Monthly Archives: May 2015

Unknown's avatar Rev. David J. Schreffler 4:44 am on May 31, 2015
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The Trinity — Rev. David J. Schreffler

May 31, 2015
Holy Trinity Sunday

“The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’ I myself did not know him; but I came baptizing with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel.” And John testified, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God.” John 1:29 – 34

“Then I saw a most splendid light, and in that light, the whole of which burnt in a most beautiful, shining fire, was the figure of a man of a sapphire color, and that most splendid light poured over the whole of that shining fire, and the shining fire over all the splendid light, and that most splendid light and shining fire over the whole figure of the man, appearing one light in one virtue and power. I heard the living light saying to me: …thou seest this most splendid light, which is without beginning and to whom nothing can be wanting: this means the Father, and in that figure of a man of a sapphire color, without any spot of the imperfection of envy and iniquity is declared the Son, born of the Father, according to the divinity before all time… The whole of which burns in a most beautiful, shining fire, which fire without a touch of any dark mortality shows the Holy Spirit…” Hildegard of Bingen (1098 – 1179) “For All The Saints”, volume IV (p. 35-36)

The Holy Trinity – it is a mystery, much like the vision of Hildegard of Bingen. How does one describe the Holy Trinity to the newest member of the Christian church? This has been debated for years. Ecumenical councils have tried to come up with Creeds to express our understanding and to profess our faith in the Trinity of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and yet read the Athanasian Creed and you will come away asking more questions than having received answers.

Yesterday’s devotion was an explanation of the icon that was accepted by the Orthodox church as “a symbolic” representation of the mystery of “who G*d is” in His Revelation. Today, in Christian churches all over the world, we gather to sit in wonder of this divine mystery and to lift up our prayer, praise and thanksgiving for such a wonderful and mysterious G*d.

Pastor Dave

Unknown's avatar Rev. David J. Schreffler 4:44 am on May 30, 2015
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The Icon of the Holy Trinity — Rev. David J. Schreffler

May 30, 2015

“The oldest icons of the Trinity date from the fifth century and are known as the “Hospitality of Abraham” or “The Old Testament Trinity”. They depict Abraham and Sarah serving the three men (messengers, angels) who at the oaks of Mamre announce that Sarah will bear the son of promise in her old age (Genesis 18:1-15) The Fathers of the Church (Irenaeus of Lyons, Augustine, etc.) saw this as the earliest revealing of the One G*d in Three Persons. In the fifteenth century the Russian iconographer Andrei Rublev removed Abraham and Sarah from the icon to focus on the three angels. This icon has come to be seen as the richest expression of the Church’s teaching regarding the trinity.

The three angels appear in perfect harmony and oneness, yet each remains unique. The oneness of the three angels is expressed first by an invisible circle. This circle extends around the upper parts of their three faces, and around the ears and the outer shoulders of the angels on the left and right and around their hanging robes and their two most extended feet. The harmony and the oneness among them is also expressed in the color blue which makes up a part of each angel’s garments, in that their faces all look the same and gesture toward one another in a circle of love, and in that each holds a staff of equal length, as they are one and equal in authority. Even the central angel who dominates in height, appears equal to the others because of the circular design.

The individuality or personhood of each angel, however, is not lost despite the harmony, unity and oneness. This is seen in that each angel has unique colors that belong to their garments or robes and in the different directions in which they look and the different gestures of their hands. In the order of the Persons of the Trinity in the Apostle’s Creed, from left to right, the angel symbolizing God the Father wears a robe of pale pink, almost with a white glow, with his right hand raised as though blessing the second angel’s mission. Burning with love, the Father gives the Son for the world (John 3:16). The central angel, the Son, in dark purple expressive of kingly majesty looks at the Father submitting to his will. His right hand extends over the chalice placed on the table and the two fingers are expressive of his dual nature: truly G*d and man. The Father also looks toward the third angel symbolizing the Holy Spirit, dressed in a robe of green, expressive of His being the life-giver (Romans 8:2) and of the green of the season of Pentecost in which the faithful are called to grow in sanctification. The Spirit’s right hand is shaped in the form of a descending dove.

Rather than being seen hierarchically, the Trinity is here presented as a perichoresis, an inner dance in which each of The Three Persons form a circle of communal love extending to the world. The action of each person belongs to the Oneness of their unity: G*d the Creator is also G*d the Redeemer and Sanctifier; G*d the Son who is the Redeemer is also the Creator and Sanctifier; and the Holy Spirit who is the Sanctifier is also the Creator and Redeemer.”       “For All The Saints” volume III

Pastor Dave