Trinity Sunday 2020

ME

One of my warmest memories of growing up was saying the creed. I would sit in a pew with my friends because our parents sang in the choir, then later I sang in the choir and sit next to my grandfather. No matter where I sat in church, there were some constants every Sunday that came about through the order of service. That’s what liturgy does it reminds us that life has a spiritual rhythm to it. There is something reassuring about that rhythm. For one it was a reminder that other elements were in control of a life that pretty out of control to me. It was well rounded, it had all the elements of spiritual growth I needed. We performed it together, as a congregation. We sang and said the same things in the same place. That would have been great if my heart would have paid full attention. But I didn’t, and I could tell that many other people were saying things they had been taught to say from when they were young out of wrote memory. In the practical world, there were sports statistics to think about and the the roast that was thrown in the oven before church. The important thing is that we were doing the right things that would hopefully give us that assurance that were needed to go onto the next thing after church. The rhythm of church took on a different meaning than I think was intended.

WE

I remember pastor Mark Dokken shared with me the idea of the beautiful sanctuary we worshipped in. Many of us went to church in something similar. The High ceilings, beautiful stained glass, the alter where you knelt for communion. The burning candles, and the hush - made the sanctuary, well a sanctuary. Something completely different than the rest of the world. It was special. Special things happened there. He shared with me that it was uncommon for that purpose. the things that were shared in that space were to transcend and translate itself into how we did things outside of it. That transcendence is the difficult part for so many of us. That is the fight of faith, is it not. Faith needs to be practiced like anything else. And it needs a place to grow. Much like that beautiful sanctuary, we need to give God room to do his thing.

GOD

That brings us back to the creed,

I BELIEVE in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.

And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord; Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, Born of the Virgin Mary; Suffered under Pontius Pilate, Was crucified, dead, and buried; He descended into the place of departed spirits; The third day He rose from the dead; He ascended into heaven, And sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; From thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Ghost; The holy Christian Church; The communion of saints; The forgiveness of sins; The resurrection of the body; And the life everlasting. Amen.

The General Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church. (1881). The Liturgy of the Evangelical Lutheran Church (pp. 12–13). Philadelphia: Lutheran Publication Society.

Today is trinity Sunday, did you catch that? (read the bold letters). Now the creed is an affirmation of our belief. But why? Because part of the person of God can be experienced.

Paul shows us how in his blessing to the Corintheans in the close of his 2nd letter to them. He says. “14 May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. “

Paul was writing to people with a practical need. They competed about who was the best,and the argued about who was the smartest. Paul had been a bit like this. He had a mean streak until God showed him how he really wanted Paul to be. Paul experienced the grace of Jesus, the love of God, who made Paul a participant with the Holy Spirit of what he was doing in the world. Since Paul knew what could truly help these people, and he shared with them his experience. They needed their belief to become their practice.

The New International Version. (2011). (2 Co 13:14–Ga). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

YOU

What do you need today? Make belief your practice today. Do you need Relief of some sort? Maybe its from pain, or forgiveness, or confidence, freedom. Your remedy is to walk with God. His grace with his grace, with his love, with his friendship. Every other form of help will leave you unsatisfied and unfulfilled. That’s what Paul found out. They lead to negative thoughts and self destructive behaviors. But when you make belief in God your practice, of Grace, Love, and Friendship you find what you crave most in life. Your sense of satisfaction will pour over into the lives of others. You become a more gracious person, a more loving person, you’ll have people in your life to do things with. All because of who God is.

WE

Through grace with the son, the love of the Father, and the fellowship, participation with the Holy Spirit, we can discover who we are, because of who God is. Christianity is more than right beliefs, and moral actions. We are not perfect. Sometimes things work out like with least expect. When we live in grace, love, and friendship with God, we can better control how we respond. We make our beliefs our practice and make this world a brighter place.