April 6, 2025
You are welcome here!
We hope you can be with us on Sunday, April 6, as we celebrate Holy Communion and the 5th Sunday in Lent. Worship begins at 9:15 with fellowship in the parlor and Adult Sunday School following the service.
If you plan to worship via ZOOM on a computer, ipad, or iphone you can join us by using the following link...
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87085900692
If you are on a phone, dial 1-646-876-9923 and enter 870 8590 0692 when prompted.
The Zoom waiting area opens 30 minutes prior to the service and the Fellowship area connects at 9:00.
**You can learn what else is happening at Trinity in the April 2025 Trinity Times edition on our newsletter page.
Pastor Jessica
Our Pastor
Jessica Lynn Ross serves as a Clergy Member in the Eastern PA Conference of the United Methodist Church.
Pastor Ross became a member of the UMC in 2005, earning her MDiv from Palmer Theological Seminary in May 2006. She also earned an MS degree in Science from Morgan State University in 2000. Jessica has served as pastor of Trinity-Bayton, Kensington “Old Brick”, Mother African Zoar, Tobyhanna, and Pocono Lake. She also serves as the Peace with Justice Coordinator for the EPA Conference.
Pastor Ross was raised in Brooklyn, N.Y., the eldest of seven children. Since her call to ministry in 2001, she has been joyfully serving the Lord and never ceasing to be amazed at God’s goodness, mercy, and grace. A retired math and science teacher, she loves teaching, preaching, Bible Study, providing pastoral care, and working for social justice. And on occasion, helping a child or adult with their math homework.
Occasional Sermon Notes from Pastor Jessica
Sermon Outline December 22, 2024
“Fruitful Presence” Pastor Jessica
Luke 1:39–45 (NRSV)
39 In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, 40 where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit 42 and exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. 43 And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? 44 For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. 45 And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.” 1
As I went about visiting, writing, preparing, at Trinity UMC. I was watching people rushing about for the holidays I saw. Couple loading wrapped box’s into their SUV and it brought back so many memories. I remember sharing gifts, traveling, sometimes by bus and train, trying to get everything into the car or bus, and making sure all the gift tags were secured, etc.
After doing this for many many years I had to wonder do I still feel the presence of God’s love, do I still get excited about giving gifts and receiving gifts and watching the faces of those who open their gift and discover what they really wanted. Do I still feel that joy of discovery when shopping when I find that perfect gift. And patiently waiting on line to purchase it. Or perhaps you remember staying up late to put that easy to assemble gift together that was only easy after it’s been completed!
Am I still excited about Christmas? What about you? Do you still feel the Same wonder and expectation of gifts to open and gifts that reveal the joy of discovery? Do you remember crossing off the days on the calendar to Christmas? Whether you ae the person who can’t wait to open their gift or the one who waits until all gifts are open before opening your own, there is no denying the joy of Christmas morning
When I think of Christmas morning. I think about how God’s mercies are new every morning and wonder, am I excited to start a brand new day? Are you excited to unwrap every new day? Are we racing to unwrap the gift of a new opportunity to be fruitful for the Lord?
When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting the baby leapt inside her womb. The younger we are the more excited we are about Christmas. Isn’t the beginning of our faith journey the most exciting?
Do you remember? As we are privileged to see a new day, let us get excited. What are you hoping for? What brings you excitement? It’s not that we’re excited about a new day it’s that we are excited about another day to serve the Lord, to bear fruit for the Lord, and to share the awesome presence of God in our lives! Hope beginning anew. New possibilities and new miracles await. Healings, Joy. Answered prayers. We’re going to bear fruit for the Lord! Serving Christ the Lord at Christmas is a blessed event! During this joyous season of hope and expectation we celebrate peace coming into the world. If we all had one wish, wouldn’t it be some form of peace for all the earth?
Our gifting is like an approximation of trying to share the joy of the birth of Christ to someone somewhere. Such that we are moved in our spirit with the joy of the coming of Christ. Even if we can’t see it, we can feel it.
Place a hand on your heart, can you feel the movement of joy in Christ leaping within seeking to be birthed anew at every opportunity? Are you energized to bear fruit for the Lord that will let everyone know that Christ, the gift of God to the world is present. Christ is Present today, Christ Has come and will come again. Are we seeking to give the gift of Christ anew to someone somewhere?
As we prepare for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day the presence of God is restless and expectantly waiting for us to get in touch with our childhood’s faith, and excited to be birthed anew into our lives, our communities and our world.
Pastor Jessica Lynn Ross
Trinity UMC
1 The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1989), Lk 1:39–45. Logos Library Systems Software
