 St Alban’s Episcopal Church Bolivar, Missouri Thursday, June 1st, 2023 Trinity Sunday News and notes for this week Trinity Sunday  Sunday’s Collect has us pray: “Almighty and everlasting God, you have given to your servants grace, by the confession of a true faith, to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity, and in the power of your divine majesty to worship the Unity…” This is actually a wonderful prayer. You are probably aware that the Bible doesn’t use the word, “trinity” anywhere. And yet in the scripture there is poetic and spiritual awareness of diversity, equity and inclusion within God. God is Father – but also Mother, Lord, King, Creator – but God is also the Incarnate one, the Lord Christ; and God is Spirit. God is Spirit – but it is the Father who sends the Spirit. Jesus is just like God – “in him the fulness of God dwells” – In Jesus, “Emmanuel: God is with us’ but Jesus is not the Spirit and Jesus is not the Father. In today’s Epistle to the Corinthians ends this way: “Finally brothers and sisters, farewell. Put things in order, listen to my appeal, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the saints greet you. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with all of you.” Paul was a Jew. And yet he had no trouble acknowledging that somehow there is more to God than a God definable by some single term. He did not stop being a monotheist when he recognized Jesus as Lord. Or when he experienced the power of the Holy Spirit – sometimes understood to be feminine. He acknowledged all of that difference, equality, and inclusion within a single, unified realty: God We acknowledge the Trinity – and worship the Unity. Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty! Early in the morning our song shall rise to thee: Holy, holy, holy! Merciful and mighty; God in three Persons, blessed Trinity. Images of the Trinity – a mystery we cannot logically grasp – art sometimes does it better.   This Sunday – and this Summer Some of you have asked that we continue the 9:30am Adult classes during the summer. I am not always able to be here, or to lead them, but I am happy for anyone else to step up when I can’t. This Sunday, Paula Shepard will lead a class on the elements and structure of Morning Prayer. But it would be good to have someone lead a conversation about mental health and the Church, or one about music and worship, or Christian nationalism and its effect on the Church – or cross-cultural understandings of theology and scripture. The topics are endless – and so are your interests! To share them with others is a good thing for everyone – a gift to yourself as well as to the congregation. Prayer Requests Please pray for Becca Cox and Mother Cathy and for all who will travel this weekend to the Institute for Story conference in Savannah. “Tell a better story, live a better life” It’s true. Please pray for Joyce Hensley, Bettyann Reed, Dana Rocha, who are recovering from illness and for those who cannot come due to medical issues or age: Ted and Elaine Yarmouth, and Melody Adams.   |
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