Sermon 26th May 2024 – Trinity Sunday
Text: Romans 8:12-17 – Safe in the Trinity
Today we gather to celebrate Trinity Sunday, a day
set aside to contemplate the mysterious and profound nature of God as Holy
Trinity - the belief in one God who exists in three persons: the Father, the
Son, and the Holy Spirit. The Trinity
distinguishes us from all other religions. It describes who we are and what we
believe about God. A doctrine so essential that it led to the confession of
faith known as the Athanasian Creed – one of the 3 ecumenical creeds used by
the Christian Churches which begins –
Whoever desires to be saved should above all hold to
the catholic faith. Anyone who does not keep it whole and unbroken will
doubtless perish eternally. Now this is the catholic faith: That we worship one
God in trinity and the trinity in unity, neither blending their persons nor
dividing their essence.
This doctrine is central to the Christian faith and
is a mystery that has been pondered and debated for centuries.
And it ends, as it began - This is the catholic
faith: one cannot be saved without believing it firmly and faithfully.
The Trinity has been the cause of well-meaning
faithful Christians being declared heretics because instead of accepting the
teaching of the Holy Trinity they wanted to debate and explain what is a hidden
mystery. The Trinity is a reminder of the complexity and richness of our God. It teaches us that God is not a solitary
being, but a loving community of three distinct persons who exist in perfect
unity. And that God invites us into that
community to experience the perfect unity of love. The Father, the Son, and the
Holy Spirit are inseparable, equal, and eternally coexistent. They are distinct in their roles, yet united
in their purpose.
It is also the source of our comfort as Paul points
out in our second reading: When we cry, "Abba! Father!" it is that
very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if
children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ.
Paul reminds us that because Jesus is the Son of God
he is heir to the Father’s kingdom and that through our Baptism we are Children
of God and therefore we are joint heirs with Jesus. And Jesus therefore
comforts us by saying - I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish;
no one will snatch them out of my hand. We are safe and secure in the hands of
our Lord in the Trinity of love. As he says in the parable of the Good
Shepherd, Jesus has put a fence around us and he is the gate – the only way in
– protecting us from our enemy.
As we reflect on the Trinity, we are reminded of the
depth of God's love for us. The Father,
in His infinite wisdom and power, created the world and all that is in it. He
was there at the beginning of Creation – as we confess – I believe in God the
Father almighty – maker of heaven and earth. The Son, Jesus Christ, came to
earth to take away our sin and to show us the way to the Father. He too was there at the beginning – as John
tells us in his opening chapter: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word
was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through
him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. The
Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. The word that created – let
there be light. And the Holy Spirit, sent by the Father and the Son, dwells
within us, guiding us, empowering us, and comforting us who was also there at
the beginning of creation: Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was
over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the
waters. The Holy Spirit brought order out of chaos – which is what he still
does today in the world and in our lives.
The Trinity also teaches us about community and
relationship. Just as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit exist in perfect
communion, so too are we called to live in unity with one another. We are
created for relationships - with God and with our fellow human beings. We are
called to love one another, to bear one another's burdens, and to seek
reconciliation and peace. That’s why Jesus said we can’t separate – loving God
and loving our neighbour.
Trinity Sunday is a time for us to embrace the
mystery of God's nature and his majesty and greatness as did Isaiah who saw the
presence of God that shook the pivots of the temple. God wants to shake the pivots of our world,
our churches and our lives by his amazing love. It is a day to reaffirm our
faith in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and to recommit ourselves to
following their example of love, unity, and service.
The Trinity has puzzled theologians for centuries,
and that’s okay if it confuses us because God is beyond our full comprehension.
Sometimes the best things for us are kept as mystery. It’s actually comforting
that we can’t confine God into a neat little box with a perfect explanation. But that doesn't mean we can't experience the
fulness of God's love and live in relationship with God.
The Trinity is our understanding of God's love – a
love that is not only singular but relational, a love that flows within itself,
a love that eternally gives and receives. God loves each of us individually but
he also loves us as a fellowship because we are all created in his image. The
Father, the creator and source of all. The Son, Jesus Christ, who embodies
God's love in human form. The Holy Spirit, the comforter, the guide, the
ever-present reality of God in our lives. Three distinct persons, yet one God, bound by
a love that goes, as St. Paul says, beyond our understanding and definition.
The mystery of the Trinity is to be lived in our own
relationships. We are called to love one
another as God loves us – with a love that is creative, sacrificial, and
ever-present. We are called to be creators, building bridges of understanding
and compassion in a world sadly divided. Remember what Jesus said after his
resurrection - we are witnesses of God’s love and reconciliation through
repentance and forgiveness of sins. We are called to be like Christ, offering
love and forgiveness even and especially when it's difficult.
Just like the mystery of the Trinity, our love
should be just as much a mystery to the world around us as we love our enemies
– as we forgive those who hurt us – as we turn the other cheek – as we go and
do likewise as the Good Samaritan. We are called to be open to the Holy Spirit,
allowing God's guidance to shape our actions and words. The Trinity reminds us
that we are not meant to live in isolation. We are created for relationship – with God and
with each other.
So, on this Trinity Sunday, let us move beyond
simply pondering the mystery. Let us
embrace the love that flows from the Father, through the Son, and by the Holy
Spirit. As much as people will question why we place such importance on the
Holy Trinity when the word Trinity doesn’t even appear in the Bible – the
Trinity is essential to know and to understand God’s love for us. Why? Because
everything God does for us extends from his Holy Name, Father, Son and Holy
Spirit.
We begin – in the name of the Father, Son and Holy
Spirit.
We receive forgiveness - – in the name of the
Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
We are baptised - – in the name of the Father, Son
and Holy Spirit.
We go forth from here empowered by the Holy Trinity,
to share the love of God with all we meet.
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