The Trinity
I have a leaky brain. Not brain fluid leaky, thankfully, but leaky as in stuff, like thoughts, knowledge. It goes out, it leaves my brain, it doesn’t stay, at least not as reliably as it once did. Or maybe it never did, but then that knowledge may have also leaked out.
What tends to be more reliable and stick better is experience. That hangs around a bit longer. The difficult part is moving my
ah ha moments from my leaky brain to my less leaky heart. So the experience of the of Trinity is more substantial then the idea of the Trinity. Understanding the qualities, the aspects of God as proclaimed in the three entities. is one way.
We are reminded again in our news cycle of the pain privilege rends in our world, in the inequality in our systems of justice, in our lack of understanding of basic goodwill. So what does that have to do with the Trinity; our God of three persons, the Blessed Trinity?
The Trinity is how humanity, mostly men, attempt to quantify the vastness of God. In our mortal narrowness, this was/is not an easy job. But we have other words - creator, savior and comforter; Father, Son and Holy Spirit; Mother, Child, and Breath of God; creator, redeemer, and Sanctifier.
The Trinity is a mystery.
This is not a complete abdication of explanation just a reality. We know God by many names. We experience God in many ways. We seek to know God and to be known by God.
Come, Three in One and One in Three. Come into our hearts and minds. Come.
The breath of God is necessary for life. Without breath we die. Without the breath of God informing our every action, we too will perish. Humankind needs the breath of God, the presence of healing, the movement of the spirit bringing lasting change and healing. We need every aspect of God’s might and power and majesty and love and every gift of the Spirit, everyone. Even if we never can explain the Trinity we know the need for God’s gracious intervention in our world.
Other things on my mind …
Leaving Christ Church.
Eventually.
Please no panicking.
The Vestry and I arrived at an agreement to extend my contract to May 2021 as needed. And since you might also be asking about my future plans, no I will not be part of the search for the new rector. The vestry has known about my decision for some time. And now it is time to let the parish know. My reluctance to share my decision was only that I did not want to further sadden any of you. I don’t as of this writing have any plans for future ministry. God calls and I try to listen, that remains as it has been. I am, as always, grateful for your prayers.
It is exciting work that the profile and search committee are undertaking. Hard work and necessary next steps in the reconciliation and healing of the parish and the calling of new leadership. They are asking for your input over the next several weeks as they begin to construct Christ Church’s Parish Profile. Your participation is crucial. In fact, it leads directly to the type of person eventually called to serve here. Your honest and thoughtful reflections are essential to their work and the best outcome.
Last week the disciples asked
what does this mean? Some of those who had gathered at that first Pentecost were ready to claim the folks experiencing the coming of the Holy Spirit were drunk or crazy or deliberately trying to mislead. No, it was not any of those things. None.
But again, what does it mean?
We ask and attempt to answer that question every day. What does it mean?
The Trinity means God in and around and with us, always and everywhere. Always has been, always will. The so what of that is how we allow God to direct our lives. Now there is the part of every evolving response to be the people of God.
What does it mean? What is important and what is your part, my part, our part in it? Keep asking the question.
Sunday's Readings
