A creative collaboration between Trinity United Methodist Church and Sellwood Faith Community

This season at the parish we are working together to discern our what.  What is it that God is calling us to in this moment in our community? Are we to be about caring for children? Serving the houseless? Welcoming our community? Or something else entirely? Our...

This week we celebrate the heart of the story of Christianity. We see Jesus fight against injustice, teach his disciples, rest and pray, live out his faith, serve others, do miracles, embrace suffering and death, and in the end remind us the God is bigger than...

This week is Spring Break in Oregon and it is an important moment of rest. It's been hard getting ready for it as the week after is holy week and there is so much to be done as a pastor in preparation. But rest is so important. In fact it's biblical! Yet our society...

This past week we had an amazing retreat where we played together, grieved together, and embraced hope together! We are engaging in a process of: 1. Discovering our Why 2. Discerning our What 3. Developing our How Our why we already know. Our parish statement is we...

A few weeks ago I had to get my mom to the airport the morning after a record setting snow fall. Along the way we were helped out by strangers and were able to offer help to others. There was something about the change of the rhythm of normal life that allowed for a...

One of the hardest things about being a pastor is knowing how to help the people who turn up at the church building. We aren't set up to provide meals or shelter and we don't have cash on hand to give out. Sometimes kindness is the best thing we can give, but even...

On March 18th from 9am-12pm we will be gathering for a retreat to help us as we think about what God is calling us to do with our budget, land, building, energy, time, and money. To guide us on this part of our journey we are so fortunate to have Rev. Mary Huycke...

This year our theme as a community for Lent is borrowed from our siblings at the Ignatian Solidarity Network. We are focusing on Finding God in the Chaos. You can sign up for a daily online devotional here.The theme of finding God in the chaos spoke to our worship...

This week I am embarking on another silent retreat. Every year I try to take at least 48 hours away to be in silence. No media, no talking, just time to paint and pray and cook and be. After 24 hours the voice in my head even gets quiet and then I enter into another...

Not too long ago I was at an event and there was a person there saying biased thing after biased thing. I just kept gently disrupting her. To "that's not the kind of place where we would expect this to happen" I responded with "I hope we don't expect this to happen...