We celebrate Trinity Sunday today because last week we celebrated the Holy Spirit’s arrival at Pentecost. So now that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are present, the persons of the Holy Trinity are together as One.
But, how can three be one? One classic explanation is how water can be solid ice, flowing water, and steam. Three distinct realities and yet made of one substance.
So today what we give thanks for is the Unity of God as three in One. We can see that the relationship between the three is important to each. The Trinity serves as a model for how God operates in the Cosmos. There is unity, harmony, and mutual adoration in the three parts of the Trinity as one being.
So how are we then called to operate in this world with the Trinity as our model?
1. We can say that God wires us in our creation to be in relationship with one another. A community of God followers.
2. We can know that God equips us for what is needed next in the Kingdom of God. God equipped Jesus. As disciples of Jesus teaching and ministry we are called to continue the work of the gospel. God does not call the qualified to achieve God’s work. God qualifies, or equips, the called. This way the focus is on God’s handiwork. This way our efforts, our time and energy, and our ministries are offered to the glory of God.
3. We are called to put our trust in God. Humans are not perfect. Sometimes things that mostly pertain to our interests motivate us. We can focus too much on ourselves and upon our interpretations of how things are or should be. We can upstage God’s grace when we trust our own perceptions too much.
However – when we place our trust in how God sees things and how God works then we are likely to learn a thing or two. Putting our trust in God changes our orientation from self-serving opinions to seeking direction from God.
We meet one another best when we meet in the midst of trusting God. (repeat)
In the wonderful Isaiah passage today – we see a prophet of God who does not know it all. He is dependant on God’s grace for his next move. As a prophet of God, he is having an encounter with the Almighty. Then Isaiah realizes in his humanness all his inadequacies. He is not pure and therefore needs the burning coal to touch his lips, poetically so, as a measure of purification, before he can speak for God. Once he has been cleansed, he can be called by God to be equipped by God.
Interestingly – Isaiah does not have to be perfect to be called by God initially. God is willing to redeem the servants God needs. God can use the imperfect person to achieve God’s work in the world.
It is also important to see in this passage how “the pivots of the thresholds shook” and the house filled with smoke. God did that. The mystery of the Holy Spirit did that! It was God who shook things up!
Often, we think of God’s work as one-sided. If we experience stableness, then we feel God must be present. God is a stability giver. God is constantly stable, right? If my life is not perfectly stable, then God must not be in this part. Stability is good. Business as usual, we then assume, is good!
However, if God wants to get our attention or change things around for the benefit of the Kingdom of God – the pivots, and the foundations of all that we consider and cherish as stable, might very well NEED to be shaken.
Stability is a sign of God’s presence and instability, as we see in Isaiah’s encounter with God, is too.
Especially when our perception of stability benefits ourselves over God. As Christians it is God we trust, and it is God that provides for our every need. Whenever we, out of pride try to be in God’s role, then shaking up that foundation is life giving and healthy. Change is not comfortable. Never has been, never will be. But some changes are necessary. The Kingdom of God is dynamic.
God’s call to all of us means that we will be shaken at some point – so that we can orient our lives – to serving God. Before we can say, like Isaiah, “Here I am. Send me!” – there might be a whole lot of shaking going on.
The gospel passage today with Nicodemus shows us that he is willing to be shaken from his religious traditional mindset. To be a Pharisee was to know everything about the law. Jesus also loved the law of God, but Jesus came to fulfill the law. He did not come to worship the law. He worshipped Abba Father. He was in relationship with the loving Father to the extent that God sent Jesus to fulfill the law and offer everlasting salvation to all who believed in him. To believe in Jesus was to know Jesus.
If we did interviews on the street – asking folks if they believe in God – many would say, yes. Yes, most people say they believe in God, as in, there is a God out there somewhere. And then things get fuzzy fast.
But if we asked the same people if they KNOW the Lord that might lead to some confusing looks.
How about you? Do you believe God exists? Is this more abstract or relational? Up close and personal to you? Do you know – God?
This is where Nicodemus finds himself. It is encouraging that Nicodemus comes to Jesus at night because I know that many, many times, the best pastoral work with people’s souls happens later in the day.
I also find it encouraging that Jesus welcomed Nicodemus’ questions. He did not turn Nicodemus away. Questions, even doubts, are ok with Jesus. Jesus is approachable.
We know from scripture that when Jesus dies later and is buried that it is Nicodemus who asks to take the body out of respect and devotion to Jesus. So, Jesus is approachable and is present for the late bloomers in the family of the faithful. Spiritual late – bloomers are accepted and encouraged by Jesus.
That is a good thing for us to keep in mind when we interact with people. What is God thinking about that person? How is God working with them right now?
We might have to suspend judgment, no matter how right we think we are, to allow room, to yield to what God calls us to be in relationship with them.
We are all in the business of doing ministry and leading people to Christ, and it is God who orchestrates that.
Recently I shared a story about my neighbors’ dead trees and how squirrels and birds know the difference between a living tree and dead tree. Birds and squirrels do not build nests in “dead’ trees. So, there was a dead tree in this neighbor’s yard and on the other side of my property another dead tree in their yard. The tree that has lost many limbs every time the wind blows is still standing and is scheduled for removal. If it fell towards my house, it would cause some damage.
A couple of weeks ago I saw several tree removal trucks slowing down in front of our houses. A big crew of guys was in those trucks, and I thought finally they had arrived to save the day. BUT – they only slowed down and then stopped when they got past the house with the most troublesome dead tree, and then past my house, and on to the property at the very end of the street, which had the other “dead” tree. Well, at least they are going to take care of that one today!
I left for work and returned late afternoon to see that the other dead tree was still standing. Limbs looking totally bare and these professional tree guys had totally missed it. They did take away a huge bush and some smaller trees further down, but why not that tree too?
Well, a few days ago I saw something miraculous. That other dead tree, the second one, had little green leaves shooting out everywhere. It was beautiful! I found out that that tree, a walnut tree, is naturally a late bloomer! Weeks after all the trees elsewhere had been green, this tree was just starting to sprout new life doing exactly what it was designed to do. Be a late bloomer!
Thank goodness they did not depend on my perception of the situation!
God’s perception is wise and true. God sees the entire Cosmos when I cannot even correctly see what is happening with the tree next door to me everyday.
When we trust in the one true perfect being of the Three -in –One, then we will meet the family of the faithful in that journey too. It is our trust and orientation in God that we meet one another. God must shake things up a bit, for us to change direction. Changes can be a good thing and can lead us all to longer-lasting stability.
“Seek the Lord while He wills to be found. Lean not on your own understanding.” (Proverbs 3:5)
The Trinity teaches us by example that loving God and loving our neighbor looks like paths to unity. May we learn to love like the Holy Trinity loves us. Trusting in one another. Trusting in God’s goodness and mercy.
Thanks be to God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit! Amen.