The Spirit is Moving

Trinity Sunday June 12, 2022 John 16:12-15 The Spirit Moving Repreach 6/10 Opening Song Welcome Call to Worship L: How shall we describe the concept of Trinity? P: In the first "person" we find God the creator L: In the second "person" we discover Jesus the Redeemer P: In the third "person" we greet the Holy Spirit, the Guardian and Guide. L: There are so many ways to describe the work and witness of God. P: The Trinity helps us to understand the nature of God. AMEN. (Ministry Matters – Nancy Townley) Song Holy, Holy, Holy UMH 64 Prayer for Transformation and New Life Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer, we confess that we do not always heed the wisdom you impact. We turn toward other marks and means of validation rather than toward you. We remain in awe of our own creation while devouring and decimating yours. Continue to call us, we pray, and to surprise and delight us at your magnificence and majesty. May we always be at awe at your glory and humbled by your nearness. Let our character be shaped toward hope and reflect your peace. (United Church of Christ Worship Ways – Rev. Dr. Cheryl A. Lindsay) Scripture John 16:12-15 Sermon The Spirit Moving Today is Trinity Sunday. Last week we acknowledged the presence of the Holy Spirit and the wonderful things that happen in its presence. Today we think about how the holy spirit fits into the big picture. God, Jesus and the holy spirit are the same presence in our lives. But I also want us to think about how the holy Spirit works in our lives- how do we recognize God’s presence in our lives? Wesak Blessing Service Once I attended a Wesak Blessing- I didn’t realize that it was a Buddhist service, but felt that I needed all of the blessings that I could get. But I was fascinated to learn that in Nepal, there is this belief that on the full moon in May that Jesus , and God and the Holy spirit and Buddha all come down from heaven and give blessings to all of the people gathered in the valley of the mountains. So when the sun goes down, people gather to pray for the earth and to ask for special blessings. In this tradition it is thought that Jesus and Buddha are spiritual brothers both come to heaven to teach wisdom to the people. That can be pretty far fetched and hard to believe, certainly not a part of Christian tradition. Wisdom comes to us in all kinds of forms But then again, not a far cry from the Easter story of Jesus appearing to his disciples after the resurrection, not a far cry from Jesus ascending to heaven, and yet coming to us in mysterious ways to help us in life, and to teach us new lessons. God comes to us in many forms to talk to us, to guide us, to help us to grow in our faith. The point is, are we always alert enough to look for God in the details of our lives. Faith comes to us in times of pain There is the story of an atheist, who was spending a quiet afternoon fishing on the Loch Ness river. Suddenly the man’s boat is attacked by the loch ness monster. The monster comes at him in the water, and tosses the boat high in the water. And then it opens its mouth ready to swallow the man whole. He cries out to God – Oh God save me. All of a sudden the whole scene just freezes. Man in the air, waves in mid air too, every thing just stops, and a loud voice booms – wait a minute – I thought that you didn’t believe in me, why should I save you. The man replies – O come on god give me a break – two minutes ago I didn’t believe in the Loch ness Monster either. But isn’t that the reality for any of us. We have our faith with us always. We believe in God always, but we don’t use our faith, and we don’t think about what our faith really means until we approach adversity. Suffering is the hardest time for any of us to deal with. It is in the midst of our pain that we start to think about who God is, and how God works in our lives. We start to ask the tough questions of God, such as why is this happening to me? What does any of this mean? And how will I get through it? For those who don’t believe, there are no answers to those questions, but for those of us who do – the spirit of God comes to us in unexpected ways to bring us hope and clarity for what is ahead. The life of a Christian means that we will all be tested with some type of pain, we will all have questions, we will all have suffering and pain. But we have to remember that our suffering is never in vain, and that we are never alone. Jesus final words to us on earth were that we would have a partner. We would have a teacher, we would have the spirit of truth with us that will reveal the words of God in the midst of all circumstance for us. In the aftermath of Pentecost – we linger one more Sunday on the words of the gospel of John. Jesus knew that the disciples were going to enter into some challenging times. Jesus had not even gone to the cross yet. Jesus knew the pain they would suffer, and yet he knew that there were no words to help them understand the pain and persecution they were about the encounter. Even if he told them, his words would not have helped. 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 in 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. For those who don’t believe, suffering is just another part of life, it is another thing to get through, there is no hope for things to get better. But for the easter people, those who have seen the resurrection, seen the ascencion and hang on to the promises of christ’s return – suffering is our teachable moment – to listen, to learn to trust, to hope. We have the spirit of truth, which takes the wisdom of heaven and pours it out on us. The spirit doesn’t help us understand, it helps us look beyond our present moment. It doesn’t take away the pain, it helps us trust that the pain will go away. It doesn’t stop our suffering, it reminds us that our suffering is not in vain, and it is never ours alone to bear. We have God and we have one another. Finding God in our Faith We look for the God in the story in whatever form God appears, and not the loch ness monster. The question game I want to end on a light note – with a much lighter story. A young woman is taking a airplane to new York. It is a late night flight and she is anxious to get some sleep. But it turns out that a boisterous man sits next to her, full of energy and ready to talk. He wants to play a game with her. The game of questions. If I ask you a question and you don’t know the answer then you pay me. If I don’t know the answer you pay me. She is tired and declines. The man not ready to give up, makes it more interesting. If I ask you a question and you don’t know, you owe me $5, if I don’t know I have to give you $500. Now that gets her attention. He goes first – what is the distance from the earth to the moon. Now since they are on an airplane, and she is tired, she doenst even want to think – she just gives him the $5. And hopes to turn over and go to sleep. But know – the man reminds her that she has to ask him a question too. So she asks, what goes up the hill on three legs and comes down on four. The man thinks about it for a while – he has $500 laying on the line, so he asks for some time to get the answer. A man of means he can use the phone on the plane, he even has internet access. He spends an hour looking for the answer – and finally gives her $500. And she turns over to go to sleep. But wait a minute – tell me what the answer is – she reaches in her purse and gives him $5. And goes to sleep. True wisdom The moral of the story for us – we come into this world thinking that everything is suppose to make sense, we are suppose to understand everything about life, that as long as we have all of the answers, life will be okay. The concept of the trinity is hard to explain – how can God be three different persons at the same time? How can God be the father and the son and some other random person at the same time. The presence of god is a mystery that will always be hard to explain. And yet god comes to us in many ways in our lives. There are things in our lives that we will never understand, will not make sense if we have the answers, and even times when the pain just wont go away. But if our faith is in Christ – we learn to go on, to have hope anyway. True wisdom about life if never about what we know – it is about the God we trust. So, how is the holy spirit flowing in your life? What things are flowing and bringing you joy and fulfillment. But more importantly how do you let the holy spirit flow through you? What love, wisdom, truth are you passing on to others. Pentecost is about recognizing the Holy Spirit, Trinity Sunday is about recognizing the spirit at work in your life. Song How Great Thou Art UMH 77 Prayer of the Day Almighty Creator and ever-living God: we worship your glory, eternal Three-in-One, and we praise your power, majestic One-in-Three. Keep us steadfast in this faith, defend us in all adversity, and bring us at last into your presence, where you live in endless joy and love, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. (Evangelical Lutheran Church of America – Worship Resoures) Lord’s Prayer Children’s Sermon How many of you have heard the word, “Trinity?” Do any of you know what that word means? Trinity means three-in-one. We have called the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, a “Holy Trinity.” Have you heard that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are One? It’s hard for us to understand how three different beings are still the same God. I brought some things to help you understand this. Do any of you know what a Smore is? A smore is a wonderful treat made of three different things. This graham cracker is one part of a s’more. Just like the “Father” is one part of what we call the “Holy Trinity.” It says in 2 Corinthians 6:18, “I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” This verse is really clear that God is our Father. Another part of a smore is this chocolate. “The Son,” is another part of what we call “The Holy Trinity.” Who is the Son? That’s right…Jesus. Now, how can Jesus also be God at the same time? It says in John 1:1, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word WAS God.” Then in verse 14, it says, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” So, if the Word was God, and the Word became flesh and lived on earth with us, we know that it was Jesus. It also says in Colossians 1:15, “He is the image of the invisible God.” And again the Bible says in John 10:30, “I and the Father are One.” Jesus is God in a human form. The third part of a smore, is a toasted marshmallow. The last part of the “Holy Trinity” is the Holy Spirit God sent the Holy Spirit to us after Jesus went back to Heaven, so we could keep Jesus with us. The Holy Spirit is the very presence of God within all believers. The Holy Spirit is our teacher and guide. He teaches us truth, and guides us when we stray away from God. It says in 1 John 5:7, “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are One.” When we put these three things together, [show the s’more ingredients] we get a trinity of wonderful flavors to satisfy our taste buds. When we put all of these things together, [show the Trinity], we get the most satisfying treat of all. We get the “Holy Trinity,” and that will satisfy ALL your needs and desires. Dear Lord, thank you for being everything we could ever need or want. Thank you for being all things, even when we don’t understand everything. Amen. (Sermons4Kids) Stewardship Moment Paul’s writing to the church at Rome includes this line: “since we are justified by faith”. Theologians spend much time with this word “justify”. Today, I want to help us understand this word by referring to old newspaper typesetting and today’s Word formatting. Here is a justified paragraph, in form and in description: To justify is to make right and equal. When a line of type is “justified”, in goes from the beginning of the line to the end, by adjusting the sizes of letters and spaces. Looking at a paragraph of justified type, it’s straight on both sides. When we are justified, our lives are “squared up”. We’re made right. When we’re justified, by God’s grace, we’re given all we have AND are inspired to share what we have. What would it take for the gifts you’ve been given (of time, talent and treasure) be “justified” by the gifts you give? Today, in gratitude for all God continues to pour IN, let us celebrate our ability to pour out as we share our morning gifts, tithes and offerings. Prayer of Thanksgiving Generous and gracious God, Thank you for the ways you justify each of us, and all of us. Thank you for “squaring us up” and making us right. And thank you for receiving the gifts we’ve brought today. Please help us use each gift to its full measure, so the financial support, the talents shared, and the time contributed allow each of the ministries of this congregation to fulfill your desire for us and for your world. AMEN (Disciples of Christ – Center for Faith and Giving) Announcements Closing Prayer for Facebook Go with the creativity of the One who made you. Go with the compassion of the One who claims you. Go with the courage of the One who stirs you to action. Go in peace. Amen. (Whitney Wilkerson Arreche – Presbyterian Outlook ) Community Time Benediction Go in peace, dear ones! Go with the knowledge that God, the Father [Parent], Jesus, God's Son, and the Holy Spirit are with you! Bring peace to all you meet. AMEN. (Nancy C. Townley – United Methodist Ministry Matters) Our Harbor Master When a large ship enters a harbor, it takes on board what is called a harbor master. This is a man who knows that harbor; he knows the length of it, he knows the depth of it. He knows where the hazards are. He knows where the tides and currents are; what direction they flow in and how strong they are. When that harbor master comes on board, he takes control of that ship, and he gives order to the captain who steers the ship. He is an outside expert who is brought in to make sure that ship docks safely. As we sail through the sea of life, we have been given a harbor master. He is the Holy Spirit. He knows the currents, the tides, the hazards, and the flow. If you will let Him guide the ship of your life, He will guide you safely through the hazards of earth, right into the harbor of heaven. Because He is the only guide you need. James Merritt, Collected Sermons, Sermons.com ___________________________________ Eternity and Trinity Clarence Macartney tells of a certain Canadian river which flows through a forbidding chasm. Looming on either side of the river are rugged, uninviting crags which bear the names "Eternity" and "Trinity." Macartney suggests that the opposing crags invite an analogy (you understand of course, that to a preacher, most everything invites analogy). "Inseparable from any true conception of God," he says, "are always the two doctrines of God's eternity and God's trinity ... The threefold experience of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit." The great preacher then goes on to conclude that both doctrines lie helplessly beyond human comprehension. Larry Powell, Blow the Silver Trumpets, CSS Publishing Company Oh, Now I Understand C. S. Lewis once said that the most frequently spoken word in heaven would be, "OH." As in, "Oh, now I understand." Or, "Oh, now I see what God's plan was." Or, "Oh, now I see the reason for the trial I went through." We do not have that luxury in this world. We walk by faith, not by knowledge. But one day it will be revealed to us. We will be in the presence of the Father and the Son and the Spirit. How can we be in the presence of all three at the same time? It beats me, but as St. Paul says in another place, "I know whom I have believed and I am persuaded that He is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me." (II Timothy 1: 12) King Duncan, Collected Sermons, www.Sermons.com Understanding the Trinity John Wesley once said, "Show me a worm that can comprehend a human being, and then I will show you a human being that can comprehend the Triune God." Luther's comment was even more to the point. "To try to comprehend the Trinity endangers your sanity." I tend to agree with Justo Gonzalez who once said, "Trinity is a mystery, not a puzzle. You try to solve the puzzle, you stand in awe before a mystery." Mickey Anders, The Trinity The Greatest Truth There is an old story about the theologian, Karl Barth [pronounced "Bart" with a soft "t"], who was on a speaking tour of the United States. On college campuses all across this country, he was drawing huge crowds to hear his very complex answers to the questions of life. When he was speaking at Princeton University, the great hall was packed with faculty, students, and visitors who came to hear Karl Barth speak. During the question and answer period, one student asked, “Dr. Barth, may I ask you a personal question?” Dr. Barth smiled and said, “Yes, you may ask anything.” The student then asked, “Dr. Barth, you are a very educated man. What is the greatest truth you have ever learned?” Dr. Barth bowed his head, thinking for a moment about how he would respond. Then, he raised his head and looked out at the student who asked the question and he said, “The greatest truth I ever learned was at my mother’s knee: ‘Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.’ ” The secret of effective living is to discover the truth about Jesus Christ. When we focus on him, we have discovered that truth is a caring love, truth is the Word becoming flesh. Truth is experiencing his life-giving power. Truth is discovering his love with arms outstretched to embrace us. When we grasp this truth, we have discovered the secret to effective living. The Same Sermon There is a story about a newly appointed preacher who preached a very fine sermon on his first Sunday in the church. The text was Matthew 26.24. No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other. You cannot serve God and Money. Everyone loved it. The next Sunday she preached the very same sermon. The people were perplexed but since it was a fine sermon no one spoke to him of the duplication. The next week he preached the sermon again. After the service the Chairpersons of the Personnel and Worship ministry teams came to the pastor and asked him why he was preaching the same sermon over and over again. The pastor said, “When we start doing what Jesus has invited us to do, I'll move on to something new!” Jef Olson, Worship Is Celebration Trust His Heart In her song titled "Trust His Heart," singer-songwriter Babbie Mason puts it this way: "God is too wise to be mistaken; God is too good to be unkind. So when you don't understand, when you don't see His plan, when you can't trace His hand, trust His heart." And that's great advice. What do you know about God? If you know that Jesus loves you and died for you, that's all you really need to know. King Duncan, Collected Sermons, www.Sermons.com ______________________ The Trinity What we have in the Trinity, after all, is not a description of God's "IS"ness, so much as shorthand for the unfolding story of God's love. God knows that we cannot comprehend or even live to see the fullness of being that is God. Instead God acts within our history and within our experience. God's story goes beyond metaphor to a God who acts with us and for us in Jesus. It is a story of Jesus love and obedience to the one he called "Abba" using the Aramaic word for "Father" not to reinforce a male stereotype, but instead to use the intimate language of a loving child for his daddy. Jesus promises, as in our lesson for today, that he and his Abba will send forth the Spirit of truth, to guide us and teach us along the way. It is this story of Jesus, his Abba, and their Spirit that form the foundation of the Trinity that we worship today. Understood outside of the context of this loving God breaking into our existence we would have no Trinity at all. To paraphrase, God is as God does. Outside of this, talk of a Trinity is nonsense. But in the context of God's loving action in the world, the Trinity describes a God with characteristics that go far beyond our knowledge and sight: a God who gives his life for his creation; a God who uses love, not force, to change that creation from within; a God whose Spirit moved through that creation from before the dawn of time, and moves through that creation now; a God that is not observing us from a distance, but is present and active in all of life; a God that does not exist only in the powerful and the beautiful things of this world, but also in the weak, the outcast, the ugly and the failed things. The Trinity is the story of an unexpected God, in relationship with us in unexpected places and unexpected ways. Luke Bouman, Difficult Things Observable Love During the Italian occupation of Ethiopia in the days of Mussolini, Christian believers suffered considerable persecution. In his book, Fire on the Mountains, Raymond Davis tells of the love demonstrated by believers for each other during this period of affliction, which in turn made a major impression on unbelievers. For example, no provision was made to feed the prisoners in jail by the invading army. This was the responsibility of relatives and friends. Christians in the prisons had no problem, though. They were well cared for by friends and family. In fact, so much food was brought them by fellow believers and church groups that enough remained to feed the unbelieving prisoners also. This observable love, vibrant though nonverbal, brought many to seek the Lord. Such love was previously unheard of. As a result, the word spread far and wide. Non-believers sought out believers to learn more about the Christian faith. When prisoners who had come to know Christ while in jail were released, they went back home and attended the nearest church. Leslie B. Flynn, You Don’t Have to Go It Alone, Denver, Colorado: Accent Books.