Trinitarian Community

Today is Trinity Sunday, the Sunday when we celebrate that God is one Being, one Essence, but three Persons. 

Yeah, the Trinity is confusing; God is one, and God is three. Likened to a family one minute as three distinct persons and yet one family; and the next minute likened to water in the three states of liquid, ice, and steam, yet all H2O. As one of my favorite theological commentators noted: “I won’t for a minute pretend that I understand the Trinity. (And quite frankly, I don’t believe people when they say they do.)” But what the Trinity does show is that God- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit- is relational. 

And we are invited into that relationship, into that community. We’ve basically been in John since Easter, including multiple sections from what’s called the farewell discourse. And once again, we’re towards the end, a little before Jesus will be crucified, as Jesus is promising the Holy Spirit. We actually heard about Jesus' promise of the Holy Spirit a few weeks ago in chapter 14.

I was reading through Rev. Dr. David Lose’s insights on the two passages we just heard, and he highlighted the community aspects, and what they could mean for us. He says, “Jesus promises that the Spirit will come and guide [the disciples] into truth. That there are some things they simply can’t bear yet. That they have more to learn. That the disciples – those who have spent so much time with Jesus – do not have all the answers. …[A]ll of that means that the Christian community then – and now! – continues to be dependent. Dependent on the Spirit and dependent on each other, because the Spirit so often speaks to us through the person and words of those around us.”

I love that! Jesus sent us the Spirit because we need the guidance. We need the Companion to push us into the places where we’re hesitant to go, and we need the Companion to go with us, ready to guide us, to push us, and to accompany us. As they prepared for Jesus to leave them, the disciples needed the Holy Spirit. And so do we.

Lose also points out that Jesus sending the Spirit of Truth means the disciples didn’t already know everything. This is rather obvious from all of the gospels- the disciples never seem to understand what’s happening. But the disciples have to depend on the Spirit for guidance, and the Spirit’s voice can often come through others. Which means that we have to listen to each other.

I don’t think that any of you believe you have the only answers; as a church we’re mostly willing to listen to each other. Session had a great conversation last week as we listened to each other and discussed some potential goals. And some of those goals are to get more input: we want to make sure our committees include the diversity of our church family here- we have committees because we need to discuss things amongst each other to get the best ideas. We need to work together. We need your voice, your talents, your insights.

 As Rev. Lose notes, being a Trinitarian community means “striving to be a place that knows it doesn’t have all the answers, and so consequently makes space for conversation and values those who …bring different voices and experiences… Conversation, valuing difference, being inclusive – these things aren’t easy, but genuine community, while challenging, is also creative, productive, and enriching.”

As a church, we find community important. It can be difficult when we don’t all think the same, but you have experience with this. You know that we get news from different sources. You know that many of us have experienced life a little differently than our neighbors. We don’t have the same experiences as the gentleman who asks to use our bathroom and if he can get some help so he can get something to eat. If we want to serve the community, we have to listen to the community. We have to welcome, and hear stories, and ask questions.

And the Spirit gives us hope for this. Lose paid close attention to the Romans passage, noting how Paul says it’s “because we have the peace of God through justification that we can endure almost anything, and not just endure but grow stronger and find hope. Justification is nothing less or more than the promise that God accepts you as you are not because of who you are or what you have done, not because of what you might become or do, not because of who you have promised to be or what you have pledged to do, but that God accepts you because that’s who God is and what God does – justify the ungodly in order that we might know peace and turn in love to extend the same grace, mercy, and acceptance to those around us.”

So let’s be this Trinitarian community, connected and in relationship with God who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. And connected and in relationship with one another and with the community outside our walls. We can listen to each other and to those outside as we ask questions and have conversations. We can listen for the Spirit’s nudge among those voices as we seek where we are called. 

Thanks be to God. Amen.