Trinity Sunday

Psalm: Psalm 29
Old Testament: Isaiah 6:1-8
Gospel: John 3:1-17
Epistle: Romans 8:12-17

Well today is Trinity Sunday and it also happens to be my five year wedding anniversary. So it was a busy and fun weekend celebrating. Needless to say, I have not had much time to reflect on the nature and doctrine of the Trinity much this weekend. I do remember that last year I shared this humorous video about bad analogies for the Trinity. The video is still funny and still presents the challenges the church historically and still today has in trying to rationally explain the Trinity.

I was reading a bit today on the inter-webs and in my theological dictionaries and such, and what I discovered is that although the doctrine of the Trinity is confessed by all Christians, it has not always been explained or described in the same way. In fact throughout church history and even in the last 100 years there has been multiple emphases, angles, and attempts to understand just what the Church means when it says God is Three-in-One.

I think rather than try and do the impossible--explain the Trinity in less that 800 words, I will just include here some of the words of the Athanasian Creed, written sometime maybe in the 5th-6th century. In the Creed we receive clear Trinitarian doctrine to be believed and confessed, if not fully understood. This week let us reflect on these words and the Faith handed down to us by those who have come before:

...And the Catholic Faith is this, that 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 Ghost. But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Ghost is all One, the Glory Equal, the Majesty Co-Eternal. Such as the Father is, such is the Son, and such is the Holy Ghost. The Father Uncreate, the Son Uncreate, and the Holy Ghost Uncreate. The Father Incomprehensible, the Son Incomprehensible, and the Holy Ghost Incomprehensible. The Father Eternal, the Son Eternal, and the Holy Ghost Eternal and yet they are not Three Eternals but One Eternal. As also there are not Three Uncreated, nor Three Incomprehensibles, but One Uncreated, and One Incomprehensible. So likewise the Father is Almighty, the Son Almighty, and the Holy Ghost Almighty. And yet they are not Three Almighties but One Almighty. So the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Ghost is God. And yet they are not Three Gods, but One God. So likewise the Father is Lord, the Son Lord, and the Holy Ghost Lord. And yet not Three Lords but One Lord....(www.newadvent.org/cathen/02033b.htm; I also drew from the Wikipedia article)

Grace and Peace