St Bartholomew's

Reflection for 4th June 2023

Trinity Sunday

Isaiah 40.12–17,27–31, 2 Corinthians 13.11–13, Matthew 28.16–20.

Trinity Sunday, a day for celebrating the mystery of God being one yet three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This oneness is fully expressed in the doctrine of the Trinity which speaks of perfect unity, of being together in mystical union beyond our imagination and understanding.

Before time, God existed as The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The Three in One and the One in three. Or to use a Greek term, Perichoresis (pronounced Peri cor iz sis), meaning co-indwelling, co-inhering, and mutual interpenetration, each one passing into one another as Karl Barth, a theologian, puts it. A lovely visual aid to understanding the trinity is to imagine the trinity as God’s Holy dance of love. This passing of love from one into each other implies movement and fellowship within God himself. This same movement flows out into our world, such is the greatness of God’s love. God’s love is so vast that it could not be contained within himself. So, His love sought greater expression.

This expression of love realised itself through the creation of this world with all its inhabitants and us, humanity. God’s love pours into our world to manifest his glory and bear us up by his grace into communion of his eternal life. It is into this co-indwelling; we are baptised into. We too are called to dwell within the love of God and, in turn, pour out His love into the world. Through our calling to be one with God and to love our communities, we are part of the work of the triune God whose purpose is steeped in mission as shown in the Father sending the Son, and then through the sending of the Holy Spirit. God, throughout our history, has always been the first to reach out to us and continues to do so.

As our reading from Corinthians shows that we cannot will ourselves into this co-indwelling with God for we rely upon His grace. Paul blesses the people of Corinth before leaving them by saying “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with all of you.” The words are familiar to us as we say something similar when sharing the grace together. I have noticed after saying the grace that there is a sense of peace in the group I am with. I wonder if you have noticed that too? Paul gives his blessing right after imploring the Corinthians to put things in order, live in peace and to greet one another with a holy kiss.

Our world is hurting from war, climate change and injustice. People are crying out for peace, unity and love. Our communities need to know that they; we, you, and I, are known by God. Our God who desires all to flourish with an intense divine desire shared equally among the three persons of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God desires us to have oneness with him and with each other. He desires reconciliation between us and Him as well as each other. Most of all He desires for all to know His love, for we were all created out of His Holy dance of love. God’s intense divine desire, fuelled by grace, leads us by the Holy Spirit in a continual loving flow onwards towards peace and reconciliation. Towards the time where there will be a new heaven and a new earth, the fulfilment of God’s Kingdom.

We join in with God’s holy dance of love in our lives through our prayers, words and actions. We can be comforted by our mysterious union with the trinitarian God and our togetherness through the wonderous Holy Spirit and oneness with Christ. Jesus said ‘I am with you always, to the end of the age.’ This week, spend time being comforted by God through His Holy Spirit. Practice leaning on Him, resting in His mystical union and be refreshed for the week ahead.

Blessings and prayers,

Emma

St Bartholomew's

St Bartholomew's

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Gill Jubb

Morning Worship at Naunton Beauchamp

Morning Worship at Naunton Beauchamp

Reflection for the week

St Bartholomew's

St Bartholomew's

Get in touch

Gill Jubb

Morning Worship at Naunton Beauchamp

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