“Trinity Sunday” is and always has been big stuff in the life of the church.
“Tri” – of course means three, as in three in one. Tricycle obviously comes from the same root.
The Holy Trinity is highlighted or celebrated specifically once a year – every year…without exception…liturgically.
And yet, there are plenty of us-who believe it is held in “high esteem” on a regular or weekly basis.
The Trinity is also the “only official doctrine, dogma or teaching” that is ever celebrated during the church year!
As a matter of fact, it was so important that the very earliest of liturgies always began with a Trinitarian invocation.
Still to this very day – in all “mainline denominations” we begin all of the more traditional liturgies with the Trinitarian formula.
The exceptions are the experimental or praise liturgies or our very own liturgy that we are using this evening.
Traditional liturgies begin with these sacred words: “In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.”
As those words are spoken, the priest or pastor usually / but not always / makes the sign of the cross.
It is announced – from the onset – in whose name we meet, in whose name we gather. And we are actually calling on God to be present in our feeble attempts at worship – and to bless us.
Similarly, all worship liturgies in the “mainline churches” conclude with the same ancient formula, “In the name of the Father and on the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.” So, we are sent out in God’s name.
For twenty centuries, worship liturgies have begun and ended in the name of the Triune God.
A lot of people today don’t have “much time” for doctrine, dogmas, or teachings anymore.
It is viewed as being old and out-dated, as no longer necessary teachings of the church from bygone eras.
Many times they see dogma as being totally and completely unnecessary.
Just love Jesus, they say – it is enough.
What is a car without a chassis? You have to have a chassis to on which to put the fenders, the engine and wheels. You need to have something which holds the whole car together and that would be the chassis.
Or, what is my body without a skeleton? Without a skeleton, the knees would be flopping around along with the legs and arms. You need to have a skeleton within the human body for that human body to stand up on its own two feet and legs.
Or, what is a fish without a backbone? We all know what it is. It is a jellyfish. A jellyfish has no backbone.
I believe that doctrine is like a chassis, a skeleton or a backbone which holds things together.
Doctrine, dogma and teachings give our Christian faith an inner strength and helps to hold the different parts of our beliefs together.
Therefore it is necessary. Totally necessary…
In the case of the Triune God, it was important for the early church to express “how they encountered God.” They knew God as father, believed that Jesus was his son, (sent for our salvation)…and they knew or experienced God as abiding spirit…ever present us.
Very much like Judaism before us. We believed that God is one. But our experience was that of needing to acknowledge the creator God, the Word of God and the spirit that gathers and unites…and guides us.
And almost naturally the doctrine of the Trinity or the Triune God was formed.
You will not find the word Trinity in the Bible. It is not there. But you will find God the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit throughout!
There are twenty-three Bible verses about the Trinity in the Early Christian Writings. I tell you it is like a backbone or skeleton or a chassis.
So much so that three statements of belief or creeds were written to also be used in liturgy…to spell it out…to make it understandable…so we do not forget.
Three times for emphasis sake. The Apostles’, the Nicene and the Athanasian Creeds…each one attempting to delineate for us – what we believe about Him – in whose name we meet.
The creeds are used with Baptism, used with Communion and used on the celebration of the Holy Trinity.
Thank you Sarah on behalf of those worshiping this evening…because by your being Baptized this evening…they were left off the hook…and will miss out on doing the Athanasian Creed.
But I tell you, it is good stuff that we are missing out on it is the backbone, skeleton, chassis of the church.