Trinity at Four turns Three

Trinity at Four crosses an interesting line this coming 1st November. It’s not our third birthday (that’s 8th September). From 1st November we will have existed for longer as a congregation post-pandemic than pre-pandemic. We had 19 months of glorious pre-pandemic life- remember those wonderful days when conversation was dominated by the weather, the cricket, the terrible traffic in town and the occasional flood? By November this year, Trinity at Four will have had 19 months of - well, let’s say more interesting - post-pandemic life. We all know what conversation has been dominated by since then!

We couldn’t have predicted that the Sovereign Lord would weave a global pandemic into the story that he has for our church family. But then, 3 years ago there were a lot of other things we couldn’t have predicted about that story.

So what are we excited about as we enter our pre-school three year-old existence? My prayer is that we are excited about the same thing that has excited churches over the past 2,000 years: Jesus.

He is the Saviour who died for us, the Shepherd who leads us, the Cornerstone who stabilizes us, the Master who equips us for service, the Vine who makes us fruitful, the Way who directs us, the Truth who corrects us, the Life who revives us; He is the Friend who walks with us, the Bridegroom who beautifies us, the Lion who protects us, the Lamb who bled for us; He is the Prophet who declares God’s Word to us, the Great High Priest who sympathises with our weakness, the King who reigns over us; He is the Hope of the Old Testament prophets, the Song of the Old Testament poets, the Fulfilment of the Old Testament Law; He is the Theme of

the apostles preaching: Joy for the new believer, Mercy for the guilty, Comfort for the sufferer, Peace for the fearful. Jesus Christ is the lead pastor of every church, and by his Spirit through his Word he stoops to lead even Trinity at Four. An amazing thought.

What are we excited about as we head into our fourth year, with all the uncertainties of pandemic life? It’s Him. Knowing him more closely, loving him more deeply, cherishing him more intimately, speaking of him more boldly, discerning his call more patiently, following his Word more obediently, trusting his will more completely.

As we do that, who knows what He, by his grace, will work through us. But one thing I know, as Jesus himself said: “apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).

Will you pray for us that Jesus would be as exciting to us three years in as he was at the start? Will you pray that not a year, month, week or day would pass without us, in some way, making much of him?