[Propertalk] Fwd: [propertalk.topic] Sermon for Trinity Sunday- Year B

[Joe Parrish]

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-----Original Message-----
From: Judy <judy_boli at ecunet.org>
To: Propertalk <propertalk.topic at ecunet.org>
Sent: Sat, Jun 2, 2012 8:21 pm
Subject: [propertalk.topic] Sermon for Trinity Sunday- Year B


Dear Friends,

Tomorrow’s sermon is entitled “Trinity Sunday- It’s God’s Day- It’s
Not about You!” and deals all the lessons.  Here it is:

Three weeks ago we celebrated Mothers’ Day; in two Sundays we’ll
celebrate Fathers’ Day; but today is a really special day- Trinity
Sunday- GOD’s Day!  Today is the day we honor and focus- not on our
earthly mother or father, but on our heavenly Father- God- actually
God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

As you know, my husband and I live in the Poplars Apartment.  One of
the reasons we really like about this apartment complex is the nice
mixture of tenants.  Some years ago, there was this really nice young
man who lived a few doors away.  He’s long since moved, but I still
miss him.  This helpful young man was always ready to help with
groceries or hold the door open for us, but one thing- he had really
strange-looking arms.  What, you ask, was the matter with his arms?
Well, they were covered with tattoos- I mean REALLY covered with
tattoos!  I remember how I finally got the nerve to ask him the
meaning of his tattoos, and his answer was fascinating!  His upper
left arm had three distinct pictures spaced neatly from the top of his
arm almost to his elbow.  When I asked him what they meant, he said
they were Korean symbols for God, power, and love.  Now, I usually
don’t appreciate tattoos, but these were really insightful.  The top
tattoo for God was an angel and a cross.  Since they were on his arm,
and obviously the Almighty created his arm, they made a nice symbol
for the Trinity- his arm: Father/Creator, the cross: Son/Redeemer, and
the angel: Holy Spirit/Sustainer-Friend.  So- the top symbol: God is
the next two symbols: Love-Power.  In other words, God is All-Powerful
Love!  Amazing- all that from a simple tattoo!  So today, it’s not
about us- it’s about God; and, as usual, the Bible lessons provide
wonderful insight about God and how we can honor Him on His day.

The Old Testament Lesson (Exodus 3: 1-6) reminds us of the appropriate
way to approach Father- God.  Too often we act as if God is our buddy,
a “good guy.”  Our American culture teaches us to be casual- too
casual- about God.  A common phrase about God is that He’s the “Man
Upstairs.”  WRONG!  God is not a man- He is Spirit; and he is not
upstairs- he is everywhere.  You know how the Japanese culture expects
people to remove their shoes when they enter a house?  That’s what God
expected Moses to do when he approached the holy burning bush.  We
could learn from them- not about houses necessarily, but about respect
for God’s house and God’s planet.  When we enter this holy space, we
should bow or genuflect at the pew, then kneel and tell God “hello”-
not just barge in, sit down, and start talking with our neighbor.  Our
minds should be focused on God from the time we walk in until the time
we depart.  When we leave, we should again kneel down and tell God
“good-by,” then bow or genuflect to the reserved sacrament before we
walk down the aisle.  While we are blessed to live on God’s wonderful
Earth, we should respect it, care for it, and not dirty-it-up.

The Epistle (Romans 8: 12-17) reminds us that the Holy Spirit gives us
the power to say “No” to things that are negatives in our lives or the
lives of others and live God’s way.  It brings to mind the angel part
of the God tattoo, because it is God, the Holy Spirit, who walks with
us and talks with us and reminds us, day by day, how to live as God’s
beloved children.

The Gospel (John 3: 1-17) brings to mind the cross part of the tattoo-
that Jesus died to save the world, not condemn it.  It also reminds us
of the last symbol of the tattoo- the “love” symbol.  That familiar
set of verses reminds us (say it with me if you can) “God so loved the
world that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in
Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  Scripture goes on
to say in verse 17 that God did not send his Son into the world to
condemn the world, but to save it.  If that’s not supreme love, I
don’t know what is!

Finally, Psalm 29 really speaks to the middle tattoo- God’s power.
What more can we say about our amazing God than:
1 “All of you angels in heaven,
	honor the glory and power of the LORD!
2 Honor the wonderful name of the LORD,
	and worship the LORD most holy and glorious.
3 The voice of the LORD echoes over the oceans.
	The glorious LORD God thunders above the roar of the raging sea,
4 and his voice
	is mighty and marvelous.
5 The voice of the LORD destroys the cedar trees;
	the LORD shatters cedars on Mount Lebanon.
6 God makes Mount Lebanon skip like a calf
	and Mount Hermon jump like a wild ox.
7-8 The voice of the LORD makes lightning flash
	and the desert tremble.”

So all of today is not about us, but it’s about God.  The little girl
in the story I’m going to tell as our sermon comes to a close doesn’t
quite get it.  To her, it’s all about her.  Who can blame a child, but
we should know better.  The story goes: “A mother noticed that it was
about time for school to dismiss and since it looked like it would
rain, she drove toward the school to pick up her eight year old
daughter. She turned down the street to see her daughter running
towards her down the sidewalk. A lightning bolt flashed and the little
girl looked up towards the sky, smiled, and then began running toward
her mother's van.  Another lightning bolt flashed and again the little
girl looked toward the sky, smiled, and resumed running. This happened
several more times until the little girl finally arrived where her
mother was parked.  Her mom immediately inquired as to the strange
behavior. ‘Why did you keep stopping and smiling at the sky?’ she
asked her daughter.  ‘I had to, Mommy’ replied the little girl. “God
was taking my picture.’”  (Religious Joke of the Day Web Site)

How many kids only call home when they need something?  How many
parents console themselves with the thought- “No news is good news”
when they haven’t heard from their grown children for a long time?
Don’t be that way with God.  Say your prayers and read your Bible
daily, don’t miss church one single Sunday, do what He says and love
your neighbor as much as you love your self.  And for God’s day-
today- let’s give Him our best worship this morning.  Then- how short
is your memory?  Will you remember to kneel and pray before you leave
this holy place and then bow to the Sacrament as you walk out of the
pew, or will you have forgotten by then?  Will you remember to kneel
and pray when you enter next Sunday morning, and will you also
remember to bow to respect the Sacrament as you enter and exit the
pew?  May your worship enhance God’s special day this morning.  Amen.

For anyone who is interested, this sermon and updated African-American
wisdom statements are posted on our parish web site. The address is:
http://www.stpaulsepisag.com .

Blessed preaching,
Judy Boli
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Saginaw, Michigan

 
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