According to the church’s liturgical calendar this past Sunday, which immediately follows Pentecost, is known as Trinity Sunday. The traditional Trinitarian formula describes God as three in One – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Another describes God as three in one one shaped by the way God acts –Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer.
Frederick Buechner in his book Wishful Thinking adds another description: “The much-maligned doctrine of the Trinity is an assertion that, appearances to the contrary notwithstanding, there is only one God. Father, Son and Holy Spirit means that the mystery beyond us, the mystery among us and the mystery within us are all the same mystery.”
For me, the doctrine of the Trinity suggests connectedness and integration. And more importantly, I believe the Trinity reveals to us that relationships stand at the heart of God and the Universe. Relationships that create and recreate, that redeem and save us in so many ways, and that sustain and ground us in the love and grace and peace that good, solid, loving relationships can provide.
On Sunday morning I woke up to the loud foghorns blaring on Park Point. I looked out of my window and I couldn’t see anything beyond the grass right in front of my
balcony. As I sat in my rocking chair for my morning quiet/devotion time I thought about the many different times in life we can feel as if we are surrounded by fog. It could be because of the death of a loved one, an illness, a strained or broken relationship or other real-life challenges.
As I sat quietly, I reflected on the many ways we seek to make our way through those times of fog. Like the foghorns, sometimes we make a lot of noise about it, which isn’t
always helpful but occasionally necessary. Often we use navigation tools provided by a helpful book, or guidance from others or wisdom learned from previous experiences. Making our way also includes times of stopping and resting and believing that the fog will eventually lift.
I think another navigation tool, and probably the most important is connecting to our own inner intuition and strength provided by the Holy Spirit, the mystery within. Listening for the still small voice that reminds us that we are never alone.
If we accept the assertion that relationships stand at the heart of God and the Universe, getting through the fog will mean being in relationship. It all begins in our relationship with God; God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit; God as Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer; God as mystery beyond us, among us and within us.
Next is our relationship with ourselves. I think we all know that to be in healthy relationships with others we first have to really know and love and care for ourselves. Unfortunately, even though we know it, we do not always live by it. I am reminded of the instructions from flight attendants when we fly, “in case of an emergency and the
oxygen masks drop down, put on your mask before you help others.” When we can care for and truly love ourselves is when we can share that by loving others.
Peace,
Pastor Cindy