Triune Mystery
This can be heard here
Gate Pa Trinity Sunday 2015
Readings:
Psalm: Psalm 29
First Reading:
Isaiah 6:1-8
Second Reading:
Rom 8:12-17
Gospel:
John 3:1-17
What I want to say:
To explore the doctrine of
the trinity as something that leads us to God as multidimensional, ultimately mysterious,
who invites us through the relationship within the Trinity to live by different
principles.
What I want to happen:
people to contemplate the mystery of God, three in one, and
to be more immersed in the life that exists within this mystery
The Sermon
1. Introduction:
today is Trinity Sunday
# (talk to you neighbours about how you
understand the Trinity)
# plenary
day once again we stop take note
central
piece Christianity
God
is three and one
which of course makes absolutely no sense whatsoever
arose because we believe that Jesus is fully
human and fully divine
if we were honest also doesn’t make a lot of
sense
some of you are wondering
why bother with all this anyway?
so hard and difficult
what difference does it make –
for a starter
These
two pieces of theology that mark us Christians out from our Jewish and Muslim
brothers and sisters.
kind
of important
lets spend moment remind ourselves of what it
all is.
2. 300
most what believe about Trinity came together
in 300’s
–
century of turmoil and brutal debate about the nature of Son
then became about how we understand Trinity
saw writing Apostles creed and Nicene
creed
number of others – now rejected
In a nutshell then
Jesus – the Son, is both fully human and fully
divine.
one
person – 2 natures
God is three persons – one nature
tease that out means - God is one
Bible
is clear about that
hold
that with Islam and Judaism
Also say God is 3
hold all together with
God
is three persons but one nature or essence
what on earth does that mean?
first things note
not God comes in three different ways
but is 3 “persons”
why -
gospels in particular
Jesus
sent by father – implies two “persons”
returns
to father
father
says – this is my beloved son
Spirit
proceeds from Father
person not mean separate people as we use term
person then is three separate “I’s”
to use traditional language
Father refers to Himself as “I” and Son and
Spirit as “you”
Son too refers to Himself as “I” and Father
and Spirit as “you”
Spirit too refers to Herself as “I” and Father
and Son as “you”.
Each person in Trinity has ability for distinctive
thought, initiative, compassion, love and action
Holy
Spirit is not just a force at work in world doing God’s bidding
Three Gods then?
Listen to some Christians yes
still hold to one God
God is three persons but one essence
not three persons as you and I are separate persons
where
we get into trouble
But One God of one essence
three “I’s” with one indivisible essence
nor like three chunks of pie which all
together make God
God is one
God is found and experienced fully in each
person of the Trinity
when one person of the Trinity acts, then all
3 persons act
explore
to experience one is to experience all three
persons
so we know nature God the Father and the Spirit
through life Jesus the Son
we know nature God the Father and God and Son when
experience work of Spirit
3. Water
So who has followed me 100% so far?
probably not many of you
in fact trying understand Trinity like trying
hold water in hands
actually can’t do it.
Is problem of Trinity
a
lot easier if simpler
lots
people tried make it simpler and more understandable
one author reading suggested that every heresy
about Trinity is when people tried make Trinity more understandable
forget the gift on the Trinity
and gift
not
understandable
] reminds
us that God is mystery
God
will not conform to our ideas about how things should work
remind
us that God is multifaceted
– not reduce God down to Father or
Son or Spirit
reminds
us this doctrine is incomplete
best we can do from evidence of scripture
particularly
gospels and words Jesus
own
experience
In the end – not whole story
Trying to describe something that is indescribable
4. lex orandi, lex credendi, lex vivendi?
There is a saying comes
from early church
"lex orandi, lex credendi, lex vivendi",
As we Worship, so we Believe and
so we Live[1]
for early church fathers (and I guess mothers)
how we worship shapes what believe (what we believe
about God, God’s world and ourselves)
what believe determines how we live our lives
put a lot store on interplay between theology
and worship - liturgy
why?
If my worship is to a God who is judge sitting
in heaven
judging
who gets to go to heaven and who goes to hell
God
who is angry with sin of world
will
come to believe that that is nature of God
life
will be lived in fear trying appease that God and earn my way in.
and/or
try become agents of Gods righteous anger
venting that anger on all we deem to
beyond God’s compassion
over
centuries that included Jews, Muslims, Gays
If my worship is to a God who is passionate
about this world and those who live in it
so passionate that God the Son came among us as
one of us
sign of God’s passion and commitment
died to release us from all that binds us and
blinds us
prevents us from living with same compassion
and commitment to all creation
then I will come to trust in that God and in grow
in loyalty to that God
which
is what belief really means
with the help of God the Spirit seek to live
as one who is filled with God’s passion for
this world and those who live in it
seek to join with God in God’s ongoing work of
bringing life and redemption to all creation
As we Worship, so we Believe and so we Live
5. God in relationship
so how our belief about the Trinity shapes our
worship is really important
will
shape what we believe about God
it
is shaping how we live our lives
number theologians suggest that when get too
hung up on mechanics Trinity
mechanics are important
but they are not the point
miss one most beautiful truths of Trinity
miss that at heart of Triune God is profound
relationship of mutuality, care respect, loyalty, generosity
miss that Son came out of that relationship
offering
that same mutuality, care, respect, loyalty, generosity to all creation
Through the Son – Jesus
we are invited into that same relationship
through the ascension we are drawn into the
heart of that relationship
which we might describe as love
Go on to say that whenever we come together in
worship
we do not invite God here
God is already here
God is the one inviting
we are invited into heart Trinity
The Triune God invites us into the mutuality,
care, respect, loyalty, generosity that is God
and in doing so we are to become people marked
by that same mutuality, care, respect, loyalty, generosity
When we gather
we gather in heart of God
God - St. Augustine of Hippo described as
God is the Lover, the Beloved and the Love between
We are invited into the heart of mystery
to be shaped by that mystery
So how has your worship over the years shaped
what you believe about the Trinity?
How have you lived that out?
As we are invited into the heart of God who is
the Lover, the Beloved and the Love between
what
is it like to be invited into the heart of mystery?
Let us pray
In this new
season
may you know
the presence of
the God
who dwells within
your days,
the mystery of
the Christ
who drenches you
in love,
the blessing of
the Spirit
who bears you
into life anew.[2] –
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