In the current cultural climate, people often ask if Trinity Park is a Democrat church or a Republican church. I’m happy to say that we are both and we are neither.
Politics matters to us at Trinity Park but it is not and never will be our central identity. Sadly, friends in neighborhoods and even in churches are parting ways over how they feel about various political issues. All the while the Gospel is still the power to change our lives and to unify the church - yes, even in America today.
How can the Gospel change our lives in this cultural moment? If we are anxious now, is it because we are putting our hope in the wrong place? As we look at history, it should be obvious that our ultimate hope cannot be placed in our government. Instead of putting your hope in a politician or a political party, hope in Jesus. No political movement can fulfill the hope that we have in Jesus.
How do we hope our church can be a witness to our community in our cultural moment? At Trinity Park, we are for the unborn and we are for the poor. We are for justice and equality for people of every race, ethnicity, and cultural background. We are for individuals and communities helping the sick receive the health care services they need when they need it. We are for security at home and for an end to violent attacks on the innocent everywhere.
We love our neighbors, all those whom God ordains to move into our community, befriending the immigrant and welcoming the refugee. We are for every life - before birth, after birth, and until death - because we believe all humanity is made in the image of God.
We are baby boomers and millennials; we are Gen X and Gen Z. We are from various religious and denominational backgrounds. We are global, and we are local. We are white-collar, and we are blue-collar. We are families, and we are singles. We are stay-at-home moms and dads, and we are working moms and dads. We are depressed, and we are thriving. We are public schooled, private schooled and homeschooled. We are made up of 20+ nations representing continents around the globe.
In our diversity, we find harmony in this-we are sinners saved by our gracious Savior, Jesus Christ. Our central identity is no longer rooted in our sin; sexual brokenness, driven perfectionism, love of money, various addictions, anxious fear, self-absorbed pride. Our identity is instead anchored in God’s great and unexpected love for us, love that is at work to redeem all that is broken in us and in the world. And because we hold this truth to be supreme, we are finding we have more in common with one another than we would if we were from the same political party, economic class, ethnic group or geo-political nation.
Come join us this Sunday to see if God might be calling you to be a part of the story he is writing at Trinity Park-a story of humility, redemption and life that transcends American politics.