Trinity Sunday Recap; May 22
"Bring me a worm that can understand man, and then I will show you a man that can comprehend the Trinity." -John Wesley
This Sunday was Trinity Sunday. Talking about the Trinity can be a daunting task. It can often feel like the conversation depicted in this crass but comical video.
Talk of the Trinity is confusing, overly wordy, and perhaps worst of all, talking about the Trinity often seems entirely irrelevant. What is the difference whether God is 3 in 1 or 1 in 3 or 3 or 1.
The doctrine of the Trinity means, among other things, that God is "helpless but to love us." On Sunday, Bob focused on the internal communion that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit share together. The early church fathers called this profoundly mysterious relationship, Perichoresis. Peri means around and Chore is the root of the English word choreography. Dancing around. Diagrams fail us, but the image of the three persons in fluid movement and union offers us a picture of the three persons in loving relationship.
It is out of this loving communion, this perichoretic love, that God creates us. Bob pointed out that "there never was a time when God chose to love. God is love." The doctrine of the Trinity is the doctrine that causes us to be sure that God is love. CS Lewis makes the point a different way, "If God was a single person, then before the world was made, He was not love."
The doctrine of the 3 in 1 God affirms that God is love. It is God's nature to love us and to pursue us. It simply is who God is.
Communion Song
Prayers of the People
- For families who have recently lost loved ones. Be with them as they manage the pain and the stress of figuring out life without them.
- For the church in Chicago. We pray for unity and that our presence in Chicago would work for the flourishing of the city.
Announcements
- Summer Hours start June 19th: On Sunday, June 19th, we will start our services at 9:30am. This will allow us to avoid traffic and stay cool during the summer.
- Hunger Walk: Grace Chicago is walking in Breakthrough's Hunger Walk and providing lunch for all of Breakthrough's walkers. Mark June 25th on your calendars and talk to Caleb about volunteering that morning!
- Wholeheartedness: This summer everyone is encouraged to read Wholeheartedness. Buy a copy today and email Ana to get plugged into a community group.
- Potluck June 12th