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THREE-IN-ONE
"The grace of our Sovereign, Jesus Christ, the love
of God and the companionship of the Holy Spirit be with you all."
II Corinthians 13:14
These words of Saint Paul became perhaps the most common Benediction to be offered at the end of services of worship in the history of the Christian church. These words tell us that early on, believers in this pathway to the Divine were describing their experience and understanding of that divine power and presence as "God in Three Persons", a holy Trinity. The benediction above has been catalogued as one of several "Trinitarian formulas" in use in the early church. Yet, for many people then and now it remains a strange and mysterious way to talk about and experience God.
Blessings to Janet Jackson who, on receiving the Billboard Music "Music Icon" Award last Sunday, dared to give testimony. She said something like, "In these troubled times, there is someone we can all turn to and lean on and learn from: God. God has everything we don't have in abundant quantities. God has compassion. God has hope. God has
peace." She likely wouldn't say God inspired all of her music. She would testify that God has gifted her to sing, dance, perform and seek to bring hope and joy to her audiences. She would testify that God has upheld her through rocky times in her own life and in her family's life.
She grew up Christian, but she chose at the awards ceremony to make reference to God in a more general way seeking not to create barriers for those whose path to God isn't via Jesus. I have no idea what percentage of the audience at the MGM Grand hotel in Las Vegas agreed with her, nor what percentage of the television viewing audience would have agreed with her I suspect most of us would agree with her, though our words of witness or testimony might come out differently. We might even make some reference to a Three-in-One God.
Several images have been used to try to explain the holy Trinity. Somehow they all fall short, but can still prove helpful. Some have used the three-leaved clover: three expressions that share the same stem source. Some have talked about an artist, an artist's creation (such as a painting), and the impression that art makes upon those who view it and are impacted by it. Others have suggested God is like water in its three forms: liquid, solid, and vapour. Authors like Wm. Paul Young, who wrote The Shack, have given us character impressions of the Trinity. All of these may help to some degree; and all of them fall short.
What the image certainly does is communicate that God in our Christian tradition is seen and understood and experienced as a relational divinity. The God we hold dear and know by faith is a model of right relationships within Godself, a model of what it might mean if all humankind and all creation lived fully into the image and presence of God in which they have been made and gifted to become. Worthy is such a God of all our wrestling with seeking to understand and all our striving to live "in Christ". God in three persons, blessed Trinity.
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In our thoughts and prayers are Barbara New, Judy VanDuzer, Larry Webber and Patricia Bradshaw's grandson, Daniel.
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Tuesday at noon in Brockhouse Park (Fiddler's Green and Wilson Sts.) Bring a lunch and share in a half hour or more of time for meditation and prayer. Should the weather be unpleasant, we will meet in The Gathering Place.
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Rev. Dishers's Celebration
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Sunday June 17th will be Rev. Harry's last service for us at Marshall. This will be a joint service at 10 a.m. followed by a light lunch in the fellowship hall catered by Frank Pierce. Please mark your calendars and join us to thank Harry for his time with us.
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| On Saturday June 23rd from 2 to 4 p.m. the congregation will have the opportunity to meet and chat with our new Minister, Reverend Étienne Le Sage at a drop-in reception in the hall. |
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Welcome to Henrietta Vandriel
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| As previously announced, Debbie Reiner will be leaving the Office Manager position at Marshall on Friday, May 25. In light of this change, we are pleased to advise that Henrietta Vandriel has accepted this position and started work with us last Tuesday. Debbie has agreed to assist Henrietta for several weeks to ensure a smooth transition. After this initial training period she will work mornings, Monday through Friday. Please give Henrietta a warm welcome as she takes on this important staff position at Marshall. |
Explorations and Reflections on Putting our Faith into Practice
Tuesday Afternoons: 1:30-3
in The Gathering Place
Come share how you are already letting faith inform the way you live out your life and how you might broaden or deepen that effort.
MAY 30 "TESTIMONY" -- "KEEPING SABBATH"
In what ways do we already share own faith story?
What might it mean to share it more openly and widely?
How do we already honour our need for Sabbath time? How might we increase that?
JUNE 6 "FORGIVENESS" -- "HEALING"
How forgiving are we? How in need of forgiveness are we? What's next?
What has been our experience of healing?
What might healing ministry be like as both givers and receivers?
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Start your spring cleaning and donate your old electronics to the 3
rd annual electronics recycling event being held on May 25 (4-8), May 26
th (9-5) and May 27
th (a.m. only) in the front parking lot. Electronics include any type of television, video or DVD players, radios, cell phones (MUST BE WIPED CLEAN), cordless phones. Items do not need to be functioning. This event helps to support Outreach.
New this year - we will also be collecting used clothing in support of the Ontario Foundation for Cerebral Palsy.
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Marshall Men's Golf Outing
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Time to get your clubs out. Arrangements have been made for a Golf outing on
Wednesday, May 30. This will take place at the Knollwood Golf Club (Old Course) with tee times at
4 pm. The price per golfer will be $25, which includes a cart. We will play 9-holes of golf and then have a bite to eat together. If you would like to play, please contact Dave Putnam (
[email protected]).
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Case for Kids Walk, Run, Ride
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This will be held on Sunday, June 3rd at 12pm at Bayfront Park. Information, flyers etc. will be available in the foyer or go online to register:
Their phone number is 905-528-5629 x 240.
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Registration forms are now available on our website or on the bulletin board down the hall. It is in the mornings from July 3rd to 6th for children SK to grade 6. The cost is $25 with cheques payable to St. Andrews Presbyterian Church.
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