Trinity Sunday

Scripture: (Isaiah 6:1-8; Psalm 29 or Canticle 2 or 13; Romans 8:12-17; John 3:1-17)


Last week, on Pentecost Sunday, we discussed the coming of the Holy Spirit, a culmination of the "abide" teachings of Jesus given to us in the gospel of John. We discussed our need for certainty, and frustration with the unpredictability of being led by the Spirit. This week Jesus tells Nicodemus, and us, we must be born "anew" or "again" of the Spirit: "The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit."


And yet, just like we saw at Pentecost, many people speaking many languages were able to communicate because of the coming of the gift of the Holy Spirit - the reverse of the Tower of Babel story. Many came to understand God, and his kingdom? "How?" is the question this week.


What happens when Isaiah comes in to the presence and sees Holy God? What does God do and say? What is Isaiah's response? How, after he is awestruck and fearful of his life, is he able to respond, "Here am I. Send me?"


What does Jesus tell Nicodemus is the way to see and bring about the kingdom of God? How is one "born anew," or "born again?" What does The Rev. Dr. Janet H. Hunt mean when she says "  And yet, with hearts reborn to see and understand, we are among those most blessed if we can begin to move past wondering and simply give thanks." See her "It's no Wonder Nicodemus Wondered..." 


This is Trinity Sunday. To add to the frustrations of wanting certainty, and trying to define God, we now have the Trinity to deal with. Before and after Nicaea, theologians through the centuries have tried to explain it. 


What does The Rev. Dr. Thomas G. Long mean when he says "The doctrine of the Trinity is actually like a trail in a deep and mysterious forest called the life of God. If we will walk this trail called Trinity, we will see and experience amazing things; we will discover something of what God is truly like, in all of God's beauty and wildness and splendor?" See "The Start of the Trail."


How does this tie in with our discussion at the end of last week as we grappled with understanding the gift, the way and truth of the Spirit?

The Coming of The Spirit of Truth

Scripture: Acts 2:1-21 or Ezekiel 37:1-14; ; Psalm 104: 25-35,37; Romans 8:22-27 or Acts 2:1-21;John 15:26-27, 16:4b-15


Pentecost ... 50 days from Easter, contemporaneous with the harvest of wheat feast of the Jews, the birthday of the Church ... tongues of fire, strangers speaking with strangers and communicating, understanding one another - the reverse of the Tower of Babel story - the rushing of wind, the great and still, small wind, the Spirit breathing life into dry bones, the ascension of Christ, the Spirit of Truth, the Advocate, the Comforter sent by the Father, a first glimpse of the Trinity. We follow up the Johannine "abide" passages with the infusion of the Holy Spirit into our lives, and we are sent out from the Greek αποστελειν - from which we get apostle -  to proclaim and live the good news. "And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love, Yes, they'll know we are Christians by our love." Fruits of the Spirit, of the Vine become manifest in us and our works as we abide in Christ, and he in us. See "A Living God Present in Spirit and Power" by John Donahue, S.J.


What does Pentecost mean to you? The Rev. Dr. Barbara K. Lunblad in “When Pentecost Ends Too Soon,” tells us :


* A Pentecost church will reach out to people of every language and tongue. 
* A Pentecost church will call young and old, women and men to prophesy. 

* A Pentecost church will preach and baptize, but the story always ends too soon if a Pentecost church isn't concerned about economics. Economics? Yes, Economics. What does she mean by that?

Whether you're hearing about Pentecost for the first time or the fiftieth, don't miss the last part of the story. Let's make sure that Pentecost doesn't end too soon.

Let us pray The Rev. Dr. Lundblad's prayer:

Come, Holy Spirit. Come as mighty wind or gentle breath. Blow on the embers of our faith. Empower us to speak and to act so that there might come a day when there is not a needy person among us. Amen.

"One, holy, catholic, apostolic church..." Jesus' prayer for us.

Scripture: Acts 1:15-17, 21-26; Psalm 1; 1 John 5:9-13; John 17:6-19


Last week we continued our studies in 1st John and the Gospel of John, of the Resurrection, "God is love,"and what it is to abide in Christ, and he in us. We have journeyed into nuances of meaning from remaining (not in a staid sense), to an "in-dwelling" - making our home in Christ and Christ welcome in our home, to Jesus referring to us as "friends." 


This week we see more of what Jesus thinks of us,  and what he asks of God for us in his High Priestly Prayer for us found in John 17. Prof Dr.David Zersen compares Jesus' prayer for us with part of what we affirm of our beliefs when we recite the Nicene Creed in his "A Fire When No One Expects One," appropriate before Pentecost, the birth of the Church, which we celebrate on May 27.
 

"The best friend..."

Scripture: Acts 10:44-48; Psalm 98; 1 John 5:1-6; John 15:9-17

This is my commandment, Jesus tells his disciples, that you love one another, as I have loved you.  In the 15th chapter of John's gospel, Jesus also tells us we are his friends if we obey his commandments. We will see more about what that means in coming weeks before and after his ascension.

Immediately prior to this week's gospel, Jesus again uses the term "abide,"  which we have discussed the last two weeks discussing the "I am" sayings of the Good Shepherd, and the Vine and the Branches. 

What is friendship? What do friends mean to each other, do for each other? Jesus is our best friend. He lays down his life for his friends. . "No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends."

Enjoy Oscar Wilde's poignant story of "The Happy Prince," as you consider the greatest love, and the greatest friendship, and today's gospel.

We won't have class this week so that everyone can enjoy the Mother's Day breakfast between the 8:00 and 10:00 services. I am sorry to miss it. Debi and I will be joyously celebrating the graduation of Yinghao Long Riffee, M.D., in Morgantown Sunday with her mom and sister. Alex has his priestly duties at St. James's in Richmond, and won't be able to attend. Keep every one of us, all of our class members, church - all of our friends - our enemies, too - in our hearts and prayers.

"I am the vine, you are the branches...abide in me as I in you"

Scripture: Acts 8:26-40; Psalm 22:24-30; 1 John 4:7-21; John 15:1-8

From unbelief, disbelief, despair, doubt, hope to an abiding presence, we experience the risen Christ, the Good Shepherd who knows and calls us by name. Last week we began a discussion of John's mention of the word "abide."  We continue that discussion in greater depth this week with another passage from 1 John, and Jesus' "I am the vine, you are the branches" teaching in the Upper Room before his betrayal, another of the "I am" sayings in the gospel of John. 


What is it to "abide" in Christ, and him in us? How does this take place? What is the relationship of "love" with "abiding" in God, and God in us? How is this part of the resurrection experience? What meaning do these "abiding love" passages have for us in our daily lives? Consider “Abide is a wonderful verb” by Katie Munnik, “Abide in me . . .” by F. Dean Lueking, and “A Message So Good as to Border on Folly” by The Very Rev. Stephen E. Carlsen