May 31 – Trinity

I just looked at the forecast for Tobermory. There appears to be sun and double-digit temperatures forecast for the upcoming week. Hallelujah! It still seems unusual not to find a weather alert, after so many days this winter with sometimes multiple alerts on the same day… The birds, the green, the flowers, it all seems somewhat miraculous. In fact, even though I’m not a birder, there have been birds of such beauty in my backyard this week that I had to find their names. It was indigo buntings that swooped and swirled there, and a rose-breasted grosbeak that visited my deck.

It seems fitting that we’ll encounter Psalm 8 this Sunday. We’re going to recite it in the version of the Iona Community. Part of it goes like this:

               Wonderful God, Creator,

the whole earth declares your greatness.

               Your glory glows in the heavens.

It is babbled by babies and sung by children. . .

Looking out my window, there is nothing more true.

It is also Trinity Sunday this Sunday, when we acknowledge the Trinity of God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. It can be complicated theologically to try to explain this relationship, but the main thing is that it is about relationship, that God cannot be explained or experienced in simple terms. I’ll do my best…

In the meantime, read Psalm 8 and Matthew 28:16 to 20, and ponder the following:

1.      The word “dominion” in Psalm 8:6 has been problematic in terms of framing humanity’s relationship with the rest of Creation. How would you frame this relationship?

2.      In Matthew 28:19, Jesus commands his disciples to baptize in the name of the trinity. We still do this today. Any thoughts on why this is important?

Image: Celtic trinity symbol, Isle of Skye, Scotland