Trinity: Words Are Not Enough

 

Human beings communicate using words. For some of us lots and lots of words.

This morning is Holy Trinity Sunday and through the centuries tomes have been written to explain this doctrine of the church.  And although a lot of very smart people have spent lifetimes on the subject, their descriptions fall short and are oft times accused of being close to heresy.  As musician Jon English wrote – “Words are not enough.”

 

In this morning’s Gospel, Nicodemus and Jesus are having a conversation about the kingdom of God. Jesus says, “No one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above,” and also, “No one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and spirit. What is born of flesh is flesh. What is born of Spirit is spirit.”

The conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus is a multilayered story, pregnant with possibility.  Stepping aside from traditional interpretations, this morning we are going to continue the conversation begun in the season of Easter, where we have considered how to tell the Gospel story, --- Jesus’ death and resurrection, God’s love---- to a hurting world; exploring authentic and innovative ways to share the Good News.

When I heard the conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus, “the flesh is flesh and the Spirit is spirit,” I interpreted a dualism – two very different ways of being and understanding: body vs. spirit, thinking vs. feeling, ... and a lack of relationship between the two, other than they are on either end of a polarity. The conversation is full of words, what might be called ‘heady’ phrases issued by Jesus, thought provoking where Nicodemus -and of course ourselves- know we hear something important, but, can’t quite grasp the fullness of the explanation.  To top that, Jesus used ‘heady’ phrases to talk about the heart, the feeling, the action of Spirit, who is beyond words.

 

Although the church has spent centuries discussing and arguing about the nature of God – the doctrine of the Trinity- I would like to think that the discussion mirrors that of Jesus: ‘heady’ phrases that emphasize the dualism human beings make between using our heads and using our hearts. Perhaps the very idea of Trinity is to draw out the polarity, so that in trying to work out the nitty-gritty of the Trinity, the complex relationship of the Mystery has us give up and move to heart and experience --- drawing us to the centre of the relationship where the polarity crosses over.

Preacher Claudio Carvalhaes explains God as Trinity where Trinity’s nature and character is the relationship’s deep belonging and entanglements --- a very dynamic and moving being and action - as is all relational living.  Words are not enough to describe the fullness of this relationship.

In this place, where the polarity crosses over – where our heads and our hearts converge, here, one finds a synergy, life, possibility. It is here that language -words- are transformed.

The kin-dom of God is experienced (flesh and spirit, in water and word, thinking and feeling) in the language of art: poetry and spoken word; song lyrics and music; drama, theatre, and dance; visual art in a plethora of mediums; mathematical equations and coding.

 

Assistant to the Bishop Rev. Doug Reble tells this story in his sermon for today:

The story is told of a wealthy man, who commissioned Pablo Picasso to paint a portrait of his wife.  When the portrait was completed, the man was shocked to see the image that had been created. “Why that looks nothing like my wife. You should have painted her the way she really is!” Picasso took a deep breath and said, “I’m not sure what that would be.” Without hesitation, the man pulled out his wallet and removed a photograph of his wife saying, “There, you see, this is how she really is!  Picasso bending over, looked at it and replied, “She is rather small and flat, isn’t she?”

 

Or what of the famous portrait of Winston Churchill painted by Sutherland and given to  Churchill at a public ceremony in Westminster Hall for his 80^th birthday.  Churchill felt the portrait to be terribly unflattering; as the artist captured the fragility of age, a sternness, and a look of disenchantment.  So unimpressed with it, Churchill did not display it – after his death his wife said that to relief his frustration she had had it destroyed a couple of months after it was painted.  

 

Lutheran theologian, Paul Tillich, wrote some very good theology about art – abstract art – to be exact. There is ‘art’ from WWII , that are paintings that appear as exact representations- draftsmen-like- of fighting war planes or navy vessels for example; rendered in greys and blues, model-like, and flat.  The works engage the head not the heart. This was the point – the art recorded the war, while safely keeping feelings out of it; in other words, bottled up never to be addressed.  Like talking about the Trinity with words alone, is keeping God talk in the realm of word and the head, so there is a measure of control.

Tillich describes the birth of abstract art as a counteresponse. All the pent-up emotion (anxiety, PTSD, depression, conflict, change) post-war was painted out, splatted, smeared, thrown, across canvasses. Emotion was up-chucked, spewed out, and publicly displayed.  Many spoke out about their dislike for abstract art, their discomfort with the chaos, the inability to make sense of the works of art.  Tillich theologized that abstract work was the post-war gospel, the Spirit at work. You see the chaos depicted -when looked at- moved and had the observer FEEL the work, often agitating the fear and anxiety within the onlooker; making the onlooker uncomfortable in their own skin, as what the person was bottling up would come to the surface because they were seeing how they felt. As one continued to engage with the abstract the movement would lead the eye to a bright spot -HOPE- that carried off the canvas....the abstracted caused a disruption that allowed the person to move -to be changed... leaving the art the person returned to the world with options, a heart and mind to experience and see resurrection, and possibilities for healing and wholeness.  A picture of the Ultimate (that would be Tillich’s name and expression for God – rather than Trinity); a picture of the Ultimate’s kin-dom come to life in relational living, where head and heart converge so one can enter more fully into the Mystery of God.

 

I have learned a lot over the past month while writing and retelling Luke’s version of the resurrection using words that begin with the same letter of the alphabet.  Pondering words, scouring the dictionary, imputing words into an online thesaurus, to recreate the story has brought the resurrection story to life and given my heart and brain innovative, provocative, exciting, disturbing, and changing ways to enter the story.  It’s in the dimensions, the nuances that the story has infected me in a new way... and now is proclaimed as a new creation --- abundant with meaning, purpose, and life. It is the same old story, but it is not the same old story. To say that Jesus was murdered, martyred, rings in my ears differently than the word crucified. To say that the Marys found Jesus missing!.. has me experience the story in more depth.

 

I suppose the sermon for today comes from a theme -read in blogs and talked about on the radio- of there being an over all ‘flat’ feeling going around.  COVID has many feeling that life is flat.  Before COVID, and now even more through COVID, many were feeling that church life, the story of the Gospel was flat – some of us were too afraid to let that thought bubble to the surface.  I think -I feel- that in regular time our telling of the Gospel, our love for God, faith, hope, engagement with the church and community was comfortable and lived more through our heads so we had more control of the outcomes. Perhaps this abstract art titled ‘COVID’ has forced us to move from our being too much in our heads and returned us to matters of the heart.

 

I have a memory of my dad being commissioned to do a watercolour painting of an immaculately tended house, the sort where one would never find even a blade of grass out of place on the front yard. Dad painted the house and included (almost emphasized) the downspout of the rain gutter; the end of it looked like the lawn mower had runover it; the man commissioning the work, asked dad to redo it – on the next trip past the house the rainspout had been replaced. I don’t remember if dad redid the painting – I remember him commenting that the spout was the character that made the flat house come alive.

 

Our bumps and bruises, our fears and foibles, our crazy ideas and creative mannerisms, our gruffness and worries, our enthusiasm and untapped talents, our approach to change, the things about us that endear us to others, the pieces that annoy and grated on others around us, ... the things that make us characters... these are the parts of us that are authentic and alive --- that are the abstract ... the Spirit ... working to get us out of words alone, because they are not enough.  To be un-flat, is to relish being in the convergence point of head and heart, in relationship’s deep belonging centre where in the entanglement hope and resurrection burst forth; that is where the mystery of Trinity dances and from that revolving synergy creates the energy that is spewed across the canvas of the world with healing for all.

the Gospel According to the Letter 'M'

 this retelling is based on the resurrection story from the Gospel of Luke

In the mirky morning mist, Mary, Mary, Mary, and Joanna, meandered to the mortuary mound with emoliant myrrh to massage the mummy with mandated mourning ministrations.  Materializing at the mouth of the monolith, the mini-mob-of-mourners, were mystified as the monolith's mouth's masking mass was moved. 

The Marys, mesmorized, move into the moist moldy masoleum.  The mortal man - the mortal membrane of the Master ---- missing!

Momentarily, magnanimous messengers manifest, magnifying the miracle --- the Messiah is mobile!

The messengers masterfully massage their minds with the Master's message and mission of mercy.  The mob of Marys mulls memories, and are minidful of the Messiah's material manna and mysterious memory of the masterplan: that the Messiah must be maliciously marked, mocked, and murdered by manevolent men-of-the-cloth and municiapl Machievellian magistrates, martyred --- and after a medley of matins be miraculously mended, a masterpiece.

The Marys - amazed- immediately mosey to the mainstay of the Master's male minian and mates.  The Marys meet their melancholy with a magnificient monumental message.  The Master's mulish male minian and mates misunderstood and mistook the message as the Mary menagerie meerly making melodrama.

Meanwhile, motivated Peter, marched to the mortuary mound.  Misgivings melt at the meagre materials misplaced in the masoleum - a muslin mort-cloth.  Musings of the mob of Marys, meritorious.  No myth. A major miracle - the Messiah mobile!  Magnificient!

The Gospel According to the Letter 'P'

 This rendition of the resurrection story is based on the story found in the Gospel of Luke

Pre-dawn, a proficient and pleasant peasant party, a plethora of Marys plus peers, perambulated purposefully to the place of the permanently planted to perform prescribed perfuming practices on the passed away.  Pausing in the park, the party was puzzled -- the posterior partition plugging the portal was pushed passed its position.  Penetrating the portal, peekin in, the Promise - the prophesied Prince of Peace's presence had parted.  The perplexed party pondered the proceeding's particulars.

Partner plenipotentiaries presented themselves, probing the party. This plan proves impossible, to perceive a person with a pulse in a place pertaining to the plainly perished.  The Prince's pulse plus presence has parted.  Picked up plus propelled! Permeated by Progenitive Power!

Picking precise parables plus phrases the plenipotentiaries point to the Promise, the Prince of Peace's preachings: the Promise's plight of persecution, prison, public pain, prosecution by pompous priests plus poisoned politicians. Punishment. Permanent perishing, period. Patiently prepared to persevere passover of primetime, primetime, primetime--- POOF! A potent perfection of power, as the pulsating Prince of Peace 'ppears positively present.

Points perculated; the party perceived the parables plus phrases perfectly.  Pleased, promptly the party proceeded to portray the present prediciment to the pupils plus pals of the Prince of Peace. The party with passionate persistance produced a profound proclamation of the promise. The pupils plus pals pleaded, preposterous! --- presuming the party was partaking in penning phony prose.

Pragmatic Peter personally proceeded to the permanent place of the perished.  Plunged in. Poked about. Peter perceived paltry paraphenalia otherwise the portal presented perfectly plain, pristine.  The party's proclamation proved perfect.  Praise pure providence!

The Gospel According to the Letter 'T'

 this rendition of the resurrection story is based on the telling found in the Gospel of Luke

The time:t op-of-the-morning.

The traditional team (the women) travelled to the tomb to tend to their task of the tonic treatment of the temporal tenement.  The tomb's triky tableau, to the team's triumph, was turnedabout --- thoroughly thrown open, the team trespassed the transition into the tomb. Terrifyingly thrilling, the truth was that of their Teacher there was no tangible trace.  The team thought, thirsty to touch what had transpired.

Then, ta-da, two travellers turn up together, translucent and twinling.  They talk: why trap the teaming transcendent in the thick of the terrestial?  The Teacher is not in this tomb.  The Truth - the Teacher- is transformed.  

They thought of their teacher's teachings: that the Truth be treacherously turned-in, tagged, trucked to the tainted tribunal and tromented tsar, to be tortured and terminated.  Then in three tomorrows - transform.

Then the tem took in the truth of the Teacher's teachings.

Teary, they turned-about and took off toward the tutored twelve and troop to tell their testimony.

Testifying their tantillizing, terrifying, and terrific tale to the troop, the troop didn't trust them.  Typical! They thought the Teacher's tonic treatment team was telling tall-tales.  Though tenacious Peter tousled and troubled traipsed to the tomb.  Toured the tomb.  Touched the tunic.  

The truth tested --- totally no trace of a tenant.  Thankfully the tale was true!

Graduate School of C-O-V-I-D

 

Easter 7B- May 16, 2021:  Acts 1: 15-17, 21-26: prepared for ELCIC sermons by email service

Rev. Dr. Kimberlynn McNabb – Lutheran Church of the Resurrection, Halifax, NS

 

Welcome to the graduate school of C-O-V-I-D; known internationally for providing a foundation in the disruption of status quo, managing constant anxiety and grief, expertise in change response, and leadership amidst crisis.  This advanced degree is taught in a fast paced environment through hands on experience. This degree is not for the faint of heart and promises to reset all your boundaries. Once in the program you can not withdraw and get your previous life back.

We are the class of 2021+ (plus).

 

The disciples also went to a graduate school of sorts with similar learnings. In the early days, after the resurrection of Jesus, the disciples find themselves in a place where the status quo has been disrupted; they are managing anxiety and grief – their own and others; they are in the midst of change as their interpretation of faith and belief shift; they are in physical danger from the authorities; they are forced into a roll to carry on Jesus’ teachings, meaning they become Apostles rather than disciples; they are in a full crisis and busy figuring out what to do next.

            THAT is where today’s story from Acts begins. Peter, whether by choice, or chosen by the other disciples, addresses the 100 or so believers who have gathered together devoting themselves to constant prayer.  Setting the stage of the story, the circumstances sound wonderful: gathered together as a people of similar beliefs to comfort and encourage each other, as you pray and worship God together in one place. Wouldn’t that be a treat?  Anyway, into this way of coping with everything new, Peter comes as a bearer of sad news. Peter addresses the crowd, sharing that after Jesus’ death, Judas – their friend and fellow disciple-  committed suicide.

            I can’t imagine how difficult that would have been for Peter to share, and for the crowd to hear. It would rest heavy on their hearts. Yes Judas did betray Jesus to the authorities, but, none of the 12 stayed with Jesus as he was arrested.  They all dispersed while Peter followed at a distance and then denied knowing him. All were carrying guilt, betrayal, and the remorse of I-wish-would-have. The disciples would remember Judas Iscariot’s zealot tendencies; his passion for participating in the restoration of the Kingdom of Israel, and his belief that Jesus was the Messiah to make this dream become a reality. The sadness was deep as the realization dawns that Judas missed the resurrection. There is grief too because Judas was unable to face his fellow companions, and the inability to reconnect with the community contributed to his decision to bring an end to his life.

            In a circumstance of uncertainty, faith in transition,  and emotions all over the map, the community devises a plan; a process to deal with loss and fill the void left by Judas. They chose two who had been witnesses to the death and resurrection of Jesus, followers who had been around since the beginning when Jesus was baptized by John in the Jordan. The final decision was made by the community voting. Matthias is added to the Apostles, making the team once again 12.

 

Faith communities around the world are in a circumstance of uncertainty, faith in transition, and emotions all over the map.  Communities have been making decisions on the fly, but, as the pandemic lengthens in time, communities are devising plans – processes- as to how to continue as witnesses to the death and resurrection of Jesus.

The text this morning, brings to the forefront the precarious place where we are as a church and a community of faith. With sadness and heavy hearts the truth is preached. The reality of the Graduate school of COVID is that there will be drop outs – some suicide, some death due to virus, some people not able to reconnect, there is and will be loss and grief, there will be voids.  How will we as a group gathered in constant prayer: grieve, help each other reconnect, and work with the voids that are left? How will we continue to witness to the death and resurrection of Jesus?

 

Right now, looking out at the pews in the church – they are empty; new seats have been taken up in our homes.  The church building looks like an empty nest, where everyone has gone off to new adventures, still connected, yet not sitting shoulder to shoulder at the table. It is kind of like the empty nest, when the last young adult leaves home, and parent or parents are left behind to figure out how to live into a new reality. There is grief and freedom at the same time. Forced on an empty nester is a change in responsibilities, making new routines, re-evaluating priorities, finding new passions and purpose for the next cycle and stage of life. The time is one too of figuring out new boundaries for relationship with the young adult. There is  connection, but, it is different.

We experience this in the church too. Over the years consider people who have drifted away or returned in a different relationship. Heavy on my heart are people who I know who have not returned to their faith community – those who have struggled with addiction, gone through a divorce, been fired from a job, become a widow, lived through serious illness, dropped out of school, gone bankrupt – all life changes that for the individual changed their relationship with themself and how they felt the community would see them or interact with them. Whether because of shame, guilt, not wanting to explain, feeling different, expecting looks or judgement, or incapable of receiving the concern or love of others ... people drifted away.

The graduate school of C-O-V-I-D has changed each of us. And, AS community is made up of a gathering of ‘us-s’ we can anticipate that all of our relationships will be different because we are different.

The church community has adapted procedures and rituals. In worship our relation with God and each other has been enhanced as we approach communicating with God and each other through more movement, less speech, less physical touching, more eye contact, active listening, bringing less stuff, sanitizing, using recall and memorized text,  caring more for the health of others, recreating rituals to work via mixed media and with COVID protocols. Relationships have changed.

 

At the end of today’s story a 12^th person is chosen to complete the group of Apostles -perhaps a twelfth was chosen as a show of continuance and stability; giving authority of leadership to one more. The piece of importance for us to apply this last Sunday of Easter, is that the person chosen was chosen to bear witness, because they had seen and heard and lived the death and resurrection.

As people of faith, we too live death and resurrection in troubled times. We are to be witnesses to the good news. In the process we are encourageed to be mindful of our relationships with God, ourselves, each other, creation -and how these relationships are changing while walking through the valley of the shadow of death. Hold hope, stay the course, be compassionate and patient; resurrection is just around the corner. Be prepared to embrace something completely new and  continue to be a witness to these things, so that the community ----the whole community--- with none being lost will gather together in one place, shoulder to shoulder in prayer around the table.

 

On this last Sunday of Easter, in light of the resurrection -

I invite you with Easter joy and the hope of resurrection, to commit to being a witness, through an affirmation of Christian vocation.

 

Affirmation of Christian Vocation – adapted from ELWorship pg 84

 

Friends, both your work and your rest are in God. Will you endeavour to pattern your life on the life of Jesus Christ, to proclaim the resurrection, to listen to and encourage all voices, to embrace new ways – resurrection-, in gratitude to God and in service to others, at morning and evening, at work and at play, all the days of your life?

 

If so say: I will, and I ask God to help me.

 

Almighty God, by the power of the Spirit you have knit your servants into one body through Jesus Christ.  Look with favour upon us in our commitment to serve in Christ’s name.  Give courage, patience, and vision; strengthen us in our relationship with you, each other and the community; and empower all of us in our Christian vocation of witness to the world and of service to others; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

Alleluia, Christ is risen!

Christ is risen indeed! Alleluia!

 

Easter 6: The Women Were Not Silent

 

Earlier in the story... before Peter preached and the Holy Spirit fell on those who heard the word... on the first day of the week, at early dawn, the women came to the tomb taking spices that they had prepared. They found the stone rolled away from tomb, but when they went in, they did not find the body. ... Now it was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James and other women with them who told this to the disciples. But these words seemed to be an idle tale, and they did not believe them. 

 

For a group of people often characterized as talkers, the women’s voices are disturbingly silent in the book of Acts. Peter and his voice ring loud and clear in the public square, and yet, the blossom of the resurrection – the fullness of the truth was born by women to him.  Luke writes that after hearing the women’s tale:

Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; then he went home, amazed at what had happened.

 

The women are present in Acts: gathered with the disciples in prayer, equally receiving the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the subsequent persecution distributed to Jesus’ followers; women are present standing along side men like Priscilla with her husband Aquilla; women are described as sharing the hospitality of their homes, Tabitha was named as a follower and is healed.  According to the record the women were present but silent.

 

But we know, deep down, that the women were not silent.

 

In my ears ring the stories of women – resurrection words- from mothers, grandmothers, God-mothers, aunts, matriarchs of the church, Sunday School teachers, the proverbial ‘church lady,’ choir directors, nursery tenders, Mother Earth.  With deep gratitude I acknowledge the women who through the ages have born witness to the Gospel story, who have birthed hope, and have breathed new life into communities of faith.

 

Readers and researchers of history will know that historical records and documents are shy when it comes to women’s voices. Women’s voices are not recorded, or are recorded from someone else’s perspective or simply a passing note.

But we know, deep down, that the women were not silent.

 

Yesterday, May 8^th is the commemoration day of Julian of Norwich, a renewer of the church who died around 1416.  Julian was a medieval English mystic whose words were written in her book, “Revelations of Divine Love.” This is the first known book to be written in English by a woman author. Her personal story includes living through the Black Death (the Plague) which in her time killed a third of Norwich’s population.  She also lived through war, the Peasant’s Revolt, marked by civil insurrection and religious conflict.

 

What I find amazing – and what I want us to consider this morning- is her theology and her theological language.  Julian uniquely articulated descriptions and understandings of God that were not like those of her male counterparts; in fact I suspect that her writing and telling of her visions would have redden the face of many who heard her words. Her well written theological insights of Jesus talks of Jesus as mother, flowing from an understanding of the motherhood of God. The maternal nature of God and the mothering nature of God’s love  were the core of her belief and theological expression.  Her theology of Jesus and Jesus’ relation to the world and humanity is described using words like: conceiving, giving birth, weaning, and upbringing.

She went as far as to say that the relationship between a mother and child is the closest metaphor/experience to understand God’s love and relationship to humanity-  it is the only earthly relationship that comes even close to describing God’s relationship with us.

Those who heard and hear Julian’s voice hear an optimistic approach to life based on the certainly of being loved by God. In addition her bearing of the good news includes a healthy dose of the omnibenevolence of God, experiencing this ultimate love, translates through us as  both joy and compassion.

 

It’s the weekend of commemorating Julian of Norwich, we are experiencing pandemic like we have not until now, it is Mother’s Day.

I invite you to spend some time considering the witness of women –

The words, phrases, stories, and actions that faithful women have shared with you, witnessing to God’s love, joy, and compassion.

Pause to stand side by side with the women who first told Peter the good news. What words would they have used to describe the experience of entering the empty tomb? How many bubbly words would flow with a myriad of expressive hand gestures to  describe the amazing work of God? Imagine the joy on their faces as they excitedly shared how they felt,  how they were filled with optimism, and embraced the warming truth that Jesus was alive.

 

And once telling Peter and the others gathered – although not believed, but thought to be telling idle tales- the women were not silent.

Deep down we know this because the women’s story has been passed down from generation to generation, for we too have been birthed the story of Jesus’ death and resurrection through the voices of women; women who we know and love – whose joy and compassion has shone on us.

 

Today as we consider what it means to bear witness and take images of Jesus as mother, born from the motherhood of God, let us be incubated in the  prayer of Julian of Norwich:

 

In you, Father all-mighty, we have our preservation and our bliss.

In you, Christ, we have our restoring and our saving.

You are our mother, brother, and saviour.

In you, our Lord the Holy Spirit, is marvelous and plenteous grace.

You are our clothing; for love you wrap us and embrace us.

You are our maker, our lover, our keeper.

Teach us to believe that by your grace all shall be well,

 and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well. Amen.       ----as in ELWorship pg 87