In his book The Provocative Church, Bishop Graham Tomlin tells this story about his days as a chaplain at Oxford (emphasis mine):
I once talked with a young student who was considering carefully whether to become a follower of Christ or not. He had looked closely at the reasons for and against and found it hard to decide. There seemed good reason to believe, but then again, there was nothing absolutely conclusive about the arguments. He was stuck, not knowing which way to turn. I suggested to him that he try an experiment. For a few weeks, live as if it's really true. Pray as if God is really listening, read the Bible as if God is trying to speak to you through it, meet with other Christians as if God is really present among them. And live not only as if you are loved by God; live as if everyone you meet each day is as well. He thought this sounded reasonable and not impossible, so he agreed to give it a try. He came back a week later. I could tell immediately that something was different. The worried frown he had worn before was transformed into a definite smile. "I did what you said, and it worked! I started to live as if it was true; now I know it is true." He had begun to experience transformation.
Tomlin goes on to say that one mark of a thriving church is that it's a transforming community. It's a place where people's lives are changed, and where people then go on to transform the wider community around them. Individual growth leads to community growth, both spiritually and numerically. Being generically welcoming isn't really sufficient. As Christians, as the people of Trinity Church, we welcome people to something in particular: a transformed life in Jesus.
As we continue to explore our values of love, compassion, and community, I invite you to "live as if it's really true." Pray, read, and love knowing that wherever you go, God is alive, active, and present in your life. I invite you also to pray for Trinity Church, that we may be a transforming community in Princeton.