Mastery Over All

The Holy Trinity – June 15, 2025

Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31
Psalm 8
Romans 5:1-5
John 16:12-15

As I have probably told you every Trinity Sunday, this is the only time we celebrate a theological concept as part of our liturgy. Every other celebration is about an event such as Pentecost last Sunday or to lift up the life of someone such as an apostle or companion of Jesus. In fact the Bible doesn’t give us any information about the Trinity. Jesus tells us to baptize in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit but not how they are related. That had to be worked out by the early church. There was a great deal of controversy about the Trinity in the early church – mostly about Jesus. The church held several councils to work out our understanding of the relationship between God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. The Nicene Creed, based on the Apostles’ creed, was the result of the Council of Nicaea that met in 325 CE (that makes the creed 900 years old this year). The creed was later refined at several other councils of the church (mostly expanding the third article of the creed about the Holy Spirit). It was not always unifying. There was a controversy over one word used to describe Jesus which eventually was part of the reason for the division of the church between east and west. But, for the most part the council and creed did bring unity to the church.

I have simplified the history and reasons behind the creed to emphasize what is important about it. We, the Body of Christ, are part of a long history of working out what God is calling us to do and say as the church and as individuals. It is not an easy task and it does sometimes cause controversy but it is our task. Sometimes we even get it wrong. But the fear of making a mistake is no excuse for not trying because, when we fail at God’s work, we are always forgiven and given a new opportunity. In fact, it is amazing that God has allowed us to do God’s work. It is more amazing that God has given us all that we need to carry out our calling. All we need to do is to pick up our cross and follow Jesus.

Jesus is our model. For he gave himself up for us so that we have eternal life. The challenge is, as I said above, to discern your cross. What is it that Jesus is calling you to do?  Yes, I know, it is not always easy to see because the concerns and the temptations of the world often get in our way and blind us to God’s task. We break the world’s hold on us by scripture reading, prayer, and following Jesus’ example. Jesus, true God and true man, walked among those who the world rejected – the poor, orphans, and widows, the beggars and tax collectors, the prostitutes and lepers – and loved them all. That is our model. Now you do not have to solve all the problems of the world. In fact you do not need to solve any of them. What you get to do is love everyone as Jesus loved them. Once you give up the world’s view of the least among us you will see the people Jesus calls you to love and serve. Pray that you will be able to see Jesus in the faces of those whom the world belittles and ignores.