The Holy Trinity
Preaching
Lectionary Preaching Workbook
Series VI, Cycle B
COMMENTARY ON THE LESSONS
Lesson 1: Isaiah 6:1-8 (C)
I imagine every clergy person becomes familiar with this passage early in our years as worship leaders. I remember reading this as I started my seminary training, before I had gotten the hang of reading Old Testament passages. I knew one didnÍt read such reports literally. At least, though I already had some clergy friends, I knew none of them had reported anything like this. Furthermore, in all my years as a minister, though IÍve had many a worship experience which moved me deeply, I never literally saw any seraphs in the upper reaches of our sanctuary. I had also recalled something about Moses being told that no one could see God. Now here, Isaiah claims just such a sighting. What was one to think? Fortunately, old Charlie Kraft, our professor of Old Testament (known as ñChuckling Charlie'' to those of us who loved him), explained all of this.
This is an impressive poetically-charged rendering of IsaiahÍs inward experience of powerful worship. The man was overwhelmed with a sense of GodÍs immanence, a presence so intense it was almost as though, were he to open his eyes, he might literally see someone there. And Isaiah, overcome with his own imperfection, unexpectedly experienced a vision of redemption, a realization that he was forgiven for everything selfish he had done. He knew, deep within himself, that this was more than a worship experience. This was a calling, a summons to the mission of his life. I would guess that in much more subdued ways, many readers have experienced something like this. A clear sense of divine presence. An unshakable conviction that one is called to a mission, a mission in the service of the divine master. Just as Isaiah no doubt looked back upon this watershed moment in his life to find courage in time of trial, so we who are called can do.
To preach on this, there are several possible themes. We might preach on worship. Many churches leave one with the impression that we are losing a sense of expectation in worship. So many sermons seem to lack a sense of the possibility that God may actually be here, among us, touching lives. (I confess I often forgot this possibility.) Another theme is that of a divine call. We might even suggest that perhaps someone in the congregation is already being sought by God for ministry in the church. I wonder if there are not many young men and women who are thinking about that but need someone to say the word.
Another possible theme would be the forgiveness which God offers in times of worship. Isaiah used the imagery of a live coal held in a pair of tongs, touched to his lips. ThatÍs a powerful picture. Of course the recommended theme for this Sunday is the Trinity, and that could be the subject, though that theme is hardly an Old Testament theme. So, weÍd probably use a New Testament passage and use this for backup, as it were. But if I were preaching on this, I think I would use it as an opportunity to talk about worship „ what its possibilities may be, what the worshiper is asked to do and to expect.
Lesson 1: Deuteronomy 4:32-34, 39-40 (RC)
This being Holy Trinity Sunday, weÍll preach from the New Testament this time.
Lesson 1: Exodus 3:1-6 (E)
Lesson 2: Romans 8:12-17 (C, E); Romans 8:14-17 (RC)
Paul liked the analogy of child-parent relationships. However, since Jesus is the Son, we are adopted sons and daughters. As such, we are to be set free from our sinful natures and given the opportunity to know GodÍs presence. But this is not sweetness and light. First of all, it places on us the responsibility to cease living ñaccording to the flesh,'' and to be ñled by the Spirit of God.'' It also foresees suffering, but if we endure that and are faithful, weÍll also be ñglorified with him.''
I have never been 100 percent sure what ñglorified'' means. I think it means I can become something more wonderful than I have ever been. I think it means I will be able, at last, to overcome some of my bad habits, and that there is a life beyond this life of which I am to be a part. I also think it has something to do with love. When I die, I want to be somewhere where I can at last be completely loving to the special people in my life, never again showing irritation, never again arguing over silly issues, never wanting my own way, then feeling miserable when I get it because someone else gave in. I also want very much to be where I can accept love without discomfort, not feeling unworthy, not wondering what the lover would think if she knew what IÍm really like. If all of this is what being glorified is all about, then I want to make the effort to be led by the Spirit.
I think the sermon would deal with just what it means to be led by the Spirit. Perhaps I would go to Ephesians 5:22, where Paul commends ñlove, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control'' as ñthe fruit of the Spirit.''
Gospel: John 3:1-17 (C); John 3:1-16 (E)
There are so many preaching possibilities in this passage one hardly knows where to begin. ñThe wind blows where it chooses'' has always intrigued me. As a text, that could lead to a sermon on how we can never anticipate how God will work in a given situation. Being born from above is an obvious emphasis. What does it mean? Nicodemus was confused by this idea, so we can imagine what our church members must face if they start reading their Bible. The remark about ñno one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven'' makes one think. Did Jesus really say that? Where and what is ñheaven''? Do we have here a bit of prescientific cosmology? Was Jesus simply using a reference which he knew was false but would speak to his hearers with their ideas about a flat earth and a heaven in the sky? Then we have Jesus predicting his crucifixion. You and I know that this was all written seventy or eighty years after JesusÍ death and John may have put words in JesusÍ mouth which were not his literal words, though they surely portray a higher truth. Not all reputable scholarship agrees that Jesus foresaw his future quite that clearly. Reader, donÍt misunderstand. I believe wholeheartedly in the divinity of Jesus, in the presence of the Spirit, and in the power and love of God. I do, however, struggle with the question of how literally we dare treat some of these quotations in preaching. Better, I think, to preach on the truth which underlies them and not go too much into the exegetical problems with which you and I, however, if weÍre sincerely willing to do some scholarly work, must struggle.
Gospel: Matthew 28:16-21 (RC)
IÍll probably preach on the previous Gospel passage next Sunday. However, were I using this one, I would focus on the frank admission of doubt on the part of some of the eleven. Jesus had asked them to meet him at a mountain. There he assured them of the truth of all he has said. My reaction is that if some of those who knew him best were troubled by doubt, then itÍs understandable that many people face the same problem. Tillich once said that where there is faith there will always be doubt. In fact, in his Dynamics of Faith, he suggests that if one never is troubled by the problem of doubt, itÍs likely that person has not seriously struggled with the problem of faith. George Buttrick called doubt ñthe reverse side of the coin of faith.''
SERMON SUGGESTIONS
Title: ñWorship, And The Presence Of God''
Text: Isaiah 6:1-8
Theme: In this passage we see the ultimate possibility in worship. Isaiah was profoundly aware of the presence of God. It doesnÍt happen very often. Truthfully, since God elected to come to us not in power but in submissive love, IÍm not sure it would be good for us to experience something like that, at least not very often. If I felt this way every Sunday, IÍd immediately renounce all worldly living. But that would miss the point. It is precisely in my worldly living that I am tested, that I choose at every turn between living ñin the flesh'' and being ñled by the Spirit.'' Rather, worship always has the potential for illumination, but mainly is a time when I am reminded of the gospelÍs teachings and share the experience with others who more or less join in that experience.
1. Worship is a time when we especially open ourselves up to the Spirit.
2. As a worshiper, I am to prepare myself „ Bible reading, preparatory prayer, donÍt rush to church with squawking children, and so on.
3. Worship is not to be measured by what I feel. Whether I feel inspired, or merely informed, it is equally important to my Christian life.
4. The measure of my worship life is to be seen in my daily life.
Title: ñDoing Love In A Sinful World''
Text: Romans 8:12-17
Theme: You and I donÍt know each other, so I mustnÍt make any judgments. Speaking for myself, though, I must admit that after a fairly long life, and after having devoutly believed in the gospel for many of those years, I still havenÍt earned much more than about a C-minus in gifts of the Spirit. Like at least some of you, IÍm so glad we donÍt have to earn our way into heaven. Each of us is an amalgam of genetic inheritance, life experiences in childhood when we had no critical faculties at work, plus all the fortunes and misfortunes of daily life. We are shaped and molded and sometimes damaged a little. Fortunately, God knows all about this, knows your case and my case, so what we must do is do our best, yet we all carry burdens of mind and heart of one kind or another which make us a long way from perfect. Paul has urged that we cultivate the qualities of love and all its characteristics.
1. They will know we are Christians by our love.
2. Love is not just a feeling „ itÍs an action in regard to other people.
3. Love has its rewards. Agape love always leads to peace, kindness, good friends, self-respect, and the knowledge that whether rewarded in worldly terms or not, it was the right thing to do.
Title: ñRebirth And Newness Of Life''
Text: John 3:1-6
Theme: I suppose most people associate the injunction ñyou must be born again'' with a form of Christianity which seems pretentious and self-righteous. WeÍre wrong, of course, although that particular phrase has never been much used in mainstream denominations. But here we discover that it nonetheless lies at the heart of the Gospel teaching. Jesus said we must be born ñof water and Spirit.'' That really isnÍt a difficult commandment to understand. He didnÍt, as we know, refer to physical birth as Nicodemus supposed. He referred to a commitment we are to make, one which I would think first requires that we know what weÍre getting into. Water „ baptism „ symbolizes cleansing, refreshment. We are to accept baptism (in our hearts), which symbolizes our acceptance of Jesus Christ as Lord of our lives. I confess to being just a bit low-church on the matter of the rite of baptism. We call it a sacrament and believe it is one of at least two special means by which God acts in our lives. I have always believed in believer baptism, despite the fact IÍm a Methodist preacher. ThatÍs because when I was home on vacation from my first year in seminary, I asked my mother when exactly I had been baptized and she reluctantly informed me that I had never been baptized. It was thence done by my mentoring pastor a few days later. But by that time I had been thoroughly convicted by the Holy Spirit and called into my church vocation.
I think Jesus would say that what is important here is that we acknowledge our sinful nature and desire to be cleansed. It is by the incoming of the Spirit that this takes place and I suppose there is some point in time when one affirms this gift as having been received.
1. A lively faith is a gift from God. We cannot earn our way into GodÍs good graces. Jesus said, ñNo one is good but God alone.'' Paul said, ñAll have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.'' It is a free gift.
2. GodÍs action requires a specific response from us. A gift proffered is not necessarily a gift received. I once attended a meeting at which a well-known evangelist contended that most preaching is glittering generalities without the specifics needed to make the message clear. He then challenged our group to make the idea of grace specific. One elderly pastor stood up, took a quarter from his pocket, offered it to the man seated next to him. That man, suspicious, just sat there. Then the older man tossed the coin in the air, put it back in his pocket. ñSee,'' he said, ñI gave him that coin, but it isnÍt his because he didnÍt reach out and take it.'' So with GodÍs grace.
3. To be reborn means to make a personal commitment based on the perception of GodÍs offered grace. It can start with baptism and inward commitment, but it is validated by the way we thenceforth live our lives. ThatÍs how we accept to ourselves the grace freely offered.
ADDITIONAL ILLUSTRATIONS
In his classic Dynamics of Faith, Paul Tillich wrote this: ñIf doubt appears, it should not be considered as the negation of faith, but as an element which was always and will always be present in the act of faith.'' Then he made this remarkable statement: ñSerious doubt is confirmation of faith.''
Elsewhere, Tillich wrote this (in Dynamics): ñDoubt does not question whether a given proposition is true or false. It does not reject every concrete truth, but it is aware of the element of insecurity in every existential truth. At the same time the doubt which is implied in faith accepts this insecurity ... is an act of courage. Faith includes courage ... There is no faith without an intrinsic ïin spite ofÍ and the courageous affirmation of oneself in the statement of ultimate concern.''
____________
In Archibald MacLeishÍs powerful play, J.B., the main character has suffered losses similar to those of Job, on whose life the play is based. Toward the end of the play he tries to work through to some understanding of the meaning of his familyÍs disaster and in dialogue with his wife, Sarah, he hears her contend:
I will not stay here if you lie „
Connive in your own destruction, cringe to it:
Not if you betray my children ...
I will not stay to listen ...
They are dead, and they are innocent:
I will not let you sacrifice their deaths
To make injustice justice and God good!
If you buy quiet with their innocence „
Theirs or yours „ I will not love you.
J.B. frantically tries to understand, unwilling to concede that God is responsible, but equally unable to explain how this could happen otherwise, argues: ñWe have the choice to live or die, all of us ... curse God and die.'' Then J.B. makes his final plea:
God is God, or we are nothing „
May flies that leave their husks behind „
Our tiny lives ridiculous „ a suffering
Not even sad that Someone Somewhere
Laughs at us as we laugh at apes.
We have no choice but to be guilty.
God is unthinkable if we are innocent.
____________
A great truth about worship is that the measure of its value is not how I feel. I am there to declare the ñworth-ship'' of God, to be open to that sometimes-moment when God will move me in a special way. There have been such times. Insights have come to me in worship, often when IÍm least ready. I once attended a service at First Methodist Church in Evanston, Illinois. Frankly, I had other things on my mind and was only barely tuned in to what was happening. It was communion Sunday and I was even wondering if I could slip out early without being noticed. That being unlikely, I began to examine the elaborately carved wooden reredos in the front of the sanctuary. At the top of that splendid structure is a carving of the face of Christ. As I stared at it, I suddenly had the overwhelming impression that his eyes were staring down at me. For a brief moment those living eyes held me transfixed. I blinked, and once more saw only the wooden carving. But I was deeply moved. Intellectually, I knew there was a lot of my own imagination at work. And yet, it seemed quite real, so much so that since that time, Holy Communion has had a great deal of meaning for me. I was convinced that Jesus was present in that service.
____________
It is not unusual for a Protestant worship service to begin with the hymn ñHoly, Holy, Holy,'' the first verse of which ends with the words ñGod in three persons, blessed trinity.'' In that same service, you may sing the Gloria Patri, with the words, ñGlory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.'' Later, you may also sing the Doxology, which ends ñPraise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.'' The Trinity. Truth to tell, not many of us give much thought to the significance of that doctrine, though when the subject comes up, most people express a bit of concern as to how one God can be three persons. A bit of ancient semantics, weÍre inclined to presume, not particularly related to todayÍs world.
Maybe it would be of interest to note that many centuries ago when Damascus was elected pope there was a controversy over this very issue, the wording of the Trinity. Angry disputants actually went after each other with knives and one church alone contained 137 dead bodies. ThatÍs taking oneÍs theology pretty seriously. I suppose there must have been more to it than choice of words, but the concept has come down through the centuries as a very central part of our Christian faith. Thomas Aquinas referred to it as ña holy mystery.''
„ Hope For Tomorrow by McGriff
____________
Psalm Of The Day
Psalm 29 (C) „ ñWorship the Lord in holy splendor.''
Psalm 32 (RC) „ ñHappy are those whose transgression is forgiven.''
Psalm 93 (E) „ ñThe Lord is king, he is robed in majesty.''
Prayer Of The Day
Try as we will, O God, we persist in falling short as we try not to live ñin the flesh.'' In truth, O God, we wonder why you created us ñin the flesh,'' allowed us to live with pressing needs and drives, then would fault us for living accordingly. Yet we accept your judgment and desire to be led by the Spirit. Show us how this is possible, we pray. In JesusÍ name. Amen.
Lesson 1: Isaiah 6:1-8 (C)
I imagine every clergy person becomes familiar with this passage early in our years as worship leaders. I remember reading this as I started my seminary training, before I had gotten the hang of reading Old Testament passages. I knew one didnÍt read such reports literally. At least, though I already had some clergy friends, I knew none of them had reported anything like this. Furthermore, in all my years as a minister, though IÍve had many a worship experience which moved me deeply, I never literally saw any seraphs in the upper reaches of our sanctuary. I had also recalled something about Moses being told that no one could see God. Now here, Isaiah claims just such a sighting. What was one to think? Fortunately, old Charlie Kraft, our professor of Old Testament (known as ñChuckling Charlie'' to those of us who loved him), explained all of this.
This is an impressive poetically-charged rendering of IsaiahÍs inward experience of powerful worship. The man was overwhelmed with a sense of GodÍs immanence, a presence so intense it was almost as though, were he to open his eyes, he might literally see someone there. And Isaiah, overcome with his own imperfection, unexpectedly experienced a vision of redemption, a realization that he was forgiven for everything selfish he had done. He knew, deep within himself, that this was more than a worship experience. This was a calling, a summons to the mission of his life. I would guess that in much more subdued ways, many readers have experienced something like this. A clear sense of divine presence. An unshakable conviction that one is called to a mission, a mission in the service of the divine master. Just as Isaiah no doubt looked back upon this watershed moment in his life to find courage in time of trial, so we who are called can do.
To preach on this, there are several possible themes. We might preach on worship. Many churches leave one with the impression that we are losing a sense of expectation in worship. So many sermons seem to lack a sense of the possibility that God may actually be here, among us, touching lives. (I confess I often forgot this possibility.) Another theme is that of a divine call. We might even suggest that perhaps someone in the congregation is already being sought by God for ministry in the church. I wonder if there are not many young men and women who are thinking about that but need someone to say the word.
Another possible theme would be the forgiveness which God offers in times of worship. Isaiah used the imagery of a live coal held in a pair of tongs, touched to his lips. ThatÍs a powerful picture. Of course the recommended theme for this Sunday is the Trinity, and that could be the subject, though that theme is hardly an Old Testament theme. So, weÍd probably use a New Testament passage and use this for backup, as it were. But if I were preaching on this, I think I would use it as an opportunity to talk about worship „ what its possibilities may be, what the worshiper is asked to do and to expect.
Lesson 1: Deuteronomy 4:32-34, 39-40 (RC)
This being Holy Trinity Sunday, weÍll preach from the New Testament this time.
Lesson 1: Exodus 3:1-6 (E)
Lesson 2: Romans 8:12-17 (C, E); Romans 8:14-17 (RC)
Paul liked the analogy of child-parent relationships. However, since Jesus is the Son, we are adopted sons and daughters. As such, we are to be set free from our sinful natures and given the opportunity to know GodÍs presence. But this is not sweetness and light. First of all, it places on us the responsibility to cease living ñaccording to the flesh,'' and to be ñled by the Spirit of God.'' It also foresees suffering, but if we endure that and are faithful, weÍll also be ñglorified with him.''
I have never been 100 percent sure what ñglorified'' means. I think it means I can become something more wonderful than I have ever been. I think it means I will be able, at last, to overcome some of my bad habits, and that there is a life beyond this life of which I am to be a part. I also think it has something to do with love. When I die, I want to be somewhere where I can at last be completely loving to the special people in my life, never again showing irritation, never again arguing over silly issues, never wanting my own way, then feeling miserable when I get it because someone else gave in. I also want very much to be where I can accept love without discomfort, not feeling unworthy, not wondering what the lover would think if she knew what IÍm really like. If all of this is what being glorified is all about, then I want to make the effort to be led by the Spirit.
I think the sermon would deal with just what it means to be led by the Spirit. Perhaps I would go to Ephesians 5:22, where Paul commends ñlove, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control'' as ñthe fruit of the Spirit.''
Gospel: John 3:1-17 (C); John 3:1-16 (E)
There are so many preaching possibilities in this passage one hardly knows where to begin. ñThe wind blows where it chooses'' has always intrigued me. As a text, that could lead to a sermon on how we can never anticipate how God will work in a given situation. Being born from above is an obvious emphasis. What does it mean? Nicodemus was confused by this idea, so we can imagine what our church members must face if they start reading their Bible. The remark about ñno one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven'' makes one think. Did Jesus really say that? Where and what is ñheaven''? Do we have here a bit of prescientific cosmology? Was Jesus simply using a reference which he knew was false but would speak to his hearers with their ideas about a flat earth and a heaven in the sky? Then we have Jesus predicting his crucifixion. You and I know that this was all written seventy or eighty years after JesusÍ death and John may have put words in JesusÍ mouth which were not his literal words, though they surely portray a higher truth. Not all reputable scholarship agrees that Jesus foresaw his future quite that clearly. Reader, donÍt misunderstand. I believe wholeheartedly in the divinity of Jesus, in the presence of the Spirit, and in the power and love of God. I do, however, struggle with the question of how literally we dare treat some of these quotations in preaching. Better, I think, to preach on the truth which underlies them and not go too much into the exegetical problems with which you and I, however, if weÍre sincerely willing to do some scholarly work, must struggle.
Gospel: Matthew 28:16-21 (RC)
IÍll probably preach on the previous Gospel passage next Sunday. However, were I using this one, I would focus on the frank admission of doubt on the part of some of the eleven. Jesus had asked them to meet him at a mountain. There he assured them of the truth of all he has said. My reaction is that if some of those who knew him best were troubled by doubt, then itÍs understandable that many people face the same problem. Tillich once said that where there is faith there will always be doubt. In fact, in his Dynamics of Faith, he suggests that if one never is troubled by the problem of doubt, itÍs likely that person has not seriously struggled with the problem of faith. George Buttrick called doubt ñthe reverse side of the coin of faith.''
SERMON SUGGESTIONS
Title: ñWorship, And The Presence Of God''
Text: Isaiah 6:1-8
Theme: In this passage we see the ultimate possibility in worship. Isaiah was profoundly aware of the presence of God. It doesnÍt happen very often. Truthfully, since God elected to come to us not in power but in submissive love, IÍm not sure it would be good for us to experience something like that, at least not very often. If I felt this way every Sunday, IÍd immediately renounce all worldly living. But that would miss the point. It is precisely in my worldly living that I am tested, that I choose at every turn between living ñin the flesh'' and being ñled by the Spirit.'' Rather, worship always has the potential for illumination, but mainly is a time when I am reminded of the gospelÍs teachings and share the experience with others who more or less join in that experience.
1. Worship is a time when we especially open ourselves up to the Spirit.
2. As a worshiper, I am to prepare myself „ Bible reading, preparatory prayer, donÍt rush to church with squawking children, and so on.
3. Worship is not to be measured by what I feel. Whether I feel inspired, or merely informed, it is equally important to my Christian life.
4. The measure of my worship life is to be seen in my daily life.
Title: ñDoing Love In A Sinful World''
Text: Romans 8:12-17
Theme: You and I donÍt know each other, so I mustnÍt make any judgments. Speaking for myself, though, I must admit that after a fairly long life, and after having devoutly believed in the gospel for many of those years, I still havenÍt earned much more than about a C-minus in gifts of the Spirit. Like at least some of you, IÍm so glad we donÍt have to earn our way into heaven. Each of us is an amalgam of genetic inheritance, life experiences in childhood when we had no critical faculties at work, plus all the fortunes and misfortunes of daily life. We are shaped and molded and sometimes damaged a little. Fortunately, God knows all about this, knows your case and my case, so what we must do is do our best, yet we all carry burdens of mind and heart of one kind or another which make us a long way from perfect. Paul has urged that we cultivate the qualities of love and all its characteristics.
1. They will know we are Christians by our love.
2. Love is not just a feeling „ itÍs an action in regard to other people.
3. Love has its rewards. Agape love always leads to peace, kindness, good friends, self-respect, and the knowledge that whether rewarded in worldly terms or not, it was the right thing to do.
Title: ñRebirth And Newness Of Life''
Text: John 3:1-6
Theme: I suppose most people associate the injunction ñyou must be born again'' with a form of Christianity which seems pretentious and self-righteous. WeÍre wrong, of course, although that particular phrase has never been much used in mainstream denominations. But here we discover that it nonetheless lies at the heart of the Gospel teaching. Jesus said we must be born ñof water and Spirit.'' That really isnÍt a difficult commandment to understand. He didnÍt, as we know, refer to physical birth as Nicodemus supposed. He referred to a commitment we are to make, one which I would think first requires that we know what weÍre getting into. Water „ baptism „ symbolizes cleansing, refreshment. We are to accept baptism (in our hearts), which symbolizes our acceptance of Jesus Christ as Lord of our lives. I confess to being just a bit low-church on the matter of the rite of baptism. We call it a sacrament and believe it is one of at least two special means by which God acts in our lives. I have always believed in believer baptism, despite the fact IÍm a Methodist preacher. ThatÍs because when I was home on vacation from my first year in seminary, I asked my mother when exactly I had been baptized and she reluctantly informed me that I had never been baptized. It was thence done by my mentoring pastor a few days later. But by that time I had been thoroughly convicted by the Holy Spirit and called into my church vocation.
I think Jesus would say that what is important here is that we acknowledge our sinful nature and desire to be cleansed. It is by the incoming of the Spirit that this takes place and I suppose there is some point in time when one affirms this gift as having been received.
1. A lively faith is a gift from God. We cannot earn our way into GodÍs good graces. Jesus said, ñNo one is good but God alone.'' Paul said, ñAll have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.'' It is a free gift.
2. GodÍs action requires a specific response from us. A gift proffered is not necessarily a gift received. I once attended a meeting at which a well-known evangelist contended that most preaching is glittering generalities without the specifics needed to make the message clear. He then challenged our group to make the idea of grace specific. One elderly pastor stood up, took a quarter from his pocket, offered it to the man seated next to him. That man, suspicious, just sat there. Then the older man tossed the coin in the air, put it back in his pocket. ñSee,'' he said, ñI gave him that coin, but it isnÍt his because he didnÍt reach out and take it.'' So with GodÍs grace.
3. To be reborn means to make a personal commitment based on the perception of GodÍs offered grace. It can start with baptism and inward commitment, but it is validated by the way we thenceforth live our lives. ThatÍs how we accept to ourselves the grace freely offered.
ADDITIONAL ILLUSTRATIONS
In his classic Dynamics of Faith, Paul Tillich wrote this: ñIf doubt appears, it should not be considered as the negation of faith, but as an element which was always and will always be present in the act of faith.'' Then he made this remarkable statement: ñSerious doubt is confirmation of faith.''
Elsewhere, Tillich wrote this (in Dynamics): ñDoubt does not question whether a given proposition is true or false. It does not reject every concrete truth, but it is aware of the element of insecurity in every existential truth. At the same time the doubt which is implied in faith accepts this insecurity ... is an act of courage. Faith includes courage ... There is no faith without an intrinsic ïin spite ofÍ and the courageous affirmation of oneself in the statement of ultimate concern.''
____________
In Archibald MacLeishÍs powerful play, J.B., the main character has suffered losses similar to those of Job, on whose life the play is based. Toward the end of the play he tries to work through to some understanding of the meaning of his familyÍs disaster and in dialogue with his wife, Sarah, he hears her contend:
I will not stay here if you lie „
Connive in your own destruction, cringe to it:
Not if you betray my children ...
I will not stay to listen ...
They are dead, and they are innocent:
I will not let you sacrifice their deaths
To make injustice justice and God good!
If you buy quiet with their innocence „
Theirs or yours „ I will not love you.
J.B. frantically tries to understand, unwilling to concede that God is responsible, but equally unable to explain how this could happen otherwise, argues: ñWe have the choice to live or die, all of us ... curse God and die.'' Then J.B. makes his final plea:
God is God, or we are nothing „
May flies that leave their husks behind „
Our tiny lives ridiculous „ a suffering
Not even sad that Someone Somewhere
Laughs at us as we laugh at apes.
We have no choice but to be guilty.
God is unthinkable if we are innocent.
____________
A great truth about worship is that the measure of its value is not how I feel. I am there to declare the ñworth-ship'' of God, to be open to that sometimes-moment when God will move me in a special way. There have been such times. Insights have come to me in worship, often when IÍm least ready. I once attended a service at First Methodist Church in Evanston, Illinois. Frankly, I had other things on my mind and was only barely tuned in to what was happening. It was communion Sunday and I was even wondering if I could slip out early without being noticed. That being unlikely, I began to examine the elaborately carved wooden reredos in the front of the sanctuary. At the top of that splendid structure is a carving of the face of Christ. As I stared at it, I suddenly had the overwhelming impression that his eyes were staring down at me. For a brief moment those living eyes held me transfixed. I blinked, and once more saw only the wooden carving. But I was deeply moved. Intellectually, I knew there was a lot of my own imagination at work. And yet, it seemed quite real, so much so that since that time, Holy Communion has had a great deal of meaning for me. I was convinced that Jesus was present in that service.
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It is not unusual for a Protestant worship service to begin with the hymn ñHoly, Holy, Holy,'' the first verse of which ends with the words ñGod in three persons, blessed trinity.'' In that same service, you may sing the Gloria Patri, with the words, ñGlory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.'' Later, you may also sing the Doxology, which ends ñPraise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.'' The Trinity. Truth to tell, not many of us give much thought to the significance of that doctrine, though when the subject comes up, most people express a bit of concern as to how one God can be three persons. A bit of ancient semantics, weÍre inclined to presume, not particularly related to todayÍs world.
Maybe it would be of interest to note that many centuries ago when Damascus was elected pope there was a controversy over this very issue, the wording of the Trinity. Angry disputants actually went after each other with knives and one church alone contained 137 dead bodies. ThatÍs taking oneÍs theology pretty seriously. I suppose there must have been more to it than choice of words, but the concept has come down through the centuries as a very central part of our Christian faith. Thomas Aquinas referred to it as ña holy mystery.''
„ Hope For Tomorrow by McGriff
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Psalm Of The Day
Psalm 29 (C) „ ñWorship the Lord in holy splendor.''
Psalm 32 (RC) „ ñHappy are those whose transgression is forgiven.''
Psalm 93 (E) „ ñThe Lord is king, he is robed in majesty.''
Prayer Of The Day
Try as we will, O God, we persist in falling short as we try not to live ñin the flesh.'' In truth, O God, we wonder why you created us ñin the flesh,'' allowed us to live with pressing needs and drives, then would fault us for living accordingly. Yet we accept your judgment and desire to be led by the Spirit. Show us how this is possible, we pray. In JesusÍ name. Amen.
