Trinity Sunday

Today's Link
Joy in the Truth

Today's Saying
Romans 8:16 it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God

Today's Picture
A New Hanging Garden

Today the liturgical churches celebrate my least favorite church day. It is Trinity Sunday.
Now the texts in the common lectionary for this Sunday are fabulous . The Gospel is John 3:1-17 which clearly states God’s love. The second lesson is Romans 8:12-17 which speaks of our being heirs of God , a wonderful text. Even the First lesson Isaiah 6:1-7 has real preaching possibilities. It wasn’t the text that bothered me, it was the day.
Trinity Sunday
We believe in one God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
We proclaim that.
But how does one explain that ?
That’s the problem.
How can one God be three different and distinct persons?
I can’t. explain it and that’s the problem with the day.
People think the Pastor should be able to explain it.
Now it’s not that I don’t believe it. I do.
But I can’t explain it.
I know it grows out of the experience of the Church.
The disciples walked with Jesus, saw what Jesus did, and came to believe he was God.
The disciples experience the power of the Holy Spirit and came to believe he was God.
The disciples were taught by Jesus to see the Father as God.
Jesus taught them to baptize in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
The disciples were good Jews and knew there was only one God.
In the beginning this was not a problem.
They baptized in the name.
They proclaimed the risen Christ.
They moved with the power of the Holy Spirit.
But as time went on there was a need to put the experience into words.
A need to define the faith.
Out of that need comes the Creeds. Each one more specific than the other.
First it was enough to say that all three were God
Then they spelled it out a little more.
Then they struggled with finding the best words possible.
We end up with the Trinity.
In the beginning they were concerned with the humanity of Jesus. It was under attack by those who believed he was God playing at being man.
That was not acceptable.
Today it is not his humanity but his being God that is under attack.
So the Church struggled to spell out the nature of Jesus. With every word important.
Battles were fought over the words.
The Church has bestowed on us all that came out of that struggle.
It defines but does not explain.
Nor do we do a good job of teaching it.
I used to give my new Confirmation students a true and false test when they started Confirmation.
One of the questions was : True or false we have three Gods, Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
Over half the class always got it wrong.
It is Trinity Sunday.
Time to proclaim that the God we worship is one God in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
Time to rejoice that the Word became flesh.
Time to feel the power of the Spirit.
Just don’t ask me to explain it.

News from Pigeon Falls

The little town in my basement where the trains still run, dragons fly, and life is back to normal
Pastor Joan is back in the pulpit this morning. It is baccalaureate Sunday ( the Sunday before graduation) and there will be twelve seniors in Church this morning. They will be wearing their graduation gowns. Earlier the Church will have a breakfast for them . The chairman of Last Lutheran will do some remembering. They will all attend the late service. Pastor Joan has worked very hard on the sermon. Here is a piece of it:
“ Paul has some good news for our Seniors this morning. He wants them to know they are children of God. They are not just special because they are graduating . They aren’t just special because they have finished the course work. They aren’t even special because they get to wear robes. But I do have to say that if you like wearing robes you can join our choir they always can use a new member.
But these seniors are special today because they are children of God. This means they are heirs. . They stand to inherit.
And what an inheritance.
They receive a robe better than what they have on. It covers up their sin, their failings, the bad things they have done. So when the Father looks at them he sees his children in their sparkling new robes.
They inherit the promise they will be glorified with Jesus. And best of all they inherit eternal life. What an inheritance. And it all belongs to them.
Like all inheritances it comes with some strings.
The big one is they have to receive it.
If Gramps leaves you $10,000 in an envelope and you never pick it up it does you no good. You have to receive it.
The sad thing is you can turn and walk away from your inheritance.
You can.
We all can.
That would be so sad because Jesus died so you can have the inheritance.
It would be sad indeed.”

Wrap UP

Wonderful Sunday. Our choir sang four numbers including " Soon an Very Soon" . Fantastic! We honored our graduates. Pastor preached a great sermon. The only bad thing was our walk a thon that I lead on my scooter ended up being in the rain. But we raised some money so our youth can go to New Orleans in July. Part of that trip will be helping with a housing project. In the afternoon I brought St. Mark's website up to date then I visited the blogs of everyone who left a comment.Now I need a breathing treatment.
GBYA

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