Today is Trinity Sunday. As I don’t have a Masters in Divinity, and don’t feel theologically trained enough to delve into the mystery of “The Trinity” in a sermon, I won’t try to do so. Instead, I’m going to share with you how I try to include God, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit in my life through words, works and daily interactions with others.
As some of you may know, I’m celebrating my 80th birthday this summer. (I don’t want to forget Daphne Myers, Maureen Titus and Deacon Sharon who are also reaching this milestone in 2026. Happy Birthday!). As young adults growing up in the 1960’s and ‘70’s, we were all familiar with the phrase “Today is the beginning of the rest of your life”. I wasn’t a “hippie” with a tie-dyed shirt, hanging out “in Haight-Ashbury” – but I did think, as I was graduating from college and considering my career path going forward, that anything was possible through my own efforts.
Rev. Linzi’s sermons over the past several Sundays, and those for Ascension Day and Jerry Walton’s Celebration of Life, have all offered us the vision of new beginnings, of new possibilities in our life with God and how, by being faithful disciples of Jesus Christ we enrich not only our life, but the lives of all we encounter daily.
We heard last Sunday, Trinity Sunday is the beginning of “ordinary times”. Others call it the “long green season”, but I see it as a time of great new beginnings.
Today we heard the Creation Story from Genesis: the wind – or Ruach HaKodesh in Hebrew – from God sweeping over the face of the waters and God saying “let there be light”. God and the Holy Spirit were there at the creation of the universe…at the very beginning….
And then we heard Paul’s admonition to the Church in Corinth, encouraging them to love one another and live in peace, as the grace of Jesus Christ, the love of the Father, and the support of the Holy Spirit would always be with them.
And finally, from Jesus Christ himself in Matthew: The Great Commission – to go into the world, to make disciples of all nations, to teach the world and finally to baptize all nations in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. All three readings emphasize God’s loving presence with all people and nations for all ages.
So how might we go about this “Great Commission”, with these new beginnings? I’ve found it really doesn’t take much: a smile here, a “thank you” there, the willingness to listen to others, to open one’s heart and mind to others, to show compassion, to share time, talent or treasure as I can. James, in his letter (which we are studying in our Thursday Bible Class) reminds us: “let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger….and be doers of the word, and not merely hearers.” Ask yourself, “am I doer or just a hearer of the word”?
Jesus spent only about three years in his public ministry, teaching and preaching, not just to the crowds that came to hear him, but also to his band of twelve disciples. Disciples are followers or students of a great teacher. And as you remember, Jesus often thought they didn’t always “get the message”. But with the “Great Commission” – they underwent a conversion: disciples became Apostles – apostolos in Greek – which means “one who is sent off” who is an “emissary” or a “messenger” – charged to take the word to all peoples and to all nations.
As Christians, we are both disciples of Jesus Christ, followers of the teacher, but also apostles, with the mission to share the love and grace of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit with every person we encounter, to restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ; Life, Restoration and Reconciliation.
In closing, I would like to share a few verses from the prophet Ezekiel. As background, the leaders of the Jews were exiled to Babylon after the fall of Jerusalem and destruction of Solomon’s Temple in 597 BCE. For this exiled group, away from the center of their religious practices, it seemed to them that God had completely forgotten them. But Ezekiel offered them this hope:
1 I will take you from the nations,
and gather you from all the countries.
2 I will sprinkle clean water upon you,
and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses.
3 A new heart I will give you,
and put a new spirit within you,
4 And I will remove from your body the heart of stone
and give you a heart of flesh.
5 You shall be my people,
and I will be your God. Ezekiel 36:24-26, 28b
The Trinity – the Father, Son and Holy Spirit – continues to offer us this promise – that we are God’s people, and he will be our God forever. We are repeatedly offered new beginnings, new opportunities and forgiveness. How are we going to act on this outpouring of God’s grace during “the long green season”? How are we going to be apostles as well as disciples?
Remember, today is the beginning of the rest of your life!