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