One part of the human
condition is the occasionally obsessive need to be rational about the
irrational, that is to make sense of out of what we don't understand so that we
can find something of value or usable in it. Great thinkers and ponderers,
researchers and scientific minds alike, seek to grasp the ungraspable and
define the indefinable. We often strive to know what is unknowable and explain
the unexplainable, or at least contain the concept in some mortal definition.
And there is nothing more irrational, indefinable, or ungraspable than the
theologically and intellectually mysterious Christian concept of The
Trinity, One God in Three Persons. All manner of councils, creeds,
arguments, and conjectures have sought to develop a workable, understandable,
useful definition out of a non-scriptural but closely held doctrine of many
Christian faith communities to which many simply choose to set aside because it
cannot be contained in a comfortable box.
To complicate matters further, the ancient
understanding of gender hierarchy has excluded feminine pronouns and the mere
mention of such exclusion sets some male, female, and binary persons into
defensive postures. Yet the truth is simple, to assign only male gender to all
three persons of the Trinity is exclusionary and belies the wealth of knowledge
and contributions by all others. God has been written as “he” since scripture was
first written down, by men. Yet in the Hebrew Scriptures/aka Old Testament,
Wisdom, which Christians designate as the Holy Spirit, is feminine, such as in the Proverbs 8:1-4 passage used this week, even in the King James Version. While Jesus
was sent as a man into a male-dominated society, there are many, many instances
of women as his disciples, as well as among Paul’s own followers and disciples,
that go unknown or at the very least unrecognized, by the Revised Common
Lectionary as well as those denominations in which Pastors/Preachers, without a
designated lectionary, choose to use or not to use certain readings.
One of my absolute favorite quotes about
this same idea comes from Sister Sandra M. Schneiders, I.H.M., a renowned New
Testament Scholar and Professor, writing in U.S. Catholic magazine for
May 1, 1990 in her article: God is More Than Two Men and a Bird. The
title alone is food for thought no matter your gender.
This is
the Sunday which sends many practiced and learnéd preachers running for the
list of available surrogates to fill in so as to dodge those unanswerable
questions. The group of lessons appointed for today are, as usual, not terribly
helpful in expounding upon what we, of those particular Trinitarian groups,
attempt to understand or, at least, accept without question. That said,
the passage from Paul's Letter to the Romans gave us a sort of taste of the
workings of our co-equal and co-eternal*, and consubstantial (of one and the same
substance, essence, or nature), whole and entire God. In John's Gospel,
Jesus, still in his pre-Pentecost Farewell Discourse in this
reading, is explaining to the disciples how they will soon understand all they
need to know through the coming of the Holy Spirit. They must have been nearly
cross-eyed after all they had experienced in the prior month.
With the millions of pages of commentaries, books,
treatises, etc., available on Google, wiki-places, and untold thousands of
websites, and the innumerable hours of sermons we've attempted to listen to (or
write), 2 millennia later we're still trying to put the pieces and Persons of
the Trinity together in a way that helps us to explain to ourselves, let alone
others, what it is that we believe. Step back, take a breath, some things are
simply not simple. Mystery is just that. Faith is a mystery ~ outside of any
and all types of boxes ~ as is the Peace that passes all understanding. Our Trinity
~ Creator, Redeemer, Sanctifier ~ is One for All and All are One. AMEN.
Alleluia!
*Another of my favorite ways to attempt a
somewhat workable sense of the Trinity – gender language aside –
is through a piece of a 6th century creed from Dublin known as Tírechán’s
Creed ~ when speaking of God it says:
He has a Son who is
co-eternal with himself;
and similar
in all respects to himself;
and neither
is the Son younger than the Father,
nor is the
Father older than the Son;
and the
Holy Spirit breathes in them.
And the Father and the
Son and the Holy Spirit are inseparable.
LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY
Leader: ~ Holy and Blessed Trinity, as Almighty Creator and Lord of
All, as Lord of Revelation and Salvation through Christ Jesus, and as Lord and
Giver of Truth and Life through the Holy Spirit: You embody the eternal mystery
of One God in Three Persons. Fill us with the courage and conviction to open to
the love You have poured into our hearts that we may live as Your vessels of
faith in action.
O God of Grace and Glory
RESPONSE: To You,
O Lord, we pray
~ Holy and Blessed Trinity, let Wisdom raise her voice in
calling for the necessary ethical and moral character in all the leaders of
this World, this Country, and this Community, giving hope in actions for
universal justice, mercy, and peace. We pray especially for: add your
own petitions
O God of Grace and Glory
To You, O Lord, we pray
~ Holy and Blessed Trinity, grant endurance and steadfast
faith to all in continuous suffering of body, mind, or spirit, and increasing
energy to those who give support. We now join our hearts together to pray
for those in need… add your own petitions
O God of Grace and Glory
To You, O Lord, we pray
~ Holy and Blessed Trinity, relieve distress and comfort those
in mourning, as you delight in the arrival of the souls of your beloved,
returning Home for new life everlasting. pray especially for: add your own petitions
O God of Grace and Glory
To You, O Lord, we pray
~ Holy and Blessed Trinity, we pause in
this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions,
petitions, and memorials, aloud or silently… add your own petitions
O God of Grace and Glory
To You, O Lord, we pray
~ Holy and Blessed Trinity, continually replenish the
stores of spiritual discernment for all who inspire our explorations and exercise
of faith. We give you special thanks for all they do and ask for your
continuing grace and blessings, as we go forth together in your service. We
pray especially for: add your own petitions
O God of Grace and Glory
To You, O Lord, we pray
The Celebrant adds: Triune God of the Heavens, the Earth, and
All Else that is Known and Unknown, You are our Complete and
Infinite Source of Faith, Love, and Hope. Urge our earth-bound hearts to seek
higher fulfillment as heirs and proclaimers of Your eternal Truth in this life,
exalting Your Name always through our thoughts, words, and actions. We ask
through Jesus, our Redeemer; and the Holy Spirit, our Sustainer; who,
co-eternal and co-equal with You, reign as our One True God, forever and
ever. Amen.
