Holy Trinity Sunday
18 May 2008
(Genesis 1:1-2:4 Psalm 8 2 Corinthians
13:11-13 Matthew 28:16-20)
I'm going to begin my sermon with some self
disclosure. Actually, I'm surprised this story hasn't gotten out before now.
The date was July 11, 2006. Eighteen youth and six adults from here were on a
jet flying to San Antonio to attend the National Youth Gathering. The adults
had decided that we would all have cell phones so we could stay in touch
throughout the week, especially when our entire group would not all be in the
same place. Since, at that time, I did not own my own cell phone, my wife Lois
gave me her cell phone to take with me.
As we were told at take-off, I turned the
phone off, but a little later, as we were in the air, I decided to take a
closer look at the phone. That's when I realized I did not know how to turn the
phone back on. It only made sense to me that if I pressed the red button to turn
it off; the way to turn it on was to press the green button. After frantically
pressing every button on the phone, I decided to take my chance of total
embarrassment and I asked one of our youth how to turn my phone on!
For me this event was my official initiation
into the world of our modern "stay-in-touch" technology. Now we have:
Cell phones! Face book! Blogs! Email! Pod casting! Texting! iPhones! My Space!
Skype! I'm sure I missed some! I'm also sure there's more to come!
What makes this technology so exciting?
Really, what is this all about? I think, at it most basic level, this
technology boon is about being in touch! It is about keeping in touch! It's
about being connected, and staying connected!
Just the other week, two parents were telling
me how their daughter from college calls them and if they do not answer their
cell phone immediately, she can't understand where in the world they might be
that they cannot answer the phone! Here's something that happens in our house,
and I bet this happens in some of your homes, also. First, one cell phone will
ring. If we don't answer it before it stops, then a few minutes later the house
phone rings. If the answering machine picks up before we do, then the other
cell phone begins to ring.
Instant, immediate, in-need-of-attention
connection! Staying in touch! Being in relationship-that's what it comes down
to!
Well, this entire "in-need-of-attention
connection," staying in touch, being in relationship, may say a whole lot
more about our God than we might first realize, especially on this festival of
The Holy Trinity!
Today, there are at least three things
going on here.
1.) In the Gospel text we hear what we call "the Great Commission: 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. 2.) We also will witness the Affirmation of Faith as we confirm 17 of
our young members. 3.) And we do all this on the Festival of The Holy Trinity.
It all makes sense together!
The climax and crown of Matthew's Gospel are
these final five verses. This is a very ending of Matthew's Gospel story. And
we are invited to enter into the story!
Matthew's Gospel begins with the coming of
Jesus into the world-Emmanuel (God with us). This same Gospel now ends with the
promise that God with us will never leave us: "I will be with you
always, until the end of the age."
What a most beautiful, breath-taking promise and guarantee! The ever-living Son
of God will stay in relationship with us, as we go out into the world as
disciples.
And.....If the Great Commission tells us what
to do: "Go out and make disciples...." The Holy Trinity (our image of God) tells us how
to do it.
We do it together! We do it as community, as
people connected and committed to each other! We go out and preach the Good
News of Jesus Christ together!
Holy Trinity reminds us that our God is a God
always in relationship, always connected. Trinity reminds us that God's face is
always turned toward us in love. Our discipleship is one of turning our face
toward others in love. Trinitarian spirituality is one of solidarity between
and among people. It is a way of living the Gospel attentive to the challenges
of justice, carefully alert to rightly ordered relationships.
When we genuinely believe in the vision of
the Holy Trinity, we can never say "It doesn't concern me! It doesn't
matter to me!" The tragedy in
China, the confusion in Myanmar; the person in school being bullied, the member
of the congregation who lost a spouse. We can never say, "I have no
reason to be concerned!"
Confimands: I suspect you all are very good at using cell phones,
texting, many of you at using My Space, Face Book. I know you are good at
staying connected with each other.
There is more good news for you today:
God is really good at staying in touch with you. We, here at St. James, want to
stay connected with you. To remain in relationship with you has everything to
do with the responsibilities you will affirm in just a few moments:
The most profound question we might ask of
ourselves today is: How can we all live these responsibilities together?
We begin, perhaps, by valuing community over
achievement, by valuing relationship over winning, by always being loving
rather than always being right.
We most resemble God when we live in loving
harmony with each other. That's called staying in touch, being in relationship,
being a disciple. We also call it Holy Trinity! Amen.