Serious Business

No Joking Matter

Yesterday was Trinity Sunday, our day of the church year to acknowledge the Trinity and worship the Unity. We do that every Sunday, but this was the special annual celebration and singing a favorite hymn, “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty!” 

Not many people in church yesterday because almost everybody was across St. Andrews Bay for Shell Island Sunday. However, at the second service everyone sat up front on the left side, in the first four or five pews, and made a nice gathering for good, powerful singing. The only Sunday of the year with more people at eight than at ten-thirty. But we did have Children's Time and sing "Jesus Loves Me, This I Know, For The Bible Tells Me So!"

Trinity: fact or fancy? Perhaps it’s observation. Years ago we were home on Navy leave, attended Holy Nativity on Trinity Sunday, and Father Bob Battin said the Trinity is not a description of God; rather, it’s the church’s experience with God. That has stuck with me as better than anything the Church Fathers said in the creeds.

Apparently some years back the Vatican was considering elevating the Blessed Virgin Mary to divine status with Father, Son and Holy Spirit; in fact, there was a Time magazine issue about it at the time. It would have been a Quadrinity, a boon for church supply houses selling paraments and vestments with squares instead of equilateral triangles. Much as the blue Advent vestments have been, but far, far more lucrative. 

On the other hand, my seminary theology professor described the Holy Spirit as “the love between God the Father and God the Son.” Which thirty-some years ago struck me as Binity instead of Trinity. But I think I get it now.

Sometimes evenings Linda enjoys Ghost Hunters SyFy on television. Which theologically would give the Church a problem. Instead of plane geometry we would just have a straight line joining two points. 

  

T+ with Fear and Trembling

Thanks, Michelle!