The Holy Trinity
Preaching
Lectionary Preaching Workbook
Series III, Cycle C
The Church Year Theological Clue
Inasmuch as this is the Festival/Feast of the Holy Trinity, it is rather obvious that the church is celebrating the work of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as one God "forever and ever." This festival/feast had a close call, liturgically; it might have been eliminated from the calendar and lectionary if some persons had their way, because the church does not normally celebrate doctrines. But it was retained, not because it was a late medieval addition to the liturgical apparatus and has been around for close to 1,200 years, but because it gives evidence that the Spirit is still at work in the church. It might be thought of, theologically, as "pull it all together" Sunday - a kind of magna-manifestation Sunday, because it is the time to read the stories and preach about the ways that God has manifest himself to the world as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit." It also is something of a "labor day," celebrating, as it does, the ongoing work of God in the world.
Preachers need to remember that they are dealing with more of an implicit than explicit doctrine. The creeds spell out the relationship and activities of God as Father and creator, the Son as Redeemer and Savior, and the Holy Spirit, Counselor and Comforter, combining them and their activities in the world into the classical creeds of Christendom, but no single verse or passage of Scripture offers a text that includes them all. It is, therefore, not an easy doctrine to preach upon, because it is difficult to explain in a sermon, and it tempts the preacher to run the risk of doing a didactic sermon (Edmund Steimle used to say that such sermons were too often "dull and deadly.") that may become involved and tedious. In his Doctrine And Word, Mark Ellingsen gives an introduction to this doctrine and includes a sermon to illustrate how one might preach on a doctrine in a narrative style, thereby avoiding the pit-fall that much doctrinal preaching produces.
It is well to remember that this Sunday really introduces the second half of the church year, and that these Sundays follow the traditional Roman Catholic procedure of counting the Sundays after Pentecost, not Trinity, as some of the churches used to do.
The Prayer Of The Day
The traditional collect for Trinity Sunday "says it all," but it was rather complicated in construction and content: "Almighty and everlasting God, who hast given us thy servants grace, by the confession of a true faith, to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity, and in the power of the Divine Majesty to worship the Unity: We beseech thee, that thou wouldest keep us steadfast in this faith, and evermore defend us from all adversities; who livest and reignest, one God, world without end. Amen."
The contemporary prayer in The Lutheran Book Of Worship is not quite so unwieldy: "Almighty God our Father, dwelling in majesty and mystery, renewing and fulfilling creation by your eternal Spirit, and revealing your glory through our Lord, Jesus Christ: Cleanse us from doubt and fear, and enable us to worship you, with your Son and the Holy Spirit, one God, living and reigning, now and forever."
The Psalm Of The Day
Psalm 8 (L); 8:3-8 (RC) - The Psalmist picks up the Genesis of creation account and translates the theology of Genesis into a verse that almost demands itself to be sung. His really is a song about the wonders of God and his creation in which he meditates about the relationship of people with the creator-God, as well as the works that God has done and continues to do in the world. The very creation speaks of the glory of God, and the Psalmist seems to be wondering why God would ever entrust all of this to sinful humanity; in this, human beings are "but little lower than the angels" and very precious to God. Indeed, this is the proper Sunday to sing this psalm, "O Lord our Lord, how exalted is your name in all the world."
Psalm 29, or Canticle 2 or 13 (E) - The Book Of Common Prayer appoints this psalm for Proper 14 (the Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost) in year A of the lectionary. Comments are included in The Lectionary Preaching Workbook, III, Cycle A.
Psalm prayer (8 - LB W) - "Almighty God, amid the grandeur of your creation you sought us out, and by the coming of your Son you adorned us with glory and honor, raising us in him above the heavens. Enable us to care for the earth that all creation may radiate the splendor of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord."
The Readings
Proverbs 8:22-31 (RC, C) - Here is a song about divine wisdom being sung by wisdom itself. According to the song, God created wisdom when he began the work of creation. This happened before God began the business of creating the earth and everything in it; wisdom was present as the universe came into being, when heaven and earth were established and the sea and the land separated on the earth. The peculiar thing about this passage is that it makes wisdom sound like something apart from God, whereas the divine wisdom is God's self-disclosure of himself in his various activities in the world. This reading suggests that wisdom was necessary to the creation and, later, to the business of redemption in Jesus Christ.
Isaiah 6:1-8 (E) - Three of the four lectionaries used this reading on the Third Sunday after the Epiphany, year/cycle C. Comments are located in the readings for that Sunday above.
Numbers 6:22-27 (L) - Most churchgoers, in the liturgical tradition, know much of this reading by heart; it is the familiar Aaronic benediction, which continues to be used by some of the liturgical churches with only one significant change. The last verse now reads, for some, "The Lord look upon you with favor, and give you peace," instead of, "The Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and...." The blessing comes from the Lord God himself, who ordered Moses to direct Aaron and his sons to use it to bless the people of Israel. It has been used ever since, by Christians as well as Jews.
The benediction "puts" the name of God, that is, all that God is and has shown himself to be, upon the people. The name of God signifies all aspects of the God-head, his creative and redeeming power, his love, his mercy and kindness and grace, and his judgment. By blessing people with the name of God, God bestows himself upon the people, and that, indeed, is the most precious thing in this world. He assures his own of his care and concern for his people, his constant presence and everlasting love for his creatures. His name is holy and precious - and should be honored, never to be taken in vain. To do so is to throw away God himself.
Romans 5:1-5 (RC, L, C) - In this reading, Paul explains to the Romans what God's redemption is all about and how it works. Redemption and salvation begin with God; it is God's intention that all people should be saved from sin, death, and the devil. God gives salvation as a gift in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ; he is the one who offers it to the world - from a cross - and who opens the gates to forgiveness and eternal life. The Holy Spirit touches our hearts and minds so that we might not only know what the gift of God in Jesus Christ actually is, but so that we might believe that Jesus is Lord and appropriate God's gift for ourselves.
Revelation 4:1-11 (E) - Here is part of John's vision of heaven and, particularly, of the throne of God. The living creatures surround the throne of God continually, day and night, never stopping, "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God almighty, who was and is and is to come." That verse covers almost the entire range of eschatology in "was," "is," and "is to come." God hasn't simply done his thing and been put up on the shelf as belonging to the past; he is still active and will continue to be, long after the earth has ceased to be. And so, this pericope concludes with another song, praising God for his creative activities, for all that he has created: "Worthy art thou, our Lord and God ... for thou didst create all things ..."
John 16:(5-11) 12-15 (E); 16:12-15 (RC, L, C) - The four lectionaries concur on this reading, assigning it to the festival of the Holy Trinity, mainly because it sums up again, and in a different way, the redemptive act of God the Father in Jesus Christ and through the Holy Spirit. Just as Jesus was meant to obey the Father on earth and do his will, even in dying, so the Holy Spirit is to act in accordance with the will of God, conveying the meaning of God's grace in the gospel to each and every generation of people on earth. The Holy Spirit can act no more on his own than Jesus did in his lifetime, for he, like Jesus, is a part of the God-head, not an independent entity or divinity. So, once again, the Trinity is specifically mentioned by Jesus, and the Doctrine of the Trinity, which is implicit throughout the Bible, comes close to being explicit. The Book of Common Prayer makes the preceding verses of the Gospel for the Day optional, creating thereby a longer reading. These constituted the second part of the Lutheran gospel reading for Pentecost.
Sermon Suggestions, Synopses, Sketches, Stories
John 16:(5-11) 12-15 (E); 16:12-15 (RC, L, C) - "What Kind Of A God Is This?" - A congregation with which I used to worship, began every Sunday service, one year, with "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty!" The pastor must have been attempting to communicate to the people of the parish just what God is like as a person; every Sunday for 25 weeks was kind of a mini-Trinity Sunday - "God in three persons, blessed Trinity." I don't know about the people, but I, for one, tired of the hymn, not only because they were employing it ad nauseum, but because I was working on a manuscript which, in part, urged pastors and liturgical leaders to think of the long season, which was called the "Trinity Season," as the Season after Pentecost. Of course, it could have been worse if "Holy, holy, holy" had also been used at the conclusion of the service to reinforce the concept of the Trinity that is affirmed in the benediction, "The Lord bless you and keep you ..." It takes all of the resources of God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, to bestow all of God's blessings upon his people.
1. Someone once asked a pastor, "If God is so great, why does it take 'God in three persons' to save us?" What had been overlooked is that God is only one God, but that he has made himself known in the world as three persons - Creator, Savior, and Counselor. Each person is part of the God-head, and each has a separate and different function.
2. But why was this necessary? Couldn't a single person - the one God, the Word -have done it all? After all, Jesus was there at the beginning, according to the gospel. He was in on the creation, according to the Gospel of John, and so was the Holy Spirit. Apparently, the Father didn't do it all by himself; he had help, or, at least, participants, in the creation. Doesn't that mean that the Father, as well as the Spirit, were with Jesus during his lifetime?
3. This we know: Jesus "didn't do it - his ministry - on his own" - "God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself." God had to become flesh, incarnate, a human being in Jesus Christ, because there was no other that God could retain his integrity than by the death of Jesus on the cross.
4. And we should know this, too: Jesus, risen Lord, had to leave the earth, in order for him to be Savior of all. The Christ is able to go into all the world, after his ascension, through the Word and the Holy Spirit; he could not be localized or restricted to any one time and place, nor could he appear down through the centuries as some kind of a ghost, if he were to become Lord of all. That's where the Holy Spirit enters the picture to participate in the work of redemption and grace.
5. So, sing, today and always, if you like, "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty ... God in three persons, Blessed Trinity!" God had the first word, and God will have the last word, too!
Proverbs 8:22-31 - (RC, C) "God Is A Wise Old Bird!"
1. Before he began to create the universe, he, according to the writer of Proverbs, created wisdom.
2. Wisdom was his companion and colleague in the work of creation; he couldn't have done it without wisdom! God is "a wise old Bird."
3. God delighted in "the sons of men" - the people - whom he had created with wisdom. Are people wise enough to call him, in Jesus, God and Lord?
Isaiah 6:1-8 (E) - See the Third Sunday after the Epiphany, Year/Cycle C, for comments and a sermon suggestion on this text.
Numbers 6:22-27 (L) - "Benediction - God's Good Word."
1. Like many pastors, I have said this benediction hundreds of times, but I have only preached on the text on one occasion; my farewell sermon at the last congregation I served was on this text. This benediction says it all.
2. It affirms that God's love covers his people in everything that they do in the world, wherever they may go. God blesses his own by "keeping" them, upholding and sustaining them in all kinds of situations. The benediction anticipates "Emmanuel," God with us in Jesus Christ.
3. And the benediction assures us that God has forgiven our sins, and that we can go forth into the world within our heads held high and with God's peace in our hearts.
4. God is with us "till we meet again," members of a congregation, a family, or just friends. He goes with us in his benediction into every part of the world. He is as good as his word; he is in his word, his very good word.
Romans 5:1-5 (RC, L, C) - "The God Of Grace And Glory."
1. God is a God of grace; our freely-given faith in our forgiveness and justification asserts that.
2. God is a God of glory; the heavens and the earth attest to that, and all nature joins the song.
3. God is a God of grace and glory; the cross of Christ tells us so. Jesus' death assures us of God's grace and, at the same time, gives God the glory he deserves from his people.
Revelation 4:1-11 (E) - "There's A Rainbow In Heaven."
1. It's not simply in the sky, as the "rainbow of promise and hope" that appears after a rainstorm.
2. It's a rainbow around the throne of God, attesting silently to his goodness, grace, and glory.
3. That's where the "song of the rainbow" - "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come."
4. All the creatures of heaven sang another verse of the "rainbow song" when Jesus was crucified: "Worthy art thou, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honour and power, for thou didst create all things, and by thy will they existed and were created" and redeemed in Jesus Christ, who kept the rainbow of heaven over the world.
(Note: For an excellent "rainbow story," see Loren Eisely's "The Star Thrower," which first appears in his The Unexpected Universe and also in a later collection of his works with the same title, The Star Thrower.)
Inasmuch as this is the Festival/Feast of the Holy Trinity, it is rather obvious that the church is celebrating the work of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as one God "forever and ever." This festival/feast had a close call, liturgically; it might have been eliminated from the calendar and lectionary if some persons had their way, because the church does not normally celebrate doctrines. But it was retained, not because it was a late medieval addition to the liturgical apparatus and has been around for close to 1,200 years, but because it gives evidence that the Spirit is still at work in the church. It might be thought of, theologically, as "pull it all together" Sunday - a kind of magna-manifestation Sunday, because it is the time to read the stories and preach about the ways that God has manifest himself to the world as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit." It also is something of a "labor day," celebrating, as it does, the ongoing work of God in the world.
Preachers need to remember that they are dealing with more of an implicit than explicit doctrine. The creeds spell out the relationship and activities of God as Father and creator, the Son as Redeemer and Savior, and the Holy Spirit, Counselor and Comforter, combining them and their activities in the world into the classical creeds of Christendom, but no single verse or passage of Scripture offers a text that includes them all. It is, therefore, not an easy doctrine to preach upon, because it is difficult to explain in a sermon, and it tempts the preacher to run the risk of doing a didactic sermon (Edmund Steimle used to say that such sermons were too often "dull and deadly.") that may become involved and tedious. In his Doctrine And Word, Mark Ellingsen gives an introduction to this doctrine and includes a sermon to illustrate how one might preach on a doctrine in a narrative style, thereby avoiding the pit-fall that much doctrinal preaching produces.
It is well to remember that this Sunday really introduces the second half of the church year, and that these Sundays follow the traditional Roman Catholic procedure of counting the Sundays after Pentecost, not Trinity, as some of the churches used to do.
The Prayer Of The Day
The traditional collect for Trinity Sunday "says it all," but it was rather complicated in construction and content: "Almighty and everlasting God, who hast given us thy servants grace, by the confession of a true faith, to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity, and in the power of the Divine Majesty to worship the Unity: We beseech thee, that thou wouldest keep us steadfast in this faith, and evermore defend us from all adversities; who livest and reignest, one God, world without end. Amen."
The contemporary prayer in The Lutheran Book Of Worship is not quite so unwieldy: "Almighty God our Father, dwelling in majesty and mystery, renewing and fulfilling creation by your eternal Spirit, and revealing your glory through our Lord, Jesus Christ: Cleanse us from doubt and fear, and enable us to worship you, with your Son and the Holy Spirit, one God, living and reigning, now and forever."
The Psalm Of The Day
Psalm 8 (L); 8:3-8 (RC) - The Psalmist picks up the Genesis of creation account and translates the theology of Genesis into a verse that almost demands itself to be sung. His really is a song about the wonders of God and his creation in which he meditates about the relationship of people with the creator-God, as well as the works that God has done and continues to do in the world. The very creation speaks of the glory of God, and the Psalmist seems to be wondering why God would ever entrust all of this to sinful humanity; in this, human beings are "but little lower than the angels" and very precious to God. Indeed, this is the proper Sunday to sing this psalm, "O Lord our Lord, how exalted is your name in all the world."
Psalm 29, or Canticle 2 or 13 (E) - The Book Of Common Prayer appoints this psalm for Proper 14 (the Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost) in year A of the lectionary. Comments are included in The Lectionary Preaching Workbook, III, Cycle A.
Psalm prayer (8 - LB W) - "Almighty God, amid the grandeur of your creation you sought us out, and by the coming of your Son you adorned us with glory and honor, raising us in him above the heavens. Enable us to care for the earth that all creation may radiate the splendor of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord."
The Readings
Proverbs 8:22-31 (RC, C) - Here is a song about divine wisdom being sung by wisdom itself. According to the song, God created wisdom when he began the work of creation. This happened before God began the business of creating the earth and everything in it; wisdom was present as the universe came into being, when heaven and earth were established and the sea and the land separated on the earth. The peculiar thing about this passage is that it makes wisdom sound like something apart from God, whereas the divine wisdom is God's self-disclosure of himself in his various activities in the world. This reading suggests that wisdom was necessary to the creation and, later, to the business of redemption in Jesus Christ.
Isaiah 6:1-8 (E) - Three of the four lectionaries used this reading on the Third Sunday after the Epiphany, year/cycle C. Comments are located in the readings for that Sunday above.
Numbers 6:22-27 (L) - Most churchgoers, in the liturgical tradition, know much of this reading by heart; it is the familiar Aaronic benediction, which continues to be used by some of the liturgical churches with only one significant change. The last verse now reads, for some, "The Lord look upon you with favor, and give you peace," instead of, "The Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and...." The blessing comes from the Lord God himself, who ordered Moses to direct Aaron and his sons to use it to bless the people of Israel. It has been used ever since, by Christians as well as Jews.
The benediction "puts" the name of God, that is, all that God is and has shown himself to be, upon the people. The name of God signifies all aspects of the God-head, his creative and redeeming power, his love, his mercy and kindness and grace, and his judgment. By blessing people with the name of God, God bestows himself upon the people, and that, indeed, is the most precious thing in this world. He assures his own of his care and concern for his people, his constant presence and everlasting love for his creatures. His name is holy and precious - and should be honored, never to be taken in vain. To do so is to throw away God himself.
Romans 5:1-5 (RC, L, C) - In this reading, Paul explains to the Romans what God's redemption is all about and how it works. Redemption and salvation begin with God; it is God's intention that all people should be saved from sin, death, and the devil. God gives salvation as a gift in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ; he is the one who offers it to the world - from a cross - and who opens the gates to forgiveness and eternal life. The Holy Spirit touches our hearts and minds so that we might not only know what the gift of God in Jesus Christ actually is, but so that we might believe that Jesus is Lord and appropriate God's gift for ourselves.
Revelation 4:1-11 (E) - Here is part of John's vision of heaven and, particularly, of the throne of God. The living creatures surround the throne of God continually, day and night, never stopping, "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God almighty, who was and is and is to come." That verse covers almost the entire range of eschatology in "was," "is," and "is to come." God hasn't simply done his thing and been put up on the shelf as belonging to the past; he is still active and will continue to be, long after the earth has ceased to be. And so, this pericope concludes with another song, praising God for his creative activities, for all that he has created: "Worthy art thou, our Lord and God ... for thou didst create all things ..."
John 16:(5-11) 12-15 (E); 16:12-15 (RC, L, C) - The four lectionaries concur on this reading, assigning it to the festival of the Holy Trinity, mainly because it sums up again, and in a different way, the redemptive act of God the Father in Jesus Christ and through the Holy Spirit. Just as Jesus was meant to obey the Father on earth and do his will, even in dying, so the Holy Spirit is to act in accordance with the will of God, conveying the meaning of God's grace in the gospel to each and every generation of people on earth. The Holy Spirit can act no more on his own than Jesus did in his lifetime, for he, like Jesus, is a part of the God-head, not an independent entity or divinity. So, once again, the Trinity is specifically mentioned by Jesus, and the Doctrine of the Trinity, which is implicit throughout the Bible, comes close to being explicit. The Book of Common Prayer makes the preceding verses of the Gospel for the Day optional, creating thereby a longer reading. These constituted the second part of the Lutheran gospel reading for Pentecost.
Sermon Suggestions, Synopses, Sketches, Stories
John 16:(5-11) 12-15 (E); 16:12-15 (RC, L, C) - "What Kind Of A God Is This?" - A congregation with which I used to worship, began every Sunday service, one year, with "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty!" The pastor must have been attempting to communicate to the people of the parish just what God is like as a person; every Sunday for 25 weeks was kind of a mini-Trinity Sunday - "God in three persons, blessed Trinity." I don't know about the people, but I, for one, tired of the hymn, not only because they were employing it ad nauseum, but because I was working on a manuscript which, in part, urged pastors and liturgical leaders to think of the long season, which was called the "Trinity Season," as the Season after Pentecost. Of course, it could have been worse if "Holy, holy, holy" had also been used at the conclusion of the service to reinforce the concept of the Trinity that is affirmed in the benediction, "The Lord bless you and keep you ..." It takes all of the resources of God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, to bestow all of God's blessings upon his people.
1. Someone once asked a pastor, "If God is so great, why does it take 'God in three persons' to save us?" What had been overlooked is that God is only one God, but that he has made himself known in the world as three persons - Creator, Savior, and Counselor. Each person is part of the God-head, and each has a separate and different function.
2. But why was this necessary? Couldn't a single person - the one God, the Word -have done it all? After all, Jesus was there at the beginning, according to the gospel. He was in on the creation, according to the Gospel of John, and so was the Holy Spirit. Apparently, the Father didn't do it all by himself; he had help, or, at least, participants, in the creation. Doesn't that mean that the Father, as well as the Spirit, were with Jesus during his lifetime?
3. This we know: Jesus "didn't do it - his ministry - on his own" - "God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself." God had to become flesh, incarnate, a human being in Jesus Christ, because there was no other that God could retain his integrity than by the death of Jesus on the cross.
4. And we should know this, too: Jesus, risen Lord, had to leave the earth, in order for him to be Savior of all. The Christ is able to go into all the world, after his ascension, through the Word and the Holy Spirit; he could not be localized or restricted to any one time and place, nor could he appear down through the centuries as some kind of a ghost, if he were to become Lord of all. That's where the Holy Spirit enters the picture to participate in the work of redemption and grace.
5. So, sing, today and always, if you like, "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty ... God in three persons, Blessed Trinity!" God had the first word, and God will have the last word, too!
Proverbs 8:22-31 - (RC, C) "God Is A Wise Old Bird!"
1. Before he began to create the universe, he, according to the writer of Proverbs, created wisdom.
2. Wisdom was his companion and colleague in the work of creation; he couldn't have done it without wisdom! God is "a wise old Bird."
3. God delighted in "the sons of men" - the people - whom he had created with wisdom. Are people wise enough to call him, in Jesus, God and Lord?
Isaiah 6:1-8 (E) - See the Third Sunday after the Epiphany, Year/Cycle C, for comments and a sermon suggestion on this text.
Numbers 6:22-27 (L) - "Benediction - God's Good Word."
1. Like many pastors, I have said this benediction hundreds of times, but I have only preached on the text on one occasion; my farewell sermon at the last congregation I served was on this text. This benediction says it all.
2. It affirms that God's love covers his people in everything that they do in the world, wherever they may go. God blesses his own by "keeping" them, upholding and sustaining them in all kinds of situations. The benediction anticipates "Emmanuel," God with us in Jesus Christ.
3. And the benediction assures us that God has forgiven our sins, and that we can go forth into the world within our heads held high and with God's peace in our hearts.
4. God is with us "till we meet again," members of a congregation, a family, or just friends. He goes with us in his benediction into every part of the world. He is as good as his word; he is in his word, his very good word.
Romans 5:1-5 (RC, L, C) - "The God Of Grace And Glory."
1. God is a God of grace; our freely-given faith in our forgiveness and justification asserts that.
2. God is a God of glory; the heavens and the earth attest to that, and all nature joins the song.
3. God is a God of grace and glory; the cross of Christ tells us so. Jesus' death assures us of God's grace and, at the same time, gives God the glory he deserves from his people.
Revelation 4:1-11 (E) - "There's A Rainbow In Heaven."
1. It's not simply in the sky, as the "rainbow of promise and hope" that appears after a rainstorm.
2. It's a rainbow around the throne of God, attesting silently to his goodness, grace, and glory.
3. That's where the "song of the rainbow" - "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come."
4. All the creatures of heaven sang another verse of the "rainbow song" when Jesus was crucified: "Worthy art thou, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honour and power, for thou didst create all things, and by thy will they existed and were created" and redeemed in Jesus Christ, who kept the rainbow of heaven over the world.
(Note: For an excellent "rainbow story," see Loren Eisely's "The Star Thrower," which first appears in his The Unexpected Universe and also in a later collection of his works with the same title, The Star Thrower.)
