Dr. Todd Varness is a pediatrician at the UW Hospital and a member at Trinity Church. As part of our sermon series “Sex and Sexuality” Dr. Todd spoke to our congregation about the hormonal development of a fetus and the complex role it plays in how a person becomes male or female. This is distinct of course, from how a person identifies his/her gender or an individual’s sexual orientation. Check it the video- it’s great stuff! This is how God makes us!

Illustration by TYA member Hannah P. Cook

Jen, Hannah, and I looked up from the hot tub: the moon was nearly full and we could see our breath in the air.  It was January and the temperature was well-below freezing, but there we were, sweating away in the bubbling tub outside of Pastor Amanda’s house.   Yup, that’s right.  Pastor Amanda and her husband Jason kindly invited the Trinity Young Adults into their home (and hot tub!).

We’d started our night at Pasqual’s filling our bellies with yummy tex-mex and washing it all down with mango margaritas. It was the first time the newly-formed Trinity Young Adults (TYA) group had what we were calling a “social” meeting.  The TYA is a group of twenty-somethings (with room for a newly-turned thirty-something like me) with the shared goal of contributing to our community here at Trinity as well as our larger community:  the city of Madison, our state of Wisconsin, The United States . . . heck, the world! We’re also determined to have a little fun along the way.

When my sister Hannah and I walked into Trinity on a Sunday this fall, we were immediately welcomed in a way that was sincere, but not overwhelming.  We were treated like long-lost friends, not prospective customers.  To me, that stood out!  In these past few months getting to know the folks of Trinity, I’ve met and talked with people of many backgrounds, from different walks of life.  This diversity is reflected in TYA, too—we’re all at different places in our lives and in our spiritual journeys and that’s what makes TYA a comfortable place . . . for anyone! 

After our first TYA meeting, I said to my sister, “These are good people.”  I really meant it.  It had been a while since I had felt welcomed and listened to and . . . whoa . . . cared about by a group of people I hardly knew.  It was reassuring to find these kind souls who were open-minded and ready to accept me just the way I am.

Hanging out in the pastor’s hot tub (a bargain that she and Jason bought second-hand) is a great example of what makes TYA special.   There’s a certain vulnerability involved in squeezing into swimsuit in the middle of winter and it takes a bit of courage to dash into the cold night air.    TYA is a group where I can be myself.  Let’s admit it, being yourself means being vulnerable . . . swimsuit or not.  It’s also a place I can find the support to be courageous . . . in all I do . . . whether that’s braving the cold on a January night or tackling big life decisions. 

If you consider yourself a young adult (and remember, “age ain’t nothin’ but a number”), I’d encourage you to stop by Trinity or one of our TYA meetings.  No matter what your story, you’ll always be welcome.

Upcoming events for UM Women…

Talk to Karen Mayeshiba during fellowship to learn more – or sign up down in Fellowship Hall.