Sermon by The Very Rev Chris Yaw, 6/4/2023, Trinity Sunday, Matthew 28: 16-20
When the air conditioning went out on the car last week - and the mechanic spent many hours trying to figure out what happened and yanked out the parts that weren't working, he asked me if I wanted to come back into the workshop and take a look at them.
These parts were the front and rear evaporators to the air conditioning units. Now I'm sure all of you know exactly what those are...
But I had no idea - which is why I took him up on his offer.
I was curious, so I went back and took a look at these parts, which I could see were worn and needed replacing.
While I didn't fully understand exactly what the mechanic did, I did understand enough of it not to be surprised that when the repair was completed - and I pushed my air conditioning button - cold air came out.
Thank God for that after a week of 90° temperatures!
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Like cars, I also have an interest in God.
Here at church, we ask God questions, about who God is, what God is doing in the world, and what is expected of us as followers of the Lord?
And today, Trinity Sunday, we honor our introspection into the nature and composition of this deity: God in three persons, Blessed Trinity.
If you're like me, you fully understand God the way I fully understand modern automotive air conditioning technology - yes, I'm interested, and I can comprehend a bit of it - but most of it is way over my head.
And that’s OK - because I don’t have to fully understand it to reap its benefits.
Same with the Trinity - let’s investigate it - but let’s also not forget why God is here - and what this means to you and me.
This Trinitarian God is the eternal God, "remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
What does this mean?
Here’s what it means - and it’s the point of the sermon:
God forgives you for yesterday.
is with you today,
And is working for your tomorrow.
God forgives us for yesterday,
God is with us today,
God is working for us tomorrow.
God forgives us for yesterday,
God is with us today - to accept, protect, and provide,
God is working for us tomorrow - to guide and prepare.
On Trinity Sunday I often quote to you a sign that was found in an ancient Abbey in England.
An Abbey, of course, was a place where monks lived, and were not built solely as backdrops for modern British television series...
And so, the sign which was posted at the entrance to the church in that Abbey read,
"Inside the Abbey is where the monks gathered every Sunday for Eucharist and a sermon - except for Trinity Sunday owing to the difficulty of the subject matter."
Very often rectors of churches are known to assign today's preaching task to their associates, bring in a guest priest, or find some other way to get out of it, is that right Father Steve? Perhaps it's because they think they need to attempt to explain the unexplainable and delve into the unexplainable nature and essence of God.
Now, I'm sure all of you are salivating at the prospect of such an endeavor, and I hope I don’t disappoint you by going in another direction… because what strikes me about this day is that the Trinity is really about God's eternal presence with you and me: "remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
God forgives us for yesterday,
is with us today,
And is working for us tomorrow.
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I got an email this week from a woman who was ashamed of the loose morals she’d had in her youth.
She had written asking for advice on how to get over guilt and shame - even though it had happened more than 30 years ago.
‘I was young,’ she said, ’20 years old, and didn’t know what I was doing.’
She said she’d been to therapy and could not shake the feeling that God was not pleased with her - that God had abandoned her - So she felt alone - she felt unloved - she felt like she was on the outside of God’s favor.
Maybe you’ve felt this way - maybe you’re feeling this way today…
So I wrote her back - and I reminded her that faith is not a feeling - Abraham was not made righteous because he felt that way - Mother Teresa, as she recounted in her autobiography released after she had died, recounted years of feeling distant from God all the while she was doing amazing work for the Lord - no, we are not ’loved’ because we ‘feel loved’ - God’s love transcends and surpasses all feelings.
Now, if you’re like me you can agree with God’s forgiveness with your mind - but convincing your heart is a different matter - and the sticky thoughts of yesterday’s decisions have a way of nagging and nagging us, don’t they? And we all rely on God’s help in the ongoing work of self-forgiveness and regret, don’t we?
There are some things we just never get over -
But with God’s help - we can make it through!
God forgives us for yesterday,
is with us today,
And is working for our tomorrow.
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What has God done for you today?
It’s a question we’re asking you this summer!
We’re starting a new Sunday 10-am addition called “The Weekly Witness" -
And it’s aimed to help us edify one another in Christ.
Did God do something good for you this week?
We’ll ask for a 3-minute ’testimony’ - and I want to sign you up - so contact me if you have a story - meanwhile, and I’ll go first…
I was driving home the other day when a woman on a cell phone decided to pull out in front of me - way too quickly - and then proceed to use both lanes - seemingly oblivious to the fact that there were other drivers around her at rush hour on a Wednesday afternoon...
And as I was mulling over her behavior that had inconvenienced me and probably irritated many others - it occurred to me how thankful I was for the 99% of the other drivers who were doing a great job!
Sure, there’s always the 1% and, frankly, they command too much of my attention - God reminded me that I need to be more thankful for the 99% who are doing just great.
Why does God always want us to look for thankfulness in the ups and downs of our days?
Why do the Psalms - the most-read book in the Bible - have so many verses and chapters devoted to giving thanks?
From Ancient Israel to St. Paul, the Bible is replete with encouragements for you and me to rejoice in all things - not to rejoice, and this is a crucial distinction, FOR all things - but to rejoice IN all things…
It’s because thankfulness and gratitude are good for us - especially compared to grumpiness and vengeance - of which there is way to much of in the world already!
So, I thank God for that cell phone driver’s message to me - to thank God for the 99% instead of getting down on the 1% - which reminds me that I can be joyful in all things - she reminded me of God’s ever-presence: "And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
God forgives us for yesterday,
is with us today,
And is working for our tomorrow.
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My 30-year-old friend just moved into a new house.
It’s in a nice neighborhood, walking distance to groceries and places to eat. And it’s a ranch-style home.
When I walked through it, I asked them, ‘Why did you choose this home?’
They told me it’s in a good school district for their children and has a lot of room for them to play.
‘Why did you choose a ranch-style?’ I asked.
‘Oh, we want to grow old here,’ they said - ‘It’s our forever home.’
Preparing for those older years when we’re younger - thinking about our future - preparing for what it holds - is not just what this wise couple does - it’s what God does.
In today’s Gospel, we hear Jesus admonishing us to go forth and make disciples - baptizing in the name of the Trinity - " And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
How would you approach today if you were confident that God was going to meet your needs tomorrow? How would you live your life if you knew that the things that you would face tomorrow would never separate you from God’s love - and God’s provision for you?
How big would be your sigh of relief - would be the decline in your blood pressure - and would be the smile on your face - to truly know that ‘God’s got this’ - your future is blessed and watched over - and that we are destined nowhere outside of God’s hands?
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Friends, Trinity Sunday is not just the first Sunday of Pentecost - but the first Sunday of summer for many of us - as we turn the corner on a new season of the year - a new season, even, in our lives -
So what does it look like for us to make this season one in which we turn more purposefully, more intentionally, toward God - drawing nearer - handing over our worries and anxieties on a more consistent basis - seeking to live in deeper places of generosity, kindness, and dedication to Jesus and his mission?
Our Trinitarian God forgives us for yesterday,
is with us today,
And is working for our tomorrow.
May this be our promise and challenge for this new season - as we walk in praise and joy for the One who promises, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’
Amen.