to his face, blood all over his hands and shirt and pants, dripping as he blurted out what had happened through tears and gasps. I looked … it was bad; he would need stitches, and at least a trip to the ER. Jan was upstairs drying her hair, when it happened, so I let her know Ben was hurt.

It is a beautiful thing to see the love of a mother. Though I was doing my best to remain calm and offer an encouraging, peaceful presence in a very tense situation, Jan was a bit more expressive emotionally! Although I would not use the term hysterics, her love and concern for her son was clearly evident in her own gasps and tears.

Within a couple minutes, with a washcloth on his face, Ben and I were headed to St. David’s hospital.

Somehow, by the grace of God, I remained calm, expressing love and support to Ben, but in a way that was encouraging and supportive. Certainly, my mind was racing, all with terrible “What if’s” and “What could be’s;” I was worried and anxious, angry at the dog and the dog’s owners although it really was not their fault, and I was scared this would have a lasting negative impact on my son’s life.

Perhaps I need to revisit my first post on “The Unfairness of Life,” for it just does not seem fair that an innocent 7 year old, through no fault of his own, could suffer like this!

I prayed for healing, for comfort and assurance, for peace, for grace, especially in my attitude and dealings with the neighbors. God did not disappoint, and brought to both me and Ben a surrounding presence of Life. In God’s Spirit, I felt at home, even amidst the chaos.

Jan arrived shortly, with Aaron in tow. She explained, “I just couldn’t stay away. I had to be here for my son.”

I am so proud of Ben! He was incredibly brave! He’s a very perceptive child, and very smart too. Though the doctor danced around the language of STICHES, Ben figured it out and that of course brought fear. He did not want to get stitches. “It’s OK,” he’d say. “It doesn’t hurt anymore. It’s not so bad, really.”

It seems the ER staff had had some experience with sutures and children, so they took some precautions by wrapping Ben up in a sheet, pinning his arms to his sides. I was able to slip my hand in so I could hold his hand as the doctor and nurse did their work.

And that Ben … wow! No tears, no screams. He didn’t fight it. I was amazed. The doctor and nurse were amazed too, for they commented they often had to use ear plugs! TEN STITCHES! A good Bible number—10, signifying completeness.

And with some parting instructions and a prescription for some antibiotics, we were off for home. Ben is supposed to get the stitches out on Sunday.

First of all, I am very thankful for God’s presence throughout this trial of parenthood! I am very thankful that Ben was able to get medical attention and is healing well.  The staff at St. David's were wonderful and Ben even got a visit from the hospital chaplain (and a gift of a stuffed lion who Ben named St. David), and I am very thankful Ben did not get scratched on the eye. He could have easily lost his sight!

Although I tried to calm her, in a strange way I am also thankful for Jan’s distress, for it demonstrated her great love for her child. Although the imagery from the Bible is overwhelmingly patriarchal, there are feminine references. One that is lost in the English translation is that the word, ruach, for Spirit, is a feminine word. Wisdom too is a feminine word. There are a few instances where God is described as a female, namely as a female bird as we find shelter under God’s wings.

Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in you my soul takes refuge; in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge, until the destroying storms pass by. -Psalm 57:1

Jesus even made a reference to a mother hen gathering her brood when he looked out upon Jerusalem, knowing he would die there.

Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! -Luke 13:34

It is a great comfort to me to know that our God and our Creator is like that mother hen, who fusses over us, worries over us, and is in great distress whenever we get hurt. Loving mothers have this inherent compassion and unconditional love for their children—it’s like it’s built into their DNA, woven into their heart and soul. And our great Mother God loves us even more. Thank you, Mother God, for fussing over us!

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

The Gift of Hope

Ethnic Roma Children, Belgrade, Serbia

The gift of hope can come in many forms: laughter from a child, the freshness of a sunrise, the hug of a loved one.  It can be as common as a smile and as rare as true forgiveness.  Sometimes, like grace, we receive hope through no actions of our own, and at other times we even get to take part, offering hope to one another.

Yesterday, I gave the gift of hope, hope for a child, hope for a better world, hope for the Kingdom.  And in so doing, my hope was rekindled.  And such a simple thing … the gift of a school kit.

I have always been impressed with the work of Church World Service, from their assistance during times of disaster, both locally and around the world, to their mission to end hunger, to helping the least of these.

Many of our churches partner with Church World Service to end poverty and give hope.  From CROP Hunger Walks, to school kits andhygiene kits, to their blanket program, to buying chicks, rabbits, andlivestock, to the teaching of sustainable farming techniques, to the building of water wells, the Church World Service is Christ to the world, offering life to the least of these.

It's annual meeting time for the South Central Conference of the United Church of Christ, and every year, they collect school kits as a mission project.  These school kits will go to children around the world, in places of need and after times of disaster.  Some are likely being delivered to Moore, Oklahoma this very moment to give children the tools they need to receive the blessing of education and the chance to better their lives.

As the son of two educators, I strongly value education.  About 40 years ago, my father worked with a pilot program called Upward Bound to help disenfranchised kids in East St. Louis learn and grow, equipping them with the gift of education and helping them leave the trappings of poverty behind.  And it works.  It really works.  Education is a door that leads to a better life, and for the poor, it maybe their only chance to improve their way of life.  Click here to watch a short video from Church World Service about helping ethnic Roma children escape poverty.

Contents of One School Kit

In some small, yet very significant way, the gift of a school kit helps a child to learn, spreading Christ’s love and the tender gift of hope.

Aaron Trimmer

I was doubly blessed to have the help of my children.  We put together 20 school kits as part of our mission outreach of Hope United.  Clickhere to learn how you can put together a CWS School Kit.

Ben Trimmer

Although Aaron is still a little young to understand, I give thanks to God that Ben has such a tender heart, who really wants to help people.  At night time, he often prays for “the poor,” especially “Eddie,” a homeless man we met who lives under the overpass at Mopac and Wells Branch Parkway.

20 School Kits

May you know the gift of hope this day, and may you offer hope to another.

And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last.

-John 15:16b

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

The Unfairness of Life

Like everyone else, I have been deeply troubled by the swath of death and destruction left by the tornado in Moore, Oklahoma.  Devastating.  Though some undoubtedly ask God, “Why?” (a question I have often wrestled with), I am resolved to the fact that there are often no good answers to that question.  Certainly, the blame game has already started.  Some may say it was the gays or abortion or Muslims or Obamacare. 

Still others may point to global warming and the increased volatility of the weather.  And maybe, those who still remember chaos theory (I do have a masters in mathematics!), may blame the butterfly in Sydney, Australia (you’ll have to email me if you actually get that reference).

But here’s the thing. Sometimes life just sucks.  Perhaps we can call it the Unfairness of Life, for there are things that happen that we have no control over.  Stuff happens, sometimes good, sometimes bad.  And that’s life.

Marcus Cole played by Jason Carter

I recall an episode of Babylon 5 where these two people are struggling with this very problem of why bad things happen to good people.  And they’re talking about it, and Marcus says a very profound thing.  He says, “You know, I used to think it was awful that life was so unfair.  Then I thought, wouldn’t it be much worse if life were fair, and all the terrible things that happen to us come because we actually deserve them?  So, now I take great comfort in the general hostility and unfairness of the universe.”

Indeed, if we really got what we deserved in this life, we’d be in trouble.

And yet, it is my faith that comforts me, my faith that assures me, my faith that propels me to offer compassion.

And I pray.  I pray for healing and life, comfort for the grieving, relief for the hurting, peace for the troubled in Spirit.  I pray with thanksgiving for the outpouring of love and support.  I pray, because at some moments in my life, it is all that is left to me.

So if you are feeling down by the unfairness of life, I pray you will feel our Lord’s strength and comfort.

“You who have made me see many troubles and calamities will revive me again; from the depths of the earth you will bring me up again.” Psalm 71:20

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