In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes. Judges 17:6 ESV
We love because [God] first loved us. 1 John 4:19
Dear Members and Friends of Trinity Downtown:
I started to seriously read the Bible from cover to cover when I was [in middle school.] In the Old Testament, I read the origin story of the children of Israel, the miracles God performed to redeem them from Egypt, the conquest of Canaan, and Israel’s “glory days” under the rule of Kings David and Solomon. God blessed the people of Israel with a unified, prosperous nation and protected them from the regional super-powers that surrounded them. He gave them His laws which have become the basis of our civilization.
The story grew darker when I started reading in Judges, 1 & 2 Samuel and 1 & 2 Kings. The children of Israel initiated a horrible cycle of willful disobedience to God’s Law, which provoked disastrous consequences, followed by repentance and restoration. I can remember my overwhelming emotion in reading these stories for the first time was “WHY DON’T THEY LEARN!” Why don’t they repent faster? Why do they continue in this pathetic and painful cycle?
Of course, as I became an adult, I discovered why the Children of Israel fell into this behavior pattern. Doing so seems to be programmed into our fallen DNA. Is an adult, I also saw another aspect of the story—God ALWAYS forgave them. His love for the Children of Israel was the decisive factor in the cycle.
Perhaps you’re familiar with this cycle of disobedience and repentance. This weekend at Trinity Downtown, you have the opportunity to allow God to re-position your heart, redeem your circumstances and deepen your recognition that you are totally dependent upon Him. Join with the other sinners at Trinity Downtown as we are reminded what God’s love can accomplish in our repentant heart.
You can participate in-person at our contemporary worship service on Saturday at 5:00 pm or our traditional worship service on Sunday at 9:00 am. Reservations are required to attend either in-person worship service; you can see the details at www.trinitydt.org. You may also make a reservation by calling Stefanie at 713.224.0684 from 8:30-2:30 each weekday. If you are not comfortable attending an in-person service, you can watch the “live stream” of our Satellite Service at 5:00 pm on Saturday, or our traditional service on Sunday at 9:00 am by clicking here. And, of course, you may also participate by watching either of these services “on demand” by clicking here.
There are several ways this week that you can be the hands and feet of Jesus to our church and to our wider community:
- If you want to help those that are still suffering from the effects of February’s winter weather, you can donate online to the Texas District’s disaster recovery fund.
- If you have suffered some uninsured losses due to February’s icy weather, please let one of our pastors or church staff know how we can help.
- Trinity’s Alpha team is preparing to re-start an “online” version of the Alpha evangelistic outreach this Monday, March 15th. You can catch a glimpse of how an online Alpha works by clicking here. This is the week to reach out to your friends and family you might want to invite to join you in attending. You can register online at Trinity’s website by clicking here. Since it’s online, don’t limit your invitations to just local friends and family; feel free to invite folks from around North America who you think might benefit from an honest look at the claims of Christ.
Don’t forget to tune into our daily Lenten devotionals. Spending just five minutes a day will help you prepare your heart for a meaningful Lenten journey and deepen your relationship with Jesus.
Thankfully, it appears that we are beginning to see a reduction in the number of COVID infections in our community. The safety and health of our church members, volunteers and staff remain our highest priority, but we also want to make it as easy as possible to attend church! We feel it is now possible to relax a few of the protective protocols that we established in 2020. Specifically, effective this weekend, we will:
- No longer be checking your body temperature when you enter the church campus; and
- Increase the capacity limitations on attendance in the sanctuary from 25% to 30%.
Please note that all other COVID-related safety protocols remain in effect, including the need to RSVP for each service you plan to attend. We will, of course, continue to monitor the status of the epidemic and adjust our safety protocols as appropriate.
Holy Week and Easter are less than three weeks away, and Trinity will be offering worship services on:
- Maundy Thursday at 6:30 pm;
- Good Friday at 6:30 pm;
- Satellite Service Easter Celebration at 5:00 pm on Saturday, April 3; and
- TWO Easter Festival worship services on Easter Sunday at 9:00 am and 11:00 am.
You can RSVP for any of these services by clicking here. Of course, we will also be live-streaming each service which you may watch by clicking here.
Set aside time this weekend to learn how to follow Jesus on His journey, and in doing so find out how you can live a life of significance, filled with meaning. His calming presence, love and wisdom will make a tremendous difference in your life.
Your Pastor,
Michael Dorn