Lectionary readings for Sunday 7th June 2020 – Trinity Sunday

• Gen 1:1 – 2:4a
• Ps 8
• 2 Cor 13:11-13
• Mt 28:16-20

Thank you to Julie for our Trinity Sunday reflection…

As I pondered on the theme for this Sunday’s reflection, Trinity Sunday, it occurred to me that with the lowering of restrictions and the busyness of daily life returning, we need to continue to make time to “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). Talking with others I have learned that the past couple of months have been a wonderful time to just slow down and catch our breath as we have isolated and stayed home. Even for those who were continuing in employment there was the easing of rushing here and there to attend after work meetings and other commitments. It has been an opportunity to take time to connect with family, to make those phone calls to friends for a leisurely chat and to catch up on the odd jobs around the home that generally we never seem to have time to do.

The Trinity, not actually a word that is found in the bible, is a word used to describe the triune God. God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Of the Trinity the Holy Spirit seems to me to be the least easy for our human minds to understand. We have an idea of God the Father from reading the bible. We learn that He has been from the very beginning, in creation, loving and caring for his people, disciplining his people when they turn away from him to serve other Gods and working a plan to bring us back into a relationship with him through faith in his Son, Jesus.

In our Genesis reading today, we learn that the Spirit was with God in Creation and in John 1:1-3 we read that Jesus (the Word) was with God in creation as well.

God’s work in creation is praised and proclaimed in Psalm 8:1, 3-4.

God’s plan all along was to send his son Jesus into the world as a man to live with us and to teach us about his Father. I love it when Philip asks Jesus to show him the Father and Jesus replies, “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time: Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?”(John 14:9). That is so wow! God wants a relationship with us! Here we have Jesus, God the Son, walking and talking with men on this earth and we have, recorded for us in the bible, what he said and did. Jesus’ knowledge, compassion, love and power are so great that he was even willing to face death on a cross in our place.

Before Jesus left this earth he comforted his disciples with the promise that he would not leave them totally alone but that he would send someone, God’s Holy Spirit, to be with them and in them to help them in everything (John 14:15-17). As believers this promise applies to us too. We have the promise of God’s Spirit teaching us what to say (Luke 12:11-12), how to pray (Romans 8:26) and how to live in a way that brings glory to God.

Romans 10:9-13 promises us that if we confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in our hearts that God raised him from the dead then we will be saved. Our friendship with God will be restored and we will have his Spirit to help us from that time on.

Now, back to that “Being still and knowing that he is God”. I believe that spending time getting to know God’s word, talking to him anytime, anywhere and listening to his voice is the key to knowing and understanding who God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit is. The Holy Spirit is God’s seal on us declaring that we belong to him. He is there to help us, don’t forget it, let it be your comfort and encouragement.

Take time to be still and sit at the foot of the cross. (A whole new take on Yoga!!)

2 Corinthians 13:14 May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

The Creed: This I believe