Joining the Dance



Trinity Sunday 2013

Readings:

Hebrew Scripture:               Proverbs  8:1-4, 22-31 
Psalm:                    Psalm: 8 
Epistle:   Romans 5:1-5        
Gospel: John 16:12-15                                        

What I want to say:

suggest that a good understanding of the Trinity is important to help us understand who we are and what is ours to do
explore Social Trinitarianism
suggest things we might need to let go of
what is my vision

What I want to happen:

People to be more engaged in knowing Jesus and making Jesus known

The Sermon 

1.       Introduction:

St Augustine of Hippo Walking along the water's edge on a delightful day,
                pondering the mystery of the Trinity - severe headache
                                coming close to breaking the code of the mystery.
                Suddenly at his feet was a small boy       asks what he is doing
                The youngster replied, "I am pouring the whole ocean into this small hole."
                Augustine said, "That's nonsense.  No one can do that." Augustine says that is impossible
                the child replied, "Well, neither can you, Bishop Augustine, unravel the mystery of the Trinity."
                Then the boy disappeared.

in light of that should abandon all further attempts to talk about Trinity
                it is a mystery
                leave it at that
trouble is who understand God to be
                shapes how see church and purpose of church
                                our role in that
                how we see life and how we live that
eg only see God far off majestic power being
                holed up in heaven
                watches us from a distance
                life all about pleasing that God
                                reduced to being good moral person
                church becomes mirror of that power
                                accumulates for itself all trappings power and importance

    2.       Dietrich Bonheoffer

reading Bonheoffer
– how quickly German church succumbed to Hitler
                many Germans, Christianity and God were seen through lens of Germaness
something intrinsic to being German
being German came first
extraordinarily judgemental here suggest
                most people not clear about who is God
                led to lack understanding about who they were
                what it meant to follow Christ
so easy for that to happen
same things happening in America today
suspect would be many other countries as well.
Why think good grasp of Trinity is important
shapes understanding of God
in turn shapes how see ourselves
how see church
how see ministry and mission

     3.       Brian McLaren Social Trinitarianism

-          another book read this year – Brian McLaren’s “Why did Jesus, Moses, The Buddha, and Mohammed Cross The Road?
-           spends a chapter talking about Trinity using Social Trinitarianism
-          built on much odder understanding trinity comes out astern orthodox Church
-          basic image within Trinity is dance of life and love
-          heart of Trinity three person in deeply self-giving, honouring, fully receiving relationship – i.e. all imagine best relationship with another person can be
-          that is found in Trinity and more
-          word persons here is tricky
-          when use it describe us talking about separate entities
-                  eg Bonnie, I and say Michael son
-          we can be met separately as individuals
-          described and understood separately
-          meet us and know us without ever having meet or know other two.
-          not what person means here
-          inter-persons – only met and only knowable in relationship with other two persons
o   Father is only father of Son and sender of Spirit
o   Son is only Son of Father
o   Spirit is Spirit of Father and Son
ð  one with and in each other
ð  to meet one is to meet them all
ð  co-eternal – Father did not come first
ð  equal
ð  no person Trinity is subservient to other
ð  within Trinity three persons dance - dance life and love
what kind of universe this God create?
what kind of church God want to see?
what kind of life does this God invite us into?

     4.       AGM

in light of that want make few comments as go into our AGM
last week finished wondering what we might be invited to let go of
come to AGM suggest few things:
                making this church the centre thinking about church
                                point of church isn’t church
                                point of church is not keeping this place going and getting more people to come on Sunday
                                measure of church isn’t what happens here on Sunday mornings (whenever services are)
                point church what happens the rest of the week
                how we live out being in Trinitarian dance of life and love every day
should not do things because get more bottoms on pews
do them because that what it means to followers of Christ
that is what it means to join in the dance
that is what it means to join with risen Christ in on-going work bringing life to world
read how to shrink your church –
grew church using pragmatic methods growing churches
problem was focus was on church, not on being faithful to gospel
Success is about "doing." Faithfulness is about "being," and it's really hard to measure.
vision
Colleague asked for his vision for parish
                which gave
what do I want to see happen?
at pastoral care meeting
                want us to care for each other – how might we do that?
overall
                what do YOU want to see happen
                what do we think God wants to see happen
have to do that together
I cant tell
                same as last year
                want us all to work out who is God for us
                – who are we as God’s people
                in light of that what does it mean to be faithful in this place
is not my role to provide a vision
or to tell you all what is to be done
that is our task together

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