Some parts of the Church observe a “Church Year” or Liturgical Calendar that gives some shape to the topics emphasized through the year. Like Christmas (and the run-up to it, Advent), and Easter. We mark the time between Christmas and Easter thinking about the various events in the earthly life of Jesus, and continue that through Pentecost, which starts the history of the Church. After Pentecost, we think more about how the life, death, resurrection and continuing presence of Jesus affects us in the here and now, culminating with “Christ the King” Sunday, the last one before the cycle starts again.
This Sunday is the first in that “ordinary” time, and is called “Trinity Sunday” where now that we have thought about God the Father, talked for months about Jesus, and last week reflected on God the Holy Spirit, we look at the Blessed “Three-in-One” – The Holy Trinity, which we Christians hold as the fundamental understanding of God.
It is always interesting to me to see what different preachers have to say on this Sunday…
It is a difficult concept to understand. It is SO difficult, that most of our teaching about it is surrounded by negatives – “Not EXACTLY like this, but not quite like THAT either”
Since it IS so difficult to explain, some preachers seem to talk around it. I am sure some today went for Memorial Day instead. Sometimes, a Mother’s Day sermon is an option. Just avoid it. And that saddens me. It makes me cringe.
If our teaching about God, our thinking about Jesus and how he “fits into” and affects our life comes from anything at all, it has to come from the nature of God. From who He is. The Trinity is important.
I don’t intend to try to explain or defend the doctrine here. I wrote a piece some years ago, and while I think there is considerable room for further work, I include the link here: https://rericsawyer.wordpress.com/2009/04/07/thoughts-on-the-holy-trinity.
But I think we do a grave disservice to our corporate thought when we choose not to think about the implications of the Trinity for our lives in the “here and now” – for the pastoral implications of it. One preacher I sat under for several years who did a wonderful job with this is the Rev. Stephen Whaley, soon to be installed as the new Rector of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, Brenham, Texas.
As an example of what I mean, the doctrine of the Trinity implies that Love is not an add-on which became part of God at creation. Love is at the core of reality. When Jesus prayed in John 17 that they (we) would all be one “Even as you and I are one” the implications for the fellowship within the Church is clear. And even the idea that things made carry the imprint of the maker suggests part of the way in which all humanity – including my enemies, and those who need my help (deserving or not) – flow in and out of me in a way that suggests that we are not so “individual” as our western culture is use to thinking.
We are truly “all in this together” -especially if the doctrine of the Trinity is right.
I think it is worth reflecting on, especially in these very divided times.
Random Musings 