Trinity Sunday A

PRAISE GOD FROM WHOM ALL BLESSINGS FLOW PRAISE HIM ALL CREATURES HERE BELOW PRAISE HIM ABOVE THE HEAVENLY HOST PRAISE FATHER, SON, AND HOLY GHOST.

Just what is this Trinity, and is it a made up thing like the Divinity Code says?

The feast of Holy Trinity is one of the oldest feasts of the church, though it was not part of the official church calendar until 1334. It can be traced to the reaction to the Arian heresy, and is linked with the Nicene Creed of 325. It was especially popular in the English church, possibly because of its association with St. Thomas a Becket, who was consecrated bishop on Trinity Sunday in 1162. Explaining the origin of Trinity Sunday is easy. Explaining the doctrine of the Trinity itself is less easy.
Although it was not spelled out until the fourth century, the notion of the Trinity is implicit in the Gospels. Jesus said (in the Gospel we read last time I spoke), "I go to the Father, and he will send you the Paraclete": thus, three persons. And again, in today's Gospel, the identity of two of those is established: "I will be with you always".

There is a story about a priest who visited the second grade Sunday school and asked the kids if they knew what the Trinity was. Bobby, who had just lost his two front teeth, shot his hand up and the priest called on him to explain the Trinity. He answered rapidly and excitedly, with his toothless lisp, "It'th three perthons in one God." The priest, confused by the lisp and the speed of the reply, said "I don't understand." To which Bobby shot back "You're not thupothed too; it'th a mythtery!"

Over at hedwyg, one of the revgalblogpals, she takes on this Mystery of the Trinity in a very thoughtful way.

e~mergent kiwi used the icon by Rublev for a chidlren's sermon, and lives to tell about it.

check out the lectionary notes by Beth Quick, another one of the revgals, is worth a read also.

revgalblogpals has its Tuesday's Lectionary Leanings which this time look at the passages for Trinity Sunday.

cartoon by David Walker at Cartoon church