So much of my ministry is founded on Jesus' statements about the Realm of Heaven (Kingdom of God). Often, he says we must receive that realm like a little child. I take that to mean with awe and wonder, with serious play and pleasure. I believe that is all inclusive of everything. We are so deeply connected with one another and with God's Creation (the entire Universe), our main purpose is to recover an awareness of that connection. The best way to relate in that manner is like a little child. I hope this understanding is evident in every part of my work.

Everything is connected. Chief Seattle said, "We did not weave the web of life, we are merely a strand in it." I take this seriously. If all things are connected, whatever we do to the web (others), we do to ourselves. That's why navel gazing won't work in the relationships of God's Realm. It isn't all about us, but others, because we are all connected.

At Trinity, we express this connectedness with the word covenant. When we join in covenant, we agree to be in relationship in the following ways:
I. Pray - we agree to pray/meditate/engage in a spiritual practice - it changes people, who change the world! If you want your world to change, pray. Set aside a regular time each day for prayer/meditation. Imagine what will change at Trinity and our community with all of us praying! Prayer/Meditation is part of a healthy spiritual life process.
II. Present - we agree to present ourselves for worship. Worship is one of the main ways we feed our spirits and connect with God and others. III. Share - we agree to share our resources and wealth. We learned to share as children, but most of us lost it somewhere along the way. It costs money to provide ministry and generosity is an act of service that brings our lives to more closely reflect God's love for us. At a minimum, it costs about $30/week per member to for Trinity to carry out its ministries. Engaging in the covenant of generosity means increasing our level of financial support so we are tithing rather than giving the bare minimum. Imagine what could happen if we are financially generous.
IV. Serve - We agree to serve. All of us are called to be ministers. Find your place of service and take it seriously. If you are called to begin a ministry, talk with our Consistory, gather a group for prayer, and begin!
V. Study - We agree to study and grow in our spiritual lives. Attend and engage in one of the offerings of bible study. This is where and how you come to know what you believe and why. It is also how you come to let others have their beliefs.
VI. Speak - We agree to speak with others about our faith and our church. It isn't enough to only believe. We are also called to tell others what we have found and why this is important to us. Inviting others to "come and see" as Jesus called the disciples, spreads our message of love and hope to others.

My preaching is relational and reflects the agreements we share. What I hope happens is the worshiper leaves with their head shaking a little -- either with laughter, thoughtfulness, agreement, joy, puzzlement, disbelief, or even disagreement. The space I hold during the sermon is very wide and allows a lot of room for thought. If you're looking for a "bible-thumping preacher," don't waste your time here. My message is good news, not guilt; prophetic, but not degrading.

I believe our greatest task as Christians is to know God more fully, more deeply. When we join in covenant and do this, all else comes into place. Jesus said it this way, "Seek ye first the kindom* of God...and all the other things will be added unto you." In this, prayer is very important. That's one of the greatest ways we connect deeply with the kindom of God. Reinhold Niebuhr said, "Humor is a prelude to faith and laughter is the beginning of prayer." Laugh deeply. *use of the word kindom to express what has been called the kingdom of God, allows me to more inclusively express the nature of relationships in what I understand to be a very broad experience of God's presence.

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Rev. Marion L. Rhyne is a former elementary classroom teacher, principal, music educator, choral director, and handbell director. She was ordained in 1990. She enjoys weaving, candle making, banner making and those arts and crafts that help tell The Story. She especially enjoys writing VBS curriculum. She is a First and Second Degree Reiki healer and a certified labyrinth facilitator.

Being at Trinity at this time in her life allows her to use all her gifts and education, her vocations and avocations, to share the Word through teaching, the arts, music, and spiritual guidance.

Her intentions for her work as Minister of Christian Education are to help the young people become proficient in the use of the Bible, to have a knowledge of the stories in both the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament and to have a relationship with Jesus the Christ.

Her intentions for her work as Minister of Music are to help the various musical groups and the congregation grow in their music skills and grow in understanding their theology.

She feels the Minister of Music and Christian Education call weaves her music, education, and theological studies to help give a more thorough learning base for all she serves.

You can see some of her work with the youth on her website: Pastor Marion's Website

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