Trinity Sunday 2020

Dear all,

I hope and pray that this letter finds you well. 

This coming Sunday is Trinity Sunday which preachers usually fear because of the complexities in explaining how the Holy Trinity works.  Not an easy task!  The Trinity is God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, three in one and one in three but how do you explain this in a straightforward way?  This is Sunday when it’s very easy to slip into heresy (a view or idea that is contrary to Christian teaching) so one always has to be especially careful.  

The reading appointed for this week is that of the Great Commission from the end of Matthew’s gospel, chapter 28 and verses 16 to 20.  Jesus informs the disciples to go out into all nations and baptise them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (part of verse 19).  This is the reason why the passage has been chosen because the precedent of God being 3 persons in one and yet distinctly 3 persons of the Trinity is set out here from Jesus.  This all took place in the time period after Jesus’ resurrection but before his ascension to heaven. 

The first thing we learn from this is the concept of the Trinity comes from God and therefore is one in which we should all try and understand in some way.  It comes from the Bible and gives us a better understanding of who God is.  I am not saying it’s an easy concept but one we must try and grapple with and understand.  Secondly, it shows us that after Jesus left the Holy Spirit came and they are both from God and are God.  Therefore we should draw comfort from the fact that God is with us and has been guided the world from the beginning, pointed us to the truth and the way of salvation with Jesus and then sent the Holy Spirit to help us after Jesus had returned to heaven.  The third and final point we learn is the relationship between each member of the Trinity is close, loving and that is seen through how they work together.  The Trinity is not a group pulling in different directions but a unit working together to fulfil the same purposes.  A lesson for us all in how we should work with other people in the church.  Let us give thanks for God this Sunday and each member of the Trinity and rejoice that God is working His purposes out.   

May the Triune God bless you; Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Every blessing,

Andrew.