Texts for Sunday May 22, 2016
Holy Trinity Sunday
Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31
Psalm 8
Romans 5:1-5
John 16: 12-15
This coming Sunday is about God.
This coming Sunday is about how people experience God.
This coming Sunday is about how you experience God.
Add those up and you get the heart of this coming Sunday, called Trinity Sunday.
Talking about God can get complicated. Jesus’ followers tried to describe the God they had experienced in Jesus. “Jesus is Lord” was their earliest expression. They gradually built on that, refining and expanding what the experience of Jesus as Lord meant…. And how it fit into Jesus’ and his ancestors’ history…. And how it fit into the Pentecost outpouring of the promised Spirit. By the fourth century, through conversation, and yes, lots of heated conflict, Christians generally settled on a “correct way” to speak of God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Again, it gets complicated. But one implication of this concept is that God is relationship – God is community.
An important thing about settling on a general understanding is so the community can get on with being community (“they will know we are Christians by our love”) and doing community. As community, empowered always by the Spirit, followers trust and depend on each other. As community, we move out into the world, responding in love, hope, and trust.
So how about us? How about you? The Trinity doctrine was proclaimed "settled" somewhere around the 4th century… a bit has changed since then. Theology speaks in context and to the context of the present day. It is meant for discussion and dialogue. “God-talk” is important between families and friends as well as people who are quite different from us, who bring different voices and experiences. These conversations can be challenging, but trusting in God’s Spirit/Presence in the midst of it all, they can also be creative and enriching.
So, how about you? Who is God? How have you experienced God? How have you experienced God the creator? Or as grace? Or as “inspiration” (think breathing, think breathing in God’s breath)?
Maybe you would like to write a “faith statement” about what you believe right now? Maybe you’d like to doodle. Maybe take a photo. Maybe you’d like to dance.
If ever there was a day for your comments, this is it!
You can the space for comments below the listing of posts.
You can find more ways to reflect on the texts for May 22 in the Sunday G.I.F.T. insert.
Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31
Psalm 8
Romans 5:1-5
John 16: 12-15
This coming Sunday is about God.
This coming Sunday is about how people experience God.
This coming Sunday is about how you experience God.
Add those up and you get the heart of this coming Sunday, called Trinity Sunday.
Talking about God can get complicated. Jesus’ followers tried to describe the God they had experienced in Jesus. “Jesus is Lord” was their earliest expression. They gradually built on that, refining and expanding what the experience of Jesus as Lord meant…. And how it fit into Jesus’ and his ancestors’ history…. And how it fit into the Pentecost outpouring of the promised Spirit. By the fourth century, through conversation, and yes, lots of heated conflict, Christians generally settled on a “correct way” to speak of God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Again, it gets complicated. But one implication of this concept is that God is relationship – God is community.
An important thing about settling on a general understanding is so the community can get on with being community (“they will know we are Christians by our love”) and doing community. As community, empowered always by the Spirit, followers trust and depend on each other. As community, we move out into the world, responding in love, hope, and trust.
So how about us? How about you? The Trinity doctrine was proclaimed "settled" somewhere around the 4th century… a bit has changed since then. Theology speaks in context and to the context of the present day. It is meant for discussion and dialogue. “God-talk” is important between families and friends as well as people who are quite different from us, who bring different voices and experiences. These conversations can be challenging, but trusting in God’s Spirit/Presence in the midst of it all, they can also be creative and enriching.
So, how about you? Who is God? How have you experienced God? How have you experienced God the creator? Or as grace? Or as “inspiration” (think breathing, think breathing in God’s breath)?
Maybe you would like to write a “faith statement” about what you believe right now? Maybe you’d like to doodle. Maybe take a photo. Maybe you’d like to dance.
If ever there was a day for your comments, this is it!
You can the space for comments below the listing of posts.
You can find more ways to reflect on the texts for May 22 in the Sunday G.I.F.T. insert.