The Trinity as Relational Bridge: Grace Over Dogma

• The Mystery of the Trinity 00:28:12 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor acknowledges the Trinity as a 'theologically dense topic' and 'impossible task' that has led to historical debates and even executions, emphasizing that it is beyond complete human understanding.
• Limitations of Metaphors 00:30:04 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor critiques common metaphors for the Trinity (egg, tree, water states), noting that while helpful, they all 'fall short of explaining the fullness and the mystery of God.'
• Humility in Theology 00:31:02 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor suggests that contemplating the Trinity should be done with humility, accepting that 'God is beyond our complete understanding and we do not have all the answers.'
• Relating to the Divine 00:31:27 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor addresses how humans relate to God despite the mystery, suggesting the use of aspects like Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer, as well as various names and images.
• Religious Icons as Windows 00:33:11 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor introduces the concept of religious icons not as idols but as 'windows' offering a glimpse into wisdom and truth, specifically citing Andrei Rublev's icon.
• The Nature of God and Divine Names 00:31:49 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor discusses the limitations of comprehending God fully but highlights the use of various names and images (creator, redeemer, sustainer) to understand God's nature, referencing a hymn with 39 names.
• Religious Icons and Theological Symbolism 00:33:39 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor uses Andrei Rublev's icon of the Trinity and a modern depiction by Kelly Latimore to illustrate God as a God of relations, emphasizing that icons are windows to truth rather than idols, and noting the invitation to communion.
• Creation and Divine Loneliness 00:36:46 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor references James Weldon Johnson's paraphrase of Genesis to suggest God created the world out of a desire for relation and to kindle love with all beings.
• Reinterpreting the Great Commission 00:39:01 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor contrasts a past view of the Great Commission as conversion with a current view of it as building relations with 'ethnos' (those who are different), emphasizing listening and dialogue over conformity.
• Eucharist and Mission 00:42:58 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor interprets the presence of raw wheat and grapes instead of bread and wine on the altar as a symbol that work remains to be done, calling the congregation to reconcile relations with neighbors and the created order.

• Sermon Illustration 00:28:12 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor shares a personal anecdote about his time as an organ scholar in Christ Church, New Zealand, where the dean would invite guest preachers to handle Trinity Sunday sermons to avoid the 'theological traps' of the topic.
• Sermon Illustration 00:32:14 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor references the United Methodist Hymnal Committee's commission of hymn writer Tom Trager in 1987, who used 39 names for God in a three-verse hymn to illustrate the many ways to describe the triune God.
• Sermon Illustration 00:33:56 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor describes Andrei Rublev's 15th-century icon of the Trinity, noting that while it depicts three angelic beings, it was not originally intended as a depiction of the Trinity but serves as a 'window' to wisdom.
• Sermon Illustration 00:33:56 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor recounts the story of Andrei Rublev's icon of the Trinity, originally depicting three angels visiting Abraham, and explains how it has been interpreted as a symbol of the Trinity through the loving dialogue of the figures. He also mentions a modern version by Kelly Latimore where an angel extends a hand to the viewer.
• Sermon Illustration 00:39:16 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor shares a personal anecdote about his high school understanding of the Great Commission as a call for conversion and mission trips, contrasting it with his current understanding that it is about building relations and listening to those who are different.
• Sermon Illustration 00:40:30 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor uses the analogy of musicians listening to find a common center of pitch to explain how believers must listen to one another to build harmony and relation, rather than imposing their own systems of belief.

• Pastoral Charge 00:33:56 ▶️ 📄
  > Look at the Rublev icon copy on the altar.
• Pastoral Charge 00:43:57 ▶️ 📄
  > Remember and emulate the triune God's model of love and peace.

[00:00:01] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:00:01] Before the throne of God, with nip-scarred hands, into his eyes

[00:00:22] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]
[00:00:22] Yeah, I think I'll need to put tape back on or something, something to color it.

[00:00:26] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]
[00:00:26] I think Josh should do it.

[00:00:28] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]
[00:00:28] Good morning, y'all. Will y'all stand as you're able and sing something with us?
[00:00:35] Yes, Tom, you gotta stand up.
[00:00:38] You don't have to, we can't make you.

[00:00:40] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:00:40] Seek your face, oh God, I'm Jacob Oh, so Christ be with y'all.

[00:04:19] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]
[00:04:19] Y'all take a moment to pass the peace.

[00:04:21] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:04:21] Come grab a seat.

[00:09:29] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]
[00:09:29] Friends, hi, I'm Jennifer Chapman, and I'll be sharing your announcements today.
[00:09:39] So we welcome all of you to this service of worship.
[00:09:43] There are also many people joining us via live stream.
[00:09:45] We want you to feel welcome, and we hope that this service is meaningful for you.
[00:09:52] If you're visiting us here in person today, we would love to stay in touch with you.
[00:09:56] There are visitor cards in the seat back pockets right in front of you.
[00:10:00] We welcome you to fill one of those out.
[00:10:02] It's easy to do.
[00:10:03] and we would love to just know that you were here and perhaps be in touch with you after today.
[00:10:08] It's also unusual to have a Sunday after Memorial Day, but here we are.
[00:10:13] I'm sure that you have plans this summer and the Stewardship Committee wants to remind you that many people, and we hope most, make sure their offerings make it to church when they don't.
[00:10:23] And there are many ways to set up automatic payments to the church and electronic giving.
[00:10:27] I know one of them is the QR code in the bulletin takes you right to that webpage.
[00:10:32] So our giving often goes through a slump during the summer, so please help us out.
[00:10:37] As always, we're grateful for your gifts to the work of the church.
[00:10:41] I'd now like to invite Matthew up to lead us in a prayer.

[00:10:51] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]
[00:10:51] Good morning.
[00:10:53] Happy Trinity Sunday.
[00:10:55] We have one feast after the next.
[00:10:59] And Kelly is not with us here, so you are unfortunately stuck with me.
[00:11:03] Um, I know that prayers around this service are slightly a little bit more casual.
[00:11:11] So I will invite you all to share your prayer requests and I will offer petitions.
[00:11:18] Are there any prayer requests?
[00:11:23] Yes.
[00:11:24] Okay.
[00:11:33] Yes.
[00:11:34] Any other prayer concerns?
[00:11:47] I know we have a lot of graduations happening.
[00:11:51] Atkins, I was with Ollie and Sage on Thursday evening.
[00:11:55] Vlad, who sings in our choir, graduated. So we're celebrating with him. He's also in our youth group.
[00:12:03] David, Kelly called me this morning. Do you care if I share?
[00:12:15] David, Berclio's mother, Vivian, passed away this morning. So we're going to be keeping David and all of his family in our prayers and support him during this difficult time.
[00:12:30] yeah kelly mentioned that well now she is in the great cloud of witnesses watching you all and yeah she yeah uh chuck is her husband or oh yeah yeah yeah

[00:12:56] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:12:56] are there any other prayer requests that we should gather together if not let us go to prayer

[00:13:24] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]
[00:13:24] Gathered together by the Holy Spirit, let us pray for the church and the needs of the world.
[00:13:35] Holy God, we are in awe of your creative work. Continue that work in your church, making us a new creation that proclaims your presence and love. Creator God, nature reveals your power and glory. Protect water sources, vegetation, and wildlife as reminders of
[00:14:04] who you are. Redeemer God, you call us to pray for those in authority. Guide our leaders to pursue the work of fostering peace and community. Sustaining God, you are mindful of your people in every circumstance. Heal those who are sick. Provide for all who hunger. Protect those in
[00:14:40] harm's way. Comfort any experiencing hardship, especially in Crestly. Gracious God, we pray for the children of our church and community. Provide for their needs. Support their caregivers.
[00:15:04] nurture their faith. We celebrate with them as they achieve important milestones.
[00:15:15] Loving God, we give thanks for all those who have died and claimed their baptismal promise, especially Vivian. Strengthen us to live as they did in communion with you.
[00:15:32] comfort David and his family in this time of need.
[00:15:40] Trusting you receive all our prayers, we commend our spoken and unspoken prayers to you, O God, through Jesus Christ, our Savior, who taught disciples to pray, saying, Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.
[00:16:01] Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven, give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from

[00:16:20] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:16:20] evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen. As I've mentioned

[00:20:17] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]
[00:20:17] earlier, I am not Kelly Carpenter. You get the discount rack today. I'm Matthew Bacon and I am the organist and music director and occasionally dabble into homiletics preaching. So if Kelly is away with us, if you have any criticism, send it his way. I'm sure he will love that. Our first
[00:20:44] reading comes from the very beginning of our scripture. It is Genesis 1, the creation narrative.
[00:20:53] On this Trinity Sunday, we can imagine God creating all that is and was. Listen to God's word. In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep. While a wind from God swept over the face of the
[00:21:18] waters, then God said, let there be light. And there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light day and the darkness he called night. And there was evening and there was morning the first day.
[00:21:41] And God said, let there be a dome in the midst of the water and let it separate the waters from the waters. So God made the dome and separated the waters that were under the dome from the
[00:21:53] waters that were above the dome. And it was so. God called the dome sky and there was evening and there was morning the second day. And God said, let the waters under the sky be gathered
[00:22:07] together into one place and let the dry land appear. And it was so. God called the dry land earth and the waters were gathered together he called seas. And God saw that it was good. Then
[00:22:21] God said let the earth put forth vegetation. Plants yielding seed and fruits trees of each kind on earth that bear fruit with the seed in it. And it was so. The earth brought forth vegetation. Plants
[00:22:36] yielding seeds of every kind and trees of every kind bearing fruit with the seed in it. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning the third day. And God said,
[00:22:51] let there be lights in the dome of the sky to separate the day from the night and let them be signs and for seasons and for days and for years and let them be lights in the dome of the sky to
[00:23:04] give light upon the earth. And it was so. God made the two great lights, the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night and the stars. God set them in the dome of the sky to
[00:23:18] give light upon the earth, to rule over the day and over the night and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth
[00:23:32] day. And God said, let the waters bring forth swarms of living creatures and let birds from above the earth across the dome of the sky. So God created the great sea monsters and every living
[00:23:46] creature that moves of every kind with which the water swarm and every winged bird of every kind.
[00:23:53] And God saw that it was good. God blessed them saying, be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the sea and let birds multiply on the earth. And there was evening and there was morning
[00:24:07] the fifth day. And God said, let the earth bring forth living creatures of every kind, cattle and creeping things and wild animals of the earth of every kind. And it was so.
[00:24:21] God made the wild animals of the earth of every kind and the cattle of every kind and everything that creeps upon the ground of every kind and God saw that it was good. Then God said, let us
[00:24:35] make humankind in our image according to our likeness and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over the cattle and over all the wild animals of the
[00:24:49] earth and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth. So God created humankind in God's image. In the image of God, he created them. Male and female, God created them. God blessed them and God said to them, be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion
[00:25:11] over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth. God said, see, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is upon the face
[00:25:24] of all the earth and every tree with the seed in its fruit you shall have for them and to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the air and to everything that creeps to the earth everything
[00:25:36] that has breath of life I have given every green plant for food and it was so God saw everything that God made and indeed it was very good and there was evening and there was morning the sixth
[00:25:51] day. Thus the heavens and the earth were finished and all their multitude. And on the seventh day, God finished the work that he had done and he rested on the seventh day from all the work.
[00:26:03] So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it because on it, God rested from all the work that God had done in creation. These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were
[00:26:17] created. And it was very good. Our gospel lesson comes from the gospel according to Matthew, the 28th chapter. You may be familiar as it referred to the great commission.
[00:26:34] Hear what God's church or God's spirit is speaking to God's church. Now the 11 disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. When they saw him, they worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, all authority in heaven and on earth has
[00:26:56] been given to me. 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 and teaching them to obey everything that I have
[00:27:09] commanded you. And remember, I am with you always to the end of the age. The word of God for us, the people of God. Thanks be to God. Would you pray with me? Triune God, we come to you this day
[00:27:36] with questions, knowing that you have many names, that you present yourself in many forms.
[00:27:47] may we approach the trinity with a sense of wonder a sense of curiosity to lead us into your divine presence in your name we pray amen when i was working as organ scholar in christ
[00:28:12] church new zealand we had a tradition of inviting a guest preacher to offer a homily on trinity Sunday. This was partly due to the fact that the Trinity is such a theologically dense topic, way beyond the concept of human knowledge and understanding. The dean of the cathedral,
[00:28:35] well aware of the theological traps on this topic, would rather witness someone else struggle with the impossible task. Today, I guess Kelly is taking the advice of the dean of Christ's church by putting me in this hot seat. It is no wonder why so many preachers shy away from approaching
[00:28:59] the topic of the Trinity. God as three persons, but only one in essence. And the Athanasius Creed goes on to say, neither confounding the person nor dividing the substance. Let me know if you'd like to explain that in a children's sermon after the service. Christians have spent centuries
[00:29:22] studying, arguing, and debating this topic, attempting to come to some form of understanding.
[00:29:32] However, this has been a treacherous task. Many views who did not conform or align to the appropriate view were deemed heretics, excommunicated, and sometimes even executed.
[00:29:48] It is a fine line to walk, to attempt to explain the unexplainable. On one hand, we are curious people, hungry for knowledge and understanding, especially when it comes to the triune God.
[00:30:04] many of us have been explained the trinity through a metaphor the trinity is like we could stay here all day thinking about what the trinity is like few of the examples i have heard is the trinity
[00:30:19] is like the three parts of an egg or the trinity is like the three parts of a tree the roots the trunk and the branches or the trinity is like water in its three various forms solid liquid
[00:30:34] and gas. Although we may consider these metaphors helpful in explaining the Trinity, the truth is that all metaphors fall short of explaining the fullness and the mystery of God, the incomprehensible triune God. There will always be a sense of mystery when contemplating the Trinity. Perhaps
[00:31:02] it is a good reminder to approach theological matters with a sense of humility, knowing that God is beyond our complete understanding and we do not have all the answers. To be honest, I am okay with mystery and wonder, living with questions and being curious. However,
[00:31:27] if God is all mysterious, how do we, we as human beings, relate to the divine? Although we can't fully comprehend the triune God, we can use aspects of God's nature to know who God is and what God
[00:31:49] is like. We can refer to God as creator, redeemer, and sustainer. But there are so many more images to consider God. In 1987, the United Methodist Hymnal Committee commissioned hymn writer Tom Trager to come up with a hymn to describe God in as many names and aspects as possible.
[00:32:14] He ended up using 39 names for a three-verse hymn to refer to the triune God. Some examples include The refrain of this hymn proclaims a bit of truth.
[00:32:48] May the church at prayer recall that no single holy name, but the truth behind them all is the God whom we proclaim. So yes, dear friends in Christ, there are many ways and images to describe God. Some even in paradoxical ways.
[00:33:11] For example, God is both lamb and shepherd. Either way, they allow us to see into God's image, the nature of God. Likewise, I have found that contemplating the mysteries of God through viewing religious icons to be a helpful practice. The image in of itself is not supposed to be an idol
[00:33:39] or an authoritative depiction of God, but rather it is a window. It offers us a glimpse into wisdom and truth. Many of you may be familiar with the icon on the Trinity by Andrei Rublev,
[00:33:56] a 15th century Russian painter. On our altar today, we have a copy of this, courtesy of Carolyn Corum from her time in Russia. I invite you to look at it after the service. It's a
[00:34:10] beautiful depiction of these three angelic beings. Although it's associated with the Trinity, it didn't start out that way. It's actually depicting the three angel beings who visited Abraham in Genesis 18. They were graced with Abraham's hospitality. And because of that
[00:34:34] hospitality, they offered Abraham and Sarah a blessing, that Sarah would be with child, even in her old age. The icon of these three angel visitors have slowly been interpreted as a symbol of the Trinity, not because of the physical depiction of these entities, but rather
[00:34:58] because how, how these angelic beings are engaged with one another. They are all equals at a table engaged in loving dialogue, embodying spiritual unity, peace, harmony, and mutual understanding.
[00:35:17] Through this icon, we get a glimpse of the Trinity.
[00:35:22] We see God in relation with God's self.
[00:35:27] Could it be that our triune God is a God of relations?
[00:35:32] The creator, the redeemer, and sustainer are three in one and one in three because they are in relation to one another.
[00:35:42] There is a great myth about this icon that I love dearly.
[00:35:48] Richard Rohr, who's written a book on the Trinity and Trinity in community, has noted that at the original icon, at the bottom of the table, there is old adhesive.
[00:36:05] And art historians believe, they have a hypothesis, that at one point there might have been a mirror glued onto the bottom of this table, allowing the viewer to see themselves in communion with the Trinity. You see the Trinity
[00:36:29] God in relation to God's self desires to be in relation to humanity and all of creation for that matter. One can imagine in our first reading how God decided to create the cosmos out of a desire
[00:36:46] of building relations. James Weldon Johnson, who is a black liberation theologian, has a paraphrase of the creation narrative, and it's great. In his paraphrase, God proclaims at the beginning, I'm lonely. Let me make a world. Our God created all that is because of love.
[00:37:14] to kindle relations with all living and inanimate beings and invite us into this reconciling work of love and community. On the cover of your bulletin is a modern depiction of the Rublev icon by American iconographer Kelly Latimore. In it, you can witness several similarities.
[00:37:38] Three angelic beings seated around the table.
[00:37:42] They are engaged in loving relations with each other, holding each other's hands in community.
[00:37:52] It is a display of mutual love and understanding.
[00:37:57] Now, there is no mirror in this picture, but the angel figure flocked in green robes is extending a hand towards you.
[00:38:07] yes, you the viewer, welcoming you into this loving relation. You are invited to grasp this hand and be in communion with God, the creator, the redeemer, and sustainer. Not only are we called to be in relation with the triune God, but we are summoned to be in relation to our neighbors
[00:38:34] and the rest of the world. Being in communion with God should transform us, and we are invited to share that liberating, life-giving love with all humanity, even those who do not look like us or do not think like us. Regardless, we are called to connect all of creation to the loving relation
[00:39:01] of God. Our gospel lesson is the familiar story of the Great Commission. This was one of my favorite passages of the Bible when I was in high school. I viewed it as a personal plea
[00:39:16] to spread the gospel so that all could hear the good news of Jesus Christ. Back then, I also believed that it was my impetus to go out in the world, to go on mission trips, so that those who
[00:39:33] looked different and thought different could conform to my understanding of what Christianity is. Unfortunately, what I didn't understand back then was that view of the Great Commission leaves out relationships entirely. That view is all about conversion rather than community.
[00:40:02] I expected people to fall in line with my own systems of belief and dogma instead of listening and engaging in genuine dialogue. In music, we are trained to listen. Pitch is a relative issue entirely. But we as musicians have to listen to each other and agree where the center of pitch
[00:40:30] is so that we can listen and play and be in harmony with one another. The call from the Great Commission is similar. It is to go forth and build relations with all nations, humanity, and the rest of the created world. The Greek word for nations is ethnos. Ethnos is much more akin
[00:40:58] to cultural groups, Jews, Gentiles, rather than our modern understanding of nation states with borders. But I would argue that a better translation of ethnos is those who are different from us. Those who do not look like us, those who do not think like us, those who do not pray like
[00:41:26] us, and even those who disagree with us. The call of the Great Commission is the call to be in relation with all these people, especially those who do not look like us, those who had been pushed
[00:41:41] aside, pushed to the margins, or even silence. We are invited to draw them back into relation with us with loving dialogue and listening. You may have noticed that in Kelly Lattimore's icon, he uses female figures from different cultural backgrounds to depict the Trinity.
[00:42:07] Some of you may be uncomfortable with this depiction.
[00:42:11] How can God the Father also be God the woman?
[00:42:16] Perhaps it is theologically unsound, but perhaps there is a nugget of truth in this image that the triune God is seeking to be in relation with all of humanity and the created order.
[00:42:34] that the image of God is made known in every face.
[00:42:40] Or as our first reading said, in God's image, God created them.
[00:42:47] Male and female, God created them in God's image.
[00:42:52] And God saw that it was good.
[00:42:58] You see, the elements of the Eucharist, bread and wine, are not on the table.
[00:43:06] Instead, the products of these elements, wheat and grape, are there.
[00:43:12] This symbolizes that there is still work to be done.
[00:43:17] Dear friends in Christ, we have work to do.
[00:43:22] Being in relation to the triune God calls us to reconcile relations to our neighbors and the created order.
[00:43:30] not by building walls of dogma and doctrine, but instead by building bridges of mutual understanding nourished by listening and engaged by loving dialogue. This work is not easy and demands we leave our spaces of comfort, shedding our creeds of judgment and hostility. May we be
[00:43:57] reminded that the triune God is in relation to God's self, offering us a model of reconciling love, peace, and mutual understanding. God is inviting us to be a part of that relationship, but God is also calling us to the work of building relations to all of humanity and the world around
[00:44:23] us. May we witness this divine love and help draw all of the world into God's loving embrace.
[00:44:36] Would you pray with me? Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Mother and Creator of us all, you created us in your image but we are so quick to push our neighbors aside because they do not
[00:45:04] look like us because they do not think like us they do not act like us they do not pray like us soften our hearts help us see that you god are relate in relation with god's self
[00:45:24] Help us see that we can be in relation with you.
[00:45:31] And by being in relation with you, you draw us to be in relation to the world around us.
[00:45:40] In your name we pray. Amen.

[00:45:43] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:45:43] Paul, to leave this place,

[00:50:10] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]
[00:50:10] to leave our comfort zones, community, and relations, knowing that God is in relation with God's self.
[00:50:22] God invites us to be in relation with God and we are called to draw all of creation and humanity into that loving relation so go forth in the name of God our creator, redeemer, and sustainer
[00:50:37] Amen