Holy Trinity: Relationship and Surprises

 "...baptizing in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit."

The name of God reveals much about who God is, including the fact that God is always in relationship and that God is always surprising us.

Sounds great, but it turns out though, in real life, relationships often have a great deal of friction.  People often surprise us ... with disappointment.  So much friction exists in relationships, that people are drawn to frictionless relationships:  AI Chat bots.

As we confirm our youth this Sunday, a reflection on how as Christians we find authentic relationships and community in our world.  It turns out, we do not need to seek them in imaginary relationships which technology has made deceptively frictionless, but rather in real relationships that require forbearance and forgiveness.  The confirmands and all disciples are called to follow the way of Jesus, of forgiveness and forbearance.  Yet, the work of reconciliation is not left to us alone, but Jesus surprises us with his forbearance and forgiveness in our lives.  All this, that we might have restored relationships with God and each other.

A Weekend for Red

 

This a weekend for wearing red.

Red for memorial day, when many pin red poppies to the clothes in memory of soldiers who have died, inspired by the poem "In Flanders Field"

Red for Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit came down on the disciples, and rested on them as tongues of fire.  Inspired, the disciples preached Christ crucified and risen and gave birth to the church.

A reflection on how these two holidays - both of which proclaim the importance of sacrifice, the abundance of God's mercy and our longing for peace - are more related than we first might imagine.

In Flanders Fields is a drawing by Mary Evans

Hands that Bless and Bear Witness

"You shall be my witnesses"  Jesus - book of Acts

Witnessing to Jesus sounds good, at least at first.  But many of us have bad experiences with people who do witness either in our lives and on our screens.

Yet we are not given permission to abandon this task of witnessing to Jesus.  What might this look like?  Pastor Rob focuses on the hands that Jesus raises to bless his disciples at his ascension.  These hands of blessing bear witness to the cross but also the ultimate reign of God.

I zoo, and therefore you will too"

"I zoo, and therefore you will too"  Jesus, Gospel of John (14:19)

When Jesus tells his disciples they will "live" the word in Greek is "zoo."  A reminder that our life in Jesus is wild!

Pastor Rob reflects on the wild and crazy life that Jesus brings us, a life that we don't dictate or control!

This wild life does have a shape though, a shape found in the command to love, the community of faith and person of Jesus.

The Deception of More

"I have come that they might have life and have it abundantly," Jesus Christ, Gospel of John (10:10)

Abundance does not necessarily mean "more."  In fact, there is a deception of "more", that comes whenever we are told that "IF we do "more" of X, Y or Z, then we will have "more" of happiness, security and joy - the fundamental goods of life."

The reason why it is the deception of "more" is because "more" never works out is because the goal posts of "more" are always moving; it is never enough and never going to deliver the fundamental goods.

The good news is that Jesus has come to offer us abundant life, life that doesn't begin with "IF" but "I am the Good Shepherd."

A reflection then on what the abundant life looks like and how we can distinguish between the "Deception of More" and the invitation to the abundant life.

The dinner table is the cradle of faith

The dinner table is the cradle of faith.

After walking with them on the road to Emmaus, Jesus is invited into the homes of his disciples, even though they don't recognize him (yet!).  While they break bread together for the evening meal. Jesus reveals himself.  While a surprise to them, it is not a surprise to us because the resurrected Jesus routinely appears to his disciples over meals; throughout the Gospels he is eating with people.

Today St Paul has four baptisms of children and Pastor Rob offers that the cradle of faith is the dining table.  It is where prayer is taught; it is where we can begin processing our stories and see God at work in our lives.

Eventually, our children - the next generation - leaves our dinner table, but they remain our companions, both around the Lord's table and ultimately the feast that has no end.

God doesn't ghost

We live in a throwaway culture, in which things are discarded, ideas canceled, and people ghosted. 

The story of Jesus returning from the grave to meet the fearful disciples and then again to meet Thomas (John 20:19-31) shows that God is interested neither in ghosting us, nor canceling us nor discarding us.  God doesn't ghost.

The forgiveness of sins and the resurrection of the body proclaimed in this story beautifully show how God will never let us go, even in the darkest of times.

Note:  There is a bit of a coda at the end of the sermon, which includes some words I said to the congregation at the end of the sermon about a pastoral care visit I would make that afternoon.