Notes from a Sojourn
June 7, 2020
Trinity Sunday
The doctrine of the Trinity has been a source of contention for Christians since the first century AD. Lives have been lost and trust between communities has been permanently damaged because of the way we approach the Trinity. Inevitably, agreed upon doctrine is tested against claims of heresy: insults fly, relationships are ended.
The way Christians have articulated the nature of God as Triune has always wanted for clear explanation. We often call this doctrine a holy mystery, a reality beyond our human capacity to fully comprehend.
I can appreciate this approach. When we invoke God as "Father, Son, and Holy Spirit" we also invoke a very long tradition of God's people, a group that has been wrestling with Trinitarian theology for millennia.
In theological conversation or debate, I feel we sometimes objectify God. That is to say we sometimes over functionalize our relationship with the divine. We seem to be most interested with what the relationship can do for us. If this sounds familiar to you, perhaps this is a relationship into which we can grow deeper together.
Three is a powerful number. Christian symbols that feature the number three are everywhere: triangles, triquetras, trilliums, the three exposed arms of a standing cross. In our language for God, we use phrases that name God from three different angles: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer; The one who Was, who Is, and Is to Come. Three-in-one, one-in-three. The most consistent feature of Trinitarian theology is the number three!
While many Trinity Sunday sermons attempt to explain the preacher's understanding of the doctrine of the Trinity (And this preacher has certainly attempted that approach more than a few times!), perhaps this year, we would do well to consider what we truly seek to achieve with such theological conversations.
The Trinitarian God of our tradition is relational. Whatever the language or imagery we choose to employ when speaking of God, the only reason we should use any such tools, is to express gratitude for a relationship between us and God.
The Trinity tells a story. It is God's story. And we are invited to become part of it. Created, redeemed, and sustained by God's own self, we are welcomed into a new reality. We can spend eternity appreciating and trying to understand that relationship.
In its simplest explanation, it is a relationship of love.
Amen.
Patrick Stephens+
