Trinity Lutheran Church Brattleboro

Today is the Sixth Sunday of Easter, May 9, 2021, and we are Trinity Lutheran Church in Brattleboro, VT. Trinity Lutheran Church is a mission driven church; we are the "Small Church with a Big Heart". Happy Mother's Day! It is fitting that on this special day Pastor Randy continues the conversation begun last week about the power of love. Love of mother, love of child, love of friend, love of God. We have a God who "takes a knee" to serve. Our God bows down to serve, and WE are called to serve. Jesus said in John 15:9-17, "As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love". Jesus affirms that we are to love one another as we are loved. Pastor Randall Wilburn presides, Ron Solberg assists today, Micaela Carlton Newton is our reader and Laura Josephs is our musician. Pastor Randy's last Sunday with us will be May 30, and we are heartbroken to see him go. Pastor Randy and his wife Karin will travel a bit this summer and spend time with family, then who knows what new adventure God has in store for them! We know Pastor Randy Wilburn and Karin are in good hands, and we here at Trinity Lutheran Church are in good hands. We know all will be well.

It is the Fifth Sunday of Easter, May 2, 2021 and we are here at Trinity Lutheran Church in Brattleboro, VT. We are the "Small Church with a Big Heart", holding in-person worship service Sundays at 10:30, by reservation, with safe-communion, masks, and distancing. We live-stream to Facebook, and post to YouTube, and to Trinity's website at trinitybrattleboro.org, and to Channel 1075 on BCTV. Our sermon today is about the gift of love. Jesus commands his disciples to love one another. To "love one another" is not always easy to do and very often it is a decision we must choose to make. When we make the decision to love, God is with us. God draws the circle of love to include you and all of us. In a world full of bad news, this is good news. Pastor Randall Wilburn presides, Jeff Herman-May is the assisting minister today, Micaela Carlton Newton is our reader and our musician is Laura Josephs.

The Fourth Sunday of Easter and Good Shepherd Sunday, April 25, 2021. We are Trinity Lutheran Church in Brattleboro, VT. We live-stream each Sunday to Facebook and then post to YouTube, to Trinity's website, trinitybrattleboro.org, and to Channel 1075 on BCTV, Brattleboro's cable TV. Today is Good Shepherd Sunday. Israel's greatest king, David, was a shepherd as a young boy. The beautiful Psalm 23 is attributed to David. Jesus, the Shepherd-King, is the shepherd of all his people and Jesus spoke of this in today's Gospel reading John 10:11. Pastor's Randy's sermon today was on Psalm 23. "Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me." The shadow of death is there because of the light. There cannot be shadow without light. When we are down the shadow covers us, but then the light shines and the darkness cannot overcome it. As Christians we embrace the promise of the 23rd Psalm. Pastor Randall Wilburn is our presiding pastor, Kris Grotz-Kuch assists today and Micaela Carlton Newton is our reader today. Our talented musician is Laura Josephs. Ron Solberg and Laura Josephs sing a beautiful duet of "Fall of Me" by Matteo Bocelli, Ian Axel, Chad King and Fortunato Zampaglione.

The Third Sunday of Easter, April 18, 2021. We are here at Trinity Lutheran Church in Brattleboro, VT. We recently began in-person worship service with safe communion again, limited to 12 people by reservation, with masks and distancing. We live-stream each Sunday to Facebook and then post to YouTube, our website, and to Channel 1075 on Brattleboro's BCTV. In today's gospel Luke 24:36b-48, the risen Christ shares a meal with his disciples and says to them, "Peace be with you". Pastor Randy's sermon focuses on the meaning of these words. We are Easter people living in a Good Friday world. There is turmoil around us, and we seek peace. Covid has brought a rise in domestic violence. We seek to live in a house of peace but many live in a house of fear with domestic violence. How do we end the cycle of abuse? How do we move from a house of fear into the house of peace? Pastor Randall Wilburn is our presiding minister, Ron Solberg is assistant minister today, Micaela Carlton Newton is today's reader. Laura Josephs, our musician, is away today so we sing acapella.

The second Sunday of Easter, April 11, 2021. We are Trinity Lutheran Church in Brattleboro, VT. Our Service today, as it has been for the last few weeks, is in-person, with safe communion, masks, safe distancing, and by reservation. Each week we live-stream to Facebook and then post the service video to YouTube, our website, and to Channel 1075 on local television station BCTV. We are joined today by Rev. Steven Wilco, Assistant to the Bishop of the New England Synod ELCA, who gave the sermon. Today's texts show us two pictures of the post resurrection community - one of fear, anxiety and being closed off, and one of trust, abundance and sharing. Does this relate today? How do we move from one community to the other? Pastor Randy asks, are we Easter people living in a Good Friday world? Preaching today is Rev. Steven Wilco, Assistant to the Bishop of the ELCA New England Synod, Pastor Randall Wilburn presides, Jeff Herman-May assists today, Micaela Carlton Newton is our reader today, and our talented musician Laura Josephs is on piano.

Happy Easter! We are Trinity Lutheran Church in Brattleboro, VT and today is Easter Sunday, April 4, 2021. Today's service is held in-person, with safe communion, and also live-streamed to Facebook. Join us today as Pastor Randy explores Hope and the question, "Who keeps rolling the stone over hope?" As Christians we know when someone rolls the stone over hope, the loving Christ rolls it away. Pastor Randall Wilburn presiding, assisting today is Kris Grotz-Kuch, Micaela Carlton Newton is lector, our acolytes are Haden Carlton Newton and Hunter Bishop, and our musician is Laura Josephs on the piano accompanied by Rob Freeberg on trumpet.

Join us today March 28, 2021 for Palm Sunday at Trinity Lutheran Church in Brattleboro, VT. The crowd yelled "Hosanna" as Jesus rode into Jerusalem that day. Hosanna means "save us", and was a cry of mercy from the crowd. Worlds collide and Jesus goes from triumphant entry to crucifixion. But this was not the end of the story, for we know the last word is the word of resurrection and hope. On this Palm Sunday we renew our commitment to this understanding and to the power and meaning of faith and the understanding that faith overcomes. Pastor Randall Wilburn presides, Ron Solberg is assistant minister, and Micaela Carlton-Newton also assists. Our talented musician Laura Josephs is on piano and plays a beautiful violin rendition of "O Sacred Head, Now Wounded".

We are Trinity Lutheran Church in Brattleboro, VT and today is Sunday, March 21, 2021, the Fifth Sunday in Lent. Our Lent-Easter theme is "A Season of Hope". The Gospel reading today is John 12:20-33. This passage takes place in Jerusalem before the Passover feast. Jesus knows, if a grain of wheat is to bear any fruit then it must first die, to be an ominous prediction by Jesus of his own death to come. We walk with Jesus towards Palm Sunday and to the cross. Presiding is Pastor Randall Wilburn, Ron Solberg is assisting, Micaela Carlton Newton is reading today, and Laura Josephs is on piano. Laura Josephs sings a beautiful solo entitled "I still haven't found what I'm looking for".