Trinity Sunday- John 3: 1-16

Observing Trinity Sunday on the Sunday after Pentecost is fitting because the powerful descent of the Holy Spirit disciples marks a final point of the Trinitarian revelation. The doctrine of the Holy Trinity tells us about the nature of God and summarizes the whole Biblical message. Although this doctrine is a high mystery that transcends natural human understanding, it also has practical implications for Christian faith and practice.

There are numerous New Testament texts (such as Matthew 3:16-17, Matthew 28:19, John 3: 1-16, Ephesians 2:18, 2 Corinthians 13: 14, and 1 Peter 1:2) which show a Trinitarian understanding of God's revelation to humanity.  For example, there is today's Gospel from John 3: 1-16 where Jesus discusses the nature of redemption with Nicodemus. In these verses, we see an affirmation of the love of God the Father, the sending of Jesus Christ, God the Son, to save humanity, and the work of the Holy Spirit in giving a new spiritual birth to those who believe in Christ.

A belief in the Holy Trinity was expressed in ancient Christian baptismal questions about God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. These questions and answers became the basis for creeds such as the Apostles' Creed and the Nicene Creed. So even though the Trinity can be discussed using complicated philosophical and theological concepts, Christians affirm or confess this basic doctrine for reasons of living faith. The doctrine of the Trinity is a biblical Christian belief that is deeply rooted in the experience of redemption and in Christian worship and prayer. The God we worship and pray to is Triune. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit share one divine essence and work together in perfect love to redeem poor sinful human beings. The doctrine of the Trinity is really at the heart of the Gospel!

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and forever and to the ages of ages. Amen.

Epiphany- 6 January- Matthew 2

This day, 6 January, marks the traditional Feast of Epiphany. This celebration is the third oldest Christian observance after the three days from Good Frida to Easter and Pentecost.  The word Epiphany means "manifestation," and the feast and its season remind us of the various ways that God manifested Himself in Jesus Christ. In the Eastern Churches, where the feast originated in the third century, the emphasis has centered on the manifestation at the time of Christ's Baptism. Since the fourth century in the Western Churches, including the Anglican tradition, the emphasis has been on the manifestation of the Christ Child to the Magi or Wise Men.  

The Magi were Gentiles (non-Jews), and so this day and the following season are associated with the Christian mission to all the nations. God called the eastern Wise Men to come and adore the Messiah, the Savior of the world. Likewise, God calls each of us, regardless of our nation, ethnic group, language, etc., to come, worship, and follow Christ the newborn King. As Christmastide closes, let us continue to focus on the manifestation of the Incarnate Word in Jesus Christ. The light of God has shone in the Christ Child. We still seek His light, and we hope that His light will shine in our lives on those around us.

Trinity II- Luke 14: 16-24

 The Epistle and Gospel lessons for this week bring up the theme of excuses. In daily life, human beings hear or give excuses on all sorts of subjects. We seem to live in an age of excuses. People make all sorts of excuses, great and small. We always seem to find extenuating circumstances for every major or minor failing.

Such human behavior has been around since the Garden of Eden, and we certainly see it in our Gospel from St. Luke 14:16ff. Using the comparison of an ordinary feast, our Lord Jesus Christ points to God's gracious invitation and the human tendency to make excuses. Although insulting to divine grace, such excuses really harm the one making the excuse, not the divine host. God asks for our fellowship but we make excuses, and so we deprive ourselves of His blessings. He can always find other guests who will be grateful.

Each day and each week, God invites us to spend time with Him. He asks us to read His Word and pray, publicly and privately. He offers to feed us in the Lord's Supper. And He hopes that we will accept His hospitality and fellowship with other guests. So we should avoid hesitations or excuses. Except when hindered by events beyond our control, we should accept God's invitation to prayer, worship, and fellowship. Rather than looking for excuses, let us accept the grace that God offers and respond in gratitude.

Trinity Sunday

 Trinity Sunday is unique on the Church calendar. Historically, its origins are late. It seems to have been observed first in the early 900s in what is now Belgium and to have spread rapidly in northwestern Europe, including England. The observance was not added to the Roman calendar until the 1300's. Another distinction of Trinity Sunday is that, unlike other major holy days, it focuses on a doctrine rather than an event.

Yet, observing Trinity Sunday on the Sunday after Pentecost is certainly appropriate because the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples in power is a completion of the Trinitarian revelation. Talking about the Trinity is more than theology about the nature of God; it is a teaching that summarizes the whole Biblical message. This doctrine is a high mystery that transcends the limits of the natural human intellect. At the same time, the doctrine of the Trinity has practical applications to the life of every Christian.

There are several New Testament texts (such as Matthew 3:16-17, Matthew 28:19, John 3: 5-16, Ephesians 2:18, 2 Corinthians 13: 14, 1 Peter 1:2) which express a Trinitarian understanding of God's revelation to humanity. However, the doctrine of the Trinity is subtle and nuanced, and some implications of this belief took time to develop among Christians. Notably, belief in the Holy Trinity was expressed in the ancient baptismal questions about God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. These questions and answers became the basis for creeds such as the Apostles' Creed.  Later,  baptismal creeds also became the basis for doctrinal summaries of the Nicene Creed and the Athanasian Creed (Quicunque vult). 

Affirming the importance of the doctrine of the Trinity does not make believers philosophical theologians. Rather, Christians affirm or confess this basic doctrine for reasons of faith. The doctrine of the Trinity is a biblical Christian belief that is deeply rooted in the experience of redemption and in Christian worship and prayer. Besides summarizing basic beliefs about God's work to save human beings, the doctrine of the Trinity is also present whenever Christians pray. Regardless of which divine person we invoke in a particular prayer, Christians are always calling upon the Triune God. We look to God as our heavenly Father through the mediation of His Son Jesus Christ prompted by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost....

Monday before Easter- Mark 14

This Monday before Easter (also known as the Monday in Holy Week) is an appropriate day to reflect on several matters. Since it is March 25 on the calendar, it is also the traditional date for the Annunciation of Christ's birth to the Virgin Mary. Because of Holy Week, most liturgical calendars postpone observing the Annunciation. Nevertheless, it is interesting to note how our Lord's Incarnation,  Passion, and Resurrection are related. This connection is beautifully expressed in the Collect for the Annunciation:

We beseech thee, O Lord, pour thy grace into our hearts; that, as we have known the incarnation of thy Son Jesus Christ by the message of an angel, so by his cross and passion we may be brought into the glory of his resurrection; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Prayer Book Gospel assigned for today is the Passion account from Mark 14. This Scripture includes Mark 14:3-9, the story about the woman who anointed Jesus with costly fragrance. In typical human disagreeableness, some people murmur. Instead of honoring Jesus or respecting the woman who honors Him, some of those present feel compelled to criticize the woman and by implication, Jesus who accepts her gift. They try to make their criticism seem justifiable by using high-sounding phrases. They resort to moralistic words about helping the poor to mask their unbelief.

Of course, these critics are not really as pious as they pretend. Their words betray a condescending attitude toward the woman and a lack of appreciation for Jesus. They don't care about the suffering that awaits Him. They are really hypocrites using pious words in order to hide their own lack of faith and love.

Unfortunately, many people in the world continue to behave this way. Many acts of devotion or worship can be criticized as impractical wastes of time, energy, or resources. In fact, all Holy Week devotions might be attacked this way. After all, instead of praying and reading Scripture, one could be engaged in some "productive" or charitable activity. For many people, almost any mundane activity seems more valuable and practical than devotional reading or prayer.

Yet, Christians must not ignore the spiritual life.We must not always focus on the practical, and we must not even elevate concern for the poor above our devotion to God. Believers are called to honor God and His Christ above all. Such devotion is the reason that the Church observes this special week. God deserves this honor and praise, and such activity is also good for our own souls. We should not ignore the poor or others in need, but we must put our devotion to God first. 

Trinity XVII- Sabbath- Luke 14: 1-11

The Gospel for the Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity is from St. Luke 14:1-11 and is set at a dinner with the Pharisees. Jesus teaches through a miraculous healing on the Sabbath. This healing brings up the topic of Christ's attitude toward the Sabbath. Unlike many of His contemporaries, our Lord did not have a narrow or legalistic view of the Sabbath. 

Nevertheless, Jesus did not ignore or reject the commandment to observe and keep holy the Sabbath. He taught people to follow the general purposes of all the Commandments, and in the Gospels, we are shown that Jesus participated in Sabbath worship in synagogues. Even in those cases where Jesus or His disciples are accused of not keeping the Sabbath properly, He and His followers are not shown doing ordinary work. Instead, the issue is a matter of how to best use the Sabbath, as here in Luke 14. Basically, Jesus taught by word and example that the Sabbath had three purposes: worship, general rest, and performing deeds of mercy.

After Christ's Resurrection, His followers did add something. Because of the Resurrection, they also gathered for worship on the first day of the week (Sunday) which they called the Lord's Day. As the Church grew, the vast majority of Christians were Gentiles who were not required to keep all the details of Jewish ceremonial Law. So instead of observing both Saturday and Sunday, Christians soon just observed Sunday because it was the Day of Christ's Resurrection. Christians applied the three New Testament purposes of the Sabbath (worship, rest, and mercy) to the Lord's Day. 

Unfortunately, some Christians have had difficulty keeping a balanced view of  Sunday. Many people who claim to be Christians do not really observe any sort of sabbath. At most, they may say a private prayer or visit a short service, but then they devote themselves to ordinary work, household chores, or lots of beer and sports.

In my opinion, Christians need to reclaim New Testament respect for the general purposes of the Sabbath, and when possible, apply these purposes to Sunday. We shouldn't be harsh legalists who try to abolish all fun and recreation. But for ourselves, we should see Sunday as the Lord's Day- a time set aside for worship, for simple forms of rest and relaxation, and for showing mercy to the sick and afflicted.

 

Epiphany Journey- Matthew 2

Epiphany is one of the oldest Christian observances along with Good Friday, Easter and Pentecost. The word “epiphany” means “appearance” or “manifestation.” The day and the season are associated with several manifestations of Jesus Christ. In particular, in the Western Church tradition, we think of the manifestation of the Christ Child to the Gentile Wise Men in St. Matthew 2.

There are several ways to approach this account, but this year, I have been thinking about the story of the Magi as a journey of hope, faith, and love of God. It shows a faithful response to the Savior of the world, and there are three broad aspects to the journey of the Wise Men: 1) seeking a Savior, 2) learning the message of Scripture, and 3) meeting, worshiping, and serving Christ.

These aspects of their journey can also be applied to our journeys or pilgrimages of faith. First, like the Magi, most Christians are Gentiles who seek the Jewish Savior. God reaches out to us and gives us signs in creation that can help lead us. Our world is still filled with struggles between light and darkness, good and evil. And like the Magi, we still long to see goodness. Such a longing, such a hope, can start us on the way to see Jesus.

Secondly, although our natural human hopes can point us in the right general direction, we need more specific guidance. Like the Wise Men, we must also learn about God’s plans from the Bible. The Savior is not a philosophical abstraction. He fulfills the message of the Hebrew prophets. He is the personal Incarnation of God’s eternal Word. He is the One who comes as the babe of Bethlehem, grows in wisdom and stature, and later is crucified and rises from the dead at Jerusalem.

Thirdly, like the Wise Men, we must come into Jesus’s presence in humble adoration and faith. We rejoice to find Him and worship Him. We offer Him our best, knowing that He offers us more than we can ever give Him.  We refuse to cooperate with evil forces that oppose Him. We seek to do His will in this world, and we follow our way in life, continuing to praise Him.

Sometimes, our journeys for Christ may seem long or difficult. Just as the Magi faced hardships, trials, and threats from evil along the way, so do we. But like them, we have faith that every encounter with Christ- in Scripture, in daily experience, in the Sacraments- makes the journey worthwhile.