2 Corinthians 13:11-13; Matthew 28:16-28 - "God Is Power, Love, and Present"
What is it that you believe about God? Whatever it is, that is your theology. And good, solid theology gets down to the very core of our existence and how we live our lives. It determines not only how we see God in our lives, but also what our relationship to God looks like.
For most of us here today, as followers of Christ, salvation is not the issue. That’s already been taken care of. Rather it is what Jesus teaches about the things we face on a daily basis, and how what he says might actually shape our life. So, consider for a moment that Jesus, who is to be the center of our life, and the breath we seek, always seemed to elevate the small above the large, the ordinary above the great, and the unlikely above the expected.
What seems small or commonplace to us mattered to Jesus because they made a huge difference in people’s lives. Look at some of the little things you might do. A genuine smile can have a greater impact on someone than the best of hymns sung in church. A simple kindness can be more helpful than a “great” sermon. And listening with genuine interest after asking someone about their day can actually be enough to make their day.
Jesus teaches that faith is to be tangible, no matter how small; it is to be “real,” no matter how strange; it is to be something you can “hang your hat on,” if only a nail. If our breath comes from God, that breath is to go out from us, across the land and make a difference in the lives of others. Huge things are possible here, folks, if we are willing to do some small things. Here’s how.
According to Kids Against Hunger, a child dies every 5 seconds in this world from hunger-related causes. That’s huge. It only costs $0.23 to buy a child a meal. A small thing like a quarter can make a large difference.
According to Living Water International, a child dies every 17 seconds because of a lack of clean water. It only costs $0.98 to provide clean, safe water to one person for one year. A small thing like a dollar can make all the difference in the world.
According to the World Health Organization, a child dies every 30 seconds in Africa from malaria. By giving $10 to the Nothing But Nets campaign, the cost to buy and deliver one treated mosquito net, a life can be saved. A little bit does go a long way.
And there are so many other “small things” we can do. Paul tells the church, “God gives love and peace. [Do the same.] God is present in people lives. [Do the same.] Jesus Christ will bless you. [Do the same.]” Breath of life breathe in me.
We believe God created us; God loves us and wants us to know peace; and we believe God is present in our lives. We may not know how it all works, but still we believe in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, don’t we?
And so today, churches around the world are observing Trinity Sunday, considering the doctrine of a triune God - the idea that God is known in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God’s creative power is found in the Father, God’s great love and gift of new life disclosed in the Son, and God’s presence in people’s lives made known in the Spirit.
Paul changes this order a bit to better express our personal experiences of God when he says, Jesus Christ comes first and through the grace of his life, death and resurrection we may be reconciled to God and able to experience " God’s great love." This is followed by the power and the presence of God coming into our life. This is the triune God who transforms our life from what has been into what is to be.
For our graduates, life as they have known it these last several years is ending; challenges have been faced and goals met; and everything now is coming together, both the old and new. When they graduate, one paragraph in their life’s story will end and another will begin. Some friendships will fade and others will grow, even new ones.
It’s appropriate we take note of all this on Trinity Sunday, a day for the church when everything comes together as well and Easter finds its fulfillment. The Father has been revealed in the Son who has shown how love conquers death; and both have come to life together in the work of the Spirit, present when everything began and present now in the hearts of those who seek to follow Jesus and open themselves up to the life renewing power of God. Breath of life, breath in me.
Today is a day for all of us to catch our breath and look at how far we have come before moving on to the work that is yet to be done. It’s a day to consider the journey God is calling us to, living day-to-day in a faith involving the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Ours is to be a life in which God is a source of our strength and inspiration, a friend and companion, and a force beyond our imagination, ever at work in our lives. As we come to the table today, may we find in the bread, the unfermented wine, and the breath we breathe,
- an awesome God, who we recognize in the vastness of the universe, the beauty of creation, and in all things too profound for words.
- a loving God, whose intent is healing and peace, who shares our tears and laughter, our pain and joy and who understands what we go through.
- an intimate God, who challenges us beyond what we are or what we would do on our own and is our source of courage, strength, and guidance.
May the breath of life breathe in each of you today and in all the days to come. Amen.
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