Sermon: "The Triune God - Rich In Relationships” Yesterday it was my privilege to stand before a gathered congregation here in our sanctuary, and lead a service of Christian Marriage for two wonderful young people – one of them a member here at Beulah for his whole life – Blake Turner - the youngest son of Steve and Barbie Turner - and his lovely bride Kimberly Hayth. Blake and Kim have been worshipping together here for several months now. However they are not here this morning - they are - appropriately - off on their honeymoon. One of the lessons Blake and Kim selected to be read at their wedding was part of the second creation story, in Genesis chapter 2. And in that story God speaks of something that was “not good” about the creation up to that point. In the first creation story, which we heard read this morning, the Creator God looks upon what was created on each day, and each day God’s conclusion is the same: “It was good.” You may have noticed that continuing refrain in text - the creation is “good, good, good” – 6 times “good” – and then “very good.” But in the second creation story, in Chapter 2, there was, for short while there was something not good. Chapter 2, verse 18 “And God said, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone...’” Being all alone, existing as a totally separate person - without community, with no relationship with anyone else – God’s sees this as “not good.” Later in the story, God turns “not good” into “good” by creating the woman - a partner to be his helper. As believers we interpret this ancient story, and say what is good – from God’s viewpoint – is relationship – living and working and being with other human beings – being a part of a community. Being in relationship with others – friends, partners, married couples, families – colleagues – all of this God sees as good for us. And then – no surprise here - what is good for us also turns out to be good for God. Now we usually say things like that the other way around - but for today it helps to say it this way: what is good for us turns out to be good for God. From reading this text in Genesis – and in Matthew and 2 Corinthians – and several other places in the Bible - the Christian Church has come to a deeper understanding about who God is in God’s own being. Certainly we are just scratching the surface here – for who we to comprehend God. Nevertheless the church has come to see and to catch a glimpse of God – and what conclude that there is something about God that includes a community. God’s own self being is not solitary. God is not a solo, one-person operation – all by God’s self. Just as it was “not good” for the man to be alone” – so it is also not good for God to be alone. From the very early days of the Christian church we have come to interpret this understanding of God – and we have a name to this relational, communal reality of God. We call it the Trinity – the Triune God. Today is Trinity Sunday. Trinity Sunday is not a well-known Holy Day – nor it is celebrated as much as Easter or Christmas or even Pentecost (last Sunday). This is a day we celebrate this mysterious nature of God, this relational, community nature of God called the Trinity – the Triune God – the “God in Three Persons – blessed Trinity.” One contemporary theologian, Jürgen Moltmann, speaks of the Triune God as God who is rich in relationships: When we hear the names, Father and Son and Holy Spirit, we sense that in the mystery of God there must be a wondrous community…Regardless of the terminology we use, we hold that God is no single Lord in Heaven who rules everything, as a temporal ruler would. Nor do we mean some sort of cold power of providence who determines all and cannot be affected by anything. Remember, the triune God is a social God, rich in internal and external relationships. God is a wondrous community – within God’s own mysterious being. God is rich in relationships – already. God is a social, communal God. And we believe in this God – not “god” in general – but in this Triune, social, “three in one” God. Now I realize this is not so easy to wrap our heads around. It is a theological interpretation, taken from various places in the bible, and it is difficult to grasp. But we try. I’ve told this story before, but it’s been a couple of years – so those of you who know it can just click out for a minute. When our oldest daughter Katie was a young girl, she was visiting with her Aunt Jean, Judy’s sister. Suffice it to say that Judy and her sister Jean, while they are both Christians, they have somewhat divergent theological beliefs. Some of you have similar dynamics within your own family. The subject of Christianity came up in conversation – and that Christians are those people who believed in Jesus. Aunt Jean asked Katie if she believed in Jesus, and Katie replied that she believe in everybody. Aunt Jean was aghast – quite sure that her sister and brother-in-law Presbyterian pastors were off the beaten path - way too liberal. What kind of theology was that – believing in everybody? Now to her credit, Aunt Jean likely swallowed – and asked Katie what she meant by that – and Katie said, “I believe in God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.” As Christians we believe in everybody – in this triune God – who has chosen to be revealed to us as a wondrous community – God in three persons, blessed Trinity – God who is rich in relationships. As it is for God, so it is for us – and for the whole of creation. Community, social relationships, friendship, partnership, companionship, marriage, communities – and a community of faith – all of these realities that we know are reflections of who God is in God’s own being. Who God is – and what is good for God – is also good for us. Two years ago the 217 th General Assembly of our church met in Brimingham – and there the commissioners approved a study paper on the Trinity. These kinds of study papers usually get very little attention from the media – they are more interested when we talk about sex. Still this paper did get more coverage than expected. While many in the church who read the paper were encouraged and excited about what they read, others were not. Some didn’t like the use of other language for the Trinity – any other language than the traditional image of “Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.” And this paper encouraged the church to explore additional, more expansive language for God – including God as “creator, redeemer, and sustainer.” This year the General Assembly is meeting in San Jose, in late June – and there is a proposal coming to this Assembly to approve a study DVD that would be sent to our churches to help deepen our understanding of this doctrine of our faith. And we shall see what the commissioners there decide. The study paper – and the possible DVD - contains a marvelous image – right in the title: “The Trinity: God’s Love Overflowing” This wondrous community of God is a community of love – with love overflowing between the Father, the Son and the Spirit – between the Creator God, Jesus the Redeemer, and the Holy Spirit. This love also overflows to you and to me – and to the whole of creation, to all of humankind – to all creatures great and small, wise and wonderful. In the introduction to this study paper, we read these words: “God’s Love Overflowing” is an attempt to express the amazing riches that flow boundlessly from the triune God who in loving freedom seeks and saves us, reconciles and renews us, and draws us into loving relationships…. May we all live within and daily live out this overflowing love of God – who indeed seeks and saves us – reconciles and renews us – and who draws us into loving relationships – here in this community of faith – and in so many wondrous, overflowing relationships. And all God’s people said. Amen.
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