Genesis
1:1--2:4a ; Psalm 8 ; 2 Corinthians
13:11-13 ; Matthew
28:16-20
Today is Holy Trinity Sunday. I’m sure you will be pleased to
learn I am not going to try to explain a doctrine that arose out of 4th
century metaphysics. Personally, I believe that when we try to take God apart
into the three persons, we do injustice to God and our own faith. Especially to
try to do this in a single sermon!
Instead, today, I want to talk about the Trinity as a
relationship, Father, Son, and Spirit, inseparable, united in one purpose – the
desire to love all creation, which includes us human creatures. We’ll do that
by taking a quick tour through today’s readings.
…
In Genesis, we remember that God created everything, one part of the universe
after another. And we learn that everything God created was “Good.” Another way
of thinking about the relationship God had, and still has, with creation is
that it is “Beloved” or maybe even “Blessed.” God creates in order to have a
relationship with the creation – otherwise, why does it matter that it is good,
or beloved, or blessed?
As
the last act of creation, God creates humans so that we might be stewards of
all that God has made. God loves and trusts us so much that we are God’s
designated caretakers of the earth and all that lives in it, on it, and around
it. We are created by God with love, and we live in holy relationship with the
Divine.
…
In Psalm 8, the psalmist celebrates the relationship with a beautiful song
about creation. He (or it could be she!) praises the majesty of God and the
wonder of the relationship between God and humans. “What are we, who are we –
that you should pay attention to us?” and, “Who are you, God, that you care so
much for us and all you have made?”
…
In Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians, he seems to be attempting to
resolve church conflicts. There have been people disrupting the order and peace
within the congregation. Paul has spent chapters outlining how things should be
done, how they should treat one another, and what they should believe.
Paul
sums up what their relationships should be like with this blessing, “The grace
of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit
be with all of you.” Their relationships should be filled with Jesus’ grace,
God’s love, and Spirit’s presence. They should treat one another the way Jesus
would.
…
In the Gospel reading, these are the last few verses of Matthew’s Gospel, and
the last time Jesus appears to the disciples, the last time he speaks to them. For
three years, they have followed him, come to know him, listened to him, learned
from him. They have wept at his death and rejoiced at his resurrection.
Now,
their intimate relationship is ending. Now, he trusts them as he sends them out
to be his hands, and feet, and mouth, and heart in the world. The relationship
takes on a new dimension with a final promise, “I am with you always,
everywhere you go.” The disciples went out to the ends of the known world, in
many directions, carrying the news of God’s victory over death wherever they
went. They went empowered by the Holy Spirit, developing relationships with new
believers and teaching them about Jesus.
…
God’s promises are always true – we can still trust in Jesus’ promise to be
with us today because the promise is based on the relationship between God and
us, God’s people. God is with us always, wherever we go, whatever we do.
So,
if we are facing trials and troubles, we can rely on God to be with us.
If
we are rejoicing in good news, we can also rely on God to be with us.
When
we are talking with friends, hugging loved ones, making plans for a special
event, we can rely on God to be with us.
We
can always rely on God to be with us, and we can rely on God to be with others
as well, even if we don’t want to remember that.
…
Here is a story that illustrates what relationships look like when we remember
that God cares about us and is with us always.
I
am sure you are aware of the terror attack in Manchester, England, last weekend
after an Ariana Grande concert. I have heard national news coverage of the
injured, and the families of the deceased. I have seen coverage of the attempt
to find and arrest the perpetrators. But, I have not heard in TV news coverage of
this heart-warming response to the attack.
Dozens
of people who live in the area posted on Twitter that they offered their homes to
family members seeking concert-goers who were missing. For example, one said, “I
can provide a safe place to stay, a cup of tea, charge your phone. Message me.”
Taxi
drivers, many of them Muslims and Jews, offered free rides. In the morning,
people brought hot tea and coffee and food to first responders, and bottles of
water to people still stranded near the arena.
It
all comes back to the relationship between God and us, and among us humans. Through
Jesus Christ, we have relationships with each other, even if we don’t know them,
and we respond to their need. Because
God loves us, we love God, and we share God’s love with others.
Your
challenge for this week is to consider how God’s love influences your
relationship with God and with other people. Pay attention: do you remember God
is with you always and everywhere? Do you remember that God is with other
people as well? How does your awareness of God’s presence shape your
relationships?
Please
pray with me: Gracious and loving God, we are amazed at times that you pay
attention to us. We praise you and thank you for your constant presence with
us. And we ask you to guide us this week and always in caring for all that you
have made, including other people. Amen
