I am very grateful for the opportunity to serve as pastor of Holy Trinity.
We are proud to be located in the wonderful city of Chicago and the vibrant community of Lakeview.
Since 1999 the congregation has experienced rapid growth, averaging approximately
40 new members per year. The majority of our worshipping community is in
their twenties and thirties, and in the winter of 2004 we opened a nursery
for our ever-growing population of babies and toddlers.
I grew up in Longmont, Colorado, and attended Gustavus
Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minnesota. I majored in music, which has
been a significant strand running throughout my life. For two years I served
as Minister of Music and Education at a church in Indianapolis. I attended
seminary at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, and my brother and
I were ordained together in 1988. I have served as associate pastor at two
other parishes before coming to Holy Trinity: Resurrection Lutheran Church
inLakeview/Chicago and Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in St. Paul, Minnesota.
From an early age I have had a special interest in
liturgy, and I value worship that is both traditional and creative, that
honors the mystery of God, as well as the presence of the sacred in human
life. I treasure our rich catholic liturgical heritage, in which all our
senses are involved in the experience of worship. We are delighted a growing
number of young people are hungry for meaningful ritual in their lives, and
I believe the Sunday liturgy is a gift the Church continues to offer us.
I also have a special passion for spirituality and
its connections with everyday life. Through worship, preaching, classes
and retreats Holy Trinity is a place that provides a spiritual home for
both members and guests. At the same time we know that we are called to
serve God in the world and in our daily lives as we are bearers of God's
justice, peace and reconciliation.
Finally, I treasure the many ways Holy Trinity models
the gospel of God's hospitality and welcome to all people. It is truly a
community that seeks to reflect the wonderful diversity of the human family.
Wherever you are in your spiritual life or your comfortableness with organized
religion you are welcome at Holy Trinity. Whether you are a lifelong Lutheran,
a newcomer to Christianity, a skeptic, or a spiritual seeker, there is a
place for you among us.
Blessings,
Pastor Craig M. Mueller
