Sermon by Michael R. Martin
First United Methodist Church of Saranac Lake, NY
Father, Son and Holy Spirit - I’ve said it lots of times growing up catholic.
Holy Spirit shows up in the bible over 90 times (100 times in New King James). But direct reference to the Trinity - Father, Son and Holy Spirit - appears in the bible in only one place – in Matthew 28 (a reading for Trinity Sunday in other years). And the word Trinity does not even show up in the bible at all.
According to Easton's Bible Dictionary : Trinity, a word not found in Scripture, is used to express the doctrine of the unity of One God as subsisting in three distinct, divine Persons. God, the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
I am not particularly superstitious, but have known people who are, and they always said that bad things come in threes. This being Trinity Sunday, I want to say that God’s promise is that good things come in threes – One God, manifested as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God has always been there for us. The heavenly Father, creator of heaven and earth. Everywhere, omnipotent being. His power and scope is unimaginable to us. In the old Testament, God Himself talked directly to a selected few to help get his message out.
God came to earth through Jesus to tell us of His wonderful love. Jesus: God’s Son. Conceived by God the Father, born of mortal flesh, lived a human life, carpenter, prophet, teacher, miracle maker. Lived out his prophecy by dying on the cross for forgiveness of all sin. He died for the sin of his day, and the sin of our day. My sin, your sin. Jesus brought God to earth in a form that we can begin to comprehend.
And when it came time to ascend into Heaven, Jesus assured us that God would still be there with us, in the Holy Spirit. Jesus promised from the Father, another councilor, The Spirit of Truth, the Holy Spirit. Sent in Jesus’ name to teach us all things. When we cry out to the Lord, hear a particularly moving sermon or song of praise, it is the Holy Spirit that moves us, raises the hair on the backs of our necks and floods us with emotion. In moments of quiet meditation, it is the Holy Spirit that fills us with a gentle, loving presence.
One particular story I like helps illustrate the concept of the Holy Spirit: Surveyors were sent to a remote mountain to map the terrain. Everyday they would go forth over the rugged hills and every night, returned to their camp. Frequently, they were joined by an old shepherd who enjoyed the companionship of their fire. One evening, the old shepherd insisted that he would accompany the surveyors the next day so they would not become lost. Feeling fairly sure of themselves after so long, they asked why he felt that he needed to go along. The shepherd quietly repeated, "I must go with you." Still puzzled, the surveyors again described their many hikes through the mountains and their familiarity with the area after many days. Yet again, the shepherd insisted, "I know the mountains like the back of my hand." Somewhat exasperated, the surveyors replied, "We now have a map of the area." And the shepherd responded, "But there is no fog on your map." The two "experts" went up the mountain early the next morning by themselves. Soon a thick fog encircled them and led them astray. They wandered literally over hill and dale growing increasingly exhausted. Suddenly out of the fog, the shepherd appeared beside them and led them home, through the fog.
This past year I have traveled far on my spiritual journey, being active in this Church, going through the Walk to Emmaus Experience, which I would describe as an intensely personal spiritual journey, and then serving on the Music Team at a Walk to Emmaus this spring. But I have been experiencing a rough couple of months, nothing I can really put my finger on, just some unpleasant reexamination of my life and priorities. My mother says I am too young for a mid-life crisis, but who knows? At any rate, I can really relate to today’s reading from Romans talking of suffering and hope. There have even been some long stretches where I have consciously avoided my usual prayer and scripture reading, knowing that I didn’t want to hear what I know God would reveal to me. But through it all, there was the Holy Spirit guiding me through the fog. And as a result of my struggles, I have very recently discovered one very important good thing that comes in threes: and that is God, Self & Family (and I include Friends in Family). We need to make God first in our lives. It is not always easy, I know. But making God first, we give up our self to His awesome love. By giving up ourselves to the Lord, we actually become free to be ourselves. And it is at that point that we can truly love and appreciate the gifts of family and friends. Think about how you are blessed with God, Self, and Family.
This spring, I was driving down to Auburn NY for a work-related conference, I was scanning the radio channels and paused to listen to a radio preacher. Now, I don’t usually listen to that sort of stuff because it usually sounds like too much “fire and brimstone” preaching or a blatant plug for money.
But anyway, I listened to this one guy for a while going on about God’s Grace. And I liked his message (I have been thinking about God’s Grace a lot since my Emmaus Walk). He was saying how God’s Grace is a gift, freely given. You don’t earn it, you may not even think you deserve it, but there it is, right there, waiting for you. You just open your eyes, reach out, and it is yours.
God’s Grace comes in the Holy Spirit that will just fill you up until you think you are going to burst. And when you are down, when you fall – and we all do because we are human after all – try to remember that Grace, that Holy Spirit, that is right there for you always and forever. Being Christians we are recipients of God’s Grace, free & clear, no questions asked. But as Christians, we are called in return to study, to reflect, and to serve.
In our lives, therefore, I think it is useful to think of the Trinity in terms of Christian action:
of the Son: Like Jesus, give your life, your hands to the service of God
of the Holy Spirit: Give your heart to God so that you might bring light and love into the world around you. Our reading from Romans states that “God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit.” It is our duty as Christians to share that love with the world.
Back in February, Pastor Bill spoke in a sermon of a vision I had one night on our youth field trip to Ottawa. My vision was of a vast, brightly-lit open space, the Universe, filled with floating, gingerbread men-like shapes representing people. I saw this space as the Universe and the bright light the Holy Spirit. Some of the people were nearly transparent, with the light shining brightly through them, while others were nearly opaque, blocking the light. To me, the vision emphasized the point that we are ALWAYS in God’s light, His Grace, the Holy Spirit. We don’t have to do anything, just let go and be open to it. We need to strive to do our best to empty ourselves of those less than flattering human qualities, to become transparent so that God’s Love and Grace are what others see through us and in us. So that we are filled with the light of the Holy Spirit.
Where do we go to find the Holy Spirit? Well, it is always there. But we live lives that are so busy and so full of noise. To find a Grace through the Holy Spirit, you need to turn everything off for a few moments, go somewhere quiet – for me, I like to walk down through the woods to our lower field, away from the house – but it doesn’t really matter where, so long as it is quiet and without distraction and interruption.
So find a place, be quiet, and talk to God – confessions, praise, thanks, pain – whatever you need to get off your chest, put it out there.
Then . . . listen. Just listen. Try hard to quiet your mind and open your heart. And just exist in the “now” of the moment.
On this Trinity Sunday, find the time to reflect on God’s blessings in your life. Appreciate God, Self & Family.
Michael R. Martin – June 10, 2003
First UMC of Saranac Lake, 9:00AM & 10:00AM
First United Methodist Church of Saranac Lake, NY
Father, Son and Holy Spirit - I’ve said it lots of times growing up catholic.
Holy Spirit shows up in the bible over 90 times (100 times in New King James). But direct reference to the Trinity - Father, Son and Holy Spirit - appears in the bible in only one place – in Matthew 28 (a reading for Trinity Sunday in other years). And the word Trinity does not even show up in the bible at all.
According to Easton's Bible Dictionary : Trinity, a word not found in Scripture, is used to express the doctrine of the unity of One God as subsisting in three distinct, divine Persons. God, the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
I am not particularly superstitious, but have known people who are, and they always said that bad things come in threes. This being Trinity Sunday, I want to say that God’s promise is that good things come in threes – One God, manifested as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God has always been there for us. The heavenly Father, creator of heaven and earth. Everywhere, omnipotent being. His power and scope is unimaginable to us. In the old Testament, God Himself talked directly to a selected few to help get his message out.
God came to earth through Jesus to tell us of His wonderful love. Jesus: God’s Son. Conceived by God the Father, born of mortal flesh, lived a human life, carpenter, prophet, teacher, miracle maker. Lived out his prophecy by dying on the cross for forgiveness of all sin. He died for the sin of his day, and the sin of our day. My sin, your sin. Jesus brought God to earth in a form that we can begin to comprehend.
And when it came time to ascend into Heaven, Jesus assured us that God would still be there with us, in the Holy Spirit. Jesus promised from the Father, another councilor, The Spirit of Truth, the Holy Spirit. Sent in Jesus’ name to teach us all things. When we cry out to the Lord, hear a particularly moving sermon or song of praise, it is the Holy Spirit that moves us, raises the hair on the backs of our necks and floods us with emotion. In moments of quiet meditation, it is the Holy Spirit that fills us with a gentle, loving presence.
One particular story I like helps illustrate the concept of the Holy Spirit: Surveyors were sent to a remote mountain to map the terrain. Everyday they would go forth over the rugged hills and every night, returned to their camp. Frequently, they were joined by an old shepherd who enjoyed the companionship of their fire. One evening, the old shepherd insisted that he would accompany the surveyors the next day so they would not become lost. Feeling fairly sure of themselves after so long, they asked why he felt that he needed to go along. The shepherd quietly repeated, "I must go with you." Still puzzled, the surveyors again described their many hikes through the mountains and their familiarity with the area after many days. Yet again, the shepherd insisted, "I know the mountains like the back of my hand." Somewhat exasperated, the surveyors replied, "We now have a map of the area." And the shepherd responded, "But there is no fog on your map." The two "experts" went up the mountain early the next morning by themselves. Soon a thick fog encircled them and led them astray. They wandered literally over hill and dale growing increasingly exhausted. Suddenly out of the fog, the shepherd appeared beside them and led them home, through the fog.
This past year I have traveled far on my spiritual journey, being active in this Church, going through the Walk to Emmaus Experience, which I would describe as an intensely personal spiritual journey, and then serving on the Music Team at a Walk to Emmaus this spring. But I have been experiencing a rough couple of months, nothing I can really put my finger on, just some unpleasant reexamination of my life and priorities. My mother says I am too young for a mid-life crisis, but who knows? At any rate, I can really relate to today’s reading from Romans talking of suffering and hope. There have even been some long stretches where I have consciously avoided my usual prayer and scripture reading, knowing that I didn’t want to hear what I know God would reveal to me. But through it all, there was the Holy Spirit guiding me through the fog. And as a result of my struggles, I have very recently discovered one very important good thing that comes in threes: and that is God, Self & Family (and I include Friends in Family). We need to make God first in our lives. It is not always easy, I know. But making God first, we give up our self to His awesome love. By giving up ourselves to the Lord, we actually become free to be ourselves. And it is at that point that we can truly love and appreciate the gifts of family and friends. Think about how you are blessed with God, Self, and Family.
This spring, I was driving down to Auburn NY for a work-related conference, I was scanning the radio channels and paused to listen to a radio preacher. Now, I don’t usually listen to that sort of stuff because it usually sounds like too much “fire and brimstone” preaching or a blatant plug for money.
But anyway, I listened to this one guy for a while going on about God’s Grace. And I liked his message (I have been thinking about God’s Grace a lot since my Emmaus Walk). He was saying how God’s Grace is a gift, freely given. You don’t earn it, you may not even think you deserve it, but there it is, right there, waiting for you. You just open your eyes, reach out, and it is yours.
God’s Grace comes in the Holy Spirit that will just fill you up until you think you are going to burst. And when you are down, when you fall – and we all do because we are human after all – try to remember that Grace, that Holy Spirit, that is right there for you always and forever. Being Christians we are recipients of God’s Grace, free & clear, no questions asked. But as Christians, we are called in return to study, to reflect, and to serve.
In our lives, therefore, I think it is useful to think of the Trinity in terms of Christian action:
Father, Son & Holy Spirit = Head, Hands & Heartof the Father: Study the scriptures, the words and tales of our Father – don’t just read the scriptures but truly study them, reflect upon them. Use your head to come to know God
of the Son: Like Jesus, give your life, your hands to the service of God
of the Holy Spirit: Give your heart to God so that you might bring light and love into the world around you. Our reading from Romans states that “God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit.” It is our duty as Christians to share that love with the world.
Back in February, Pastor Bill spoke in a sermon of a vision I had one night on our youth field trip to Ottawa. My vision was of a vast, brightly-lit open space, the Universe, filled with floating, gingerbread men-like shapes representing people. I saw this space as the Universe and the bright light the Holy Spirit. Some of the people were nearly transparent, with the light shining brightly through them, while others were nearly opaque, blocking the light. To me, the vision emphasized the point that we are ALWAYS in God’s light, His Grace, the Holy Spirit. We don’t have to do anything, just let go and be open to it. We need to strive to do our best to empty ourselves of those less than flattering human qualities, to become transparent so that God’s Love and Grace are what others see through us and in us. So that we are filled with the light of the Holy Spirit.
Where do we go to find the Holy Spirit? Well, it is always there. But we live lives that are so busy and so full of noise. To find a Grace through the Holy Spirit, you need to turn everything off for a few moments, go somewhere quiet – for me, I like to walk down through the woods to our lower field, away from the house – but it doesn’t really matter where, so long as it is quiet and without distraction and interruption.
So find a place, be quiet, and talk to God – confessions, praise, thanks, pain – whatever you need to get off your chest, put it out there.
Then . . . listen. Just listen. Try hard to quiet your mind and open your heart. And just exist in the “now” of the moment.
On this Trinity Sunday, find the time to reflect on God’s blessings in your life. Appreciate God, Self & Family.
Michael R. Martin – June 10, 2003
First UMC of Saranac Lake, 9:00AM & 10:00AM
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