Holy Trinity: May 22, 2005

Currents in Theology and Mission, April, 2005 by Terry C. Graunke

Genesis 1:1-2:4a

Psalm 8

2 Corinthians 13:11-13

Matthew 28:16-20

First Reading

One is struck by the order that God's Word, "Let there be," brings to an "earth without form and void," or, perhaps better, "chaos." For the ancient Semitic world, of course, this watery chaos was the home of the great sea monster, the forces of death and destruction. What comes after God speaks is not only order ... evening and morning, the first day,... the second day,... the third day,... and so on, but light, light that "shines in the darkness," to quote from John 1, light "which darkness cannot overcome." Genesis 1 is Priestly material from the time of exile, a time of chaos, rootlessness, and displacement. All is not chaos, however. Yahweh God is Creator. Yahweh brings light even to exiles buried deep in Babylon's chaos. God will bring life to their mere existence, light where now there is darkness.

The writer of 2 Corinthians closes the letter with what we have come to call the "Trinitarian Benediction." The writer's prayer is that God's grace may continue within the young community. God's love for the Corinthians, if they will see it, was given most clearly in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, and so also given to us. Will we recognize that?

There is much doubt as to whether Jesus ever spoke the words attributed to Him by the writer of Matthew's Gospel in "the Great Commission." The full "Trinitarian formula," which, most likely, makes this text the choice for Trinity Sunday, is a later development of the New Testament church. At least that seems to be the prevailing consensus. However, "prevailing consensus" notwithstanding, our Lord here has given his disciples of every time and place a task. We who confess the Trinity and who acknowledge that "all authority in heaven and on earth" have been given to Jesus are called to "Go and make disciples." That is task enough for a lifetime--and doesn't leave us much time for speculative discussions about the nature of the Trinity.

Pastoral Reflections

What to do about the Trinity. What can one say about the Trinity? Last Sunday we celebrated the pouring out of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples. That "rush of mighty wind" and those "tongues of fire" moved the apostles to speak boldly about Jesus.

Can we do the same on Trinity Sunday, even when we can't begin to understand the Trinity? Just try mulling over the Athanasian Creed for a while. Better yet, preach boldly about the God who drives chaos away. This God can and does bind up the broken. This God can and does forgive sin and restore relationships. This God can and does bring people together in a "fellowship of the Holy Spirit." The claim of Israel (and our claim) is that God is the One responsible for creation, for its beauty, order, and life-sustaining goodness.

"Some doubted," Matthew says, as the disciples saw Jesus on that mountain in Galilee. Sometimes we have doubted, and we have our days still--believe me, I do, as a mission developer going door to door, inviting people to come and experience God's love and fellowship in a new Lutheran community of faith--but our doubts do not disqualify us from the commission to "Go, and make disciples." Indeed, we also hear that word of special assurance, "I am with you always"--the word which has "Lo" before it for special emphasis (see Matt 1:23; 18:20 as well as here in 28:20). The Old Testament people of God knew that as their army went into battle, as long as Yahweh was "with them" they would emerge victorious. Jesus gives that same assurance to his disciples through the ages, yes, even to us. So I can go door to door, hearing indifference, apathy, once in a while even hostile rejection, but be sure that on my way some will hear and receive the message.

Take a risk. Share the promise of Jesus with another outside your present fellowship. You may be amazed at the power of the promise, "I am with you." TCG