Sunday Worship - Trinity Sunday
Welcome to our Sunday Worship for Trinity Sunday. Our services are at the usual times of 9.15 am at St Agnes' Church, and 11.00 am at St Thomas'.
If you're unable to be with us in person, the Gospel, a short reflection and a prayer are shown below so that you can worship from home.
Our first hymn this morning is "Firmly I Believe and Truly"
Today's Gospel
John 16:12-15
Jesus said to the disciples, "I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you."
Reflection
The doctrine of the Holy Trinity is hard for us to fully comprehend. Jesus was aware of this when he spoke the above words at the Last Supper. He acknowledged that his disciples could not be expected to grasp everything at once. He gently positions their expectations and foretells the important role of the Holy Spirit in continuing to guide and teach them after he has gone. As he speaks to them, he explains the united existence of the Triune being. He reiterates what he has already said so many times – that everything he has taught them is a single message that comes from Himself, the Father and the Spirit as one.
So why is this so hard for us to understand? I think it is probably because of our natural desire to anthropomorphise things. To try to humanise things and put them into a frame of reference that feels natural or comfortable to us. The reality however, is that however hard we try, it is virtually impossible for us to put into words what we haven’t experienced at first hand. However, if we start by acknowledging that the Trinity is a mystery that is beyond the ability for mankind to fully understand and that no single explanation can capture everything God is, then that’s okay because it’s exciting and wonderous!
I once heard the Holy Trinity compared to an egg. An egg has three elements; shell, the white and the yolk but at the same time exists as a whole. However, this is far too simplistic and I would suggest heresy. It is another example of how we always try to relate the supernatural to our own experience.
However, even if we have questions, there is no reason that we can’t still believe and trust His revelation through the bible and in Jesus. The bible that tells us; that each member of the Trinity is distinct from each other but at the same time tells us that all three linked together. The bible helps us understand a few essential truths about God.
1. Each Person of the Trinity is believed to be completely God. God isn’t One God cut into three parts like slices of a pie.
2. The Father, Son, and Spirit are not three properties of God or just different roles.
3. The Trinity isn’t Three Gods combined into one.
Each member of the Trinity is different but 100% God. They’re all equal. And they all share the same divine Nature.
The mystery of the Holy Trinity is not an easy concept. We need to make the time to invite the Father, Son and Holy Spirit into our lives to enrich our being and draw us into the Holy presence of God’s truth. We can do this by spending time in prayer - inviting the three persons to share and reveal more of God’s precious mystery piece by piece as and when we are able to bear it. Paul
Our Prayers
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for sending the Lord Jesus
to reveal to us the divine mystery of the Holy Trinity.
Thank you for the gift of the Holy Spirit to dwell within us.
Thank you that through faith,
we have the opportunity to learn the marvellous things revealed in your Word.
May the Holy Spirit open our minds and guide us to more enlightenment
so we may grow in grace as we journey through this life.
Amen
