God With Us/God as Trinity

Human beings have argued, fought and even killed other humans, over the identity of God and how we understand God. Christians have argued, fought and even killed other Christians over how we understand the Divinity and Humanity of Jesus and the relationship of Father, Son and Holy Spirit, the Trinity.”

In the midst of these “discussions,” the Roman Emperor, Constantine, called the Bishops of the church into the “definitive” Church Council in Nicaea, Turkey in the year 325 AD. Constantine was concerned about uniting the Empire, and a united church would certainly help him reach his goal. The Church’s goal for the Council was to establish the true nature of Christ (human and divine) and to develop an understanding of the Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit as one God in three persons. Out of this conference came both Unity and Heresy. This “Definitive Council” was followed by other “Definitive Councils:” Constantinople, 381; Ephesus, 431; and Chalcedon, 451. Each Council gave us the Church’s definitive answers. Did I mention that at some of these councils the Bishops got into fist fights and had to spend the night in jail? Perhaps a look at these councils will give us insight into things we will never know for sure, until we find ourselves in the nearer presence of our Lord, at which time we will likely find that it does not matter.

A brief look at the Creeds may help us understand why we believe what we believe, why others believe what they believe and what is truly important in our relationship with God and one another.

Nicaea’s primary goal was to establish the nature of Jesus as both completely God and completely human, thus countering early heresies that Jesus was “only God,” or “only human,” clarifying the Son’s relationship to the Father. Secondarily, this council began the work of developing an understanding of the Trinity as one God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This later work would continue in 381 AD at the Council of Constantinople.

Constantinople confirmed the Nicene Creed, expanding the doctrine of the two natures of Christ and expanding and clarifying the definition of the Trinity “one God in three persons, and of the same substance.” This became the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed, which liturgical churches recite today as the Nicene Creed. (See next paragraph)

“We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen. We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father. Through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven: by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified. . .” (BCP, p.358)

While the Trinity is rarely expressed specifically, the basis for the Creeds is found in Scripture and I share two examples: “Jesus said to the disciples, ‘I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. . .’" (John 16:12-15)

And Jesus’ promise to all of us: “I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you.  In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. . .the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you.²⁷Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.” (John 14:18-27)

This is God’s Good News for us Today!

Change, an Invitation to Life: In our Own Languages we hear the Marvelous Acts of...

Change, an Invitation to Life: In our Own Languages we hear the Marvelous Acts of...: The feast of Pentecost has always been for me a very special day on my faith journey. We Christians celebrate the giving of and the breaki...

In our Own Languages we hear the Marvelous Acts of God

The feast of Pentecost has always been for me a very special day on my faith journey. We Christians celebrate the giving of and the breaking out of the Holy Spirit among the disciples, the followers of the way of Jesus, with energy and power and courage to spread the Good News of God in Jesus Christ. In Jerusalem on that day, fifty days after the Resurrection of Jesus, there were gathered “people from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages.” (Revelation 7:9) And they each heard in “their own native language, the marvelous works of God.” (Acts 2:1-21)  On this day, the “followers of the Way,” became the Church and with the guidance of the Holy Spirit spread the Good News throughout the world.

This year on Pentecost I had an unexpected experience of these “Marvelous Acts of God.” I was assisting with a Voter Registration Project at a large Hispanic Roman Catholic Church in Albertville, Alabama, La Capilla de la Santa Cruz. We were there during the Noon Mass or Eucharist. Being “somewhat fluent in Spanish, I was able to listen to the Scripture readings, the Sermon and Eucharistic prayer in the native language of the majority of those worshiping there. This gave me some sense of what that day in Jerusalem might have been like: people inspired by the Holy Spirit, speaking different languages so all present could her and understand the “marvelous acts of God.” The Spirit of God was truly floating around “La Capilla de la Santa Cruz,” bouncing of ceiling and walls and into the hearts and minds and bodies of God’s people.

Padre Raul’s sermon was amazing, not only because I understood most of it, but because of his simple and powerful explanation of the Holy Spirit and her work in the world around and within us. To his simple question, “who is the Holy Spirit, he gave the equally simple and profound answer: “God! The Holy Spirit is God!” So simple and yet so life giving and life changing. He then asked, “What does the Holy Spirit do?” His answer: “The Holy Spirit shows us the rest of God, God the Creator and God the Son,” and then “opens our hearts and minds and bodies to God the Holy Trinity, to all of God.” Once we have been opened up to God, the Holy Spirit then enables us to do what God has called each one of us to do in the world.

We are all given different gifts, talents and callings to serve the world in Jesus’ name, and the Spirit gives us the strength, power, wisdom and courage to use our gifts to become co-creators with God. “Love God, Love your neighbor, Change the World.” Empowered by God the Holy Spirit we can “proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ, seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving our neighbor as ourselves, and strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being.” (Book of Common Prayer, pp. 304-305)