Thoughts for the Day

Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. When they saw him, they worshipped him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

Today is Trinity Sunday, a major date in the Church's Calendar. But how important is it to people, I wonder? Those who are struggling to find enough money to live on, may think "I’m not concerned". Those worried about their health, may not be concerned. Those fearing the effects of climate change, may not be concerned. Those fretting about the Middle East or Ukraine may equally not be concerned. Indeed it may feel irrelevant to them.

So let us look at what happens if God is not Trinity*. If He were just the Father, we would have a rather impersonal God and would deny the work and person of Christ, as well as the daily ongoing activity of the Spirit. We would not get a full picture of who God is. Similarly if He were just God the Son we would miss the Almighty One who created the heavens and earth and who is larger and more mysterious than we can understand, as well as the power of the Spirit at work today in our lives. And if God were only Spirit, well we would lose all that Jesus did for us in living as a man, and in dying and rising again to save us, as well as the mysterious otherness that is God the Father. Our God who is Three yet One offers us so much

At our Baptism we were baptised “in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit” and today we worship this glorious Trinity, as well as remember that like the disciples we too are sent out into the world to spread the message of love from this Three who are yet One.

* Thanks to Steven P. Eason for the idea.

Collect for Trinity

Holy God,
faithful and unchanging:
enlarge our minds with the knowledge of your truth,
and draw us more deeply into the mystery of your love,
that we may truly worship you,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen.