1030am Sunday 6-7-20
I'm in I thank you Connie for orchestrating that and thank you to all of our readers who stepped forward to volunteer to read the word of God from Psalm 145 or grateful for you sharing that good news with us today speaking of good news enter into a the reading of the gospel of Christ. I'm going to invite you wherever you are to stand in a you've been sitting in that recliner or car seat or whatever it is that you're sitting at today. If you have the ability and the space to stand invite you to do so that we don't get too out of habit cuz we will one day soon God willing return together in some way shape and form to worship more on that today at noon June in wherever you are and I should have grabbed your scripture or your phone or whatever it is. You have at your disposal turn to the gospel of Matthew. We will begin reading at Mass. Do the 28th chapter the very very last portion beginning at verse 16. This is the good news according to the gospel of Matthew the 28th chapter.
Now XI 11 disciples went to Galilee to the mountain with Jesus and directed them. when they saw him they worshipped him, but some Some doubt it. And Jesus came and he said to them all off already 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 The Gospel of Our Lord Please be seated Wherever You Are.
Invite you to pray with me.
Chains be broken lives be healed In This Moment Christ be revealed in the name of the father and the son and the holy spirit. Amen.
Well, as I explained to her earlier and throughout worship so far today is Trinity Sunday Trinity Sunday was instituted with in the calendar of the church each year as a way of reminding us of exactly the god that we serve but this God we serve is grounded and rooted. It's not some kind of nebulous known undefined kind of judger, you know, smiter up in the air the god that we serve is Father Son and Holy Spirit at if you want to know who God is Jesus says look at me look at look at look at my Ministry. Jesus says to the followers if you want to know who God is in the trinity. The Father the Son and the Holy Spirit. We look to Jesus and that is the god that we serve now. Trinity Sunday is sounds like something that the Illusions are sitting around kind of desks piled high books and kind of writing stuff. It's it's actually a lot more relevant and real then that you know, a lot of times when I talk about the Trinity if I meet with people and we're talking about who God is and I bring up the Trinity. I kind of see the The look if you're a teacher or parent you kind of know the look I'm talking about the kind of look that says you lost me either. It doesn't make sense or frankly. They just don't care we should care but at the same time I understand why people would would hear about the Trinity and it would come to this face and I would talk about the Trinity and they'd say, you know, I lost my child. Why do I care about the Trinity? I don't have a job. The Trinity doesn't matter to me right now. That's not what I'm looking for people who are being oppressed. People are being harmed people who are looking for work people who are feeling attacked people who are feeling betrayed all of The Human Experience. I just kind of is met with this Theology of the Trinity and the question that is most common is why does it matter? So so I kind of want to focus their today about the the meaning and the purpose in the power of the Trinity and I'll just get a really quick synopsis. I kind of did with the kids. So I'm going to go really quick synopsis. If this is your first time hearing about the Trinity, I don't want to lose you. So the Trinity is essentially we serve a God who is 3 and at the same time one is three Persona in one substancia. That's Latin means three people and one substance. Is it the same time father son? Holy Spirit the same time is one unified will unified purpose unified being and yet the same time he is at the same time all three. So in that way that is the god that we serve know. Why does that matter? I want to just move right beyond that to why does that matter? first little history lesson for you two names aerius and athanasius bigger-name athanasius is harder. But if you are a regular churchgoer, you'll you will hear athanasius and you'll be like is that the guy that you related to the athanasian Creed? Yes. Yes. He is. So area Saint athanasius there was a council not going to go into details these two theologians eat two pastors. They met together at this large house with all these pastors and Arius. He said in this debate and discussion and debate with intense. There was no love in the debate. I regret to tell you the church. This may be a shocker to you can at times be Petty. I know it's hard to believe but even back then 1500 1617 hundred years ago. The church could be Petty. And so these two gentlemen area Saint athanasius they went out each other areas was How to determine to get his point across God is one this person of Jesus that we that we say was crucified and risen there was a time when he was not there was a time when Jesus never existed. He was a created being he is of similar substance that the Greek word that they would have used their is homo homo even with I write the middle the word hormone and he is a similar substance to the father but he is not of the same substance of the father and there was a time when he was not because if there was a time but he was God was Reliance if the father was relying on this person of Jesus and if this is entity and spirit of the Holy Spirit
No company promised then God would be vulnerable if if God is God is not one. If God is the pendant and relying on these two other beings if they are the same substance as the father then there is vulnerability in God. That was kind of the core of his claim. Athanasius approach this from a very different perspective. Of course, there's vulnerability in God do we not see the cross do we not see the vulnerability of a blameless man in Jesus Christ who claimed to be one with the father and his crucified for us? Do we not see that and so athanasius clean the god that Jesus was not homo. He was not a similar substance but was of Home osseous know. I know he's always she is of the same substance as the father and his claim. Was that God is vulnerable. Because God is love and love is vulnerable. If God is Not vulnerable and does not share in our human experience in any way shape or form. Why do we worship? God is vulnerable athanasius claims and that is the exact purpose and reason that we worship him because in his vulnerability he creates power and purpose and strength and Grace We're without that vulnerability. There can be none. We see in history of the church. We see kind of these these false gospels where this idea that Jesus somehow isn't fully with us isn't fully engaged with us that he is. I want gospel at says the Jesus being crucified but yet Jesus isn't really there. He's kind of laughing because he's like you think you could hurt me hahaha and he's watching the Romans crucify. Basically what the point is a shell of a body and he's basically mocking the humans and the gospels we have though the gospels that the church has declared to be true and real and the The grounds us and anchors us in our hope is that Jesus didn't run from that. Jesus didn't run from that vulnerability. He embraced it. He took on the form is Paul says of a slave of a human being to be with us
now Why does that matter? Why should we care about an ancient debate between these two guys whose name begin with a about whether there's an army or not? And I in this really long Greek word. Why should we care?
in the world
where we don't trust one another anymore.
In a world where peaceful protesters are met with it said such Lee Phalanx is of armor. In a world where we are talking past each other to get a point across or to give people a piece of our mind instead of a piece of our hearts. In a world where we are more combative and and prone to attack then to be vulnerable and to listen.
You telling me? The god coming to us in the person of Jesus Christ of being the same substance with God and the same time with us. A dog who is willing to be vulnerable to that?
Dark Matters and so on on this day in a world Where are combative this aggression or anger or frustration are? Disunity is on Full display.
The unity of God is unbroken. And yet that same Unity of God comes into our world to be with us. carrying that heart of God in the person of Jesus Christ
God is a God who is willing to be vulnerable to us? willing to listen willing to engage willing to hear and bring Justice with him not just platitudes and play caitians. But willing to make the changes needed to help the people at the time who were the oppressed. We in this day and every day of Our Lives on this Christian walk together. We are called into vulnerability. We are called to be one not only within our own selves but with our brothers and sisters around us God is relationship. God is love God is the one who never loses hope We carry that same image the immaculate Dave image of God in each one of us that includes you we all have the capacity for this. We all have the ability to be vulnerable if we would but put down our shield and billy clubs whether we be police or soldiers or just citizens of the world. On physical communication and contact or on digital platforms like social media if we will drop our guard for long enough to hear the lived experience of the other. Maybe just maybe We can begin to see the end of the age that we are living in. The promise Jesus makes to his disciples. In Our Gospel text today is not just a cold and a commissioning of us for this. Holy and sacred work. Is also add insurance. But in the midst of that vulnerability, which we should expect no different outcome than what Jesus got mind you. In the midst of that being oppressed in the midst of that being attacked for not proclaiming the that the wisdom quote and quote of the world that somehow if you call in the military, if you call in more forces more question that that somehow will change things. but in the midst of our Proclamation to just live together in peace
that when we are met in this age.
With aggression and violence, which we should not be a part of blessed are the peacemakers.
When we are met with that aggression.
We should be vulnerable to it.
I don't understand fully. I don't have time to fully expand and unpack. How that works. But I know that it does.
if you look at what Jesus Does and the wisdom that she gives to his disciples and the early church and the way in which they reacted and behaved in the face of of shield and sword of Colosseum a Gladiators. If you look at how they overcame that and then you look at Gandhi and you look at Martin Luther Martin Luther King and you look at all of these great world leaders who we respect one thing they all have in common. We must stand up and speak but we must do so without combat without We have aggression. That is the way toward peace that it's the god that we find in Jesus Christ The God Who is willing to come and be with us in the midst of our suffering? Today Jesus tells his disciples not only that he will be with them to the end of the age, but I think implicit in that statement and plus it in that Proclamation and promise. but He will bring an end to that age also. End to an age where people are discriminated against by the color of their skin. The end of an age where we view each other with suspicion and aggression. An end to an age where some will make it and some will not. End of an age where people will be viewed. For who they are? and not by the bank account Or the nationality or the ethnicity that they carry into that relationship.
Today we hear a commission. But we also hear a promise. Oh my God, who sends us into the lions den? But himself has already been there and has already come out of it and it's already risen above it. We are called into this time on this Trinity Sunday big word big meaning. to be willing to enter into the life with Christ to enter into that vulnerable relationship to see the oppressor not as someone to be attacked with someone to be to be loved back to life. We are called into this time into this place and into this purpose together. We are the church and we are called to be vulnerable as God was vulnerable to us in Christ. What is Brian? Gracious God. Thank you for today. Thank you for this good news of your son Jesus Christ that he is of the same substances you co Eternal with you without him. Not one thing and came into being as John one tells us. Bobby pray for the world we pray for the challenges that we Face we pray God that the wisdom of man would give to the wisdom of your son. That piece is not one through shield and sword, but they're listening and love. God we pray for the escalation. We pray for leaders to hear we pray for an end to looting and riots, but we also understand. That in order to listen, sometimes we all must get a little uncomfortable. God make us uncomfortable in this time together that we may be moved change for the sake of our neighbor for the sake of their lives for the sake of their love. We ask this in the name of your son Jesus Christ Our Lord who is one with you and the Holy Spirit one God now and forever.