Musings for Holy Trinity

Sunday, June 3, 2012
The Holy Trinity
First Sunday after Pentecost

Midweek Musing

Reflection by Ken Klassen

INTRODUCTION
When we say God is the triune God, we are saying something about who God is beyond, before, and after the universe: that there is community within God. Our experience of this is reflected in Paul's words today. When we pray to God as Jesus prayed to his Abba (an everyday, intimate parental address), the Spirit prays within us, creating between us and God the same relationship Jesus has with the one who sent him.

John XXIII, Bishop of Rome, died 1963
When elected pope, the former Angelo Roncalli was expected to be a short-term caretaker. He showed great spirit, though, and convened the Second Vatican Council which helped bring great changes to Roman Catholic and other churches.

The Martyrs of Uganda, died 1886
On June 3, 1886, thirty-two young men were burned to death for refusing to renounce Christianity. The confident manner in which these Christians went to their deaths contributed to a much stronger Christian presence in Uganda.

Prayer of the Day (ELW)

Almighty Creator and ever-living God:we worship your glory, eternal Three-in-One,
and we praise your power, majestic One-in-Three. Keep us steadfast in this faith,
defend us in all adversity, and bring us at last into your presence, where you live in endless joy and love, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

First Reading

Isaiah 6:1–8

This reading narrates Isaiah’s vision of the Lord surrounded by angels. They sing “Holy, holy, holy,” a song the church sings at the beginning of the great thanksgiving. This liturgical text invites the church and all creation to sing in praise of God’s glory. That glory is God’s mercy toward sinners.

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the LORD sitting on a throne, high and lofty; and the hem of his robe filled the temple. ²Seraphs were in attendance above him; each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. ³And one called to another and said:
"Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory."
⁴The pivots on the thresholds shook at the voices of those who called, and the house filled with smoke. ⁵And I said: "Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!"
⁶Then one of the seraphs flew to me, holding a live coal that had been taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. ⁷The seraph touched my mouth with it and said: "Now that this has touched your lips, your guilt has departed and your sin is blotted out." ⁸Then I heard the voice of the LORD saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I; send me!"

Psalm (ELW)

Psalm 29

Worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness. (Ps. 29:2)

¹Ascribe to the ^| LORD, you gods,

     ascribe to the LORD glo- ^| ry and strength.

²Ascribe to the LORD the glory ^| due God's name;

     worship the LORD in the beau- ^| ty of holiness.

³The voice of the LORD is upon the waters; the God of ^| glory thunders;

     the LORD is upon the ^| mighty waters.

⁴The voice of the LORD is a pow- ^| erful voice;

     the voice of the LORD is a ^| voice of splendor.   

⁵The voice of the LORD breaks the ^| cedar trees;

     the LORD breaks the ce- ^| dars of Lebanon;

⁶the LORD makes Lebanon skip ^| like a calf,

     and Mount Hermon like a ^| young wild ox.

⁷The voice ^| of the LORD

     bursts forth in ^| lightning flashes.

⁸The voice of the LORD ^| shakes the wilderness;

     the LORD shakes the wilder- ^| ness of Kadesh.   

⁹The voice of the LORD makes the oak trees writhe

and strips the ^| forests bare.

     And in the temple of the LORD all are ^| crying, "Glory!"

¹⁰The LORD sits enthroned a- ^| bove the flood;

     the LORD sits enthroned as king for- ^| evermore.

¹¹O LORD, give strength ^| to your people;

     give them, O LORD, the bless- ^| ings of peace.   

Second Reading

Romans 8:12–17

In describing the new life of faith, Paul refers to all three persons of the Trinity: the Spirit leads us to recognize that we are children of God the Father and sisters and brothers with Christ the Son.

¹²So then, brothers and sisters, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh — ¹³for if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. ¹⁴For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. ¹⁵For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, "Abba! Father!" ¹⁶it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, ¹⁷and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ — if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.

Gospel

John 3:1–17

Jesus’ miracles prompt Nicodemus to visit him in secrecy. Jesus tells him about being born of the Spirit and about the Son who has been sent by God to save.

Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. ²He came to Jesus by night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God." ³Jesus answered him, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above." ⁴Nicodemus said to him, "How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother's womb and be born?" ⁵Jesus answered, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. ⁶What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. ⁷Do not be astonished that I said to you, 'You must be born from above.' ⁸The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit." ⁹Nicodemus said to him, "How can these things be?" ¹⁰Jesus answered him, "Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things?
¹¹Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony. ¹²If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? ¹³No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. ¹⁴And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, ¹⁵that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.
¹⁶For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.
¹⁷Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

Reflection

John 3:16 is a very important scripture. It is probably one of the first scriptures I memorized in Sunday School. And how often have I been watching a golf game to see someone in the crowd holding a sign that reads simply, "JOHN 3:16"? Is someone reducing Christianity down to the size of a bumper sticker? But alas, I digress.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. 

There are some logical consequences of these words:

1. The action starts with God loving the entire world. He does this without any qualifications, hesitations, exceptions, or prior demands. God's salvation is not a reward for belief and He does not withhold His forgiveness and salvation until we believe.
2. Then he sends his son.
3. Those who believe (scratch "believe" and substitute "trust and bond"). Those who trust and bond with the Son, become part of the Son's family (being born anew from above), and have equal sibling status becoming heirs to the family estate which includes heaven and eternal life.

This one scripture is the basis of our Christianity. 

Prayer

     Heavenly Father, we pray for wisdom and the patience to understand your scriptures. Help us to listen for your voice and obey. We ask that your protecting hand will be on all of those who serve our country and work for peace. Teach us compassion for the sick, the suffering, and those in need.