June 3, 2012
Trinity Sunday
- Isaiah 6:1-8
- Dr. Teri Thomas
Nine out of ten American believe in God.
But within that overwhelming majority
there are many different understandings of what that God is like.
Some folks see God as a chief justice sort of being-
long white beard
flowing robes
watching over us and judging each action as good or evil.
This judge bestows blessings on some and curses on others
and might just nail us when we show up for the final judgment.
Others see God as more of a big, fuzzy teddy bear.
God is personal, providing friendship, companionship, and love.
Teddy Bear God can be counted on for comfort whenever needed.
For some, God is an architect and creator.
God set the world in motion and now sits at a distance and observes.
In this age of tolerance and diversity
we seem pretty content
to let each person define God as they choose.
One person's idea is as good as another person's idea.
We shouldn't be judging other people's faith.
What difference does it make anyway?
Well, how we view God does make a difference.
It impacts our choices,
our values, our politics,
our spending,
how we raise our children
how we treat our neighbors
how we live our lives.
Today is Trinity Sunday.
The Christian church has set this Sunday aside
for the last 700 years
for reflection on the mystery of the Trinity.
Holy, Holy, Holy, we sing, God in three persons, blessed Trinity.
But inside we think…
The trinity is too complicated and faith should be simple.
How can there be three gods, I thought we believed in one God!
The whole thing seems silly to me.
I'm a good Christian -- I believe in the Trinity -- but I don't have a clue about what it means.
Trinitarian, Unitarian, Vegetarian, Flexitarian -- who cares? Does it matter?
It mattered to Emperor Constantine in 325
so he called together bishops from all over the Christian world
to wrestle with the question of the divinity of Jesus Christ.
Was Christ simply another great prophet and teacher –
even a high ranking angel from God –
or was he the divine Son of God,
co-equal and co-eternal with God?
In the end they adopted the Nicene Creed which states:
I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds; God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God; begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made.
And I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of Life; who proceeds from the Father and the Son; who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified; who spoke by the prophets.
What does all of this have to do with you and me?
The Trinity mattered to those who wrote that creed
for the same reason it matters to us.
It matters because it helps us answer the question,
Who is this God we have come together to worship?
What we learn from the Trinity is-
- God is creator
We affirm that we are made in the image of God,
our own personhood is rooted in God
and our value is rooted in God alone.
Our goodness and our worth come from knowing we are God’s. It is God who made us.
- God is Savior
God took on human flesh
and came to us in the person of Jesus Christ.
God is not only our Maker, but God is our Savior.
God alone can save what God alone has created.
- God is Present
Not only did God create us and come to us as Savior –
but God is always and everywhere present
to encourage and empower,
comfort and care for us –
wherever life's journey may take us!
When we are in pain, when we struggle,
when we miss the mark
and when we enjoy our finest moments,
God is present with us.
- God is community
As humans, we are created in the image of God.
To be made in the image of God
is to be made in the image of the Holy Trinity;
like the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit,
we are persons.
This means that we are free
and are able to know and love others,
but it also means that we belong to something greater than ourselves.
We are related to and connected to others.
The three divine persons of God are forever united with each other in mutual love, they dwell in each other. They collaborate continually, sharing as one in all their activities. They are related to each other.
This provides a model for the ideal human community,
in which we are united by mutual love,
we work together in harmonious consensus,
and the equality and dignity of each person is respected.
We shall never fully comprehend the mystery of the Trinity,
but we can know the hope, joy and love
which are ours because of:
God in three persons...
Blessed Trinity!
Amen.