Pastor Jim’s Blog

A Change of Plans

A Change of Plans

Today's Word from Deacon Amy... Sometimes things don’t turn out the way that we hope they will. Sometimes we make promises that we fully intend to keep, but later discover to be unrealistic. Sometimes our plans and dreams are thrown off track and we need to make new...

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Pastor Dennis & Jeri Hanson

Pastor Dennis & Jeri Hanson

Today's Word from Pastor Jim... Pastor Dennis Hanson was ordained on the 9th day of August, 1964. Topping the music charts in 1964: “I Want to Hold Your Hand” by the Beatles, Roy Orbison’s “Pretty Woman,” and The Animals’ hit “The House of the Rising Sun.” The Summer...

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This Sunday at Trinity

This Sunday at Trinity

Tee Shirt Sunday & Holy Communion This Sunday and every Sunday, come and worship dressed as you are. There are no dress codes at TLC, and all are welcome. If you have a Trinity tee shirt, slip it on. If not, find your favorite funny, happy, or school colors tee...

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Pike’s Peak

Pike’s Peak

Today's Word from Karl Olsen... When an English professor, poet and writer finished spring classes at Wellesley College in Massachusetts in 1893, she headed west on a train, seeing sights including the Columbian Exposition in Chicago, the plains of Kansas and the...

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A Simple Golden Band

A Simple Golden Band

Today's Word from Pastor Jim... It was a simple golden band, safely nestled in the palm of my hand, waiting to be placed by a young bride on the ring finger of the man that she had chosen to spend her life with. This simple golden band had been resting silently in a...

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Promises for Life

Promises for Life

Today's Word from Pastor Jim... What do you know when you make promises for life at the age of 22? What does better, worse, richer, poorer, in sickness and in health mean when you are 20 years old? This promise to love someone and live with someone for 60 or more...

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We’ll Understand it All By & By

We’ll Understand it All By & By

Today's Word from Trinity Keyboardist Sheila Weidendorf... Farther Along is a very popular southern gospel song, covered by everyone from Ike Turner to The Byrds to Willie Nelson to Johnny Cash and Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, and Emmylou Harris on their 1987 album...

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A Part of the Lifecycle

A Part of the Lifecycle

Today's Word from Pastor Jim... Sometimes I have serious conversations with God; beyond prayer, I find myself offering some advice. Sounds arrogant, does it not? I was never all that successful in school, not the most accomplished in my class, in fact, until...

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Staying Connected

Staying Connected

Today's Word from Pastor Jim... Our staff made a promise to you 455 days ago. Our promise, at the beginning of the pandemic, was that we would stay connected though we were apart. We would continue to be the church together. We promised to produce content every day:...

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Down the Hall and Out the Door Vol. 5

Down the Hall and Out the Door Vol. 5

Today's Word from Felicia Lindus... Last Thursday night we had an outdoor graduation (of course!) for 10 students. Under blue skies and some wind (for an air of authenticity) we celebrated our students and this unusual year. As graduation began, I shared a few words...

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Making a Difference

Making a Difference

Today's Word from Arne Bergstrom... I spent 35 years working in international community development and disaster response with the Christian organizations World Vision and World Relief. It was a calling to be the hands, feet, and voice of God to suffering people in...

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New Beginnings, Bittersweet Endings

New Beginnings, Bittersweet Endings

Today's Word from Pastor Jim... It was a beautiful Thursday afternoon on Whidbey Island. June had arrived, the sun-bathed green landscapes were accented by blooming flowers and the ever present yellow of scotch broom. In a brief four-hour period, I would take part in,...

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The New Kid

The New Kid

Today's Word from Deacon Amy... Have you ever been the new kid? It can be pretty overwhelming. My daughter, Ava, finally got to bring her new kid home this week. You might remember me writing about this little goat a few weeks ago when Ava was trying to choose a name...

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A Rose by Any Other Name is Still a…

A Rose by Any Other Name is Still a…

Today's Word from Pastor Tom Kidd... Picture an early 80-year-old, diminutive frame (maybe 5 feet) with flaming red hair. She probably weighed maybe four pounds more than her age. She walked like she should have been there five minutes ago. Always. Never slower. Lucy...

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A Moment in Time

A Moment in Time

Today’s Word from Mark Winslow... A few days ago, I had to make a trip over to the mainland. A list of things to do called me over to that frenzied world. Normally Colleen and I prefer staying here, on our little island of paradise. Like everyone else, we have our...

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Life’s a Twinkling

Life’s a Twinkling

Today's Word from Karl Olsen, Minister of Music... Two days ago, Pastor Jim gave some sterling advice in his sermon. Basically: • Don’t be overwhelmed by the many problems of the world. • If you do get overwhelmed, take a breath and pick issues that you can have a...

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Blessed to be a Blessing

Blessed to be a Blessing

This Evening's Word from your TLC Endowment Committee... “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” – Matthew 6:21 The TLC Endowment started as one man’s vision over 22 years ago. Church member, Steve Schrecengost, created hope for the future - to...

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“Am I Safe? Will I be Judged?”

“Am I Safe? Will I be Judged?”

Today’s Word from Pastor Jim... Jesus said to the religious people, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the Kingdom of God ahead of you.” Matthew 21:31 The question comes up from time to time: a question born in pain, rooted in...

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Small Joys

Small Joys

Today’s Word from Deacon Amy...  “For you, O Lord, have made me glad by your work; at the works of your hands I sing for joy.” Psalm 92:4 Pentecost Sunday was an exciting day for our family! We had been watching our pig, Julia, for a few weeks, knowing that she was...

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Companions – Furry and Otherwise

Companions – Furry and Otherwise

Today’s Word from Pastor Tom Kidd... “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:20b Dr. Toole’s words have never left me, “Tom, the only one I am treating here is you.” There was nothing more he could do. Sir (that was his name) had been...

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It’s Not Complicated

It’s Not Complicated

Today’s Word from Pastor Jim... It really was not complicated. It was quite simple. Thanks to Covid-19 uncertainty, I needed to cancel a reservation and rebook on another date. How simple is that? I tried online, but there were a host of unanswered questions. If I...

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Pentecost, Life, Loss… and Hope

Pentecost, Life, Loss… and Hope

Today’s Word from Karl Olsen... It’s Pentecost! That season of the church year associated with tongues of fire, and a sound, as on a rush of wind! 3,000 baptisms! The birthing of the church! Or, as I sang in church the other day (tune in online or come to church—you...

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Life in a Dumpster

Life in a Dumpster

Today’s Word from Pastor Jim... “I hated all my toil in which I had toiled under the sun, seeing that I must leave it to those who come after me and who knows whether they will be wise or foolish.” Ecclesiastes 2:18 Both vaccinated, we hugged before the worship...

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All One Family

All One Family

Today’s Word from Deacon Amy... “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.” Galatians 3:28 We raise several types of poultry on our little farm: chickens, ducks,...

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Who’s Your Daddy, or Mommy?

Who’s Your Daddy, or Mommy?

Today’s Word from Pastor Tom Kidd... Even non-golfers recognize the name St. Andrews - the place, not the person. St. Andrews is a beautiful and historical city in Fife, Scotland. I have been blessed to visit this beautiful university city. Situated on public ground...

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Just My Name

Just My Name

Today’s Word from Pastor Jim & Carter Castle...   What does it mean that each human is unique; like a flower or a snowflake or a sunset, and at the same time, in almost every way, we are identical? What does it mean that we are all children of God and yet each...

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Surely, God is Weeping

Surely, God is Weeping

Today’s Word from Karl Olsen... Surely, God is weeping. God’s desire for all to experience abundant life sometimes seems to fall on deaf ears. Perhaps it’s the explosions—or the tears of grief. Until recently, this spring had been a time of religious celebration in...

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Be Brave! Show Your Smile!

Be Brave! Show Your Smile!

Today’s Word from Pastor Jim... “Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known.” I Corinthians 13:12 We gather in a sanctuary. What is a sanctuary? It is a safe place. A bird sanctuary is a safe place for birds. A wildlife sanctuary...

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Mail Call

Mail Call

Today’s Word from Deacon Amy... “I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus,” 1 Corinthians 1:4. In Sunday School this weekend, we’re going to be learning about Paul’s letters. That got me thinking about...

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The Tyranny of Numbers

The Tyranny of Numbers

Today’s Word from Pastor Tom Kidd... On one of my better days, the girls and I will go down to the beach for sunrise prayers. But to be quite honest, often my prayer life sucks. I’m supposed to be a professional pray-er and there are days that go by and it dawns on me...

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May God Be With Us

May God Be With Us

Today’s Word from Pastor Jim... “Bear one another’s burdens and in this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ.” Galatians 6:2 His wife has recently died. He was alone now, for the first time since college. We spent the afternoon together, sharing grief and recalling...

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Why Me, Lord?

Why Me, Lord?

Today’s Word from Trinity Keyboardist Sheila Weidendorf... Ah, such times in which we live! Political tension, racial injustice, misogyny still apparent in all directions, nations pit against each other, poverty and hunger still rampant the world over. How many of us...

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Perspective

Perspective

Today’s Word from Deacon Amy... As you may have guessed from my previous writings, I was a horse-crazy kid. I had posters of horses on my walls, horse figurines on my shelves, and a plethora of horse toys of various types and sizes. I can remember getting angry when I...

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Trust

Trust

Today’s Word from Pastor Tom... Every year, as a part of our confirmation program, I would take those students preparing for their Affirmation of Baptism to a high ropes course. Safety is the critical word for this experience. Every participant is double-linked to a...

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Assurances from the Crabapple Tree

Assurances from the Crabapple Tree

Today’s Word from Susan Shira, Trinity Member... The first thing I set to do when we moved into our house 23 years ago was upgrade the meager landscaping, and I knew just where to start…the flower bed in front of the French doors facing the street. I took inspiration...

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If It Be Your Will

If It Be Your Will

Today’s Word from Sheila Weidendorf, Trinity Keyboardist... Luke 22:42: "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done." We all know the stories of Jesus, how he anguished as he approached his death. He asked God to remove the...

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Unusual Kindness

Unusual Kindness

Today’s Word from Pastor Jim... The Apostle Paul, and other prisoners of Rome, were adrift at sea in a violent storm. The morning light revealed an unrecognizable land. The ship was suddenly caught on a reef and began to break up. All those aboard were left to sink or...

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A Little Boost

A Little Boost

Today’s Word from Deacon Amy... Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy. Psalm 126:2 Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises. Psalm 98:4 I have decided to share a rather personal...

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Holy Litter

Holy Litter

Today’s Word from Pastor Tom... “Hey you #%#*!! jerk!” was what I yelled in my fantasized response to his littering my personal park. “Pick up your #%#!! trash!” Actually, the above photograph is not my personal park. Lovely picture though, don’t you think? This is...

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Sometimes I Just Get Tired

Sometimes I Just Get Tired

Today’s Word from Pastor Jim... “I lift up my eyes to the hills, from where is my help to come?” Psalm 121 Sometimes, I just get tired. I get tired of the suffering and loss. Tired of the tears cried with our TLC families as they battle with addiction, disease, mental...

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Touch the Earth Lightly

Touch the Earth Lightly

Today’s Word from Karl Olsen... In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1 Then God said, “Let us make humans in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the...

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A Visit from Santa

A Visit from Santa

Today’s Word from Pastor Jim... He came to me in a dream last night as clear as could be. Bill Read was with me asking, as he always did, if I was taking care of myself and when the choir would be starting up again. In my sleeping mind I knew that he should be dead;...

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A Season of Optimism

A Season of Optimism

Today’s Word from Deacon Amy... I love spring! I always tell people that spring is my favorite season. The days get longer, temperatures start to rise, everything is blooming, and new life abounds. Spring is full of joy – and hope! There is light and growth all around...

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Standing in Line

Standing in Line

Today’s Word from Pastor Tom Kidd... It’s not an experience that most people find worthy of our time. It’s a nuisance, it’s troublesome, and we will generally go to significant lengths to avoid it. Who wants to stand in line? Finished shopping? Look for the shortest...

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O Wanderer, O Seeker…

O Wanderer, O Seeker…

Today’s Word from Trinity Keyboardist Sheila Weidendorf... This past Sunday I led the Adult Education class here at Trinity, and included cross-cultural elements in my presentation, including texts by Kabir, a 15th century mystic and saint from India, whose texts are...

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This Week at Trinity

This Week at Trinity

Sunday, April 25 Worship 8:00 & 10:30 a.m. in person Also available online by 6:00 a.m. Adult Education Adult Ed meets on Zoom at 9:15 every Sunday morning. This week, Pastor Wayne Bacus begins a two-week series titled, "The Ten Most Important Things You Need to...

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Homecoming! What You Need to Know

Homecoming! What You Need to Know

Today's Word from Pastor Jim... A much-anticipated HOMECOMING happens tomorrow! I am so excited to welcome you all home for in-person worship this Sunday, April 18th at 8:00 & 10:30. Our entire Church Staff is so excited to be reopening our doors and seeing your...

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What’s in a Name?

What’s in a Name?

Today’s Word from Deacon Amy... My oldest daughter, Ava, has a new baby goat – well, she doesn’t have him just yet as he needs to spend a few more weeks with his mom, but he is all hers. She is, of course, head-over-heels for this little guy, but she’s struggling to...

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Country, Rap, and Jesus

Country, Rap, and Jesus

Today’s Word from Pastor Tom Kidd... So, what do you get if you play country and western music backwards? He gets his dog back, he gets his truck back, he gets his girl back. Okay, not really so funny but the point to be made is pretty simple… music as a medium often...

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Homecoming This Sunday, April 18

Homecoming This Sunday, April 18

Today’s Word from Pastor Jim... “By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, and there we wept, when we remembered Zion. On the willows there we hung our harps.” Psalm 137:1-2 The people of Israel were taken into captivity. They longed to return home. They dreamed of...

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The Risen Christ

The Risen Christ

Today’s Word from Minister of Music Karl Olsen... …we weave notes together to form the fabric of our community’s praise and lament; each of us offering a unique and invaluable thread. Anonymous Smart is good. Smart and hardworking is really good. Smart, hardworking...

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God Given Gifts

God Given Gifts

Today’s Word from Deacon Amy... After Easter Sunday, I took the week off. My family and I contemplated going somewhere for a few days, but we decided to stay on the island, get a few things done around the farm, and enjoy our time together. My parents came up to visit...

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Saying Goodbye to Pete

Saying Goodbye to Pete

Today’s Word from Pastor Jim...We were just a few weeks into the pandemic when Pete Teel died on the 11th day of April 2020. Funeral gatherings were not allowed in the State of Washington. We were just learning the proper protocols, and the extent of the...

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A Little Inspiration

A Little Inspiration

Today’s Word from Deacon Amy... As I sat staring at a blank page, trying to decide what to write about today, my daughter walked out of her bedroom and put a 3-day-old chick in my hands. He is remarkable. This perfectly developed, fluffy little chick hatched out of an...

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Easter Disappointment?

Easter Disappointment?

Today’s Word from Pastor Tom Kidd... “Woo hoo! We won the Publishers Clearing House Sweepstakes!” Again. Seems like every couple of months I get that tantalizing little email notifying me I have only to hit the magic “click” button, and a zillion dollars a month,...

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No Time for Heaven!

No Time for Heaven!

Today’s Word from Pastor Jim...   A vision of heaven: “I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared and ready like a bride dressed to meet her husband. I heard a loud voice speaking from the throne: ‘Now God’s home with mankind!...

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Like Clouds in the Sky

Like Clouds in the Sky

Today’s Word from Trinity Keyboardist Sheila Weidendorf... It is Eastertide here, and Spring, with its little resurrections everywhere. Places in the world where the calendar follows the lunar cycles it is just about New Year. Any way you slice it, rebirth abounds. It...

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Easter 2021

Easter 2021

Today’s Word from Pastor Jim...   Yesterday we had a joyful Easter celebration online and in the parking lot at Trinity Lutheran Church. Easter is a day to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus and to claim our promised resurrection. It was 53 years ago yesterday that...

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Silent Saturday

Silent Saturday

Today’s Word from Pastor Jim...   The events of Good Friday are gruesome and painful. It is not the kind of story that I would tell in detail to our Trinity Preschoolers. Savage violence has always been a regrettable part of the human story, and it is sad to say that...

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What’s So Good About Good Friday?

What’s So Good About Good Friday?

Today’s Word from Deacon Amy...   On Good Friday, we remember Jesus’ death on the cross. We remember his trial, his suffering, and his crucifixion. We remember the saddest day in our Christian history. So, if it’s all about remembering such a terrible day, why do we...

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Maundy Thursday

Maundy Thursday

Today’s Word from Pastor Tom Kidd...   Empathy is good, narcissism is bad. Pretty sure you’re with me on this one. Empathy is good, narcissism is bad. Empathy is the gift of being able to feel one another’s feelings, allowing one to be fully present with another....

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Putting us in Our Place

Putting us in Our Place

Today’s Word from Pastor Jim... Christianity is about putting us in our place and slapping us down with grace. Putting Us in Our Place We are the children of God, created in the image of God, blessed and chosen. Children do not understand most of what happens around...

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Dare to Create

Dare to Create

Today’s Word from Karl Olsen, Minister of Music... “Talent copies, genius steals.” Pablo Picasso “If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.” Isaac Newton A few years ago, I wrote a song. That, in itself, is no great surprise. I have written...

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The Movement of God

The Movement of God

Today’s Word from Pastor Jim... Tomorrow we descend the Mount of Olives in a parade of palms, as Jesus enters the Holy City of Jerusalem for the last time. There were thousands along the pilgrim path that day, peasants from small villages and religious zealots with an...

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R.I.P. Rhonda

R.I.P. Rhonda

Today’s Word from Deacon Amy... I don’t talk about it much, but I went through a pretty difficult divorce several years ago. After all of the paperwork was filed, and things were finally settled, I went out and bought myself a new truck (well, new to me). I know most...

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Grow Up!

Grow Up!

Today’s Word from Pastor Tom... How important is it to attend worship services? How critical is it to listen to a contemplative missive or to read a daily devotional? Why would it matter if you or I never opened our Bibles again? Who would know? Really, what does all...

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Fragile Habitat

Fragile Habitat

Today's Word from Pastor Jim... “Then God said, ‘Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness, and let them have dominion (benevolent caretaker) over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air…” Genesis 1:26. Felicia and I went out for a hike last...

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Day by Day

Day by Day

Today's Word from Minister of Music Karl Olsen... It is a common trait for people to look ahead, to wonder what’s next for me, or what might be just around the corner. As we are now dealing with a pandemic roaming the world (gratefully on decline here) we can easily...

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A Close Call

A Close Call

Today's Word from Deacon Amy... When I came home from the office on Friday evening, I parked my car where I usually do, grabbed my bags, and started walking toward the back door. That’s when I noticed the smoke drifting out from the area beside our house. Remembering...

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Trinity’s Reopening Plan

Trinity’s Reopening Plan

“Without a vision the people perish.” Proverbs 29:18 2020 rolled over us and now we have rolled into a more optimistic 2021. We have had lots of plans over the past year, most of which have been significantly altered or canceled altogether. As winter loosens its grip,...

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The Sounds of Silence

The Sounds of Silence

Today's Word from Deacon Amy... I love sitting outside at nighttime and listening to the sounds. It’s amazing how much you can hear in the silence. A couple of nights ago, I sat outside the barn and just listened to the dark. Mostly, I heard the sounds of the goats...

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My Mythology

My Mythology

Today's Word from Pastor Tom Kidd... “I am an excellent golfer.” …. Uhh, I have had moments. Long ago moments. “I am the best putter on the golf course.” … I am not the worst if Pastor Jim is playing. “I have never preached a bad sermon.” … OMG, did you catch that dog...

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If All Else Fails, Just Stick with Jesus

If All Else Fails, Just Stick with Jesus

Today's Word from Pastor Jim... Trends in American Christianity are very clear. The Christian Church is in decline; it has been for nearly 60 years. Trinity has been able to buck that trend for decades, but the pandemic has accelerated change. The pandemic has...

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True Confessions of a Classical Pianist

True Confessions of a Classical Pianist

Today’s Word from Trinity Keyboardist Sheila Weidendorf... My true north in the world of performing arts is classical chamber music – it’s what I predominantly perform in my professional pianist life and what lives in the center of my musical heart. Having said that,...

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The Greatest Commandment

The Greatest Commandment

Today’s Word from Pastor Jim... Love the Lord your God and love your neighbor as yourself. Nothing really complicated about this -- the greatest commandment. Nothing complicated, and yet we have a really hard time living it. The greatest commandment was condensed from...

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A Few Words from Pastor Jim

A Few Words from Pastor Jim

Today’s Word from Pastor Jim It does not take a lot of words to say a lot. Brevity can be a good thing. That from a preacher, and a writer. Most adult books are 90,000 words. Some might even stretch out to 100,000 words. In the past pandemic year, I have written in...

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Old Things New

Old Things New

Today’s Word from Deacon Amy... My 13-year-old bought a record player this week. Yep, an actual record player. You know, those things that my parents used to listen to. My daughter now has one. It’s interesting, to me, how fads tend to cycle around. I remember that my...

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A Sermon Sleeper

A Sermon Sleeper

Today’s Word from Pastor Tom Kidd... Harry never made it through a sermon the last 20 years of his life. Five minutes into my stirring rendering of the Gospel of the day, Harry’s head would begin to bob, his eyelids would grow weary, and sleep would soon overtake him....

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Our Journey Together

Our Journey Together

Today’s Word from Pastor Jim... Our journey together has spanned some 35 years. We were at Luther Seminary at the same time, her two daughters and our three grew up seeing each other on a regular basis. We shared Thanksgiving, summer cookouts at their Mount Vernon...

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Heart of Mystery

Heart of Mystery

Today’s Word from Karl Olsen, Minister of Music... “Let us take hands and try the water…” The copyright date on my song Heart of Mystery is 12/30/88. It is the title track on my first CD. The liner notes for that song say “Heart of Mystery allows that there is mystery...

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Doing Well, Doing Good

Doing Well, Doing Good

Today’s Word from Karl Olsen, Minister of Music... We are here on earth to do good to others. What the others are here for, I don’t know. W. H. Auden It is a gift to meet people who are really themselves. Folks without pretense or guile. We are good at putting on...

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Church Signs

Church Signs

Today’s Word from Pastor Jim Try to be witty or inspirational 520 times a decade. It is not easy. It is not easy to come up with a new church sign message every week. But it must be done. And it is nearly impossible not to offend someone in the process. Church signs...

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All Creatures Great and Small

All Creatures Great and Small

Today’s Word from Deacon Amy... When I was a teenager, I loved James Herriot’s books about being a veterinarian in the countryside of Yorkshire, England. He is, in my opinion, one of the best story tellers around. His books were hard to put down. I was drawn to the...

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No If

No If

Today’s Word from Pastor Tom Kidd... I want to invite you into a question. That is, enter into this question and simply ruminate in the implications. Here it is… “What did you ever lose by dying?” * … what have you ever lost by dying? On one level the question just...

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What’s Happening at Trinity – March 2021

What’s Happening at Trinity – March 2021

Easter Worship Services at TLC April 4 is Easter Sunday, and we will be sharing the joy of the Resurrection with PARKING LOT SERVICES at 8:00 and 10:30 a.m. Bring a lawn chair, your coffee mug, and a mask, and get ready to see friends as we worship outside on Easter...

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Through the Night of Dark and Sorrow

Through the Night of Dark and Sorrow

Today’s Word from Trinity Keyboardist Sheila Weidendorf... Through the night of dark and sorrow onward goes the pilgrim band, singing songs of expectation, marching to the promised land. Clear before us through the darkness gleams and burns the guiding light: pilgrim...

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Little Epiphanies

Little Epiphanies

Today’s Word from Laura Canby...  At first, I thought he misspoke. It was a couple weeks ago and Pastor Jim was giving the Transfiguration Sunday sermon for later online posting. He read the verse in Corinthians 13:12 where Paul writes: For now we see in a...

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Heavy Burdens

Heavy Burdens

Today’s Word from Deacon Amy “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:18 A friend shared an incredible story about a sheep this week. It seems that this sheep had been wandering the wilderness in...

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Grace is Hard

Grace is Hard

Today’s Word from Pastor Tom Kidd... I grew up in Rainier Valley, Seattle. I believe at the time of my Franklin High School graduation our student population was approaching 50% non-white. So while I grew up in a pretty integrated world, my father had an entirely...

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Humble and Kind

Humble and Kind

Today’s Word from Pastor Jim... One of the great joys of serving alongside the people of God at Trinity Lutheran Church is the privilege of hearing your stories, struggles, joys and sorrows. We rejoice with families as they welcome children or grandchildren into the...

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You Can Do This Hard Thing

You Can Do This Hard Thing

Today’s Word from Minister of Music Karl Olsen... All God’s critters got a place in the choir.  Bill Staines Can you be inspired by a goat? Or by its story? Well, I guess that depends on the goat. And the story, and, in this case, the storyteller. Who loves goats....

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Doing the Hard Things

Doing the Hard Things

Today’s Word from Deacon Amy... “Do not fear, for I am with you, do not be afraid, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.” Isaiah 41:10 I love that I have friends who call me up and ask me to come...

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What Will You Give Up for Lent?

What Will You Give Up for Lent?

Today’s Word from Pastor Jim... Ash Wednesday was observed on February 17, with the imposition of ashes and the ancient declaration, “Remember you are dust and to dust you shall return.” For the first time in the history of Trinity Lutheran Church the ashes that mark...

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Focus on the Beauty

Focus on the Beauty

Today’s Word from Deacon Amy... At this time last week, we were watching snow fall. In my weekly message, I remembered the joy and excitement that I felt as a child when waking up to a snow day. The day was full of endless possibilities. As an adult with our little...

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Snow Day Project

Snow Day Project

Today’s Word from Pastor Tom Kidd...   What does any self-respecting retired clergy do on a snow day? Read Bonhoeffer? Watch a PBS production on the life of Paul and Peter? On a day when a very steep driveway combined with six inches of the white stuff makes for a clear...

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Who Do You Want to Be?

Who Do You Want to Be?

Today’s Word from Pastor Jim Well, we survived the great snowstorm of 2021! It sure was a big win for families with small children. Everyone put on the boots, hats and gloves. Families went sledding or built a snowman as they enjoyed this rare Northwest treat. It made...

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By the Rivers of Babylon

By the Rivers of Babylon

Today’s Word from Trinity Keyboardist Sheila Weidendorf... This now-famous song was composed in the 1960s by Brent Dowe and Trevor McNaughton and first recorded by their band (which also included Tony Brevett), The Melodians, in 1970. It quickly became a reggae...

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God Bless Us in Our Lenten Journey

God Bless Us in Our Lenten Journey

Today’s Word from Pastor Dennis... We soon begin the season of Lent; Ash Wednesday is February 17. Lent is not the most favorite season in the church year for many people. It’s a poor weather time, and the theme is somber. Many Protestant churches ignore it all...

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Criticism

Criticism

Today’s Word from Pastor Jim... I learned very early on that one could not survive in parish ministry without a thick skin. If one is too sensitive or too easily offended this work will chew them up. We get more than our share of criticism. Most of the criticism is...

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