A Voice For Today

The Theological Tricycle

(The Lectionary for Trinity Sunday is an oblique allegory of Doctrine. This is the way I integrated the texts for this year. egp)

Isaiah 6:1-8
In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty; and the hem of his robe filled the temple. Seraphs were in attendance above him; each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew.
And one called to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory. The pivots on the thresholds shook at the voices of those who called, and the house filled with smoke.
And I said: "Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!"
Then one of the seraphs flew to me, holding a live coal that had been taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. The seraph touched my mouth with it and said: "Now that this has touched your lips, your guilt has departed and your sin is blotted out."
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?"
And I said, "Here am I; send me!"

John 3:1-17
Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. He came to Jesus by night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God."
Jesus answered him, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above."
Nicodemus said to him, "How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother's womb and be born?"
Jesus answered, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be astonished that I said to you, 'You must be born from above.' The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit."
Nicodemus said to him, "How can these things be?"
Jesus answered him, "Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things? "Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.
"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

Romans 8:12-17
So then, brothers and sisters, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh-for if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry "Abba! Father!"; it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ--if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.

The Theological Tricycle

By Earl G. Presley, Pastor – First Christian Church, Rockdale, TX
June 7, 2009

Our study of the Trinity doctrine today begins in the Old Testament reading from Isaiah. There are truths about the nature of God throughout the Hebrew Scriptures, and this one bears out the relationship that is repeated many times in the Bible.


In the presence of God, Isaiah, like Moses, realized his shortcomings -- "I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips" (verse 5). God's solution was to have one of the seraphs cleanse the affected area with a live coal, symbolically blotting out Isaiah's sins. After the cleansing, Isaiah confidently responded to God's call

On one hand, Isaiah's self-realization that he was a "man of unclean lips" functioned as a barrier: "Since I am a man of unclean lips, I am fit neither to be in the presence of God nor in God's service," he might say. (A similar thing happened when Moses encountered God in the burning bush. Moses thought of his speech impediment as a barrier.) On the other hand, Isaiah's "barrier" may also be seen as a confession of known sin that led to cleansing and a deeper relationship with God. God's solution to Isaiah's problem was not to shun or to condemn Isaiah, but to remove the problem. A seraph cleansed Isaiah's mouth and removed his guilt, thus freeing him to respond to God's call and commission later in the passage. Notice that Isaiah approached God with humility and was willing to confess his shortcomings instead of glossing over them or making excuses for them. -- Ouch!

The passage serves as a model for approaching God. How many of us are spiritually impaired by the things we realize about ourselves? As Christians, we rejoice that God already has a solution for any "barrier" that we may discover.

(An odd thing happened at church . . . God was there. Isaiah was a member of the priestly family. As a priest, he was frequently in places of worship. Why was it so surprising for him to encounter God on this day? Unfortunately it is unusual for us to encounter God in our places of worship?)

In the Gospel of John we find the story of Nicodemus coming to question Jesus. Nicodemus took a risk in daring to visit Jesus that night. He knew that his visit to this unconventional rabbi could easily be misinterpreted, but he was willing to take that risk to learn more about Jesus. Had Nicodemus not dared to investigate further, we may never have had a record of this classic conversation about the New Birth. Notice two things about this encounter.

Nicodemus knew very little beyond what he had heard about Jesus or perhaps seen from the crowd. Yet Jesus did not expect him to have all the answers. Nicodemus was spiritually enriched because he was willing to ask questions and to learn. In similar ways, we who seek a deeper knowledge of God have little to contribute. We often have only what we have heard about God and the Christian faith and faith that God wants to be known. Yet God continues to meet each of us where we are and blesses our risky efforts to grow in faith and the knowledge of God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Jesus is the answer to the questions that are raised by our consciousness of God.

Nicodemus came to visit Jesus after hours, and Jesus received him outside the bustle and fuss of the crowds. This is almost a commercial for small-group ministries within the church. Where do we go in our church to ask questions and enter into dialogue about the faith? Is our congregation structured to accommodate spontaneous inquiry? (Would Nicodemus have come back if he had been required to make an appointment or if he had been chastised for asking too many questions.)

It is safe to say that most of the ordinary dealings of humans with one another are not love-motivated. Perhaps this is why, after generations and centuries, we continue to marvel at the kind of love that the Incarnation represents. Although many have wrongly used the cross of Christ as a tool of domination, control, or empire building, the love of God has always been at the center of the gospel message.

Our Text from Romans deals with the role of the Spirit. Jesus said the Spirit was to be a comforter, and advocate, and a guide. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. Being led by the Spirit of God means; reflecting the Image of God in our behavior, our life choices, our ministry, and our faith witness. The Spirit is that force that keeps our focus on the Spiritual reality of life rather than the physical reflection of that reality. It helps us choose that which is pleasing to God and His will instead of our own vices. It gives us the compassion to share our faith with those who are different from us just because the Spirit enlightens us to see their need.

Conclusion

The Light of the World

Driving on a highway on a dark stormy night, we’re limited by our vision.
It is tempting to pull away from the safety of the road prepared for us,
But we have enough light if our headlights (prayer) are maintained,
We trust them, because they have not failed us in before.
If we reduce our speed, and don't outrun our lights (prayers),
The darkness still may surround us, but we can survive.
We try to outrun God many times, or we pull to the side,
Not knowing what is out there, when if we wait for the source of the light,
And use his vision instead of our own, we can be safe.
When we veer, or pull over to wait it out,
We don't know what pot holes washed out ravines,
Dangerous bramble and other risks are beside us;
Many would do us harm.
The light may seem to grow dim at times when we let our fear control us,
But if we stay on course, in the lights’ beam,
We can be sure that the darkness that threatens to engulf us,
Is scattered by the light of the creator.
Our hearts may race, but darkness fades to sunlight,
And the highway of God's love is maintained for our safe passage,
But while we travel in the dark,
We must trust the Light of the World.


Acting in faith; you honor Jesus when you act in faith on His Word. Ed Cole

The root of the problem is that most of us have trouble, with obedience. We lose our "ears to hear," and as a result, we fall back on human wisdom. Our lives never match those of the biblical heroes. Why? Human wisdom would not have pushed Abraham up a hill to sacrifice his son; it would not have led God's people to the edge of the Red Sea with an army in pursuit; it would not have marched around Jericho seven times and blasted a trumpet for the wall to fall; and, most strikingly, human wisdom would not have vilified the Son of God on a cross in order to save a wretched race.
Really, when it comes to it, would you prefer to live by the human logic that results from losing your ears to hear? Or would you prefer the cutting-edge, risky-but-real life of a true, radical believer? The answer isn't clear for everyone. But we've seen who lasts. Your Bible is full of their stories. They lived by faith, not by sight.

The Trinity should not be mistaken for 3 Deities. There is one God and one God only. He moves in three (at least) ways as creator, savior, and guide. Like each wheel of a tricycle, all are necessary for the vehicle to transport one from where we are to where we need to go.

The Doctrine of the Trinity is to assure us of the resources that God has given us, so that faith, hope and love are in abundance and we can take God’s message to a world that is changing; A world where human beings are confused by all manner of doctrine both cultural and religious; A World that seeks God through folk religion and myth; a world that needs to refocus on God the creator instead of creation of God.