Introduction to today’s theme
Our theme today is “experiencing the Holy Trinity”. After we have heard from Libby we will take some time to consider if we can hear, see, and feel the Holy Trinity. Like the air we breathe and take for granted it is easier to simply accept the Holy Trinity as a given, as something that just is. We don’t need to know the analysis of the air we breathe, how many atoms of oxygen there are compared to nitrogen, nor do we need to even think about breathing, it just happens. The presence of the Holy Trinity is like breathing, it just happens and if we try to figure it all out as if it is a mathematical equation we will tie ourselves in knots.
To have some fun with the concept of hearing the Trinity we are going to play with today’s readings, we will get to hear the Trinity by ringing bells, every time we hear either Father, Son, Spirit, or Love mentioned in the readings. Later in today’s service we will look at some images of the Trinity and then we will try to figure out if we can feel the presence of our Creator God, our Saviour Jesus, and our Holy Friend.
Seeing the Holy Trinity (PowerPoint images)
So we have had some playing with the Trinity, making noise and hearing the Trinity’s presence in scripture.
We humans like to make sense of things even mysteries that are clearly beyond our understanding, so these are attempts to express something for which there is no simple explanation.
Most images are clearly trinitarian but did you know that our church’s symbol also depicts the Holy Trinity?
Feeling the presence of the Holy Trinity
When I enrolled to study the Trinity in college I naively thought that at the end of the semester I would know all about the trinity and have all the answers. How well did that go do you think?
I can away from that study with more questions than ever before however I also came away with a sense of peace and acceptance, knowing that the thoughts of God are not my thoughts and that I do not have to understand the Trinity to hear, see and feel the presence of Creator, Redeemer, and Spirit Friend in my life, in the life of the church and indeed within all of creation. On the less positive side, I also came away with the feeling that the Holy Spirit is a much forgotten and neglected member of the Trinity, particularly in our denomination in which we are much more focused on reason and understanding, sermons, study, and academics.
So with that in mind let’s turn out attention to the Spirt and today’s gospel reading.
Jesus tells us that we have the Spirit of truth, who in other parts of Scripture is described as Wisdom, the Advocate, the Comforter, Holy Friend, and prayer partner. What a blessing. What great news and the best part is we do not have to understand how it all works, just simply trust it, and accept it. The tricky part is to surrender our own will and our own egos to the Spirit’s guidance.
We saw earlier in the images that there is a triangular relationship between Father, Son, and Spirit who each empty themselves to receive love and return that love, in an everlasting cycle that is sometimes referred to as a dance. But you know we too are all caught up in a triangular dance of love. We too are called to empty ourselves, becoming accepting and gracious to one another. We all have a triangular relationship between you and I and the Holy Trinity. It is through the wonder of this relationship that miracles can happen, that we can be as one as the Father and Son are Spirit are one, diverse yet united. Because of the exchange of love within our relationships we feel each other’s pain and we share in each other’s joy; in this way we feel the Holy Spirit, as tangible emotion. Why, Jesus reminds us in today’s gospel, that through the Spirit God’s love has been poured into our hearts. As individuals and as the church, the body of Christ, imagine what is possible if we simply trust in this mystery.
Amen.