Only the Beginning

Today is Trinity Sunday. Always on the first Sunday after Pentecost, we celebrate the triune God – the Three in One – One in Three; Father Son and Holy Spirit – Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer. Some preachers – according to an article I read this week – will feel pressure to explain the doctrine of the Trinity. In an attempt to provide illustrations and legitimate arguments in favor of the Trinity, they will fail because no one can explain a mystery…the article continues – the results of your efforts - therefore will not be pretty – I beg you – do not even try. This sounded like good advice – advice I have gladly taken. So, instead of haggling over the Christian doctrine of the Trinity – this morning we will haggle over the Old Testament lectionary passage which is the creation story. Scholars, theologians, Reformed and not reformed, rabbis, and popes --- most would agree that the author of Genesis 1 gave us the most poetic majestic awesome joyful reflection on creation, on the nature of its creatures, and on the God who brought it all into being. Most of those who dedicate their lives to Biblical study would also agree that this first chapter of Genesis is not a factual history or a scientific treatise on how the universe came into being. What Genesis does ---is declare that yes the world was created by God – But perhaps more importantly the first chapter in Genesis establishes and sets forth the relationships between God and the universe; between God and human beings, and between human beings and the earth. In the beginning there was nothing but God – who spoke.. and the heavens and the earth came into being /// Light, blazing comets, and blue skies; Land –lush and green – fertile and fruitful; Water – fresh and salty and falling from the skies; Cool evening breezes and crickets; animals large and small – leaping and crawling, howling and croaking, flying and singing their own song. The first chapter of Genesis depicts a powerful God – who commands and accomplishes. A sovereign God – who brings order out of chaos. This is a God who creates with intentionality..with vision-- who creates with a purpose and purpose for the future. This God believes that his creation is very good. So very good in fact that God said, Let us make human kind in our image, according to our likeness. We are then – part and parcel of this created order – connected to it - bound to it - in ways we probably don’t yet fully understand. We are an extension of God, patterned after God, holy because God is holy, given traits so that we can mirror God to the world, wired so that we – over and above all other creatures - can commune with God. Heaven and earth and all that is in it - created by God’s hovering hand …and tamed by a mighty wind – this wind is the breath of God that gives everything – life. That spirit breath gave life to a child in a manger – from the Father to the Son. And though nowhere in Scripture will you find teachings about the Doctrine of the Trinity – It is in the very first chapter of the very first book of the Bible that we begin to receive knowledge of the Trinity. Father Son and Holy Spirit – Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer - Triune, Three in One – One in Three. Like the wise minister wrote – Because the mystery of the Trinity is bigger than any Sunday dedicated to it; bigger than any Christian Doctrine -- Any human attempt to explain it will fail. …and yet the Holy Trinity is certainly evident in the creation story. I remember well the first explanation of creation that I heard at seminary. It was in my Greek class – I don’t remember how we got on the subject – but the professor said this: The creation story is the beginning …it is the beginning of a bigger story about the chosen – sacred – and covenantal relationship between a people and their God, their Savior, and the Spirit that binds us one to another. Amen and Amen. Referenced article by Geoff McElroy on website Desert Scribblings Also referred to article by Debbie Thomas, OSU professor on website Journey with Jesus