At Central Presbyterian
Church, several times a year we conduct a ceremony of Ordination for new Elders
and Deacons. A key question asked by the officiating Minister is:
"Do
you trust in Jesus Christ as your Savior, acknowledge him
as Lord
of all and head of the Church, and through him believe
in one
God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit ?"
I have never heard anyone say
"No" to this question, but I sometimes wonder if one or more of the
nominees is a bit puzzled by the reference to what we call "The
Trinity," (Father, Son and Holy Spirit)? It seems to me that
reference to The Trinity is cited less and less these days, except perhaps by
our Pastors. Presbyterians talk about "following Jesus" and
listening to the "Spirit." but far more rare are references to all
three persons of The Trinity in an integrated way.
My impression is that we
have not actually rejected The Trinity outright ---- we simply do not seem to
need it anymore. If we can express our faith fully by referring only to
"God," perhaps we have thankfully simplified our lives. Wouldn't
it be easier for us, perhaps more efficient, to talk about our faith through a
simple, direct appeal to God: God loves you, God forgives
you, God will be with you. Perhaps the "gracious God" in many
of our prayers is all we need.
Given the time, energy and
controversy devoted to The Trinity in the history of the Church, how could we
just let it slip away? Perhaps part of the answer is a conviction
that nothing should stand between us and God. This
thought is a basic principle of Protestantism, dating from the Reformation.
We are unlike Roman Catholics for whom the parish priest and the Saints are
one's intermediaries with God.
Secondly, many people today
seem to have moved beyond rejection of the church and doctrinal systems.
They seem to have become somewhat ambivalent about the specific need for the
work of the Son and the Spirit. We are "spiritual, but not
religious" they say, finding God within themselves. So, some believe
they do not need the mediation of the Son or the continuing work of the Spirit,
to connect with God. They would say, "When we speak about the
Spirit, are we not just using a shorthand for "God"?
Thirdly, what about the
challenge today of religious pluralism? We recognize that we share much
with Jews and Muslims. These two faiths are closely related to our own
faith, but reject a Trinitarian notion of God. Wouldn't our lives be much
less complicated if we did not have a three-fold God to explain? Wouldn't
we be one step closer with others who worship God?
However, Christian faith does
affirm that the work of all three persons of the Trinity is
essential to our relationship to God. It is the grace, love and communion
of this one God in three persons that draws us into divine life. So, The
Trinity is not an optional "extra" to God, but is the very
nature of God as revealed to us in Scripture.
For example, the Apostle Paul
said in 2 Corinthians 1 - 5, 21 - 22:
"Blessed be
the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who
consoles
us in our affliction, for just as the sufferings of Christ
are
abundant for us, so our consolation is abundant through
Christ,
sealed in our hearts through the power and constant
presence
of the Holy Spirit."
While not a quote from
Scripture, Presbyterian early faith leader John Calvin, said in his
Institutes:
"Christ is
not only the pledge of our adoption, but God also gives
us the
Holy Spirit as a witness to this adoption, through whom
we may
freely cry aloud, 'Abba, Father.' Whenever we are dis-
tressed,
remember to ask for the presence of the Spirit who will
enable us
to pray boldly."
We Presbyterians believe that
the life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ and the sanctifying
and healing work of the Holy Spirit, are necessary in order for us to be
reconciled to God. Necessary ---- not merely helpful or
encouraging.
While understandable, this
impulse to simplify does not serve us well. We confess faith in the
Triune God because we believe this is who God truly is. We cannot dispose
of the Trinity any more easily than we can dispose of our conviction that God
is the author of life.
_____________________________________________________________________________
These thoughts are brought
to you by CPC's Adult Spiritual Development Team, hoping to encourage you to
pursue some personal spiritual growth this summer at CPC.
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