Isaiah 6:1–7
Romans 11:33–36
St. John 3:1–17
In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
We all want mercy on ourselves and justice on everyone else. When I do something wrong, I want mercy, leniency. When someone else does something wrong—especially when someone does something wrong to me—I want justice, punishment. It’s one or the other really. Either mercy for me and mercy for all, or justice for everyone including me, and we all end up dead.
Which one you choose says a lot about the kind of god you have. A god who is only one, only by himself, apart from all others, that’s a justice only kind of god. There’s the god or there’s nothing—no love, no mercy, no community.
The Holy Trinity is quite different. The Trinity is one God to be sure, but not only one, also three. So the Holy Trinity is never alone, never apart from all others, because there’s always the three. From all eternity there has always been Father and Son and Spirit. The Father was never alone, He’s always had His Son and Spirit. And the Son was never alone, He’s always had His Father and Spirit. And the Spirit was never alone, He’s always had the Father and Son. The Holy Trinity is perfect, holy community. So, this is not a justice only kind of god. This is a God of love. This God is love—the Father, the Son, the Spirit always loving the others. And where there is love, there is also mercy. And when everything is perfectly bound together in love and covered by mercy, then there’s justice too—and it all turns out right in the end.
The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are the original community—a perfect, holy, genuine, loving society. They’ve always been talking among themselves, sharing everything with each other. The Holy Trinity is good friends talking late into the night sharing a nice bottle of wine. It’s the greatest party you could ever hope to be invited to.
And you are. This is how it’s meant to be for us. We were created to be invited. It’s what man is for—to be in on the fun. But everything about the past four months shows just how disordered, twisted-up, and off–center our world is. We are created to be in community—with the Trinity and with each other. But we’ve had nothing but people trapped in their homes, isolated, everyone afraid of everyone else, and some people trying to control everyone else. And whether or not it has actually brought health or safety, it certainly has brought loneliness, depression, suicide.
Or it brought anger. It’s the perfect time for all the deep-seated hatred and resentment to come lashing out. All we’ve seeing these past two weeks is that our society has been fractured for a long time. And despite all the demands for justice, all the promises of those in power, there’s still a lot wrong. This is not a world of mercy. This is a world where we all end up dead.
But that’s not how it’s meant to be. The Holy Trinity is a community of love, and you are meant to be included—where no one is alone, where people aren’t just looking out for themselves, and demanding their rights. But instead, it’s a place where people are together, looking out for each other, and showing compassion to one another. And even though the fullness of this perfect world doesn’t exist yet, its beginning is in the Church.
Now the last couple Sundays, you’ve heard me talk a lot about Memory. And maybe some of that sounded too high-minded or intellectual? But remembering is one of the most enjoyable things we can do with our minds. Who doesn’t love having and revisiting their memories of family and friends? And even sad memories can turn out to be a blessing. That’s all we want for our family, the church. It’s not about being intellectual or having some special insight into the mysteries of God. No, it’s just about remembering who God is and what He does for us: remembering you have a Father who loves you, the Son who died for you, the Spirit who forgives and binds up and heals all your wrongs. It’s about remembering who you are: remembering that you’re a beloved child, you’re dead to sin and alive with the Son, and you’re full of the Spirit.
The memory of the Church, or remembering Jesus’ words, well, that’s all about saying the Creed—even today, with a big one like the Athanasian Creed. It’s not hard. It’s just there for you to say it. Say the words. Share these words with the whole Church. Speak these words from the Father, Son, and Spirit who gave them to you, and you’ll be all set, part of their community, loved, in on the fun. And don’t worry if you can’t immediately understand every single part. Don’t be discouraged if it doesn’t impress you all that much today. Just keep saying it.
The thing is it’s not your creed. It’s the Church’s creed. It belongs to the community that you belong to. And so it’s not your understanding that counts. That will come with time. But you begin by just saying the words. Begin by resting in the words, waiting on God, listening for what He says. Begin by recognizing that none of it is about what you do—certainly, not your works; and not your understanding either; it’s not even about your faith. It’s all about the Trinity and the holy community that our God creates for us with Him.
The Holy Trinity does all the work of salvation. Salvation is the work of a holy society, all three Persons doing their part. The Father sent His Son, the Son became a man, conceived by the Spirit. The Father gave His Son into death, and the Son offered up Himself in perfect sacrifice through the Spirit. Then the Father raised up His Son by the power of the Spirit. The Holy Trinity, perfectly united in love, does it all. And all they want from you is for you to join in, just be a part of it, just enjoy it, just receive it.
The Father covers you with His Son and claims you as His own by giving you the Spirit of adoption. So in Baptism the Holy Trinity touches you with water on your skin, marking you with their own Holy Name. The Father declares you righteous as the Words of Jesus that carry the Spirit are spoken to you, forgiving your sins. So in the Absolution the Holy Trinity touches you with words in your ear, cleansing you with their own holy love. And the Father welcomes you into His presence to feast on the body and blood of His Son, making you alive in the Spirit. So in the Lord’s Supper the Holy Trinity touches you with bread and wine on your lips, feeding you with their own holy life.
Now that’s a real party, a genuine, loving society, a true community: the Holy Trinity, the Church, and you. This the place where mercy covers over all the hurts, and love reigns supreme, and all will be put right in the end.
In the Holy + Name of Jesus. Amen.
