The Gospel of Gospel of John 16:12-15
Jesus said to the disciples, “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me because he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine. For this reason, I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.”
Collect for Trinity Sunday:
Almighty and everlasting God, you have given to us your servants grace, by the confession of a true faith, to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity, and in the power of your divine Majesty to worship the Unity: Keep us steadfast in this faith and worship, and bring us at last to see you in your one and eternal glory, O Father; who with the Son and the Holy Spirit live and reign, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Let us pray God in three persons, blessed Trinity, we pray for peace in the world, in our communities and our families: create in us a love for peace, not peace that is absent from struggle, nor peace that is blind to injustice but the peace that makes whole what now is broken. This we pray in the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen
I dedicate this refection to the late Rev. Pete Greenfield, who was a strong influence in my life through his continued support.
God is about life with love, a union of the three persons of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. A manifestation of the love God has for His children. He has made us His children by the gift of the Holy Spirit. As God’s children what is our task in this time and place. At this moment in our history, we are still in a time of deep wounds. So, what is our task? Our task is to become healers, help to heal the deep wounds, deep suspicions, anger, and confusion. Sometimes we might wish we could live in an age of peace and a time without conflict, but remember, God has placed us here in this time and this place for a purpose. We need to be those healers who can help pull people back, to help restore civility and reason in a period of time when we have been challenged. We can do it. WE CAN DO IT WITH GOD’S HELP! We need to trust in our faith and let our faith override our fear. The Trinity offers us a model of sharing, belonging and community. It also challenges our individualism and our demand that our rights be met all the time. The Trinity asks us to be mindful of our responsibilities to those around us in our families, our neighborhood, and our church community. The Trinity also shows a loving God that is willing to become as we are so that we may become like Him, like Him as in His son Jesus. Consider, The doctrine of the Trinity as a gracious gift of God. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, though they have existed for eternity in perfect communion and fellowship with one another. Jesus is spiritually unified with his father. They are distinct persons but one God. His Father lives in him and he lives in his Father. Now He is praying for a similar unity for us. “Father, may they be one as we are one? Would you live in them and do your work through them?” It’s as we are with our heavenly Father in relationship with him that we become unified with believers who are also with him. The key word is “with.” That’s what Christianity is, going through life day by day WITH Jesus and the Father. As God, He saw fit to extend the divine fellowship to creation. God has graciously revealed himself to us as he truly is – the blessed Trinity. So today as we celebrate Trinity Sunday, even though we have been physically apart we were always together with God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.
As we close let us pause and reflect on The Trinity as an unifying catalyst. One that will help guide us, one that can bring us together, one that provides us with Hope and gives us the courage to go out into the world as healers. So, it is important to see that there can be wonderful possibilities for the future, optimism about the future – we can see the many unrealized possibilities and hope based on the creativity and inexhaustible wealth of possibilities God offers.
Let us Pray: Dear God, we pray on this Trinity Sunday that the world will see that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit can bring us together as you have brought the Trinity together as one. Unit us as God’s children and show us the wonderful possibilities you can give us, we pray this in your name Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.
Reflections by Bob 