As an Episcopal priest who has spent most of my ordained life serving Episcopal communities, one of the things I notice and appreciate about Lutheran congregations is how faithfully they live into the theology of “the priesthood of all believers.” At the time of the Reformation, Luther rebelled against a medieval church that had vested too much power in clergy. He rightly insisted that the Church belongs to all the baptized and that each one of us, ordained or not, is an essential part of the Body of Christ, called to do God’s work in accordance with the gifts we have been given.
From everything that I have experienced during my time with you, this conviction that the church belongs to its people is an important part of the Holy Trinity culture. This is perhaps nowhere more clearly expressed than in our Annual Meeting, when all members of the congregation gather to elect leaders to guide the church in the coming year, discuss our plans for the future, and approve a budget that allocates our collective resources to do God’s work.
This year’s Annual Meeting will take place this Sunday, after worship. This year, in particular, we have so much to be thankful for, both in terms of the extraordinary people who have led our church during this past year of transition and those who are offering their time and talent to serve us in the coming one. In my Pastor’s Report, which is attached as part of the materials for our meeting, I seek to convey the many reasons I believe our future is bright, even in the midst of these challenging times. I hope you will read it, as well as the other reports. But more importantly, I hope to see you on Sunday to share in the joy of our shared ministry.