Trinity: Declare yourself!
Lift Every Voice and Sing
Lift ev'ry voice and sing
'Til earth and heaven ring
Ring with the harmonies of Liberty
Let our rejoicing rise
High as the list'ning skies
Let it resound loud as the rolling sea
Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us
Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us
Facing the rising sun of our new day begun
Let us march on 'til victory is won
Stony the road we trod
Bitter the chastening rod
Felt in the days when hope unborn had died
Yet with a steady beat
Have not our weary feet
Come to the place for which our fathers sighed?
We have come over a way that with tears has been watered
We have come, treading our path through the blood of the
slaughtered
slaughtered
Out from the gloomy past
'Til now we stand at last
Where the white gleam of our bright star is cast
God of our weary years
God of our silent tears
Thou who has brought us thus far on the way
Thou who has by Thy might
Led us into the light
Keep us forever in the path, we pray
Lest our feet stray from the places, our God,
where we met Thee
where we met Thee
Lest, our hearts drunk with the wine of the world,
we forget Thee
we forget Thee
Shadowed beneath Thy hand
May we forever stand
True to our God
True to our native land
++++++++++
In the beginning GOD CREATED the heavens and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And RUACH ELOHIM, the SPIRIT of God, moved over churning chaos.
Way-yo-mer Elohim, יְהִ֣י y'HE!!
And God SAID, “Let there be …”
and it was so.
In the beginning, God: Creator, Spirit, Word.
I’ve learned two things about the Trinity.
One, it’s a common dirty trick for rectors to assign the Trinity Sunday sermon to the poor defenseless Helper Priest!!
Two, and not facetious,
the Trinity is incomprehensible:
the Trinity itself is incomprehensible.
Trinity doctrine is incomprehensible.
Trinitarian theology is incomprehensible.
Creeds about the Trinity are incomprehensible.
In fact, one Creed, printed in your bulletin and I’ll share part of it with you, SAYS the Trinity is incomprehensible - - which means the Trinity is incomprehensible not only in fact, but even by creed and doctrine.
With graspingly desperate technical theological terms that cannot adequately be communicated, like hypostasis and homoousios and substantia and persona, the Trinity proves ineffable. It cannot be described, it has to be sensed. Experienced. Realized.
Known and Loved and Lived.
Metaphors and illustrations and sermons to explain the Trinity inevitably cross into heresy. If I stand here on Trinity Sunday to explain and clarify the Trinity in terms you and I understand, I’ll prove myself a heretic. So I’m taking refuge in an incomprehensible Creed.
From Historical Documents in the back of the Prayerbook, Madge has printed in your worship bulletin the “Creed of St Athanasius”, a Latin (Western Church) creed of our church that seems to date from the early fifth century. I’ll not discuss this Creed, a great Sunday School topic. And I’ll not ask you to say it this morning. But I do invite you to read along with me as I read part of it aloud. It’s in your bulletin, page [6/6/8], so please open it up now.
Skipping the dire anathemas, I'll begin in the fourth line down, I’ll only read half of it, and I’ll read Holy SPIRIT instead of Holy Ghost.
… we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity, neither confounding the Persons,
nor dividing the Substance.
For there is one Person of the Father, another of the Son, and another of the Holy Spirit.
But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit, is all one, the Glory equal,
the Majesty co-eternal.
Such as the Father is, such is the Son,
and such is the Holy Spirit.
The Father uncreate, the Son uncreate,
and the Holy Spirit uncreate.
The Father incomprehensible,
the Son incomprehensible,
and the Holy Spirit incomprehensible.
The Father eternal, the Son eternal,
and the Holy Spirit eternal.
And yet they are not three eternals,
but one eternal.
As also there are not three incomprehensibles,
nor three uncreated, but one uncreated,
and one incomprehensible.
So likewise the Father is Almighty,
the Son Almighty,
and the Holy Spirit Almighty.
And yet they are not three Almighties,
but one Almighty.
So the Father is God, the Son is God,
and the Holy Spirit is God.
And yet they are not three Gods, but one God.
So likewise the Father is Lord, the Son Lord,
and the Holy Spirit Lord.
And yet not three Lords, but one Lord.
For like as we are compelled by the Christian verity to acknowledge every Person by himself to be both God and Lord,
So are we forbidden by the Catholic Religion, to say,
There be three Gods, or three Lords.
The Father is made of none, neither created,
nor begotten.
The Son is of the Father alone, not made,
nor created, but begotten.
The Holy Spirit is of the Father and of the Son,
neither made, nor created, nor begotten,
but proceeding.
So there is one Father, not three Fathers;
one Son, not three Sons;
one Holy Spirit, not three Holy Spirits.
And in this Trinity none is afore, or after other;
none is greater, or less than another;
But the whole three Persons are co-eternal
together and co-equal.
So that in all things, as is aforesaid,
the Unity in Trinity and
the Trinity in Unity is to be worshipped.
That’s one of our creeds. Like the Nicene Creed and the Apostles’ Creed, it struggles in vain to express what Christians believe about God. But here's the thing:
Belief is only the beginning. And for anyone who meets God, creeds and doctrines can be dark, unreal, certitudinous, human-created, faint shadows
of Faith, Hope and Love:
Jesus God the Son is not creeds and doctrines, but ἀγάπη, agapē, lovingkindness, love neighbor, where love is not a feeling, but how you treat people who are different from you.
What we say we believe - - is of no matter to God the Father except as it drives how we live as Temples of the Holy Spirit, Christians moved by the Holy Spirit within us, baptized into our very Being.
What I want you to hear on Trinity Sunday is not creeds and doctrine, but the Gospel hymn “Lift every voice and sing”. Strife that’s distressing the nation and the world - - racial struggle, anguish, despair, protests; mostly peaceful, but also rage, fury, violent RIOTS with property destroyed, people hurt, and lives have been lost. I do not advocate violence, but as is often said and written, failure to speak out against evil is complicit, as evil as evil itself.
I’m here not so much as a priest, but as a child of God. I’m ha-aDAM, an earthling, a human being - - a Christian mindful of Philippians 1:27 “Whatever happens, conduct yourself in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ” - - a Christian who must say and do what he can, with who he is, from where he stands, as long as he lives; and if I do not, I lose my right to say “Jesus is Lord”.
In football season a few years ago, when Clemson was playing Auburn, someone asked, "Father Tom, who are you for?!" Well I'm a Gator and I couldn't care less! But having dear friends on both sides, I said “I’m for the Tigers”. I did not get away with it! Beverly McDaniel challenged me: "WHICH Tigers? Declare yourself!"*
So I’m declaring myself. This week our presiding bishop, Michael Curry, said, "As a black man, I understand the anger in our streets. But we must still choose love". So I'll choose. Protestors gather to demonstrate. Sometimes they riot, loot, burn. Likely and sadly, this will die down soon: history shows that protestors tire and go home, and nothing comes of it, hardly anything ever changes. But with decades and centuries of abuse in AMERICA THEIR NATIVE LAND, Black Americans’ patience with us is long overdue for running out.
I may not like the violence, but I hate the evil they are protesting. I love them and their fight. I love them no matter how far they carry this, no matter what they do, whatever hell they raise, whatever damage or destruction they bring down, I’m on their side. Never defiant, never political, never tell you where you should be, I'm on their side. I do not believe this pits me against "us", whatever that might mean, but if it does, so be it. I declare myself: I'm on their side; if I were not, I’d be ashamed, and a liar to renew the main vow of my Baptismal Covenant:
Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being?
Respect the dignity of every human being?
RESPECT the DIGNITY
of EVERY human being?
I will, with God’s help. This is my solemn vow.
In the Beginning, God: Creator, Spirit, Word..
Way-yo-mer Elohim, יְהִ֣י y'HE!!
And God SAID, “Let there be …”
and it was so.
In the beginning, God: Creator, Spirit, Word.
I’ve learned two things about the Trinity.
One, it’s a common dirty trick for rectors to assign the Trinity Sunday sermon to the poor defenseless Helper Priest!!
Two, and not facetious,
the Trinity is incomprehensible:
the Trinity itself is incomprehensible.
Trinity doctrine is incomprehensible.
Trinitarian theology is incomprehensible.
Creeds about the Trinity are incomprehensible.
In fact, one Creed, printed in your bulletin and I’ll share part of it with you, SAYS the Trinity is incomprehensible - - which means the Trinity is incomprehensible not only in fact, but even by creed and doctrine.
With graspingly desperate technical theological terms that cannot adequately be communicated, like hypostasis and homoousios and substantia and persona, the Trinity proves ineffable. It cannot be described, it has to be sensed. Experienced. Realized.
Known and Loved and Lived.
Metaphors and illustrations and sermons to explain the Trinity inevitably cross into heresy. If I stand here on Trinity Sunday to explain and clarify the Trinity in terms you and I understand, I’ll prove myself a heretic. So I’m taking refuge in an incomprehensible Creed.
From Historical Documents in the back of the Prayerbook, Madge has printed in your worship bulletin the “Creed of St Athanasius”, a Latin (Western Church) creed of our church that seems to date from the early fifth century. I’ll not discuss this Creed, a great Sunday School topic. And I’ll not ask you to say it this morning. But I do invite you to read along with me as I read part of it aloud. It’s in your bulletin, page [6/6/8], so please open it up now.
Skipping the dire anathemas, I'll begin in the fourth line down, I’ll only read half of it, and I’ll read Holy SPIRIT instead of Holy Ghost.
… we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity, neither confounding the Persons,
nor dividing the Substance.
For there is one Person of the Father, another of the Son, and another of the Holy Spirit.
But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit, is all one, the Glory equal,
the Majesty co-eternal.
Such as the Father is, such is the Son,
and such is the Holy Spirit.
The Father uncreate, the Son uncreate,
and the Holy Spirit uncreate.
The Father incomprehensible,
the Son incomprehensible,
and the Holy Spirit incomprehensible.
The Father eternal, the Son eternal,
and the Holy Spirit eternal.
And yet they are not three eternals,
but one eternal.
As also there are not three incomprehensibles,
nor three uncreated, but one uncreated,
and one incomprehensible.
So likewise the Father is Almighty,
the Son Almighty,
and the Holy Spirit Almighty.
And yet they are not three Almighties,
but one Almighty.
So the Father is God, the Son is God,
and the Holy Spirit is God.
And yet they are not three Gods, but one God.
So likewise the Father is Lord, the Son Lord,
and the Holy Spirit Lord.
And yet not three Lords, but one Lord.
For like as we are compelled by the Christian verity to acknowledge every Person by himself to be both God and Lord,
So are we forbidden by the Catholic Religion, to say,
There be three Gods, or three Lords.
The Father is made of none, neither created,
nor begotten.
The Son is of the Father alone, not made,
nor created, but begotten.
The Holy Spirit is of the Father and of the Son,
neither made, nor created, nor begotten,
but proceeding.
So there is one Father, not three Fathers;
one Son, not three Sons;
one Holy Spirit, not three Holy Spirits.
And in this Trinity none is afore, or after other;
none is greater, or less than another;
But the whole three Persons are co-eternal
together and co-equal.
So that in all things, as is aforesaid,
the Unity in Trinity and
the Trinity in Unity is to be worshipped.
That’s one of our creeds. Like the Nicene Creed and the Apostles’ Creed, it struggles in vain to express what Christians believe about God. But here's the thing:
Belief is only the beginning. And for anyone who meets God, creeds and doctrines can be dark, unreal, certitudinous, human-created, faint shadows
of Faith, Hope and Love:
Jesus God the Son is not creeds and doctrines, but ἀγάπη, agapē, lovingkindness, love neighbor, where love is not a feeling, but how you treat people who are different from you.
What we say we believe - - is of no matter to God the Father except as it drives how we live as Temples of the Holy Spirit, Christians moved by the Holy Spirit within us, baptized into our very Being.
What I want you to hear on Trinity Sunday is not creeds and doctrine, but the Gospel hymn “Lift every voice and sing”. Strife that’s distressing the nation and the world - - racial struggle, anguish, despair, protests; mostly peaceful, but also rage, fury, violent RIOTS with property destroyed, people hurt, and lives have been lost. I do not advocate violence, but as is often said and written, failure to speak out against evil is complicit, as evil as evil itself.
I’m here not so much as a priest, but as a child of God. I’m ha-aDAM, an earthling, a human being - - a Christian mindful of Philippians 1:27 “Whatever happens, conduct yourself in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ” - - a Christian who must say and do what he can, with who he is, from where he stands, as long as he lives; and if I do not, I lose my right to say “Jesus is Lord”.
In football season a few years ago, when Clemson was playing Auburn, someone asked, "Father Tom, who are you for?!" Well I'm a Gator and I couldn't care less! But having dear friends on both sides, I said “I’m for the Tigers”. I did not get away with it! Beverly McDaniel challenged me: "WHICH Tigers? Declare yourself!"*
So I’m declaring myself. This week our presiding bishop, Michael Curry, said, "As a black man, I understand the anger in our streets. But we must still choose love". So I'll choose. Protestors gather to demonstrate. Sometimes they riot, loot, burn. Likely and sadly, this will die down soon: history shows that protestors tire and go home, and nothing comes of it, hardly anything ever changes. But with decades and centuries of abuse in AMERICA THEIR NATIVE LAND, Black Americans’ patience with us is long overdue for running out.
I may not like the violence, but I hate the evil they are protesting. I love them and their fight. I love them no matter how far they carry this, no matter what they do, whatever hell they raise, whatever damage or destruction they bring down, I’m on their side. Never defiant, never political, never tell you where you should be, I'm on their side. I do not believe this pits me against "us", whatever that might mean, but if it does, so be it. I declare myself: I'm on their side; if I were not, I’d be ashamed, and a liar to renew the main vow of my Baptismal Covenant:
Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being?
Respect the dignity of every human being?
RESPECT the DIGNITY
of EVERY human being?
I will, with God’s help. This is my solemn vow.
In the Beginning, God: Creator, Spirit, Word..
+++++++++++
*Beverly McDaniels, friend, mentor, retired Head of Holy Nativity Episcopal School, HNEC staff member, Auburn graduate and fierce Auburn Tiger fan.
Sermon on Trinity Sunday, June 7, 2020. Holy Nativity Episcopal Church, Panama City, Florida. The Rev Tom Weller (Retired), Priest Associate.
Art pinched unapologetically off of Facebook!
Art pinched unapologetically off of Facebook!