There is a sense of closure about this feast of the Holy Trinity, at least in terms of major liturgical celebrations. We have journeyed through salvation history, from Ash Wednesday to Pentecost, commemorating the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, his ascension to the Father, and the sending of the Holy Spirit. Today we summarize all of these events in terms of understanding the mysterious nature of our God and his presence in our world and in our lives.
Our God is personal, and intimately connected to who we are and what we do. We acknowledge God as Creator and Lord, the architect of the universe and author of life. God whose Word became flesh in the person of Jesus the Nazarene, in order to enter fully into all of the dimensions and experiences of our human journey.
Jesus preached a gospel of compassion and unconditional love, and he struggled fiercely against the evils of injustice and all the forces that debase the quality of life and demean the human spirit. He was seemingly overcome and destroyed by these forces, but the power of the Father's love turned this defeat into the victory of resurrection and new life.
The Risen Lord promised and then sent His Spirit to anoint, consecrate and live on in all who would come to believe in Him as Messiah and Lord. They would become witnesses in every generation to the God who is Father, Son and Spirit.
We believe that the plurality of persons in the Triune God is the result of a divine community of love which is so intense and so profound that it cannot be contained or defined in one dimension. It is a love that not only creates, but a love that redeems and sanctifies. It is a love that is constantly healing our brokenness, lifting us above selfishness, and reaching out to save us when we edge toward the abyss of despair. It is a love that engenders hope and courage. It is a love that helps us to maintain a sense of purpose and peace in our lives.
We believe that our good and gracious God embraces us out of love as Creator, Savior and Sanctifier. Our God blesses us by speaking to us through the power and majesty of creation, through the life, death and resurrection of the Word-Made-Flesh, Jesus Christ. This revelation is constantly made present to us by the indwelling of the Spirit, which enables us to live our faith with courage, wisdom, reverence, and abiding trust.
Our God is our shield in the face of danger, our powerful ally in times of crisis and challenge, our source of hope in moments of despair, and our promise of final victory.
We believe all of this about our God, to whom we cry out "Abba, Father!"
And we rejoice in God’s promise to be with us always, “even unto the end of time.”
Image Credit: "Holy Trinity" by Valentina Samoilik-Artyuschenko
