Trinity News & Updates

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Worship * Remaining Connected * Notes from the pastor (scroll down)

Pastor’s Notes

Sunday, May 10 I invited worshippers to suggest titles for the sermon I preached. I have always found this kind of feedback helpful and informative.

The first time this happened it took me by surprise.

I was serving a small Presbyterian church in Chicago after finishing seminary, before ordination. Every time I started to preach there, Bud would get up from his seat and leave by a side door. The first time this happened I figured Bud felt a coughing fit coming on or he needed to go to the bathroom. But it kept happening. I would step to the pulpit and Bud would step out the side door.

I had three hypotheses:

Bud didn’t like sermons;
Bud didn’t like MY sermons; or
Bud’s bladder was somehow synced to the worship service at Ravenswood Presbyterian Church.

Then one Sunday, Bud showed me a cassette tape. He’d written the date, my name and the title he thought went with the sermon he’d just heard. Without any fanfare Bud recorded the sermon every week, made about a half dozen copies of it and delivered them to people who would not be in church that week. Bud gave me immediate feedback; I knew what he thought the sermon was about. It was a huge gift.

When I served a church in Baltimore, they ran an ad in the Saturday paper every week with the sermon title and the preacher’s name. The Sun needed that information ten days in advance. I would rack my brain and come up with a few words that the text suggested to me. No one ever commented about the sermon title. I never got a “Pastor, that title really captured what you said!” nor a “What was you thinkin’?” In fact, in nearly 40 years of preaching no one has ever commented on a sermon title without my prodding.

I served a church once where it was very important to one vocal member that there be a sermon title in the bulletin. I explained my reasons for not wanting to name a sermon prior to preaching it. She was adamant. I resisted the temptation to title a sermon “Untitled #347,” and provided a few words that I was likely to say during the coming worship service.

No one noticed.

Following my sermon on May 10, 2026, some worshippers suggested these titles:

A lifetime of commitments
The novelty of God
Seeds grow best with a little fertilizer
How the word spread
We need each other
Who we are is what we Do (not how well we argue the point)
Paul—the Influencer
The Proof Is in the Pudding
Lend me your ear
Message received
The Man in the Mirror
The Message that Fell on Deaf Ears
The Philosopher’s Stone
Different Moments, Different Decisions
One God, giving countless opportunities
The God Who Keeps Turning on the Light
Paul & how to work the crowd

— Pastor Tom

To weigh in on possible sermon titles for Pastor Tom’s sermon on May 10, 2026: watch the sermon here

Email ideas to Pastor Tom

Trinity Office 12/21/24 Trinity Office 12/21/24

Worship for December 22, 2024

Today, December 22, is the Fourth Sunday of Advent. Trinity’s Music Department will present, “Have You Heard?” a cantata for Christmas. We gather in the Sanctuary and online today at 11:30am for worship. This morning, our Sunday School classes will meet at 10:15am. We gather in the Sanctuary and online today at 11:30am for worship. As always, our online service is recorded and available later in the week to watch and share with others.

Trinity Office 12/14/24 Trinity Office 12/14/24

Worship for December 15, 2024

Today, December 15, is the Third Sunday of Advent. The Rev. Dr. Tom Willadsen will preach. We gather in the Sanctuary and online today at 11:30am for worship. This morning, our Sunday School classes will meet at 10:15am. We gather in the Sanctuary and online today at 11:30am for worship. As always, our online service is recorded and available later in the week to watch and share with others.

Trinity Office 12/7/24 Trinity Office 12/7/24

Worship for December 8, 2024

Today, December 8, is the Second Sunday of Advent. The Rev. Dr. Tom Willadsen will preach. We gather in the Sanctuary and online today at 11:30am for worship. This morning, our Sunday School classes will meet at 10:15am. We gather in the Sanctuary and online today at 11:30am for worship. As always, our online service is recorded and available later in the week to watch and share with others.

Trinity Office 11/30/24 Trinity Office 11/30/24

Worship for December 1, 2024

Today, December 1, is the First Sunday of Advent. The Rev. Dr. Tom Willadsen will preach and invite us to share in Communion. We gather in the Sanctuary and online today at 11:30am for worship. This morning, our Sunday School classes will meet at 10:15am. We gather in the Sanctuary and online today at 11:30am for worship. As always, our online service is recorded and available later in the week to watch and share with others.

Trinity Office 11/23/24 Trinity Office 11/23/24

Worship for November 24, 2024

Today, November 24, is the twenty-seventh Sunday after Pentecost. The Rev. Bill Havens will preach. We gather in the Sanctuary and online today at 11:30am for worship. This morning, our Sunday School classes will meet at 10:15am. We gather in the Sanctuary and online today at 11:30am for worship. As always, our online service is recorded and available later in the week to watch and share with others.

Trinity Office 11/16/24 Trinity Office 11/16/24

Worship for November 17, 2024

Today, November 17, is the twenty-sixth Sunday after Pentecost. The Rev. Howard Cavner will preach. We gather in the Sanctuary and online today at 11:30am for worship. This morning, our Sunday School classes will meet at 10:15am. We gather in the Sanctuary and online today at 11:30am for worship. As always, our online service is recorded and available later in the week to watch and share with others.

Trinity Office 11/9/24 Trinity Office 11/9/24

Worship for November 10, 2024

Today, November 10, is the twenty-fifth Sunday after Pentecost. Robert Reed will preach. We gather in the Sanctuary and online today at 11:30am for worship. This morning, our Sunday School classes will meet at 10:15am. We gather in the Sanctuary and online today at 11:30am for worship. As always, our online service is recorded and available later in the week to watch and share with others.

Trinity Office 11/2/24 Trinity Office 11/2/24

Worship for November 3, 2024

Today, November 3, is the twenty-fourth Sunday after Pentecost. The Rev. Jane Huffstetler will preach. We gather in the Sanctuary and online today at 11:30am for worship. This morning, our Sunday School classes will meet at 10:15am. We gather in the Sanctuary and online today at 11:30am for worship. As always, our online service is recorded and available later in the week to watch and share with others.

Trinity Office 10/26/24 Trinity Office 10/26/24

Worship for October 27, 2024

Today, October 27, is the twenty-third Sunday after Pentecost. The Rev. Bill Havens will preach. We gather in the Sanctuary and online today at 11:30am for worship. This morning, our Sunday School classes will meet at 10:15am. We gather in the Sanctuary and online today at 11:30am for worship. As always, our online service is recorded and available later in the week to watch and share with others.

Trinity Office 10/19/24 Trinity Office 10/19/24

Worship for October 20, 2024

Today, October 20, is the Twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost. The Rev. Howard Cavner will preach. We gather in the Sanctuary and online today at 11:30am for worship. This morning, our Sunday School classes will meet at 10:15am. We gather in the Sanctuary and online today at 11:30am for worship. As always, our online service is recorded and available later in the week to watch and share with others.

Trinity Office 10/12/24 Trinity Office 10/12/24

Worship for October 13, 2024

Today, October 13, is the Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost. The Rev. Barry Williams will preach. We gather in the Sanctuary and online today at 11:30am for worship. This morning, our Sunday School classes will meet at 10:15am. We gather in the Sanctuary and online today at 11:30am for worship. As always, our online service is recorded and available later in the week to watch and share with others.