Trinity Lutheran Church

Looking Forward

Pastor Paula

Just when the economy is crappy and we passed a budget imagining using $50,000 of our reserves above the pledged amount to make 2010 work, our Trinity family came through BIG time for the Christmas season and the 8 households that are hurting. Sunday Dec 20 piles of gifts were wrapped and placed into gift bags were almost $800 of gift cards! I am the privileged one that got to deliver such. A Trinity helper volunteered to assist with those and taking chocolates made for the shut-ins.

Someone who was referred to the congregation a year ago by a returned Peace Corps volunteer showed up on email looking for things to assist with the week before Christmas. I emailed her about the wrapping party. She and her boyfriend came with $$ for cards and gifts and helped wrap, too. It got freaky when she said she has about 8 family and friends that wanted to serve a Community Meal. I indicated NORVA needs help each month. She is truly interested and will get back to me after the new year!!!!!!!!! I took chocolates to our neighboring businesses. (Chocolates were made [Thrivent funds to purchase discs] one Sunday in December at my house with about 10 church folks. All decided they wanted to do this again next year at the church for more room. Great!) Anyway, back to the neighboring businesses.

The Hot Spot Deli is across Detroit Avenue from us. Al, the owner, was surprised and pleased with the gift of chocolates on a paper plate and wrapped in foil - hardly lovely - and a little embarrassed as he “hadn't assisted the church” at all this year. I mentioned our pot luck was to be Dec 20 and he showed up with a tray of deli sandwiches and a tray of gyro sandwiches. Al, probably Muslim, was applauded by (always) hungry Trinity folks and then he hugged and kissed me! So, walking home after the visit with Al (before all the hoopla of Dec 20).

I heard a young man call, "Ma'am". Seeing no other people around I stopped. He asked where the Lutheran church was as he was hungry. I directed him to Trinity from which I had just come and said, "Go quickly, the meal is over, but there are folks who will make you something." He introduced himself as Jason Nyquist, a Iraq vet and Berea College, Kentucky, former student who had just lost his job and car and was newly arrived in Lakewood. I really surprised him when I introduced myself as the pastor of the Lutheran church. He asked if he could come and talk to me sometime, "Not to ask for anything, but just to talk." I gave him my card and he went on to the church and I on my wa. I prayed, "Okay, God, if you are going to send Jason to us, you have to also give us some bucks to help him." Tuesday was the scheduled Foodbank pick up for our January meal. 3 cars ready with drivers and three of our younger members volunteered to assist with that!

Then back to Dec 20. The Christmas pageant made me cry. How wonderful that this generation is telling the story of Jesus! Then potluck with Al and 6 others...four from the community meal that came for food and there we were eating and they were welcomed and chatted with just like God's “Kindom” had arrived. One wonderful woman, Trish, has been worshipping with us for about 4 weeks. Maybe she will come into membership, too.

And the "piece of resistance"...with real spelling of that phrase...is that we are receiving more new friends into membership on the Baptism of our Lord, January 10: Joanne and Ray Heinert; Jason Gatliff and David Bowen; Jennie and Julia Johnson; Claire & Carrie Broa; and Sally Emhoff and her twin grandchildren and maybe her daghter.

In the midst of this amazement, the bummer of the season was that Lakewood Hospital Foundation discontinued the Parish Nurse grant and our Lisa Thomas is packing up her office. To counter that, I was told that there may be 8 people who wanted to step up and pay for her to stay even parttime/ part-time. (She was only with us 10 hours a week but the grant is for 10K and we have paid 2K.) But Lisa will not be able to and wept at the offer and love for her.

So Monday, Dec 21 at lunch with LMM folks comes a new offer: To become a “Health Hub” congregation and receive info and resources each month from LMM workers for our Community Meal guests. “When God closes a door, God opens a window” the saying goes.

I am not sorry this is such a long “Pen”. Sometimes a story just needs to be told. The story of Trinity keeps unfolding, even minute by minute. Thanks for being a part of this amazing community of Christ! Watch for new chapters of this Jesus’ story through Trinity in 2010.

Pastor Paula

2009-01-07