Water into Wine?

Sermon for 7th June 2009 (Isaiah 6:1-8; John 3:1-17)

A clergyman is driving to London when he gets stopped for speeding. The policeman smells alcohol on his breath, and notices an empty wine bottle on the passenger seat, and asks "Sir, have you been drinking?" The vicar replies, "Only water officer". The policeman asks, "Could you explain the smell of wine in this car, Sir?" The vicar looks down at the bottle and says, "Good Lord, he's done it again!"

Today we celebrate Trinity Sunday, the Sunday we set aside to try, again, to explain this incredible truth that God is three and God is one. Hard ‘though it is to understand, what we understand about the nature of the Trinity will affect how we act as Christians. If we believed in a warlike God, we would be warlike ourselves. If we see God as judgmental, we too, will be judgmental. Down the ages people have struggled with this notion. Some have rejected it altogether with disastrous consequences. One early theologian, who we now call a heretic, called Markion, believed that there was not one God but two, one angry judgmental God for the Old Testament period, and one loving, gentle one that became visible in Jesus, the new kicking out the old. A century or so later along came a North African theologian called Arius who believed in one God but not in the Trinity and used to write choruses along the lines of ‘There really only is one God…’ Perhaps influenced by Arius’ ideas, along came Mohammed three centuries later and rejected Christianity almost completely starting a new religion where there is only one God, making Jesus just a prophet, albeit the second greatest, after himself. Ironically the institutionalized church reacted not by sending loving missionaries to re-convert the Arab world but crusaders. So what we believe about the Trinity matters.

Given that, at first these readings may seem strange choices of readings for Trinity Sunday. After all neither mentions the Trinity, but then you will not find the word ‘Trinity' anywhere in the Bible, and you have to look pretty hard to find the Trinity in these readings. The first is about a prophet kissing a burning coal, the second about the patron saint of moths. The first is about Isaiah’s call from God. The coal-kissing comes in a vision Isaiah has of God as God commissions him. Where is the Trinity in this reading? It is implied only: ‘Who will go for us?’ asks God. God is not speaking about himself or herself and the angels, but about God’s-self as plurality, as more than one, as community.

In the second reading, Nicodemus shows himself to be the patron saint of moths; he only come out at night and is he drawn to the Light. Where is the Trinity in this? Jesus just assumes it. He talks of the Spirit blowing where she wills, giving literal and spiritual life to those she wills. It is she who allows people to be ‘born again’ into the kingdom of God. And what draws people to God, the love of the Father, seen in the love of the Son: God so loved the world that he sent his only Son…’. The Trinity as a word is never used in the Bible but it is assumed from beginning to end. So what is this Trinity is like? What is our model?

Firstly God is community, as implied in the Isaiah reading. In Rublev’s icon, Rublev brilliantly paints the Trinity, as recognisably similar, of the same family, but different, and he does so not in the usual slightly hard-edged masculine image but a gentler, kinder, more feminine style. The three share a space; they are together and separate; co-dependant, but acting freely. If we understand the Trinity, then we realise that we, too, have been given to each other, recognisably similar, of one family, but different, bringing different gifts and personalities to make us whole. God as community means ‘The Peace’ and Coffee-after-church are as important as the sermon or communion. It’s about sharing a common life.

Second, the Trinity is generosity. There is no competition here. The Father looks at the Son, who looks to the Spirit who looks to the Father. None is above the others. All commend each other. Each is gift to the others. Our churches should be like that. There is no competition here, for space, for position. Each should be looking to see in what ways we can give to the others, sharing what we have, or money, our time, our energy, our cars, our homes, for the sake of others in our churches. God is generosity.

Finally, God is love (1 John 4: 16). The three persons of the godhead are more than just generous towards each other. Each loves, without measure, the others. In Rublev’s icon, each look towards the others, with love. Even their bodies are turned towards each other. In the church it not enough that we do not gossip about each other or hurt each other in other ways. We are called beyond community which rubs alongside each other, beyond mere generosity, but called to value each other and love each other, not for what we can get from other people, but what we can share with them, and for each person in themselves. Yesterday Mike Mitton told a story of an old lady in his church who loves ‘Matins’ but in his church things are rather more relaxed than that; not her style. Mike asked her how she felt about that. “It’s not my style but you brought love to this church”. That is true of God; it should be true of us, as well.
Not surprisingly his tiny little church in Derby has grown. As we learn to love, so will this church again.