The Feast of the Holy Trinity, The First Sunday after Pentecost, 15 June 2014
Genesis 1:1-2:4a
Psalm 8 or Canticle 2 or
12
II Corinthians 13:11-13
St. Matthew 28:16-20
Background: The Feast of the Holy
Trinity
Trinity is a relatively
recent festival. From its humble
beginnings as a collection of prayers in the Sacramentary of St. Gregory the
Great (sixth century) to provision for an Office in the French churches (tenth
century) and finally a provision for the First Sunday after Pentecost by John
XXII (fourteenth century) the day is one that honors the Trinitarian
understanding of the Godhead. In some
churches the Athanasian Creed (Quicumque
Vult) is read on this day. The day
provides a focus to the coming Sundays in which we amble through the Scriptures
and hear again and again the history of Salvation.
Genesis 1:1-2:4a
In the beginning when
God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness
covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the
waters. Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light. And
God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness.
God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was
evening and there was morning, the first day.
And God said, "Let
there be a dome in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from
the waters." So God made the dome and separated the waters that were under
the dome from the waters that were above the dome. And it was so. God called
the dome Sky. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.
And God said, "Let
the waters under the sky be gathered together into one place, and let the dry
land appear." And it was so. God called the dry land Earth, and the waters
that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good. Then
God said, "Let the earth put forth vegetation: plants yielding seed, and
fruit trees bearing fruit of every kind on earth that bear fruit with the seed
in it." And it was so. The earth brought forth vegetation: plants yielding
seed of every kind, and trees of every kind bearing fruit with the seed in it.
And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, the
third day.
And God said, "Let
there be lights in the dome of the sky to separate the day from the night; and
let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years, and let them be
lights in the dome of the sky to give light upon the earth." And it was
so. God made the two great lights-- the greater light to rule the day and the
lesser light to rule the night-- and the stars. God set them in the dome of the
sky to give light upon the earth, to rule over the day and over the night, and
to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. And
there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day.
And God said, "Let
the waters bring forth swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth
across the dome of the sky." So God created the great sea monsters and
every living creature that moves, of every kind, with which the waters swarm,
and every winged bird of every kind. And God saw that it was good. God blessed
them, saying, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas,
and let birds multiply on the earth." And there was evening and there was
morning, the fifth day.
And God said, "Let
the earth bring forth living creatures of every kind: cattle and creeping
things and wild animals of the earth of every kind." And it was so. God
made the wild animals of the earth of every kind, and the cattle of every kind,
and everything that creeps upon the ground of every kind. And God saw that it
was good.
Then God said,
"Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let
them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and
over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every
creeping thing that creeps upon the earth."
So God created
humankind in his image,
in the image of God he
created them;
male and female he
created them.
God blessed them, and
God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue
it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air
and over every living thing that moves upon the earth." God said,
"See, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is upon the face of
all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for
food. And to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to
everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I
have given every green plant for food." And it was so. God saw everything
that he had made, and indeed, it was very good. And there was evening and there
was morning, the sixth day.
Thus the heavens and
the earth were finished, and all their multitude. And on the seventh day God
finished the work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all
the work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it,
because on it God rested from all the work that he had done in creation. These
are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created.
This lesson on this day seems a bit misplaced to me. It functions well at The Great Vigil of
Easter where it begins to set the context for the History of Salvation that
will be rehearsed in the other readings.
Here it stands alone, and one wonders as to its purpose and intent. If viewed as a describer of the purpose and
meaning or the Godhead we might be tempted to see God from a modalist point of
view. At its very best this first
creation account gives us a view of God as actor (actually as speaker) that call us all into being, and
gives us an image of the divine breath (ru’ah)
and Spirit that becomes the creative force that is active in the world. Often, to talk about the Trinity is to view
the Godhead as a static entity devoid of action or meaning. Here, in seeing the creative action of God,
we begin to understand the community and economy of the Holy Trinity and see
its action in our very lives.
Breaking open Genesis:
- What are the actions depicted in the story of Creation?
- What does the separation by days really mean?
- Why does God need to rest?
Psalm 8 Domine, Dominus noster
O LORD our Governor, *
how exalted is your
Name in all the world!
Out of the mouths of
infants and children *
your majesty is praised
above the heavens.
You have set up a
stronghold against your adversaries, *
to quell the enemy and
the avenger.
When I consider your
heavens, the work of your fingers, *
the moon and the stars
you have set in their courses,
What is man that you
should be mindful of him? *
the son of man that you
should seek him out?
You have made him but
little lower than the angels; *
you adorn him with
glory and honor;
You give him mastery
over the works of your hands; *
you put all things
under his feet:
All sheep and oxen, *
even the wild beasts of
the field,
The birds of the air,
the fish of the sea, *
and whatsoever walks in
the paths of the sea.
O LORD our Governor, *
how exalted is your
Name in all the world!
This gem of a psalm celebrates creation in a frame (“O Lord, our governor”) that honors the primacy of God and the Name
of God. It also sets up a hierarchy of
creation, “You have made him a little
lower than the angels” (could or perhaps should be “gods”). In the midst of this celebration of God’s
mastery, there is a transfer of responsibility from the Creator God to
humankind. There is no development of
that theme beyond its statement. The
shear inventory that accompanies this “transfer of responsibility” gives
witness to the majesty of creation, including the majesty of humankind. What is beautiful is the self-evident nature
of God’s majesty and ownership, “Out of
the mouths of infants and children,” that finds its initial expression in
young lives.
Breaking open Psalm 8:
- Do you see the majesty of God in creation, or the majesty of
creation in God?
- How do you understand the hierarchy outlined in the psalm?
- How do you understand the responsibility over creation that is
given to humankind?
or
Canticle 2 Canticle 13 A Song of
Praise
Benedictus es, Domine
Song of the Three Young Men, 29-34
Glory to you, Lord God
of our fathers; *
you are worthy of
praise; glory to you.
Glory to you for the
radiance of your holy Name; *
we will praise you and
highly exalt you for ever.
Glory to you in the
splendor of your temple; *
on the throne of your
majesty, glory to you.
Glory to you, seated
between the Cherubim; *
we will praise you and
highly exalt you for ever.
Glory to you, beholding
the depths; *
in the high vault of
heaven, glory to you.
Glory to you, Father,
Son, and Holy Spirit; *
we will praise you and
highly exalt you for ever.
This song from Apocryphal Daniel finds its place not only here but also
in the liturgy of the Divine Office in the Roman, Episcopal, and Lutheran
churches. The song comes from the mouth
of the three young men after they are saved from the flames meant to destroy
them, and set by the Babylonian king.
Its sense of thanksgiving includes not only their personal salvation,
but also a thanksgiving for creation as the context for God’s majesty and splendor. The song moves beyond salvation to
glory. Perhaps the point here is to
revel, for a moment, in God’s majesty and to stand in awe of God.
Breaking open the
Canticle:
- How is the thanksgiving of the young men expressed in these
verses.
- Is it a leap? How so.
- How do you express your thanksgivings?
2 Corinthians 13:11-13
Finally, brothers and
sisters, farewell. Put things in order, listen to my appeal, agree with one
another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. Greet
one another with a holy kiss. All the saints greet you.
The grace of the Lord
Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with all
of you.
Again we encounter a text that is framed by a phrase, here a frame of
blessing, “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ…” It is also framed by the implications of the
“body of Christ” – agreement, peace, greeting, life together. If we view the Trinity as community, then
Paul’s words here have an even greater meaning and impulse for a holy life and
community.
Breaking open II
Corinthians:
- How does Paul describe the Christian community in these verses?
- How does your congregation measure up to the description?
- What are “grace”, “love”, and “communion” to you?
St. Matthew 28:16-20
The
eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed
them. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. And Jesus came
and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to
me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name
of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey
everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to
the end of the age."
Matthew is not wearing
rose-colored glasses here, and depicts his age in all of its complexity. Nothing is neat here. As Jesus gives the “Great Commission” there
is an implicit recognition of the difficulties that those sent would encounter,
“but some doubted.” The reality of worship, doubt, and
questioning is just beneath the surface of the Gospel, and reflects the reality
of the Palestinian Early Church that Matthew came from. As the Gospel sends us out into “all nations,” we need to be aware of
the context and the difficulty of the task.
The closing line, however, makes it all bearable, “I am with you always”. That
presence and the ubiquitous Spirit from last Sunday’s readings ought to
challenge us to speak again the Good News in every situation.
refreshes,
as we end that same Spirit out to the world.
Breaking open the Gospel:
- How is Christ present with you in these days?
- What is Jesus’ directing you to do?
- How do you accomplish what he is asking?
After breaking open the
Word, you might want to pray the Collect for Sunday:
Almighty and everlasting God, you have given to us your servants grace,
by the confession of a true faith, to acknowledge the glory of the eternal
Trinity, and in the power of your divine Majesty to worship the Unity: Keep us
steadfast in this faith and worship, and bring us at last to see you in your
one and eternal glory, O Father; who with the Son and the Holy Spirit live and
reign, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Questions and comments copyright © 2014, Michael
T. Hiller
Comments
Post a Comment