Trinity Sunday
Thought for Trinity Sunday 12 June 2022 by Rev. Kelvin Burke.
Forty years ago a 3-faced clock was installed by Sedgemoor Dist Council in Somerset. It was called the Highbridge ‘3-faced liar’ because the 3 faces rarely told the same time. In contrast in Sydney, the GPO clock tower has told the same time on its 3-faced clock since 1878. For 144 years people have been able to see the time from any direction - one clock with 3 faces. The Sydney clock had one mechanism, it was one clock (but 3 faces) the Somerset clock had 3 mechanisms (wasn’t truly one). It was ten years ago scrapped in 2012
On the Sunday following Pentecost, Trinity Sunday we look at the mystery of the Holy Trinity. We can say that God is a three-faced God: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. One God, Three persons. Each face tells us about God. Our Gospel reading refers to the HS to come, that HS will glorify God the Father, the Son, ‘Into’ rather than ‘in’ because Jesus was speaking about allegiance to F S & HS and relationship with (rather than a formula of words for Baptism).
What do we see when we look into the 3 faces of God?
Through our bible readings today Matthew 28 and Isaiah 40:12-17 & 27-31. Let me ask it another way, what words come to your mind when I say God the Father, Son, Holy Spirit?
The Face of God the Father
The first face we see is God the Father. His face invokes reverence, awe (fear), and adoration.
(How much awe is there worship today? "Aw, do I have to worship!")
Many people are comfortable with praying Father-God (Lord’s prayer = Father in heaven). Recently, in Christian circles, we seem to have lost the awesomeness of God. (Majesty) Maybe we’ve stopped singing "How great thou art" and replaced it with “how great we are!” Maybe we’ve got over familiar & we’ve lost the sense of awe/reverence for our great God.
So awesome the Jews wouldn’t allow God’s name to be spoken YHWH. They made another name Adonai (Lord) (God; so great that they were not worthy to speak His holy name.
When we look in the clock-face of God the Father 2 things happen
1. We get a sense of our sinfulness before God and 2. We get a sense of God’s power.
God is absolute purity/goodness/perfection. We aren’t! That’s why we need to confess/repent Society lives today as if there is no God, make up their own morality (if it feels right do it)! They have lost our sense of sin. If we look into the face of God the Father and don’t see his holiness, and purity we will not see the need to confess. Look at Moses at the burning bush. When Isaiah (Chapt 6) saw God on a high throne and heard the song, "Holy, Holy, Holy," & fell down and said ‘woe is me’ (confessed his sins) - they had a sense of sin when they confronted a holy God
The Face of God the Son
What do we see when we look at the 2nd face of the Trinity? God the Son - the human face of God - Jesus Christ. Like the Father He is all-powerful Matt 28v18 ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me..’ He is the one who walked on water, the one who spoke to the waves and they obeyed him, he healed, he forgave sins, he accepted worship.
Looking at this 2nd Face of 3-faced-God. Col 1v15 ‘He is the visible image of the invisible God.’ Seeing Jesus we see God in the flesh, who in Matt.1v23 was called Emmanuel (God with us). God we can know, who walked, talked and touched on this earth. The one face in the Trinity who took human form. He understands our human weakness, like a union rep he is our advocate in heaven[Illustr]! (God who died for us - paying the price for our forgiveness). By inviting Jesus into our lives we know God personally (no longer an ‘up there’ God but ‘in here’ God).
[Illustration from Braveheart – William Wallace before his troops].
Last words are so important, when we look in the face of God the Son, we hear him say ‘Go and make disciples of all nations… baptising and teaching.’
His great commission /rally call to the disciples and to us. ‘Gather more followers, introduce more people to Jesus.’ Fact is, sometimes it’s easy ..things crop up in conversation or something big happens through prayer but sometimes it’s hard (a battle) and we have to get on with it, praying for our non-Christian FRANC, praying for our world, church, community, praying about the things you feel called to do/serve (individuals and as church).
Matt 1 began with Emmanuel (God with us) Matt 28v20 ends with God promising, ‘I am with you always.’ The great commission comes with a promise that God through his HS will be with us always to the end of the age.’ And that’s the 3rd Face….The face of God the Spirit
Pentecost Sunday we learnt about the sending of the Holy Spirit. This is the 3rd face of God, the one who is with us always, God the Holy Spirit. Matt 28v20 is a promise that the Triune God through HS will be with us always to the end of the age.’ With us and in us always, working in us (fruits of the Spirit Gal 5v22) to help us, guide us, motivate us to do good, and giving us gifts by which we serve God, it is God the Spirit who gives us. 3 Faces 1 God!
