A Letter from Liesl

Dear ones,
 
Beginnings are a precious time. Shimmering first impressions, brief as they are, convey a kind of truth that can fall away with familiarity and routine. Here are some truths that shine through about Trinity:
 
You love God.
You love each other.
You are thirsty for justice.
You are committed to long-term relationships in our neighborhood.
 
While I have been experiencing all the “firsts” of life at Trinity (Sunday worship, Wednesday night suppers, tea & coffee after prayers, staff and council meetings), I am pinching myself. My job here, at its core, is to love this community: to listen to you and walk with you, even as we listen to and walk with our neighbors. What an incredible privilege, and one that I hope never to take lightly.
 
I'll bet you have some first impressions of me too (shiny or not!).  For those who were not able to attend Adult Forum last week, here is a bit more about me--

I grew up in San Francisco, where I learned to love the fog. I attended a Missouri-Synod Lutheran church and school through 8th grade, where I learned to love the Small Catechism. In high school, when I met my first gay and Jewish friends, I learned that I, and God, loved them too. LGBTQ-affirming ministry and interfaith relationships have been important to me ever since.
 
In college I spent more time producing, directing and stage-managing theatre than I did on my homework. After graduating, I moved to New York City—initially to work at a private foundation, researching the role of art in social change, and then moving to a small NGO that works with film and media in refugee camps.
 
Even as these roles stretched me professionally Monday-Friday, it was on the weekends that I grew the most. In two churches, I helped to lead music and connected with my fellow New Yorkers across age, class, race and ability. This is when I first felt the Spirit tugging my heart toward the church—the place where I was planted, the place where I might grow and bear fruit.
 
Fast forwarding through Divinity school, through chaplaincy and many travels, and I find myself here, at Trinity in Cedar-Riverside, Minneapolis, with the feeling that I was heading to this place all along.
 
Of course, over time the weightiness of real relationship will replace the initial shimmer of introductions. You and I will get there, to real relationship. But for now I am basking in the glow of getting to know you. 
​
Peace,
Liesl