Moltmann quote

"The Trinity is a unity of a special kind. It is a unity that is sought by humans in their community with each other. It is anticipated and foreshadowed in their love towards one another. It is experienced in the ecstasy of joy and gratitude and in moments of mystical unity."
"God wills to recognise and reflect the Divine Self in human community"

and Jesus said "What?"

Jesus said, Whom do men say that I am?

And his disciples answered and said, Some say you are John the Baptist returned from the dead; others say Elias, or other of the old prophets.

And Jesus answered and said, But whom do you say that I am?

Peter answered and said, "Thou art the Logos, existing in the Father as His rationality and then, by an act of His will, being generated, in consideration of the various functions by which God is related to his creation, but only on the fact that Scripture speaks of a Father, and a Son, and a Holy Spirit, each member of the Trinity being coequal with every other member, and each acting inseparably with and interpenetrating every other member, with only an economic subordination within God, but causing no division which would make the substance no longer simple."

And Jesus answering, said, "What?" 

God

God is more than two men and a bird 

U.S.Catholic 1990

A Trinity Joke

About a century or two ago, the Pope decided that all the Jews had to leave the Vatican. Naturally there was a big uproar from the Jewish community.

So the Pope made a deal. He would have a religious debate with a member of the Jewish community. If the Jew won, they could stay. If the Pope won, the Jews would leave.

The Jews realized that they had no choice. So they picked a middle aged man named Moishe to represent them. Moishe asked for one addition to the debate. To make it more interesting, neither side would be allowed to talk. The pope agreed.

The day of the great debate came. Moishe and the Pope sat opposite each other for a full minute before the Pope raised his hand and showed three fingers. Moishe looked back at him and raised one finger. The Pope waved his fingers in a circle around his head. Moishe pointed to the ground where he sat. The Pope pulled out a wafer and a glass of wine. Moishe pulled out an apple. The Pope stood up and said, "I give up. This man is too good. The Jews can stay."

An hour later, the cardinals were all around the Pope asking him what happened. The Pope said, "First I held up three fingers to represent the Trinity. He responded by holding up one finger to remind me that there was still one God common to both our religions. Then I waved my finger around me to show him that God was all around us. He responded by pointing to the ground and showing that God was also right here with us. I pulled out the wine and the wafer to show that God absolves us from our sins. He pulled out an apple to remind me of original sin. He had an answer for everything. What could I do?"

Meanwhile, the Jewish community had crowded around Moishe.

"What happened?" they asked.

"Well," said Moishe, "First he said to me that the Jews had three days to get out of here. I told him that not one of us was leaving. Then he told me that this whole city would be cleared of Jews. I let him know that we were staying right here."

"And then?" asked a woman.

"I don't know," said Moishe. "He took out his lunch and I took out mine."

Trinity colouring page

Something to keep you occupied and thinking about just what it all means really

Your god is too small

The story is told of St Augustine of Hippo, a great philosopher and theologian who wanted so much to understand the doctrine of the Trinity and to be able to explain it logically. One day as he was walking along the sea shore and reflecting on this, he suddenly saw a little child all alone on the shore. The child made a whole in the sand, ran to the sea with a little cup, filled her cup, came and poured it into the hole she had made in the sand. Back and forth she went to the sea, filled her cup and came and poured it into the hole. Augustine went up to her and said, "Little child, what are doing?" and she replied, "I am trying to empty the sea into this hole." "How do you think," Augustine asked her, "that you can empty this immense sea into this tiny hole and with this tiny cup?" To which she replied, " And you, how do you suppose that with this your small head you can comprehend the immensity of God?" With that the child disappeared.

El Greco Holy Trinity

Triune God

The 3D God is at home within the cosmos,

a habitation created in a dream-thought explosion

of energy, light and grace. In that moment,

time began its insistent journey

outwards to locate and define

every particle that ever existed.

This same triune Deity calls into being love,

which reaches, gathers and embraces,

– always did, always does, always will,

– and weeps at the estrangement

and the bondage of creation

Knowing that fear must be defied

if life is to triumph, a Word-child

is sent to embody foolish,

love-filled hope;

seeking an end to the alienation

and recklessly shining his uninvited light

into previously shadowed places.

The embracings receive added substance

as hand are clasped, feet are washed,

cheeks are kissed, tears are shed,

and greetings of peace are extended to all.

The third dimension comes as Spirit,

transcending temporal and spatial limits,

to speak once more, and for all time,

that same word of impossible love.

Groaning deeply to resonate

with the barely audible vibrations upon which

the universe is built, she creates once more,

and again, challenge, peace, truth and justice;

calling forth life out of darkness

to refashion the cosmos.

in grace and hope. 

I find it a challenge to engage with the Trinity in poetry. I keep wanting to change things, but this will have to do for now.

© Ken Rookes 2012

Wisdom's Feast: Rivers of Life Art Exhibition

We expect there will be about 25 works in this exhibition. It starts this weekend, at Wisdom’s Feast at St Andrew’s Bendigo, and will continue at Forest Street for the following three weekends. The pamphlet has details.

Pentecost

ESTELLA LOUISA M CANZIANI (1887-1964)

Love Flows

Effortlessly,

Love flows from God into man,Like a birdWho rivers the airWithout moving her wings.Thus we move in His world,One in body and soul,Though outwardly separate in form.As the Source strikes the note,Humanity sings--The Holy Spirit is our harpist,And all stringsWhich are touched in LoveMust sound.

Mechtild of Magdeburg 1207-1297trans. Jane Hirshfield

http://www.edgeofenclosure.org/pentecostabc.html